《Cultivation is just so scientific!》


 Chapter 1 Coercion

    "Don''t make a sound, or I''ll kill you!"


    A hoarse voice sounded in his ears, and Li Shiming felt a slight prick at the back of his neck.


    He was being controlled by a sharp weapon!


    He had never imagined that while taking a walk in his own garden in the magistrate''s backyard in Nanling Prefecture, he would be kidnapped.


    "Don''t do anything foolish. I do not wish to hurt you, just help me with some tasks!" the hoarse voice continued.


    Li Shiming dared not move. As the person behind him drew closer, a strong smell of blood reached his nose.


    The person behind was pleased with his sensible response, lacking the recklessness typical of scholars. If there had been any other way, he wouldn''t have resorted to threatening the magistrate''s son.


    "May I know what you would have me do?" Li Shiming asked, steadying his mind.


    "Mr. Li, before you help me, first take this pill!" the person retracted their weapon and said.


    Then, a bloodied hand placed a black pill next to Li Shiming''s head.


    Hearing the person behind him utter his name, Li Shiming was startled. The person dared to kidnap him even after knowing his identity, which meant they were either reckless or extremely confident.


    Though the pricking sensation at his neck had disappeared, he still dared not resist. His body was only that of a fifteen-year-old scholar, and aside from broadcast gymnastics during his school days in his previous life, he had never learned any combat skills.


    He took the pill from the bloodied hand, and without looking closely, he threw it into his mouth and swallowed it.


    Of course, he couldn''t possibly just swallow a pill of unknown purpose so obediently. As he swallowed the pill, he quickly concealed it into a storage space in his mind.


    Having his identity revealed, Chief Escort Wang was not overly surprised.


    As the son of a magistrate, it was normal for him to know some details of recent events, especially something as significant as the incident at Tianxiang Building.


    "I have no grudge against you, young master. As long as you help me, I swear to heaven I will administer the antidote to you. I resorted to poisoning you out of desperation!" Chief Escort Wang said with a slight bow, his expression apologetic and seemingly heartfelt.


    Li Shiming''s heart remained unmoved. Having lived through two lifetimes, he was all too aware of human nature.


    Regardless of whether Chief Escort Wang acted out of desperation, the fact that he had poisoned and coerced him was undeniable.


    "Here is a prescription. Please help procure the ingredients and prepare the medicine and deliver it here. I believe you are intelligent enough not to tamper with the medicine. Should anything go wrong with it, I''ll immediately know and you will lose the antidote to the Three-day Soul-breaking Pills!" Chief Escort Wang said, seeing that Li Shiming was unswayed by his appeal and thus handed him a piece of paper with a threat.


    The paper was quite old, listing several ingredients along with their quantities and stipulated age, as well as the method of preparation.


    "It will take some time to gather the ingredients listed on the prescription. I will do my best to deliver the medicine tonight!" Li Shiming said solemnly after glancing at the prescription.


    According to his memory, the ingredients on the prescription were extremely rare, and even using the resources of the manor, it would take considerable time to obtain them.


    Though he wasn''t truly under the threat of the Three-day Soul-breaking Pills, a thorough performance was still necessary.


    "Good, I''ll wait for you behind the artificial hill!" Chief Escort Wang knew it wasn''t easy to acquire the ingredients listed on the prescription, otherwise, he wouldn''t have gone to such lengths and could have had someone else handle it.


    "I hope that Chief Escort Wang will keep his oath!" Li Shiming put away the prescription, looking deeply at him as he spoke.


    After speaking, he turned and left. Chief Escort Wang watched his departing figure, a glint of admiration flashing in his eyes.


    However, his admiration soon turned into deadly intent. No matter what, he could not let Li Shiming live. Having thoroughly offended Li Shiming, even if he surrendered the antidote, if the magistrate learned of this affair, his nine lives wouldn''t suffice to save him.

 Chapter 2 Red Beans

    Li Shiming walked at an unhurried pace along the garden path. He had thought about quickening his step, but he did not know whether Chief Escort Wang was watching him from behind. He needed to display his composure to settle Chief Escort Wang''s mind.


    Not until he left the garden area and saw his own courtyard, did he manage to relieve most of his worries.


    Now he faced two choices. One was to report the matter to his father. His biological father was Li WenYuan, the Magistrate of Nanling Prefecture. Although only a fourth-rank official, he was the most powerful officer in Nanling Prefecture.


    With the power that his father Li WenYuan held, it was entirely possible to summon experts to eliminate Chief Escort Wang.


    The other option was to do as Chief Escort Wang had said and boil the medicine according to the prescription.


    "Let''s appease him for now. If there''s no way to resolve the trouble, then I''ll ask my father to take action!" he thought to himself.


    Since Chief Escort Wang needed him to do a task, he wouldn''t harm him for the moment. With the Three-day Soul-breaking Pills in play, Chief Escort Wang wouldn''t be too wary of him.


    Entering the courtyard with these thoughts, his maid Si Qin, seeing Li Shiming, quickly tucked something behind her before smiling and coming forward to curtsy.


    Si Qin was Li Shiming''s personal maid. Besides Si Qin, there were five other maids responsible for more menial tasks, and two nannies specifically to attend to him.


    However, he did not like having many people in the courtyard, so, apart from Si Qin, the rest of the servants stayed in the servants'' quarters and would not come over without being called.


    "What are you holding in your hand?" Li Shiming, seeing Si Qin''s bashful look, couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    "It''s a trinket from Nanny Wang. I thought it was pretty, so I asked for a few!" Si Qin unfolded her hands, revealing the red beans she held.


    Li Shiming couldn''t help but shake his head. No wonder Si Qin was embarrassed, these were love beans. It seemed Si Qin had grown up and started to entertain thoughts of youthful romance.


    He was about to ask Si Qin to run an errand but then scrutinized the beans again.


    The tips of these love beans were black. He thought of the ''Mother Hen Bead'', which is also among the love beans, but is highly toxic. Ingesting just two or three could be lethal.


    Of course, few knew about the deadly poison within the Mother Hen Bead, since love beans grew in the far south. Most people would not only be unaware of their toxicity but couldn''t even distinguish between Mother Hen Beads and love beans.


    "Si Qin, go to Nanny Wang and ask how many of these black-tipped love beans there are, and collect them back, even those that were given away. Say that I want them, and give me the ones in your hand too!" Li Shiming ordered solemnly.


    "Yes, Young Master!" Si Qin pouted slightly in displeasure but did not dare to defy his order and handed over the love beans she held.


    Just three days after having transmigrated, in order to power an uninterrupted electricity supply, he had utilized his knowledge of electricity from his previous life. Based on the memories of this world, he had designed blueprints which he handed over to Mo Yan to handle, and now Mo Yan had timely delivered them.


    Before laying hands on the final product, he had prepared himself mentally. As long as the result was not too far off, he could completely correct any minor errors himself.


    Yet, upon seeing the actual items, he was extremely surprised.


    Setting aside the wooden parts, he looked at the iron gears he needed. At a glance, it was hard to believe that these items, with their intricate design, were produced by an ancient society. Their precision made him wonder if they were made on a lathe.


    These were not the most difficult parts to make. The two toughest components to create were the magnets and the copper wire.


    He picked up a magnet and found that it was perfectly shaped.


    "Young Master, this magnet was made by the compass shop. We chose their best magnet for you!" Mo Yan explained upon seeing the magnet.


    The compass required the magnet to be shaped in a special form. The same technique used to shape it according to Li Shiming''s needs was not very difficult.


    A smile appeared on Li Shiming''s face. He nodded his head and then picked up the copper wire.


    To tell the truth, the copper wire had been his biggest concern because it required the most skill to fabricate.


    The copper wire in his hands was thin and soft, and its surface was covered with a layer of lacquer. Even by modern standards, it was a very fine copper wire.


    "I commissioned this copper wire from the Wu family''s jewelry store. When they heard you had requested it, they had their best craftsmen work overnight to make it!" Mo Yan did not miss any opportunity to curry favor.


    "Well done. Si Qin, give Mo Yan two taels of silver," Li Shiming stated with a smile, fully aware of Mo Yan''s keen desire to please and satisfied with his work.


    Obediently, Si Qin took out the silver and handed it to a beaming Mo Yan.


    "Mo Yan, don''t gossip after you leave here. Keep the Young Master''s matters confidential!" Si Qin softly instructed.


    Although unaware of what Li Shiming intended to do with these items, with the Imperial Examination approaching, any involvement in matters unrelated to his studies would be troublesome if his father learned of it.


    "Mo Yan, here is a prescription. Buy the medicine according to this formula and be quick about it. Also, bring me the records from the case at Tianxiang Building!" Li Shiming shifted his gaze from the wooden box and remembered the important reason he summoned Mo Yan, and he commanded in a serious tone.


    With a new task at hand and the silver in his pocket, Mo Yan left happily.


    ```

 Chapter 3 Electricity Generation

    "Si Qin, you stay at the door!" Li Shiming said to Si Qin, who was looking on curiously.


    These parts could be explained away as his hobby, but if he actually assembled them into a generator, it would become inexplicable.


    Therefore, even though Si Qin was curious, he could not possibly allow her to watch.


    Si Qin, though curious, still followed his command and left the study.


    Li Shiming started assembling the generator according to his own design.


    After two hours had passed, the strange box on the desk looked like nothing more than a box with a crank, with three copper wires leading out from one side, showing nothing else special about it.


    The body of the generator was encased in a wooden box, so even if outsiders saw it, it would not attract too much attention.


    Li Shiming tried turning the crank and found that he had overestimated the strength of his body.


    To achieve a higher voltage, the generator''s rotor needed to spin faster. His design used large gears to drive smaller gears, but while this increased the rotation of the rotor, it also required more strength to turn the crank.


    He even thought about asking Mo Yan to help him turn it, but then decided against it.


    He forcefully turned the crank. Although his strength was insufficient to increase the speed, the sight of sparks at the copper wires confirmed his success.


    Having successfully built a simple generator, he knew he wouldn''t fail once he had the right parts.


    The device wasn''t complicated; once he understood the principle behind it, it was easy to replicate, and he was almost a professional.


    However, Li Shiming''s biggest problem right now was how to maintain a constant rotation of the rotor and how to feed the electricity generated into the uninterruptible power supply in the server room.


    He looked at the rudimentary generator, contemplating incorporating it into the server room.


    The desk cleared; the generator disappeared from sight and reappeared inside the server room.


    He tried to spin the rotor of the generator with his mind, an inspiration from earlier when he learned he could manipulate items in the server room at will.


    He had a feeling that he had an extraordinary level of control over the server room.


    He couldn''t pinpoint what was being consumed, but it was likely something like his Spirit.


    "I can''t generate power during the day anymore!" he thought, enduring the throbbing pain in his brain.


    "Young Master, what''s wrong with you?" As Li Shiming opened the door to the study, Si Qin saw his staggering figure and pale face and cried out in an alarmed tone.


    "Si Qin, don''t alarm the others, help me rest for a bit!" Li Shiming instructed, forcing a reassuring smile.


    "Young Master, let''s get a doctor to look at you, your health is important!" Si Qin came forward to support him and advised as they headed towards the bedroom.


    "It''s nothing serious, just a little drained!" Li Shiming said, knowing his own condition.


    Though his Spirit was significantly depleted, the fact that the uninterruptible power supply had stored some power left him feeling excited again.


    Lying in bed, his mind entered the server room, but he was far from calm.


    He did not know if the large IBM z15 server could be started up, whether he could access the vast amounts of data stored within it; everything was unknown.


    This IBM z15 large server had been a gift to the university from several well-known alumni in his previous life, valued at over 100 million.


    The large server was not only used by the library but also utilized for calculation in research projects through application submissions, despite being housed in the library''s server room.


    The IBM z15 was top-of-the-line, equipped with 190 CPUs and a massive 40 TB of memory, integrating 12.2 billion transistors¡ªa culmination of the technology from his former life.


    Just the variety of books and research materials stored on this server included over ten million electronic books, covering areas like philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, history, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, management, art, and military studies¡ª13 disciplines, 92 college majors, and 506 specializations.


    In addition, there were published research results from both domestic and international sources, as well as data from university projects in progress.


    With such a server at hand, he could bring the world he was currently in up to the level of his previous life.


    Whether or not the large server could be started would determine two vastly different ways of surviving in this world. If he could not start the large server, then there would be only one path available to him.


    That would be to follow the official career path laid out by his father, Li WenYuan, advancing through the civil examinations to become an officer just like Li WenYuan.


    With the ability to store items in the server room space and inspect them at any moment, the path of taking the civil examinations would be extremely easy for Li Shiming.

 Chapter 4 Start-up

    Li Shiming was not content to lead an ordinary life. Although he had memories from his past life that included knowledge such as how to build generators, there was not much that he could fully remember and implement, especially considering the requirements of this world.


    Without the help of large servers, there was very little he could do.


    But with the assistance of large servers, the paths before him would be endless.


    With these thoughts in mind, he activated the uninterruptible power supply connecting to the large server IBMz15, and then he started up the IBMz15.


    The various indicator lights on the cabinet-style body of the large server began to light up. Li Shiming noticed a rapid decline in the electricity within the uninterruptible power supply, plunging almost to the warning line with just one startup.


    Anxiously, he realized that if there wasn''t sufficient power to support it, even a brief startup and power failure could potentially damage the internal components of the large server.


    His consciousness entered the IBMz15, and instantly he had a complete understanding of the server''s status.


    The main power consumers were the self-checks performed by the CPU and memory. With his mind, he turned off the CPUs one by one, leaving only one CPU running, and reduced the memory to 64G as well.


    All storage units, except for the Linux system and a small amount of usable space, were also completely shut down.


    This step significantly reduced the power consumption of the large server to a level the uninterruptible power supply could handle.


    The IBMz15 was far more complex than the uninterruptible power supply. If it were not for his extreme familiarity with the IBMz15, having maintained it for an entire year, he would not have been able to operate it so swiftly and directly with his consciousness.


    Observing the server from within was a completely different sensation from opening the cabinet to examine it.


    He could clearly perceive the internal structure and functioning of each component.


    When his consciousness reached the display processor, a familiar interface appeared before him¡ªthe Linux graphical interface of the IBMz15.


    He tried operating the Linux interface and found that he could control it normally.


    His eyes became the server''s monitor, and his consciousness, the mouse and keyboard.


    He did not access the data stored on the server, as that would require activating the shut-down storage spaces.


    Opening those files would entail turning on more storage units, consuming a lot of electricity, something he didn''t need at the moment, nor did he want to increase the power consumption.


    Yet he was concerned that grinding the Mother Hen Bead into powder might make the poison too slow-acting.


    He remembered reports of the deadly toxin found in the Mother Hen Bead from his previous life, which mentioned its medical significance.


    After reviewing the server''s resources, he learned that the deadly component in the Mother Hen Bead was the "Acacia Poison Protein," and he found methods for extracting it in the database.


    But to extract the "Acacia Poison Protein," he would need phosphoric acid, ammonium sulfate, glycerin, and a centrifuge.


    He transferred the required data to memory and shut down the highly power-consuming hard drive array.


    Now that he had all the related information, even though he was no chemist, with this data at hand, he was confident he could extract the chemical substance he desired in this world.


    Using a brush, he wrote down a list of materials, then after some thought, added a few more.


    Since he already had glycerin, and before manufacturing ammonium sulfate, he needed to prepare sulfuric acid, he only needed nitric acid to be able to produce nitroglycerin.


    After being kidnapped by Chief Escort Wang, he understood the dangers of this world.


    He needed something for self-defense. Even if he wasn''t intending to harm others, he at least should be able to ward off external threats.


    "Young Master, your medicine has been delivered!" the servant Mo Yan called from outside the study.


    "I need these things within two hours!" Li Shiming handed the list to Mo Yan as he instructed.


    Mo Yan looked at the list in his hand, and a look of distress crossed his face when he saw the items listed.


    "Young Master, even if I run myself ragged, two hours won''t be enough. I''m not worried about myself, but I''m worried about not completing your orders!" Mo Yan said with an obsequious smile.


    "Can''t you find more people to run around, just say it''s my command, there will be a reward for a job well done!" Li Shiming waved his hand dismissively.


    "Young Master, I will deliver within two hours!" assured Mo Yan, who, hearing there was a reward, had no further objections and turned to leave while speaking.


    The items on the list weren''t easy for others to purchase, such as certain minerals which were hard to come by.


    But utilizing the connections of the Mansion, many could be found directly from the Nanling Mansion, albeit with some difficulty.

 Chapter 5 Chemistry

    Li Shiming''s consciousness returned to the machine room, and this time he focused on the generator.


    The generator''s crank had become superfluous, and under the operation of his mind, he took down the generator''s crank along with two sets of gears.


    With a crank and two sets of gears, converting a manual centrifuge was hardly a difficult task.


    Particularly when he gathered planks and tools in the machine room, all the other necessary parts were easily crafted under his mental operation.


    The world''s first centrifuge was created, and as he observed the centrifuge in front of him, a thought emerged in his mind: if he could operate directly with his mind in the machine room, why bother creating this centrifuge?


    In an instant, the joy of creating the world''s first centrifuge vanished, and he began to reconsider his way of thinking.


    In a two-hour period, various materials and case files had been delivered, and during that time Si Qin had brought back a small box containing more than fifty Mother Hen Beads.


    Li Shiming took a stove and a sand pot, and without asking for Si Qin''s help, he began to brew according to the prescription shown by Chief Escort Wang.


    What no one knew was that in his machine room, the processing of various materials had already begun.


    For safety, he used wooden boards to partition off a separate space in a corner of the machine room.


    Lest the chemical substances act upon the equipment within the machine room.


    Indeed, if manually handled, it would still be somewhat difficult to concoct specified chemicals using these raw materials through chemical means.


    But within the space of the machine room, with complete control, this task became extremely simple.


    Within the machine room space, he could sense substances at the micrometer level, as well as any changes occurring within the substances, making chemical experiments extremely simple.


    No experimental apparatus was needed, as his mind could serve as the container.


    Phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, ammonium sulphate, glycerine, Acacia Poison Protein, and nitroglycerine were all concocted by him, and more than fifty Mother Hen Beads were shelled and turned into a small amount of liquid Acacia Poison Protein.


    Who would think that this small amount of liquid could bring many to their death, deemed the world''s deadliest substance.


    One should know that this was not a naturally-formed poison but one that was scientifically purified, which in some ways should not exist in this world.


    Seeing the mention of a cultivator in the records, Li Shiming felt as if he had traveled through time again, surprised to find cultivators in this world, a detail not present in his original memories.


    This could not be blamed on his predecessor, who was only a fifteen-year-old scholar, devoted daily to the Four Books and Five Classics.


    His predecessor had few friends, partly due to his dedication to his studies, seldom interacting with others, and also because of his age.


    Normally, scholars in the same city would often interact, discussing philosophy or indulging in leisurely pursuits together.


    But how could a fifteen-year-old Li Shiming integrate into a group of adult scholars?


    Among these scholars, even those in their twenties were rare, let alone ones close to Li Shiming''s age.


    This is not to say that Nanling Prefecture lacked young scholars, but rather that young scholars only appeared once every ten or so years, and Li Shiming''s predecessors had long since reached their twenties.


    His predecessor did not want to associate with those intent on making connections with the powerful, so naturally, he had few friends.


    Having few friends and devoted solely to the Confucian classics had greatly narrowed his predecessor''s range of knowledge, with most memories revolving around his studies.


    Of course, Li Shiming felt somewhat fortunate about his predecessor''s situation, as it meant he did not have to constantly be careful with his interactions to avoid slipping up.


    "No wonder Chief Escort Wang is hiding in the government office, it turns out that a cultivator is after him!" thought Li Shiming to himself.


    Chief Escort Wang being hunted by a cultivator indicated that he possessed something the cultivator wanted, sparking Li Shiming''s interest.


    If this world were ordinary, Li Shiming could use the power of the moment in this world to carve out a place for himself.


    But if it were a cultivation world, then his plans would have to change.


    Longevity and freedom between heaven and earth are the desires of life; he would attempt it, even if there was only a slight chance.


    After Li Shiming had the medicine prepared, he instructed Si Qin to fetch a lunchbox and placed the cooked medicine in a big bowl inside the lunchbox.


    "Si Qin, don''t follow me, I am going for a walk in the garden!" Li Shiming instructed as he picked up the lunchbox.


    Under Si Qin''s puzzled gaze, he left the courtyard.

 Chapter 6 Poisoning

    Li Shiming walked into the garden. He did not see Chief Escort Wang, but he was very sure that Chief Escort Wang was watching him.


    He arrived at the fake mountain where they had agreed to meet. By this time, the sky had grown somewhat dark, and the plant shadows around were flickering.


    "Chief Escort Wang, I have brought the medicine!" he said as he set down the food box.


    "The young master indeed keeps his promises!" Chief Escort Wang emerged from behind the fake mountain, saying with a smile.


    His complexion was paler than it had been during the day, suggesting that his injuries were more serious than Li Shiming had imagined.


    Li Shiming opened the food box to reveal a large bowl of medicine inside.


    Chief Escort Wang took a strong whiff of the medicine and showed a look of satisfaction on his face.


    Being a veteran of the Martial World, just by this sniff, he could determine whether the medicine was right or not.


    He had chosen Li Shiming precisely because, although smart, Li Shiming was like a blank page, a scholarly young master who, when threatened, was very unlikely to retaliate.


    Considering Li Shiming''s social circle and the fact that only the Magistrate and his son lived in the Magistrate''s residence, it was even less likely for Li Shiming to come into contact with any nefarious dealings. Chief Escort Wang believed that it would be difficult for Li Shiming to even find poison if he wanted to.


    It was not hard for Li Shiming to buy other things, but as the Magistrate''s son, who would dare sell poison to him? If anything went wrong, it would be a serious problem.


    Moreover, with Chief Escort Wang''s experience, it was impossible for poison to elude his nose; in this regard, he had undergone special training.


    Without the ability to identify poisons, how could one escort valuables outside? They would have been tricked long ago.


    In fact, the bowl of medicine indeed had no problems; it was completely brewed according to Chief Escort Wang''s prescription, and the herbs used were also of the best quality.


    Li Shiming took the bowl of medicine out of the food box and offered it to Chief Escort Wang.


    "Chief Escort Wang, I have done what you asked of me. When will my poison be cured?" he asked in a heavy tone.


    Chief Escort Wang was very pleased with Li Shiming''s attitude, this concern for his own life was exactly what he wanted.


    "Brew this medicine two more times tomorrow, and tomorrow night I will hand over the antidote to you," Chief Escort Wang said with a faint smile as he took the bowl of medicine.


    "Please keep your word, Chief Escort Wang!" Li Shiming said with a grim expression.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Li Shiming, standing twenty meters away behind a tree, was able to see Chief Escort Wang''s condition clearly in the darkness, thanks to his heightened senses and the moon''s glow.


    Instead of checking on him when Chief Escort Wang fell poisoned to the ground, Li Shiming simply waited quietly.


    The Acacia Poison Protein he formulated, according to the records, was a substance easily absorbed by the body; once ingested, unless one was in a modern hospital with advanced medical resources and knew exactly what poison it was, there was no hope of saving the victim.


    As his life slipped away, Chief Escort Wang still could not understand why Li Shiming was so resolute, even willing to die alongside him.


    After all, he had seen Li Shiming take the Three-day Soul-breaking Pills himself, just as he had claimed¡ªapart from their unique antidote, no renowned physician could administer a timely cure.


    With confusion and reluctance, he stopped breathing.


    Li Shiming still did not move; he stood behind the tree, observing Chief Escort Wang.


    It was only after assuredly ten minutes, seeing no slightest movement in Chief Escort Wang''s chest, that Li Shiming confirmed his death.


    He cautiously approached Chief Escort Wang''s corpse, remaining vigilant throughout; dealing with such an experienced figure in the Martial World, he dared not be careless.


    Looking at Chief Escort Wang''s corpse, his face contorted in death, Li Shiming felt the urge to vomit.


    In his previous life he was an ordinary person, and in this life, a scholar; he had never been near a corpse, so not throwing up now was already quite good.


    Bearing in mind that Chief Escort Wang was killed by him, it was his first kill and yet he remained relatively composed.


    He found a tree branch and began searching through Chief Escort Wang''s corpse.


    Besides a sword, Chief Escort Wang had some silver fragments on him, but nothing else.


    Li Shiming was well aware that the cultivator would not have troubled Chief Escort Wang without reason.


    Moreover, he had gone on a killing spree at Tianxiang Building, slaying seven dart heads from Weiyuan Escort Agency.


    From the case records, it was understood that acts of violence by cultivators were extremely rare, with no incidents recorded in Nanling Prefecture in recent decades.


    The authorities also suspected that Chief Escort Wang possessed something that the cultivator wanted, which had brought about this fatal disaster.


    Li Shiming wanted to kill Chief Escort Wang not only to prevent him from going mad and harming people in the prefecture, but also because he was curious about what the cultivator might want.


    Now that Chief Escort Wang was dead and the item was not found, it left him somewhat disappointed.

 Chapter 7 Discovery

    Li Shiming recalled the first time he had encountered Chief Escort Wang in the garden¡ªit had been by this very rockery where Chief Escort Wang had arranged to meet him.


    If he had a treasure in his possession, which he did not carry on his person while being pursued, he would definitely place it somewhere he could constantly keep an eye on it.


    Perhaps Chief Escort Wang had placed the item nearby. Li Shiming did not touch what was on Chief Escort Wang''s person, but instead started searching the surrounding area.


    Li Shiming also knew that, with his own experience, he would not be able to discern much.


    He thought of using a large IBM z15 server located in the machine room space, but the prerequisite was that the server could directly receive what his eyes saw.


    To input through the eyes, he had to add his eyes as an input device to the large IBM z15 server.


    He attempted to add an input device in the Linux system settings, letting his consciousness connect to the input module, which immediately detected a device available.


    No drivers were needed, the device automatically installed itself.


    This was the first time Li Shiming operated the large IBM z15 server by delving into its components, and after several attempts, he successfully turned his eyes into a legitimate input device for the server.


    He scanned the surroundings of the rockery with his eyes and entered the nearby environment into the large IBM z15 server to form a video file.


    Then, he closed his eyes and repeatedly reviewed the video with his consciousness.


    His experience might be limited, but as the number of repetitions of the video increased, he was bound to notice something unusual.


    "Found it!" After more than a minute, having observed the video file nearly a hundred times, he finally spotted the anomaly.


    Li Shiming came to the southern corner of the rockery, where the grass seemed the same as the adjacent areas, but the average height of the grass here was slightly higher than elsewhere.


    This slight difference in average height was not visible to the naked eye, but it became apparent after being digitized by the large IBM z15 server.


    In just one minute, the electricity consumption of the large IBM z15 server reached the warning line.


    Chief Escort Wang was experienced in hiding objects. Had Li Shiming relied only on his eyesight, he might never have found it.


    Li Shiming carefully dug up the entire sod, revealing a wooden box underneath.


    The moment he saw the wooden box, his heart was filled with joy.


    "Young Master, a great disaster has occurred¡ªthe Weiyuan Escort Agency has been wiped out, including Chief Escort Wang''s entire family; all thirty-five members within the agency were killed!" Mo Yan reported to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming''s expression changed; knowing without a doubt that the Daoist cultivator was responsible.


    Perhaps the Daoist cultivator, failing to find Chief Escort Wang, had resorted to this method.


    To wipe out the Weiyuan Escort Agency, kill Chief Escort Wang''s whole family, to drive Chief Escort Wang to madness, forcing him to reveal himself.


    It was simply too cruel¡ªthirty-five lives had been taken just like that.


    This was Nanling Prefecture, no wonder drums were sounding; probably not only the government soldiers but also nearby military forces would come.


    Li Shiming became more worried; the item the Daoist cultivator was searching for was in the garden, and he couldn''t guarantee that finding the box would satisfy the Daoist cultivator.


    The small wooden sword had been taken by him; if that was what the Daoist cultivator was after, there could be big trouble in the house.


    He didn''t know whether the official forces could stand up to the Daoist cultivator, likely they couldn''t.


    Perhaps he should add an extra layer of insurance before the Daoist cultivator found the box.


    "Mo Yan, is the item I requested ready?" Li Shiming asked sternly.


    "I will push for it; it will definitely be delivered by tomorrow morning!" Hearing his urgency, Mo Yan quickly assured.


    Li Shiming no longer considered the issue of building a forge; he had originally planned to build an electric arc furnace, but if the materials arrived tomorrow, just creating the silicon carbon rods would take some time, not to mention the lack of sufficient power stored in the uninterrupted power supply.


    With the electric arc furnace, he could use his consciousness to process some fine metal items, definitely producing weapons for self-defense.


    Unfortunately, he was short on time, forcing him to consider other options.


    A new idea struck him.


    He performed chemical experiments in the machine room space, obtaining a small amount of white phosphorus in the simplest way possible.


    With the large IBM z15 server at his disposal, there were more than ten methods to produce white phosphorus. He chose the quickest available method, as he wasn''t too particular about the quality of white phosphorus.


    Having obtained the white phosphorus, he made another trip to the garden, placing some chemicals inside the wooden box buried near the rockery and once again erased any traces.


    He had done everything he could; the rest was up to luck.

 Chapter 8 Tracking

    Shi Ximing stood on the roof, his body light as a feather, his legs shimmering with a cyan glow.


    This time, he had come to Great Xia for a legacy.


    His talent was not exceptional. It had taken him over twenty years to reach the third level of Qi Refinement.


    This strength put him at a very awkward level, as normally, cultivators walking outside with Qi Refinement cultivation would not be below this strength.


    And since he had spent so much time cultivating, he had no time to master many combat techniques, not even enough to rob someone effectively.


    Had it not been for some of the resources handed down from his ancestors, perhaps he wouldn''t have even reached the Qi Refining Third Level.


    He had stumbled upon notes left by his ancestors and saw an essay that mentioned a good friend of his ancestor who, severely injured and hopeless on his immortal path, returned to Great Xia.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    The essay described how his ancestor''s friend was rather fortunate to have obtained a top-grade magic tool during the early Qi Refining stage.


    Top-grade magic tools are so rare that most cultivators in the late-stage of Qi Refinement can''t obtain them, which shows the preciousness of top-grade magic tools, and his ancestor''s friend''s tool was a high-grade attack magic item.


    Perhaps Shi Ximing''s ancestor had recorded it as a memory, but upon seeing it, Shi Ximing first thought of how if he could possess a high-grade attack magic item, he could rob most mid- and low-level cultivators.


    While a low-level cultivator could not maintain a high-grade attack magic item for long, even middle-level cultivators without good defensive magic artifacts could not withstand the attack of a low-level cultivator using a high-grade attack weapon.


    In his opinion, this was his fate as a cultivator, so he had come to Great Xia.


    However, he had no real connections in the secular world, and as he inquired about the descendants of his ancestor''s friend, his inquiries were leaked.


    Chief Escort Wang''s ancestor was precisely the friend of Shi Ximing''s ancestor, and the legacy left by Chief Escort Wang''s ancestor had become the foundation of the Wang family.


    The legacy of Chief Escort Wang''s ancestor included not just cultivation secrets but also several top-tier martial arts inheritances.


    In the Cultivation World, the value of top-tier martial arts inheritances is not high, but it was these martial arts inheritances that made the Wang family produce many experts.


    This generation''s Chief Escort Wang had even achieved the title of master, and Weiyuan Escort Agency was one of the major escort agencies in Great Xia.


    Chief Escort Wang also knew the importance of the ancestral legacy and made precautions when he learned that someone was inquiring about his ancestor''s information.


    He channeled Spiritual Power, activated the Mid-level Tracking Talisman in his hand, which turned into a beam of light that landed on the clothing. Using the Mid-level Tracking Talisman, he could feel the route taken by Chief Escort Wang.


    The effective time of the Mid-level Tracking Talisman was three two-hour periods. As long as Chief Escort Wang was still within Nanling City, Shi Ximing was confident he could find him.


    Even if Chief Escort Wang was dead, all the places he passed would retain traces of his Qi.


    Having searched the Weiyuan Escort Agency and found nothing, he resorted to other methods and learned from Chief Escort Wang''s family that Wang had taken an item with him.


    Therefore, whether or not he could find Chief Escort Wang himself, locating that item was still highly probable.


    Shi Ximing applied a Basic Light Body Talisman to himself, maintaining an effect that made him as light as a feather.


    This time, to achieve his goal, he was being extraordinarily extravagant, constantly using talismans that he usually hesitated to use.


    Following the Qi clues provided by the Mid-level Tracking Talisman, he leaped across the structures of Nanling City.


    Half a two-hour period later, he arrived outside the prefectural office.


    Feeling the guidance of the Mid-level Tracking Talisman, he finally understood why he hadn''t found Chief Escort Wang before.


    It turned out that Chief Escort Wang had hidden inside the prefectural office; the most dangerous place was indeed the safest.


    Who would have known that the man Shi Ximing and the officials were searching for was hiding in the government''s own prefectural office?


    Without any hesitation, even if it meant being discovered by government officials, he was determined to enter.


    The direction of the Qi led toward the back garden; the high courtyard walls were as if nonexistent to him.


    He leaped over the wall effortlessly, his feet tapping on the treetops as he traced the Qi without touching the ground.


    There was no one in the garden; Li WenYuan had been extremely busy lately. The Li Family consisted only of Li WenYuan and Li Shiming, with few servants.


    Due to major events that had occurred in Nanling Prefecture in recent days, a large number of personnel had been deployed for investigations.


    Although Shi Ximing''s strength was weak¡ªonly in terms of cultivators¡ªwith the help of the Basic Light Body Talisman and his keen senses, he managed to penetrate deep into the garden without alerting anyone.

 Chapter 9 Explosion

    "He''s been here for a long time!" Shi Ximing sensed, thanks to the hints from the Intermediate Tracking Talisman, judging by the intensity of the spiritual energy.


    Before him was a rockery, quite a secluded spot within the garden.


    A moment later, a puzzled expression appeared on his face.


    Because he only sensed the spiritual energy of Chief Escort Wang here, and did not sense the spiritual energy of Chief Escort Wang leaving.


    Normally, Chief Escort Wang should still be here.


    Even if Chief Escort Wang had died, his body being moved would still leave behind traces of spiritual energy.


    But the spiritual energy here suggested that Chief Escort Wang had, after staying for two days, vanished into thin air.


    Although Shi Ximing was filled with confusion, finding Chief Escort Wang was not the most important thing; finding that item was.


    He waved his hand, and a streak of green light flashed.


    He hadn''t been very successful in the Cultivation World, but he did have skills, with his strongest being in cultivation.


    This was a garden, filled with various flowers and plants.


    The wood spiritual energy he stimulated could easily sense the state of the surrounding plants.


    This was more convenient than using a large server IBMz15 for analysis, as proven by the smile that quickly appeared on his face.


    "Found it!" he exclaimed as he reached the spot where the wooden box was buried.


    The spiritual energy of a small patch of grass here was off; after stimulating the wood spiritual energy, this small area stood out like a beacon in the night.


    He dug through the topsoil with his hands and saw the wooden box.


    Upon seeing the wooden box, his smile widened.


    The box looked ordinary, but the patterns on it were commonly used in the Cultivation World to isolate spiritual energy.


    The contents of such a box would definitely not belong in the Mortal World.


    He did not take any protective measures; on one hand, this was the mundane world, where a small box could only trigger limited power in hidden weapons, and at Qi Refining Third Level, he was immune to mundane poisons; on the other hand, he was poor.


    In Si Qin''s heart, the young master was her everything.


    "Si Qin, don''t be afraid, I''ll go see what happened!" Li Shiming reassured Si Qin.


    "Young master, don''t go, let''s wait for the government soldiers!" Si Qin begged as she clutched Li Shiming.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t be harmed!" Li Shiming said as he patted Si Qin''s head.


    Stepping out into the courtyard, he saw the utter mess everywhere, although the explosion occurred in the middle of the garden, the range of the rubble was much greater.


    Many flowers were damaged by the flying stones, and dust swirled in the air, forming a grey fog.


    He knew very well, the only possibility that someone could trigger his secret trap was that someone had found that wooden box.


    Such a hidden location, so well concealed, plus being in the back garden of the magistrate''s residence, ordinary people, even if they knew something was there, could not find it silently.


    The trap he had left was meant for that cultivator; it seems the one who was blown up this time was that cultivator.


    As for whether the cultivator was killed by the explosion, the horrific scene in front of him was telling enough.


    Under such a powerful explosion, if that cultivator could still survive, Li Shiming would doubt if they were human at all.


    At this moment, the guards and servants from the magistrate''s office and back courtyards were all busily running towards the garden.


    The huge incident in the garden where the magistrate resided was more serious than the massacre of over thirty people at Weiyuan Escort Agency.


    Unlike those who were aimlessly floundering like headless flies, Li Shiming knew exactly where the center of the explosion was, and he quickly headed towards the rockery.


    The closer he got to the rockery, the more horrified he felt about the explosion he had caused.


    That full box of nitroglycerin had caused such devastating destruction; the original location of the rockery had turned into an empty plot of land.


    The ground even had a deep hole one meter deep, with plants in a surrounding area reduced to shreds.


    Li Shiming''s gaze grew sharp; he saw human flesh and blood on the ground, torn apart by the explosion.


    This discovery gave him a moment of relief; no matter how large the damage was, as long as the cultivator was killed, the biggest trouble was resolved.


    Then he saw a leather waist pouch on the ground; despite the powerful explosion, this leather waist pouch was not damaged at all.


    Li Shiming walked forward and picked up the leather waist pouch; it must have belonged to that cultivator.

 Chapter 10 Investigation

    The leather waist pouch was small. Li Shiming tried to open it, only to find that the opening was fake; there was no way to open it at all.


    It was precisely because of this that he realized the leather waist pouch might be an item for cultivating immortality. With a slight movement of his mind, he tucked the leather waist pouch into the mechanical room space.


    "I have seen the young master. This place is very dangerous. Please wait on the side, and we will report to you after the inspection!" Guard Zhang and a group of guards arrived and, upon seeing Li Shiming arriving at the scene first, hurried forward to speak.


    "Alright, I''ll go check on my father!" Li Shiming nodded and said.


    This place was not so simple to inspect; constables from the government office would come here to investigate and document the findings in official records.


    Li WenYuan was working in the government office. After hearing the explosion, he immediately asked about Li Shiming''s safety and only felt relieved after learning that Li Shiming was unharmed.


    He did not immediately go to the scene as the inspection was to be conducted by professionals; his presence would bring a crowd that might disturb the evidence.


    When Li Shiming arrived at the government office where Li WenYuan was, he saw Li WenYuan pacing back and forth in the room, looking very preoccupied.


    "Shiming, you were startled, weren''t you?" Li WenYuan saw him come in, put on a smile, and asked.


    "Father, I went to see the scene. It was not damage that ordinary people could cause!" Li Shiming replied solemnly as he bowed.


    Li WenYuan was very pleased with Li Shiming''s composure, but he still had some objections to him going to the scene personally.


    "A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. In such situations, let the subordinates inspect first, and go over only when it''s safe!" Li WenYuan said sternly.


    "Yes, father!" Li Shiming answered.


    "The damage not caused by ordinary people suggests it was the work of someone cultivating immortality. I just don''t know why they would cause such a commotion in the family garden!" Li WenYuan continued.


    "What are the plans for handling this?" Li Shiming was curious about how officialdom would deal with matters related to immortality practitioners.


    "I have already reported this urgently to the Central Capital. Matters involving cultivation are handled by them. It''s fortunate that this concerns immortality; otherwise, I would also be in no small trouble!" Li WenYuan said as he shook his head, thinking of recent events.


    As the Magistrate of Nanling Prefecture, more than thirty people had been killed under his jurisdiction, and even the government office had problems.


    Without needing Chief Zheng''s explanation, Li WenYuan''s expression had already turned grave.


    Although Chief Zheng''s blade was not an extraordinary weapon, it was not an ordinary knife either. Even without force, normal cloth would be sliced into two.


    This seemingly ordinary white cloth possessed extraordinary protective power.


    "We suspect that this fragment of white cloth came from the person in white from Tianxiang Building that day. I also examined the flesh at the scene; its blood contained a mysterious energy, completely different from that of martial artists, which supports my judgment!" Chief Zheng continued.


    Li Shiming sighed inwardly, appreciating the abundance of talent in Nanling Prefecture. In such a short time, they had nearly unraveled the situation, almost touching on the truth.


    "Does this mean someone in the garden killed the person in white?" Li WenYuan looked at the cloth in his hand, asking incredulously.


    The reason he found it hard to believe was that he was certain that the person in white was an immortal practitioner; how could such a being die so easily.


    One should know that the seven dart heads from Weiyuan Escort Agency and Chief Escort Wang, who had the strength of a grandmaster, had no chance of fighting back against the person in white.


    "Lord, this is the opinion shared by the forensic doctor and myself. We will later submit the detailed results in writing!" Chief Zheng replied confidently.


    "Could it be this person in white''s foe? Is there another immortal in Nanling Prefecture?" Li WenYuan muttered to himself, puzzled.


    Li Shiming remained silent, as too many unexplainable things were involved, and he could not disclose his own actions to his father.


    He also thought of Chief Escort Wang''s corpse and considered finding a place to dispose of it soon, as it was uncomfortable always keeping it in the mechanical room space.


    Although he had acquired the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique," "Introduction to Runes," and that wooden sword, he had not studied them.


    The reason he had not was because he feared that studying items related to immortality might attract the attention of immortal beings.


    Now that the immortal was dead, he thought about researching his newly acquired items once he got back.


    "Shiming, the mansion will be somewhat noisy these next few days. I will try to keep them away from your courtyard so as not to disturb your studies. You also look tired; go back and rest first!" Li WenYuan, thinking his son was shocked, said.


    Li Shiming took the opportunity to take his leave since it was already known here that the immortal had died, and the subsequent matters would no longer be troublesome.


    The entire Nanling City was affected by the explosion. The government sent Government Officials to soothe the citizens, and government soldiers patrolled the streets, putting Nanling City under martial law.

 Chapter 11 The Arrival of the Immortal

    After replenishing the uninterruptible power supply for the computer room space, Li Shiming opened the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" document stored in the large server IBMz15''s memory.


    With the accumulated knowledge of his original body, he was able to somewhat comprehend the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique," not being completely in the dark.


    This cultivation method involved harnessing a type of energy known as Spiritual Energy for personal use, generating a vortex of Spiritual Energy in the chest. Achieving a stable Spiritual Energy vortex would signify the first level of Qi Refinement, signifying an entry into cultivation.


    The "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" was a Qi Refinement Realm cultivation technique, which could be practiced until reaching the peak of Qi Refinement. After that, another cultivation method would be needed.


    Li Shiming tried sitting on the ground, attempting to perceive the Spiritual Energy around him using the method described in the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique."


    However, to his disappointment, no matter how he tried, he could not sense the so-called Spiritual Energy.


    He did not know that transitioning from an ordinary person to perceiving Spiritual Energy first required being in a place abundant with Spiritual Energy. If one had poor natural talent, they would also need the aid of Elixir Pills to overcome the hurdle of perceiving Spiritual Energy.


    Considering the world was already weak in Spiritual Energy, coupled with him being in Nanling Prefecture, and not in the deep mountains where Spiritual Energy was relatively abundant, it was even more difficult to perceive it.


    A disappointed Li Shiming then used his consciousness to open the "Introduction to Runes" document, which described the script used to inscribe talismans.


    "Introduction to Runes" contained methods for creating various low-level talismans, but all the low-level talismans required one basic condition: the enchanter must possess Spiritual Energy.


    Moreover, the more complex the low-level talisman, the more Spiritual Energy was needed, and thus the stronger the creator must be.


    Through "Introduction to Runes," Shiming learned about the state of light blue light emanating from the pattern on Shi Ximing''s legs, realizing it was the effect of a Basic Light Body Talisman in use.


    The various talismans with magical effects made him envious, especially a certain low-level Electric Light Talisman that could generate electricity. If he could create one, maybe he could solve the issue of insufficient power supply.


    He shook his head helplessly. Not to mention his inability to sense Spiritual Energy, even if he could, he lacked the materials to create talismans.


    The materials for making talismans required special cultivation, and these materials, often fostered exclusively by cultivators and containing Spiritual Energy, simply did not exist in the secular world.


    At the end of the "Introduction to Runes," there was information about items used in cultivation. This was provided by the ancestors of Chief Escort Wang, intended to prevent descendants with cultivation talents from entering the Immortal World utterly ignorant.


    This also led Li Shiming to understand that the wooden sword was a top-grade magic tool, and the leather pouch he had found was a storage bag, a common spatial item used by cultivators.


    However, his quiet reading was soon disrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps, and he put down the book to look in the direction of the noise.


    This was the rear garden, part of the private residence; previously, due to the explosion in the garden, government officials had been allowed in for investigation.


    Now that the investigation was over, the only one who could enter the garden was his father, Li WenYuan.


    Li Shiming looked at the sky; it was still morning, the busiest time of day for Li WenYuan. Given his father''s principles of office, it would be impossible for him to come to the garden at this time.


    Just as he was considering this, he saw Li WenYuan leading a young man and woman towards him.


    He squinted slightly. The young man and woman walked beside Li WenYuan, not falling half a step behind.


    If Li WenYuan allowed the two young people such courtesy, their identities must be quite extraordinary.


    The expressions on the faces of the two young people carried a look that made Li Shiming extremely uncomfortable: it was the look of people who regarded the common folk as mere ants, their high and mighty attitude foreign to Shiming''s experience in a world of equality.


    What confirmed the young pair''s identity for Li Shiming were the leather pouches on their waists, which, although different in design from what he had found, bore the same complex patterns.


    "Shiming, come and meet the two Immortals!" Li WenYuan, upon seeing him and knowing his son''s calm nature, still promptly instructed.


    He feared that his son might carelessly offend the two Immortals, over whom he, as a Magistrate, had no jurisdiction.


    Li Shiming rose to his feet and performed the scholar''s salute to the two Immortals.


    The Immortals did not speak, merely nodding slightly, then paid him no more attention.


    "The two Immortals want to see that site; you continue your diligent study," Li WenYuan said, seeing the attitude of the two Immortals, without further introduction, but instructing Li Shiming.


    "Father, I was the first to discover that site. I will accompany you over," Li Shiming said after some thought.


    Li WenYuan glanced at the two cultivators, and the male cultivator, hearing that Li Shiming was the first to visit the site, nodded his head.


    Li Shiming signaled Si Qin with a wave of his hand to return to her courtyard, while he followed behind Li WenYuan.

 Chapter 12 Staying Immortal

    The scene was kept intact, and the male cultivator was startled when he saw the deep pit.


    Judging from the deep pit and the surroundings, the power of the strike was extremely astonishing, even surpassing that of ordinary late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    His figure flashed, and he arrived next to the deep pit. He lightly patted his storage bag, and a jade ruler appeared in his hand.


    He tapped the deep pit and its surroundings with the jade ruler, which elicited no response at all, causing his brows to furrow and a confused look to appear in his eyes.


    "Senior Brother Zhao, have you found anything?" the female cultivator asked from the side.


    "Strange, there''s not a trace of Spiritual Energy left behind by this strike!" the male cultivator looked at the jade ruler and replied uncertainly.


    Though the mundane world has powerful martial artists, unless they reach the Innate stage, they are generally considered trivial to cultivators.


    Even an Innate Martial Artist capable of threatening Qi Refining cultivators can only do so by launching a surprise attack, potentially severely wounding a Qi Refining cultivator unexpectedly.


    As long as a Qi Refining cultivator is prepared and maintains a certain distance from the opponent, an Innate Martial Artist cannot pose a threat.


    "Could it be the work of an Innate Martial Artist?" the female cultivator speculated.


    "No, look at the strike''s power. Although great, it''s scattered and lacks solidity, definitely not the attack of an Innate Martial Artist!" the male cultivator, with greater experience, replied confidently.


    The reason an Innate Martial Artist can threaten a Qi Refining Cultivator is that they can concentrate Innate Qi at a single point to pierce through defenses effectively.


    That demonstrates the control Innate Martial Artists have over their Innate Power. After all, martial artists are martial artists; they don''t have so much Innate Power to waste.


    If an Innate Martial Artist were to make such an attack, the amount of Innate Qi inside their body must be staggeringly vast, something unheard of at least to the male cultivator.


    The power of this strike exceeded that of the late-stage Qi Refinement. From its manifestation, it was more likely the act of a cultivator.


    However, whether it involved using a powerful talisman or a powerful spell, even after several days, his artifact should have detected traces of Spiritual Energy at the scene.


    The male cultivator recorded the details of the scene thoroughly, as they needed to be archived, and he was to submit these as part of his mission.


    Senior Brother Zhao took out an Array Plate resembling a compass; upon activating it with Spiritual Energy, the plate emitted a white light that spread and enveloped both courtyards.


    The two cultivators were not a Daoist couple practicing Dual Cultivation; under normal circumstances, they would not reside together.


    No matter how good the relationship between cultivators, a distance must be maintained for the sake of safety.


    Cultivators need to concentrate their minds when in practice, and during this time, they are almost undefended.


    No cultivator would expose themselves so openly to others, placing their safety in someone else''s hands.


    Of course, since Senior Brother Zhao was taking Zheng on a task, he brought greater strength and wealth, hence he exerted extra effort and set up a Defensive Array around both courtyards.


    Zheng entered her room, took a talisman out of her storage bag, and after activating it with Spiritual Energy, a red light fell upon the doors and windows.


    Should anyone touch the doors or windows from outside, the talisman''s effect would activate, alerting her.


    Zheng wasn''t as wealthy as Senior Brother Zhao and was under his protection, so she economized where she could.


    Of course, she economized on defense; in cultivation, she spared no expense.


    She spent much of her wealth on her cultivation; taking out a circular plate from her storage bag, she then placed four Spirit Stones inside it.


    She released a burst of Spiritual Power, activating the plate, and the Spiritual Energy from the four Spirit Stones surged forth, making complex patterns light up on the plate.


    Zheng sat on the plate, feeling the Spiritual Energy around her, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.


    Unlike those cultivators who continually enhanced their attack capabilities, Zheng had saved up for many years to exchange for this Gathering Spirit Plate, just to speed up her cultivation and stand out from her peers.


    In another room, Senior Brother Zhao sensed the Spiritual Energy around and reluctantly took a Spirit Stone in his hand.


    "I''d better find some clues quickly and return; the cultivation environment here is too poor!" Senior Brother Zhao murmured.


    The next day Senior Brother Zhao and Zheng inspected various places in Nanling City but found no trace of any cultivator. They planned to stay one more day, and if they still found nothing, they would return.

 Chapter 13 Encounter with Immortals

    "Zheng, there''s a situation!" That evening, as Zheng was getting ready to cultivate, she heard Senior Brother Zhao''s message and hurriedly opened the door and stepped out.


    At this time, the protective array outside had already been withdrawn by Senior Brother Zhao, who did not hesitate to apply multiple talismans on himself and charged in a certain direction.


    Zheng hesitated for a moment; she did not pack up her belongings, but then she thought that this place was an official residence, among the safest in the secular world.


    Furthermore, with Senior Brother Zhao already having left ahead, she also endowed herself with several talismans and followed after him.


    Their sect forbade foreign cultivators from entering secular areas within the Great Xia, where their sect held sway; cultivators had their own world.


    The secular was the foundation of their sect; without ordinary people, how could the sect continue to exist?


    The appearance of such non-sect cultivators within their territory meant that sect disciples had to investigate, and most importantly, eliminating these cultivators not only yielded their left-behind possessions but also rewards from the sect.


    Ge Tianqing was a Loose Cultivator, passing through Great Xia on this occasion.


    Passing through lands protected by the sect, in the secular world, was a most ordinary affair.


    As long as he did not demonstrate cultivator methods, there would be no trouble at all.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, if he wanted to avoid Great Xia''s territory and the secular lands protected by the sect, the journey would take several times longer.


    Thus, he chose the more direct route. As dusk approached, he saw Nanling City, a good place to resupply his food.


    Legends spoke of immortal cultivators who needed no mortal nourishment, but this was irrelevant to Qi Refining cultivators; like ordinary people, they needed food to replenish what they expended.


    And Ge Tianqing, not being a sect disciple, did not have access to precious spiritual energy food.


    It was quite late, and the city gates of Nanling City were already closed.


    He decided to climb over the city wall, and when casting the Light Body Technique, he did not conceal it, believing that there were no cultivators in Nanling City.


    Little did he know that to detect cultivators, Master Zhao''s array was activated with the capability to sense fluctuations of spiritual power.


    As soon as Ge Tianqing cast the Light Body Technique, he was detected by the array.


    When the Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact clashed with the Mid-grade Long Sword Artifact, a shockwave produced by spiritual power spread in all directions.


    The terrifying shockwave shattered the stone slabs of the street, sending fragments flying, hitting the doors and windows of nearby buildings.


    The immense noise came first, followed by the sounds of countless doors and windows shattering and then the cries of alarm from within the houses.


    Whether it was Ge Tianqing, Senior Brother Zhao, or Zheng, his junior sister disciple, none of them cared about the impact their fight was causing.


    Zheng''s attack also arrived, a Low Grade Hairpin Magical Artifact. Although the power of the Low Grade Hairpin Magical Artifact wasn''t that great, it was extremely covert.


    After Ge Tianqing blocked Senior Brother Zhao''s attack, the Low Grade Hairpin Magical Artifact stabbed towards his shoulder from the side.


    Zheng''s Low Grade Hairpin Magical Artifact was launched while she held a Basic Attack Talisman. Ge Tianqing didn''t expect her attack would be so tricky and only paid attention to the talisman.


    By the time the Low Grade Hairpin Magical Artifact reached Ge Tianqing''s shoulder, he sensed its presence and swiftly ducked, yet he still ended up with a cut on his shoulder.


    Blood flowed from the wound, coupled with spiritual power from Zheng.


    Although Ge Tianqing was much stronger, expelling the spiritual power from the wound wasn''t difficult. The problem was that during combat, diverting attention to expel the spiritual power could affect the fight.


    "You should die!" Ge Tianqing shouted, his face twisted in rage.


    Being suddenly attacked by two Sect disciples¡ªwith an intent to kill no less¡ªhow could he not be filled with fury?


    The ruthlessness distinctive of Loose Cultivators was fully revealed when faced with a threat to their life. Loose Cultivators weren''t completely without opportunities.


    He knew if he didn''t fight back with all his might, he might very well die there that day.


    His hand brushed over his storage bag, and he produced a handful of low-level talismans without any hesitation. He threw all of them at Senior Brother Zhao.


    Flames, ice, Wind Blades, and various other attacks made of spiritual energy surged towards Senior Brother Zhao at once, prompting him to quickly activate an Intermediate Defense Talisman from his storage bag.


    Fearing the Intermediate Defense Talisman might not hold up, Senior Brother Zhao retreated, retracting his Mid-grade Long Sword Artifact and channeling even more spiritual power into his Mid Grade Turtle Shell Magical Artifact nearby.


    Being born in a Sect, he was like gold, while Ge Tianqing was like rubble; there was no way he would engage in a life-or-death struggle with Ge Tianqing.


    As he retreated, he left Zheng, his junior sister disciple, exposed alone in front of Ge Tianqing.

 Chapter 14 The Demise of the Immortal

    Ge Tianqing''s figure flashed, appearing beside Zheng, and he brought down his Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact with a heavy blow.


    Zheng''s heart panicked, at which point she realized her mistake in coordinating with Senior Brother Zhao. If she had advanced and retreated with Senior Brother Zhao, she wouldn''t have given Ge Tianqing any opportunities.


    She wanted to recall her Low Grade Hairpin Magical Artifact, and also thought about taking out an intermediate defense talisman from her storage bag, while planning to infuse more Spiritual Energy into her Low Grade Defense Shield. Overwhelmed by panic and attempting to do all these at once, she became flustered.


    This wasn''t her fault; she had barely experienced any battles at her sect. Even when she went out on missions, she had the help of fellow disciples, which was the reason she had been able to save enough Spirit Stones to purchase a Gathering Spirit Plate.


    But insufficient strength shows its dire consequences in real battles, and her panic meant that her Low Grade Defense Shield barely managed to block the Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact.


    However, this was a Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact wielded by a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator. With a single blow, it shattered her Low Grade Defense Shield, and the hammer struck heavily upon her body.


    Zheng''s body trembled as the Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact, carrying late-stage Qi Refining Spiritual Energy, instantly extinguished the vitality within her.


    "Sister!" Senior Brother Zhao roared in anger.


    He no longer held back and slapped his waist, producing a medium-level attack talisman in his hand.


    He activated the medium-level attack talisman with his Spiritual Energy, sending a streak of fire toward Ge Tianqing.


    Ge Tianqing grabbed Zheng''s storage bag and then noticed Senior Brother Zhao''s attack. Without hesitation, he threw his Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact towards the flames ignited by the medium-level attack talisman.


    He then took out a red talisman and spat a mouthful of blood from the bottom of his heart onto the talisman. The red talisman turned into a streak of blood light, whisking him away into the distance.


    After activating the medium-level attack talisman, Senior Brother Zhao''s figure chased forward, his body merging with the shadow of his Mid-grade Long Sword Artifact, seeking to close in on Ge Tianqing for battle.


    As a Cultivator from a sect, he had numerous tricks at his disposal that hadn''t yet been used.


    If he could just hold Ge Tianqing off, then there was no doubt he''d be able to capture him.


    But he clearly had not anticipated the decisiveness of the Loose Cultivator who detonated his main Magic Artifact and activated a special blood-drawing talisman to escape.


    Senior Brother Zhao''s figure surged forward, directly encountering the exploding Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact.


    The blast from the Lower Grade Iron Hammer Magical Artifact, a weapon long nourished by a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, was terrifyingly powerful.


    "A fight broke out on Temple Street, and the message we received said the destruction seems like what happened in the garden!" Moyan replied, somewhat frightened.


    The explosion that had occurred in the garden had terrified the household servants; unexpectedly, before the city could regain peace, another such incident had happened.


    Li Shiming surely knew that what happened on Temple Street and in the garden were not the same; in this world, there wasn''t another person capable of concocting nitroglycerin, impossible to create such an explosion.


    He thought of the two Cultivators, as only a battle between Cultivators could result in such destruction.


    "Moyan, send two nannies to the guesthouse to check if our two guests are still there," he instructed solemnly.


    The nannies in the house were all shrewd and knew how to investigate without offending anyone. Instead of sending Moyan, it would make Li Shiming worry that the matter wouldn''t be handled properly.


    "Yes, Young Master!" Moyan, not knowing the reason, still bowed and responded.


    Li Shiming couldn''t sleep anymore either and went to the government office area to wait in the living room where Li WenYuan worked.


    The news from Moyan came first; the two guests were not in the guesthouse.


    By now, he was one hundred percent sure that the incident in the city was related to the two Immortal Cultivators.


    "Father!" Li WenYuan entered with heavy steps, and Li Shiming hurried forward to support him and said with concern,


    "I''m old, when I was young I wouldn''t feel tired even after three days and nights on the river embankment!" Li WenYuan said helplessly as he sat on a chair and gently patted his legs.


    Li Shiming ordered the servants to bring in ginseng soup, which he had instructed the kitchen to prepare in advance.


    "Father, I sent someone to investigate the guesthouse where the two Immortal Cultivators were staying, and they were both gone!" Li Shiming spoke.


    "Actually, there''s no need to investigate further. An audacious witness at the scene saw the fight; the female fairy from yesterday died, and the male immortal and their enemies all fled!" Li WenYuan said in a grave voice.


    "Father, this year''s evaluation by the Ministry of Revenue might be problematic!" Li Shiming expressed his concerns.


    The Ministry of Revenue''s evaluation is a rating of an official''s work for the year and is a critical basis for an official''s promotion or transfer.


    "Don''t worry about the evaluation. I never had the intention of going back to Central Capital anyway!" Li WenYuan said, smiling and shaking his head.

 Chapter 15 Fateful Encounter with the Immortal

    Though Li WenYuan held but a fourth-rank position, he was the Magistrate of Nanling Prefecture, a truly important official. In Nanling Prefecture, he was the highest ranking official.


    If he wished to be promoted, he would have to return to Central Capital and enter the government''s core.


    The successive heinous cases in Nanling Prefecture, though related to cultivators, had indeed had too terrible an impact; no matter what, Li WenYuan would be affected to some extent.


    However, Li WenYuan had no intention of returning to Central Capital, so it was unlikely it would amount to much trouble.


    "Shiming, you go back and rest. The Imperial Examination is coming in a few days; take care of yourself!" Li WenYuan did not want Li Shiming to get too involved in these affairs and, smiling, waved his hand.


    "You should rest early too!" Li Shiming reminded as he left.


    As he stepped out of the room, he saw several officials quickly approaching and could not help but sigh helplessly, realizing that Li WenYuan would not get a good rest today.


    Crossing the stone bridge and about to return to his own courtyard, he suddenly looked in one direction, toward the guest quarters where two cultivators resided.


    Li Shiming looked at the guest quarters in front of him, noticing that there were still lights inside.


    "Li Shiming seeks an audience with the Immortal!" The two guest quarters were next to each other; he stood in front of the close neighboring doors and loudly called out.


    No one responded to him, which was something he had anticipated.


    Still, to be cautious, he inquired with courtesy.


    He tried to push one of the courtyard doors and found it was bolted from the inside.


    Such a bolt is not difficult to open from the outside; he took a dagger and inserted it into the door gap, gently lifting it a few times to slide the bolt aside.


    Entering the courtyard and finding the room doors wide open, he smoothly checked several rooms such as the main hall and the bedroom but found nothing.


    The cultivators appeared to be above worldly concerns, having left not a single trace of their stay.


    Nothing had changed in the courtyard since the last time he had seen it, even the bed covers had not been disturbed.


    He hadn''t held much hope, only wishing for a slim possibility that the two cultivators might have left something behind.


    Sensing Spiritual Energy created the foundational condition for officially cultivating the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique". Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he followed the first level''s pathways of the technique, drawing in the light spots of Spiritual Energy into his body and circulating them through the designated routes.


    Li Shiming had no idea how fortunate he was. Normally, even for people with the talent for cultivating immortality, factors like resources and environment aside, one still required a Cultivation Technique that matched their talent to actually practice cultivation.


    The "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" left behind by the ancestral Chief Escort Wang was an extremely versatile technique, suitable for all those with a talent for cultivation.


    It was designed so that any of their descendants with a talent for cultivation could practice the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique".


    Li Shiming immersed himself in his first experience of cultivation, absorbing Spiritual Energy continuously into his body and gathering it in front of his chest.


    Two hours later, his body suddenly trembled, and a Spiritual Energy Vortex appeared at his chest. Although the gathered Spiritual Energy wasn''t much, it didn''t dissipate due to the confinement of the vortex.


    He opened his eyes, and the room was as bright as if it were daylight.


    This was not the effect of candlelight; his body seemed to have undergone a great change nourished by Spiritual Energy.


    He smelled a stench and hastily checked to find that it was emanating from his own body.


    There was a layer of black grime on his exposed skin, and pulling open his clothes, he saw that his body was covered in it.


    It seemed that the creation of the Spiritual Energy Vortex had expelled impurities from his body.


    According to the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique", the appearance of a Spiritual Energy Vortex at Li Shiming''s chest meant he had officially entered the Qi Refining First Level.


    He did not draw upon the Spiritual Energy at his chest as it was too scant, causing him to refrain from acting rashly.


    Without guidance, cultivation was like a blind man feeling an elephant.


    Looking at the still luminous Gathering Spirit Plate, Li Shiming knew that maintaining it in this state was wasteful, but as he had just started his cultivation journey, he was really unable to practice the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" a second time.


    After one session of cultivation, a faint pain came from the parts of his body through which the Spiritual Energy had circulated.


    After pondering a while, he placed his hand on the Gathering Spirit Plate and stored it in the machine room space.


    The Gathering Spirit Plate continued to attract Spiritual Energy into the machine room space even after being stored there, and although the source of the outside environment was unknown, the plate persistently drew in Spiritual Energy into the machine room.


    Li Shiming observed the Gathering Spirit Plate for a while and, finding no indication that it affected the other equipment in the machine room, he reassured himself and withdrew his consciousness.

 Chapter 16 Inventory

    Li Shiming exited the guesthouse and returned to his own yard, where he saw Si Qin sitting on a small bed by the outer door, with arms crossed and eyes squinting slightly, nodding slowly.


    Upon hearing the noise, Si Qin immediately became alert.


    "Young Master, you''ve finally returned, ah, it smells terrible!" Si Qin hurried off the bed and noticed the odor coming from Li Shiming as she was speaking.


    "Prepare hot water quickly!" Li Shiming waved his hand as he spoke.


    "I really don''t know what the Young Master was up to!" Though she complained, her movements were swift, and she quickly stepped out.


    Before long, a large bucket of hot water was ready, and as Li Shiming soaked in it, the grease on his body peeled off with the hot water, revealing even finer skin underneath.


    He thought of the two Cultivators he had seen, and now his skin slightly resembled theirs.


    The troubles in Nanling City had nothing to do with him, and after three days of practicing the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique," the Spiritual Energy Vortex in his chest had completely stabilized.


    During these three days of cultivation, he noticed that the four glowing stones on the Gathering Spirit Plate had dimmed a bit.


    This observation was made possible because it was in the machine room space. When the Gathering Spirit Plate was brought into the machine room space, this slight change in brightness and darkness was detected through his conscious perception.


    He concluded that the four glowing stones on the Gathering Spirit Plate were in a state of depletion.


    As long as the Gathering Spirit Plate was activated, the four glowing stones would continue to deplete.


    He did not know how to shut down the Gathering Spirit Plate, nor did he dare to forcibly remove the four glowing stones.


    At least for now, he could still rely on the Gathering Spirit Plate for cultivation. If he were to damage it, his cultivation would become problematic.


    He had tried to cultivate away from the Gathering Spirit Plate. When he sensed the single-digit Spiritual Energy points around him, he realized that without the help of the Gathering Spirit Plate, it could take a hundred times longer to reach the Qi Refining Second Level.


    Using the calculations from the large server IBM z15, Li Shiming determined that the Gathering Spirit Plate could support him for another twenty-five days.


    The spiritual energy of the longsword and the white robe were similar, suggesting that they were of the same grade.


    Li Shiming compared them with the small wooden sword he got from Chief Escort Wang. Although very small and impractical to use when held, the concentration of spiritual energy it contained far surpassed that of the longsword and the white robe, indicating a very high quality.


    Having no detailed criteria to judge the quality of cultivation items, he could only make a rough estimation based on the concentration of spiritual energy.


    He took out the five books, which he was most eager to obtain. Books on cultivation could help him gain a deeper understanding of cultivation knowledge.


    "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill", "Geng Metal Skill", "Earth Spirit Technique", "Basics of Spirit Plant Cultivation", and a cultivation journal.


    "Basics of Spirit Plant Cultivation" recorded how to grow spirit rice, spiritual tea, spirit grass, spirit flowers, and over twenty types of spiritual medicines he had never heard of¡ª from soil composition to considerations for each season and potential issues.


    The level of detail was akin to tutor-like teaching.


    Furthermore, "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill", "Geng Metal Skill", and "Earth Spirit Technique" were mentioned in "Basics of Spirit Plant Cultivation" as essential spells that any cultivator of spirit plants must master.


    These three spells were each detailed in a separate book, explaining every step of casting the spells in great detail.


    It was only when he saw the cultivation journal that Li Shiming understood why Shi Ximing''s storage bag contained these items.


    It turned out that Shi Ximing was a cultivator of spirit plants, and the two bags of spirit rice were cultivated by him.


    Within the cultivation journal, there were also twenty-three talismans, eleven of which were the "Basic Light Body Talisman" he had seen before; the others included two Basic Earth Armor Talismans, five Basic Fireball Talismans, and five Basic Ice Arrow Talismans.


    He took out one Basic Light Body Talisman from his hand, thought about it, but decided not to try using it.


    At least until he formally entered the cultivation world, these talismans would be his trump card.


    Although he had "Introduction to Runes" in his possession, unfortunately, he lacked the materials and could not learn to craft the talismans.


    Shi Ximing''s cultivation journal was essentially a guide to becoming a cultivator of spirit plants. Li Shiming''s spiritual power was insufficient to learn the spells, and considering which cultivation profession to choose was far too premature.


    The cultivation journal in his hand could only broaden his knowledge, but was not of much practical use.

 Chapter 17 Arc Discharge

    Li Shiming held two black silicon carbide rods in his hands, which had taken him a full five days to make.


    Due to limited conditions, he employed a rather primitive method of using buried sintering.


    He had learned from the young servant Mo Yan that there was coal, which is also known as black stone, in a nearby mountain. Since coal generates toxic gases when burned, it is rarely used as fuel in this world.


    It took five large carts of coal to successfully produce the two silicon carbide rods.


    It was only because his consciousness was involved in the machine room that he could isolate the heat and harmful substances, otherwise he would not have dared to undertake such an operation in the machine room space.


    However, given the current level of technology in this world, even if he disclosed the method of making silicon carbide rods, no one would be capable of producing them.


    It was only because his consciousness was constantly monitoring the materials'' changes in the machine room space that he was able to succeed.


    His consciousness controlled several custom parts brought by the young servant Mo Yan and combined them with the heat-insulating materials he had fabricated, creating a peculiar piece of equipment.


    Even professionals from his past life would not be able to discern its purpose.


    Even if Li Shiming installed the two silicon carbide rods on it, it still wouldn''t function as intended.


    This was an electric arc furnace missing key components, notably a high-voltage power supply and an electronic control device.


    Li Shiming was not lacking the knowledge to make high-voltage packages, capacitors, resistors, and other electronic components, but the problem was that the absence of basic materials was too great for him to begin.


    The solution he came up with was simple: the uninterruptible power supply in the machine room could supply the high-voltage electricity the electric arc furnace needed with a slight adjustment to the commands. As for the electronic control aspect, the uninterruptible power supply could handle that as well.


    The main reason for creating an electric arc furnace was for self-preservation. With the electric arc furnace, he could refine steel on his own. By using his consciousness to control the process in the machine room, he could shape the steel into any form and also ensure precision.


    Moreover, with the electric arc furnace, he could easily process and produce most basic materials with temperatures ranging from 1,300 to nearly 2,000 degrees Celsius, depending on the level of electrical input.


    With basic materials, many technological products from his previous world could be brought back into existence.


    Of course, he wasn''t in a hurry to process and produce basic materials. Before creating items for self-preservation, he needed to make the most critical item first.


    Over these days, he had reduced electricity consumption, using his consciousness to drive the generator daily to replenish the power within the uninterruptible power supply. By today, he had fully charged it.


    The electric arc furnace was somewhat small, requiring components like the flywheel and boiler to be made in segments and then welded together with an electric arc.


    It was fortunate that his consciousness could perceive the interior of the parts within the machine room space, otherwise segment manufacturing would bring significant hidden risks.


    All the troubles didn''t stop his manufacturing process, and a steam engine now appeared within the machine room space.


    He added water and coal to the steam engine, ignited the coal, and waited for the water temperature to rise. As it did, the flywheel began to turn slowly, and as the temperature continued to climb, the wheel turned faster and faster.


    The flywheel drove the generator''s rotor, which generated electricity as it turned.


    The electricity flowed into the uninterruptible power supply, replenishing the consumed energy.


    As long as there was water and coal, the electricity would be produced continuously.


    Of course, the generator had also been modified. After creating the electric arc furnace, he used his consciousness to craft micrometer-level rollers, replacing the cowhide lubrication device on the generator and greatly increasing its efficiency.


    The generated electricity was not only enough to support the operation of the electric arc furnace but also allowed the large server IBMz15 to operate without sleep, unleashing its full computing power without restrictions.


    Li Shiming no longer needed to consume his own spirit, as long as he replenished coal and water periodically and regularly expelled the impurities and gases constrained within a fixed range in the machine room space.


    During these days, he hadn''t wasted any time in his cultivation. He had reached the peak of the first layer of the Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique and would soon be able to attempt breaking through to the second level.


    He didn''t know the pace of his own cultivation, but his body had swelled with a fair amount of Spiritual Energy, enough to barely start learning low-level Spells.


    He planned to begin studying three types of Spells after the Imperial Examination, once he had reached the Qi Refining Second Level. These were the only three Spells available to him, without any other options.


    Li Shiming''s consciousness entered the large server IBMz15, activating all 190 CPUs, 40T of memory, and the full hard disk array cabinet.


    Once connected with the large server IBMz15, he felt a wave of dizziness upon its full operation.


    This was caused by the flood of data refreshes that his brain couldn''t keep up with.


    He couldn''t help but give a wry smile, not having anticipated his inability to keep up with the computing speed of the large server IBMz15.


    He adjusted the connection with the IBMz15, creating a buffer in the memory during the data exchange process with his brain, which finally resolved the issue.No?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 18 Imperial Examination

    Li Shiming rode in an ordinary horse-drawn carriage, with the coachman and a young servant named Moyan sitting in front by the shafts, while Si Qin continuously checked the items in the exam basket inside the carriage, fearing something might be missing.


    He had not intended to bring Si Qin along, but she insisted on coming no matter what.


    Considering that Si Qin had prepared for the Imperial Examination for many days, he decided to bring her along.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    A number of family guards followed not far behind the carriage, which was an essential part of Li Shiming''s travel arrangements.


    Several major events that had occurred in Nanling Prefecture did not affect the bustle of the day.


    The streets were crowded with people everywhere, including candidates for the Imperial Examination, their families, and many onlookers.


    There were also many more government officials and government soldiers on the streets to prevent any unforeseen incidents.


    "Young Master, we''ve arrived at the exam hall!" Moyan reminded from outside the carriage.


    "Si Qin, stay in the carriage and don''t get out!" Li Shiming instructed as he held Si Qin back from exiting the carriage.


    At that moment, the area outside the exam hall was packed with people, and even the low walls and trees were occupied by children.


    Many people brought their children here to catch some of the scholarly aura, wishing their children could one day have the opportunity to participate in the Imperial Examination like these scholars.


    In the eyes of the common people, the scholars who could participate in the Imperial Examination were like the embodiment of Wenquxing descending to earth.


    This was understandable, as each of these scholars was among the top few in their respective regions, easily seen as a descent of Wenquxing where they came from.


    And if they passed the Imperial Examination, they could no longer simply be called scholars; they had to be addressed as "scholar officials," earning the qualifications to become officials.


    Li Shiming, carrying the exam basket, walked toward the great gate of the exam hall. He exchanged glances with a few acquainted scholars but greeted none.


    The soldiers searching at the entrance of the exam hall were not from Nanling Prefecture but had been transferred from other areas.


    The soldiers didn''t recognize Li Shiming, so the body search was no different from that of any other candidate.


    Great Xia took the examinations very seriously; any act of cheating during the exams was punishable by death. Due to the importance of the exams, Great Xia used various methods to prevent cheating.


    Even in the Imperial Examination of Nanling Prefecture, Li Shiming couldn''t enjoy any preferential treatment as the son of the Magistrate.


    Li Shiming watched as the soldiers crumbled the pastries meticulously prepared by Si Qin. Fortunately, she couldn''t see it, or else she would be heartbroken again.


    After the search concluded, a soldier escorted him into the exam hall. He was quite lucky; although he didn''t get the best spot among the rows of cubicles, his seat wasn''t miserably located next to a dry latrine either.


    He took out the writing brush, inkstone, and paperweight from the exam basket and prepared some ink with a bit of water.


    Li Shiming opened his eyes, a flash of light passing through them before disappearing.


    "Finally reached Qi Refining Second Level!" he rejoiced silently within.


    After reaching the Qi Refining Second Level, he could attempt to learn spells, truly stepping onto the threshold of cultivation.


    He put away the Gathering Spirit Plate into the Spatial Room, not wasting a single moment.


    He could tell that the Gathering Spirit Plate could at most last three more days; afterward, he would no longer have such favorable conditions for cultivation.


    As for the luminous stones inside the Gathering Spirit Plate, he hadn''t heard where to find them in Nanling Prefecture.


    Moreover, even if he had the luminous stones, he lacked the method to activate the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    He lay on the wooden bed, spending his first night in the examination cell.


    The second day''s examination was on the classics, and the questions were rather unusual. Just from the occasional sighs coming from other cells, one could tell how difficult the questions were this time.


    Regardless of how unusual they were, they couldn''t deviate from the selections from the Li Family on the classics; the seventeen thousand characters from the Four Books and Five Classics had been expanded by the Li Family over many years to more than six million characters, which demonstrated the depth of their research on the classics.


    Nearly every section had corresponding interpretations, and no matter how the examination went, it could not exceed the scope of the Four Books and Five Classics.


    The third day''s examination was on policy essays, assessing literary ability and practical research on the classics.


    Li Shiming did not write on his own. Instead, based on his understanding of the examiners, he selected an outstanding policy essay that matched the examiners'' tastes from the historical databank of the large server IBM z15.


    This time he did not start writing immediately, but waited for two hours before beginning.


    In the evening, the three-day Imperial Examination finally ended.


    Si Qin stood on the carriage, her eyes fixed on the entrance of the exam hall.


    One by one, the exhausted candidates walked out of the entrance, the three days of exams having nearly depleted every ounce of their strength.


    Some candidates even needed the support of soldiers to leave the exam hall.


    Following the conclusion of the Imperial Examination every year, some candidates would fall severely ill, and there were even those who would be bedridden thereafter.


    "The young master has come out!" Mo Yan exclaimed with joy.


    There was no need for him to point out; just by looking at the youngest candidate who emerged from the entrance¡ªa candidate brimming with energy among the crowd¡ªone could easily recognize him.


    Si Qin stood on the carriage waving her hands vigorously, signaling her presence here.

 Chapter 19 Spells

    Li Shiming sat in the pavilion, days after the Imperial Examination had ended, and he had not bothered to concern himself with the results.


    Today, he did not practice the ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique'' not because he was lazy, but because the four glowing stones on the Gathering Spirit Plate had lost their luminescence.


    The Gathering Spirit Plate no longer attracted Spiritual Energy, making the practice of the ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique'' essentially ineffective.


    Rather than wasting his time on almost useless cultivation, he began to study spells.


    The contents of ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'', ''Geng Metal Skill'', and ''Earth Spirit Technique'' swirled in his mind. He simulated the process of casting these spells countless times in his head.


    Li Shiming had long since dismissed the servants in the garden, desiring peace, and unless it was his father, Li WenYuan, no one dared to defy his orders.


    At this time, Li WenYuan was in his office, and only Li Shiming was in the garden.


    "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill!" he murmured, his fingers tracing patterns in the air.


    Spiritual Power Pattern coursed along with the movements of his fingers casting faint luminous trails. With the aid of the high-end conference server IBMz15, the complex rune part of the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' was perfectly drawn by him.


    The process required meticulous adjustments to the output of Spiritual Energy, where even a slight error could make the spellcasting fail.


    The intricate runes of Spiritual Energy paused before him, and he waited for the first appearance of the spell.


    Unfortunately, after a few seconds, all he saw was the dispersion of the Spiritual Energy runes before him, without triggering the cloud and rain phenomenon described in the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' booklet.


    "What exactly is the problem?" he thought back to the contents of the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' booklet. He believed in his understanding; there were no errors in his process of casting the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill.''


    This attempt had cost him a third of the Spiritual Energy within his internal vortex.


    Unaware of how long it would take to recover the Spiritual Energy within his vortex, he needed to find the cause of failure before testing again; otherwise, his remaining Spiritual Energy was not enough to squander.


    "Intention leads to the manifestation of technique!" Li Shiming thought of a previously overlooked phrase.


    In a previous life, such a program would require many days of effort to complete.


    Yet, as his consciousness desired to write this program, large segments of code were generated in sync with his thoughts.


    It should be noted when Li Shiming coded, he could utilize the computing power of 190 CPUs within the high-end server IBMz15 for simultaneous computing and analysis. With his consciousness linked to the high-end server IBMz15, his computational and analytical abilities were tied to the server itself.


    Moreover, because his consciousness could control any component of the high-end server IBMz15, the code he wrote was closer to being a low-level program like assembly.


    Such a program was highly efficient, more straightforward, and maximized the utilization of server resources.


    The entire five senses connection conversion program took only five minutes to complete.


    He loaded sensations such as the spring breeze caressing, raindrops falling on the body, and the fragrance of moist soil into his sensory perceptions through the program, and replayed the video of spring rain.


    He stood on the moist soil, feeling the softness under his feet, the breeze on his face, the scent of spring mud in his nose, and the raindrops falling on his body, bringing with them the vitality of spring.


    "This is the Spring Breeze and Rain!" Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    Instinctively, he channeled Spiritual Energy, drawing the complex runes of the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' in the void.


    The complex Spiritual Energy runes hovered in the air, then exploded into a small cluster of clouds.


    The clouds tumbled, with tiny flashes of lightning flickering within them before disappearing.


    Raindrops fell from the clouds, and as they did, the color of the clouds gradually faded, continuing the rainy process for the duration of a cup of tea.


    Li Shiming stared blankly at the scene before him. Had there been outsiders in the garden, it would have been an astonishing and shocking sight.


    Truth be told, the range of the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' was not wide, about twenty square meters only.


    Such an area hardly matched the legendary abilities of an Immortal to manipulate clouds and rain, but considering he was just at the Qi Refining Second Level and the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' was the most basic among the Spiritual Plant Cultivation Skills, he was extremely satisfied with the results.


    The clouds formed by the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' were not high, and since the garden was laid out as a landscape with a scene at every step, those outside the garden could not perceive the existence of the clouds.

 Chapter 20 Turning Rain

    Li Shiming snapped out of the marvelous scene created by his use of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill," shifting his gaze to the area that had been drenched by it.


    There lay a stretch of mountain camellias, and only a part of them was affected by the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill."


    As he approached one of the camellias that had been watered by the rain, he took a closer look and noticed that the leaves bore a verdant green unlike the typical hues of autumn.


    Now was autumn, after all, and the leaves of all the mountain camellias should have been a dark green.


    He plucked a leaf from the camellia and put it in his mouth. This particular camellia had been specially transplanted by his father, Li WenYuan, who would regularly harvest them for use in his household.


    Although Li Shiming didn''t have much interest in tea tasting, his previous incarnation had inherited Li WenYuan''s habit of tea appreciation.


    When he put the leaf in his mouth, he immediately noticed a difference.


    The quality of this leaf had noticeably improved, surpassing the taste of what was there before.


    He couldn''t help but be amazed by the effect of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill"; just one application had changed the quality of the affected camellias.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    While he didn''t know how long the improved quality would last, even if he were to pick and fry them now, they would surpass most renowned teas.


    This was a power that turned the rotten into the miraculous, leaving him unable to imagine what kind of flavor crops cultivated by Immortals using spirit fields and the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" would have.


    Of course, if he really wanted to taste them, the two bags of Spirit Rice in his storage bag were certainly an option.


    But those were seeds of Spirit Rice, and even without consulting the "Fundamentals of Spirit Plants" and Shi Ximing''s cultivation notes, he knew the value of seeds and would not waste them on mere culinary desires.


    He sensed the Spiritual Energy Vortex within him ¨C a third remained. He didn''t want to cast any more spells for now.


    The remaining third of his spiritual power could be useful in times of danger.


    "Spells truly are difficult to learn and use. This bit of spiritual power is hardly enough to cover the expenditure!" he said to himself with a helpless shake of his head.


    What he didn''t know was that spells in the Cultivation World were not something all cultivators could learn.


    Take the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" for example; generally speaking, a cultivator who could cast the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" was considered to have stepped onto the threshold of becoming a spirit plant husbandman.


    However, tea leaves rich with a faint trace of spiritual energy would bring great benefits to the health of ordinary people.


    He packed three cans of such tea. There weren''t many leaves that could be harvested from twenty square meters of tea plants, and producing three cans after roasting was already a high yield.


    "Drinking it myself would be a waste!" Li Shiming shook his head and drank the tea in his cup in one gulp.


    He put the three cans of tea into a box and headed towards the office area of the Magistrate''s residence.


    "Congratulations, Li Shiming!" In the Magistrate''s residence, he ran into Professor Zhou from Nanling Prefecture, who greeted him with a smile. Li Shiming was his courtesy name.


    Li Shiming returned the gesture, puzzled as to the reason for congratulations, and Professor Zhou did not offer any explanation.


    Professor Zhou, as a seventh-grade official, was in charge of educational affairs in Nanling Prefecture.


    Upon arriving at Li WenYuan''s place, he saw an unusually joyful smile on Li WenYuan''s face.


    "Shiming, I was just about to call for you, and here you are!" Li WenYuan beckoned Li Shiming to sit down.


    "Father, what brings you such joy?" Li Shiming asked as he sat down.


    "Tomorrow is the day the examination results are announced, but the results of the Imperial Examination have already been delivered today!" Li WenYuan replied with a smile.


    Ordinary candidates, even those from powerful families, could not know the results of the announcement in advance.


    The results of the examinations were not released until the day before the announcement, and after coming out, they were delivered to the Magistrate''s residence. Apart from the main and deputy examiners, only the professors and the Magistrate could see the results before they were publicly known.


    The results would be officially announced tomorrow morning.


    "Has your son achieved second place?" Li Shiming understood why Li WenYuan was happy and said with a smile.


    To be frank, if not for the influence of his original self''s emotions, the obsession of his original self with the Imperial Examination, he would not feel much excitement about it.


    After encountering the world of cultivation, worldly matters had far less impact on him.


    His initial thoughts of using the data stored on the large server IBMz15 to change this world and achieve great things had shifted to an aspiration for cultivation in a world where Immortals exist.


    "The main examiner, to avoid any suspicion, did not make you the top scorer, you achieved second place; it was my influence that affected you!" Li WenYuan said with a mixture of happiness and regret.

 Chapter 21 Preparation

    "Father, to achieve second place is already more than I could have hoped for. How could I possibly ask for more?" Li Shiming said to his father, Li WenYuan, with a smile.


    He also understood that, based on the examination papers during the Imperial Examination, if there were no other factors, there would have been no problem for him to achieve the top scorer position.


    From what Li WenYuan said, because of his status as the son of a Magistrate, the chief examiner had considered the need to avoid suspicion and hence changed his deserved top scorer recognition to second place.


    "I''ve seen your answers. That top scorer was not just a little better than you!" Li WenYuan said, shaking his head.


    Li Shiming was, of course, well aware of this. Not to mention his understanding and application of classics, even the final policy discussion paper was obtained from a former top scorer in another era.


    Using a top scorer''s paper in the Imperial Examination to outperform all other candidates was a normal occurrence.


    "Initially, your participation in this Imperial Examination was just meant to give you more experience for the one three years later. I didn''t expect that at just fifteen years old, you would have to leave home for the Central Capital, and I can''t leave Nanling Prefecture to accompany you!" Li WenYuan continued, sounding somewhat worried.


    This was indeed a happy worry. Participating in the spring examination at fifteen and, should he pass and become an Advanced Scholar, it would indeed be considered a good omen at the court. While he was happy as a father, he couldn''t help but worry about his young son leaving home.


    "Father, I am not a child anymore!" Li Shiming quickly said. He didn''t want his father''s worries to affect his plans to go to the Central Capital.


    "I am not stopping you from participating in the spring examination. This time going to the Central Capital, I will arrange for a naval officer''s ship and bring along a team of escorts. Bring Si Qin and inkstone as well, and when you arrive, stay in our old home there. I will write a few letters on your behalf, to pay visits to some of your uncles!" Li WenYuan rambled a bit, lacking his usual authority.


    But Li Shiming felt his father''s sincere affection. Having merged with the memories and emotions of his original body, to him, Li WenYuan was his father in this world.


    "Ah, here, I personally roasted this tea, and it turned out quite well. You can drink it regularly, and I''ll also respond when you do!" Due to the slightly awkward atmosphere, Li Shiming changed the subject, pointing to the three tea canisters he had brought as he stood up to take his leave.


    Li WenYuan watched Li Shiming leave, shaking his head as he picked up a tea canister; he did not believe that Li Shiming could produce any decent tea.


    Still, it was a token of his son''s thoughtfulness, so he brewed some.


    The aroma of the tea diffused, reaching deep into his heart and spleen.


    As a tea lover, Li WenYuan could immediately discern the quality of the tea.


    He carefully examined the longsword Magic Artifact, made of iron, but when he used his senses to observe and gently tap it, sending the sensation into the large IBMz15 server, he analyzed that this type of iron had a completely different internal structure from ordinary iron.


    With his current lack of knowledge in Cultivation, he could not rely on the IBMz15 to make accurate judgments and could only analyze to this extent.


    He tried to use the longsword Magic Artifact to slice a stone, leaving a deep, ten-centimeter cut in it.


    He hadn''t used much strength, showing just how terrifyingly sharp the longsword Magic Artifact was.


    In any place, this longsword Magic Artifact could be considered a divine weapon.


    He then tried to channel a bit of Spiritual Power, and immediately the longsword Magic Artifact glowed with Spiritual Power, feeling as if it had come alive, possessing an indescribable charm.


    Li Shiming used the glowing longsword Magic Artifact to slice the stone again, with roughly the same force as before, but this time he easily cut the stone in half, even feeling no resistance from the stone.


    He looked in shock at the stone cut in half; if it were to slice a person, even if that person was wearing armor, the result would be the same.


    After sheathing the longsword Magic Artifact, he decided to have a scabbard made for it and carry it with him since it was a major lethal weapon.


    Although he at the Qi Refining Second Level had not learned any Swordsmanship, with his body''s response, strength, and speed, holding the longsword Magic Artifact meant that even if he encountered a strong opponent, he could unexpectedly kill him.


    He then thought of defense and took out the white robe, which also had similar Spiritual Power fluctuations as the longsword Magic Artifact; it must be another Magic Artifact.


    With prior experience, he channeled a bit of Spiritual Power into the white robe, and it emitted a faint white glow.


    He didn''t dare to test it with the longsword Magic Artifact, instead taking a pair of scissors and proceeded to cut and stab at the white robe, discovering that all were blocked by the robe.


    He guessed that the white robe Magic Artifact must be a defensive Magic Artifact. Of course, without real contact with the Cultivation World, all his tests were based on mundane knowledge.


    The accuracy of this judgment could not be guaranteed, but at least he could use these two Magic Artifacts now.


    With a bit of decoration, the white robe could completely pass as a Confucian robe, and with the longsword hung at his waist, this could very well be the classic attire of many scholars.

 Chapter 22 Pollution

    Early the next morning, Li Shiming felt the Spiritual Energy Vortex in his chest and sighed helplessly.


    He hadn''t cultivated the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" the previous day, wanting to see if his body''s natural recovery could restore the consumed spiritual power.


    However, after a night, there was no sign of recovery in his spiritual power.


    Additionally, he discovered something even more serious.


    Previously, while he had the Gathering Spirit Plate, he couldn''t feel it as he cultivated the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" every day because the plate couldn''t be activated, leaving him two days without being able to cultivate the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique."


    It was these two days without cultivating the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" and without the nurture of spiritual energy that he felt his body becoming tainted.


    The source of the contamination was his daily food.


    It wasn''t that the food was poisoned; it was that the mundane food devoid of spiritual energy was a contaminant to a body accustomed to being baptized with spiritual energy.


    Of course, this contamination was not severe, but in the long term, coupled with the lack of spiritual energy for cultivating the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique," his cultivation level would not only fail to increase; he feared it would decline.


    It wasn''t that he lacked spiritual energy; in the machine room space, there was abundant spiritual energy.


    However, the spiritual energy in the machine room space was like rootless water, diminishing with each use.


    He had originally intended to use the spiritual energy in the machine room space as a reserve for emergencies.


    Now it seemed he had to use this spiritual energy to address his current urgent needs.


    First, he had to resolve the issue with his food. Without spiritual energy food, even if he used the machine room''s spiritual energy for cultivation, it would only prolong his capability slightly.


    In "Spirit Plant Basics" and Shi Ximing''s cultivation notes, there were methods on how to cultivate Spirit Rice.


    But with no rice, how could one cook? To cultivate Spirit Rice, he needed a spirit field.


    The methods to create a spirit field existed, but he had neither seen nor heard of such materials, let alone consider purchasing them.


    Li Shiming ultimately chose to implement rice cultivation under a plant factory environment because this method allowed him to utilize space to its fullest extent.


    Considering the machine room space was not large and excluding the area already in use, only seventy square meters were left available.


    Seventy square meters of space was too small for cultivating rice.


    However, establishing a plant factory environment would enable multi-layer aeroponic cultivation. With a height of four meters in the machine room space, aside from the bottom layer serving as a germination layer, four more layers of cultivation space could be formed above.


    To maximize the use of the machine room space, Li Shiming removed the suspended ceiling.


    The suspended ceilings were for placing central air conditioning and several rows of LED cold lights. The central air conditioning, needless to say, without external equipment, left only exhaust ports, which were better removed.


    Before, Li Shiming had accessed the machine room space merely with his consciousness, so he had no demand for lighting; in the perception of his consciousness, the absence of light in the machine room space didn''t affect his perception at all.


    However, to create a plant factory environment in the machine room space, he needed lighting to facilitate photosynthesis.


    Fortunately, the electricity was already available, and once the wiring was done, the LED cold lights could be turned on.


    The number of LED cold lights was plentiful. The machine room had been designed with LED cold lights covering the ceiling to create a shadow-free effect. The distribution of LED cold lights was more than sufficient for multi-layer plant factory use.


    This greatly saved his time; although he had the technology to make electric lights and the micrometric control within the machine room space, actually producing light bulbs would still take considerable time.


    In the following days, except for needing to visit his master, Li Shiming spent almost all his time in the study.


    In just a few days, he spent hundreds of taels of silver to buy a large amount of necessary materials.


    In his machine room space, a structure made of wood with five layers had already been built.


    The wooden racks held glass trays, which were quite muddled in color. In this era, any piece of colored tray would be a costly luxury if taken out.


    The glass trays were made from sand. Making clear glass would require higher-quality silica; he wasn''t intending to make money from glass, only needing the stable characteristics of glass; the color did not affect its use.


    Of course, this was also because he had obtained a large amount of gold and silver from his storage bag, sparing him the need to worry about silver.

 Chapter 23 Spirit Plant

    Li Shiming took out a bag of Spirit Rice seeds, and instead of starting with a small experiment, he brought out half of the Spirit Rice seeds all at once.


    With the support of a vast non-soil rice cultivation technology, coupled with his nearly omnipotent perception and micrometer-level control in the computer room space, failure was unlikely. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have other methods to plant Spirit Rice in the short term.


    Now, with every passing day, the contamination of his body by mundane food became more severe.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    He needed to quickly grow a batch of Spirit Rice to solve his current troubles.


    The Spirit Rice seeds were placed in a solution, which was formulated based on the best nutrient ratio for seedling culture.


    His consciousness focused on the Spirit Rice seeds, not daring to relax in the slightest.


    Inside the seedling culture solution, the Spirit Rice seeds began to absorb nutrients, and the germ inside the seed coat was growing.


    However, he also sensed a feeling of powerlessness from the Spirit Rice seeds. If left to grow like this, perhaps the germs of these Spirit Rice seeds wouldn''t even break through the seed coat, failing to form Spiritual Rice Seedlings.


    Li Shiming mobilized the Spiritual Power within his body, then used his consciousness to draw the rune of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" in the computer room space. Thought to spell, a mass of dark clouds appeared in the space.


    A spirit rain of twenty square meters began to fall, and his consciousness caught every drop, channeling it into the seedling culture solution at the bottom layer of the cultivation rack.


    With the spirit rain from the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill," the Spirit Rice seeds seemed to gain vitality, the germs breaking through the seed coats one after another.


    Li Shiming observed the changes in the Spirit Rice seeds while recording the data onto the large server IBMz15.


    The "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" filled the seedling culture solution with spirit rainwater that was extremely beneficial to plants, and since he didn''t waste a single drop, collecting it all in the seedling solution, its effect continued to be exerted.


    Normally, a spirit cultivator would find that the majority of the spirit rain from the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" would be absorbed by the soil, with only a small part actually benefiting the plants.


    It was not the ignorance of spirit cultivators but, rather, for countless years in this world, cultivation had always been inseparable from soil.


    Yet in the server room space, the Spirit Rice plants could undergo photosynthesis for twenty-four hours a day. He also continuously adjusted the brightness of the LED cold lights through his perception, maintaining the Spirit Rice plants in the optimal growth environment at all times.


    After only twenty-five days, the Spirit Rice plants had already reached maturity.


    Li Shiming also discovered that cultivating Spirit Rice in the server room space did not reduce the total amount of spiritual energy within. Instead, it even increased slightly.


    During the growth of the Spirit Rice, a portion of spiritual energy was produced through photosynthesis.


    This portion of spiritual energy was minimal in relation to a single Spirit Rice plant, but the cumulative effect from the seventy square meters of four-layer planting racks was enough for him to perceive an increase in the concentration of spiritual energy.


    It could even fully replenish the spiritual energy he consumed daily when using the Spring Breeze and Rain Skill, resulting in the concentration of spiritual energy in the server room space not decreasing but actually increasing after twenty-five days.


    Of course, the spiritual energy in the server room space was only enough for cultivation purposes and not sufficient for his daily spiritual practice.


    In these days, Li Shiming had secluded himself, spending each day shut within his study, making outsiders believe he was preparing for the spring examinations.


    So, no one disturbed him, not even his father Li WenYuan who had ordered everyone inside and outside the residence not to interrupt his studying.


    Today was an important day: after twenty-five days of effort and countless days and nights, Li Shiming had only slept for short periods, devoting all his consciousness to the growth process of the Spirit Rice.


    He had succeeded, all the Spirit Rice had matured.


    His consciousness perceived each golden stalk of Spirit Rice bent by its weight, and the joy of the harvest excited him.


    In a month''s time, he had reduced his food intake, but as a result, his body had accumulated a significant amount of impurities.


    He was waiting to free himself from the contamination of ordinary food, for the Spirit Rice was his hope.


    Having experienced the sensation of being thoroughly refreshed and clean, he couldn''t tolerate the polluted state of his body now. When calling upon the spiritual power within, he could feel a certain roughness; if it continued like this, he even believed that it would eventually affect his ability to wield spiritual power.

 Chapter 24 Harvest

    Li Shiming used his consciousness to harvest the Spirit Rice and recorded the data.


    Currently, there are no conditions to optimize the Spirit Rice, but that doesn''t mean it can''t be done in the future. Each seasonal harvest of Spirit Rice takes one month; recording data one more time is equivalent to saving one month''s time.


    The average number of tillers per plant is 60, and the comprehensive yield for a single-layer cultivation rack is 0.65KG per square meter.


    After this season''s planting, he obtained a total of 364 jin of Spirit Rice, almost two and a half shi.


    Looking at the Spirit Rice, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.


    His consciousness enveloped the Spirit Rice, picking out the most plump and vigorous grains.


    These grains would become the seeds for the next season, continuing to produce more Spirit Rice for him.


    He was even happier that such a yield, even if not improved, was enough for his own consumption, with a good surplus remaining.


    Though there was an excess of Spirit Rice, it was not suitable for ordinary people to eat.


    The Spiritual Energy contained in the Spirit Rice is considered mild for Qi Refining cultivators, but for ordinary people, it''s a highly toxic substance.


    Eating Spirit Rice would cause an ordinary person''s body to burst, so he had no plans to share it with others.


    To avoid the aroma of Spirit Rice spreading everywhere, even cooking with it was done within the confines of the machine room space.


    He used one jin of Spirit Rice along with the spirit rainwater created by the Spring Breeze and Rain Skill to make a pot of spirit rice.


    As soon as Li Shiming took the spirit rice out of the machine room space, an indescribable rice fragrance hit him, and the gentle Spiritual Energy dispersed with the steam.


    He hastily ate his fill, fearing that the Spiritual Energy in the spirit rice would dissipate too much over time.


    Although he hadn''t had his fill for nearly a month, he could only eat one-fourth of the spirit rice before he couldn''t eat any more.


    He had overestimated his capacity; one jin of Spirit Rice with water made a large pot of spirit rice. Along with the immediate fullness it produced after eating, he realized the amount of Spirit Rice needed for each cooking.


    His monthly need for Spirit Rice wouldn''t exceed seven and a half jin, and that estimate was based on his appetite after nearly a month of hunger; he believed the actual amount would be even less.


    So even though he knew the wooden sword was stronger, it was less practical for him than a Longsword Magic Artifact.


    Li Shiming sensed the Spiritual Energy conditions of the engine room space again, thought for a moment, and began operating the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique", drawing Spiritual Energy from the space of the engine room.


    Threads of Spiritual Energy were absorbed into his body and circulated within; the impurities accumulated over the near month were expelled through his pores.


    When one cycle of the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" was completed, he once again felt the lightness and clarity of his body.


    The impurities expelled through the pores were actually not significant, less than a month had passed, and he had controlled his food intake.


    Therefore, there was no unbearable stench on him, but he still had Si Qin prepare a bath so he could wash thoroughly.


    The White Robe Magic Artifact was good indeed; it had not been stained at all and did not need to be changed.


    "Shiming, the official ship docks at the port tomorrow, I will not see you off!" Li WenYuan said in a deep voice from his study as he looked at Li Shiming.


    All the necessary preparations had been made long ago, and the necessary goodbyes had been said. It was time for the fledgling to leave the nest.


    "Father, I have left some tea leaves in the storehouse; after I leave, please take care of yourself!" Li Shiming said with his head bowed.


    He had a feeling that once he left Nanling Prefecture, he did not know when he would be able to return.


    He said this time he was leaving to take part in the Imperial Examination, but in reality, he was preparing to search for the path to immortality. This was something he was not certain about, so he did not speak of it now; if he truly found the path in the future, he would inform Li WenYuan through a letter.


    Thus, even though Spiritual Energy was scarce, he still used the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" multiple times to produce tea leaves containing a faint trace of Spiritual Energy.


    "Shiming, you''ve grown up, you have your own secrets, and I won''t ask you. But remember, you must always be careful, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall!" Li WenYuan hesitated briefly but did not ask anything further, instead, he admonished.


    He had drunk the tea leaves fried by Li Shiming and was keenly aware of their distinctiveness.


    Looking at his own body now, he felt as if he had regained the youth of ten years ago.


    Each time he drank the tea, he could feel the beneficial changes in his body. Of course, as he drank the tea more often, this feeling became less and less apparent.


    This extraordinary tea, combined with the fact that Li Shiming had acquired second place in the Imperial Examination, were events far beyond his expectations, indicating to him there must be some reason behind it all.


    But no matter what happened, Li Shiming was his son, and he would not probe into his son''s secrets.

 Chapter 25 Trade

    "Fellow, please wait!"


    Li Shiming was strolling towards the official boat when he heard a voice calling out from behind.


    If it weren''t for the fact that this was a government-operated dock, surrounded by officials and soldiers, upon hearing the call he almost took out the ''white phosphorus grenade'' from the room''s space to fire at whoever was behind him.


    In the Cultivation World, hearing such familiar words made him feel extremely uneasy.


    He turned his head to see who had spoken.


    It was a man in his thirties wearing a blue robe, with a round face.


    Li Shiming''s gaze swept across the round-faced man''s waist, and he immediately understood why the man had called him ''fellow''; he could see a storage bag at the man''s waist.


    To his surprise, the round-faced man turned out to be a cultivator; the cultivators he imagined certainly wouldn''t take an ordinary boat.


    Cultivators, if not able to fly through the skies, should at least be able to move as fast as the wind and would not fancy slow official boats.


    "May I ask what this is about?" he asked, without calling the other man ''fellow.'' Si Qin and Mo Yan, as well as the four guards, were not far away, making the appellation ''fellow'' too strange to use.


    "I''ve forgotten to introduce myself, I am Fan Yiyang. As fate has brought us together on this boat, I just wanted to greet you," the round-faced man replied with a smile, his eyes holding a curious look.


    Of course, Fan Yiyang found it strange; Li Shiming was clearly wearing a lower-grade defensive robe and had a lower-grade longsword magic artifact at his waist, with what appeared to be a storage bag bulging at his lower back.


    Such attire surely screamed that he was a cultivator, did it not?


    Besides, Li Shiming did not even try to conceal the spiritual power fluctuations emanating from his body.


    Why then did he seem afraid of revealing his identity as a cultivator? Fan Yiyang couldn''t understand.


    "Li Shiming has seen Mr. Fan. Since fate has brought us together, how about we have some tea?" Li Shiming saw that the other''s attitude was good and, since they were going to be on the same boat, he also revealed his name.


    This was his first interaction with a fellow cultivator since he had achieved some success in Qi Refinement, and he was very willing to exchange with Fan Yiyang.


    "Haha, I am honored," Fan Yiyang, who intended just that, replied with a laugh.


    Fan Yiyang himself was also at the Qi Refining Second Level of strength. Additionally, considering the defensive and offensive magic artifacts on Li Shiming, as well as his age, it was clear that Li Shiming had backing. He did not want to fight to the death over some Spirit Rice.


    "That is possible, but I have a request as well. Fellow, please tell me about the affairs of the Cultivation World!" Li Shiming considered briefly before agreeing and made an additional request.


    "Haha, just as well, the journey is boring. I accept!" Upon hearing this condition, Fan Yiyang couldn''t help but laugh and respond.


    Li Shiming channeled spiritual energy onto his storage bag, which contained only Spirit Rice, along with a small amount of spirit water and tea leaves.


    He no longer consumed mundane substances, drinking only spirit water and eating Spirit Rice.


    Though he had given up the pleasures of the palate, compared to the contamination of the body, it was all worth it.


    A rice bag appeared on the table. Fortunately, they were on the third floor, and no third person was present. Otherwise, the sudden appearance of the rice bag might have shocked ordinary people.


    Fan Yiyang did not need to inspect it; the spiritual energy emanating from the rice bag was enough to determine that the quality of this Spirit Rice was quite good.


    "Mr. Li, I won''t stand on ceremony. I''ve been out for a while and have long run out of provisions!" said Fan Yiyang with a smile as he packed up the rice bag.


    With a wave of his hand, a hundred glowing stones appeared on the table, and then he placed a book on the table as well.


    "I did not expect fellow''s Spirit Rice to be of such good quality. One Spirit Stone per catty is a steal for me. I''ll gift this ''Concealing Breath Skill'' to you!" he said with a smile.


    He didn''t randomly select the Concealing Breath Skill to give away.


    Li Shiming''s spiritual power fluctuated openly, indicating he hadn''t learned the Concealing Breath Skill yet.


    While the Concealing Breath Skill was not considered important in the Cultivation World and most sect cultivators would learn it,


    Fan Yiyang''s copy of the "Concealing Breath Skill" was not acquired from a sect, but was an unexpected gain, which he used to sell a favor.


    "Fellow is generous!" Li Shiming suppressed his quickening heartbeat and praised with a smile.


    He recognized the hundred glowing stones; they were of the same kind as those depleted of spiritual energy on the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    So these were Spirit Stones; it seemed that in the Cultivation World, they were used as currency.


    The Concealing Breath Skill was an unexpected gain. No wonder he had seen no signs of spiritual power on Fan Yiyang; turns out he had cultivated such a spell.

 Chapter 26 Communication

    After a successful transaction, Li Shiming and Fan Yiyang grew quite close.


    "Fellow Daoist, you''re headed to Central Capital, are you preparing to attend next year''s Ascension Conference?" Fan Yiyang asked, sipping his tea.


    Li Shiming hadn''t expected the first piece of news from Fan Yiyang to be this.


    He didn''t deny it and simply smiled, pouring more tea for Fan Yiyang.


    "As long as your background is clean, with your age and Qi Refining Second Level cultivation, joining a sect through the Ascension Conference shouldn''t be difficult. However, you must clearly state the origins of your cultivation technique and it must withstand the sect''s investigation!" Fan Yiyang, believing his own judgment was correct, continued.


    Li Shiming thought it over, his Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique came from the Weiyuan Escort Agency, and he had even obtained it from his own home garden; there was no need to worry on this account.


    Even if the sect had some kind of probing method, he could openly admit where he had acquired the Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique.


    "It seems you''re considering the Sky Sea Sect as your first choice, which is also the preference for the majority of those with spirit root seeds. How your spirit root seeds fare will need to be tested at the Ascension Conference, but given your age and having reached the Qi Refining Second Level, it''s likely your spirit root seeds are not bad!" Fan Yiyang said, trailing off into a reverie about something.


    This was the first time Li Shiming had heard of spirit root seeds, what he had known before was that cultivating immortality required talent, which must be these spirit root seeds.


    "How are spirit root seeds judged as good or bad? Besides the Ascension Conference, is there any other way to test them?" he then asked.


    "Of course, the fewer spirit root seeds, the better. Both single and dual spirit roots are indicative of a genius, but those who possess them are extremely rare. Then comes those with three spirit roots, who are the main force of the Cultivation World. Of course, most have either four or five spirit roots, the vast majority of discovered spirit root seeds are these two types.


    Having four spirit roots is slightly better; there''s still a chance. But five spirit roots are considered useless; practitioners with them are almost always stuck at the early stages of Qi Refinement for their entire lives.


    As for detecting spirit root seeds, there is another method. If you cultivate a fire attribute technique and can sense the fire attribute spiritual energy, then you have a fire spiritual root.


    However, cultivation techniques are not to be practiced lightly, especially while laying the foundation. A small mistake can ruin everything," Fan Yiyang explained seriously.


    Only now did Li Shiming realize how lucky he''d been.


    He had only one cultivation technique, ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,'' and he had also obtained a Gathering Spirit Plate, which had allowed him to successfully form a spiritual energy vortex.


    If he had known earlier that cultivation techniques should not be practiced at will, he probably wouldn''t have dared to cultivate the ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique.''


    After some time spent navigating, he noticed the distinct nature of the Immortal Cutting Canal.


    The Immortal Cutting Canal was a straight waterway, unlike normal rivers that twist and turn according to the terrain.


    From his vantage point, looking straight ahead, he could see the canal stretching in a line to where the sky met the horizon.


    The scent of Spirit Rice reached his nostrils; it seemed Fan Yiyang was using Spirit Rice.


    Li Shiming smiled. Meeting a cultivator like Fan Yiyang, he considered himself extremely lucky.


    Although he could not sense Fan Yiyang''s strength, Li Shiming deduced from Fan Yiyang''s behavior that he was not very powerful.


    Especially when Fan Yiyang spoke of having Four Spirit Roots, the gloom in his eyes was unmistakable.


    Li Shiming guessed that Fan Yiyang might have Four Spirit Roots, which is why he was still just a servant disciple, appearing to be in his thirties.


    Judging a cultivator''s age by appearance is not accurate, for even without practicing techniques to maintain eternal youth, cultivators age much more slowly than ordinary people.


    Li Shiming wore a Confucian Robe over his Low Grade Magic Robe, and the Lower Grade Longsword at his waist was tucked into his storage bag.


    This was Fan Yiyang''s advice; in the secular world, no one could recognize a magic artifact, but upon reaching Central Capital, where the Ascension Conference would be held, many cultivators would be present, and some of them might kill for treasure.


    Even though Low Grade Magic Robes and Lower Grade Longswords were considered very low-level magic artifacts, they were still exceedingly rare for Loose Cultivators. Murdering for these two Low Grade Magical Artifacts was considered worthwhile.


    Li Shiming recalled the contents of the ''Concealing Breath Skill'' in his mind. Due to the lack of Spiritual Energy, he hadn''t even practiced the Geng Metal Skill or the Earth Spirit Technique, which were the first techniques he acquired.


    However, the Concealing Breath Skill was different; it was a spell that could hide one''s Spiritual Energy fluctuations.


    According to Fan Yiyang, Li Shiming''s fluctuation of Spiritual Power Patterns were like candles in darkness to other cultivators, noticeable from a great distance.


    In the Cultivation World, indeed, many cultivators let their Spiritual Power Patterns fluctuate freely because those cultivators had the strength to protect themselves and were not afraid of their Spiritual Power Patterns leaking out.


    Instead, they used the fluctuations of Spiritual Power Patterns to warn other cultivators with ulterior motives, reducing their own trouble.

 Chapter 27 The Old House

    Concealing Breath Skill, although called a spell, isn''t really a proper spell; it''s more a method of controlling Spiritual Power.


    Using special runes, one arranges a net within the body to conceal one''s own Spiritual Power fluctuations.


    The Concealing Breath Skill doesn''t require the coordiantion of intent; once the rune drawing is complete, one can execute it.


    Li Shiming wasn''t worried about the complexity of the runes; he had scanned the "Concealing Breath Skill" into the large server IBM z15, and then read it repeatedly with his mind.


    In just a few minutes, he had memorized all the runes of the Concealing Breath Skill.


    He summoned the Spiritual Power within his body and began drawing the runes of the Concealing Breath Skill beneath his skin.


    He encountered no difficulties, and the complex pattern was drawn without a single error.


    He felt a slight tremor in the Spiritual Energy Vortex within him, as if something had covered it.


    Having successfully activated the Concealing Breath Skill, Li Shiming frowned slightly; the sensation of being bound by the skill was not pleasant.


    Moreover, any execution of a spell or summoning of Spiritual Power to a certain degree would disrupt the effect of the Concealing Breath Skill.


    In the presence of a Cultivator far stronger than oneself, the effect of the Concealing Breath Skill is also quite limited.


    However, the Concealing Breath Skill was acquired for free, and its effectiveness was satisfactory; he didn''t expect too much.


    "Oh, fellow, have you mastered the Concealing Breath Skill?" Mr. Fan, rubbing his belly while walking out the cabin door, caught sight of Li Shiming and couldn''t help but ask in astonishment.


    How could he not be surprised? In just a short time, Li Shiming had mastered and applied the Concealing Breath Skill.


    Though Cultivators, nourished by Spiritual Power, are superior in many aspects, especially in memory, the Magic Runes are notoriously complex.


    No matter how elementary the Concealing Breath Skill is, it is still a spell.


    "How many days did I study the Concealing Breath Skill?" Mr. Fan wondered to himself.


    He didn''t recall a minor detail from long ago, but the learning period was no less than a month.


    Looking at Li Shiming standing by the railing, he felt mixed emotions, and even the Spirit Rice he had just eaten no longer tasted good.


    "I must also thank you, fellow!" Li Shiming bowed in gratitude.


    "Steward Zhang, how much longer until we reach the old residence?" Li Shiming was not interested in the prosperity of Central Capital; what he wanted most now was to return to the old residence immediately.


    In the past twelve days, he had used the computational power of the large server IBMz15 to repeatedly calculate the activation method of the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    Combining some information obtained from chatting with Fan Yiyang, he was quite confident he could activate the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    He had waited for a full twelve days, not using the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" to advance his cultivation¡ªmerely recovering his internal Spiritual Power Pattern after performing the Spring Breeze and Rain Skill, using the spiritual energy in the machine room space.


    "Young Master, it''s just beyond that street ahead!" Steward Zhang, hearing Li Shiming''s urgency, responded while giving the horse an extra whip to speed up the carriage.


    As the carriage accelerated, the four guards and Mo Yan also began to jog.


    "Is this the old residence?" Li Shiming stood in front of a vermilion gate and asked.


    The vermilion gate seemed not small, but by the standards of Great Xia, it was considered the format for smaller households, hardly befitting a fourth-rank official''s mansion.


    Of course, since his father Li WenYuan usually lived in the government office in Nanling Prefecture, no matter how one looked at it, such a gate seemed somewhat humble.


    The gate opened, and Steward Zhang bowed to invite him inside.


    There were three servants lined up inside the gate, two men and one woman, all of middle age, making a total of four people managing the old mansion along with Zhang.


    The old mansion had a compound with three sections. Passing through the draped flower gate from the main entrance brought one to the inner courtyard; east and west wings flanked it, with the main house directly ahead, centered around a courtyard adorned with flowers and plants.


    "The old master has instructed in his letter that you stay in the main house!" Steward Zhang gently reminded him.


    "Mo Yan, take the luggage to the main house!" Li Shiming had no objections; as the master and with his father Li WenYuan not residing here, it was only logical for him to stay in the main house.


    More importantly, next to the main house were the flanking wing rooms and behind it a back cover room, surrounded on all sides, suitable for the protection provided by the four guards.


    Of course, Li Shiming liked the main house because the space inside was spacious enough to facilitate his cultivation.


    "Steward Zhang, no one is allowed into the main house without my order; if there''s anything, just inform Si Qin!" Li Shiming sternly instructed Steward Zhang before walking into the main house.


    Everything inside the room was clean; there were no expensive pieces of furniture, but all necessities were available.


    Mo Yan, accompanied by the servants, brought the luggage into the main house while Si Qin dismissed them and started arranging the items.


    These tasks couldn''t be helped by others; only Si Qin was competent at it, as the sole maid there used to be the cook.

 Chapter 28 Restart

    Li Shiming closed the door of the study, housed within the central room, adorned with several books on the shelves.


    The books here were all common texts, lacking the inherited family scriptures and selections.


    The books needed for the examination were still in the boxes he brought, and he wouldn''t have time to sort through them until tomorrow.


    He naturally didn''t need those books, but to avoid suspicion, he still had to keep up appearances.


    He eagerly took out the Gathering Spirit Plate and removed four Spirit Stones that were devoid of Spiritual Energy from it.


    Then, he took out four new Spirit Stones and carefully placed them in the four indentations of the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    Looking at the complex patterns on the Gathering Spirit Plate, he recalled the best plan he had devised after twelve days of research.


    Li Shiming extended a finger, with Spiritual Energy flickering on it.


    His finger moved continuously over the Gathering Spirit Plate, guiding the Spiritual Energy from the four Spirit Stones into it and initiating flow within the Plate.


    Activating the Gathering Spirit Plate was not complicated. Once any Array was formed, by mastering the flow of Spiritual Energy, one could smoothly activate it, as explained by Fan Yiyang.


    Li Shiming had used the Gathering Spirit Plate for a month and had the operating videos of the Gathering Spirit Plate downloaded on the large server IBMz15.


    This allowed him, even without understanding the operating principles of the Gathering Spirit Plate, to identify the most likely energy pathways connecting the Spirit Stones and the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    When the light on the Gathering Spirit Plate flickered and formed an illuminated area, he knew he had succeeded.


    Li Shiming looked excitedly at the activated Gathering Spirit Plate in front of him. With it, he could continue to cultivate the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" and had enough Spiritual Energy to learn other Spells.


    He could even afford to be more generous in cultivating Spirit Rice, possibly applying the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" a few more times.


    He sat above the Gathering Spirit Plate and started operating the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique," following the second level Spiritual Energy circuits of the cultivation technique, entering deep into his practice.


    An hour later, he opened his eyes and could feel the increase in Spiritual Energy inside his body, so joyfully he almost wanted to cry.


    Only upon losing something does one appreciate its rarity. Clinging to the fear that one day he might drop from the Qi Refining Second Level down to the Qi Refining First Level during the days without Spiritual Energy,


    This was the alert program he had created for himself, designed to notify him from the large server IBMz15 if any anomalies occurred outside his body while he was sleeping or practicing.


    He did not move, maintaining his body''s sleeping position, yet his ears were collecting faint sounds.


    He heard footsteps on roof tiles, and concurrently, a scene of someone in soft-soled boots treading lightly appeared in his mind, an analysis given in real-time by the large server IBMz15.


    He pinpointed the location of the night walker, right above the main house.


    The movements of the night walker were very gentle; without the surveillance of the large server IBMz15, Li Shiming would not have detected the night walker''s presence so early.


    Li Shiming''s eyes moved following the movement of the night walker on the rooftop; he didn''t know if the night walker was just passing by or had come specifically to find him.


    When the night walker left the rooftop and descended the outer wall, the friction of silk clothing against the wall assured Li Shiming that the night walker had come for him.


    Li Shiming was extremely puzzled; he had not started visiting his father''s old friends, so how could someone know that he had moved into the old house and what kind of animosity could make someone target him just as he had entered Central Capital.


    He did not think the night walker harbored any good intentions; the most likely possibility was an assassination attempt.


    Slight tearing sounds from the paper window filled Li Shiming''s mind with a real-time analysis image from the large server IBMz15; the night walker was using a bamboo tube to puncture the window paper.


    "Poison, or perhaps a sleep-inducing incense?"


    He didn''t need to confirm which it was; he immediately held his breath.


    In fact, with the strength of a cultivator at Qi Refining Second Level, most mundane poisons and incenses were ineffective against him.


    The only poisons that could affect a cultivator contained Spiritual Energy.


    Li Shiming did not underestimate the night walker, but if the opponent had managed to procure a poison containing Spiritual Energy, they would not need to be so cautious.


    A faint smoke was blown into the bedroom, and after a while, a short dagger was inserted through the gap in the window, prying open the bedroom window.


    The night walker jumped into the room from the window, almost silently landing, which tightened Li Shiming''s nerves.


    From the sounds made by the night walker, it was clear that this person was a master of Martial Arts.


    Although Li Shiming was a Qi Refining Second Level cultivator, he had few combat techniques.

 Chapter 29 Assassination

    Li Shiming maintained a stable breathing pattern, just as he did while sleeping.


    Perhaps others trying to simulate sleeping breaths might reveal some flaws, but with the assistance of the IBM z15 mainframe server, his breathing was indistinguishable from his sleeping breaths.


    The night walker, experienced as he was, did not notice that Li Shiming was feigning sleep.


    With a few light steps, the night walker reached the bedside, and his short dagger, gleaming with a cold light, thrust toward Li Shiming''s chest.


    Li Shiming moved as well, a Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact suddenly appearing in his hand.


    Charged with spiritual energy, the Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact shone with a strange spiritual power light.


    The Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact swung out from beneath the blanket, first slicing it open, and by the time the night walker realized it, it was too late.


    For a Qi Refinement Second Level cultivator, engaging in close combat with a martial arts master wasn''t wise, but who said that Li Shiming at the Qi Refinement Second Level was just for show.


    Even with the Lower Grade Magical Artifact in hand, he only knew how to infuse it with spiritual energy, not how to unleash its true power.


    If it hadn''t been accidental preparedness versus intentional readiness, he would have already taken out a talisman.


    However, he wasn''t entirely without confidence, as the night walker struck, Li Shiming had already donned a Low Grade Magic Robe, which meant even a direct stab wouldn''t harm him.


    At such close range, technique was irrelevant. Li Shiming''s Qi Refinement Second Level physical condition could be fully utilized.


    He wielded the Lower Grade Long Sword without any specific moves, relying solely on speed.


    So fast that by the time the night walker sensed danger, a flash of the sword''s light had swept across his arms, severing both of them.


    "Ah!" The night walker let out a piercing scream, which immediately alerted those outside.


    Li Shiming did not cease his actions; his Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact swung a second time, this time sweeping across the night walker''s legs.


    Once enhanced with spiritual energy, the sharpness of the Lower Grade Magical Artifact was beyond doubt.


    He barely felt any resistance as the Lower Grade Long Sword Magic Artifact cut through human flesh, reducing the night walker to a torso.


    Facing a martial arts expert, he opted for the most prudent method, completely crippling the night walker''s ability to resist.


    He refrained from delivering the killing blow, wishing to extract from the night walker the mastermind behind the assassination.


    Unable to enter the locked bedroom, Si Qin was anxiously knocking on the door.


    "Young Master!" The leading guard wanted to say something, but, catching sight of Li Shiming''s emotionless eyes, he felt a chill in his heart and quickly bowed, leading the three other guards out of the room.


    The guards were greatly shocked by today''s events. It was clear that the Young Master was not as simple as a feeble scholar unable to restrain a chicken.


    Just by how the Young Master could dispassionately sever the night walker''s arms and legs, one could see the Young Master''s decisiveness and ruthlessness.


    Although Big Beard''s hands and feet were gone, he was still able to remain conscious even with such severe injuries.


    At this moment, he opened his eyes wide, trying to get a clear look at Li Shiming in front of him.


    He could not forget what had just happened¡ªthe dazzling sword light, the feeling that he could not avoid the sword strike.


    Feeling the pain from where his limbs used to be, he wished for immediate death rather than to live as a cripple.


    "Kill me!" Big Beard voluntarily pleaded for death.


    "Death is not so easy to come by!" Li Shiming stated indifferently.


    At this moment, his consciousness was scrolling through the database of the large server IBMz15. If Big Beard knew what he was looking for, his desire for death would be even more urgent.


    He perused one article after another, from the ancient to the modern, having read all the torture methods available.


    Due to time constraints, many methods of torture could not be utilized.


    He took several needles and inserted them into some of the most intensely painful nerves in Big Beard''s body.


    The insertion of the needles caused Big Beard''s entire body to tremble involuntarily, a pain that surpassed that of his extremities.


    The wounds on his limbs were treated with antiseptic medicine, which alleviated much of the pain.


    But the nerves selected from modern medical science for their intense pain could induce suffering beyond the limits of human endurance.


    "Ah! Ah! Please, kill me, let me die!" Big Beard screamed out miserably once again.


    The four guards outside couldn''t help but exchange glances, wondering what kind of pain would cause such terrible screams.


    "This is just the beginning. Tell me your name, who sent you here?" Li Shiming asked indifferently.


    He had not chosen those particularly brutal forms of punishment, mainly because he himself could not bear such bloody scenes.


    Big Beard paid no attention to Li Shiming, just continuing to scream loudly, trying to vent the pain through his cries.

 Chapter 30 Interrogation

    Li Shiming shook his head, and he took out several copper wires, connecting one end to the needle.


    Then he stood behind Big Beard, so Big Beard couldn''t see his actions.


    The other end of the copper wire was drawn into the machine room space and connected to the uninterrupted power supply''s output.


    His actions intensified Big Beard''s pain, and Big Beard''s screams grew even louder.


    Li Shiming sneered coldly, his consciousness controlling the uninterrupted power supply inside the machine room space to output high voltage electricity through the copper wire''s connected end.


    Big Beard''s screams suddenly stopped, not because he was no longer in pain, but rather because the pain had been amplified to an indescribable level.


    High voltage electricity, at least in the secular world, had never been seen before.


    The pain generated by connecting the pain-sensing nerves with high voltage electricity was unprecedented in this world.


    The high voltage electricity released by Li Shiming lasted only two seconds, but for Big Beard, those two seconds felt like an excruciatingly long journey through hell.


    When the high voltage ceased, all that was left of Big Beard were heavy gasps for air.


    Big Beard somewhat hated the strength of his own body, for otherwise, he should have fainted by now.


    Even death seemed preferable to experiencing that feeling again.


    "I''ll confess!" He opened his mouth wide, struggling to get the two words out.


    Li Shiming was about to administer another shock, when to his surprise, Big Beard couldn''t bear it after just one electrical jolt.


    Li Shiming, being straightforward, promptly removed all the needles from Big Beard''s body.


    He wasn''t worried that Big Beard wouldn''t talk; reporting to the officials could only be done the next morning, giving him an entire night to slowly interrogate.


    Of course, there was another reason for removing the needles.


    He retrieved several papers on lie detection, and through his five senses, the large server IBM z15 could analyze and determine aspects such as Big Beard''s heartbeat, microexpressions, pupil dilation, etc., to ascertain whether Big Beard was lying.


    "My name is Pei Xinlu!" Big Beard, having caught his breath, started by stating his own name.


    After saying his name, he observed Li Shiming''s expression and noticed that Li Shiming made no indication of recognition, realizing Li Shiming did not know this name.


    "Good, as long as you trust me, I will do my best to help you," Mr. Hu assured him, now relieved.


    His visit this time was out of necessity. After hearing that Li Shiming had been the target of an assassination attempt, the Ministry of Justice, from the lower-ranking officials up to the Minister, were all on edge.


    Though Li Shiming was just a scholar, he was a scholar at the age of fifteen, something that had already reached the ears of the Emperor.


    With the quality of Li Shiming''s essays for the Imperial Examination, as long as he made no major errors in the grand examination, he was bound to become an Advanced Scholar.


    Moreover, many officials in the Central Capital were aware that if Li Shiming became an Advanced Scholar, his ranking would be very high, something the Emperor, who favored auspicious omens, would delight in¡ªsomething no chief examiner could overlook.


    Setting aside these considerations, Li WenYuan''s connections in the Central Capital also directly influenced the attitude of the Ministry of Justice.


    The purpose of Mr. Hu''s personal visit was to ensure that Li Shiming, who could very likely become the auspicious sign heralding the new year, would be well taken care of, regardless of how the case progressed.


    Besides, what Mr. Hu did not mention was that the Ministry of Justice had guessed who the mastermind might be.


    Whether or not there was evidence, the Ministry of Justice would warn them that an incident involving Li Shiming in the Central Capital before the grand examination would be tantamount to causing trouble for the Ministry of Justice itself.


    After seeing off Mr. Hu, Li Shiming summoned Steward Zhang.


    "Young Master!" Steward Zhang bowed respectfully.


    "Do you know Li Wenfeng? Tell me about him!" Li Shiming commanded.


    The reason he asked Steward Zhang first was that he had no other connections in the Central Capital and had to start the investigation from his own household.


    Upon hearing the name, Steward Zhang''s expression showed hesitance.


    "Are you unable to speak of it?" Li Shiming asked in a stern voice, following up.


    "Young Master, Li Wenfeng is your second uncle. However, the master has broken off relations with that side of the family many years ago!" Steward Zhang had no choice but to answer.


    This news astonished Li Shiming. He had considered many possibilities but had not expected that Li Wenfeng would turn out to be his second uncle.


    An uncle hiring an assassin to kill his nephew seemed like a major family feud drama.


    Li Shiming didn''t get embroiled in such troubles; rather, he viewed the situation from a detached perspective.


    As a cultivator, he would eventually transcend the mundane world. Additionally, the emotions inherited from his original body were only tied to his father, Li WenYuan, and not to this second uncle.

 Chapter 31 Spell

    In the main hall of Prince Shun Mansion, Prince Shun sat in the seat of honor, looking indifferently at Senior Secretary Li, who was bowing beside him.


    "I am very disappointed in the trouble you''ve caused, fruitlessly losing Pei Xinlu!" Prince Shun said with a heavy voice.


    "It is my fault, who would have known that such an expert was hidden beside that little beast!" Li Wenfeng acknowledged, knowing Prince Shun''s temper, and bowed his head.


    "Pei Xinlu is already dead. The news from the Ministry of Justice is pressing down. If there is another next time, it will reach my father, and you will not have another chance to make a move!" Prince Shun said blandly.


    He didn''t care about Li Wenfeng''s assassination attempt, what he cared about was the death of Pei Xinlu; the Ministry of Justice did not want to escalate the situation over a minor figure like Li Shiming.


    Although the incident had a significant impact, as long as Li Shiming did not die, the situation could be controlled within a certain range.


    Thus, Pei Xinlu died on the way back to the Ministry of Justice, which outwardly explained as suicide.


    This explanation was reasonable. A master who had lost both arms and legs would lead a very miserable life even if he survived, and Pei Xinlu''s enemies would certainly not let him off.


    But Prince Shun knew this was the Ministry of Justice showing goodwill towards him, as well as a warning that the matter should be put to rest.


    Otherwise, with the Ministry of Justice''s experience in handling criminals, how could they let Pei Xinlu have the opportunity to commit suicide, or to say, Pei Xinlu''s death was not a suicide at all.


    "I have caused trouble for Your Highness!" Li Wenfeng still bowed his head as he replied.


    "I don''t like Li WenYuan either. Use the mansion''s connections to give that youngster some trouble, now go," said Prince Shun, waving his hand.


    "Yes, Your Highness!" Li Wenfeng left the hall.


    His eyes were filled with murderous intent, but he also understood that the best opportunity had been lost, and it was impossible to take action against Li Shiming again.


    He only wanted to take revenge on Li WenYuan and could not possibly risk his own future for a junior like Li Shiming.


    The reason why he made his move on the first night after Li Shiming''s arrival in Central Capital was because the news about Li Shiming hadn''t spread out, and Li Shiming''s death that day would have had the smallest impact.


    Once Li Shiming visited friends of Li WenYuan, especially after becoming an Advanced Scholar through the grand examination, any attempts at assassination would have much graver consequences.


    Talismans were his last resort for saving his life, and he wouldn''t use them unless absolutely necessary.


    Having learned from his experience with the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill,'' he took care to note all the important aspects of the ''Geng Metal Skill'' and practiced drawing the complex Geng Metal runes without using Spiritual Power.


    Only after the runes he practiced drawing on the large IBM z15 server were without the slightest error did he begin to contemplate the intent behind the ''Geng Metal Skill.''


    The purpose of the ''Geng Metal Skill'' is to kill pests that harm Spirit Plants, which are spiritual insects. Metal-type spells cause them the most damage.


    The ''Geng Metal Skill'' may not be powerful among spells, but it is the most flexible and easy to control; it produces a fine Geng Metal Needle that minimizes damage to the Spirit Plants while eliminating the pests.


    Of course, when said to not be very powerful, it is all relative.


    Compared to spells focused on attack, such as the Ice Arrow Skill and Fireball Technique, the ''Geng Metal Skill'' lacks the freezing effect of Ice Arrows and the scorching effect of Fireballs, merely adding a bit of sharpness.


    As a low-level spell, the ''Geng Metal Skill'' only releases a small Geng Metal Needle, and even with added sharpness, its power isn''t much enhanced.


    But the ''Geng Metal Skill'' is still an attack spell, producing a strike that is not something the mundane world can withstand.


    Had he possessed the ''Geng Metal Skill'' last night, he would have been able to handle the situation much more easily, dispatching a worldly expert like Pei Xinlu with a single use of the skill.


    However, the greatest challenge in learning the ''Geng Metal Skill'' lies in grasping its intent.


    Luckily, if the intent of a spell is sensed correctly, it will produce a reaction in the Cultivator learning the spell.


    For other Cultivators, successfully comprehending the intent would require a long, painstaking process of slow, gradual effort.


    Li Shiming, however, organized videos of small, sharp objects on the large IBM z15 server, then used all five senses to immerse himself in the environment, thereby deceiving his body into achieving an understanding of the ''Geng Metal Skill''s'' intent.


    After many trials, a video of metal bullets flying through the air and piercing several targets evoked a response in him.


    His fingers drew the Geng Metal runes in the void in front of him, a step he completed with ease. Then, he loaded himself with the sensed intent.


    The Geng Metal rune transformed into a beam of golden light that pierced through the tiles beneath his feet, leaving behind an extremely small hole.

 Chapter 32 Blocking the Path

    Li Shiming had a special connection with the Geng Metal Needle, which allowed him to control its direction.


    However, since it was his first time activating the Geng Metal Skill, and he had borrowed the idea of a bullet, the needle''s straight-line speed was too fast. By the time he wanted to control it, the needle had already plunged deep into the ground and lost its forward momentum.


    He was surprised to find that this time, the consumption of Spiritual Power Pattern from his body was only one-tenth of the usual amount, far less than when he used the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill."


    It should be noted that at the Qi Refining Second Level, using the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" just once would consume one-third of all his Spiritual Power Pattern.


    Li Shiming felt puzzled. Since both were the most basic spells, why did the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" consume one-third of his Spiritual Power Pattern, while the "Geng Metal Skill" only used one-tenth?


    Although he had several guesses, he did not know which was accurate¡ªa downside of not having a teacher.


    Li Shiming was prepared to continue his efforts, as the Spiritual Power Pattern remaining in his body was still sufficient to learn the next spell, "Earth Spirit Technique."


    In his view, the function of the "Earth Spirit Technique" was to adjust the Spiritual Energy in the spirit field, which seemed to him the most useless of spells.


    However, the "Earth Spirit Technique" was a basic spell that every normal spirit plant master must learn. To cultivate a spirit field, one must use the "Earth Spirit Technique" after each planting session to readjust the Spiritual Energy in the field, facilitating the next planting.


    Learning the "Earth Spirit Technique" did not take much time. Using aerial videos of the land, he grasped the intent needed for the "Earth Spirit Technique."


    However, when he used the "Earth Spirit Technique," it consumed Spiritual Power Pattern similarly to when he used the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill," rapidly depleting one-third of his Spiritual Power Pattern.


    Fortunately, once learned, the "Earth Spirit Technique" did not need to be used for a while, otherwise, it would have been another large consumer of Spiritual Energy.


    When he emerged from the study, his aura had changed somewhat; he was different than before he had entered.


    From that moment, he possessed a cultivator''s offensive spell and truly had a reliable means of self-defense to use when needed.


    The "Geng Metal Skill" was not like a talisman; he could use his Spiritual Power Pattern to operate it up to ten times, and after restoring his Spiritual Power Pattern, he could continue to use it.


    Seeing the smile on the young master''s face, Si Qin''s mood also greatly improved.


    "Si Qin, prepare the gifts, tell Mo Yan to get the carriage ready, I am going to visit my father''s friends," Li Shiming said, waving his hand.


    Given the assassination attempt last night, news of his arrival in Central Capital had already spread.


    Whether his father''s friends were trustworthy or not, he was obligated to visit them to avoid being rude.


    From the name alone, one could tell who resided on Prince Mansion Street; it housed various princely mansions.


    Although the street was extremely wide, it was not bustling. There were no shops on either side, only mansions separated by tall red walls.


    "Prince Shun Mansion!" He caught sight of a plaque and his eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of murderous intent appearing.


    For him, his second uncle, Li Wenfeng, was the Senior Secretary of Prince Shun Mansion, which meant that everything there was influenced by Prince Shun''s will.


    Prince Shun''s influence was immense, but it could not intimidate Li Shiming, the cultivator.


    His visit this time was to reconnoiter Prince Shun Mansion in preparation for future actions.


    "Young Master, someone is blocking our way!" He felt the carriage stop abruptly, hearing Mo Yan''s report.


    Li Shiming was taken aback. Although he was observing Prince Shun Mansion, his senses had not detected anyone in front of the carriage.


    He opened the carriage door and saw a man dressed in a blue Daoist robe standing before the carriage. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with a storage bag hanging at his waist.


    Upon seeing Li Shiming, the man showed a look of surprise, and with a wave of his hand, Mo Yan slumped over the carriage shaft.


    "Mo Yan!" Li Shiming exclaimed.


    Though Mo Yan was a servant, he was also one of the few people Li Shiming had the most contact with in this world.


    "Young friend, no need to worry, he is merely asleep," the man said with a faint smile.


    "May I know the reason for detaining my servant?" Li Shiming steadied his spirit and asked aloud.


    He knew that the man before him was a cultivator, yet according to his knowledge, Great Xia was under the domain of Sky Sea Sect, which prohibited cultivators from causing trouble in Great Xia.


    Moreover, they were in Central Capital, not far from the Imperial City. Why would there be a cultivator blocking the road?


    "I am Cultivator Gu Jia, stationed by Sky Sea Sect, and I need to verify your identity," Gu Jia declared his identity.


    His eyes swept over Li Shiming''s entire body, making Li Shiming feel as if he were undressed. The runes of the Concealing Breath Skill that were condensed inside his body dispersed with that look, revealing the fluctuations of his Qi Refining Second Level spiritual power.


    His inspection was extremely domineering, exposing all of Li Shiming''s details regardless of Li Shiming''s consent.

 Chapter 33 Hold The Fort

    ```


    "My name is Li Shiming. I''ve come to the Central Capital to participate in the examination and am also preparing to attend next year''s Ascension Conference!" Li Shiming didn''t dare make any sudden moves; he honestly declared his identity and purpose for coming to the Central Capital.


    "Where did you get that level of cultivation from? And why are you lingering around the Imperial City?" Gu Jia, hearing that he was here to attend the Ascension Conference and also the examination, was somewhat incredulous and pressed on with his questions.


    "I found a book in the back garden of the Nanling Prefecture office and cultivated according to the methods described in it. I only came to the Imperial City to experience it for myself!" Li Shiming replied, his story a mix of nine parts truth to one part lie.


    "Nonsense, without an environment of Spiritual Energy you wouldn''t even be able to begin, let alone reach the Qi Refining Second Level," Gu Jia''s expression darkened, a pressure descended upon Li Shiming, and he said sternly.


    Li Shiming felt his whole body become heavier, he involuntarily shrunk down, nearly prostrating himself in the carriage.


    "Two months ago, two Immortals came to Nanling Prefecture to investigate a case and then left mysteriously. At that time, the two Immortals were accommodated in the prefectural office. After they left, I found some Spirit Stones in their room, and I used those to cultivate a Spiritual Energy Vortex," Li Shiming quickly explained.


    Since Gu Jia was stationed in Great Xia, he naturally knew about the assistance required by the cultivators in Nanling Prefecture.


    By comparing the before and after, he could tell that Li Shiming''s words were mostly true.


    "How did you come to know of the term ''Spirit Stone''?" A glint flashed in Gu Jia''s eyes as he discovered a loophole in Li Shiming''s words and asked.


    "I met a cultivator named Fan Yiyang from the Sky Sea Sect. He told me a lot about the Cultivation World!" Li Shiming answered.


    "You know Fan Yiyang!" Gu Jia exclaimed in surprise, then withdrew his pressure and said with a smile, "I will look into your matter, but you needn''t worry. As long as you haven''t lied, this will be beneficial for you in attending the Ascension Conference!"


    "Thank you for your mercy!" Li Shiming let out a sigh of relief, straightened up, and said with a clasped hand salute.


    "Didn''t Fan Yiyang tell you that cultivators can''t casually approach the Imperial Palace?" Gu Jia waved his hand to stop Li Shiming''s salute and asked.


    Li Shiming couldn''t help but smile wryly and shake his head; he hadn''t told Fan Yiyang that he would be coming to the Imperial Palace, so how could Fan Yiyang have thought to mention it.


    He also understood why he had been intercepted by Gu Jia, a powerful cultivator¡ªit turned out he had delivered himself to the doorstep.


    "Do you have a grudge against Prince Shun?" Gu Jia suddenly asked.


    "That..." Li Shiming didn''t know how to answer this question for a moment, he didn''t dare deceive Gu Jia.


    "What''s so unspeakable about that? He''s just a prince of the secular world!" Gu Jia said with a hearty laugh.


    "Young friend, return first, we will contact you in a few days!" As Gu Jia said this, he waved his hand toward the inkstone.


    Afterward, his figure mysteriously disappeared, leaving nobody in front of the carriage.


    Li Shiming was secretly astonished; his eyes had been watching the whole time, yet he had not noticed how Gu Jia had left.


    If there had been a conflict, he estimated he wouldn''t have even known how he died.


    With a sense of helplessness, he immersed his consciousness into the space of the mechanic''s room, where in a box lay five ''white phosphorus grenades'' and five ''thermite grenades'' that he had been unable to even touch before.


    Even if he managed to take out the ''white phosphorus grenades'' and ''thermite grenades'', he wouldn''t have been able to throw them, only die together with his opponent.


    With no assurance of even dying together, Gu Jia''s speed was too fast, so fast that he could not see clearly, which made the likelihood of hitting Gu Jia with a blast extremely low.


    "Young Master, someone''s blocking the way!" Mo Yan woke up, still somewhat groggy, and mumbled.


    "Eh, where did they go?" He quickly realized there was no one in front of them and exclaimed in surprise.


    "Stop shouting and go back!" Without explaining, Li Shiming sternly instructed.


    Mo Yan drove the carriage, looking back from time to time at the spot where they had just been, completely confused; it seemed as though something had happened, yet as if nothing had occurred at all.


    Li Shiming sat in the carriage, contemplating the matter with Gu Jia.


    Unlike Fan Yiyang, who was just a chance encounter on the road, meeting him again would not happen for a long time.


    But Gu Jia was stationed in Central Capital, crucially linked to the Ascension Conference.


    Just being connected to the Ascension Conference made it imperative for Li Shiming to maintain a good relationship with Gu Jia.


    The things he could offer, apart from Spirit Rice, were Spiritual Tea.


    He was reluctant to offer Spirit Rice because if Gu Jia investigated his past, he would find out that Li Shiming was incapable of growing Spirit Rice.


    The hundred catties sold to Fan Yiyang might be explained as acquired by chance, but producing a large amount of Spirit Rice would be difficult to justify.


    Although the Spiritual Tea was fake, it was after all the best thing he could offer with his identity.

 Chapter 34 Visit

    Before Li Shiming could visit Gu Jia, on the morning of the third day, Mo Yan sent an invitation card to him.


    Seeing the name of Royal Tributor Gu Jia on the invitation card, Li Shiming promptly ordered Steward Zhang to open the central gate wide and hurried out to greet his guest.


    "I have seen Brother Daoist!" Indeed, standing outside the gate was the very Gu Jia who had stopped his carriage that day, bowing in salutation.


    Gu Jia came alone, still wearing the same plain, blue Daoist robe as before.


    As for how Gu Jia found this place, Li Shiming was not surprised at all. Gu Jia, who could mobilize royal resources, could easily find someone in Central Capital, not to mention within the whole of Great Xia.


    "Mr. Li, we meet again!" Gu Jia said with a smile, nodding his head.


    Li Shiming welcomed Gu Jia into the hall and dismissed everyone else.


    "Mr. Li, the investigation of you has been passed, and both the reasons for your cultivation and your background are well-documented!" Gu Jia began by telling Li Shiming this news as soon as they sat down.


    The intelligence system of Great Xia was more comprehensive than Li Shiming had imagined. Every major and minor incident that happened in Nanling Prefecture would be reported and collected in Central Capital.


    Gu Jia accessed several months of intelligence from Nanling Prefecture and was able to cross-reference the events that occurred with Li Shiming''s account, verifying each detail one by one.


    In particular, the ancestor of the Weiyuan Escort Agency was indeed a cultivator who returned to the secular world and left descendants, so it was not odd for the cultivation lineage to be passed down.


    According to the intelligence, Chief Escort Wang of the Weiyuan Escort Agency had indeed been pursued by cultivators and had hidden in the garden of the Nanling Government Office, where Li Shiming fortunately obtained the hidden cultivation lineage.


    Afterward, two fellow sect cultivators were on a mission together, one died and the other was injured, leaving Nanling Prefecture. This incident was also confirmed on the sect''s side.


    One could only say that Li Shiming''s fate was extremely good; after gaining the Cultivation Method, he also obtained the resources for cultivation¡ªSpirit Stones.


    Gu Jia cared little about the cultivator lineage that Li Shiming had received; it was merely the inheritance of a Loose Cultivator.


    He regarded Li Shiming''s future even more highly. Once in the sect, Li Shiming''s craftsmanship would ensure a more stable cultivation period compared to other cultivators at the same stage.


    Only those who have experienced it understand how important stability is in the Cultivation World.


    Gu Jia remembered many fellow sect members who had better talent and were stronger than him but ultimately became history while carrying out missions.


    If it weren''t for his craftsmanship, which reduced the need for dangerous missions, he wouldn''t have survived this long.


    "This is the address for participating in the Cultivator Market. The market opens thrice a month. With the Ascension Conference being held here next year, many cultivators will be coming to make a scene, and in the upcoming period, the number of cultivators attending the market will greatly increase. You might find some good items.


    However, you must be careful at the market and keep your identity concealed!" Gu Jia took out a map and laid it in front of Li Shiming, advising him.


    This was his way of investing; the market was one for early and middle-stage Qi Refining Loose Cultivators, which he frequented to observe.


    Of course, as he was a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, it was extremely rare for anything in such a Loose Cultivator Market to interest him, though he would occasionally sell some of his unnecessary items there.


    The Cultivators in the market were mostly early or middle-stage Qi Refining Loose Cultivators, and those at the Qi Refining Middle Stage were not numerous.


    The market''s existence was related to the stationed cultivators from Sky Sea Sect; it bore the sect''s mark and the stationed cultivators could earn some extra income from it.


    Items from sect cultivators were especially appealing, causing Loose Cultivators to visit this market and try their luck.


    Gu Jia introduced Li Shiming to this market to help him get real Cultivation World experience. The market was relatively safe, perfectly suitable for early-stage Qi Refining Cultivators like Li Shiming.


    "Daoist brother''s generosity is boundless. I have nothing else to offer in thanks. Here is some water I have collected through the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill''. Since Daoist brother finds it satisfactory, please accept it!" Li Shiming put away the map and offered a large jar of prepared spirit water.


    Initially, he planned to give away the fake Spiritual Tea as well, but he realized that Gu Jia didn''t value the tea.


    "I will humbly accept your offering!" Gu Jia didn''t hesitate and gladly took the jar of spirit water.


    The spirit water was not highly valued, but it was practical to Gu Jia, and Li Shiming''s ability to offer spirit water was beyond his expectations.

 Chapter 35 Plan

    Before leaving, Gu Jia had informed Li Shiming of some news, Prince Shun would head to Baoen Temple outside the city tomorrow to pray.


    Li Shiming naturally understood what it meant for him to share this news; it was another favor being offered to him.


    After sending Gu Jia away, Li Shiming considered how to kill a protected person without using the methods of a cultivator and without leaving any trace.


    In the vast database of the IBMz15 server, there were indeed too many ways to kill a mortal; his task was to choose.


    To select the most effective method that met the requirements.


    With the thought process enhanced by 190 CPUs, a plan quickly formed.


    He instructed Mo Yan, then returned to his study to look at the map Gu Jia had left behind.


    The map marked the location of the market and the methods to enter it.


    In fact, the entry methods for almost all markets were similar; the markets limited mortals, not to restrict cultivators from entering.


    Knowing that Li Shiming was a newcomer, Gu Jia had thoughtfully provided him with the entry methods to the market as well.


    The market was not inside the city of Central Capital but twenty li to the north of the city.


    Li Shiming frowned slightly, realizing it was impractical to reach the market by horse or carriage.


    Although he was physically robust now, he had never tried running long distances; doing so would be like announcing his weakness to other cultivators.


    "It seems I will need to use the ''Basic Light Body Talisman''!" Li Shiming muttered to himself.


    He had only eleven ''Basic Light Body Talismans'', but considering his journey to the market and the possibility of buying more talismans there, using one or two wasn''t unacceptable.


    The market''s next opening was in five days; the first issues to consider were Prince Shun and Li Wenfeng.


    Learning about Li Wenfeng''s situation wasn''t difficult. Mo Yan had explored Li Wenfeng''s residence, which was some distance from the Imperial City and not within Gu Jia''s protected perimeter.


    Killing Li Wenfeng could be done anytime as long as he didn''t use cultivator methods and left no traces of Spiritual Power Pattern, to which Gu Jia might turn a blind eye.


    Li Shiming even suspected that if he did use Spiritual Power Pattern, Gu Jia was very likely to protect him.


    He couldn''t possibly forget the mark of the Prefect of Nanling. If it hadn''t been for suppressing his elder brother, how could he have been so heavily utilized by Prince Shun, and how could he have become a Third-Rank Historian?


    "Don''t let your hatred blind you; there will be plenty of opportunities to deal with him later!" Prince Shun waved his hand and said.


    He picked up a cup of wine, his face showing no change upon hearing news of Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was too insignificant compared to him. If it hadn''t been about the auspicious signs possibly upsetting his father, dealing with Li Shiming would have been a trivial matter.


    He didn''t want a mere insect to disturb his elegance, as he was a man destined for great things. He aspired to be the Emperor of Great Xia one day.


    As the two carriages passed each other, Li Shiming saw Li Wenfeng. He had previously seen this man''s portrait from Steward Zhang, and due to their blood relationship, he recognized Li Wenfeng the instant he saw him.


    Li Shiming showed a faint smile on his face as he looked towards Li Wenfeng, never expecting Li Wenfeng to also be in Prince Shun''s carriage.


    It made sense, after all, being the Senior Secretary of Prince Shun Mansion, it was perfectly logical for Li Wenfeng to travel with Prince Shun.


    At that moment, Li Wenfeng, too, saw Li Shiming through the carriage window, along with the smile on Li Shiming''s face.


    Li Wenfeng felt a chill run through his heart, and his body hairs stood on end.


    Despite knowing Li Shiming to be a frail scholar, in his eyes, Li Shiming seemed like a beast, a beast watching a weak prey.


    Li Wenfeng wanted to voice his feelings, but he thought of the skilled experts beside the carriage and the fifty cavalrymen, a force that reassured him considerably.


    The windows crossed paths, and the two carriages parted; Prince Shun''s team had walked almost a hundred meters while Li Shiming''s carriage was about two hundred meters away from Prince Shun''s carriage.


    As Prince Shun''s team reached the area with the flat stone on the ground, the leading cavalry did not care about the stone.


    Unless it was a particularly large stone, it wouldn''t affect the progress of the team, so they naturally ignored it.


    If even such flat stones had to be cleared, then they might as well not proceed.


    When the carriage Prince Shun was riding passed over the flat stone, the stone emitted a ''crack'' sound, followed by a small flame.


    As soon as the flame appeared, it triggered a larger fire.


    The flame was white, with a pungent smell, and enveloped the entire carriage.

 Chapter 36 Eliminating Hatred

    ```


    The flat stone was a decoy, concealing the most advanced timing system in this world, along with several chemical substances including white phosphorus.


    The timing system was driven by a spring and constituted by multiple sets of gears, which would trigger a small explosion by fusing potassium chlorate and phosphorus when a set time was reached.


    The explosive power of potassium chlorate and phosphorus was not substantial, but it was enough to ignite a large amount of white phosphorus mixture combined with multiple chemical substances.


    The white phosphorus mixture inside the flat stone was made according to the proportions used in military white phosphorus grenades, and if Li Shiming hadn''t been worried about the power being too great, he would have prepared to use the white phosphorus grenades he made directly.


    Due to the excessive power of white phosphorus grenades, he had used a large server, the IBM z15, for calculations and determined the amount of white phosphorus mixture needed to destroy a carriage.


    Upon seeing Prince Shun''s carriage, he calculated the time it would take for Prince Shun''s convoy to arrive. As long as Prince Shun''s team didn''t change its speed, the timing could be accurate to about a second.


    Inside Prince Shun''s carriage, Prince Shun and a few close officials were chatting when they suddenly felt a commotion from outside.


    Then, Prince Shun saw the entire carriage engulfed in a strange white flame, which in an instant pierced through the bottom of the carriage and the four sides, made of thick wood and ox-hide.


    This carriage was specially made, with thick, high-density wood and treated ox-hide capable of stopping armor-piercing arrows shot from strong bows.


    But in the face of the white phosphorus mixture, it couldn''t even withstand a single breath before being burned through.


    The white flames latched onto everyone in the carriage, and in the face of the white flames, status was irrelevant¡ªthey all faced death.


    Li Wenfeng thought of Li Shiming''s eyes, which seemed to let him know who had burned them to death.


    The four experts closest to the carriage didn''t even have time to use their formidable skills before the white flames caught them.


    Instinctively, they tried to extinguish the white flames on their bodies, but these were not flames that could be put out by hand.


    The white flames, like malignant tumours attached to bone, would penetrate through clothing and burn on the skin, continuing to scorch inward.


    The four experts could no longer care for Prince Shun; they fell to the ground as their horses, also covered in white flames, threw them off.


    "Wait here!" Jin Geng instructed the Grand Eunuch at his side, then walked through the courtyard gate alone.


    Gu Jia was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, perusing a book. On seeing Emperor Jin Geng enter, he did nothing more than set down his book, not even showing an inclination to stand up.


    "Immortal Master Gu, my Third Prince encountered an attack five miles outside the east city and has tragically passed away. The method of attack was exceedingly strange¡ªit seems to bear the hallmarks of a Cultivator''s work. I beseech you, Immortal Master Gu, for your assistance!" Jin Geng bent over as he spoke, without a trace of imperial demeanor.


    He was acutely aware of his own standing; within the secular world, he was the Emperor, a figure above tens of thousands, the sovereign of the realm.


    However, this did not include Cultivators, to say nothing of the Cultivator before him from the Sky Sea Sect. Had it not been for the presence of a Sky Sea Sect Cultivator''s suppression within the Imperial Palace, where would the dynasty of Great Xia find its millennia of stability?


    Every Emperor who succeeded to the throne would learn an important piece of information: it was crucial to respect the resident Cultivator of the Imperial Palace.


    Gu Jia was not surprised to hear the news; he had been the one to inform Li Shiming of the Third Prince''s excursion.


    With Li Shiming''s strength at the Qi Refining Second Level, if he couldn''t even handle the Third Prince, he wouldn''t deserve to be called a Cultivator.


    "Your Majesty, please wait here just a moment; I shall return shortly!" Despite knowing the details of the incident, Gu Jia still needed to show the appropriate response.


    With a pat on his storage bag, a blue light emerged, transforming him into a rainbow that soared away.


    The distance from the Imperial Palace to the east city gate of Central Capital required at least half a "two hours" on foot, even if one were riding a fast horse, but in flight, Gu Jia reached the nearby scene of the incident in just a moment.


    By then, the scene was already cordoned off by guards in bright armor. Gu Jia stopped a short distance away from the scene, presenting a token before he approached closer.


    When he saw the charred remains reduced to a pile of ashes, Gu Jia initially thought a Cultivator was responsible.


    After all, ordinary fire would have difficulty burning a carriage and people to such an extent; it would require extremely high temperatures to achieve this.


    However, upon closer inspection of the ashes, he realized his mistake¡ªthere was not a hint of Spiritual Power Pattern, it was definitely not the work of a Cultivator.


    He began to admire Li Shiming; whatever means Li Shiming had employed to achieve such a result were commendable.


    It seemed Li Shiming''s favor could not be repaid now. Shaking his head, Gu Jia turned and left. This wasn''t the doing of a Cultivator, so it wasn''t his concern.

 Chapter 37 Marketplace

    Li Shiming''s figure dashed swiftly, with blue light flickering above his legs.


    Although he was considered a cultivator now, neither ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill,'' ''Geng Metal Skill,'' nor ''Earth Spirit Technique'' could give him the feeling of having a physique far superior to an ordinary person.


    After using the ''Basic Light Body Talisman,'' his speed of travel was like that of a car from his previous life.


    The problem was that even if he could make a car, on these rugged paths without smooth roads, he couldn''t achieve the speed of the ''Basic Light Body Talisman.''


    With a light tap of his feet, his body floated forward, each step under the effect of the ''Basic Light Body Talisman'' seemed like he was being carried by the air in a sprint.


    A ten-meter drop, he could easily jump over, and he could even cross rivers that were not too wide by stepping on the water''s surface several times with the momentum.


    The distance of twenty li was quickly reached.


    At this moment, Li Shiming bore no resemblance to his usual self. Even his father, Li WenYuan, and the most familiar Si Qin, could not recognize him if they were here.


    He wore a black hooded robe with a black mask on his face.


    These were not the most important part of his disguise; his body shape also differed greatly from before.


    He used soft materials and the micrometer-level control of consciousness in the mechanical room space to create decoy items.


    Inside his boots was a heel pad that added 5 centimeters, his shoulders were widened with shoulder pads, and his chest and back had pads simulating muscles, all of which transformed him into a real brawny man.


    The material that altered the shape of his face was crafted through chemical means, followed by a base makeup to cover the traces.


    Li Shiming didn''t know if there were Disguise Techniques in this world, but he surmised that the makeup techniques from his previous life probably weren''t much different from Disguise Techniques as both could dramatically alter one''s appearance.


    He had to be cautious; this visit was to the marketplace to interact with other cultivators.


    He did not want his carelessness to allow other cultivators to learn about his origins and thus find him.


    Li Shiming stopped moving, the blue light on his legs still maintained. A ''Basic Light Body Talisman'' could last for two hours.


    "This is the place!" he knew he found the right place when he compared it to the map Gu Jia had given him.


    The items for sale here were all related to talismans.


    Talisman paper, talismanic ink, and talisman pens were available. The talisman paper, with a greenish-yellow hue, came in bundles of one hundred sheets.


    There were three talisman pens, carved with intricate patterns on the pen barrels and faint spiritual power fluctuations on the pen bristles.


    Talismanic ink was the most plentiful because each type of talisman required different inks.


    This was something Li Shiming had read in ''Introduction to Runes.'' Given the materials, he could mix such talismanic inks himself.


    Then there were some finished talismans, but only one of each kind was displayed.


    Li Shiming recognized the ''Basic Light Body Talisman,'' ''Basic Fireball Talisman,'' ''Basic Ice Arrow Talisman,'' and ''Basic Earth Armor Talisman,'' which he owned and knew. There were also a few others he had not seen before and could not identify.


    The stall owner was an old man, with his eyes slightly squinted as if he were asleep, paying no attention to Li Shiming standing in front of the stall.


    Li Shiming had a need for the talisman paper, talisman pens, and talismanic ink; with these three items, he could try crafting talismans himself.


    However, he did not make an immediate purchase. Even if he bought the talisman paper, talismanic ink, and pens now, he could only try crafting ''Primary Geng Metal Talismans.''


    Because the most basic requirement for crafting a talisman is to create it based on the spells the crafter masters.


    He needed to look around the marketplace more, as he was unsure of the purchasing power of his spirit stones and how much he could buy with the ones he had. He had to survey the entire marketplace before deciding on the essentials he must purchase.


    He headed towards the second stall, which also had a wooden table. This one displayed a similar sign with the character ''Deng.''


    It seemed the ''Hao'' from the first stall and this ''Deng'' acted like shop banners in the secular world.


    This table had five magic artifacts, with swords and shields among them. Judging by the fluctuations of spiritual energy, they were all low-grade magical artifacts.


    Li Shiming did not linger long at this stall as he didn''t lack magic artifacts; what he lacked was the method to use them.


    He dared not ask about the methods of using magic artifacts here; wouldn''t that be like telling all the cultivators here that he didn''t even know how to use a magical artifact, marking him as a complete rookie?


    The stall owner was a middle-aged man. The owner''s gaze swept over him from time to time, seeing that he had no intention to purchase and thus remaining silent.


    But the owner''s gaze made him uncomfortable; fortunately, the man did not seem intent on using any method to probe further.

 Chapter 38 Sale

    "Mr. Liu, why has the price of Spirit Rice gone up again? Two Spirit Stones a catty, are you trying to rob people!" Suddenly, a voice shattered the calm in the quiet market.


    Li Shiming looked toward the direction of the voice, which came from a stall two places over.


    Upon hearing about Spirit Rice, he moved closer, but not too close, stopping five meters away.


    The other cultivators watching the commotion did the same, standing at a distance to observe without approaching.


    Some cultivators even turned and walked away upon hearing the commotion, pulling further away.


    Li Shiming could see clearly that the sign on the wooden table at that stall bore the character ''Liu''.


    "Spirit Plant seeds!" His eyes lit up when he saw the items for sale on the table.


    The only Spirit Plant seed he had was that of Spirit Rice, which alone could provide a sufficient supply of Spirit Rice for his personal use.


    The space in the cultivation chamber was extremely limited, with all available space currently being used to plant Spirit Rice. If there were more valuable Spirit Plants, he could greatly increase his income.


    However, there was already a cultivator negotiating with the stall owner, making it inappropriate for him to approach.


    "Go ahead and rob people if you want, the Spirit Rice is priced as it is, take it or leave it!" The cultivator known as Elder Liu raised his eyebrows slightly as he spoke.


    "Wasn''t it just one and a half Spirit Stones a catty a few days ago?" the cultivator standing in front of the stall grumbled, though he certainly had to buy the Spirit Rice as it was a necessity.


    He understood that this market was the only one nearby, and the only producer of Spirit Rice was the Liu family, represented by the Elder Liu before him.


    "The price of two Spirit Stones is set because we timely exterminated the spiritual insect plague. Otherwise, forget about two Spirit Stones, it would even be a question whether there would be any surplus Spirit Rice to sell!" Elder Liu spoke of the price with a sense of helplessness.


    It might look like planting Spirit Plants is very profitable, as one only needs to buy the spirit seeds and have a piece of spirit field to plant them.


    Yet in reality, there are many troubles with Spirit Plants as well, something Li Shiming had read about in "The Basics of Spirit Plant Cultivation" and in Xi Ming''s cultivation notes.


    Spirit fields are extremely attractive to spiritual insects that take interest in Spirit Rice, and some of these insects can even burrow through defense arrays from the soil to infiltrate and damage the spirit fields.


    Independent Practitioner Families often lack strong defense arrays, so the damage from spiritual insects can be more severe.


    The problem was, even if he managed to grow earth ginseng, who would he sell it to?


    The market in front of him was small. Although he hadn''t completely walked through, he had a good sense of what items were for sale here.


    The six stalls with tables were fixed, and the rest of the space was used by cultivators who put up their unwanted items for sale.


    Perhaps these items were not profitable to sell to fixed stalls, or maybe the fixed stalls did not accept them.


    In any case, the variety of items that could be bought and sold in this market was very limited, so Li Shiming didn''t want to buy earth ginseng seeds anymore. It would be effort-intensive to figure out the cultivation method, and if they didn''t sell, it might interfere with the planting of Spirit Rice.


    He had originally thought there would be higher-grade Spiritual Medicine seeds here, but arriving here he realized he had been overly optimistic.


    "I wonder if Mr. Liu here is buying Spirit Rice?" Li Shiming thought for a moment and asked.


    Since he was not buying seeds, selling some Spirit Rice meant he would have more Spirit Stones to buy other things.


    "Of course I''m buying Spirit Rice, one Spirit Stone per jin, and I''ll take as much as you have!" Mr. Liu replied in a low voice.


    Li Shiming said nothing, just looking at Mr. Liu.


    Mr. Liu''s old face turned a bit red, remembering the loud claims of a buyer he had had before, which seemed to have been overheard by the man in front of him.


    "Fellow, you might not know, but the cost of Spirit Rice bought from afar is one Spirit Stone per jin, I didn''t press down the price at all!" Mr. Liu spread his hands, explaining.


    "A hundred jins of Spirit Rice, a hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, let''s trade now!" Li Shiming said softly.


    "As a fellow has said, I''ll give you this face, and please remember me, Elder Liu, when you have more Spirit Rice to sell in the future!" Mr. Liu did not insist, as the price was still profitable for him, and he was also worried that Li Shiming might set up his own stall, which could potentially drive down the price of Spirit Rice.


    Li Shiming reached around his waist, and suddenly there was an extra cloth bag, which he placed on the wooden table.


    Mr. Liu opened the cloth bag and sent a stream of Spiritual Power into it, quickly determining the quality of the Spirit Rice, his smile growing even wider.


    "Here are one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, please take them!" He placed a small bag of Spirit Stones on the table.


    Although Li Shiming didn''t have Mr. Liu''s skills, Spirit Stones were something he could identify by touch. His hand swept through the small bag, he nodded, and pocketed it.


    The transaction between the two was swift, yet even so, several cultivators saw it unfold.

 Chapter 39 Purchasing

    Li Shiming had about one hundred and ninety-two spirit stones that he could use, but he needed to save some for cultivation next month.


    He approached a book stall with a sign that read ''Zhang''.


    "You can only flip through one page here, turning an extra page means you have to buy it at its price!" Mr. Zhang, the stall owner, had seen Li Shiming''s transaction with Mr. Liu and knew he was a potential customer. As soon as Li Shiming stopped at his stall, he immediately said.


    Li Shiming picked up a book titled "Light Body Technique" and flipped open the first page, which contained only an introduction to the "Light Body Technique" and no substantial content.


    The ''Light Body Technique'' was described as a general spell in the introduction on the first page.


    Li Shiming did not know the specific meaning of a general spell, but since it was labeled as such, it likely meant that it was a spell that all cultivators could learn.


    He placed the ''Light Body Technique'' to one side and browsed through a few other books, "Fire Bomb Skill", "Object Driving Skill", "Voice Transmission Skill", and "Freezing Skill".


    "Mr. Zhang, how much for the ''Light Body Technique''?" Li Shiming asked, pointing to the book beside him.


    "All the secret texts here are ten spirit stones each!" replied Mr. Zhang gravely.


    Li Shiming figured in his mind that none of the books were cultivation techniques, all were spellbooks, and if they were openly for sale, they wouldn''t be any powerful spells.


    Such books at a rate of ten spirit stones each, the equivalent of ten jin of Spirit Rice, were not that expensive for him.


    But he knew very well that he couldn''t show any sign of wealth; this was not the ordinary world, but the Cultivation World.


    Both Fan Yiyang and Gu Jia had told him about the dangers of the Cultivation World, and he didn''t want to draw attention and bring about his own demise.


    "Five spirit stones per book, I''ll take three!" Li Shiming bargained.


    "Fellow, that''s not how you bargain. Twenty spirit stones for three books, I wouldn''t sell them so cheaply if I hadn''t had a poor start today!" Mr. Zhang seemed to reluctantly say.


    Without haggling further, Li Shiming took out twenty spirit stones, placed them on the table, and left the stall with three books.


    A smile instantly appeared on Mr. Zhang''s face as he collected the spirit stones and quickly replaced the books with three others.


    In truth, Li Shiming wanted to buy them all, but he did not want to seem too wealthy, so he only bought three.


    For someone new like him, all five spells were useful.


    He walked over to the area with temporary stalls, where the goods were extremely varied, containing all sorts of strange and exotic items.


    "I would like these talismanic ink materials, how much?" Li Shiming continued.


    "Talismanic ink materials ten spirit stones!" Mr. Hao replied promptly.


    Li Shiming took out the spirit stones and Mr. Hao pushed the items toward him; the deal was struck.


    He turned and left the market right away, and as soon as he was out, he activated a ''Basic Featherweight Talisman'' and dashed away into the distance with force.


    He didn''t head straight back to Central Capital but chose a longer, circuitous route instead.


    He was all ears and eyes, his senses fully open, as if all 190 CPUs of the large IBM z15 server were in full operation, constantly analyzing the information his senses brought him.


    Suddenly, his forward charge shifted into a change of direction.


    From the analysis of the large IBM z15 server, the way a bird had taken off from the forest ahead seemed suspicious.


    There''s a difference between a bird taking flight on its own and being startled into flying away, and the IBM z15 server''s database contained articles on this subject.


    Given the way that bird took off, there was an eighty percent chance that there were people in the forest.


    Moreover, this wasn''t a regular path, and reaching this place without the aid of a ''Basic Featherweight Talisman'' would be difficult given the steep and rugged terrain.


    The two figures in the forest watched Li Shiming change direction but showed no intention of pursuing.


    They could tell that Li Shiming was just a newbie; although he tried to act experienced in the market, Li Shiming revealed too many flaws.


    He seemed careful, but actually he had already caught the attention of quite a few cultivators.


    First of all, he had a storage bag which was quite eye-catching.


    He had always thought that every cultivator possessed a magic artifact like the storage bag, but he was unaware of the hardships of Loose Cultivators and never had real contact with them.


    Second, it was his calm demeanor when passing stalls selling magic artifacts, a kind of disdain for the artifacts on display.


    Experienced cultivators could immediately deduce that Li Shiming carried magic artifacts of better quality than those on the stalls.


    Lastly, there was the way he spent his money. Although it was just a hundred spirit stones in total, his newbie behavior earlier was enough to make some cultivators throw caution to the wind.


    Li Shiming thought about the map in his mind; there weren''t many ways down from the market, and he needed to get down the mountain quickly. Once he left this place, he could run freely anywhere.

 Chapter 40 Burning

    Having activated a ''Basic Light Body Talisman,'' Li Shiming flitted between the rocks and trees, on the last path down the mountain that the large server IBMz15 had analyzed.


    If he could have jumped down from the cliff, whose height was unknown, without any harm, there would have been many options available to him.


    But he was only a Qi Refining Second Level novice, and since he barely knew how to apply Spiritual Power Patterns, he didn''t have the ability to jump from heights over a hundred meters.


    On the surface, he did not look distressed and did not seem to be fleeing, because he could always detect an ambush ahead of time.


    Sometimes it was the uneasy rustling of small animals, other times it was an inconspicuous imprint on the ground.


    Li Shiming stopped again; he had noticed a small stone fifty meters ahead had moved from its original position, revealing a small damp patch.


    This indicated that someone had been there not long before, and his eyes continued to sweep the surroundings.


    Most of the cultivators attending this market were Qi Refining Early Stage Cultivators, who, to some extent, could not yet move without leaving traces, invariably leaving some clues behind.


    Li Shiming felt annoyed inwardly; he hadn''t expected the Cultivation World to be so dark. He had merely revealed a bit of his wealth, and already countless cultivators were targeting him.


    This was still considered a relatively safe market provided by Gu Jia, which showed just how dangerous the Cultivation World could be.


    In fact, Gu Jia did regard this market as extremely safe. Partly, the safety came from all the cultivators abiding by the rule of not fighting within the market.


    The other part was due to the reputation of the Sky Sea Sect''s station in Central Capital.


    Gu Jia, being a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, naturally no one in the market dared to provoke him, and every cultivator tried their best to ingratiate themselves with him.


    Of course, if Li Shiming had used Gu Jia''s name, then at least no cultivators would have dared to attack him so brazenly.


    Li Shiming found the cultivators'' hiding place just as his gaze fell on a large tree, and two cultivators emerged from behind it.


    The two cultivators wore identical clothes and had very ordinary faces, but their eyes were extremely sharp.


    Once Li Shiming discovered their hiding spot, they walked out directly.


    This motion could transmit the full strength of his body to the "aluminothermic bomb," his body acting like a catapult, with his arms as the throwing arm of the catapult.


    "I''ll crush you!" Li Shiming shouted as the "aluminothermic bomb" flew towards the two cultivators.


    After launching the "aluminothermic bomb," his consciousness once again entered the engine room space and took out a large, soft object made from "starlite" to cover himself.


    The two cultivators saw the "aluminothermic bomb" he threw, which showed no trace of spiritual power waves.


    In the eyes of the cultivators, objects without spiritual power waves could not pose any threat to cultivators.


    Even the Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivator casually released a burst of spiritual power, attempting to shatter the incoming "aluminothermic bomb."


    Li Shiming''s "aluminothermic bomb" had two explosion modes: one was a timed explosion, which he had to operate in the engine room space using his consciousness, with the timing device hidden inside the casing of the "aluminothermic bomb."


    The second mode was explosion on impact, due to the inherent instability of the "aluminothermic bomb," containing several unstable chemicals, any impact would cause these substances to generate a large amount of heat energy.


    Thus, the moment the Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivator''s spiritual power hit the "aluminothermic bomb," it exploded.


    The sound of the "aluminothermic bomb" exploding was not very loud, and the most terrifying aspect of the "aluminothermic bomb" wasn''t its explosive force, but the horrifying flames it unleashed.


    This was an incendiary bomb, specifically designed to create flames.


    With a "boom," a ball of flames erupted at the center of the "aluminothermic bomb," engulfing a forty-meter radius entirely in fire.


    Prior to hearing the explosion, the two cultivators were blinded by the intense light produced by the "aluminothermic bomb." This blindness could be cured quickly with a bit of spiritual power circulation by a cultivator.


    But what followed was the flames, which were not ordinary flames. The aluminum content caused the flames to reach temperatures close to 3000 degrees.


    Blinded, the two cultivators'' first instinct was to fall back, simultaneously switching their acceleration talismans for defensive talismans in their storage bags.


    Their reaction was swift, but the "aluminothermic bomb''s" engulfing speed was faster, and the two cultivators were swallowed by the flames.


    Their screams lasted for two seconds before stopping, the flames from the "aluminothermic bomb" also dissipated in just a few seconds, leaving behind acrid white smoke at the scene.

 Chapter 41 Harvest

    Protected by "starlite," Li Shiming felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.


    Since he had decided to create "white phosphorus bombs" and "thermite bombs" for self-protection, and was dealing with cultivators, the finished products of these bombs were made to be as powerful as he could manage.


    He understood clearly, if the power was too low, the explosion would not cover the speed at which a cultivator could escape, thus rendering the weapon useless.


    But another problem arose, the power was so great that he could not throw the "thermite bomb" far enough to be outside the range of the explosion.


    In other words, once the "thermite bomb" exploded, it was very likely to include him in its blast.


    Therefore, he needed a way to survive in the flames of the "thermite bomb," and he found the most feasible method in the large server, IBM z15.


    "Starlife" was a fireproof material developed by someone named Morris Ward. Although the original "starlife" was lost with the death of its inventor, later researchers used several everyday household items to recreate a similar "starlife" material.


    Starch, baking soda, and glue¡ªwhen these three materials were combined, they formed the new "starlife" fireproof material.


    As for its effectiveness, Li Shiming had already tested it in the server room space.


    Li Shiming lay on the ground like the filling under a dumpling wrapper, his face now adorned with a gas mask.


    He counted in his mind while listening to the sounds outside.


    Fifteen seconds after the explosion, he lifted the "starlife" material from his body, seeing that its surface had turned charred black.


    Fortunately, this large "pancake" had protected him well; he did not suffer even a slight burn.


    However, the hot air and thin oxygen, coupled with the toxic smoke, made the area unsafe.


    The effect of his "Basic Light Body Talisman" had not yet faded. After picking up the "starlife" material from the ground, he flashed over to two corpses.


    His gaze fell on the storage bags at the waists of the two corpses; he hadn''t expected both cultivators to have storage bags.


    Although the storage bags showed signs of being scorched, they were not damaged, seemingly possessing some kind of protective mechanism.


    The sign standing at that stall had "Hao" written on it, which was not a particularly common surname. Li Shiming did not believe it had no connection with the old cultivator of that stall.


    A Low Grade Magical Artifact with such a marker could not be sold unless one went far from this place.


    Then there were stacks of talismans, the amount of which surprised Li Shiming.


    Taking out the talismans, he noticed that all of them were made from greenish-yellow talismanic paper, a distinctive feature that allowed him to recognize them immediately.


    This talismanic paper was exactly what Old Cultivator Hao sold, indicating that these talismans were likely made by the force Old Cultivator Hao belonged to.


    Over fifty Basic Featherweight Talismans, more than thirty Basic Fireball Talismans, more than thirty Basic Ice Freeze Talismans, fifteen Basic Earth Armor Talismans, along with two Intermediate Fireball Talismans.


    This was the first time Li Shiming saw so many talismans. He knew that if he truly used talismans to combat a cultivator of such wealth, his own few talismans would definitely be inadequate.


    Inside the storage bag, there were also more than one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, along with several pieces of clothing and mundane items like gold and silver.


    Li Shiming had not been cultivating for long, and he already had over a hundred Spirit Stones on him, while this cultivator''s storage bag only had just over a hundred and twenty; comparatively, this cultivator was indeed very poor.


    He then opened the other storage bag, first seeing another similar style Lower Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact, even with the same "Hao" character mark.


    "It''s time to visit Brother Gu and inquire about the news of cultivator forces around here!" Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    This storage bag contained fewer talismans, but their quality had significantly improved.


    There were exactly five Intermediate Fireball Talismans, one Intermediate Earth Armor Talisman, with the rest being over forty low-level talismans.


    Li Shiming paid special attention to the Intermediate Earth Armor Talisman, a defensive talisman that could withstand damage.


    Three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, a pile of talismanic ink materials, twelve stacks of greenish-yellow talismanic paper, and one talisman pen brimming with spiritual energy.


    Li Shiming took out the talisman pen, which had considerably more spiritual energy than the Red Rabbit Brush he had bought; although it did not reach the level of a Mid Grade Magical Artifact, it was among the best in Low Grade Magical Artifacts.


    Last but not least, the storage bag also contained a cultivation notebook. It seems many cultivators liked to write cultivation notes; this was the second one he had obtained, and he had found two in just three storage bags.

 Chapter 42 Reminder

    Li Shiming sorted the items into categories within his machine room space, as the inner space of his storage bag was very small, only about one cubic meter.


    He now needed to deal with the spirit plants he had purchased, which was indeed the most important matter.


    Only the roots of the spirit plants were left; the chances of survival were already low, and waiting any longer would leave no opportunity at all.


    In the machine room space, his consciousness focused on the plant roots and the two branches, which had no leaves but five protruding buds.


    Based on these, he could not determine what kind of spirit plant it was; the ''Basics of Spirit Plant Cultivation'' did not mention it.


    Regardless of the type of spirit plant, judging by the size and shape of this root, it seemed to be a shrub-like plant.


    Li Shiming accessed the database on the large-scale server IBMz15, where he found the configuration for shrub''s soilless nutrient solution and the techniques for shrub grafting.


    He first created a sterilizing solution using chemical means, cleaned the roots thoroughly, especially the cut surface.


    Then, he placed the roots in the shrub soilless nutrient solution and performed the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' to water the roots.


    Next, he grafted the two branches onto the root''s cut surface using grafting techniques.


    Within the environment of the machine room space and through his controlled consciousness, Li Shiming could create a sterile environment for the spirit plant artificially.


    After completing all this, whether the spirit plant could survive was up to fate.


    Just as he prepared to study the newly obtained spell, footsteps came from outside his study.


    "Si Qin, what is it?" Li Shiming asked with a furrowed brow.


    He had long since ordered that there were to be no disturbances while he was in his study.


    "Young Master, Tributor Gu has arrived in the reception hall!" Si Qin replied softly.


    "I''ll be there right away!" Li Shiming hastily packed up his belongings and stood to leave the study.


    He had instructed everyone in the household that when Tributor Gu came, they should invite him in without announcement.


    The answers that Gu Jia had provided were greatly beneficial to him.


    Li Shiming stood at the center of the room and slapped his hand down towards the desk ruler.


    As he made this slap, he mobilized the spiritual power within the Spiritual Energy Vortex in his body, expelling it through his palm.


    His palm was still about a meter away from the ruler, yet the spiritual power emitted from his palm turned into a gust of wind that blew the ruler off the desk.


    When the ruler left the desk, it disintegrated into tiny wooden chips scattering on the floor.


    Li Shiming looked at his palm in surprise; he knew that this slap did not utilize any spells, but was completely formed by mobilizing Spiritual Power Patterns.


    It turned out that cultivators did not even need to use spells¡ªtheir inherent spiritual power alone possessed immense destructive power.


    Additionally, infusing spiritual power into his legs, though not as fast as when augmented by a ''Basic Light Body Talisman,'' also managed to increase his running speed several times.


    Of course, these uses of spiritual power were the most basic; cultivators could unleash the full power of spiritual power only by using spells and magic artifacts.


    Take magic artifacts, for instance; each one is inscribed with a Rune Array, creating special effects.


    When using a magic artifact, one needs to activate the Rune Array with spiritual power to properly utilize it.


    As for how to recognize and activate a Rune Array, that''s not something that can be explained in a phrase or two; it requires going to a sect for learning.


    Although Gu Jia was optimistic about Li Shiming''s future, he was not his master and wouldn''t impart specific knowledge.


    Being able to give some pointers was already showing great favor to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming had not truly entered the Cultivation World and didn''t realize that knowledge there was priceless.


    Until Li Shiming joined the Sky Sea Sect, such knowledge could not be imparted to him.


    The reason why there is a significant gap between the strength of sect cultivators and Loose Cultivators, despite differences in equipment and spells, also lies in the lack of basic knowledge among Loose Cultivators; the same magic artifact could vary in power between the hands of a sect cultivator and a Loose Cultivator.


    In the following days, Li Shiming paid attention to the condition of spirit plants in the machinery room space while learning the new spells he had acquired.


    The three spellbooks ''Light Body Technique,'' ''Fire Bomb Skill,'' ''Object Driving Skill,'' which he had purchased for twenty spirit stones, were repeatedly practiced using extensive video and photo data from the large IBM z15 server, using the senses as the playback device, until he finally grasped the essence of the three spells.

 Chapter 43 Experiment

    Outside the Central Capital, Li Shiming stood at the foot of a small mountain.


    He was there to experiment with spells. In the Central Capital, using a spell with minimal spiritual power fluctuation like the "Gold Metal Technique" was not a problem, but using the "Fire Bomb Skill" was absolutely forbidden.


    Gu Jia was stationed in the Central Capital specifically to maintain its peace and did not allow cultivators to cause trouble within this area.


    Although Li Shiming had interactions with Gu Jia, he would not act recklessly because of this.


    Besides, although the Central Capital was large, there was no place for him to truly experiment with the "Light Body Technique."


    The spiritual power glow lit up on his fingers as he drew the Light Body Rune, which he had comprehended long ago, merging with the appearance of the Light Body Rune.


    Using the "Basic Light Body Talisman" and casting the "Light Body Technique" himself were two different experiences. The "Basic Light Body Talisman" was like solidifying the spirit-infused Light Body Rune into the talisman. It only required a small amount of spiritual power to activate the "Basic Light Body Talisman."


    Whereas casting the "Light Body Technique" required one to summon spiritual power to draw the Light Body Rune.


    Activating the "Basic Light Body Talisman" could be done in a breath, while casting the "Light Body Technique" depended on the speed of drawing the Light Body Rune.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Li Shiming cast the "Light Body Technique" and when a blue glow appeared on his legs, he felt that he had used about one-tenth of his spiritual power.


    It seemed the spiritual power consumption of the "Light Body Technique" was still at an acceptable level, but the casting speed was too slow; it took over five seconds.


    This was the first time he truly cast the "Light Body Technique" in its entirety. He had intentionally slowed down the casting process, believing that with more practice, the speed of casting the "Light Body Technique" could be reduced to within two seconds or even faster.


    He exerted force on his feet, dashing towards the mountain''s peak.


    During the dash, he sensed the difference in speed. The speed augmented by the "Basic Light Body Talisman" was approximately one hundred kilometers per hour.


    While casting the "Light Body Technique" himself allowed his speed to reach one hundred twenty kilometers per hour, an increase of twenty percent, which was very important in a chase.


    "Why is it so?" he wondered aloud as he stood on the mountain peak.


    His cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Second Level. The speed increase from the "Basic Light Body Talisman" might be related to cultivation level, but his strength had not changed since he last used the "Basic Light Body Talisman" just a few days ago.


    Li Shiming felt that he should be able to slightly adjust the direction of the fireball, yet he felt somewhat hesitant.


    It seemed quite possible that his low level, being only at Qi Refining Second Level, could not control the "Fire Bomb Skill."


    The small fireball flew more than thirty meters and hit a tree trunk. The fireball exploded upon contact with the tree trunk, splitting the trunk, as thick as a bowl, into two halves.


    "Isn''t this just a grenade?" Li Shiming observed the power of the "Fire Bomb Skill" and couldn''t help but make a comparison.


    When he approached the broken trunk, he saw red spiritual power burning towards the lower part of the tree trunk.


    It seemed that the "Fire Bomb Skill" was not only powerful in its explosion but also caused continuous damage after hitting the target.


    Compared to the "Gold Metal Technique," the "Fire Bomb Skill" was more powerful with a larger attack range.


    The "Gold Metal Technique" hit targets leaving a small hole, while the "Fire Bomb Skill" exploded on impact, affecting a small area.


    Also, the consumption of spiritual power was about one-tenth for the "Fire Bomb Skill" as well. He had a suspicion that this consumption of spiritual power was likely related to his spirit root seeds.


    However, since he could not confirm his own spirit root seeds, this suspicion could only remain a guess.


    Having completed the day''s tasks, he turned towards the Central Capital, supported by the "Light Body Technique" on his legs.


    Meanwhile, during his sprint, a Copper Coin floated above his palm.


    This was the "Expelling Talisman"; among all the mastered spells, learning the "Expelling Talisman" had faced no difficulties like other spells.


    The intent for the "Expelling Talisman" was easy to merge; one only needed to imagine an invisible hand to generate a response with the Expelling Rune.


    However, the "Expelling Talisman" was the most useless spell, at least for now.


    The "Expelling Talisman" could only move objects weighing about ten kilograms. This weight couldn''t even move a Lower Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact; it could only serve as an extended pair of hands, convenient for taking small objects within a five-meter radius without moving.


    Luckily, casting the "Expelling Talisman" lasted a long time. Aside from the spiritual power consumed during the casting, maintaining the state of expelling depended on the size of the object and the frequency of moving the object.


    With these few spells, Li Shiming felt he could finally consider himself a true cultivator.

 Chapter 44 Petroleum

    Li Shiming saw a village ahead and since it was still early, he canceled the blue glow on his leg, slowed down, and returned to a normal state.


    This village, near the Central Capital, clearly suffered from poverty due to the mountainous terrain around it, with all houses made of thatch and mud.


    "Six-son''s family is truly pitiful; their entire two acres have been destroyed by Magic Water. How are they to survive!" he heard villagers discussing as he walked into the village.


    "Indeed, not just Six-son''s family, even the fields next to theirs are at risk!" another villager lamented.


    For farmers, their fields are their livelihood; losing them is akin to losing their means to live.


    "Old man, I am not familiar with this Magic Water; could you take me to see it?" Li Shiming felt a stir in his heart and greeted the speaking elder with a Confucian bow.


    The elder looked up and saw Li Shiming in a Confucian Robe, hurriedly bowed deeply, too nervous to speak.


    The other villagers nearby also bowed their heads, showing utmost humility.


    Anyone dressed in a Confucian Robe is at least a Scholar, a status not ordinarily within reach of ordinary farmers.


    The closer to Central Capital, the more the farmers are aware of the frightening power of the elite.


    Li Shiming''s Confucian bow intimidated the elder; speaking with a condescending attitude would have reassured the elder more than such a gesture.


    Though Li Shiming''s memories and emotions had fused, deep down he still believed in the equality of all people from his previous life.


    "Old man, would you bring me to see the Magic Water?" he asked helplessly yet again.


    "This old man does not deserve such honor, young master. If you wish to see the Magic Water, I am certainly obliged to show you the way!" the elder finally responded, still bowing, his hands fumbling in front of him.


    The elder was not young, but he moved briskly, leading Li Shiming to a field outside the village.


    This field was a low-lying area of about ten acres or so, surrounded by a landscape littered with rocks of various sizes.


    It was apparent that the villagers had cleared the rocks from this land; the soil quality of these ten acres was poor and likely unproductive.


    On the right side of the field, a thick black liquid had started bubbling up from the ground in the center of two acres.


    Even before reaching the black liquid, a strong smell was evident.


    He also needed to monitor the growth of the unknown Spirit Plant, not knowing whether it was his luck or the plant''s fate not to die, but under the daily nourishment of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill," both the spirit root seeds and the grafted branches of the unknown Spirit Plant had survived.


    It was yet to be seen when the spores on the branches of the Spirit Plant would grow out and actually form leaves, as only then would the Spirit Plant have a basis for survival.


    Steward Zhang didn''t know what use the young master had for the foul-smelling black water, but he obeyed the command and had it transported daily by cart to the residential property outside the city.


    He was also anxious, as the time for next spring''s imperial examination was drawing near, but the young master seemed to be not concerned about the exam.


    As a servant, he could not offer advice, only hoping that the young master would come to his senses in time.


    Li Shiming, the subject of Steward Zhang''s concerns, was in the process of discontinuing the use of the existing steam engine.


    A brand-new diesel generator had replaced both the steam engine and the original generator, offering greater and more stable power output.


    Part of the diesel refined from the oil was stored by him in two empty storage bags placed within the machine room space, which helped to save as much space as possible.


    Although the space inside the storage bags was only one cubic meter, it occupied just a tiny portion of the machine room space.


    Most of the space in his machine room was now occupied by the Spirit Rice, along with an IBMz15, uninterruptible power supply, diesel generator, electric arc furnace, and the cultivation space for the unknown Spirit Plant, leaving very little spare space.


    More diesel was stored underground at the residential property outside the city as a reserve resource.


    Even if the oil in the fields were to be fully extracted now, he wouldn''t need to worry about the diesel consumption next year.


    He believed that, once he joined a sect, he would find a way to convert Spirit Stones into electricity, a method mentioned in "Introduction to Runes," although with just a simple description he was unable to create a Spirit Stone generator.


    Li Shiming had a substantial amount of gold and silver, and these past days, Mo Yan had also been busy.


    Since he was planning to join a sect, gold and silver would be useless, so he used these resources to have Mo Yan purchase a large amount of various ores.


    Because the ores were devoid of Spiritual Energy, they were undervalued in this world; many ores that Li Shiming deemed extremely rare were treated as impure in this world.


    Possibly because of the presence of a cultivation civilization, the civilization of this world had been suppressed, still valuing metals like gold and silver, which could be used as currency.


    Once the various ores reached Li Shiming''s hands, they were processed in the electric arc furnace, melted down and partitioned into different metals.


    As the days passed, the resources he accumulated grew increasingly abundant.

 Chapter 45 Creating Talismans

    Red lanterns were hung along the exterior of the study; today was Li Shiming''s first New Year in this world, having arrived here just over three months ago.


    If it weren''t for seeing Steward Zhang hanging up the red lanterns, he wouldn''t have known that the New Year had arrived.


    The New Year reminded him of another world, the relatives and friends from that world, all of which he could not return to. In this world, the only emotional tie he had formed with his original self was with his father, Li WenYuan.


    At this moment, his father Li WenYuan was not by his side either, and an intense sense of loneliness led him to seek out something to distract his thoughts. So, he took out a talisman pen from the chamber''s space.


    This talisman pen was called the ''Snow Spirit Pen'' and was significantly stronger than the ones he had purchased.


    This, indeed, was a talisman pen reserved for the use of the Hao Family cultivators, naturally more superior than the ones the Hao Family sold.


    On the desk, there was a piece of greenish-yellow talisman paper and a small dish of talismanic ink.


    The talismanic ink was concocted by him, produced in the chamber''s space through his consciousness, its quality needless to say was undoubtedly the epitome of talismanic ink materials.


    This particular ink was specially prepared for the ''Basic Light Body Talisman''. He had bought some in the market and found a huge quantity of talismanic ink materials in the storage bag of a Hao Family cultivator, enough to last him for a long time.


    The principle behind talisman creation was to solidify already formed Magic Runes using the talisman paper.


    This process was full of uncertainties: undetectable indentations on the talisman paper, uneven mixtures in the talismanic ink, slight anomalies in the cultivator''s Spiritual Power Pattern, the speed at which the Spiritual Power Pattern was conducted through the talisman pen, the process of merging the Spiritual Power Pattern with the talismanic ink, and so on.


    It could be said that making a talisman was a process fraught with countless unpredictable factors. According to the records of the Hao Family cultivators, being able to produce ten successful talismans out of a hundred attempts could qualify one as a Beginner Talisman Master.


    This starkly illustrated the extreme difficulty of making talismans. Without extensive practice and consumption of resources, it was impossible to train a competent talisman master.


    Moreover, the training of a talisman master required time. After all, whether or not the talisman was successfully made, it counted as a spell cast, depleting the cultivator''s Spiritual Power Pattern.


    With Li Shiming''s reserves of Spiritual Power Pattern, he could only cast the ''Light Body Technique'' ten times. Even with a hundred percent success rate, he could only make ten ''Basic Light Body Talismans'' before needing to replenish his Spiritual Power Pattern.


    In addition to resting his Spiritual Power Pattern, the making of talismans also consumed a lot of mental energy, which was even harder to recover.


    In fact, no cultivator dared to exhaust too much of their spiritual and mental energy at once, as doing so would leave them defenseless.


    However, what was recorded still needed to be tested in practice. The repeated failures provided him with valuable experience.


    His situation differed greatly from that of other cultivators. Other cultivators knew only the point of failure in talisman drawing, without understanding the specific reasons.


    He, through the videos from IBMz15, experienced the process of error over and over, ensuring that the same mistake would not occur a second time.


    Li Shiming took out a self-made pocket watch and checked the time¡ªit was one o''clock in the afternoon.


    His consciousness entered the chamber''s space, and he made a bowl of spirit rice.


    He filled his stomach with spirit rice alone in the study. Outsiders, seeing him eat just a bowl of rice without any side dishes during the festive season, would probably think he was very frugal.


    Yet, if this bowl of spirit rice were to be exchanged for gold, it might fetch an amount of gold equal in volume to the bowl of spirit rice, and that''s only if there were cultivators willing to make the exchange.


    Si Qin hadn''t called him to eat. Not long ago, Li Shiming had explained some matters to her, and coupled with the visits by Gu Jia of the Imperial Family''s offerings, she had come to accept the fact that the young master had begun his path of cultivation.


    For this reason, Li Shiming now had undisturbed quiet time and no longer had to worry about interruptions during crucial moments of cultivation or talisman-making.


    A small bird flew through the window and landed on the desk in front of Li Shiming.


    The small bird''s lively eyes watched Li Shiming, as if confirming something, before it transformed into a piece of talisman paper.


    Li Shiming recognized the bird¡ªit was a Hundred-Mile Communication Token, a means of contact between cultivators.


    Corresponding to the Hundred-Mile Communication Token were the Thousand-mile Communication Talisman and the Ten Thousand Miles Communication Talisman. The greater the distance they covered, the higher the quality, and thus the more expensive they were.


    Using a Hundred-Mile Communication Token required knowledge of the exact location and spiritual presence of the other cultivator; it functioned as a point-to-point communication method. If the intended recipient was not present, the Hundred-Mile Communication Token would wait until its Spiritual Power Pattern depleted to a certain degree and then self-destruct.


    Normally, a Hundred-Mile Communication Token could last for two days, sufficient for regular messages.


    "Mr. Li, a gathering of cultivators on the third floor of Tianshui Pavilion. I will take you to meet your peers!"


    Signed by Gu Jia, it was an invitation from Gu Jia. Li Shiming had heard him mention it before, but he had not expected the gathering of cultivators to fall on New Year''s Day.

 Chapter 46 Party

    Tianshui Pavilion was the largest and most luxurious inn in Central Capital, always filled with distinguished guests, particularly during festivals when it became a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy.


    The decorations here were exquisitely refined, with calligraphy and paintings by famous people everywhere, and all sorts of rare and unique displays that dazzled the eyes.


    However, Tianshui Pavilion was different today; the Store Manager stood outside the entrance, constantly greeting the incoming guests with a cupped fist salute, offering apologetic words.


    The disappointed guests, though frustrated in their hearts, ¨C for anyone would be displeased to return home disheartened on the first day of the New Year ¨C knew well what forces stood behind Tianshui Pavilion, and none dared to cause trouble there.


    What made the guests most curious was, who could possibly have the power to entirely book Tianshui Pavilion for themselves.


    To know that even when a prince visited, he would only reserve a single private room.


    "Mo Yan, you go back first!" Li Shiming alighted from the carriage and instructed Mo Yan, who had lifted the carriage curtain for him.


    He hadn''t noticed the commotion at the entrance of Tianshui Pavilion; it should be said that on this day, the entire Capital City was extremely lively, especially this street, which had an intense commercial atmosphere.


    "Young Master, Tianshui is not receiving guests today!" As he approached the entrance, the Store Manager bowed and said.


    Li Shiming was slightly startled. Hadn''t it been said that there was a gathering on the third floor? How come the whole place had been booked?


    Even if he wasn''t familiar with Tianshui Pavilion, he could tell the level of the establishment just by looking at the building''s appearance.


    "I have an appointment on the third floor!" he said, smiling.


    "Please, come in, Young Master!" The Store Manager put on his sincerest smile, gestured invitingly with his hands, and then turned to instruct a waiter, "Take the Young Master up!"


    As a shrewd man, the Store Manager had no doubts about Li Shiming''s word.


    Although he did not know who was meeting on the third floor this time, he did know who had booked the entire building. It was the Emperor''s head steward who had come to arrange it personally.


    Li Shiming entered Tianshui Pavilion amid the inquisitive, scrutinizing, and puzzled gazes of the people outside; he was led up to the third floor by the waiter.


    Most seriously, a cultivator at the Qi Refining Third Level and another at the Qi Refining Fourth Level were both killed, causing panic in the market, with no cultivators daring to visit.


    This gathering of cultivators was a tradition among the nearby cultivators. Meeting with Gu Jia on the first day of the new year to deliver the spirit stones due for the next year was also a way to deepen relations with Gu Jia.


    The several families hosting the market did not wish for any single one of them to have individual contact with Gu Jia, as that would allow one family to grow too powerful, thereby disrupting the existing balance.


    As for the act of handing over spirit stones before the next year''s market earnings were in hand, it was also a move made out of necessity.


    If the market business was poor, the extra spirit stones would serve as a tribute to Gu Jia. If the market''s earnings exceeded initial estimates, the shortfall in the spirit stones owed would be made up at the next new year gathering.


    No cultivator would play tricks with this matter, as it was not about the interest of a single cultivation family. They supervised each other and kept each other in check.


    "What''s the reason? Why do you want to host the market in the city?" Gu Jia asked, resuming the earlier topic after introducing Li Shiming.


    "Mr. Gu, this was a decision we made after discussing it. Since the two cultivators from the Hao Family were killed, no cultivators have come to the market. Even those who regularly came to sell goods are spreading rumors that they won''t come due to safety concerns!" Cultivator Deng said, spreading his hands.


    "Mr. Li, have a cup of Spiritual Tea. This is from my own sect!" Gu Jia said with a laugh as he pushed a cup of Spiritual Tea toward Li Shiming and then turned his head to look at Cultivator Deng with a chilling expression, "Tell me the truth about what happened?"


    Clearly, he was aware of the thoughts of these loose cultivators. He guessed they were worried after the two Hao Family cultivators were killed and wanted to use his influence to reorganize the market.


    The issue was that they previously used his name for the market, but now, to have the market in the city would mean borrowing his strength, which posed a certain risk.


    Though among the loose cultivators it was rare to find one who could defeat Gu Jia, and most of those coming to Central Capital were aiming to join a sect for themselves or their descendants, they would definitely not want to offend the resident cultivators of the Sky Sea Sect.


    But who could clearly state the affairs of the Cultivation World? Without a reasonable explanation, it would be difficult for Gu Jia to take the risk.


    Li Shiming picked up the cup of Spiritual Tea in front of him and lightly sipped. He immediately felt a burst of spiritual energy explode within his belly, with the Spiritual Energy Vortex within him eagerly absorbing the energy.


    Feeling the changes within his body, he didn''t stop and drank the entire cup of Spiritual Tea, leaving not even two leaves behind.


    The Spiritual Energy Vortex within him frenziedly absorbed the surging spiritual energy, increasing his own internal spiritual energy by more than half, and he felt that he was not far from reaching the Third Level of Qi Refining.


    His eyes couldn''t help but shine. What kind of Spiritual Tea was this that it had boosted his spiritual power so significantly in just one sitting? If he were to drink another cup, he feared he would be promoted to the Third Level of Qi Refining right there and then.

 Chapter 47 Communication

    "Young friend, stop dwelling on it; only the first cup of Spiritual Tea has such an effect!" Gu Jia, seeing Li Shiming''s expression, understood his thoughts and smiled in response.


    "Thank you, Brother Gu, for the tea!" Li Shiming bowed in thanks.


    He could see clearly that among the twenty or so Cultivators present, aside from himself, only seven had Spiritual Tea before them.


    The rest had tea that was probably similar to his fake Spiritual Tea, even the spirit water was produced by the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' that he had given away.


    "Once you join the sect, you''ll have to pay it back!" Gu Jia said with a laugh.


    He and Li Shiming were chatting and laughing with ease, but the Loose Cultivators nearby had grave expressions; they exchanged glances to convey information.


    "Mr. Gu, a masked Cultivator came to the market the other day, concealing his spiritual power fluctuations but continuously revealing low-level mistakes, leading us to mistake him for a Cultivator who had just left his sect!" Cultivator Deng spoke up.


    Gu Jia nodded, signaling for him to continue.


    "That Cultivator bought three magical artifacts from me. He spent twenty Spirit Stones without inquiring about their true meanings!" Cultivator Zhang continued.


    "It seems that Cultivator set a trap for you, and you experienced Cultivators fell for it!" Gu Jia couldn''t help but shake his head.


    As he spoke, his gaze turned towards Old Cultivator Hao of the Hao Family; they suffered the largest loss.


    At this point, Li Shiming was a bit stunned; the biggest oversight turned out to be the three magical artifacts he had purchased.


    The magical artifacts sold by Cultivator Zhang came with no matching true meanings, and he hadn''t even mentioned any sort of true meaning, something any experienced Cultivator would avoid buying.


    Moreover, the magical artifacts Cultivator Zhang sold were in two parts: the Magic Rune part and the true meaning part.


    If an inexperienced Cultivator bought the Magic Rune part, they would find themselves unable to practice and would have to come back to purchase the true meaning part.


    Cultivator Zhang would then profit from selling the same item twice, with an even higher profit from the true meaning.


    When Li Shiming bought the three magical artifacts, he didn''t inquire about the true meanings, which let the Cultivators in the marketplace know he was a newcomer.


    Previously, he had also sold Spirit Rice and shown that he had a storage bag, all of which gave the Loose Cultivators ideas about robbing him.


    Li Shiming heard the voice in his ear, but the Cultivator beside him didn''t notice; he figured this must be a secret sound transmission technique.


    Since he couldn''t reply in the same manner, he could only nod his head to acknowledge the message.


    Indeed, many of the self-discovered experiences of Loose Cultivators were erroneous, and his future as a Cultivator just starting out was not meant to be as a Loose Cultivator.


    Seeing that Li Shiming heeded his advice, Gu Jia smiled and continued his discussion with several high-status Cultivators.


    "Mr. Li, my surname is Hao, at Qi Refining Sixth Level. If you have any spells you''re good at, let''s exchange some insights!" Old Cultivator Hao had appeared beside Li Shiming at some point, offering his suggestions with a smile.


    He seemed to be preparing to mentor a junior, acting as if he was caring for Li Shiming on Gu Jia''s request.


    But since Li Shiming entered the hall, his senses were connected to the IBMz15, and through a facial analysis program, he deduced that Old Cultivator Hao was wearing a fake smile.


    This facial analysis program was something Li Shiming had written in his spare time; it drew on the IBMz15''s extensive research on human behavior, anatomy, criminal psychology, and more, and it was modeled after several existing police facial recognition systems.


    If he were in his previous world, this program he wrote would have infringed upon many patents, but in this world, that wasn''t a concern.


    "Mr. Hao, I haven''t learned any spells. What I''m best at is the ''Light Body Technique''!" Li Shiming replied very cautiously, pretending to be quite shy.


    He was only 16 after his birthday, and his behavior was in line with his age.


    "I also have some insights into the ''Light Body Technique.'' Why don''t you show me, and I''ll analyze it for you!" Old Cultivator Hao proposed enthusiastically.


    Gu Jia, who was speaking with someone else, glanced over here and didn''t say anything. Li Shiming would have to deal with other Cultivators in the future, and Gu Jia was confident that Old Cultivator Hao wouldn''t dare do anything to Li Shiming.


    After all, Gu Jia had just referred to Li Shiming as his young friend, and in the Central Capital region, his word carried significant weight.


    "Then I''m really thankful to Mr. Hao!" Li Shiming said, feigning excitement.


    He casually drew the Featherweight Talisman rune, intentionally slowing down, and brought a cyan light to his legs in two seconds.


    Old Cultivator Hao, seeing the cyan light on Li Shiming''s legs, breathed a sigh of relief internally.


    "It seems I was mistaken," he mused to himself.

 Chapter 48 Coping

    Old Cultivator Hao felt a sense of familiarity with Li Shiming, which, after some time, reminded him of the cultivator who had purchased the talisman papers.


    Although Li Shiming and the cultivator from that day had different heights and builds, in the Cultivation World, there are too many ways to alter one''s appearance. Once he harbored suspicions, he thought of using this method to test his theory.


    If that cultivator was Li Shiming, then Li Shiming truly was a newcomer and the secret manual he had purchased was not for setting up a trap.


    In such a short time, no cultivator could learn a spell from a secret manual without true essence, even if the spell was the rudimentary ''Light Body Technique.''


    Old Cultivator Hao sensed his mistake and began to suspect that the cultivator he met that day might actually be a powerful cultivator in disguise.


    "Mr. Li''s ''Light Body Technique'' is executed excellently; it seems you''ve had some fortunate encounters, so it looks like I can''t offer any suggestions!" he said with a laugh.


    However, Li Shiming noticed the change in Old Cultivator Hao''s expression, especially the surprised look when he performed the ''Light Body Technique.''


    The ''Light Body Technique'' was not a particularly difficult spell. Old Cultivator Hao''s surprise suggested only one possibility: he had been thinking about something else at that moment.


    Considering Old Cultivator Hao''s slightly hostile demeanor when they first met, along with his earlier probe, Li Shiming felt an unease.


    Until the gathering ended, Old Cultivator Hao was like a nail hammered into his heart; even though his expressions seemed less deceitful afterward, Li Shiming still felt worried.


    Old Cultivator Hao was a Qi Refining Sixth Level cultivator, which, according to what Gu Jia had said, made him the strongest among the Loose Cultivators near Central Capital.


    Old Cultivator Hao was the head of the Hao Family, and the family had four Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Not just Old Cultivator Hao, but any Hao Family cultivator, if set against Li Shiming, would leave him no chance to fight back.


    Even though Li Shiming had killed two Hao Family cultivators at Qi Refining Third and Fourth Levels, he had done so by leveraging the advantage of striking first and maintaining distance.


    If a cultivator were to assassinate him, he could not guarantee that IBMz15 could detect the cultivator''s arrival in advance through his senses, as cultivators'' methods are not something ordinary masters can match.


    With these thoughts, he returned home, and the gathering turned out not to be entirely fruitless.


    Li Shiming focused his consciousness on the machine room space. He had never thought about tampering with the tool cabinet before, as he needed the devices in it to repair the IBMz15 if it ever malfunctioned.


    But about three months after acquiring IBMz15, he detected a sort of enhancement in IBMz15 during the transit process.


    His consciousness could reach micron-level observation and manipulation. He could sense that every part of IBMz15 had remained unchanged since three months ago.


    Take, for example, the numerous fans in IBMz15. These fans utilized brushless ball bearings, typically lasting three to five years.


    Of course, in practice, fans usually last much longer than five years, with many still functioning well beyond ten years.


    But regardless of their lifespan or actual service life, wear and tear on the fans are inevitable.


    Three months was definitely enough time to notice wear marks inside the fans, yet all the fans in IBMz15 maintained their original condition with no signs of wear at all.


    Moreover, hard drives, another susceptible component, typically have a lifespan of about six years. Yet, after three months of use, not a single bad sector had appeared on any hard drive.


    This was the case for all components of IBMz15.


    This was a conclusion Li Shiming reached through his micron-level observation; at least at the micron level, IBMz15 had not changed at all compared to three months ago.


    This realization made him think of the tool cabinet. He looked at the equipment inside the tool cabinet: a three-phase electricity meter, power distribution monitor, UPS inspection module, battery inspection unit, temperature and humidity sensors, water leakage detection device, network device checker, and more.


    He selected what seemed to be a useless fiber fusion splicer. This was not to say that he would never need this device in the future.


    The fiber fusion splicer used a high-voltage electric arc to melt the semi-detached surfaces of the fibers while a high-precision movement mechanism gently pushed them together to fuse the fibers into one. His micron-level manipulation could perform the work of a fiber fusion splicer.


    Choosing the fiber fusion splicer also made sense because the machine featured an LCD screen, several industrial-grade chips, a communication system, a wireless system, and more.


    With usable chips now at hand, he thought again about the drone. After dismantling the fiber fusion splicer, the internal hardware for building a drone was essentially ready.


    He didn''t even need to manufacture brushless motors himself; the server''s spare fans could be modified to serve as brushless motors.


    Faced with external pressures, he began a new bout of busyness.

 Chapter 49 Safety (New book, please collect!)

    In the study, Li Shiming wore a blindfold, within which was a monitor refitted from an LCD display screen taken from an optical fiber fusion splicer.


    Two hundred meters above the courtyard, a camouflaged drone was hovering.


    This was the tenth day since the cultivator gathering had ended, and Central Capital was still enveloped in a festive atmosphere.


    Over these days, Li Shiming had been highly vigilant, constantly observing his surroundings to prevent a surprise attack by fellow cultivators, which is why he hadn''t left the city at all.


    The cultivator whom he worried about hadn''t shown up, but instead, he had managed to create a drone.


    Actually, with pieces from dismantled optical fiber fusion splicers and the database from the IBM z15, building the drone was not difficult; what was challenging was the high-precision lens.


    Over several days, he made the clearest glass in his electric arc furnace, and only after repeated polishing in the machine room space did it meet the design requirements.


    This was only possible because he could manipulate matters at the micron level within the machine room space; otherwise, the time it would have taken is unimaginable.


    Fortunately, having gained experience with this, the other lenses were crafted much more quickly.


    The drone, camouflaged to look like a summer eagle from below, was revered by the Great Xia Royal Family and thus, at least within Central Capital, no one would attack a summer eagle.


    The only pity was the endurance of the drone. Even with additional batteries, the longest it could stay airborne was merely twenty minutes.


    However, Li Shiming no longer had to worry about someone invading his yard, for as he created the drone, he also made four camera probes. They connected wirelessly to the surveillance blindfold he wore on his head.


    The blindfold currently displayed the drone''s perspective, with four smaller windows on the side showing the footage from the four camera probes, which he could switch to the main display window at any time.


    If not for the scarcity of available chips, he would have liked to make more probes, but after dismantling the optical fiber fusion splicer, there were only enough chips for these few.


    Both the drone in the sky and the camera probes on the ground had two modes, one for daylight, which relied on the high-precision lenses for monitoring.


    The second was the night mode with infrared thermal imaging, which yielded better monitoring effects than during the day because nobody could escape thermal tracking.


    How many failures would a common cultivator need to endure before they could truly complete a ''Basic Light Body Talisman''?


    The Snow Spirit Pen was lifted, dipped in just the right amount of talismanic ink¡ªa measure learned from four failed attempts.


    Spiritual power converged within the Snow Spirit Pen, blending with the talismanic ink at the nib.


    As the tip touched the talisman paper, the true essence of a sports car convertible was infused into the pen, and the Snow Spirit Pen moved measuredly over the paper.


    He was utterly concentrated, his spirit wholly immersed in the art of talisman creation.


    The moment the Snow Spirit Pen left the paper, the Light Body Rune on the talisman released a strong cyan glow that quickly dimmed, with the spiritual power infused in the paper contracting inward.


    Li Shiming watched the changes on the talisman, a small piece of paper before him solidifying the ''Light Body Technique'' within.


    It was successful, smoothly and beyond his expectations.


    Sensing the spiritual power within his body, he noted the cost of one ''Light Body Technique'' and, having only performed the ''Object Driving Skill'' once today, he still had an abundance of spiritual power.


    Encouraged by his recent success, he took out another sheet of talisman paper, dipped the Snow Spirit Pen into the ink, and began drawing another ''Basic Light Body Talisman''.


    The process went smoothly once again, and cyan light illuminated the study as the spiritual power was drawn into the paper.


    "Isn''t it said that the success rate of making talismans is not high?" Li Shiming put down the Snow Spirit Pen and started to ponder.


    Other cultivators relied on experience to make talismans, much like Li Shiming, but their kinds of experience differed.


    Their experience was a vague one; they knew how to get close to success and would attribute failures in the process to chance.


    But the experience Li Shiming gained from the IBM z15 was clear; he knew the root cause of each mistake and avoided repeating the same errors by experiencing and understanding them firsthand.


    After successfully crafting the third ''Basic Light Body Talisman,'' he understood his own success rate.


    While not daring to claim a hundred percent, his success rate was undoubtedly close to that, and it continually increased with each talisman he made as he accumulated more experience.

 Chapter 50 Discovery (New book, please collect!)

    Ever since Li Shiming successfully crafted his first talisman, he embarked on an unstoppable journey of talisman making.


    Coming from a world where everyone was equal to this Cultivation World, the deeper his understanding of this world, the more he felt the threats to his safety.


    Such threats stemmed from insufficient firepower, a fear deep within his soul, a legacy of the racial talent of his previous life.


    If he wished to be an ordinary person, then he wouldn''t need to worry much; with the backing of his family and the knowledge he possessed, he could achieve success whether in the bureaucratic arena or any other field.


    However, having learned of the Cultivation World, how could he be content with mediocrity?


    Talismans could compensate for his insufficient Spiritual Power Pattern and the limited number of spells, so for a long time, he expended his daily spiritual power on crafting talismans.


    When making the ''Primary Geng Metal Talisman,'' he succeeded after eight failures, and with the ''Basic Fire Bomb Talisman,'' he failed five times.


    By February 10th, not counting his weapons of war, just the talismans he crafted himself included twenty ''Basic Light Body Talismans,'' thirty ''Basic Fire Bomb Talismans,'' thirty ''Primary Geng Metal Talismans,'' and ten ''primary exorcism charms.''


    The ''Basic Light Body Talismans'' he made were 20% faster than the collected ones, making them the most special among the talismans he crafted.


    Having taken stock of his talismans, he did not craft any today, partly because he already had enough talismans on hand, and his recent talisman making had been hindering his cultivation progress, consuming too much of his daily spiritual power.


    On the other hand, the spring imperial examination was about to begin, and he would enter the examination hall on February 15th.


    He decided to enter the Cultivation World, but before leaving, he still wanted to fulfill the original wishes of his past life, whose greatest wish was to do well in the imperial examination.


    This was also a farewell to his past life; only without the obsessions of emotions could he devote himself more to cultivation.


    Out of respect for the examination, he began his preparation in the remaining days.


    The marketplaces in Central Capital had been successfully held twice, satisfying all the Cultivation Families and stakeholders involved, with profits increasing due to a safer environment and a growing number of cultivators.


    Among these cultivators, only the Hao Family was still investigating the murder of their family member.


    "Lao Si, is the result of the investigation confirmed?" Old Cultivator Hao asked in a heavy voice.


    The information in hand surprised Old Cultivator Hao but also seemed to be within reason.


    He immediately switched the camera''s mode to standard view.


    There were quite a few lanterns hanging in the courtyard at night, and that spot was under the illumination of the light.


    However, upon switching to standard mode, where there should have been a figure, there was nothing.


    He switched modes back to infrared thermal imaging, and this time, he saw the heat signature again.


    "It''s a cultivator!" Li Shiming''s face darkened.


    He hadn''t expected that after so many days, a cultivator would still come for him.


    Only a cultivator would have such means to remain hidden from the naked eye.


    Of course, this state of invisibility was intended to deceive mortals; cultivators had corresponding measures to see through such invisibility.


    But this didn''t include Li Shiming, who had just touched upon the threshold of cultivation and lacked many abilities that normal cultivators possessed.


    If not for the infrared thermal imaging camera, perhaps the intruding cultivator could have approached unseen.


    Li Shiming''s hand moved to his waist, pulling out ten ''Primary Geng Metal Talismans.'' With Qi Refining Second Level strength, he could only activate a maximum of five talismans at a time, so he would need to activate them twice consecutively to release all the talismans in his hand.


    Lao Si climbed over the wall, and upon entering the yard, he knew that this assassination was going to be too easy.


    This Li Shiming had no trace of a cultivator''s prowess; the courtyard was without defense arrays, not even warning talismans were set up.


    While defense arrays might have been too expensive to afford, Warning Talismans were essential for anyone going out.


    Battle-hardened family cultivators like Lao Si didn''t need Warning Talismans, with clan protection arrays being more than sufficient and safer than Warning Talismans.


    However, when cultivators were out and about, only by setting up Warning Talismans could they ensure they wouldn''t be approached unknowingly. Without defenses, even mortals could potentially kill a cultivator.


    Lao Si''s gaze swept over the area, sensing the whereabouts of the two night guards.


    He revealed a silent, cold smile; if not for not wanting to alarm Gu Jia, he would have directly used a magic artifact to kill the guards along with Li Shiming inside the house.

 Chapter 51 Annihilation

    Lao Si arrived in front of the main house, where the "Object Driving Skill" was activated, and the hand of Spiritual Power entered the room, silently opening the latch.


    The entire process was faster than a professional thief''s, as smooth and flowing as clouds and water, and even his speed of movement was not affected in the slightest, as if someone inside the main house had conveniently opened the door for him.


    With a casual wave of his hand, the hand of Spiritual Power knocked out Si Qin, who was dozing off.


    Si Qin was sitting on a stool outside the study, her body swaying as if she was about to fall over.


    The hand of Spiritual Power caught her and gently placed her on the floor; Lao Si did not lay a hand on mortals.


    This wasn''t because Lao Si had a heart of kindness, but because he feared Gu Jia and the Sky Sea Sect.


    To kill a mortal with Spiritual Power, especially within Central Capital, would be to slap the face of the Sky Sea Sect, to slap the face of Gu Jia.


    For the sake of a mere maid, he wasn''t willing to risk being hunted down by Gu Jia.


    As for Li Shiming, Li Shiming was a Cultivator. Killing Li Shiming was merely a grudge between Cultivators, and the Sky Sea Sect would not interfere. However, there might be trouble from Gu Jia''s side.


    But the Hao Family had to retaliate. Ever since two Cultivators from the Hao Family were killed, the Hao Family''s reputation near Central Capital had been severely damaged due to their lack of action.


    Besides, the Hao Family had investigated the relationship between Li Shiming and Gu Jia. What Gu Jia valued was a living Li Shiming. If Li Shiming were dead, even if the investigation leads back to them, at most they would shed some blood and give some compensation. Stay updated through empire


    Lao Si arrived at the door of the study, and the hand of Spiritual Power entered once more.


    Contrary to expectations, Li Shiming was too weak, which gave him a new idea.


    He planned to assassinate using mortal means, not using any offensive Spiritual Power to minimize the chances of Gu Jia finding out.


    The "Object Driving Skill" was a special spell; as long as used carefully, it left very fine traces of Spiritual Power fluctuation that would dissipate quickly, leaving almost no evidence.


    Just as Lao Si''s hand of Spiritual Power was opening the latch, he sensed a weak fluctuation of Spiritual Power inside the study.


    Before he could determine what the fluctuation of Spiritual Power was, five Geng Metal Needles pierced through the wooden door of the study and hit him.


    Lao Si thought he had concealed himself with an "Invisibility Talisman," unseen by Li Shiming.


    However, under the infrared sensor, Lao Si''s thermal imaging was clearly exposed to Li Shiming''s eyes.


    The moment Lao Si had laid Si Qin on the ground, Li Shiming had already mobilized Spiritual Power and begun to activate the "Primary Geng Metal Talisman" in his hand.


    At a speed of one hundred twenty kilometers per hour, he traversed the city, reached the walls, propelled himself with two steps up the wall, and then lightly tapped on the top to leap over it.


    In times of peace, even the walls of Central Capital of Great Xia were not always well-defended everywhere.


    The area he chose was where the city guards were sparsest, a result of his numerous observations.


    Once outside Central Capital, he maintained top speed, heading straight for the Hao Family''s immortal cultivation residence.


    His mind was crystal clear; the assassination attempt by a Hao Family cultivator had set a deadly feud between them.


    Tonight, the Hao Family was probably awaiting the outcome of the assassination, never expecting him to take the initiative to come to them.


    Half an hour later, Li Shiming, who had never before sustained a full-speed run for so long, arrived near the location of the Hao''s Immortal Cultivation Family marked on the map.


    He released a drone and put on the goggles.


    As the drone took to the air, through his field of vision, he saw the Hao Family''s compound enclosed by walls.


    The Hao Family''s grounds weren''t large, comprising a circular structure with a two-story wooden building going around it.


    In the center of the Hao Family''s residence was a pond.


    Such an architectural form was exceedingly peculiar, and Li Shiming had never seen anything like it.


    Switching the drone to infrared thermal imaging mode revealed various figures.


    He counted them; there were a total of twenty-four people.


    Li Shiming showed no reaction; he found a spot facing the Hao Family''s main gate, more than five hundred meters away from it, nestled between two large trees and obscured by underbrush.


    He took out a monocular telescope that lacked night vision, infrared, or any such functions¡ªit was purely mechanical.


    Nonetheless, this monocular could reach up to seventy times magnification, an extremely high capacity in the realm of telescopes.


    Moreover, his hands were exceptionally steady, allowing him to make the best use of the telescope without a tripod.


    The drone''s battery was depleting as he used the thermal imaging to analyze where the remaining four cultivators of the Hao Family were located.


    Across from the gate, inside the building, of the four figures, one sat in the middle at the back of the room, while the rest were positioned one on the left and two on the right.


    Li Shiming was eighty percent sure that these four figures were the Hao Family cultivators.

 Chapter 52 Hypnosis

    Recalled his drone and replaced its battery, Li Shiming did not deploy it again but started waiting.


    According to the information he had gathered, apart from cultivators, the Hao Family consisted of either cultivators in training or ordinary people.


    These cultivation families settled near Central Capital for a reason, hoping that if descendants with outstanding spirit root seeds appeared, they could join the sects, boosting the family''s development.


    The ordinary people who lived there were also direct blood relatives of the Hao Family.


    Aside from serving the cultivators, they had the duty to propagate the family lineage.


    The more children born, the higher the chance of having offspring with spirit root seeds.


    Li Shiming quietly waited, seeking an opportunity.


    The gathering of cultivators in Central Capital had informed him of many matters within the Cultivation World.


    Such a cultivation family would definitely be protected by an Array; with his power, he couldn''t confront the Hao Family''s cultivators, let alone break through the defensive Array.


    He was very aware of his strengths and had a plan in mind.


    Every half hour, he would deploy the drone to check the situation inside the Hao Family.


    After a long while, his spirits suddenly lifted as the drone sent back an image; through the goggles, he saw a thermal image of a figure walking toward the gate.


    Li Shiming took out his pocket watch to see the time was four in the morning; he vigorously shook his head to shake off the fatigue of the night.


    He looked towards the Hao Family''s main gate through a monocular; a side door next to the Hao Family''s main gate opened, and a figure carrying a lantern stepped out and turned right.


    Li Shiming maneuvered the drone to survey the nearby terrain, on the right was a small vegetable garden that he hadn''t paid attention to before.


    Now he realized that the person was headed precisely for that vegetable garden.


    Under the surveillance of the drone, he too moved towards the garden.


    "Always bullying me, once I give birth to a child with spirit root seeds, I''ll pay back each and every one of you!" Hao Jin muttered under his breath as he walked.


    Being a direct descendant of the Hao Family, Hao Jin bore the heaviest responsibilities and couldn''t help but complain.


    At that moment, the flat circular object was swinging from side to side, and his gaze inadvertently began to swing along with it.


    This was Li Shiming''s first time using hypnotism, but his theoretical foundation was unparalleled. After making the pocket watch, he had taken the opportunity to look up methods for using a pocket watch for hypnotism.


    With his learning capabilities, he had quickly mastered the theory.


    Hao Jin, living among cultivators yet bullied within the Hao Family, possessed significant psychological defects due to his character and mindset. Explore stories on empire


    Of course, in this world, there was little research into psychology, and nobody knew about this fact.


    However, whether they knew it or not, these psychological defects provided an opening for hypnotism to penetrate his mental defenses.


    Hao Jin''s gaze gradually became confused, and he appeared to be in a state of slumber.


    "Twenty breaths from now, you will forget that you met me. The liquor on the ground was prepared by you in secret. You will transport it inside without alerting anyone!" Li Shiming''s voice was like the temptation of Hell, a whisper of a demon.


    Afterward, he placed four one-meter-tall jars on the ground along with a carrying pole, then his figure vanished into the darkness.


    Hao Jin stood in place, staring blankly for twenty breaths, then suddenly started with a shock upon seeing the jars on the ground, his expression excited.


    He picked up the carrying pole and hoisted two of the jars, heading towards the Hao Family residence.


    Due to the hypnotism, his strength seemed immense, effortlessly bearing the weight of the two large jars.


    By now, Li Shiming had moved far away, only stopping when he deemed it safe. He then took out a monocular to observe Hao Jin''s actions.


    With every sway of the jars, Li Shiming''s heart raced, fearing any premature mishaps.


    Hao Jin arrived at a small gate, a faint white light flashed, and the gate was already open. He carried the load through the gate.


    The defense Array of the Hao Family had identity detection, which made it impossible for outsiders to enter.


    Hao Jin put down the two jars along the kitchen corridor, then turned and exited the gate to fetch the other two jars.


    Li Shiming took out his pocket watch to check the time, then took out a huge pancake made from ''starlife'' material, covering his entire body with it.


    He also activated a ''primary expelling talisman,'' creating a hand of Spiritual Power to cover the huge pancake with mud mixed with grass, burying his whole body within the mud, his drone also retrieved.

 Chapter 53 Destruction (New book, please collect!)

    "What is Hao Jin doing?" When Hao Jin brought the third and fourth jar into the courtyard, Old Cultivator Hao detected his movements and asked with some impatience.


    Old Cultivator Hao was in a bad mood; Lao Si had been gone for an entire night, and under normal circumstances, he should have completed his task and returned by now.


    But up to now, there had been no news whatsoever.


    At this moment, sensing Hao Jin inexplicably disturbing him, he naturally transferred his irritation to Hao Jin.


    He did not suspect that Hao Jin was doing anything harmful to the clan, as he had great trust in the loyalty of his clan members.


    "I''ll go and scold him!" a cultivator below said with a deep voice.


    The cultivator stood up. Their room was on the second floor; he walked to the railing and looked down toward Hao Jin.


    At this time, Hao Jin had completed the task assigned by Li Shiming. His consciousness was somewhat unclear, and he stood there foolishly.


    This was because Li Shiming''s hypnotism was not expertly applied, and also because Hao Jin''s will was too weak. Li Shiming''s forceful hypnotism had affected Hao Jin''s brain.


    The Hao Family cultivator sensed something was wrong, flipped down from the second floor, and landed next to Hao Jin.


    "Hao Jin, what''s inside these jars?" He saw the four large jars next to Hao Jin and asked with a frown.


    "What jars?" Hao Jin twisted his neck in a strange posture, looked back at the Hao Family cultivator, and counter-asked.


    Just as the Hao Family cultivator was about to check the jars personally, he heard a burning sound coming from one of them.


    With a ''bang'', one of the jars suddenly exploded, the terrifying shockwave struck Hao Jin and the Hao Family cultivator first because they were closest to it.


    Neither the ordinary man Hao Jin nor the Qi Refining Third Level cultivator had any power to resist; they were engulfed by the scorching flames.


    The explosion was not a one-time event; after the first jar exploded, it triggered the other three jars to explode as well.


    The first shockwave swept over the entire Hao Family; outside their circular building, a glowing semi-circular shield appeared, blocking the first shockwave.


    It was Li Shiming''s first time witnessing an Array materialize; it gave him the feeling of seeing something straight out of a science fiction world.


    Like the energy shields seen only in science fiction movies, they appeared in an ancient world¡ªthat was the world of cultivation.


    The three bodies were completely charred, concentrated around the shield of the defensive array. It was evident that the three cultivators had been killed without the power to fight back in the explosion.


    Li Shiming found three slightly charred storage bags on the three bodies and tried them out; the storage bags were still usable.


    However, no matter how hard he looked, he could not find the body of the fourth cultivator. Without a body, it was extremely difficult to find a small storage bag amidst these ruins.


    While searching, Li Shiming noticed several burnt plants at the center of the original Hao Family''s round building. Your next chapter awaits on empire


    He approached the plants and felt wisps of Spiritual Energy seeping out from underground.


    "Is this a spiritual vein?" He thought of the spiritual veins Fan Yiyang had mentioned during their conversation, which seemed extremely similar to the phenomenon here.


    The Spiritual Energy flowing from the spiritual vein was similar to that of his Gathering Spirit Plate.


    However, that did not mean the concentration of Spiritual Energy from the Gathering Spirit Plate was fixed. The effectiveness of the Gathering Spirit Plate that Li Shiming felt was in an ordinary city.


    If the Gathering Spirit Plate were used in a place with spiritual veins, its effect would be greatly enhanced.


    Feeling the Spiritual Energy, Li Shiming felt a secret regret in his heart.


    Although he was envious of the spiritual vein, with his abilities, he was unable to do anything with the spiritual vein, not even conceal it, let alone move it.


    Suppressing the greed in his heart, he began observing the plants in the area.


    He pulled up the previous drone footage and compared it with the current view; this place was supposed to be a pond, and he did not recall seeing any plants.


    This meant that the Hao Family had hidden the plants, possibly even along with the spiritual vein itself.


    He dug through the soil, and after removing the surface dirt affected by the explosion, the soil he touched was filled with Spiritual Energy.


    "This is the spirit soil of a spirit field!" Even though he had never seen spirit soil, he recognized it.


    Without any concern for appearances, he dug out the spirit soil with his hands and placed it into a storage bag.


    Spirit soil was made of various spiritual materials, the consumption of which was immense, far beyond what he could currently afford.


    The layer of spirit soil here was quite thick, and while digging it out, he also unearthed a section of bamboo root.


    The bamboo root was also affected by the explosion; all parts above it were destroyed, but as it was bamboo root, even a small part of the main root left could be enough to revive it.

 Chapter 54 Inventory (Please favorite, please recommend, please vote monthly!)

    Still retracing his original path, Li Shiming carefully avoided pedestrians with the help of drones in the sky.


    Most residents of Central Capital were just waking up, and there weren''t many pedestrians on the streets.


    He chose a more secluded route and by the time he got home, it was already seven in the morning.


    "Young Master, when did you get up?" he didn''t alarm the guards, but upon entering the main house, he was met by Si Qin''s bright eyes.


    Thinking about it, Si Qin would have already been up preparing his washing items around this time.


    "I got up early today and moved around in the courtyard for a bit," Li Shiming said, having changed back into his usual clothes after entering the city, and he waved his hands in response.


    Si Qin didn''t think much of it and briskly went to make the preparations.


    Li Shiming felt Si Qin''s happiness, and the impact of last night''s killings gradually faded from his mind, a smile appearing on his face as well.


    After washing up, he went to his study.


    Everyone in the courtyard knew he was preparing for the big examination, so they were all very quiet; whoever was doing whatever, they made sure to stay away from the study to provide him with the optimum reading environment.


    Li Shiming placed the three storage bags in front of him, knowing that the troubles with the Hao Family had finally ended with them in his possession.


    He didn''t wish for it to be so, but the Hao Family had to be eliminated for him to have peace.


    The moment the Hao Family sent Cultivators to assassinate him, a life-and-death struggle between them was set in motion.


    Two of the storage bags were the same model, while the third was slightly different.


    He first opened one of the identical storage bags, just like the ones he''d obtained from the Cultivators of the Hao Family previously - inside were a low-grade long sword magical artifact, over a hundred Spirit Stones, and several dozen various talismans.


    Feeling a bit disappointed, he opened the second identical storage bag and found a talisman pen and some talismanic ink in addition to the other items, suggesting that the owner of this storage bag was most likely a Talisman Maker.


    He then turned his attention to the final storage bag, the one he placed most of his hopes in.


    This storage bag probably belonged to that sixth-level Qi Refinement realm elder of the Hao Family who was also the clan leader.


    Even if he used plain language to describe the true meanings, other Cultivators couldn''t feel what he felt.


    Unless he could transmit the true meanings simulated by the IBMz15 into the five senses of other Cultivators, they wouldn''t comprehend the true meanings as easily as he did.


    After setting aside the Spellbooks, he picked up another book, "Chang Chun Gong."


    This was a Qi Refinement Realm Cultivation Technique designed for those with a Wood Spirit Root.


    After reading through Chang Chun Gong, and comparing it with his own "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique," he felt Chang Chun Gong seemed too simplistic.


    This was just his opinion. With his level of knowledge, he couldn''t be sure whether this feeling was correct.


    The last book was "Hao''s Talisman Inheritance," a talisman inheritance of the Hao Family.


    After reading "Hao''s Talisman Inheritance," he finally understood what that spirit bamboo root was.


    It was a type of Spirit Bamboo known as ''Spirit Bamboo.'' The Hao Family''s inheritance relied on ''Spirit Bamboo.''


    Besides the bamboo shoots, which were Spirit Food, the bamboo itself didn''t have much use. In contrast, the bamboo leaves were naturally the raw material for talisman paper.


    "Hao''s Talisman Inheritance" contained the Hao Family''s unique methods of converting ''Spirit Bamboo'' leaves into talisman paper, with an average of two leaves needed to make one piece of talisman paper.


    With ''Spirit Bamboo,'' the Hao Family could not only sell talisman paper but also use it to train their own Talisman Makers.


    "Hao''s Talisman Inheritance" recorded more knowledge about talisman crafting than the "Complete Compendium of Runes" and the notes of the Hao Family Cultivator he had obtained before. He also figured out how the Hao Family Cultivator who had tried to assassinate him became invisible.


    There were two ways: one was to practice the ''Invisibility Technique'' to become invisible in front of ordinary people; the other was to create an ''Invisibility Talisman'' with the technique, enabling Cultivators to become invisible.


    He stored the frequently used items into five cubic storage bags and hung them around his waist. From now on, these would be his regular storage bags.


    Since he could always store the storage bags in the machine room space and even secretly switch them without worrying about anyone realizing that a minor Qi Refining Second Level Cultivator like him was using the precious five cubic storage bags.


    The rest of the six storage bags were all placed into the machine room space to be used for storing materials.


    The gains of this occasion also included ''Spirit Bamboo'' and the spirit soil needed to cultivate ''Spirit Bamboo.'' There was a little over one cubic meter of spirit soil, taking up one and a half storage bags all by itself.

 Chapter 55 Onlooking (Please bookmark, please follow!)

    Li Shiming used his consciousness to enter the computer room space and took out a bit of spirit soil from his storage bag.


    He knew the theoretical knowledge about spirit soil, but he wanted to study the real thing closely.


    A bit of spirit soil was suspended in the computer room space by his consciousness, but he immediately isolated it from the room with his consciousness.


    When he had sensed it with Spiritual Power Pattern outside earlier, he hadn''t detected any worm eggs within the spirit soil.


    Indeed, under the observation of micrometer-level consciousness, there were some worm eggs that were nearly indistinguishable from the spirit soil.


    He didn''t know if other cultivators could detect the worm eggs, but he only found them when he was in the computer room space.


    It was no wonder that, whether using various arrays or isolation measures, it was impossible to completely prevent damage to spirit plants from spiritual insects, with the spirit soil itself being a significant root cause.


    Li Shiming used his consciousness to pick out the worm eggs from the spirit soil, and after sorting through all the soil, he obtained a cluster of worm eggs the size of a fingernail.


    Don''t underestimate this cluster of worm eggs; they were extremely small, and the quantity here numbered over ten thousand.


    He stored the worm eggs in a porcelain bottle and then put the spirit soil back into his storage bag.


    He found knowledge about soil-less cultivation of bamboo from IBMz15''s data library and prepared the corresponding nutrient solution.


    He cleaned and sterilized the Spirit Bamboo, placed it into the nutrient solution, and then cast the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill."


    Saving the Spirit Bamboo wasn''t difficult, as bamboo inherently has strong vitality, with Spirit Bamboo simply requiring a greater need for a Spiritual Energy environment.


    Now in the computer room space, the Gathering Spirit Plate remained there all the time except when he left for his daily cultivation, continuously increasing the concentration of Spiritual Energy in the space.


    Maintaining the growth of the spiritual tea tree and Spirit Bamboo was not an issue for now, but he understood that once the Spirit Bamboo recovered sufficiently, it would start to grow rapidly, and at that time, the computer room space would not be able to satisfy its growing needs.


    In the afternoon, the bird transformed from the Hundred-Mile Communication Token came to Li Shiming''s window and landed on his desk.


    "Mr. Li, please come immediately upon reading this!"


    "We have seen Mr. Gu!" The four Cultivators were the patriarchs of the four cultivation families, and as they entered the door, they all paid their respects to Gu Jia.


    "Dear friends, you all arrived quite quickly!" Gu Jia returned the gesture.


    The expressions of the four clan leaders were solemn, and in such a situation, they didn''t greet Li Shiming.


    "Mr. Gu, all of the cultivators from the Hao Family have been killed, especially our Brother Hao, who was at the Qi Refining Sixth Level. His death has left us Loose Cultivators each feeling unsettled. We, as representatives, would like to request that Mr. Gu allows us to remain in the city for a longer period!" the Liu Family Patriarch spoke gravely.


    "Describe the condition of the Hao Family at the scene. What has frightened you so much?" Gu Jia didn''t immediately agree but pondered for a moment before asking.


    Loose Cultivators could enter the city, but according to the unwritten rules, they were not allowed to stay for long.


    Central Capital is the world of mortals, and Gu Jia was sent here by his sect; maintaining the safety of the mortals under the sect''s control was his mission.


    Allowing Loose Cultivators to stay in the Mortal World for an extended period would inevitably lead to trouble. With trouble, Gu Jia would not have such an easy time.


    "The cultivators who attacked the Hao Family were very strong!" The Liu Family Patriarch revealed a look of fear in his eyes, but steadied his mind before continuing, "The Hao Family was under the protection of a defensive Array, yet it was forcefully breached. Judging from the condition of the bodies, the Hao Family cultivators didn''t even have a chance to fight back before they were killed instantly."


    "Are you certain that the Hao Family''s defensive Array was active when it was broken?" Gu Jia''s expression changed as he pressed for confirmation.


    Although the Hao Family wasn''t very wealthy, Gu Jia was aware of their defensive Array, which the Hao Family clan leader had purchased from him at a great cost.


    Although the range of that defensive Array wasn''t very wide, its defensive capability was enough to withstand the attacks of Qi Refining Peak Cultivators. To say that the Array was instantly breached would suggest that perhaps only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could have done it.


    If it indeed was the work of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, then Gu Jia wouldn''t dare to intervene lightly.


    The Sky Sea Sect was indeed very strong, but in Central Capital, he was the only one at the Qi Refining Seventh Level. To mobilize a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from his sect, he didn''t have that level of influence.


    For the sect to send a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to handle this matter, it would require his own death in Central Capital for the sect to possibly dispatch one.


    "From what we observed at the scene, that appears to be the case. We found a shattered Array Plate; if the Array hadn''t been forcibly breached, the Array Plate wouldn''t have been destroyed!" the Liu Family Patriarch affirmed.


    "And yet you dared to remain at the Hao Family premises? Is that minor Spirit Vein so important that you risk extinction to vie with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator for it?" Gu Jia asked gravely, following with question after question.

 Chapter 56 The Trade (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    "Mr. Deng, you misunderstand. How can we dare to covet the micro spirit veins? If it wasn''t for our watch, those Loose Cultivators who don''t understand the severity would have targeted the micro spirit veins long ago!" Deng Clan Chief hastily interjected to explain.


    "There''s no need to explain. Take this command banner with you, place it at the ruins of the Hao Family, and at least until the Ascension Conference is over, that micro spirit vein is off-limits to everyone. During the Ascension Conference, a Foundation Establishment Master from the sect will come, and it will be dealt with by the master at that time!" Gu Jia took out a flag inscribed with ''Heavenly Sea'' and placed it on the table, speaking in a gravely tone.


    The four clan leaders displayed a look of helplessness. They indeed wanted to take control of that micro spirit vein.


    But after seeing the shattered Array Plate, they didn''t dare make a move and instead thought of involving Gu Jia.


    Little did they know that Gu Jia was planning to take the entire micro spirit vein for himself; it seemed their efforts were in vain.


    "A micro spirit vein, do you really think the sect''s masters would care about such a thing? The micro spirit vein will still be there, but when the time comes, you''ll have to contribute some spirit stones. The master can''t bear the risk for you and get nothing in return, can he?" Gu Jia waved his hand and said.


    "We will consider the micro spirit vein as divided into five parts!" Mr. Liu said this and glanced at Li Shiming beside him but did not continue further.


    However, Li Shiming understood his meaning; this was giving Gu Jia an extra share of the income.


    No matter what use the spirit vein is put to, the benefits obtained will include a portion for Gu Jia.


    The four clan leaders needed to manage the micro spirit vein, while Gu Jia needn''t do anything. Why so? It was none other than the Sky Sea Sect''s backing.


    Only Li Shiming was clear that there wasn''t actually any Foundation Establishment Cultivator involved, and the share that Gu Jia received was entirely for nothing.


    Of course, he wouldn''t point it out; such matters simply couldn''t be explained.


    "Mr. Li, do not fixate on petty gains. Once you join the sect and pass the assessment to become an official disciple, with your abilities, you will be able to choose a cultivation site for yourself that has a secondary spirit vein!" Gu Jia turned to speak to Li Shiming.


    Gu Jia''s words made the four clan leaders realize why he valued Li Shiming so highly.


    At the same time, envy appeared in the eyes of the four clan leaders as they looked at Li Shiming.


    Even though it''s termed a secondary spirit vein, it''s still a grade spirit vein, unlike the micro spirit veins these Loose Cultivators control, which haven''t even reached a grading level.


    Once the "Invisibility Technique" was used, ordinary people couldn''t see the cultivator at all, let alone oppose them.


    Without a means to counter the "Invisibility Technique," a cultivator in the world of the commoners would be an invincible force, with the ordinary people not even knowing how they perished.


    No wonder the Sky Sea Sect had sent Gu Jia to stay in Great Xia. Without the suppression of sect cultivators, a single lawless Loose Cultivator could wreak unimaginable havoc in the Mortal World.


    "Congratulations, young master, on becoming a scholar!" The voice of Mo Yan resonated from outside the courtyard as he ran towards the main room.


    "Si Qin, give him two taels of silver to quiet him down," Li Shiming instructed Si Qin outside the door.


    "Young master, becoming a scholar is a happy occasion. According to the household rules, we should reward everyone!" Si Qin peeked in and reminded with a smile.


    "You handle it. Just don''t disturb me," Li Shiming waved his hand dismissively.


    Si Qin knew about the young master''s cultivation; she was extremely happy that no matter how the young master pursued cultivation, he never abandoned his studies.


    "Young master, the imperial trials are in ten days. Don''t forget!" she added, not forgetting to remind him once more.


    Li Shiming nodded, estimating that after the imperial trials, his ties with the secular world would be significantly reduced.


    Time flew swiftly, and before long, the day of the imperial trials arrived.


    The day was clear and sunny as a group of scholars, clad in Confucian robes, were led by the palace guards to the gate of the Fengtian Hall in the Imperial Palace.


    These scholars were the elite talents cultivated by Great Xia over three years, each one a genius among geniuses.


    Yet among them, Li Shiming was still the most exceptional, standing out distinctly among a group of scholars mostly in their thirties.


    Li Shiming saw a figure beside the Fengtian Hall; it was Gu Jia.


    At this moment, Gu Jia was also looking at him with a smile. To Gu Jia, his participation in the imperial trials was but a youthful dalliance. It wasn''t that Gu Jia scorned the highest level of secular examination; he simply didn''t take it seriously.


    With control over means that could easily obliterate ordinary people, cultivators naturally stood on a pedestal high above.

 Chapter 57 Inquiry about the Way

    In the Imperial Study Room of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Jin Geng was reviewing the papers from the palace exam.


    The triennial grand examination was an important talent selection for Great Xia, relating to the foundation of the state, so he took it very seriously.


    Today, after the conclusion of the palace exam, he sat in the Imperial Study Room, correcting the papers of the tribute scholars.


    "What a splendid piece!" He couldn''t help but praise as he read through the papers in his hand.


    The essay cited classics creatively and the prose blossomed with brilliant expressions, every word a gem. It was truly unique among the papers he had reviewed.


    Emperor Jin Geng turned to the examinee''s name and saw ''Li Shiming''.


    His expression shifted slightly, as the name Li Shiming had come up multiple times in recent reports.


    Most importantly, Li Shiming had close ties with Royal Tributor Gu Jia, who had visited Li Shiming''s residence on many occasions, and Li Shiming had also attended several cultivators'' gatherings.


    From this, Emperor Jin Geng was certain that Li Shiming was also a cultivator.


    Based on what he knew about Gu Jia, even he, the Emperor, couldn''t command much respect from Gu Jia, let alone socialize with him.


    "It''s a pity, such talent yet cannot be utilized!" Emperor Jin Geng shook his head. He had planned to make Li Shiming the top scorer, but knowing that Li Shiming was unlikely to take an official position, he couldn''t choose him for that. Experience new stories on empire


    The more he appreciated Li Shiming''s writing, the more he resented the fact that Li Shiming could not be employed by him.


    Emperor Jin Geng really wanted to place Li Shiming among the top three ranks, allowing him the bare minimum qualification of an Advanced Scholar.


    While he thought this way, Emperor Jin Geng also had to consider Gu Jia; even if he disregarded Gu Jia, he didn''t want to offend Li Shiming, the cultivator, over this matter.


    "Then let''s make it third place!" Emperor Jin Geng decided as he picked up the imperial brush.


    The next day, the Advanced Scholars who came to express their gratitude entered the grand hall of the Imperial Palace, where the eunuch announced the results.


    When it was announced that Li Shiming was the third place, the officials and newly advanced scholars present realized that Li Shiming, who should have been there, was absent.


    Even the eunuch who read the decree couldn''t help but turn to glance at Emperor Jin Geng, expecting to see him anger.


    However, to the surprise of all officials and new scholars, Emperor Jin Geng did not get angry.


    Gu Jia watched Li Shiming''s expression with great satisfaction. He had done this deliberately to dissolve Li Shiming''s attachment to the mundane world.


    Cultivators lead solitary lives, having to distance themselves from the worldly life and its clamor.


    Only those Cultivators who can endure solitude can pursue higher realms.


    The two Cultivators sat in their chairs, watching what was taking place in the grand hall.


    Li Shiming felt the distance between himself and the secular world, but this did not impact his pursuit of cultivation.


    Having been given a second chance at life, he cherished it exceptionally, desiring to live longer, to travel to every corner of the world, to see the true nature of the world.


    "Brother Gu, can cultivation grant eternal life?" Li Shiming asked amidst this atmosphere.


    "How old do you think I am?" Gu Jia chuckled in response to the question.


    Li Shiming observed Gu Jia carefully. Gu Jia appeared to be between forty-five and fifty years of age, but considering Cultivators might seem younger, he made a guess.


    "Are you seventy years old, Brother?" he ventured, inflating the number deliberately.


    "Haha!" Gu Jia burst into laughter before continuing with a hint of melancholy, "I am one hundred twenty-three years old this year. Despite over a century of arduous cultivation, I am still here in the secular world, waiting for death."


    Li Shiming stared at Gu Jia in astonishment. He had not expected Gu Jia to be one hundred twenty-three years old.


    In the world of mortals, the appearance of someone over a hundred and ten years old was already considered an extremely auspicious sign, let alone being over one hundred twenty.


    And looking at Gu Jia, he hardly seemed one hundred twenty-three years old. Judging by his condition, living another few decades seemed to be no problem at all.


    "The lifespan of a Qi Refining Cultivator can reach nearly two hundred years. However, due to various reasons related to a Cultivator''s body, it''s pretty good to reach one hundred and fifty years old," Gu Jia explained to him.


    "Then does that mean higher-level Cultivators live even longer?" Li Shiming asked again.


    "The lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator starts at two hundred years. Beyond that, I can''t say for sure, but it''s inevitable that the higher the cultivation, the longer the lifespan," Gu Jia answered with certainty.


    At this moment, Li Shiming''s thoughts on cultivation became exceptionally firm.


    He had the computer room space, the IBM z15 mainframe server, and countless research findings from his past life; he was convinced that he could travel further on the path of immortality and achieve a long, enduring life.

 Chapter 58 The Case Occurred

    In the northeastern corner of Central Capital, the majority of residents in this area were merchants.


    In Great Xia, the status of merchants wasn''t high, so even if they built their homes extravagantly, they dared not deviate even slightly from the standard design for doors and interiors.


    On a dark and windy night, a Qi Refining Third Level cultivator was writing something within a courtyard.


    Behind him, a shadow appeared.


    Despite the close proximity, the Qi Refining Third Level cultivator didn''t sense anything as the shadow extended its hands and embraced him.


    The next morning, Gu Jia arrived at the scene of the incident.


    It was with his consent that the Loose Cultivators entered Central Capital, and so far, these Loose Cultivators had abided by the agreement, not causing any trouble within the city.


    All the Loose Cultivators were concentrated in this area of the northeastern part of the city, where the Imperial Family had intervened to have merchants accommodate the cultivators.


    Initially, this decision had no issues, but everything changed in August.


    One after another, people were murdered; it started with commoners, but now a Loose Cultivator had fallen victim.


    Experience more on empire


    Along with Gu Jia, Mr. Liu, the clan leader, had arrived, and the area was cordoned off by the Ministry of Justice.


    "Such a strong aura of yin coldness!" As soon as Gu Jia arrived outside the door where the incident took place, he couldn''t help but frown and comment.


    "Mr. Gu, was it done by an Evil Cultivator?" Mr. Liu asked with a grim face.


    "It''s Corpse Refining, can''t be certain if it''s an Evil Cultivator, but the method is too sinister; it''s definitely not something good!" Gu Jia entered and saw the fallen Loose Cultivator on the ground, furrowing his brow as he spoke.


    Corpse Refining techniques could be found in almost every sect, so one couldn''t claim that Corpse Refining was inherently evil.


    However, Corpse Refining that involved draining a cultivator''s essence and blood crossed the line for most sects.


    The Loose Cultivator on the ground had been completely drained of blood, leaving behind only an empty husk which looked exceedingly eerie.


    "Mr. Gu, this is a challenge to the Sky Sea Sect, please take charge of this matter for us!" Mr. Liu said, bowing deeply.


    Gu Jia nodded, regardless, this incident had occurred in Central Capital.


    "Mr. Liu, I need to report this matter to my sect. Additionally, let the Loose Cultivators take action. If any cultivator can find the tracks of this person, they may apply to the sect for a reward of five hundred Spirit Stones!" Gu Jia considered for a moment, then looked at Mr. Liu and said.


    Upon hearing this, Mr. Liu''s eyes initially lit up, but he quickly grasped the implications.


    "I will spread the news!" Since Gu Jia could offer such a big incentive, the issue clearly was not simple, and Mr. Liu readily agreed.


    "I hope I''m just overthinking it!" Gu Jia felt a heavy sense of concern, thinking to himself.


    Li Shiming had taken an official position, a loose official rank of regular seventh grade, without an actual appointment.


    Typically, the third-place ''Advanced Scholar'' is expected to enter the Hanlin Academy to become an editor of regular seventh grade, a critical channel for the nurturing of the nation''s top talents.


    However, no one thought that the Emperor was suppressing him because he received several times more rewards than the top scorer and was even granted a large mansion.


    Moreover, a plaque from the palace inscribed with ''Advanced Scholar'' was also sent to the mansion, showing the depth of the Emperor''s favor.


    Yet, Li Shiming did not move into the big mansion; he just let Mo Yan receive it on his behalf.


    With only a few servants in his family at present and the mansion being more than ten times larger than his current residence, he was going to leave this place soon; there was no need for further complications.


    Li Shiming was dining, holding a bowl of Spirit Rice in his hands, with a dish in front of him.


    The dish was stir-fried spirit bamboo shoots, which grew from Spirit Bamboo.


    There was no helping it; the Spirit Bamboo had been growing well over the past half year and now had a main stem reaching over three meters tall, nearly touching the top of the chamber space.


    The chamber space had no extra room for the Spirit Bamboo to grow unrestrained, so the newly sprouted bamboo shoots became part of his Spirit Food.


    This also solved the problem of limited variety in his Spirit Food, providing a rare combination of a dish and rice.


    Spirit bamboo shoots contain much more Spiritual Energy than Spirit Rice does. With the rate at which the spirit bamboo shoots emerged, he could harvest one every month.


    One spirit bamboo shoot was enough for him to eat for five days, mainly because, with his Qi Refining Second Level cultivation, the spirit bamboo shoots were somewhat overly nutritious.


    In fact, in other places, no cultivator would consider spirit bamboo shoots as Spirit Food because the value of matured spirit bamboo is much greater.


    Li Shiming also discovered that as long as he prevented the Spirit Bamboo from growing a second main stem normally and ensured sufficient Spiritual Energy and nutrient solution, the spirit bamboo shoots would continue to sprout incessantly.


    Since he had nowhere to plant the Spirit Bamboo, the spirit bamboo shoots became a regular spirit vegetable on his table.

 Chapter 59 News (Please collect, please follow!)

    "When will I be able to break through!" Li Shiming, feeling the spiritual energy vortex within his body, murmured to himself.@@@@


    Ever since he had drunk spiritual tea at Gu Jia''s place, his internal spiritual power had surged, and with half a year of cultivation and the supplement of spirit food, he had finally reached the peak of the Qi Refining Second Level.


    He could feel a barrier appearing in front of him, and breaking through this barrier would allow him entrance into the Qi Refining Third Level.


    His consciousness entered the spatial room, where he saw the spirit tea tree that had grown six branches. There were not many leaves on it, and he somewhat reluctantly refrained from picking them.


    Compared with the spirit bamboo, the growth rate of the spirit tea tree was much slower.


    In more than half a year, the spirit tea tree had barely managed to branch, but it was still far from its normal form.


    Harvesting now would definitely harm the growth of the spirit tea tree, slowing down the time it would take for the tree to mature.


    "Let''s wait a bit longer!" Li Shiming gave up on the idea of harvesting spiritual tea, as his cultivation was not considered slow.


    Of course, his speed of cultivation was compared with that of a Loose Cultivator. It had taken him a year to come from having no foundation at all to just a step away from reaching the Qi Refining Third Level.


    The Loose Cultivators he had encountered had generally taken about ten years to reach this stage.


    During these six months, he had accumulated over two thousand catties of spirit rice and a large amount of various low-level talismans.


    If not for the lack of materials for making talismanic ink, he would have produced even more talismans.


    Since the Hao Family had been destroyed, other cultivators had also tried to engage in the talisman business, but due to resource issues, these businesses had remained small.


    Li Shiming had a great demand for talismanic ink, and moreover, he did not want to attract attention, so he had not conducted any transactions with Loose Cultivators again.


    He was very aware of his situation; it seemed that no one dared to provoke him, but that was not due to his power, but rather the influence of Gu Jia.


    Since Gu Jia could not always be by his side, he needed to keep a low profile as much as possible to get through this period.


    Just as he was thinking about Gu Jia, a ''Hundred-Mile Communication Token'' flew towards him, the small bird formed from the token still holding a talisman in its mouth. Find more to read at empire


    Li Shiming reached out, and the small bird hopped into his hand.


    The other three Cultivation Families had handled it similarly to the Liu Family.


    It is a common perception among Loose Cultivators that everything would get better after the Ascension Conference, anticipated to only last until the end of that event.


    It was precisely because of the Ascension Conference that so many Cultivators came to the Central Capital, and also took the opportunity to earn more spirit stones in the markets of the city.


    Upon Li Shiming''s visit, Mr. Liu personally welcomed him at the door.


    "Mr. Li, what brings you to my place?" Mr. Liu invited Li Shiming into the living room, and after both were seated, host and guest respectively, Mr. Liu asked with a forced smile.


    "I learned from Brother Liu that some Cultivators are creating chaos with Corpse Refining. I came to inquire about the details!" Li Shiming was straightforward in stating his purpose.


    "I am aware of this matter. Just yesterday, a Corpse Refining Cultivator killed Mr. Gu of Qi Refining Third Level less than a mile from here. Mr. Gu has already reported this to his sect, and additionally, Loose Cultivators have accepted the mission issued by Mr. Gu to track the whereabouts of the Corpse Refining Cultivator!" Mr. Liu explained with a worried look.


    Li Shiming now understood why Gu Jia had warned him. There had been a murder in Central Capital, and the victim was a Cultivator.


    At other times, even if a Cultivator was killed, it would not have much to do with Gu Jia.


    But these Loose Cultivators came to seek refuge under Gu Jia and ended up being killed. If Gu Jia didn''t take any action, the Sky Sea Sect would likely find it difficult to manage these Loose Cultivators in the future.


    "Is this Cultivator very strong? Brother Gu is even preparing to report it to the sect?" Li Shiming asked in surprise.


    Gu Jia was the strongest Cultivator in the vicinity. Even he had to report to the sect, which made Li Shiming realize the seriousness of the situation.


    "I am not sure how strong exactly, but he is at least as strong as those in the middle stage of Qi Refining, and he might even be at the late-stage of Qi Refining, just like Mr. Gu!" Mr. Liu replied with a bitter smile.


    Li Shiming''s hair stood on end. A powerful Cultivator, hidden like a hunter, posed a significant danger to someone like him who was only at Qi Refining Second Level.


    No wonder Gu Jia had sent him a ''Hundred-Mile Communication Token''; the danger was indeed severe.


    "Currently, Cultivators are trying to stay together as much as possible and are no longer acting alone. We suspect that the Cultivator who came this time may be related to the one who exterminated the Hao Family six months ago!" Mr. Liu continued.


    "I hope we find this Cultivator soon; otherwise, I won''t be able to sleep peacefully at night!" Li Shiming said gravely, careful not to reveal the whole truth.


    Having collected the information, he didn''t linger much longer with Mr. Liu. Taking advantage of the early evening, he headed home.


    He certainly did not want to be walking outside after dark, becoming prey to the hidden Cultivator lurking in the darkness.

 Chapter 60 The Chase (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    Two nights later, another Loose Cultivator was murdered.@@@@


    Just as unknowingly and silently killed, with the closest Cultivator less than five hundred meters away at the time.


    Under such circumstances, the Loose Cultivator still died, drained of all his blood.


    Another day passed, and new news came in, among the Loose Cultivators who fled the city out of fear, two had gone missing.


    These two Loose Cultivators had tasks they were commissioned for, working for the Zhang Family, and it was impossible for them to disappear without even wanting their compensation.


    The day after the two Loose Cultivators went missing, Cultivators found their bodies, drained of blood, in their caves outside the city.


    Now all the Loose Cultivators were scared and gathered around the four Cultivation Families for security.


    At the same time, Gu Jia also increased the reward for the task, from five hundred Spirit Stones to a resource of a thousand Spirit Stones.


    Li Shiming hadn''t dared to cultivate these past few days, fearing that the fluctuations of Spiritual Power from the Gathering Spirit Plate might attract that Cultivator''s attention.


    Although he didn''t live in the northeastern area of the Central Capital, who knew whether that Cultivator was only focusing on that region?


    He minimized his sleeping time, sleeping only two hours during the day and not at all at night, constantly wearing an eye mask to watch the surveillance camera footage.


    That night, like the previous few days, Li Shiming first released a drone.


    In the darkness of night, the drone flew up to three hundred meters, and he had enchanted it with an ''Invisibility Talisman,'' turning the drone invisible.


    This was a discovery he made after studying ''Invisibility Technique'' ¨C it was not only applicable to Cultivators, but as long as it was activated with spiritual power, it could be applied to both people and objects.


    Regardless of the target, the duration of ''Invisibility Technique'' was the same.


    "Huh!" He spotted a figure, but unlike a normal infrared thermal image, this one was deep blue.


    In his settings, red indicated heat sources; temperatures lower than the outside would show up as blue, and this deep blue color appeared only when the temperature was extremely low.


    Keep in mind that it was still summer, and the outdoor temperature at night was still very hot.


    The appearance of an extremely low-temperature target was naturally very conspicuous in the thermal imaging.


    Who would have thought that the cultivator who caused the ruckus in Central Capital, making it impossible for Loose Cultivators to find shelter, was residing in a civilian home, disguised as a commoner?


    Li Shiming looked around at the three-story building he was on¡ªYuelai Restaurant, a famous establishment in the city.


    He took out a "Hundred-Mile Communication Token," explained the situation, wrote down his location, and asked Gu Jia to come over while concealing his aura.


    After releasing the "Hundred-Mile Communication Token," he promptly packed up both the drone and the monocular.


    After waiting for half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Shiming felt as if someone was nearby. Turning his head, he saw Gu Jia and another person standing beside him.


    In all honesty, Li Shiming was really startled; as a cultivator, it had been a long time since he had felt this way.


    "Mr. Li, are you certain you''ve found the Corpse Refining Cultivator?" Gu Jia asked solemnly, his face betraying a hint of concern, as if worried Li Shiming was joking.


    Of course, he understood that Li Shiming wouldn''t joke about such matters.


    "Just now, I spotted a figure darting past my house, so I followed it. That figure, after meeting with another, merged into one and returned to the civilian dwelling in front!" Li Shiming said, pointing towards the distant house.


    "You''re quite bold, tracking alone at the Qi Refining Second Level Peak!" said the person beside Gu Jia in a light tone.


    Li Shiming couldn''t sense any spiritual power fluctuations from the stranger, but he had a feeling that although there were no fluctuations, there was an imperceptible and formidable pressure that made him dare not underestimate the other.


    "Fellow Cultivator, Brother Gu has helped me greatly. The Corpse Refining Cultivator has caused a lot of trouble for Brother Gu. If there''s an opportunity to help, I''m certainly obliged to do so!" Li Shiming said with a grave tone.


    He didn''t understand why the other was taking the time to talk with him instead of immediately arranging a capture.


    "Mr. Li, don''t use inappropriate titles, you should call him Uncle-Master!" Gu Jia said in a low voice.


    Li Shiming was taken aback by Gu Jia''s words; he certainly knew what the title Uncle-Master implied.


    Gu Jia''s Uncle-Master, wasn''t that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?


    "I have seen the senior, please forgive my disrespect!" Li Shiming didn''t dare to actually call him Uncle-Master; he wasn''t a disciple of the Sky Sea Sect yet. Perhaps in the future, he could, but not now.


    "Not bad, although I do not know the quality of your spirit root seeds, reaching the Qi Refining Second Level Peak at your age is no problem for entering the sect!" chuckled the Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    He had come here on account of the Corpse Refining Cultivator and on the very first day, Li Shiming had provided a lead on his whereabouts. Coupled with Gu Jia''s recommendation, this gave him a good impression of Li Shiming.

 Chapter 61 Slaying Demons

    "Stay here and don''t move!" the Foundation Establishment Cultivator ordered Li Shiming.


    No sooner had the words left the cultivator''s lips than a cold glint flew from his hand, carrying him aloft. He shot towards the house with tremendous speed.


    Gu Jia nodded to Li Shiming and then summoned a flash of sword light, similarly soaring into the air.


    Li Shiming obediently remained where he was; playing the hero was not his intention.


    Just thinking about the Sky Sea Sect sending a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was enough to understand the complexity of the situation.


    For a novice like him, even observing from a distance was exceedingly risky.


    He then took out a monocular. The monocular produced no fluctuations of Spiritual Energy, so using it wouldn''t alert the Foundation Establishment Cultivator and Gu Jia.


    Besides, even if they did notice the monocular, they, as cultivators, would likely not pay any attention to such a trivial object.


    "I smell the scent of a Xuanming Sect brat!" the Foundation Establishment Cultivator transmitted as he approached the house.


    Upon hearing this, Gu Jia was both excited and frightened.


    He was thrilled that his report to the sect was correct, but terrified that the Xuanming Sect had extended their reach here, which implied difficult days ahead for him.


    With a wave of his hand, a terrifying sword light gleamed in the darkness, cascading a blanket of light towards the house.


    The house was instantly disintegrated by the sword light, and the cultivator inside was startled awake.


    Seeing the brilliant sword light, a look of horror flashed across the cultivator''s eyes.


    He suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood that transformed into a giant skull that met the sword light head-on.


    After deploying this giant skull, the cultivator seemed as if he had drained much of his vital blood, causing his body to shrink.


    He spat out another mouthful of core blood along with a red talisman.


    "Trying to escape!" boomed the voice of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, godlike, resonating through heaven and earth. The sword light, after shattering the giant skull, split into three beams. One beam aimed at the red talisman while the other two attempted to block the cultivator''s potential escape routes.


    The red talisman transformed into a streak of bloody light, shooting towards the city center along with the cultivator''s figure.


    Li Shiming, watching through a monocular, could see clearly¡ªthose figures no longer looked human. Their skin had turned a bluish-black, their eyes blood-red, and they were making unconscious primal howls from their mouths.


    These transformed monsters, once they left the houses, wanted to scatter into the distance.


    It seemed that living humans in the distance had an instinctual allure to them, and the consequences would be unimaginable if these monsters were allowed to spread.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivator understood this well; he lightly flicked his fingers, sending out a beam of sword light.


    The sword light carried a chilling beauty; its speed was so swift in the darkness that it formed a web of swords¡ªits speed terrifyingly formidable.


    Under the sword light, every monster was decapitated, and the horrifying energy of the Foundation Establishment Stage even turned the monsters'' bodies into bloody fluid after decapitation.


    "Nephew Gu, have the authorities come over to seal off this area, isolate the contaminated region from the others, and wait until the residue is dispersed before entering!" The Foundation Establishment Cultivator''s expression was grim as he spoke sternly.


    He was certainly in a bad mood¡ªin spite of his abilities, a minor in the Qi Refinement Realm had caused such a commotion under his watch.


    This was a blow to his pride, and though he had successfully killed the opponent, he dreaded the mockery of his friends from the sect once they knew of the incident.


    "I''ll handle it immediately," Gu Jia said, not daring to say much. In such times, it was wiser to speak less.


    He turned and went to inform the Imperial Family, who would take over from there.


    Li Shiming, seeing that the cultivator was dead, finally jumped down from the roof, keen to inspect the scene of the battle.


    Though he had watched the battle through the monocular, it had been from a distance. Since this had been an encounter involving a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, such an opportunity might not present itself for a long time; he wanted to observe closer.


    "What''s this?" As he walked past the residence where the cultivator had been, he noticed a bag by the roadside.


    Li Shiming picked up the bag and discovered it was a storage bag; with a thought, he promptly stored it in his own spatial storage.


    Since he had discovered the cultivator, he had played a role in the incident, and it seemed only right to keep the storage bag.


    He mentally justified his action, making himself more comfortable with the idea of keeping it.


    He hurried towards where the Foundation Establishment Cultivator was, only to see him holding a storage bag, likely inspecting the items inside it.


    "You''ve done well, but the items in this storage bag are too malevolent and unsuitable for you. I won''t share them with you, but I will reward you later!" the Foundation Establishment Cultivator waved dismissively.

 Chapter 62 Rewards

    ```


    Li Shiming returned home somewhat puzzled, why would the Xuanming Sect cultivator carry two Spatial Bags?


    He wasn''t feeling any pressure, since the Foundation Establishment Cultivator had found the Xuanming Sect cultivator''s Spatial Bag, it''s likely they wouldn''t think there was a second one.


    Having not slept for several nights, even a cultivator would feel incredibly fatigued with such low strength.


    Before going to sleep, he entered his consciousness into the room''s space.


    He observed the picked-up Spatial Bag, which looked different from ordinary Spatial Bags no matter how he looked at it.


    He shook his head, deciding not to concern himself with the appearance of the Spatial Bag.@@@@


    The ones he had obtained before were all owned by Loose Cultivators, so maybe the Spatial Bags of sect cultivators were different.


    Thinking this, he took out the Spatial Bag from the room''s space and then infused it with spiritual power.


    As Li Shiming sensed the contents of the Spatial Bag, he nearly threw it out of his hands.


    Because inside the Spatial Bag was not the items he had imagined, but a corpse instead.


    He wasn''t someone who had never seen a corpse, but this one was completely different from any he had seen before.


    The corpse was draped in a black robe, its exposed skin showing a bronze color.


    Most crucially, the body carried a yin cold spiritual power fluctuation, and this yin cold spiritual power was circulating within it.


    The environment inside the Spatial Bag was also different from a normal one, filled with yin cold energy, perfectly suiting the state of the corpse.


    "This is not a Spatial Bag, but a bag for Corpse Refining!" Li Shiming knew what he had stumbled upon. He didn''t know the name of the bag, but he knew its purpose.


    He was worried about whether the refined corpse might come out of the bag, but fortunately, it was very well-behaved inside the bag, remaining motionless as the yin cold spiritual power circulated.


    Li Shiming didn''t know what to do with the refined corpse, but since it was harmless, he decided to put it away for now.


    Although I discovered the ''Dragon Drawing Technique'' during my travels outside, it has already been reported to the sect, so this technique may only be learned by you and must not be divulged, do you understand?" Junior Master Cui said solemnly.


    "Thank you, Elder, I will definitely comply!" Li Shiming bowed and thanked him earnestly.


    "Learn it right here, and after you''ve mastered it, I will take back the Jade Scroll!" Junior Master Cui said as he took out a long, green jade scroll and placed it before Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming took the Jade Scroll; this was his first encounter with a Jade Scroll, having only heard about it in books before.


    A Jade Scroll is a treasure in the Cultivation World for recording cultivation techniques, and its contents can survive for tens of thousands of years unaffected, far longer than paper.


    Moreover, many profound cultivation techniques in the Cultivation World contain massive amounts of content that would require an impractical amount of paper if recorded in book form.


    A single Jade Scroll, however, can store vast amounts of content. Sects extensively use Jade Scrolls as carriers for the inheritance of cultivation techniques.


    "Place the Jade Scroll on your forehead and concentrate your mind to perceive it!" Junior Master Cui saw Li Shiming looking somewhat at a loss and reminded him with a smile.


    Li Shiming placed the Jade Scroll on his forehead and focused his consciousness there; soon after, a stream of information entered his mind.


    The content transmitted by the Jade Scroll included diagrams and text. Fortunately, the ''Dragon Drawing Technique'' was not particularly profound, so even without the help of the IBMz15, with a cultivator''s memory, he could memorize it after going over it several times.


    He not only memorized it for himself but also created a document in the IBMz15, recording the ''Dragon Drawing Technique'' within.


    He didn''t show anything exceptional, going through the content of the ''Dragon Drawing Technique'' five times via the Jade Scroll. When he felt that the time taken was approximately that of normal memorization, he finally removed the Jade Scroll from his forehead.


    "The ''Dragon Drawing Technique'' is a universal method for controlling magic artifacts and can also be regarded as an introductory technique for sword cultivators; do not let it down!" Junior Master Cui waved his hand gently, took back the Jade Scroll from Li Shiming''s hand, and instructed.


    After finishing, Junior Master Cui waved his hand.


    Li Shiming, of course, understood his meaning, bowed respectfully, and left the room.


    "Getting recognition from Junior Master Cui before the Ascension Conference means your position as a junior disciple is destined. Practice the ''Dragon Drawing Technique'' well; once you reach the sect, you will understand the preciousness of the ''Dragon Drawing Technique''!" Gu Jia said as he patted Li Shiming''s shoulder while sending him off.


    "I must thank my fellow Daoist as well!" Li Shiming bowed and spoke earnestly.


    He could tell from Junior Master Cui''s words that Gu Jia had spoken highly of him; otherwise, Junior Master Cui may not have regarded him so highly.

 Chapter 63 The Third Layer (Please collect, please follow!)

    In his study, Li Shiming took out a Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact, which he had obtained from Shi Ximing''s storage bag.


    This Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact was also the only magical artifact he could publicly reveal at this point.


    The Hao Family cultivators had provided him with many magical artifacts, but those artifacts bore the markings of the Hao Family; at least within the Central Capital, he would not let these artifacts appear.


    Recalling the content of the Dragon Drawing Technique in his mind, because it was a formal inheritance, the Dragon Drawing Technique came with detailed explanations, so there was no need for him to explore on his own.


    On Li Shiming''s finger, a gleam of Spiritual Power shone as he flicked his finger against the spine of the Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact.@@@@


    Find exclusive stories on empire


    With the flick of his finger, the Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact''s blade trembled slightly, and the rune array pattern hidden within faintly revealed itself.


    "Dragon Drawing!" Li Shiming softly chanted.


    His finger traced over the now-visible rune array pattern, the Spiritual Power on his fingertip deepening the marks of the rune array pattern, making the originally faintly visible rune array pattern clear.


    Li Shiming''s spiritual power circled within him according to the chant of the Dragon Drawing Technique as he focused his eyes on the rune array pattern.


    Even though he had no research into rune arrays, under the influence of the Dragon Drawing Technique, a bright spot appeared on the rune array pattern.


    "Eyes!" He pressed his finger on that bright spot, and along with his finger, a bit of his consciousness followed.


    Gradually, the rune array pattern dissipated, and the Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact remained unchanged in appearance.


    But in Li Shiming''s perception, he now shared a slight connection with the Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact.


    Although this connection was not very strong, this was only the first time he had used the Dragon Drawing Technique. As he continued to strengthen his connection with the Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact through the Dragon Drawing Technique, the bond between them would grow even tighter.


    "Fiery Flame Sword, from now on, follow me!" Through establishing a connection with the Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact, he learned the name of the artifact.


    Holding the Fiery Flame Sword in his hand, he felt completely different from before.


    In the past, he had used the Fiery Flame Sword to kill worldly experts, relying solely on a cultivator''s reaction speed, making his use of the Fiery Flame Sword no different from a mortal''s.


    Underneath the bed was an underground chamber, one that hadn''t existed before but was dug out by Li Shiming himself.


    To diminish the Spiritual Power Pattern fluctuations of the Gathering Spirit Plate, with the intervening layer of earth, most of the fluctuations were absorbed by the soil.


    He retrieved the Gathering Spirit Plate from the machinery space, and while waiting for the plate to enhance the concentration of Spiritual Energy in the underground chamber, he looked at it and thought of his own fortune.


    In his time in the Central Capital, he had heard other Cultivators talk about the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    Every Loose Cultivator who mentioned the Gathering Spirit Plate had a glint of envy in their eyes¡ªa longing for something greatly anticipated yet out of reach.


    Normally, only late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators from wealthy sects could possess a Gathering Spirit Plate. It''s unknown by what means Zheng, that junior sister from the Sky Sea Sect, obtained one with just the strength of a Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivator.


    Li Shiming also realized that perhaps his spirit root seeds and natural talent were not as good as he had imagined. With an Early-stage Qi Refining Cultivator possessing a cultivation aid like the Gathering Spirit Plate, how could his cultivation speed not be fast?


    This made him even more cautious about concealing the existence of the Gathering Spirit Plate; he needed to be extra careful.


    Feeling the concentration of Spiritual Energy in the underground chamber reaching a certain level, Li Shiming sat above the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    The "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" started circulating, and the Spiritual Energy Vortex inside of him, which had been empty, kept pulling in the gathered Spiritual Energy.


    Perhaps it was because he had learned the "Dragon Drawing Technique," but he felt his understanding of Spiritual Power Pattern deepen during today''s cultivation.


    As he circulated the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique," he clearly sensed the flow path of some Spiritual Power Pattern within the Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    "This strand of Spiritual Power Pattern seems to flow more reasonably like this!" As he sensed a strand of Spiritual Power Pattern within the Spiritual Energy Vortex, an idea came to him.


    In the midst of cultivation, the strand of Spiritual Power Pattern seemed to change its flow path consciously, in accordance with his thoughts.


    "Indeed, it''s more reasonable this way!" Engrossed in cultivation, he instinctively adjusted the Spiritual Power Pattern within the Spiritual Energy Vortex according to what he believed was the most logical path.


    One by one, after changing the flow paths of ten strands of Spiritual Power Pattern, he could only alter a very small part of the Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    Yet, the effect substantially increased the vortex''s rotation speed, and with it, the speed of absorbing Spiritual Energy increased as well.


    Unbeknownst to him, the Spiritual Power Pattern within the Spiritual Energy Vortex surpassed a certain limit and expanded outward by one layer.


    He had become a Qi Refining Third Level Cultivator, reaching the final stage of Early-stage Qi Refining.

 Chapter 64 Parting (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    After reaching the Qi Refining Third Level, Li Shiming felt that practicing the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" slowed the pace of enhancing the Spiritual Energy Vortex significantly.


    Every day, by practicing with the Gathering Spirit Plate, he would need at least two years to reach the Qi Refining Fourth Level.


    However, the Spiritual Power Pattern within his body had greatly increased, which gave him the idea to imprint his own mark on the High Grade Wood Sword.


    "Dragon Drawing!" As he lightly tapped on the wood sword, the Rune Array inside faintly surfaced, and as his finger swept over the Rune Array, the "Dragon Drawing Technique" made the Rune Array clearer.


    "Finishing Touch!" Three bright spots appeared on the Rune Array of the wood sword, and he tapped each one.


    "So, you are called the Qingyuan Wood Sword!" Holding the small wood sword, a smile appeared on Li Shiming''s face.


    He tried to channel the Spiritual Power Pattern inside his body into the Qingyuan Wood Sword, and in an instant half of his spiritual power was drawn by the Qingyuan Wood Sword.


    Just as he was shocked by the amount of spiritual power absorbed by the Qingyuan Wood Sword, he suddenly felt as if the sword was about to leave his hand.


    He let go, and the diminutive Qingyuan Wood Sword floated in the air, not because he used the "Object Driving Skill," but because the Qingyuan Wood Sword floated on its own.


    "Go!" Relying on the connection between him and the Qingyuan Wood Sword, he tried waving his hand, and the Qingyuan Wood Sword shot out.


    But with this action, the last half of his spiritual power inside was suddenly exhausted, barely maintaining the operation of the Spiritual Energy Vortex within his body.


    He quickly stopped controlling the Qingyuan Wood Sword, and by this time, the wood sword had already penetrated into the soil.


    Fortunately, he was low on Spiritual Power Pattern; otherwise, he would need to dig open the ground to find the Qingyuan Wood Sword.


    "Does this count as a flying sword?" Li Shiming thought about the sensation of using the Qingyuan Wood Sword just now, and he couldn''t help thinking of a scene where Junior Master Cui used swordlight. Although their swordsmanship was incomparable, the Qingyuan Wood Sword did indeed fly according to his thoughts when it was in the air.


    In the days that followed, several more tasks that consumed spiritual power were added to Li Shiming''s daily routine, in addition to the fixed consumption of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill," there was also the casting of the "Dragon Drawing Technique."


    The Fiery Flame Sword, Qingyuan Wood Sword, and a white magic robe named "Breeze Robe"; fortunately, after reaching the Qi Refining Third Level, the spiritual power within his body had more than doubled, allowing him to sustain such consumption.


    As his connection with several magic artifacts strengthened, using the Fiery Flame Sword became easier, and he could wield it as a normal weapon.


    However, the Fiery Flame Sword still couldn''t be freely controlled by the "Object Driving Skill," and he roughly guessed the reason.


    It could be said that Li WenYuan was extremely kind to him. Upon hearing that he had decided to join the cultivation sect, his reply expressed concern but did not oppose it.


    In Li WenYuan''s view, his son had grown up and had the right to choose his own path.


    Just as he himself had done years ago for his wife, breaking from the Central Capital Li Family and moving to Nanling Prefecture.


    Speaking of the Central Capital Li Family, after Li Shiming received the "Advanced Scholar" plaque, an elder from the clan wanted to take the "Advanced Scholar" plaque back to the ancestral hall.


    However, Li Shiming did not even allow the elder into his house. As long as Li WenYuan did not change his mind, he would have no contact with the Central Capital Li Family.


    Steward Zhang was a bit confused. Living in the Central Capital, how could one not have heard the legends of immortals?


    Although the news was censored, the incident that occurred earlier in the city, where dozens of civilian homes were exterminated, was not entirely concealed. It was said to have been caused by the spread of a battle between immortals.


    "Mo Yan, follow Steward Zhang and learn well. Be more steady!" Li Shiming turned his head and instructed Mo Yan.


    "Young Master!" Mo Yan replied, his expression somber.


    Li Shiming intended for him to become a steward, a fact that Steward Zhang surely understood.


    "Si Qin, I have left you some silver. In the letter to my father, I have also asked him to find you a good family once you come of age!" He finally looked at Si Qin and said softly.


    What concerned him the most was Si Qin. If not for the sect''s rule against bringing mortals, he would have liked to take Si Qin with him.


    "Young Master, I can''t bear to part with you!" Si Qin burst into tears, clutching Li Shiming''s clothes as she sobbed.


    "Young Master, I am not saying goodbye forever. At most in three to five years, I will be able to leave the sect for missions, and I will come back to see you!" Li Shiming comforted her softly.


    He had left a thousand taels of silver for Si Qin, along with several precious jewelry pieces, all mundane objects obtained from a cultivator''s storage bag.


    Unable to accompany Si Qin, this was all he could do for her.


    "You must come back to see me!" Si Qin murmured in a very soft voice.


    Her voice was so low that neither Mo Yan nor Steward Zhang heard her, but with his heightened senses, Li Shiming heard her clearly.

 Chapter 65 Ascension (Please collect, please follow!)

    On October 1st, Li Shiming left his home quietly before dawn, no longer wanting to see Si Qin''s tears, who had cried last night until late before drifting off to sleep.


    He activated the "Light Body Skill" on himself, first withdrawing the four surveillance probes.


    If all went smoothly, he would not return for some time.


    After deploying the "Invisibility Technique," he sped through Central Capital and then scaled the city wall to leave the city.


    When he arrived at the base of Heavenly Altar Mountain, numerous carriages were already making their way towards the Heavenly Altar at the summit.


    This Ascension Conference was to be held at the Heavenly Altar, where all the young individuals ready to have their talents tested, as well as Loose Cultivators aspiring to join sects, would gather today.


    Li Shiming slowed his pace, observing the youngsters who curiously peered out of the carriages.


    These youths all shared a distinguishing feature: their eyes were exceptionally spirited, yet their bodies were frail.


    Generally speaking, at the age of twelve, those with talent would develop spirit root seeds, a process that requires a substantial amount of energy.


    This leads to a significant energy deficit in the growing youths'' bodies, generally resulting in their thin and frail appearance.


    Furthermore, the fewer the spirit root seeds, the stronger the talent of the youth, and the greater the energy demanded by the spirit root seeds in their body.


    Such talents, if born into affluent households, would generally fare well, but if born into impoverished ones, they might perish prematurely.


    After countless years of holding the Ascension Conference, society had developed a basic screening process for these youths with spirit root seeds.


    Youths with spirit root seeds are especially intelligent, their eyes full of Spiritual Energy, apart from being physically weak.


    Of course, the people involved in the screening from Great Xia do not know the specific reasons behind it, only that it is led by the Imperial Family as an essential task.


    Even at this moment, a large portion of the youths arriving and their escorts are equally unaware of the reasons.


    Given the rarity of spirit root seeds, the majority of these youths are just ordinary people, and this trip is merely a form of tourism for them.


    When Li Shiming reached the summit, he saw Gu Jia standing in front of the Praying Hall, with the Guard Army maintaining order on the square below.


    Gu Jia saw Li Shiming and smiled, waving his hand.


    The soldiers of the Guard Army opened a passage, allowing Li Shiming to approach Gu Jia.


    As they were speaking, two more figures appeared on either side of Junior Master Zhao.


    Through the Spiritual Power Pattern fluctuations, although Li Shiming couldn''t determine the exact capabilities of the two Cultivators who appeared later, he was certain they were not Foundation Establishment Cultivators; only Junior Master Zhao had an extremely hidden aura that he couldn''t decipher.


    However, he did not need to make that judgment; since Gu Jia had already addressed him as Junior Master, Junior Master Zhao was indeed the Foundation Establishment Cultivator sent by the sect this time.


    "Nephew Gu, dispense with formalities, let''s get started!" Junior Master Zhao nodded and gestured Gu Jia to proceed.


    He walked into the Praying Hall, the two accompanying Cultivators nodded to Gu Jia, gestured briefly, and then entered the door with Gu Jia.


    As he entered, Gu Jia beckoned to Li Shiming, who then followed inside.


    Junior Master Zhao sat cross-legged in the center, took out a jade wall engraved with a dragon from his storage bag, and placed it on the wooden table in front of him.


    "Junior Master Zhao, this is Li Shiming, born and raised in Great Xia. His background is clear, he has an immortal fate and received heritage, and he has no connections with other sects or forces!" Gu Jia stepped forward and introduced Li Shiming.


    "It''s rare, being able to cultivate to Qi Refining Third Level just from a single heritage, and he looks quite young too. Come over!" Junior Master Zhao said with a smile.


    He was not much surprised by Gu Jia''s introduction.


    As long as a talented individual appeared within their stationed area, these stationed Cultivators would do their utmost to assist.


    The reason was that if any of these talents grew up, it would bring rewards to the stationed Cultivator.


    This was encouraged by the sect, and with such benefits, stationed Cultivators would put their full effort into scouting talents for the sect.


    Li Shiming approached the Spirit Testing Wall somewhat nervously; Junior Master Zhao cast a spell, and Spiritual Power Pattern surged on the jade wall.


    "Place your hands on the Spirit Testing Wall!" Junior Master Zhao said sternly.


    Li Shiming extended his hands and placed them on the Spirit Testing Wall.


    He felt a stream of Spiritual Energy entering his body, circulating once before returning to the Spirit Testing Wall.


    Three beams of light emerged from the Spirit Testing Wall, one gold, one red, and one green.


    "Age sixteen years and seven months, possessing gold, fire, and wood spirit roots, meeting the recruitment criteria of the Heavenly Sea Sect. Would you like to join the Heavenly Sea Sect?" Junior Master Zhao asked Li Shiming with a smiling face. Find exclusive stories on empire


    "I would!" With his worries alleviated, Li Shiming replied solemnly.


    The presence of three spirit root seeds did not surprise him; he had suspected as much ever since he sensed three types of Spiritual Energy while practicing the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique."

 Chapter 66 Flying Boat (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    "Nephew Gu, this is a good start, hopefully, more promising youngsters will follow!" Junior Master Zhao seemed to be in good spirits.


    "That''s all thanks to the good fortune shining upon you, Uncle!" Gu Jia said, complimenting with a smile.


    His gaze upon Li Shiming was also full of satisfaction, he hadn''t expected Li Shiming to possess the talent of single or dual spirit roots, as such talents were exceedingly rare.


    Overall, Li Shiming''s talent was acceptable, meeting the criteria for joining the Sky Sea Sect, and there was no need to call upon Junior Master Cui''s influence.


    "Li Shiming, you will be managing affairs with those two, with your strength, you are more than capable of overawing the newcomers!" Junior Master Zhao instructed Li Shiming.


    "Yes, senior!" Li Shiming bowed in response.


    "Change your address to Junior Master; after you join the sect, you will soon be transferred to an official disciple!" After arranging Li Shiming''s work, Junior Master Zhao''s attitude towards him softened considerably.


    "Thank you, Junior Master!" Li Shiming bowed again.


    He made his way to the two cultivators, who, pleased to have someone to assist them, nodded with a smile.


    "Li Shiming, let the next one in!" Junior Master Zhao quickly tasked Li Shiming with another command.


    Li Shiming stepped out of the Praying Hall, and the gazes of hundreds of young men and women fell upon him, besides the soldiers of the New Guard Army.


    He was the first to enter. Those unclear about the details wanted to know what had happened, and those aware of the Ascension Conference wondered if he had passed.


    "The first one in line, come in!" Li Shiming ignored those gazes and addressed the youth wearing the Four-Clawed Golden Dragon garment at the forefront.


    The youth''s eyes flashed with an indescribable expression. He walked briskly up the steps and gave Li Shiming a scrutinizing look before entering the Praying Hall.


    Li Shiming had no inclination to guess the youth''s thoughts; he followed him back into the Praying Hall.


    Without any idle talk, Junior Master Zhao didn''t even utter a word before the cultivator beside him motioned for the youth to place his hand on the Spirit Testing Wall.


    "Age, fifteen years and five months, Four Spirit Roots of water, fire, earth, and wood!" The cultivator declared, checking the height of the four light pillars before adding, "The quality of the spirit roots meets the standard, test passed!"


    A look of wild joy appeared on the youth''s face, but he quickly concealed it, adopting an arrogant demeanor instead.


    "Next!" the cultivator addressed Li Shiming.


    Just as Li Shiming was about to follow Junior Master Zhao out of the Praying Hall, several figures appeared outside.


    "Greetings to Mr. Zhao. This year''s prospects are plentiful, it seems that the Sky Sea Sect is expecting another bountiful harvest!" said one cultivator with a smile while greeting Junior Master Zhao.


    The sudden appearance of several cultivators made Li Shiming tense up for a moment, but seeing that these cultivators didn''t seem to be foes, he then relaxed.


    When these cultivators looked at Li Shiming and the other four young men and women, the eagerness in their eyes made him feel that if Junior Master Zhao hadn''t been there, these cultivators might have tried to snatch them away.


    "The remaining eight all have spirit root seeds. With proper cultivation, perhaps some will turn out well!" Junior Master Zhao nodded in response.


    Hearing about the other eight with spirit root seeds, the cultivators lost interest in speaking further with Junior Master Zhao and headed into the Praying Hall.


    Fearing they would miss out to other cultivators, the youths with spirit roots could learn the various arts of cultivation, and at the very least, they could be valuable labor in the cultivation world.


    "These are the smaller sects dependent on our sect. They control very little in the realm of mortals, so they need to supplement their reserve of those with spirit root seeds!" Senior Brother Ma whispered an explanation to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming couldn''t help but feel fortunate that joining a great sect like the Sky Sea Sect was far superior to the smaller ones. Considering how the minor sects were taking in those with spirit root seeds whom the Sky Sea Sect didn''t want, it was evident how scarce their talent was.


    Outside the Praying Hall, the chosen youths were already sent away, returning to their normal lives.


    Perhaps many of them did not realize that they were merely a step away from the world of cultivation, just missing the chance to step into an even higher world.


    With a wave of his hand from Junior Master Zhao, Li Shiming felt his body lighten, and a soft surge of spiritual energy lifted him off the ground, making him ascend.


    After passing through a barrier, he saw a Flying Boat appearing before him.


    The Flying Boat, around twenty meters in length, had a two-story pavilion with carved beams and painted rafters on the deck. At each corner of the pavilion hung a palace lantern.


    Once they landed on the deck, he noticed the deck flickered with spiritual light; the deck was actually made from cultivation materials.


    He began to reassess the Flying Boat, struggling to imagine how many cultivation materials would be needed to construct such a vessel.


    The doors to the two-story pavilion opened, and Junior Master Zhao entered first.


    "Everyone come in. Don''t go to the second floor; just stay on the first. The second floor is Junior Master Zhao''s resting area," Senior Brother Ma told the group.


    Walking through the door, Li Shiming first felt an intense spiritual energy, even more concentrated than when he used the Gathering Spirit Plate.

 Chapter 67 Sailing the Boat (Please collect, please follow!)

    "These recruits from other nations, you may sit aside, you can cultivate or rest, but refrain from making loud noises!" Senior Brother Ma instructed several people, then turned to Li Shiming and said, "Junior Li, you will take over our shift. Here is a Warning Talisman. Activate the talisman immediately if you detect anything unusual!"


    Senior Brother Ma handed a talisman to Li Shiming, who received it in his hands.


    The first floor space was roughly a hundred square meters, devoid of any decoration, only furnished with individual meditation cushions.


    Each newcomer sat on a cushion, either whispering among themselves or lying prostrate.


    The talisman in his hand was the control talisman for the first floor. When not activated, it could be recognized by the Array on the first floor, allowing one to open the main door and walk out onto the deck using the talisman.


    This must be a benefit for the duty cultivators. In such an enclosed environment, the ability to relax on the deck is a luxury.


    Li Shiming was assigned to the first shift. Senior Brother Wu was not tired and could accompany him.


    Senior Brother Wu spoke little, likely due to his temperament, but he bore no ill will toward Li Shiming.


    "Li, I''m Jin Shufeng, and this is my sister Jin Fengzhi. We are both from Great Xia and hope to look out for each other," said the royal youth in a robe embroidered with a Four-clawed Golden Dragon as Li Shiming walked by.


    Li Shiming had already noticed him. He had previously exchanged words with two other youths from Great Xia, and his background, along with his sister''s spirit root talents, quickly established his leading position within the small group.


    Jin Shufeng invited Li Shiming to join the group because of Li Shiming''s unique situation at the time.


    He was unaware of Li Shiming''s spirit root, but as a Prince of Great Xia, how could the subjects under Great Xia not give him face and obey his arrangements.


    In fact, before the Ascension Conference, the Great Xia Royal Family had tested him and Jin Fengzhi''s spirit roots using their connections.


    After learning that Jin Shufeng''s spirit root enabled him to join the Sky Sea Sect, he received extra care from the royal family.


    Although Jinpingzi was female, and her spirit roots were slightly better, her prospects for advancement were still not as promising as Jin Shufeng''s, at least that''s what the Great Xia Royal Family believed.


    This also fostered Jin Shufeng''s proud character. Previously, with Junior Master Zhao and two other Senior Brothers around, he refrained from showing it off, but now he had the opportunity.


    Jin Shufeng saw the value in Li Shiming; if Li Shiming could obey him, he could then dominate more youths on this first floor, gaining greater influence for his small group.


    "This is some spirit food I obtained by chance, and there''s some left!"


    "Spirit bamboo shoot, haven''t had that in a long time!" Senior Brother Ma''s eyes lit up as he said this, and he grabbed a large chunk and put it in his mouth.


    A look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and it must be known that for Qi Refinement cultivators like them, having spirit rice was already good, and it was rare to have excess spirit stones to purchase other kinds of spirit food.


    "Junior Li, if you still have spirit bamboo shoots, don''t eat them yourself. Better to exchange them for resources that can aid in cultivation after entering the sect!" Senior Brother Wu advised as he took a bite of the spirit bamboo shoot.


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    "Exactly. Eating spirit food might increase your Spiritual Power Pattern by so much, but if you can exchange it for a Spirit Pill, one pill can boost your Spiritual Power Pattern significantly!" Senior Brother Ma added.


    Despite just getting to know the two senior brothers, Li Shiming already felt their care.


    He showed his gratitude on his face, but he didn''t take it to heart too much; the friendship between cultivators was not so easily established.


    Gu Jia had already told him that upon first entering the sect, some senior brothers would try to befriend him.


    Perhaps some of those senior brothers were sincere, but more often they exploited the naivety of newbies in the Cultivation World to deceive them of their resources.


    As long as no force was used, if resources were lost to deception, the newbie could only consider themselves unlucky, and even the sect wouldn''t stand up for a fool.


    Being deceived within the sect could at most result in a loss of resources, but being deceived outside the sect could potentially cost one''s life.


    However, after sharing a spirit meal, Li Shiming''s relationship with the two senior brothers had considerably improved.


    Over the following days, the Flying Boat traveled a great distance, docking in three different nations and picked up nine more young boys.


    Including him, there were now thirty-one young boys with qualified spirit root seeds in the mortal domain of the Sky Sea Sect over five years, which indicated how rare spirit root seeds were.


    Jin Shufeng had been very active these past few days. He had recruited nine young boys to join his group and formed a significantly powerful faction on the first floor.


    Neither Master Zhao nor the two senior brothers had interfered with Jin Shufeng''s actions, and in the gazes they directed toward Junior Brother Li, a disdainful sentiment was evident.


    Li Shiming also received some good news, which was that they were preparing to return to the sect.

 Chapter 68 Interception (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    Li Shiming stood on the deck of the Flying Boat, with white clouds beneath his feet and the boundless void before him, where the heaven and earth intersected in a line.


    Even in his past life, he had never seen such a sight with his own eyes.


    Therefore, whenever he had the chance, he would stand on the deck to appreciate the rare beauty.


    It was a perk of his duty, as the thirty youths inside could only stay on the first floor every day.


    Apart from a designated area for washing up, they were confined to a single room for the rest of the time.


    It seemed that the Sky Sea Sect was using this method to inform the young that the first step in cultivating was to endure the life of confinement.


    The first floor of the Flying Boat was under the greatest protection of the Array to prevent the youths from coming to the deck, for their own good.@@@@


    Outside on the deck, there was only a single layer of the Array''s protective shield, which couldn''t block the cold wind from biting at one''s skin.


    Mortals could not bear it on the deck; only cultivators with Spiritual Power within themselves could move about freely.


    It wasn''t that the Flying Boat couldn''t protect the deck, but that it was unnecessary to waste energy doing so.


    Li Shiming''s gaze swept across the void ahead as the IBMz15 in the engine room sent out an alert.


    The IBMz15 was connected to his five senses, constantly running environmental comparisons.


    This had become his habit, though he hadn''t expected to encounter an anomaly on the Flying Boat.


    He quickly entered the IBMz15 in his mind to check what the anomaly was.


    It was a patch of clouds ahead that was floating in the air, seemingly very normal.


    But with the data comparison from the IBMz15, it was discovered that the cloud was moving in a cyclic pattern.


    In nature, while such events might occur, clouds moving in a continuous cycle were definitely problematic.


    Li Shiming put on his visor, took a surveillance probe in hand, and activated the infrared mode towards the front.


    Due to the distance, the infrared mode was extremely inaccurate, yet the unusual temperature differences that appeared in the sky were enough evidence for him of a problem.


    Their flight path had been decided before leaving their sect, opting for a route that would steer clear of the Xuanming Sect''s known area of conflict.


    If it weren''t for accurate intelligence, the Xuanming Sect would not have dispatched a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and four late-stage Qi Refining disciples to intercept their Flying Boat.


    "Hehe, you don''t need to know, because you won''t be able to return; not just you, the disciples on the Flying Boat behind you will join our Xuanming Sect!" the cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Stage on the other side said with a shrill laugh.


    Even from a great distance, Li Shiming still found the laughter grating, like a knife scraping against stone, making one feel nauseous and uncomfortable upon hearing it.


    He saw that both Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu staggered, and had it not been for Junior Master Zhao casting two spells to protect them, perhaps just the laughter of the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator could have made the two Senior Brothers fall from the sky.


    Li Shiming had never encountered such a strange power before; he recorded the voice of the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator, pondering how to deal with it.


    Because he was connected to the IBMz15, his thought process was immensely fast, and in an instant, he thought of a possible countermeasure.


    He pulled a chant called ''The Great Compassion Mantra'' from the IBMz15, playing it through his senses.


    The sound of ''The Great Compassion Mantra'' was audible only to him; others could not hear a hint of it.


    It was unclear whether the ''The Great Compassion Mantra'' was effective, or if most of the sensory resources were engaged by the IBMz15, but his discomfort vanished.


    Although the ''hehe'' laughter continued, it could no longer make him feel uncomfortable.


    "You think I won''t be able to return, but do you know this is the Sky Sea Sect''s territory, and you haven''t considered that you might not be able to return yourself by venturing so deep in?" Junior Master Zhao was not at all startled; instead, he laughed back in response.


    His laughter diluted the effects of the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator''s ''hehe'' laughter, relieving Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu quite a bit.


    "Brave words! I thought the Heavenly Sea Sect was full of cowards; it seems we are in for a proper fight today!" the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator said, full of killing intent.


    "Uncle Dai, come out and meet the devils of the Xuanming Sect together!" Junior Master Zhao called out towards the Flying Boat, ignoring the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    "Junior Zhao, I was still hoping to watch you fight this devil a bit longer, but it seems you are really in a hurry to return to the sect!" A figure rose into the air from the Flying Boat, riding a sword''s light as they flew out.


    It was only then that Li Shiming realized that Junior Master Zhao wasn''t the only one on the Flying Boat; there was also Uncle Dai.


    It seemed that this mission was not merely about retrieving new disciples but also included a plan against the Xuanming Sect.


    Otherwise, a mission to retrieve new disciples wouldn''t necessitate the involvement of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Lacking any power to choose, both Li Shiming and the thirty young men had their fates in the hands of the Sky Sea Sect''s cultivators; they could only hope that the Sky Sea Sect''s cultivators would resolve the trouble quickly.

 Chapter 69 Iron Corpse (Please collect, please follow!)

    "Hehe, I didn''t expect you to be prepared. However, I wonder how you discovered us?" The Xuanming Sect Foundation Establishment Cultivator asked, standing atop the black fog without a hint of panic.


    Junior Master Zhao and Uncle Dai did not instantly strike; battles between Foundation Establishment Cultivators are extremely perilous, and even against two opponents, they weren''t guaranteed victory.


    The main concern was the Xuanming Sect cultivators'' myriad of insidious methods which they needed to cautiously counter.


    "The disciples of Xuanming Sect have stretched their hands to the Great Xia Central Capital City. How could we possibly not notice the ambitions of Xuanming Sect!" Junior Master Zhao said coldly while channeling his Spiritual Power Pattern.


    "Damn it, which bastard ruined the plan!" The Xuanming Sect Foundation Establishment Cultivator cursed inwardly, very irritated.


    He knew that no cultivators from the sect were sent into the Great Xia Central Capital City, for it was a place of mortals.


    It was an unspoken rule that sect wars did not involve the mortal realm. If both sides targeted mortals, given the cultivators'' powers, they were capable of annihilating all mortals within their control.


    This would result in both sects lacking replenishment of spirit root seeds, leading to a lack of successors for both.


    This continent wasn''t just home to these two sects; if they were weakened, it would provide opportunities for other sects.


    As for activities of Xuanming Sect cultivators in the mortal realm, it was inevitable.


    Let alone the mortal realms under Sky Sea Sect''s control, even those under Xuanming Sect''s rule often saw cultivators causing trouble.


    This was due to the cultivation techniques practiced by Xuanming Sect. Many bizarre techniques became stronger and were mastered faster when supported by an abundance of flesh and blood.


    "Xuanming Sect hasn''t sent disciples into the mortal realm!" The Xuanming Sect Foundation Establishment Cultivator explained, needing to clarify this point.


    No matter whether the other party believed it or not, Xuanming Sect had to express their stance.


    "No need for more words!" Uncle Dai, seemingly impatient, swung his sword, sending a beam of light toward a Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator.


    His move signaled the beginning of a fierce battle. Junior Master Zhao sent a talisman flying toward the Xuanming Sect Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his task being to hold him off.


    Once Uncle Dai finished off the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivators, they could join forces to eliminate the Xuanming Sect Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    "Ah!" A scream rang out as a Qi Refining Cultivator from the opposite side was impaled through the heart by Uncle Dai''s sword, his body falling from the sky.


    Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu could only reluctantly fight back, as all four opposing Qi Refining Cultivators were in the late-stage Qi Refining, and they struggled to handle any one of them.


    They truly fought desperately, throwing out talismans as if they cost nothing, managing to block two late-stage Qi Refining Xuanming Sect cultivators.


    It was uncertain how long they could hold out, as this desperate struggle couldn''t last.


    Li Shiming saw two Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivators flying towards him, and at that moment, the Flying Boat suddenly flew downwards¡ªclearly, the two Foundation Establishment Masters also understood that if the Flying Boat was destroyed in the air, falling from such a height, no disciple would survive.


    The two Xuanming Sect Qi Refining disciples chased after the Flying Boat, quickly leaving the Foundation Establishment battleground far behind.


    "Stay calm!" Li Shiming suppressed the panic in his heart, his brain and the IBM z15 constantly exchanging information, analyzing and judging the situation on the battlefield.


    By now, he could see the environment below; the Flying Boat was heading toward a lake.


    "Good luck everyone!" he looked back and silently wished in his heart.


    The Flying Boat was equipped with an Array for protection, something he had come to understand over many days of missions.


    The Array could not withstand the sustained attack of two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators. This Flying Boat was not a combat vessel; to transport disciples who were mortals, it had fewer Arrays to make space for living facilities necessary for mortals.


    But if he could draw away one late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, the survival chances of the young ones inside the Flying Boat would be significantly greater.


    Of course, this was also his way of self-rescue. He could not entrust his life solely to the Flying Boat''s defenses.


    Knowing that the Flying Boat''s defenses couldn''t hold off the attacks of two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators for long, staying on the Flying Boat was tantamount to waiting for death.


    He instantly activated a ''Basic Light Body Talisman'' for himself and also reinforced it with the only ''Intermediate Earth Armor Talisman''.


    Besides, he reinforced himself with a ''Basic-level Invisibility Talisman'', making his figure disappear from sight.


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    He also knew that the effects of ''Invisibility Technique'' were extremely weak against cultivators, especially against late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    But at such a time, he wouldn''t pass up even the slightest chance to increase his chances of survival.

 Chapter 70 Underwater (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    When the flying boat was still fifty meters above the lake''s surface, Li Shiming leaped from the deck, his body tightly held straight as he plunged downwards.@@@@


    "Heh heh, a Qi Refining Early Stage kid trying to escape, I''ll go take care of it, you hurry up with the flying boat!" a Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator told his comrade.


    After speaking, he broke away from his associate and chased after Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming''s body entered the water like a needle, minimizing the splash to penetrate deeper into the water.


    Just now, he had consulted the national diving team''s research documents through an IBMz15, and with a cultivator''s control over their body, although he couldn''t reach a perfect score of 10 points, he believed he could surely score at least 9.5 points without a problem.


    Once submerged, due to the lack of a spell for breathing underwater, he immediately took out an oxygen bottle and a breathing mask from the mechanical space room.


    He had prepared this well in advance, when he saw the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivators release poison gas within Central Capital, he had thought of countermeasures and made the oxygen bottles and breathing masks.


    Only he hadn''t anticipated that the first use of the oxygen bottle and mask would be for underwater activity.


    He vigorously moved his limbs, trying to increase his swimming speed, to get as far away as possible.


    But he hadn''t swum far before he realized how flawed his choice was.


    The moment the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator entered the water, a cloud of black mist blocked the water from closing in.


    In the water, the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator moved slower, but compared to Li Shiming''s normal human swimming, it was many times faster.


    So even though Li Shiming was the first to enter the water, the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator soon caught up.


    The Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator looked at the struggling Li Shiming, who was using both hands and feet, and a strange expression flashed across his face.


    He truly hadn''t expected someone with only normal human underwater abilities to have the courage to dive in.


    He also noticed Li Shiming''s age, and comparing it with Li Shiming''s Qi Refining Third Level, he assumed this must be a talented spirit root seedling harvested by the Sky Sea Sect this time.


    "What a pity, the order from my uncle-master is to exterminate, otherwise, you could have become my junior brother!


    Such good talent, should I leave a whole corpse for Corpse Refining, perhaps I could obtain a refined corpse of similar quality to my uncle-master''s!" the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator muttered brazenly to himself.


    Even the role of spiritual power within it lacked sufficient theoretical basis at the current stage of IBMz15''s research, and the conclusions were likely to be erroneous.


    However, at this moment, Li Shiming couldn''t care less.


    He opened his mouth, from which emerged ultra-low frequencies and high-decibel sound waves, and he began singing the ''Great Compassion Mantra''.


    Although he didn''t know how to infuse spiritual power into the sound, with IBMz15''s control imitating the method of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Xuanming Sect, the ''Great Compassion Mantra'' was still infused with spiritual power.


    The Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect never expected that Li Shiming would begin chanting Buddhist scripture.


    What was most bizarre was how the Early Stage Qi Refining Cultivator was managing to chant both the scripture and its accompaniment using just his mouth.


    The Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect only felt his spirit impacted, as Buddhist scriptures inherently restrained Devil Cultivators. Furthermore, Li Shiming inexplicably deployed a bit of Xuanming Sect''s ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'' technique, which multiplied the effect of the Buddhist scripture several times over.


    Of course, it wasn''t possible to kill the Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect with just a bit of Buddhist scripture; it could only momentarily affect the cultivator''s psyche.


    As Li Shiming chanted the ''Great Compassion Mantra'', the water around them ceased to be repelled, pressing towards both him and the Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect.


    With a wave of his hand, the Qingyuan Wood Sword shot out, carrying most of the spiritual power within his body.


    This was his strongest attack method, and at that moment, his only one.


    In such close proximity underwater, using either a ''white phosphorus grenade'' or an ''incendiary grenade'' would have resulted in mutual destruction, and while he was prepared for a desperate final stand, he opted for the Qingyuan Wood Sword, as there was still a chance to survive.


    The Qingyuan Wood Sword flew out, and due to the impact of the ''Great Compassion Mantra'', the defensive spells surrounding the body of the Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect automatically dispersed, causing the lake''s pressure to bear down.


    Similarly, the Qingyuan Wood Sword faced no obstacles and pierced into the heart of the Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect.


    After his heart was pierced, the Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect regained his clarity of mind, but by then it was too late.


    He looked toward Li Shiming incredulously, having treated him as a mere child''s play because of his absolute advantage.


    Under normal circumstances, even if he stood still, the attacks of a Qi Refining Third Level cultivator shouldn''t have been able to breach his defenses.


    But the reality struck him hard, and took his life along with it. A Qi Refining Third Level cultivator held a High Grade Attack Magic Item in his hands and was even able to drive Buddhist scriptures with ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'', and all this irrationality led to his demise.

 Chapter 71 Rescue (Please collect, please follow!)

    Li Shiming felt a wave of weakness throughout his body, with less than one-third of his spiritual power remaining.


    He withdrew his Qingyuan Wood Sword and grabbed the body of a Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator, stowing it away in the mechanical space.


    He didn''t have time to check the belongings of the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator, deciding to just collect them for now.


    From underwater, he looked toward the surface where the Flying Boat had landed on the lake, sending huge ripples spreading across the water.


    It appeared that another Xuan Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator was attacking the Flying Boat.


    Li Shiming had no intention of helping. He had been fortunate enough to kill a Qi Refining late-stage cultivator of the Xuanming Sect and didn''t believe he could handle another late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.


    Just now, if the Xuanming Sect late-stage Qi Refining cultivator had not wanted to leave his body intact or had wanted to play cat and mouse, he would have been killed from afar many times over.


    From this experience, he silently reminded himself, when fighting lions unleash all your strength, likewise when fighting rabbits.


    Facing any enemy, one must never let their guard down; otherwise, they''d end up dead just like the Xuanming Sect late-stage Qi Refining cultivator a moment ago.


    Li Shiming''s oxygen tank could support him for at least thirty minutes, he planned to survive by any means possible, having already exceeded what was expected of him.


    As for the young men on the Flying Boat, their fate was now in their own hands.


    Inside the first floor of the Flying Boat, thirty young men had never encountered such a situation and did not even know what was happening outside.


    They only knew the Flying Boat was suddenly descending, followed by continuous booming sounds as the Flying Boat shook violently.


    "Where is the immortal master?" a young man shouted in panic.


    Unfortunately, no one answered him; there were only more panic-filled screams. Explore more at empire


    "Don''t be afraid, let''s unite and face this together!" Jin Shufeng suppressed the fear in his heart dramatically and spoke sternly to the young men around him.


    If not for his trembling legs betraying him, perhaps the other young men might have believed him.


    Regardless, his small group, confused, did gather around him.


    His sister, Jin Fengzhi, did not join them; she was very clear on what kind of person her brother was. Normally, it didn''t matter, but at times like this, she wouldn''t trust Jin Shufeng.


    Surrounded by many young men, Jin Shufeng felt a bit more secure, thinking that even in the face of death, these young men would die first, giving him more time to live.


    His interactions with Li Shiming were not frequent, but his impression of Li Shiming was extremely good.


    Li Shiming had helped him resolve the incident with the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivators in Central Capital, and for this, he owed him a favor.


    "Does anyone know where Li Shiming is?" Junior Master Cui asked aloud.


    His voice greatly calmed the teenagers, many of whom were still in a state where their brains were not functioning normally, unsure of how to respond to his question.


    "Respectable Immortal Master, Brother Li lured a cultivator into the water!" Jin Fengzhi, one of the few disciples who had observed the outside from the Flying Boat''s window, answered nervously.


    Upon hearing this, Junior Master Cui''s figure flashed off the Flying Boat, and then a sword light entered the water.


    Li Shiming, who had been hiding well, suddenly found his body uncontrollably being lifted at high speed through the water.


    He tried to break free, but his body was completely out of his control.


    He almost tried to take out an ''aluminum thermite grenade'' from the space in the engine room, but he didn''t even know where the enemy was. How could he use it?


    In his anxiety, he emerged from the water and saw a person standing on the sword light.


    "Junior Master Cui!" he exclaimed in surprise.


    "You did well by drawing away a Xuanming Sect cultivator," Junior Master Cui nodded approvingly.


    He did not believe Li Shiming alone could handle a Xuanming Sect cultivator. Just as he had discovered Li Shiming with his sword light, Li Shiming must have narrowly escaped the Xuanming Sect cultivator''s pursuit.


    As for that Xuanming Sect cultivator, perhaps he fled upon seeing Junior Master Cui''s sword light.


    Junior Master Cui did not bother to pursue him¡ªit was just a minor Qi Refinement cultivator.


    "Stay on the Flying Boat!" Junior Master Cui instructed, as the sword light carried Li Shiming onto the Flying Boat''s deck.


    He himself flew towards the sky, likely to join in the battle with the distant Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Li Shiming steadied his mind and entered the first floor. He saw the young boys and girls huddled together, and dead bodies were everywhere.


    He also saw the body of the Xuanming Sect cultivator, his head separated from his body.


    "How tragic!" he thought to himself with a helpless shake of his head.


    Out of the thirty teenagers, only nine remained; the rest had become corpses.

 Chapter 72 The End (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    Although Li Shiming had witnessed the cruelty of the Cultivation World several times, when he saw the boys he had spent many days with become cold corpses, he deeply felt the malice of the Cultivation World.


    He had little interaction with these boys and thus didn''t have deep feelings for them, his heart mostly filled with a sense of sorrow for the dead.


    "Isn''t that Jin Shufeng?" he saw Jin Shufeng''s body.


    The previous schemes became a joke in the face of absolute power, without corresponding strength, one must cower.


    Li Shiming thought this as he gathered the bodies of the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivators into his storage bag; during this process, he noticed Junior Master Cui had not taken the storage bag from this Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator.


    He took down the storage bag and hung it at his waist, preparing to return it to Junior Master Cui when he came back.


    Having done this, he started to arrange the bodies of the boys on the ground, neatly lining them up and finding missing parts to attach back.


    His adept movements let the remaining boys clustered together notice, and Jin Fengzhi, pale-faced, was the first to stand up and help move the bodies.


    Then three more boys joined in, but the remaining five boys dared not move at all.


    Li Shiming said nothing; these boys ranged from twelve to seventeen years old, extremely well-protected by the Great Xia Country.


    Having never experienced danger, it was normal for them to feel fear in such a scene.


    However, if these boys could not move past this emotion, even if they entered the sect, they wouldn''t achieve much.@@@@


    Twenty-one bodies lay on the first-floor, and although they had been arranged, the fear, terror, and reluctance they felt at death still solidified on their faces.


    This made the atmosphere on the first floor extremely oppressive, the boys sitting far away.


    Li Shiming sat next to the twenty-one bodies; not because he was very brave, but because he hoped to temper himself in this way.


    This was the life he had chosen, wanting to live a long and lasting life, he needed to fight for it.


    He told himself that he must be careful in the future, he must survive, otherwise, he would end up just like the twenty-one young bodies here.


    The first floor was quiet for a long time until Junior Master Zhao, Uncle Dai, and Junior Master Cui walked in.


    "It was the two Junior Brothers who trapped that scoundrel, otherwise he wouldn''t have been easily hit by my sword!" Senior Cui humbly stated.


    The three Foundation Establishment Cultivators adjusted quickly, or perhaps being accustomed to life and death, they managed to control their emotions well.


    After arriving on the second floor, they showed no signs of sorrow on their faces.


    Li Shiming was quietly astonished, wondering how formidable that Foundation Establishment Cultivator named Jiang Bing was, to escape from Senior Cui''s ambush, even when facing two opponents.


    He didn''t know the strength of Junior Master Zhao and Uncle Dai, but he had witnessed Senior Cui''s move, the strongest attack he had ever seen, which could obliterate anything in its path.


    "Li Shiming, you have made great contributions this time. The sect will reward you, and I owe you a favor. Once you are familiar with the sect, you can make a request of me!" Junior Master Zhao looked at Li Shiming and said with a smile.


    He had learned from Senior Cui that Li Shiming had single-handedly led away a Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Cultivator.


    For Li Shiming, leading away a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator from Xuanming Sect was almost a sure death.


    Yet, it was Li Shiming''s action that allowed Senior Cui to arrive in time and save nine youths, preventing all the youths from being killed.


    Otherwise, when Junior Master Zhao returned to the sect, he would not only face punishment from the sect but also criticisms from fellow sect members.


    He was also not worried that Li Shiming would misuse this promise, knowing that, with Li Shiming''s intelligence, he would not make an unreasonable request, and he could easily resolve any Qi Refinement Realm requests.


    "Count me in, you can also make a request of me!" Uncle Dai continued.


    The two were very solemn. If they asked Li Shiming to make a request now, with his current understanding, the value of his request might be very low.


    But by asking Li Shiming to wait until he was familiar with the sect to make his request, they did not want Li Shiming''s efforts to be undervalued.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators are proud; at least the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators would not discount a request from the Qi Refinement Realm.


    "Thank you, both Junior Masters!" Li Shiming bowed in gratitude.


    "You deserve it!" Junior Master Zhao said with a broad smile.


    "Senior Cui, this is the storage bag of the Xuanming Sect cultivator you killed!" Li Shiming took a storage bag from his waist and handed it to Senior Cui.


    "Keep it for yourself. I trust you know your limits, do not study the Cultivation Techniques of the Xuanming Sect, as they can corrupt your nature and turn you bloodthirsty and murderous!" Senior Cui waved his hand and said.

 Chapter 73 Arrival (Please Favorite, Please Follow!)

    Due to the outermost defense array of the Flying Boat being damaged, and Junior Master Zhao lacking the means to repair it himself, gusts of wind and turbulent flows intermittently appeared on the deck.


    Even the main door on the first floor, under the assault of fierce winds and chaotic streams, would emit a grating noise that set one''s teeth on edge from time to time.


    In such conditions, even Li Shiming couldn''t venture onto the deck, as Junior Master Cui told him, without the protection of Spiritual Power Patterns on his body, the unguarded deck was extremely dangerous.


    From the perspective of science in his past life, the dangers in the high skies were theoretically limited to conditions such as hypoxia, cold temperatures, and low air pressure, which should pose no threat to a cultivator''s body.


    But he also understood that this world had Spiritual Energy, which made many things behave abnormally.


    It was his responsibility to look after the nine youths, he would rest on the second floor, and would only come down to prepare meals for them at mealtime.


    As for the rest of the time, after having experienced a life-and-death encounter, the nine youths became much less mischievous and very well-behaved to an extent that was almost alarming.


    While Li Shiming practiced on the second floor, although he couldn''t use the Gathering Spirit Plate, he felt an environment even more conducive to cultivation than the Gathering Spirit Plate provided.


    The dense Spiritual Energy here was more than twice the concentration he experienced when using the Gathering Spirit Plate in the secular world.


    During this period, he also reflected on the experience of the previous battle, especially the technique ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear.''


    The name ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'' he had learned during a conversation among the three Junior Masters; it was a unique Sound Wave Technique of the Xuanming Sect, capable of affecting an opponent with laughter even before the battle began.


    Using ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'' against cultivators a whole tier lower was almost always advantageous¡ªjust a burst of laughter could wipe out a group of cultivators.


    Li Shiming''s study of the ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'' embedded in Jiang Bing''s laughter, which he analyzed with an IBMz15, resulted in a sound wave technique that he also named ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear,'' but its essence was different.


    His ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'' had to be suffixed with ''Fake'' because his version fell far short of the true ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'' in its application of Spiritual Power, yet it surpassed the original in its control over frequencies and decibels.


    Particularly when he used his own mouth as the instrument and the IBMz15 orchestrated the sounds, he was able to produce many noises that he couldn''t generate on his own.


    This was exactly why the Qi Refining Cultivator from the Xuanming Sect was terrified by the ''Great Compassion Mantra'' he had emitted underwater; it was not just the sound of a human voice but also instrumental sounds, and they were emitted simultaneously.


    The IBMz15 treated Li Shiming''s vocal cords, tongue, and oral cavity as a speaker system, albeit a rather complex one.


    Li Shiming led nine young men out of the cabin door, almost choking on the spiritual energy he encountered.


    This was an incredibly dense spiritual energy, the richest he had experienced was on the second floor of the Flying Boat.


    But the spiritual energy here was at least several times denser than that on the second floor of the Flying Boat.


    He had never imagined that one day he would choke due to an overabundance of spiritual energy.


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    On the contrary, the nine young men, not having cultivated any techniques, didn''t feel anything out of the ordinary.


    Through this time, Li Shiming had come to understand why almost no spirit root seedlings would begin cultivating in advance.


    On one hand, even if these spirit root seedlings had cultivator elders, those not belonging to a sect were merely Loose Cultivators, and the techniques they could offer were far inferior to those of a sect.


    On the other hand, should a spirit root seedling cultivate an incorrect technique, it might very well affect their future development.


    Moreover, after cultivating a technique, there would be a more stringent review process. If one failed the review, they wouldn''t be able to join the Sky Sea Sect.


    Li Shiming was fearless in his ignorance. If he hadn''t been lucky, he might have cultivated an inferior technique; even if he were able to join a sect now, he wouldn''t be much stronger than the untrained newcomers.


    He needed more time to convert his old methods to new ones, a process that wasn''t worth the time and risks compared to the time saved by cultivating early.


    ''Qingqiu Pavilion''¡ªthis was the name on the plaque of the high pavilion in front of them.


    Junior Master Cui and Uncle Dai greeted Junior Master Zhao and then soared into the sky together, leaving just Junior Master Zhao to approach the ten individuals.


    "You have three months to reach the entry level, achieving Qi Refining First Level by forming a Spiritual Energy Vortex within the body signifies that. There will be senior brothers guiding you in this aspect.


    Before that, you need to select one main Cultivation Technique. You must choose carefully because most cultivators don''t change their technique during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    The lifespan of the Qi Refinement Realm is insufficient for you to switch techniques. The senior brothers guiding you will also share their experience in selecting techniques.


    Three months. If you can''t reach Qi Refining First Level by then, you''ll become a servant disciple. Don''t even think about going home. Once here, you either reach Qi Refining Fifth Level or die of old age¡ªit''s impossible to leave the sect''s domain otherwise!" Junior Master Zhao looked at all the disciples, his eyes commanding respect.

 Chapter 74 Guidance (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    Li Shiming walked into the Qingqiu Pavilion with nine other young men, where a young cultivator was waiting for them.


    "Hello, my name is Zhu Ji, and I''m your guidance senior brother. Please introduce yourselves first!" the brother named Zhu Ji said with a smile.


    Following Zhu Ji''s gesture, each young man began to introduce himself, and Li Shiming followed suit, announcing his own name.


    "It''s my duty to guide you. For the next three months, I''ll be here every morning for two hours. During this time, you can ask me any questions. This is a benefit for newcomers. After the three-month newbie period, you''ll no longer have such an opportunity.


    After three months, you''ll need to make equivalent exchanges to get answers to your questions, so I hope you will cherish this time."


    "Before we go to receive your main cultivation techniques, let me first tell you about the basic knowledge of cultivators," Zhu Ji''s voice clearly reached everyone''s ears.


    Everyone understood how crucial Zhu Ji''s upcoming explanations would be, potentially affecting their entire cultivator careers, so they all focused intently.


    "Cultivators'' battle methods are divided into close combat and long-range. Close-combat cultivators usually practice Body Refining Techniques and rely on their own strength and speed, using powerful defensive capabilities and magic artifacts to suppress enemies up close.


    Long-range cultivators rely on distance magic artifacts, spells, talismans, and other means as their main attack methods. Most cultivators choose this style of combat because it allows them to advance or retreat effectively.


    Cultivators, when classified by profession, can further be divided into combat and support types. The most renowned in the combat category are Sword Cultivators, who are formidable in both close and long-range combat, and it''s said that one sword can break through ten thousand spells.


    In the support category, there are Alchemists, Talisman Makers, Spirit Planters, and so on. Often, such professions are secondary, as few cultivators would give up combat since the ability to fight is essential for survival in the Cultivation World."


    "What kind of cultivator you want to become is up to you, and the sect will not interfere with this."


    "At the Ascension Conference, your spirit root seeds were already tested, but the conditions were not as good as the Spirit Testing Array in this Qingqiu Pavilion. Here, you can clearly know each of your spirit roots'' values, which is the most crucial reference when choosing your main cultivation technique.


    Do not disclose your spirit root values to other cultivators, as they will remain your lifelong secrets. These values will affect the direction of your cultivation, the attribute requirements for magic artifacts and resources, as well as the resources needed for your ultimate advancement to Foundation Establishment," Zhu Ji instructed the group of young men with a piercing gaze.@@@@


    The youngsters didn''t fully grasp what he was saying, but they knew that if Zhu Ji was stressing it, it must be extremely important.


    "Enter the array one by one, and remember your spirit roots'' values. After you have your values, you can decide on your own or consult with me on how to choose a cultivation technique!" Zhu Ji instructed, gesturing with his hand after seeing that the young men understood.


    In the center of the Qingqiu Pavilion, an array wrapped in white light appeared.


    If the values of three spirit roots are all quite close, then you just go with your feeling!" Zhu Ji said, looking intently at the ten people.


    "Senior Brother Ji, does a higher spirit root value mean stronger abilities?" one youth asked aloud.


    It seemed the youths present were all very concerned with this question, collectively awaiting Zhu Ji''s response with eyes fixated on him.


    "The importance of a spirit root seeds value is not as critical as you imagine; sometimes the compatibility of the spirit roots is even more important than their values!" Zhu Ji pondered before answering.


    However, Li Shiming noticed the subtle expression on Zhu Ji''s face when he gave this answer; it was an expression of saying something against one''s true thoughts.


    It seemed that Zhu Ji''s real belief was that the value of spirit roots was very important, but he did not want to discourage some of the newcomers.


    Zhu Ji was also helpless, as there were originally three seedlings with dual spirit roots this time, but regrettably, all three with dual spirit roots had died young.


    If there had been dual spirit roots here, at least one steward from the Eight Peaks would have come over, but knowing now that there were only ten new disciples with three to four spirit roots, and all the disciples had been severely frightened, the Eight Peaks had lost interest in this group of newcomers.


    Probably only after three full months would someone from the Eight Peaks come to assess these newcomers.


    "Come up one by one to collect your items!" Zhu Ji shifted the topic.


    He called out names one by one, and each youth stepped forward to collect their items.


    The items received by the youths were a robe and a jade disc, the robe bearing the Sky Sea Sect''s insignia.


    It wasn''t until the last that Li Shiming''s name was called, and he walked up to Zhu Ji.


    "Li Shiming, you have reached the Qi Refining Third Level, but you will still live at Qingqiu Pavilion for these three months. The spiritual energy at Qingqiu Pavilion is the richest among the nine peaks. Besides the newcomer period, you won''t have many opportunities to cultivate here.


    This is your storage bag. Inside, aside from the Identity Jade Disc and Sky Sea Robe, there is also a paper crane and a standard low-grade long sword magical artifact!" Zhu Ji said, smiling at Li Shiming.


    The other youths glanced at the robes and Identity Jade Discs in their hands and exchanged looks with each other, none of them possessing the courage to openly question the fairness after having faced life-and-death situations.


    "When you reach the Qi Refining First Level, you will also have a storage bag and a paper crane. When your strength reaches the Qi Refining Second Level, the sect will issue you a standard Lower Grade Long Sword magic artifact!" Zhu Ji explained in a grave voice.

 Chapter 75 Selection

    Li Shiming learned of his living quarters from the Identity Jade Disc; it was a single room on the second floor of Qingqiu Pavilion.


    During the newcomer period, servant disciples delivered food every day, which consisted of two types, ordinary human food and Spirit Food.


    The first thing a newcomer had to do was follow the path beside Qingqiu Pavilion to the Hidden Technique Pavilion hundreds of meters away to collect their primary Cultivation Technique.


    Zhu Ji was asking a newcomer something, while other newcomers were pondering or waiting to be asked.


    Li Shiming did not need to change his primary Cultivation Technique, so he did not rush during this time; it was better to go to the Hidden Technique Pavilion first.


    With that thought, he left Qingqiu Pavilion.


    Just as he was about to walk on foot, he remembered that there seemed to be a paper crane in the newly issued storage bag, so he infused Spiritual Power into the storage bag.


    This was a one-cubic storage bag, which was quite nice already.


    It was evident from the generosity of the Sky Sea Sect that as long as one reached the Qi Refining First Level, they would be given a storage bag.@@@@


    The reason it required reaching the Qi Refining First Level was that the storage bag, now given to these newcomers, would be unusable to them without Spiritual Power.


    Li Shiming took out the paper crane, which naturally was made of paper.


    The talisman paper seemed to be of high quality, but the paper crane was not a talisman; it was a type of Magic Artifact used for transportation.


    He infused a strand of Spiritual Power into the paper crane, which immediately enlarged and floated before him.


    This strand of Spiritual Power created a slight spiritual connection with the paper crane, allowing him to control the crane with his Spirit.


    He sat on the paper crane, and it dipped slightly but supported him well.


    Honestly, sitting on the paper crane was not very comfortable, and because it was made of paper, he had the feeling that it could break at any moment.


    However, he also knew this was an unnecessary worry; with the Rune Array present, even common swords and sabers could not harm the paper crane.


    "What are the options for a metal-attribute Body Refining Technique?" thought Li Shiming, hastening to reply.


    "There are quite a few metal-attribute Body Refining Techniques in the Hidden Technique Pavilion. ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'' is a Buddhist Body Refining Technique, but that bald crowd''s techniques require a foundation in Buddhist studies to get started, otherwise it''s very difficult to master. Plus, Buddhist technique names are very intimidating, but their effects are indeed strong.


    ''Copper Body Technique'' is a Body Refining Technique modified from Corpse Refining Skill, using various toxins to strengthen oneself. This technique, once mastered, not only confers extreme defensive power but also carries a certain degree of toxicity; however, if you pursue this path, finding a Daoist couple will probably be out of the question!"


    "''Dragon Elephant Profound Skill'' is a Taoist Body Refining Technique that requires a large amount of precious Spiritual Medicines. Once mastered, it''s said to possess the strength of both a dragon and an elephant, considered equal to the top-tier ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.''" Senior Brother Liu, having received the Spirit Stones, became quite talkative and listed out three Body Refining Techniques for Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming hesitated. Although Senior Brother Liu looked down on ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'', Li Shiming could tell that Senior Brother Liu was still quite wary of it.


    As for ''Copper Body Technique,'' he wouldn''t consider it at all. Cultivation did not mean turning oneself into an unnatural being, and cultivating a body full of poison felt disgusting even to think about.


    The ''Dragon Elephant Profound Skill'' was particularly praised by Senior Brother Liu, appearing to be an exceptional Body Refining Technique.


    But the issue was resources; a large amount of precious Spiritual Medicines, even with his ability as a Spirit Plant Cultivator, couldn''t guarantee the supply needed for such precious medicines.


    Besides, cultivating the ''Dragon Elephant Profound Skill'' would be like telling other cultivators that he had an abundance of precious resources, a risk that wasn''t outweighed by the ''Dragon Elephant Profound Skill''s'' defensive power.


    "Please help me retrieve the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'', Senior Brother Liu!" Li Shiming had made his decision and politely stated.


    Senior Brother Liu smiled, not persuading him otherwise. Choosing a cultivation technique was a cultivator''s own decision; it pertained to their future path, and he dared not offer any suggestions.


    After all, even if Li Shiming chose incorrectly, it was merely a Body Refining Technique and not his primary cultivation technique.


    Senior Brother Liu took a Jade Scroll from the side and placed it into the Array, where a stream of light began transferring into the Jade Scroll.


    "Since you are in your newbie phase, the fee for the Jade Scroll is also waived. The sect''s ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'' only goes up to the Foundation Establishment Stage. What I''m copying for you now is the Qi Refinement Realm part.


    Sect rules forbid the private transmission of cultivation techniques. If it''s verified, the least severe punishment is destruction of cultivation base and expulsion from the sect; the most severe is execution!" said Senior Brother Liu seriously, while waiting for the transfer to complete.


    Li Shiming''s eyes fixated on the Jade Scroll, recording through his senses how the Array was transferring to the Jade Scroll.


    He didn''t know if such recording would be useful, but it was a rare opportunity. Perhaps in the future, when he became powerful, he could really delve into the knowledge related to Jade Scrolls.

 Chapter 76 Cultivation Technique (Happy Childrens Day!)

    ```


    Next was the selection of a martial skill. Li Shiming had the "Dragon Drawing Technique" and wanted to choose a swordsmanship that would allow him to possess true combat power beyond just talismans.


    He couldn''t always rely on clever tricks, even when using the top-grade Qingyuan Wood Sword, which merely leveraged the sword''s own capabilities.


    If he combined the Qingyuan Wood Sword with a set of swordsmanship, the effects would naturally be much more powerful.@@@@


    "Senior Brother Liu, I need your help again. I''d like to pick a swordsmanship, the more expensive, the better!" Li Shiming took out five Spirit Stones and handed them to Senior Brother Liu, saying.


    "Junior Li is too polite!" Having seen Li Shiming''s Identity Jade Disc, Senior Brother Liu became much friendlier after casually pocketing the Spirit Stones.


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    Li Shiming''s mouth twitched slightly; Senior Brother Liu''s words were indeed warm, but his hands were very quick.


    He had no idea about swordsmanship, but he was sure there was no mistake in choosing the most expensive one.


    If he missed this chance for a free technique, he would have to buy one himself next time, and he still did not know the value of these techniques.


    "The most expensive swordsmanship for the Qi Refinement Realm is the ''Sword Control Technique''. This technique is expensive because it is the strongest for Sword Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm, bar none¡ªpriced at three thousand five hundred good deeds by the sect!" Senior Brother Liu provided the answer.


    "Senior Brother Liu, how can one obtain these good deeds, and what are they worth?" Li Shiming, hearing about good deeds for the first time, eagerly inquired.


    "Good deeds are earned by undertaking sect missions, and they are not allowed to be bought or sold. You only need to know that normally a hundred good deeds a month''s mission is sought after by all disciples, and you can judge how expensive the ''Sword Control Technique'' is!" Senior Brother Liu answered all questions.


    "Then I''ll trouble Senior Brother Liu again, I''ll choose the ''Sword Control Technique''!" Li Shiming declared immediately.


    The sect probably hadn''t anticipated a newcomer would pick an expensive cultivation technique when considering rewards; they thought they were merely gifting him an ordinary technique.


    Nobody would know that Li Shiming had opened the door to Senior Brother Liu''s assistance with just a few Spirit Stones.


    A small investment brought Li Shiming a return thousands of times over.


    Soon, the Jade Scroll for the "Sword Control Technique" was ready, and Senior Brother Liu handed it over to him.


    "Remember, the technique within the Jade Scroll will automatically erase itself after one month, and you cannot leave the sect during this month. Although you can''t leave the sect, I still have to tell you the rules," Senior Brother Liu added in his final instructions.


    After he activated the isolation array, all sounds from the outside world completely vanished, the extreme quietude made him feel somewhat unaccustomed at first.


    His senses were exceedingly sharp; even the slightest sound was audible to him.


    Once the isolation array was in place, all he could hear were his own heartbeat, the sound of blood flowing in his veins, and the sound of his breath moving in and out of his body when he breathed.


    Eagerly, he took out the Jade Scroll of "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," placing the scroll on his forehead as a wealth of information flowed into his brain.


    At the same time, an IBMz15 document named "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" appeared, recording all the content from the Jade Scroll.


    He read through the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" document on the IBMz15, and after reviewing it ten times in succession, which took only ten seconds, he had memorized all the content of the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill."


    A cultivator''s memory is frighteningly powerful; such an extensive amount of information could be remembered completely by even the cultivator with the poorest memory within a month''s time.


    Li Shiming simply utilized the IBMz15 to speed up the process of studying the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill."


    Indeed, it was difficult to begin with the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill"; this Body Refining Technique required igniting the anger within one''s Inner Qi. When the anger reached its peak, the body would achieve a state of enhancement beyond its normal limits.


    And in this state, one must maintain a clear and lucid mind, following the Cultivation Technique step by step to progressively strengthen each part of the body, from the skin to the bones.


    This technique was extremely prone to cultivation deviation¡ªthe instability of the mind could cause the Spiritual Energy to lose control during the strengthening process, and in severe cases, it could cause severe injury or even death.


    Physical damage was the best outcome; damage to the mind was an insurmountable problem.


    The "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" required one to maintain both rage and clarity concurrently, which necessitated the blessings of Buddhist practices.


    Although the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" didn''t require Spiritual Medicine at the beginning, after entry, the need for various Spiritual Medicines was substantial.


    Li Shiming looked at the long list of names of Spiritual Medicines, and his head began to feel heavy.


    In fact, what he did not know was that any kind of Body Refining Technique was extremely resource-intensive.


    The rarity of cultivators practicing Body Refinement Techniques was largely due to the lack of resources.


    Even the toxic substances required by the "Copper Body Technique," any kind of potent venom with Spiritual Energy, was extremely expensive, and most of the time, it was very difficult to purchase spirit poison even if one had Spirit Stones in hand.


    Li Shiming, in his naivety, had chosen one of the most difficult paths for himself.

 Chapter 77 Inventory (Please Favorite, Please Follow!)

    After looking over the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," Li Shiming set the jade scroll of the "Sword Manipulation Technique" against his forehead.


    The "Sword Manipulation Technique" is the most expensive sword cultivation technique during the Qi Refinement Realm; this was reflected in its content, where the technique required a longsword magical artifact under one hundred percent control.


    This condition might seem simple, but it was actually very difficult.


    Take the Fiery Flame Sword for example; even after many uses of the "Dragon Drawing Technique" to deepen the connection, he had only achieved control over a little more than fifty percent.


    This was already with the "Dragon Drawing Technique," which has a very strong effect on refining magical artifacts. Using other methods, perhaps he would not even reach ten percent in the same timeframe.


    Those stories about finding a divine artifact and wreaking havoc were impossible in the Cultivation World.


    Even the best magic artifact, without refining, is nothing more than a sharp ordinary weapon.


    The more thorough the refinement, the greater the control over the magic artifact, and the greater the power it can exert.


    Ordinary combat techniques might be passable, but highly control-demanding combat techniques have extremely strict requirements on weapon control.


    As the "Sword Manipulation Technique" is the top-tier sword cultivation technique for the Qi Refinement Realm, naturally it requires the highest level of weapon control.


    Li Shiming copied the "Sword Manipulation Technique" into an IBM z15, creating a document named "Sword Manipulation Technique."


    As for practicing the "Sword Manipulation Technique," he would still have to wait until the control over the Fiery Flame Sword was enhanced.


    The reason it was the "Fiery Flame Sword" and not the standard-issue lower grade long sword magical artifact was because the standard-issue only had an effect that increased the sharpness of the longsword, and was of lower quality than the "Fiery Flame Sword."


    He also had a mid-grade long sword artifact and a top-grade long sword artifact, but with his current strength, using a mid-grade magical artifact was somewhat strenuous.


    Looking at the control over the Qingyuan Wood Sword, which had been utilized around the same period with the "Dragon Drawing Technique" and had undergone the same number of these techniques, the current control was not even five percent.


    Although he did not give up on refining the Qingyuan Wood Sword, to cultivate the "Sword Manipulation Technique" sooner, choosing a slightly inferior lower-grade long sword artifact was best.


    Anyway, once the refinement level of the Qingyuan Wood Sword was raised and his cultivation was higher, he could switch to the Qingyuan Wood Sword at any time.


    Given how eerie the dark banner was, he dared not even remove it from the storage bag, much less use the "Dragon Drawing Technique" to refine it. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    It was likely the item Junior Master Cui had warned him to be cautious about. He needed to identify the banner before considering anything else. He skipped it and continued examining the next item.


    The item was a chest, covered with runes. It was evident from its make that it was designed to prevent the dispersal of any auras from its contents.


    Li Shiming took out the chest, opened it, and revealed an item wrapped in a black cloth inside.


    He unfolded one piece of the black cloth to discover a root-like item potent with spiritual power, which he did not recognize.


    The black cloth, similar to the chest, could block auras, ensuring that the various items inside did not interfere with each other.


    Besides the chest, there were only four hundred and thirty Spirit Stones left.


    Li Shiming was unsure whether Junior Master Cui knew the contents of the storage bag. This storage bag, belonging to a late-stage Qi Refining Xuanming Sect cultivator, wasn''t as precious as he had imagined.


    Of course, he estimated Junior Master Cui probably didn''t know. At that time, not yet formally an initiate of the Cultivation World, his assets had already surpassed expectations.


    Such a storage bag, in the hands of any Qi Refining cultivator, represented quite a substantial fortune.


    To be honest if Junior Master Cui hadn''t looked through the storage bag, how could he possibly have given an unknown Devil Cultivator''s storage bag to Li Shiming?


    Li Shiming put away the storage bag. Once he figured out what the dark banner was, he could move the five cubic feet storage bag into the machine room space, turning it into an alternative warehouse within that space.


    His consciousness entered the machine room space, where there was still a corpse of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator from the Xuanming Sect.


    He didn''t want to keep the corpse in the machine room space, but looking at his current environment, there was no place to deal with it.


    He would wait three months, clean it up, and then store the body in another storage bag where it could be preserved for a long time.


    With a slight motion of his consciousness, the storage bag hanging on the waist of the late-stage Qi Refining Xuanming Sect cultivator was taken into his hand.


    As his spiritual power entered the storage bag, he sensed its size¡ªit had ten cubic feet, making it the largest storage bag he had encountered.

 Chapter 78 Jade Scroll (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    The ten cubic meter storage bag also reflected the complexity of the Xuanming Sect Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivator killed by Li Shiming.


    Similarly, the items inside the storage bag were a reflection of this complexity, as his consciousness entered the bag and found the most important item among the piles of items.


    "How could there be a Jade Scroll?" Li Shiming, who had just received two Cultivation Techniques from his sect, naturally knew how strictly the sect controlled their techniques.


    To his surprise, there was a Jade Scroll inside the storage bag.


    However, he wasn''t excited, because there was a great likelihood that the Jade Scroll was blank, just like the two he received from the Hidden Technique Pavilion, which would erase their content after a certain period.


    And the Hidden Technique Pavilion required him to stay within the sect during this period; presumably, Xuanming Sect would have a similar rule.


    He took out the Jade Scroll and placed it on his forehead.


    A stream of information flowed from the Jade Scroll into his brain, and after absorbing a vast amount of information, his eyes became vacant.


    He quickly connected to the IBMz15, wanting to see if he was mistaken or if the content of the Jade Scroll was indeed as such.


    In a new document on the IBMz15, he recognized every single character, but put together, he couldn''t understand them at all.


    "No wonder he dared to carry the Jade Scroll with him, it was encrypted!" Li Shiming quickly figured it out.


    Encryption was a common practice in his previous life¡ªin coding computers to prevent third parties from viewing, encrypting communications to prevent interception by enemies. Encryption was used in everyday life, military, aerospace, industry, and more.


    Li Shiming couldn''t help but laugh, as for the people of this world, decoding an encryption was an extremely difficult task, requiring a huge amount of calculations.


    But he had the IBMz15, and massive computations were what this large server excelled in¡ªit''s a strong suit.


    He pulled up a lot of encryption and decryption data, quickly learned them, and soon began copying and writing a decryption program.


    What happened next was out of his hands; the IBMz15 would handle the decryption of the Jade Scroll content based on various possibilities.


    His consciousness returned to the storage bag, where he ignored a similar black banner and found five large weapons, all Low Grade Magical Artifacts.


    Amid the voluminous content, Li Shiming found something that seemed familiar.


    "Five Elements Nether Ginseng, Gu Lotus, Erosion Illusion Grass, Evil Water Poison Vine..." These items all came with illustrations, and the more he looked, the more familiar they seemed because he had just inventoried them.


    He took out the items wrapped in black cloth from the two storage bags; besides the materials for Corpse Refining, eighty percent of the materials needed to evolve a Copper Corpse to an Iron Corpse were gathered in there.


    Only three kinds of materials were missing, and he was somewhat puzzled as to why someone would bring these important resources out to battle.


    Moreover, you, a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator of the Xuanming Sect, aren''t accompanied by a refined corpse. Why are you carrying a ''Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter'' and a bunch of Corpse Refining materials in your storage bag? What were you thinking?


    What Li Shiming didn''t know was that the late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator of the Xuanming Sect he had killed underwater was considered a second-generation Cultivator within the Xuanming Sect.


    This expedition alongside Master Uncle Jiang Bing was precisely for gathering Corpse Refining materials.


    The ''Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter'' was extremely famous because the corpse refining of the Xuanming Sect possessed formidable combat capabilities and growth potential.


    The formidable combat capabilities were easy to understand¡ªit was about the training and tactical design for refining corpses, which had undergone a sufficiently long period of time and myriad generations of Xuanming Sect cultivators had summarized and perfected these skills, achieving great expertise in this area.


    The formidable growth potential had to do with the ''Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter''s choice of Corpse Refining materials. Why did the Xuanming Sect possess such a powerful corpse refining skill, yet not many cultivators within the sect practiced it?


    Because the Corpse Refining materials required by the ''Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter'' needed spirit root seeds of the highest quality¡ªthe best ones being the single spirit roots, and the lesser ones needing dual spirit roots.


    As for poorer spirit roots, they weren''t even considered by the Xuanming Sect.


    Materials from single spirit roots had the potential for growth, while those from dual spirit roots were relatively inferior.


    To prevent the sect from turning single spirit roots under its control into materials for corpse refining, the Xuanming Sect went to great lengths, but such matters were fundamentally unavoidable.


    Consequently, the Xuanming Sect often sent cultivators out to snatch spirit root seeds from other sects and also catered to the second-generation cultivators within their own sect who were uncontrollable, providing them with materials for corpse refining.


    The late-stage Qi Refining Xuanming Sect cultivator that Li Shiming had killed had prepared so many materials to process the obtained bodies as quickly as possible.


    At that time, the late-stage Qi Refining Xuanming Sect cultivator had his sights set on Li Shiming, who even at a young age had reached the Qi Refining Third Level, and stood out among many spirit roots like a bright light in the darkness.

 Chapter 79 Corpse Refining (Please Favorite, Please Follow!)

    After spending some time researching the "Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter," Li Shiming was no longer an outsider to Corpse Refining.


    First, Corpse Refining could be seized. As long as the owner of the corpse refining had fallen and the corpse was still in the corpse bag, it could be annexed for personal use through special methods.


    Moreover, the subdued corpse would not experience any decline in strength, but could even continue to enhance its power.


    This perfectly matched the characteristics of the Xuanming Sect, which emphasized seizing resources for personal use. Corpse Refining was essentially creating resources from resources, which could also be seized.


    However, under the same level of cultivation, a cultivator who possessed a refined corpse could easily defeat other cultivators. Attempting to seize it was not easy.


    Not to mention, it also required that during the killing of the cultivator, the refined corpse was in the corpse bag.


    Most of the time, before their demise, Xuanming Sect cultivators would either cause their refined corpses to self-destruct or go completely berserk, losing the possibility of being refined again.


    Li Shiming was fortunate enough to obtain the corpse bag, due to his good fortune and the misfortune of that Xuanming Sect cultivator in Central Capital.


    That Xuanming Sect cultivator had snatched a single spirit root seed in Xuanming Sect territory and then turned it into a refined corpse.


    Afterwards, discovered by the Xuanming Sect, to enforce strict discipline, and more importantly, because this Xuanming Sect cultivator did not have strong backers to protect him, he was wanted by the Xuanming Sect.@@@@


    The Xuanming Sect cultivator escaped, secretly killing people along the way and harvesting blood to nurture his refined corpse.


    Until he arrived under the jurisdiction of the Sky Sea Sect, where he shockingly found that the secular cities concentrated a large number of Qi Refining Loose Cultivators.


    This was like hitting a jackpot; those Qi Refining Loose Cultivators in the city had no defensive arrays and weak powers, making them the best resources for refining corpses for a Xuanming Sect cultivator.


    Even in Central Capital during this period, his demands on commoners increased significantly; only those born at inauspicious times were worthy of blood extraction by the refined corpses.


    Loose Cultivators being drained by refined corpses was partly Li Shiming''s fault.


    Had not Li Shiming exterminated the Hao Family, many Loose Cultivators would not have gathered in Central Capital, and there would have been no attacks on Loose Cultivators by Xuanming Sect cultivators.


    If Xuanming Sect cultivators had not attacked Loose Cultivators in Central Capital, then Gu Jia, a stationed cultivator of Sky Sea Sect, would not have concerned himself with the well-being of Loose Cultivators.


    Everything seemed fated, combined with the extermination of the Hao Family outside the city, which made Gu Jia suspect the existence of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, leading to the encounter with the Sky Sea Sect cultivators. He then reported to the sect, which finally led Junior Master Cui to arrive.


    When the Xuanming Sect cultivator faced Junior Master Cui''s flying sword, under that terrifying suppressive power of the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Xuanming Sect cultivator had no opportunity and did not even think of summoning his refined corpse.


    Li Shiming''s brain buzzed; his vision blurred, and he saw countless bloody figures. These figures included men and women, old and young, all floating a few inches off the ground and drifting toward him.


    They were accompanied by a heart-shuddering shriek, a mournful howl, and a bizarre whisper.


    Already significantly weakened by the extraction of a drop of essence blood, Li Shiming involuntarily collapsed to the ground.


    "Detecting 8 Hz low-frequency sound wave,


    detecting 219 dB lethal sound wave,


    detecting 0.5 Hz low-frequency sound wave..." The IBMz15 in his vision frantically refreshed with warning messages.


    His senses were connected to the IBMz15, and he had created an alert program to warn him of dangers.


    "Play the ''Great Compassion Mantra''!" he commanded with the last bit of clarity.


    The sound of the "Great Compassion Mantra" resonated, occupying all his senses, immersing his body and mind in the baptism of the Buddhist Scripture.


    The terrifying influence transmitted from the copper corpse through the essence blood pattern could no longer affect him.


    "I knew it, I knew it!" Li Shiming said regretfully after he regained his composure.


    During the process of extracting essence blood, he had suspected that the cultivation techniques from the Xuanming Sect would have a significant impact on him.


    Yet he had been greedy. Owning a copper corpse even in the early Qi Refinement stage, regardless if it had the combat power of the Qi Refinement Middle Stage or the late-stage Qi Refining Stage, along with a pile of materials for Corpse Refining available, he could enhance the cultivation of his corpse to the peak of copper corpse strength.


    More importantly, with the nurturing method of the "Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter," he only needed to find three more materials to possibly elevate the copper corpse to an iron corpse.


    What was an iron corpse? That was a combatant of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Recall how Jiang Bing from the Xuanming Sect could fight against two opponents without falling at a disadvantage during his Foundation Establishment Stage, and how he managed to escape even when Junior Master Cui joined the fray, all thanks to the aid of an iron corpse.


    Greed cost him his usual caution and led him to become somewhat lost.


    "But it was worth it!" Li Shiming sensed the response from the copper corpse, fell on the ground in the shape of a large "X," and burst into laughter.


    The copper corpse was successfully subdued by him and became his refined corpse.

 Chapter 80 Doubts (Wishing you well-being at the Dragon Boat Festival!)

    "Mr. Liu''s judgment was wrong; this is not a copper corpse at the Qi Refining Middle Stage!" Li Shiming assessed the situation of the copper corpse, and with the knowledge from the ''Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter,'' he was able to accurately determine the strength of the copper corpse.


    The copper corpse he had subdued possessed the strength of the Qi Refining Seventh Level, far beyond the Qi Refining Middle Stage that clan leader Liu had informed him of initially.


    Now that the copper corpse was subdued, he faced a problem: the gap between his strength and that of the copper corpse was too great.


    Previously, he thought the copper corpse was at the Qi Refining Middle Stage, and with his strength at the Qi Refining Third Level, making a Blood Covenant and subduing it hadn''t been too troublesome.


    But a copper corpse at the Qi Refining Seventh Level was far too strong for him.


    He would face the worst-case scenario recorded in the ''Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter,'' being subjected to backlash from the copper corpse every midnight, just as intense as the backlash when he signed the Blood Covenant.


    Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    This was a burden for Li Shiming, but not an insurmountable one.


    One method was to play the ''Great Compassion Mantra'' on the IBMz15 at midnight, occupying his senses first to lessen the impact of the backlash.


    The other was to quickly enhance his strength. As long as he reached the Qi Refining Fourth Level, he could narrow the gap with the copper corpse and make the backlash disappear on its own.


    He really wanted to continue studying the ''Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter,'' but he was in Qingqiu Pavilion, insulated by an Array, and he dared not guarantee that unleashing the copper corpse wouldn''t be detected by the grand Array of Qingqiu Pavilion.


    He took out the Gathering Spirit Plate and placed it beneath him.


    In a moment, a sphere of light appeared above the Gathering Spirit Plate, and within this sphere, he felt as if he were submerged in a pool of Spiritual Energy.


    In such an environment, not to mention cultivating, just by continuously breathing, one could improve one''s strength.@@@@


    Only now did he truly understand what Senior Brother Zhu Ji meant by the newcomer phase''s benefits. With the Gathering Spirit Plate coupled with the dense Spiritual Energy here, his advancement to the Qi Refining Fourth Level would come much sooner than expected.


    The Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique began to circulate, and he sensed countless points of Spiritual Energy throughout his surroundings.


    Li Shiming was not satisfied with this answer. Labeling it an answer felt more like leaving things to nature''s course than providing a concrete solution.


    "Isn''t there a more proactive solution?" he pressed on.


    "Yes, strengthen yourself, practice Body Refining Techniques. As long as your body is robust enough, your recovery power will also improve, naturally shortening the interval for practicing the main cultivation technique," Senior Brother Ji replied with a smile.


    He did not believe this solution was something Li Shiming could achieve, not to mention the good deeds required just to access the Body Refining Techniques, or the resources consumed in the process of practicing them, which were far beyond what an ordinary cultivator could afford.


    Within a sect, only those genius disciples who are highly valued by the sect are eligible to learn the Body Refining Techniques.


    The sect would allocate a portion of the resources, which would then be complemented by the resources from the disciples'' influential backgrounds, qualifying them to practice the Body Refining Techniques.


    "I have another question for Brother Ji. Junior Master Cui rewarded me with a piece of war loot from the Xuanming Sect, including a black banner. May I know what this banner is?" Having received an answer to his previous question, Li Shiming continued to inquire.


    This opportunity to ask questions for free was not something he wanted to miss.


    As for the matter of the black banner, since it was given by Junior Master Cui, there was no need for him to keep it a secret.


    "Junior Master Cui?" Senior Brother Ji was first taken aback and then realized who Li Shiming was talking about. He continued, "You mean Steward Cui. I hadn''t realized you know Steward Cui as well."


    At this point, the smile on Senior Brother Ji''s face became more genuine.


    "The black banner of the Xuanming Sect is the Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner, one of the mainstream magic artifacts used by Xuanming Sect cultivators. The banner can command five fierce ghosts to fight for you.


    Although there are no specific prohibitions against the banner within the sect, its empowerment is considered too malevolent. Hence, it is usually purified before being used, to diminish the resentment of the ghosts within, and then it is deployed.


    After purification, the ''Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner'' retains little of its combat power but can serve as a helper in everyday tasks, handling simple matters," Senior Brother Ji explained in great detail this time.


    "Here, I have a method for purifying the ''Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner,'' which does not belong to the sect''s techniques and can be shared freely!" While speaking, he took out a book and handed it to Li Shiming from his storage bag.


    The enthusiasm shown by Senior Brother Ji made Li Shiming feel somewhat unreal. Fortunately, there was no other newcomer present at Qingqiu Pavilion, so it did not affect Senior Brother Ji''s image.

 Chapter 81 Perpetual Motion (Please Favorite, Please Follow!)

    Li Shiming, with the enthusiastic booklets given to him by Senior Brother Zhu Ji, returned to his own small room.


    He first activated the Cleaning Spell on his robe with spiritual power, sweeping his body from the inside out with a wave of spiritual energy, refreshing even the inside of his mouth.


    In fact, ever since they stopped consuming mortal food, it had become difficult for cultivators'' bodies to accumulate impurities.


    As early as when a Spiritual Energy Vortex formed inside their bodies, making them official cultivators, most of the impurities within were expelled.


    Apart from each major advancement in their realm, which would expel deeper impurities from the body, even without cleaning for ten or fifteen days, cultivators could still maintain the cleanliness of their entire body.


    It is only for disciples in the early-stage Qi Refining that the sect would issue robes with cleaning functions; middle-stage and late-stage Qi Refining cultivators usually choose to buy their own robes or select better ones from the sect.


    After reading through the booklets, Li Shiming realized that this was not some spell but merely a skill in utilizing spiritual power.


    The spiritual power of normal cultivators was highly lethal to vengeful ghosts. Although the ghosts in the Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner had been made more powerful by the Xuanming Sect cultivators'' refining, without their master, the ghosts could not leave the Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner.@@@@


    As long as the appropriate spiritual power was used to continuously sweep over the Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner, the resentment of the ghosts within could be weakened.


    It was simple, yet very practical. The most important thing mentioned in the booklets was the appropriate timing.


    Too much spiritual power could cause substantial damage to the Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner, resulting in the destruction of the five vengeful ghosts, while too little wouldn''t diminish the resentment effectively.


    The booklets were a compilation of many cultivators'' successful experiences, and it was probably only sects like Sky Sea Sect, which were mortal enemies of the Xuanming Sect, that would have cultivators researching this area and achieving results.


    Li Shiming took out a Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner, and upon its removal, the figures of the five ghosts were tumultuously tumbling on the banner''s surface.


    He mobilized his spiritual power, sweeping his hand across the banner.


    The spiritual power contacted the five ghosts, emitting a hissing dissolving sound, and the shrill screams of the ghosts followed.


    Li Shiming, who had suffered spiritual backlash from the copper corpse, felt no discomfort from the ghosts'' screams, repeatedly sweeping his spiritual power over the Five Ghosts Soul Refining banner.


    The blackness on the bodies of the five ghosts grew fainter, and they became quieter.


    Li Shiming did not stop until he saw that the bodies of the ghosts had become transparent, then he stopped the spiritual power cleansing process.


    In the engine room, diesel generators were constantly working, and he had also prepared plenty of diesel, filling several storage bags and several large barrels in the engine room space.


    But without replenishment, the diesel would one day be exhausted.


    At the time, he had considered using his talent with talismans to find electrical runes to address the power supply issue.


    Now, with a preliminary alternative plan, he could temporarily free himself from the constraints of diesel.


    Using ghost shadows as the driving force, the ghosts would propel the generator to produce electricity, and when the ghosts became tired, a new group would take over while the weary ones rested inside the "Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner."


    As for the safety of the engine room space, he didn''t plan to remove the "Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner," and considering the intelligence of the ghost shadows, there was no risk of them revealing the engine room''s location.


    With this in mind, he first purified the other "Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner" and refined it using the "Dragon Drawing Technique."


    He then redesigned a generator powered by ghost shadows in the IBM z15, accurately inputting the strength of the ghost shadows to calculate the most suitable size for the generator.


    Because the power was absolutely clean, the generator could utilize the cramped space of the engine room to the maximum extent, achieving ideal electrical output.


    Modifying the generators didn''t take long, as the materials were prepared in advance. Working on the existing generators, the amount of work involved was not substantial.


    What was most critical was that ten ghost shadows entered the engine room space and, collaborating with his consciousness, greatly accelerated the work progress.


    The ghost shadows were not afraid of high temperatures and could help in molding the workpieces.


    On that very day, a special perpetual engine came into existence.


    Three ghost shadows were positioned at the rotor of the perpetual engine, each pushing a fan blade fixed onto it. The three blades caused the rotor to start spinning.


    In an instant, the ghosts shadowed whirled, and mist swirled around as the three propelled the perpetual engine into motion.


    Apart from the eerie special effects, the results were exceptional.


    Each of the three ghost shadows had a strength exceeding two hundred kilograms, and with their incredible speed and coordination, the energy expended in turning the rotor was minimal for them.


    Ghost shadows didn''t need to worry about getting dizzy from spinning too much, as such a concern was nonexistent for them.

 Chapter 82 Vajra (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    Li Shiming looked at the space in the engine room, no longer needing to clean up the exhaust and pollution from the diesel generator. Although the perpetual motion generator looked eerily spooky, it had the advantage of being clean and maintenance-free.


    Two "Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banners" were placed next to the perpetual motion generator. With the rotation of three ghost figures, there could still be one ghost figure left for mobility, perfectly solving the electricity problem.


    Having dealt with the power issue, the surplus diesel could be cleared out from the space in the engine room, freeing up quite a bit of space.


    He turned his attention back to the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," the risk of which was not low.


    Buddhist cultivation techniques are famously difficult to initiate; after that, one only needs to endure hardship in cultivation, and every subsequent barrier also tests one''s mental state, requiring the use of Buddhist insights to overcome.


    Senior Brother Ji had said that only by practicing body refining techniques could the intervals between practicing the main cultivation technique be reduced, so it was essential to practice body refining techniques.


    The entry information for "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" flowed through his brain. He took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination.


    If one doesn''t even have the courage to practice body refining techniques on the path of immortality, then what''s the point of discussing cultivation or everlasting life?


    Of course, he wasn''t planning to be reckless. With the successful case of using Buddhist chant before, he wanted to skip the process of learning Buddhism with this method.


    It wasn''t that he couldn''t learn Buddhism, but that Buddhism was too brainwashing; he didn''t want to actually become a monk.


    For him, Buddhism was like a tool, to be used when necessary.


    He selected an appropriate Buddhist scripture called "The Scripture of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses," commonly known as the "Diamond Sutra."


    From its name to the effect of calming and clearing the mind, the "Diamond Sutra" was a great match for the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill."


    Moreover, he chose to play the recitation of the "Diamond Sutra" by a grandmaster from his previous life, which was recorded in the IBMz15.


    Although there was no cultivation of immortality in his previous life, this grandmaster was arguably no less profound in Buddhist teachings than any master in this world.


    After all, any Buddhist chant recorded in the IBMz15 had to be of a legacy-worthy level, theoretically researched to have a significant impact on the spirit.


    Li Shiming stood in the room. As he activated the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," his emotions were greatly affected.


    Li Shiming''s body, at this time, was like kindling aflame, and the Vajra power was like oil being continuously poured onto the burning tinder.


    This represents extreme torture for both the body and spirit, but with ''The Scripture of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses'' sustaining him, he could still endure mentally.


    Although his body was at the Qi Refining Third Level, he had never actively trained his physique. Even among those at the same level of Qi refinement, his body was one of the weakest.


    Under this torment, which even cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm would struggle to withstand, he relied solely on his spirit to sustain himself.


    Time lost meaning for him, as every second felt like an eternity in hell. Even though he was linked with the IBMz15, he still lost all sense of time.


    At last, feeling light, he collapsed to the ground, the floor covered in his blood and sweat.


    "Hahaha!" He laughed heartily. He had conquered himself; the Vajra power had circulated through his entire body. He had finally entered the threshold of the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill''.


    His body was extremely exhausted at the moment, but it was recovering at an astonishing rate.


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, most of his strength had returned.


    He stood up, first using a cleaning spell from his robe to cleanse both his body and the ground, and then proceeded to remove his clothes to examine his physique.


    Even just entering the doorway of the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'' had added a faint layer of energy to the surface of his skin, the essence of Vajra power.


    This Vajra power would increase with the passage of time and cultivation, continually strengthening his physique.


    Li Shiming, currently residing in Qingqiu Pavilion and still in his novice period, had no means to purchase the spiritual medicine necessary for Body Refinement and could only continue his training as is for the moment.


    Spiritual medicine is extremely important for Body Refinement. With his current physique and without the aid of spiritual medicine, it would take at least three days before he could attempt cultivating the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'' again.


    According to the cultivation technique, if one does not fully recover before cultivating the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'' again, the probability of going berserk increases dramatically, and the body will accumulate injuries.


    Li Shiming suddenly realized he had fallen into another vicious cycle.


    To accelerate the cultivation of the ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique'', he needed to cultivate the Body Refining Technique ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill''. And to hasten the cultivation of the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'', he needed spiritual medicine¡ªa resource that he had barely touched. Who knows what he would have to do to obtain it!

 Chapter 83 Getting Through (Please Favorite, Please Follow!)

    Li Shiming felt weary in body and mind, so he went to bed earlier than usual.


    In his sleep, he was awakened by the alarm from the IBMz15, and realized that only ten seconds remained until midnight.


    Fortunately, the IBMz15 required no preparation time to play the ''Great Compassion Mantra'', and as the song played, from the copper corpse inside the corpse bag, the soul''s struggle and roars could be heard.


    Midnight is the time when the yin energy is at its strongest, and the copper corpse is most excited then.


    Through the Blood Covenant, Li Shiming could feel the copper corpse''s desire to break free of its shackles and its continual assault on the weak master''s spirit with negative emotions from the soul.


    The whole process did not last long, after thirty minutes, the copper corpse returned to a tranquil state.


    Listening to the ''Great Compassion Mantra'' for thirty minutes did not affect Li Shiming''s sleep; on the contrary, it improved the quality of his slumber.


    He slept until the next morning, waking up to feel very good bodily.


    A servant disciple brought him Spirit Food, and after consuming it, he went downstairs.


    Li Shiming organized a few more questions, ready to ask Zhu Ji for advice.


    He had calculated that, considering the time Zhu Ji spent each day at the Qingqiu Pavilion and the total of ten newcomers, he would manage to ask about three questions a day.


    But when he arrived downstairs, he was dumbfounded.


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    For some unknown reason, a group of youths had appeared on the first floor, easily numbering over a hundred at a glance.


    Li Shiming didn''t quite understand; hadn''t it been said the Sky Sea Sect only recruited spirit root seeds from the mundane areas once every five years during the Ascension Conference, and he and the other nine youths should be the last living spirit root seeds of these five years?


    Looking at the scene before him, where had all these additional youths come from?


    "Senior Brother Ji, are these also newcomers?" Li Shiming saw no one around Zhu Ji and walked over to ask.


    It was evident that the quality of a person''s spirit root seeds had a tremendous impact on their cultivation.


    Apart from those two, the rest of Li Shiming''s group advanced to Qi Refining First Level within fifteen days or so.


    Yet, those with poorer spirit root seeds from the later groups only began to advance after a month had passed, and the disparity began to show.


    Li Shiming paid no attention to the others. Every morning, he would consult Zhu Ji on any difficulties, practicing the ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique'' and ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill''; he devoted all his remaining time to refining the Fiery Flame Sword and Qingyuan Wood Sword with the ''Dragon Drawing Technique''.


    The Fiery Flame Sword was a temporary measure--once his strength reached Qi Refining Fourth Level, he would just barely be qualified to wield the Qingyuan Wood Sword.


    The nightly struggle of the copper corpse was not necessarily a bad thing for him.


    Through his confrontation with the copper corpse, his spirit saw a significant growth.


    So much so that, by the time the newcomer period was nearing its end, he could, without the aid of the ''Great Compassion Mantra'', handle the copper corpse''s resistance alone at midnight.


    Of course, since his realm was not high enough, the copper corpse''s resistance to the Blood Covenant continued; only by advancing to Qi Refining Fourth Level would he be able to resolve this.


    After three months in an environment saturated with dense Spiritual Energy, although his major cultivation level had not improved, he had progressed to the middle and later stages of Qi Refining Third Level. He believed it wouldn''t be long before he reached the late stage of Qi Refining Third Level.


    He had long since completed the refinement of the Fiery Flame Sword, whereas he was only halfway through with the Qingyuan Wood Sword; it would take at least another three months to fully refine it.


    On the last day of the newcomer period, Zhu Ji stood in the front, with a crowd of youths standing below.


    Li Shiming, Jin Fengzhi, and other seven first-batch newcomers stood at the very front, while the two other peers from the same batch stood at the back of the crowd, together with more than eighty others who had not reached Qi Refining First Level.


    Li Shiming knew that it was not a matter of those two having poor talent¡ªspirit root tests do not make mistakes. Rather, it was their psychological issues that were unaddressed.


    The sect only provided a certain cultivation environment and did not aid in resolving psychological barriers.


    Thus, despite their considerable cultivation talent, they could not even reach Qi Refining First Level in the best cultivation environment.


    Additionally, he could see the harsh reality of the Cultivation World; of the second group of over a hundred spirit root seeds, more than eighty still had not reached Qi Refining First Level after three months.


    No wonder the sect held no expectations for those with poor innate abilities from the mundane world; the spirit root is simply too critical.

 Chapter 84 Conclusion (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    "Today marks the end of the newcomer period, and to the thirty-two disciples who have condensed a Spiritual Energy Vortex, congratulations on becoming apprentice disciples of our sect. Representatives from the Eight Peaks will come to choose among you, and you may refuse if selected," Zhu Ji said with a serious expression as he looked at the thirty-two Qi Refining disciples standing before him.


    Aside from joining the Eight Peaks, if you have a secondary profession, you may apply to rent a cave dwelling within the sect''s sea domain," he continued.


    "Besides the mandatory tasks assigned annually, other tasks serve as crucial means for you to earn good deeds. If you want to become stronger, take on tasks!" Zhu Ji said sternly to the disciples in front of him.


    He paid no attention to the eighty or so others behind them, as those individuals would become servant disciples.@@@@


    Servant disciples could at least stay within the sect, and in an environment rich in Spiritual Energy, slowly proceed by just spending time, but their future prospects were almost nonexistent.


    Li Shiming had inquired from Zhu Ji that each of the Eight Peaks specialized in different areas. Entering any peak required the completion of daily tasks set by the peak, and only after these tasks could one have personal time.


    The perks of the Eight Peaks were similar; there was a monthly sermon, sometimes delivered by late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and sometimes even by Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Moreover, the Eight Peaks also provided opportunities to learn a secondary profession. In the process of continuously completing tasks within a peak, one would encounter respective secondary professions.


    If one possessed talent in a secondary profession, there was a definite chance to master it.


    This was extremely beneficial for newcomers who lacked any foundation, and the majority of them would choose to join the Eight Peaks.


    However, Li Shiming had his own plans as he needed ample time and space to pursue his personal matters.


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    He did not need to learn a secondary profession, as he already possessed two at novice level: Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator and Talisman Maker. Though basic, these were sufficient in the early to mid stages of Qi Refinement.


    Zhu Ji said no more, and the newcomers standing below dare not move.


    They waited nearly two hours before a cultivator walked in from outside.


    Zhu Ji sighed inwardly upon seeing the incoming cultivator.


    The Eight Peaks were named according to the Eight Diagrams, and the one who came was a low-level steward from Qian Peak, showing that Qian Peak was not very interested in the newcomers this time.


    Little did he know, each spirit field on Xun Peak was of intermediate quality or higher; it wouldn''t be used to grow mere Spirit Rice.


    "Greetings to Master Cheng!" Upon entering the Thunder Rain Pavilion, Zhu Ji stepped forward and saluted the elder cultivator inside.


    Li Shiming quickly bowed in respect, not expecting that within the Thunder Rain Pavilion there would be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    "What do you need?" Master Cheng glanced at the two and asked.


    "This disciple wishes to be assessed for the Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator!" Li Shiming maintained his bow as he responded.


    "Display the basic spirit plant cultivator spell then!" Master Cheng said without any further ado.


    Li Shiming channeled his Spiritual Power, drawing a rune in the air, and instantly dense clouds accumulated, forming a rain cloud roughly a hundred square meters in size within the hall.


    Before the rain started to fall, Master Cheng waved his hand, and the rain cloud dispersed.


    "The true essence of the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' isn''t handed down by our sect, but your proficiency and the essences you''ve captured are no inferior to those of the sect. Well done!" Master Cheng showed a hint of interest and commented.


    The ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' was the spell Li Shiming used most frequently. In the space of the machine room, seventy square meters by four of Spirit Rice, spirit tea trees, and spirit bamboo required the ''Spirit Rain'' from the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' daily.


    "Master Cheng''s observation is sharp indeed. Junior Li has only recently joined the sect, and he learned his spirit plant cultivation skills outside the sect!" Zhu Ji said with a smile, offering praise.


    "Anything else?" Master Cheng ignored Zhu Ji''s words and spoke to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming then performed the ''Geng Metal Skill'' and the ''Earth Spirit Technique.'' Since he needed to make a ''Primary Geng Metal Talisman,'' his proficiency with the ''Geng Metal Skill'' was adequate, but his execution of the ''Earth Spirit Technique'' was considerably slower.


    "Bring your Identity Jade Disc here. You''ve passed the Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator assessment!" Master Cheng nodded.


    Li Shiming took out his Identity Jade Disc and handed it over. Master Cheng didn''t take it; instead, he cast a spell on it.


    He saw a small tree icon appear on the Identity Jade Disc; this must be the identity marker for a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator.


    "Go now. Being a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator is just the beginning. I hope the next time I see you, it will be for your Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator assessment!" Master Cheng waved his hand and said.

 Chapter 85 The Selection

    "Master Cheng thinks highly of you. Why not stay at Xun Peak? However, the spirit fields of Xun Peak won''t benefit much from a junior spirit plant cultivator like you. You''ll only be able to do some menial tasks!" On the way to the Central Peak Affairs Pavilion, Zhu Ji had a lot more to say.


    Through his exchange with Zhu Ji, Li Shiming learned that no peak had any spare low-grade spirit fields available. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Below the sect''s nine peaks lies the main spirit vein, the region with the richest spiritual energy, with Central Peak having the most and the other Eight Peaks following behind.


    In the range of the main spirit vein, the rich spiritual energy supports better-quality spirit fields.


    After countless years of development, all the spirit fields of the sect''s nine peaks have reached the medium grade.


    A junior spirit plant cultivator''s use of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" can only take care of low-grade spirit fields, which are scattered among the islands beyond the nine peaks in the sea.


    "This is the Affairs Pavilion. I won''t accompany you any further!" Zhu Ji pointed to the pavilion below and said.


    "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhu!" Li Shiming bowed in gratitude.


    The paper crane landed in front of the Affairs Pavilion, which was quiet and empty at this time.


    The Affairs Pavilion was an institution that managed the sect''s assets and usually had little to do, so there was only one Qi Refinement Realm cultivator present.


    "Greetings, Senior Brother. I''ve come to rent a spirit field cave dwelling!" Li Shiming approached and said, simultaneously handing over ten spirit stones.


    With his identity, addressing someone in the sect with official disciple marks on their clothes as ''Senior Brother'' was definitely correct.


    "Identity Jade Disc. The green spots on the map are the available spirit field dwellings!" The Senior Brother, having expertly accepted the spirit stones, spoke in a flat tone.


    A holographic three-dimensional map appeared in front of Li Shiming.


    On the map, there were no green spots on the nine peaks, which was normal. Beyond the nine peaks, however, there were quite a few green-marked spots on the variously sized islands.


    "So many available spirit field dwellings?" Li Shiming couldn''t help expressing his amazement.


    After leaving the Affairs Pavilion, he summoned a paper crane, as this time he had a not-so-close distance to travel.


    The sea breeze caressed his face as he rode the crane into the sky¡ªa pity that it was a paper crane, which made the experience somewhat less thrilling.


    The flying speed of the paper crane was quite good; it took only half of a two-hour span to cover a distance of two hundred li.


    The first time he saw Eagle Beak Island, Li Shiming wondered if anyone could really live here.


    The map showed Eagle Beak Island to be very small, and upon actually arriving, he found it indeed was quite tiny.


    The island''s shape resembled an eagle''s beak¡ªsharp at one end and broad at the other. At the root of the eagle''s beak, which was no wider than two hundred meters, stood a small mountain peak fifty meters high. From the root to the tip of the eagle''s beak, there was a stretch of flat land.


    It was in this flat area where the spirit fields were located, surrounded by reefs to prevent ordinary sea beasts from entering the spirit field area directly.


    Li Shiming used his Identity Jade Disc to activate the defense array and enter the island.


    The five acres of spirit field were solidified by the array, which could preserve the Spiritual Energy of the spirit field to the greatest extent, but it would still slowly seep away over time.


    A Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator needed to come by periodically to use the Earth Spirit Technique to draw up underground Spiritual Energy, improving the spirit field''s energy.


    However, this could only maintain the essence of the spirit field. Over time, the spirit field would gradually degrade in quality.


    The spirit field in front of him had already reached the lowest quality of all grade-worthy spirit fields; low-grade primary spirit fields were the poorest, and this one was at the lower limit of even that.


    Li Shiming didn''t immediately undo the solidification of the spirit field as he needed to clean the dwelling first. Once he had a place to live, he would consider the affairs of the spirit field.


    The dwelling on Eagle Beak Island was developed on the small mountain peak, at the edge of the spirit fields.


    Using the same Identity Jade Disc, the dwelling''s restriction opened, and a moist, rotting smell came rushing at him, causing his step into the dwelling to falter.


    He put on a breathing device, used the Object Driving Skill to clear the garbage inside the dwelling, and then replaced the air with fresh air to finally rid it of the offensive odor.

 Chapter 86 Cave Mansion (Request for Votes, Request for Favorites)

    "This is my very own mystic abode!" Li Shiming looked at the abode before him and murmured contentedly.


    Ever since he became a cultivator, he knew that one day he would leave the secular world. Moreover, having left his initial home early to attend the grand examination in Central Capital, he yearned for a home that befits the identity of a cultivator.


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    Even though this home was extremely simple, with nothing but the existing prohibitions and seeming like a second-hand one at that, his heart filled with immense joy.


    The abode was divided into four rooms, entering into the living room, from which one proceeded to the cultivation room, which included a washroom with a flowing water feature.


    He planned to use the two rooms on the left and right of the living room as storerooms and a nurturing room. The nurturing room only needed to maintain its surface function, and he intended to cultivate Spirit Seedlings using the space of the machine room.


    What could be safer for cultivating Spirit Seedlings than a machine room space?


    The biggest concern during Spirit Seedling cultivation was spiritual insects'' infestation, which wouldn''t happen at all in a machine room space.


    Moreover, Spirit Seedlings cultivated in a machine room space were of extremely high yield varieties.


    In addition, he also planned to dig out a secret space underground to study the technological relics of a previous era.


    There wasn''t much furniture inside the abode, as cultivators generally didn''t pay much attention to these. Observing that the original owner of the abode hadn''t even carved out a bedroom, using the cultivation room instead, spoke volumes about the lifestyle of a cultivator.


    After cleaning the abode, he placed a new meditation mat in the cultivation room, making the abode livable.


    He tested the Spiritual Energy here, right beneath the cultivation room, where strands of Spiritual Energy surged.


    It seemed that the spiritual vein was located just below, though he wasn''t sure how deep it was. Normally, spiritual veins were situated deep underground, utilizing geological fissures to release Spiritual Energy.


    It was indeed an inferior spiritual vein, Li Shiming couldn''t help but shake his head.


    Fortunately, there was a Gathering Spirit Plate; otherwise, the impact of this place''s Spiritual Energy on his cultivation would have been substantial.


    He took out the Gathering Spirit Plate and placed it above the exit of the inferior spiritual vein.


    This would accelerate the flow of Spiritual Energy. This inferior spiritual vein was connected to the sect''s main spiritual vein, so there was no need to worry about extracting too much.


    Moreover, the Gathering Spirit Plate could also attract the Spiritual Power Pattern from around Eagle Beak Island to increase the concentration of Spiritual Energy on the island.


    After all, with the current stock of Spirit Rice in the cultivation room space exceeding two thousand catties, and with the upcoming crops, it would suffice for his needs to fulfill tasks for three years.


    He applied the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' several times on the spirit field, enabling the Spirit Rice seedlings to absorb sufficient spirit rain.


    He then took out the spirit soil from his storage bag and laid it on the left side of his cave dwelling, then planted the Spirit Bamboo.


    He didn''t plan to plant the spirit tea tree outside but kept it within the cultivation room space.


    As for the Spirit Rice planting area in the cultivation room space, he planned to temporarily stop and use the freed-up space for future research.


    He had many ideas in his mind, all of which required space to implement.


    After applying ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill'' to the Spirit Bamboo, which was very lively, it grew without a Problem, unlike the Hao Family who didn''t even have a Spirit Plant cultivator and just relied on some spirit soil to sustain the Spirit Bamboo.


    Busy until evening, looking at the spirit field and Spirit Bamboo, though they didn''t look impressive now, once the spirit field was fully planted and new bamboos appeared, this place would have a different scene.


    Returning to his cave dwelling, the concentration of Spiritual Energy inside had significantly increased due to the effect of the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    However, most of the Spiritual Power flowed into the cultivation room where, above the Gathering Spirit Plate, Li Shiming felt that the concentration of Spiritual Energy had more than doubled.


    Although it was not as concentrated as at Central Peak, it was enough to support his cultivation.


    For the first time in his own cave dwelling, he practiced the ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique'' and ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill''. At midnight, he practiced fighting techniques again with the copper corpse.


    The next morning, he summoned the copper corpse from the corpse bag.


    The appearance of the copper corpse was quite unattractive, a result of the poor tastes of the Xuanming Sect cultivators.


    Li Shiming changed the black clothes on the copper corpse, dressing it in a Breeze Robe, while he himself wore the sect''s standard robe.


    Dressed in the white Breeze Robe, the copper corpse resembled a farm scholar, its robust body concealed by the voluminous Breeze Robe.


    He also discovered what the gigantic low-grade magical artifact found in the bag of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator of Xuanming Sect was for. It was a weapon used for Corpse Refining.


    The strength of the copper corpse was extremely formidable; barehanded, a casual strike could explode him, a Qi Refining Third Level cultivator, along with his beginner''s ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill''.


    Of course, against a Qi Refining Seventh Level copper corpse, not only he, even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator without sufficient defense would not dare to take a casual strike from the copper corpse.

 Chapter 87 Discovery (Please Vote, Please Collect)

    ```


    Compared to the phantom shadows within the "Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner," the copper corpse more closely resembled an perpetual motion machine, its strength being greater and its movements swifter.


    The shortcomings of the copper corpse were also obvious; it lacked the ability to cast spells and engage in long-range attacks such as flying swords, making it a typical melee combatant.


    Li Shiming took a giant axe out of his storage bag and handed it to the copper corpse.


    The copper corpse, obedient under normal circumstances, took the axe.


    Li Shiming, accompanied by the copper corpse, headed to a corner of the Cultivation Room where he first took out the Fiery Flame Sword and began cutting the wall with his channeled Spiritual Energy.


    He dug very carefully, and soon chiseled out a one-cubic-meter-sized rock from the wall, which he perfectly stored in his storage bag.@@@@


    He called for the copper corpse to dig downwards.


    Using the copper corpse to create underground space not only lightened his own burdens but also served to train his control over the creature.


    There were two ways to control the copper corpse: first, Li Shiming could issue a clear command to the copper corpse through the Blood Covenant, and the copper corpse would follow this command obediently.


    For instance, if Li Shiming commanded the copper corpse to attack a particular target, then the copper corpse would rely on its own combat instincts to relentlessly attack that target until death.


    Second, Li Shiming could control the copper corpse directly through the Blood Covenant, making it completely obedient like a puppet under his manipulation.


    Of course, he couldn''t make the copper corpse perform tasks beyond its capabilities, such as if he wanted it to channel Spiritual Energy and release a "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill," the current copper corpse was incapable of doing so.


    A descending passage within the small mountain was rapidly being excavated, with Li Shiming collecting all the rocks and earth into his storage bag.


    His excavation wasn''t haphazard; after careful observation, he created a topographical map of Eagle Beak Island on the IBMz15 and devised an excavation plan after analyzing the conditions of the walls inside the lair.


    With the copper corpse''s efforts, the work of excavation became incredibly simple.


    With immense strength coupled with the Low Grade Giant Axe Magical Artifact, it plowed through rocks and earth, clearing large areas with each strike.


    Only after digging down ten meters did Li Shiming instruct the copper corpse to carve out the underground space.


    At a height of ten meters, with his physique, he didn''t require a ladder to easily enter and exit.


    Li Shiming grew interested in this underground space; he wanted to build a technological base and felt a hundred square meters was feeling a bit cramped.


    He controlled the copper corpse to enlarge the natural hole downward and straightened it out enough for him and the copper corpse to enter.


    It didn''t take long for a new channel to be smoothed out, and at the location of the underground exit, he dug out a platform for rest, with Li Shiming standing atop it.


    The underground space was extremely dark, so he took out a lamp. It was a technologically advanced battery-powered product, a completely sealed light designed for use underwater.


    This was also a product of boredom during cultivation; having been through underwater combat, he had considered all possibilities, leading to many ideas.


    He tossed the sealed light into the underground space, which immediately illuminated the area.


    With his vision, as long as there was a hint of brightness, he could see quite a bit.


    The underground space was about the size of an indoor professional basketball court, with a pond of about thirty square meters in one corner of the space, while the rest of the ground was very dry.


    "This isn''t right. How does it stay dry under the sea surface?" Li Shiming mused to himself as he calculated the exact location of the underground space using an IBMz15.


    If this underground space was sealed, how could the air remain fresh?


    It''s well known that air would turn fetid in a sealed space.


    He took another breath of air, but his expression quickly became strange.


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    Because with that breath, he felt that the concentration of spiritual energy in the air was unreasonably high.


    This definitely was not the concentration of a low-grade spirit vein; it was about the same as the concentration of spiritual energy gathered by a Gathering Spirit Plate.


    A low-grade spirit vein couldn''t possibly have such a concentration of spiritual energy unless there was another spirit vein here!


    The more Li Shiming thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and it also explained why the air in this sealed space was so fresh: a spirit vein has the effect of purifying the environment.


    He jumped into the underground space; the ground was very hard, and he began to observe other areas of the space.


    It was evident that the entire underground space was inside a single rock formation, with no cracks found, no wonder sea water couldn''t get in.

 Chapter 88 Spiritual Spring

    Li Shiming arrived at the edge of the pool, where he discovered the source of the Spiritual Energy, the pool was bubbling from within.@@@@


    Bubbles brought forth pure Spiritual Energy, suggesting that there was a spiritual vein beneath the pool.


    As this spiritual vein had not been discovered by the Sky Sea Sect, he had no idea where it originated from.


    However, considering the distance from the main island of Sky Sea Sect, it was very likely a new branch of the main spiritual vein.


    Perhaps there were two branches leading toward Eagle Beak Island, one being the exposed inferior spiritual vein, and the other a branch suppressed underground and connected to this sealed space.


    Normally, cultivators excavating their caves wouldn''t dig too deep on an island, so it was only because Li Shiming had different motives and the need for more that he accidentally uncovered the passageway to the underground space.


    Maybe many years later, an earthquake, a battle between powerful beings, or some other event that could change the terrain would expose this new branch of the spiritual vein, leading to its discovery by the Sky Sea Sect.


    His first thought now was to seal the exit above later.


    He wasn''t that generous to report this spiritual vein. With his status in the sect, during the Qi Refinement Realm, unless he was in the Nine Peaks, he could only access inferior spiritual veins.


    Even in the Nine Peaks, it wasn''t as it had been in the Qingqiu Pavilion, where Spiritual Energy was freely used.


    In each cave dwelling of the Nine Peaks, Spiritual Energy was controlled and delivered by grand formations, with the amount delivered depending on the cultivator''s cultivation level and status.


    Given the strength of the spiritual veins of the Nine Peaks, the allocation between so many cultivators also required consideration of consumption.


    Given the concentration of Spiritual Energy in this underground space and the addition of the Gathering Spirit Plate, he feared it wouldn''t be much worse than the cultivation environment inside the Nine Peaks.


    Most importantly, the Qi Refining Cultivators in the Nine Peaks had daily tasks, leaving them with very little time to control autonomously.


    After enjoying resources, one naturally had to give something in return.


    Looking at the vast space, Li Shiming''s mind began to plan for the future.


    In terms of construction, the 100 square meter basement above needed to be built like a normal cultivator''s secret chamber, to disguise the existence of this place.


    If a cultivator discovered the 100 square meter basement underground, how would they ever imagine that another hidden passage led to a different place below?


    Li Shiming, seeing the small fish, couldn''t help but feel a stirring of his appetite.


    Since becoming a cultivator, he had given up mundane food and started to eat only Spirit Rice.


    Luckily, he had Spirit Bamboo shoots to add as a side dish, but with their limited yield, he hardly dared to indulge freely.


    After joining the sect, the welfare for newbies barely extended beyond sufficient supply of Spirit Rice.


    At that time, Li Shiming was practicing the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill, and after finishing the sect-provided Spirit Rice, he would have to cook half a pound of Spirit Rice in his workroom space as a supplement.


    Upon seeing these little fish, his first thought was to eat them.


    It had been too long since he had tasted fresh ingredients, and moreover, the Body Refining Techniques he was practicing required more than just vegetarian fare; he was unable to obtain spirit meat, so seeing a spirit fish sparked an irresistible urge to eat.


    Thinking nothing of it, he activated the Object Driving Skill, and an invisible hand of Spiritual Power reached into the water, nimbly grabbing where the fish were most abundant.


    Three small fish were caught in the hand of Spiritual Power, lifted out of the water.


    The little fish were startled and dived back into the water, but it didn''t matter; Li Shiming was pleasantly surprised while looking at the small fish in the hand of Spiritual Power.


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    Firstly, he realized that the pond water was not salty as he had imagined, but rather fresh, and it was even spiritual spring water.


    The hand of Spiritual Power was connected to his senses; as soon as it plunged into the water, he felt the richness of the Spiritual Energy within.


    In fact, he could even drink this water to enhance his own Spiritual Energy. Of course, the effect wasn''t very noticeable, but the advantage lay in being able to drink it continuously over time.


    Li Shiming''s inexperience was the actual issue¡ªif another cultivator saw the bubbles from the exit of the Spiritual Power Pattern, they would have guessed that it was a Spiritual Spring.


    The formation of a Spiritual Spring was extremely difficult; the path of the spring water needed to significantly overlap with the Spiritual Power Pattern, and sometimes the water source had been nourished by the Spiritual Power Pattern for countless years before a Spiritual Spring could form.


    Li Shiming did not know the species of the small fish, but even the most common fish living in a Spiritual Spring would transform into a spirit fish.


    It seemed he could almost smell the fragrance of the spirit fish; the delicious taste of spirit fish soup made his mouth water uncontrollably.


    Spirit fish and spiritual spring water combined, boiled in a kerosene stove, made a pot of spirit fish soup that didn''t need the slightest bit of seasoning to make him feel that this was the most delicious Spirit Food in the world.

 Chapter 89 Daily (Request for Votes, Request for Favorites)

    A day in the life of the Spirit Plant Cultivator Li Shiming passed like this.


    Early in the morning, he arrived at the spirit fields and utilized his physical and spiritual power to perform the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill."


    Only after he truly began tending to the spirit field, did he discover areas where his "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" needed improvement.


    The first issue was the range. Normally, he could only cover a hundred square meters at a time with his "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" for the five acres of spirit field, requiring him to perform the skill 34 times to cover everything.@@@@


    It was then that the hardship of being a Spirit Plant Cultivator truly revealed itself. With his Qi Refining Third Level spiritual power, just performing the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" 34 times would consume half of his spiritual power.


    Luckily, he had advanced to the Qi Refining Third Level; otherwise, with the spiritual power of the Qi Refining Second Level, he could, at most, tend to about two acres of spirit field and still deplete his spiritual power daily.


    Next was the effectiveness. The effect of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" when executed in the spirit field, was significantly different from when applied in an indoor air-space without soil.


    A great degree of the spirit rain would seep into the mud beneath the spirit field instead of being absorbed by it.


    Thus, he was researching through IBMz15 data analysis, aiming to manage the volume of the spirit rain from the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill" to meet the growth needs of the Spirit Rice and extend the range of the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill."


    This required finding a balance where, without affecting the growth of the Spirit Rice, he could cover the area to the greatest extent possible.


    This phase was still in the data collection stage, and studying this would take a considerable amount of time.


    After performing the "Spring Breeze and Rain Skill," his work at the spirit field had not yet ended.


    Geng Metal Skill activated a Geng Metal Needle, which zipped through the spirit field to clear any potential spiritual insects.


    Since the spirit soil was initially purified, there were very few spiritual insects in the spirit field.


    In the end, the spiritual insects that managed to infiltrate through the defense array into Eagle Beak Island were extremely rare, with most being native to the spirit soil itself.


    However, the spirit field still required daily cleansing. In a day or two, the few existing spiritual insects would cause minimal damage, but over time, they could impact the growth of the Spirit Rice.


    The profession of a Spirit Plant Cultivator was his foundation for surviving within the sect, so even though he did not rely on the spirit field for his cultivation, he still tried his best to excel at it.


    IBMz15 continuously analyzed the deficiencies in his practice, allowing his progress to advance rapidly.


    By dinner time, Li Shiming returned to his cave abode. Through a secret passage in the basement, he entered the underground space.


    He caught two small fish from the Spiritual Spring, made a pot of fish soup with spiritual spring water, added spirit rice, and enjoyed a delightful meal.


    During this time, he discovered that the quantity of spirit fish in the Spiritual Spring was very high. The ones that surfaced in the pond were only a small part, and no matter how many he caught, there was no visible decrease in their numbers.


    However, once he discovered the important uses of spirit fish, he never regarded them as mere spirit food again.


    After finishing dinner, he immediately immersed himself in cultivating the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill."


    Ever since he had eaten spirit fish, he found that his progress in cultivating the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" had greatly increased, and the recovery period had also shortened by one day.


    This meant that as long as he ate spirit fish before practicing the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," he could cultivate it every day.


    According to precise calculations by IBMz15, eating two spirit fish before each cultivation session was optimal.


    Eating more was wasteful, and eating less would impact the effectiveness of his practice.


    He didn''t know the reproduction rate of the spirit fish, and he also didn''t know if indulging in them would drive them to extinction, so the best choice was not to exhaust the resource.


    Feeling the flow of Vajra energy throughout his body, his physique was now impervious to the common blades of the mortal world, and this was just after a short period of practice.


    Once he had cultivated the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" to the first level, he would be able to withstand attacks from Qi Refining Early Stage Cultivators, even if those cultivators held low-grade magical artifacts, he could defend with his body alone.


    This was his initial goal. Without advancing to the Qi Refining Fourth Level, his "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" would only ever reach the peak of the first level.


    The appearance of the spirit fish replaced the need for the spiritual medicine required by the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill." The restorative spiritual medicines were not as effective as the spirit fish, which also had benefits for strengthening the physique.


    He felt this effect immediately after eating the spirit fish.


    Ordinary cultivators, even without practicing body refinement techniques, could strengthen their bodies just by eating spirit fish to a degree several times greater than those of the same realm who did not practice body refinement techniques.

 Chapter 90 Sea Beast

    After practicing the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," he began to cultivate the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" above the Gathering Spirit Plate by the Spiritual Spring.


    Once the cultivation of the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" was finished, it was time to rest, but this rest period wasn''t truly for rest; instead, it was when he would study scientific knowledge through the IBMz15.


    In the past, while working in the library, the books he read were chosen at will.


    Now, he focused more on energy, medicine, plants, engineering, and machinery, aiming to interpret Spiritual Power, spells, and cultivation techniques through the knowledge of his previous life. His goal was to enable the IBMz15 to analyze cultivators'' cultivation techniques and decode the capabilities of Spiritual Energy.


    He knew this task wouldn''t be easy, as the world lacked the technological level of his former life, but cultivators in this world had established a complete system reliant on Spiritual Energy.


    At midnight, he would counteract the resistance coming from the copper corpse.


    Afterward, he would practice against the copper corpse in the underground space. He would apply the "Sword Manipulation Technique" he had learned during the day to the copper corpse.


    The copper corpse could dodge and block but was not allowed to strike back at him.


    Even though the Fiery Flame Sword had become the acknowledged master sword and the "Sword Manipulation Technique" was known as the strongest offensive method for sword cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm, Li Shiming himself was too weak. Having only recently learned the "Sword Manipulation Technique" and with the Fiery Flame Sword''s level being too low,


    even if the Fiery Flame Sword struck the copper corpse, it couldn''t cause the slightest damage to it.


    However, it was precisely this kind of practice that allowed Li Shiming to improve his mastery of the "Sword Manipulation Technique" as quickly as possible.


    When Li Shiming became tired, he would switch to practicing control over the copper corpse.


    His day of cultivation ended at 3 a.m., after which he would sleep in his cave dwelling for two hours, and then it would be morning again.


    His realm was still too low. To maintain the best cultivation effect, he needed to recover himself through sleep.


    This was Li Shiming''s daily schedule since arriving on Eagle Beak Island, always fully arranged.


    After passing two months this way, he was no longer the novice who could only rely on talismans, bombs, and his wits to protect himself.


    He had developed his own means of combat, and without exposing the copper corpse, the "Sword Manipulation Technique" greatly enhanced his combat power.


    With the Fiery Flame Sword, he managed it as if it was an extension of his own limb within a thirty-meter range, which was the maximum "Sword Manipulation Technique" control range for a Qi Refining Third Level cultivator.


    At most, the defense array could withstand an assault by a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator for thirty minutes before being breached.


    However, this was sufficient, as thirty minutes was more than enough for him to send out a distress signal through his Identity Jade Disc.


    Now, through his Identity Jade Disc, he felt the intensity of the attack, which was merely at the strength of a Qi Refining Third Level.


    Li Shiming took out the paper crane, jumped onto its back, and drove it towards the location under attack.


    Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Outside the defense array, a creature the size of a small calf was continuously slamming into the defense array.


    With each collision, its skin would quiver, revealing the thick layer of fat beneath it.


    Li Shiming knew nothing about this creature; he realized his lack of knowledge and planned to interact with other sect cultivators soon to acquire some crucial information. Otherwise, during such encounters, he wouldn''t even recognize the creatures he faced.


    "Slice!" Whether he recognized it or not did not affect his attack.


    With a flick of his fingers, a beam of sword light followed in the direction pointed towards the creature.


    The creature, though seemingly chubby, was extremely agile. Noticing the sword light, it rolled to evade the attack.


    But the sword light from the ''Sword Manipulation Technique'' was not straightforward; with another motion of Li Shiming''s fingers, the sword light turned and continued pursuing the creature.


    This time, the distance was too close, and the creature spat out a mouthful of seawater forming a shield of water in front of itself.


    The sword light avoided a direct collision with the water shield, skirting under it instead and aiming to slice at the lower half of the creature''s body.


    The creature tried to adjust the water shield, but its speed couldn''t match that of the sword light.


    A strange howl erupted from the creature as the Fiery Flame Sword left a wound on its body.


    The fire attribute of the Fiery Flame Sword was precisely the weakness of the creature. The blood that flowed from the wound was red, and the high temperature turned it into a mist of blood.


    The fire attribute Spiritual Power within Li Shiming had long been replaced by the metal attribute Spiritual Power. Hence, this was purely the fire attribute inherent to the Fiery Flame Sword. Still, it inflicted serious damage on the creature.


    The injured creature tried to flee, but how could the closely following sword light let it escape? The light pierced straight into the creature''s head.@@@@

 Chapter 91 New Acquaintance (Request for Votes, Request for Favorites)

    The monster was slain by the sword light and fell upon the rocks.


    "Who is there?" Li Shiming did not look at the monster''s corpse but turned to look over the sea.


    Although he was in battle, his five senses were like the IBMz15''s receiving device, constantly sensing everything around him.


    At the moment he finally killed the monster, the IBMz15 detected a trace of cultivator''s aura in the sea breeze, and there was also an abnormal air flow within the breeze.


    A gust of wind blew, and its direction changed with the airflow, a change that the IBMz15 could predict through calculation.


    The abnormal airflow indicated that something was affecting the wind, and coupled with a trace of cultivator''s aura, Li Shiming was certain a cultivator was hiding nearby.


    "Don''t misunderstand, I am Qiu Tan from Changming Island, here is my Identity Jade Disc!" The figure that Li Shiming was looking at appeared, it was a cultivator riding a white bird, displaying his Identity Jade Disc while speaking.


    Li Shiming dared not take the matter lightly, for he sensed that the other''s strength had reached the Qi Refining Middle Stage.


    "Is Eagle Beak Island where your cave dwelling is located?" Seeing Li Shiming''s nervousness, Qiu Tan gave a helpless smile, and closed the distance with some banter.


    He was passing by and came to check upon sensing the battle''s Spiritual Power Pattern fluctuations.


    This was the territory of the sect; who would dare to attack a fellow sect member here? If discovered, death was the inevitable outcome.


    Would one really take such a huge risk for a sea beast? That would be too unworthy.


    As for why he was invisible, that was not his fault. Having experienced so much in the Cultivation World, he had long become accustomed to being cautious, and preparing immediately upon detecting a battle was a normal response.


    "Yes, my name is Li Shiming, and I live on Eagle Beak Island." Through the micro-expression analysis of the IBMz15, Li Shiming knew that Qiu Tan harbored no ill intentions, so he relaxed a bit and replied.


    "I remember Eagle Beak Island has spirit fields, you wouldn''t happen to be a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator, would you?" Qiu Tan, curious, asked.


    Mainly, Li Shiming''s sword light in slaying the sea beast had led him to really not expect Li Shiming to be a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator.


    "No problem, I''ll share half with Senior Brother Qiu!" Li Shiming did not hesitate; had it not been for Qiu Tan naming the sea beast and informing him it was edible, he would have thrown the sea pig beast''s corpse back into the sea.


    Giving half of the sea pig beast was his way of repaying Qiu Tan''s help.


    Li Shiming''s mind stirred slightly, and the Fiery Flame Sword turned into a beam of light, ready to fly towards the sea pig beast''s corpse.


    "Wait!" Qiu Tan saw this and hurriedly called out.


    The sword light stopped above the corpse of the sea pig beast; had it not been for Li Shiming''s "Sword Manipulation Technique" reaching a certain level of proficiency, this one stroke would have split the sea pig beast in two.


    Qiu Tan flew beside the sea pig beast, took a small knife from his storage bag, and skilfully swung it over the body of the sea pig beast.


    "This hide is a bit damaged, but it''s still worth ten Spirit Stones!" Qiu Tan said as he processed the body.


    Previously, the sword light had pierced the sea pig beast''s head, and with another wound on its body, the hide that he peeled off, aside from these two wounds, was a complete hide.


    It was only then that Li Shiming thought of sea beasts as a resource, having no relevant information, naturally he didn''t consider this aspect.


    Qiu Tan was already dividing the sea pig meat, and soon it was split into two piles, with nothing going to waste, not even the innards.


    "This sea pig meat can be sold for fifty Spirit Stones on Changming Island Market, I''ll give you that amount!" Qiu Tan packed up half of the sea pig meat and then threw fifty Spirit Stones over to him.


    "Many thanks, had Senior Brother Qiu not informed me, I really wouldn''t have known the value of the sea pig beast!" Li Shiming received the Spirit Stones and thanked him again.


    "I have a sea beast catalogue here, valued at fifty Spirit Stones, I wonder if Junior Li might be interested?" Qiu Tan''s slight smile gave an air of inevitability.


    Li Shiming shook his head with a wry smile, helplessly tossing the fifty Spirit Stones back.


    Cultivators all knew that the value of knowledge was most important; lacking information about sea beasts, spending fifty Spirit Stones to buy a sea beast catalogue was not a loss.


    "Let''s add contact information as well, anytime you come to Changming Island, I can assist you in procuring whatever you need!" Qiu Tan took back the fifty Spirit Stones, threw out a Jade Scroll again, and then took out an Identity Jade Disc.


    The Identity Jade Disc not only symbolized identity but also served as a communication tool; as long as both parties added each other''s Identity Jade Disc information, they could communicate remotely within a certain range at any time.

 Chapter 92 Thoughts (Available at noon on the 10th!)

    The sea pig meat was very fragrant, throughout the year, aside from the last two months when he had eaten spirit fish meat, this was only the second time he had tasted spirit meat.


    Li Shiming indulged himself immensely, consuming two jin of spirit meat in one meal.


    However, when he cultivated the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," he found that although he ate a lot of sea pig meat, its cultivation effect was far inferior to that of the spirit fish, not to mention the effect of the spiritual medicine recorded in the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill." This highlighted the miraculous nature of the spirit fish.


    But the sea pig meat satisfied his cravings, and since he didn''t dare to waste the spirit fish by consuming it liberally, the less valuable sea pig meat was something he could enjoy freely.


    Through interactions with Qiu Tan, he learned that sea beasts were rarely seen within the sect''s marine territory because the sect had established a marine defense line at the outer sea access.


    Many sect cultivators adept at combat were concentrated there, targeting sea beasts for hunting.


    In the "Catalog of Sea Beasts," the sea pig beast, a low-level First-Order sea beast, was among the weakest of the sea beasts.


    A First-Order sea beast is comparable to a human cultivator''s Qi Refinement Realm strength, but of course, this strength is not absolute.


    The strength of a sea beast depends on its own bloodline and talent ability. For example, the sea pig beast Li Shiming encountered had reached the Qi Refinement Third Level in terms of spiritual power, but the sea pig beast did not have effective attack methods; it only used its body to ram, and at most, possessed the Water Spirit Shield defense talent ability.


    In actual combat, a cultivator at the Qi Refinement Third Level could easily defeat it with sufficient talismans and means of flight.


    The advantages of a sea beast were also clear; in marine battles, if they were not killed in one hit, the sea beasts could flee into the sea, making them unreachable by cultivators without underwater combat ability.


    Still regarding the sea pig beast, even that Water Spirit Shield defense talent allowed it to potentially escape after being wounded by a cultivator if it managed to contact the sea water.


    In the outer sea, human cultivators and sea beasts usually hunted in small teams, as many sea beasts could rely on their strong bodies to overpower cultivators of the same rank, making one-on-one fights extremely dangerous for human cultivators.


    Li Shiming, looking at the "Catalog of Sea Beasts," was greatly enlightened. Perhaps when he reached the Mid Qi Refinement stage and refined an Intermediate-grade defense array, he could participate in hunting sea beasts in the outer sea.


    With his Vajra Seventh Level combat power in the form of a copper corpse, and "white phosphorus bombs" and "thermite bombs," he could use these means to kill sea beasts without needing to team up with others.


    Spirit Plant Cultivators would enhance Spirit Plant Magic, boosting yield through cultivator techniques. Indeed, assigning an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator to grow Spirit Rice, doubling the yield of Spirit Rice, was not a problem.


    With such a solution available, which Spirit Plant Cultivator would consider an issue using non-Spirit Plant Cultivator methods?


    Li Shiming had no intention of constructing a greenhouse. Even if transgenic Spirit Rice were developed, he wouldn''t bring it out immediately.


    Only when he had enough strength and was not afraid of being coveted by others, might he publish his findings.


    Of course, he wouldn''t consume the transgenic Spirit Rice himself; it was his principle. When the yield increased, he could make a bit more profit. After all, cultivators were unlikely to be affected by the transgenics.


    "It looks like a trip to Changming Island is necessary!" one day, Li Shiming sighed helplessly to himself.


    He lacked many things, such as talismanic ink materials, Spirit Plant seeds, and some knowledge, all of which depended on the sect''s good deeds for exchange, and he didn''t know how many years it would take to accumulate enough good deeds.


    He was now very glad that he had chosen the most expensive "Sword Control Technique"; otherwise, just for the "Sword Control Technique" alone, it would take him at least ten years to accumulate enough good deeds for the exchange.


    The Spirit Rice could be sold for two thousand kilograms, and together with the more than two thousand Spirit Stones he had, he believed he would have enough to buy some needed items.


    The market on Long Time Island was divided into Sun Workshop, Moon Workshop, and Year Workshop. Sun Workshop was open every day, featuring fixed businesses that were always available.


    Moon Workshop was a larger market that occurred once a month, attended by many cultivators looking to buy and sell items. Year Workshop was even grander, with even Foundation Establishment Cultivators trading there.


    Li Shiming set out at four in the morning, mainly because the paper crane was too slow. Heading to Changming Island took two hours, and leaving later would mean missing the morning market.


    According to Qiu Tan, the morning session of the Sun Workshop had the most businesses open. Since businesses were run by cultivators and they also needed time for cultivation, most wouldn''t operate in the afternoon.


    The items he needed to purchase were not very rare, so there was no need to attend the Moon Workshop.


    Sitting on the paper crane, with the damp wind blowing on him, he no longer felt like an Immortal. The paper crane''s speed was less than ideal, and it was completely exposed.


    Flying over the sea in such gloomy weather was not a comfortable experience. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 93 First Encounter (Please Subscribe!)

    The paper crane had flown for about two hours when Li Shiming left Eagle Beak Island where the cave mansion was located.


    Flying over the ocean was extremely tedious, but he couldn''t afford to be careless, as he needed to constantly watch out for dangers on the sea surface.


    Although sea beasts were rare in the sect''s waters, they were not absent, and there were cultivators who were even more dreadful than sea beasts.


    This location was much farther from the Nine Peaks of the sect, and accordingly, the safety here was significantly reduced.


    In the far reaches of the ocean away from the sect, killing a weak cultivator could easily yield a small fortune, something a few unscrupulous cultivators would indeed do.


    "What''s that in the distance?" Li Shiming thought he saw a shadow in his field of view and hastily took out a monocular to observe.


    It was a small Flying Boat parked on the sea''s surface, only five meters long with a wooden cabin in the middle, and the entire boat was emerald green.


    A green figure was squatting on the bow of the Flying Boat, apparently doing something.


    Li Shiming''s gaze wasn''t fixed on the green figure, but rather, he meticulously observed the Flying Boat.


    This was, after all, a Flying Boat; although much smaller than the one he had boarded when coming to the sect, it was nevertheless a Flying Boat, a single-person Flying Boat.


    He was no longer a novice who knew nothing, having encountered numerous cultivators had enlightened him about many matters.


    In the sect, a single-person Flying Boat was either rented for missions of extremely long journeys or owned personally.


    Li Shiming glanced at the papercraft crane beneath him, then back at the single-person Flying Boat, a look of envy flashing in his eyes.


    To get a clearer look, and coincidentally since the single-person Flying Boat was on his path, he approached it.


    At that moment, the clouds in the sky darkened, and the persistent wind grew more humid.


    This movement caused more of the green-clothed woman''s garments to become wet, revealing more of her beautiful curves.


    Li Shiming furrowed his brows, uncertain of what the green-clothed woman was doing, but it surely must be something of great importance. He lightly tapped his finger, and a streak of sword light flew above the green-clothed woman''s head.


    The "Sword Control Technique" created a swath of sword light, deflecting all the raindrops falling toward the green-clothed woman.


    Amidst the rain, the paper crane and the Flying Boat remained at a distance from each other, and Li Shiming did not look at the green-clothed woman''s body but turned his head to gaze at the distant sea.


    From his previous view, he had clearly seen the green-clothed woman''s face, truly exquisite in beauty, with skin as smooth as cream.


    She was the most beautiful woman he had encountered in both his lives; perhaps it was due to her cultivation. From her appearance to her posture, she was unlike anyone he had ever seen, possessing a quality as if she were one with the universe.


    Given Li Shiming''s cautious nature, he would typically never approach a strange cultivator so closely.


    With his actual strength, carelessness could lead to any cultivator in the sea region killing him in an instant.


    But upon seeing the green-clothed woman, he sensed her harmony with nature, and instinctively, he knew she posed no danger.


    The rain intensified, and to shield a larger area, Li Shiming increased the range protected by his "Sword Control Technique."


    This significantly tested the skill of "Sword Control Technique," but fortunately, his skill had reached a very proficient level.


    The green-clothed woman emerged from her focused state, becoming aware of the longsword hovering above her head. She did not panic and quickly deduced that the longsword was shielding her from the rain.


    A look of gratitude appeared on her face, as radiant as the autumn moon. She had been in the midst of an epiphany, and if the rain had wet the paper, it would have disrupted her realization, with no guarantee of when the next epiphany might occur.


    "Yin Shilan thanks Mr. Xie for lending a hand!" Yin Shilan looked up at Li Shiming, flashing him a dazzling smile that slightly dazzled him.


    And just then, the rain stopped, and even the dark clouds in the sky were blown apart by the wind at that moment, allowing a ray of sunlight to shine down on the Flying Boat and illuminate Yin Shilan''s lovely face.

 Chapter 94 Trade (Subscribe please!)

    "Mr. Qiu, is there still a profit to be had in purchasing your Spirit Rice?" Li Shiming asked with mild surprise.


    "Of course, my store would not engage in a losing business. As you know, it''s difficult to sell Spirit Rice at a high price since it''s a low-margin business. Moreover, within the sect''s domain, there are not many Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators, and even fewer cultivate spirit fields on their own," Mr. Qiu explained without any concealment.


    Changming Island Market is only one of the many markets within the sect''s domain. Spirit Plant Cultivators will sign cooperation contracts with various Spirit Plant Stores. If I were to offer a low price, wouldn''t other stores snatch you away?" Qiu Tan explained quite frankly.


    Due to the climate of the Sky Sea Sect, spirit fields within the nine peaks are protected by the Sect Formation, so they are not affected much by the climate.


    However, the spirit fields in the sea region can only produce Spirit Rice for six months of the year, which is divided into three seasons, increasing the difficulty for Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators to survive.


    Therefore, apart from the professional Spirit Plant Cultivators actively cultivated by the Sky Sea Sect, few cultivators who enter the sect through the Ascension Conference choose to become Spirit Plant Cultivators.


    This is not to say that the profession of a Spirit Plant Cultivator is no good, but it is more challenging in the initial stage compared to other secondary jobs.


    Of course, this difficulty is only relative. Compared to ordinary sect cultivators, Spirit Plant Cultivators are still much better off.


    The reason why Qiu Tan paid special attention to Li Shiming was precisely that he discovered that Li Shiming was a newcomer in this period.


    This term is quite special. Normally, the Ascension Conference would bring thirty to forty newcomers to the sect every year. Added to the qualified newcomers from the sect''s sea region, there could be a replenishment of fifty to sixty newcomers to the sect over five years.


    But the news of the spirit root seeds being attacked this year, with only a few survivors among the spirit root seeds, had already spread among the Qi Refining disciples of the sect.


    This, in addition to deepening the grievances between the Heavenly Sea and Xuanming Sects, also drew the attention of resourceful Qi Refining disciples to this term''s spirit root seeds.


    After meeting Li Shiming, Qiu Tan had people inquire about Li Shiming''s situation.


    What techniques Li Shiming possessed, Qiu Tan did not care to investigate. After all, he was not a Spirit Plant Cultivator, but it was crucial to keep a talent like Li Shiming.


    "Agreed!" Li Shiming thought it over for a moment and agreed.


    Astable channel would also be nice. Even if he no longer grew Spirit Rice in the mechanized space, he would still have over a thousand catties of Spirit Rice to sell from the spirit field each year.


    "By the way, what spirit seeds do you need? As long as they are within the scope of the sect''s influence, I can get them for you!" Qiu Tan saw Li Shiming agree and continued.


    They did not discuss any contract signing. Among cultivators, a verbal agreement is rarely violated.


    In the circle of cultivators, breaking a promise is a grave matter; a cultivator who breaks their word would be ostracized by others.


    It''s sufficient for less critical matters to have a verbal agreement.


    "I''ve made a list!" Li Shiming took out a piece of paper and handed it to Qiu Tan. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    Qiu Tan took it and saw that the list included some expensive Spiritual Medicine that Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators could grow.


    Many Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators would buy these expensive spirit seeds and attempt to cultivate them carefully, hoping for a successful harvest that could earn them a significant amount of Spirit Stones.


    Of course, these Spiritual Medicines are costly because of their difficulty to cultivate. Even though they are within the capability of Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators, it''s still difficult for Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivators to ensure a high survival rate.


    Although Qiu Tan was aware of this, he would not advise against it; Spirit Plant Cultivators grow faster by cultivating challenging Spirit Plants.


    The rest of the list included some spice-type spirit plant seeds. Seeing this, Qiu Tan laughed to himself. He thought back to how he became acquainted with Li Shiming, which all started with a transaction involving sea pig beasts.

 Chapter 95 Reunion (Please Subscribe!)

    Yin Shilan maneuvered the Flying Boat, lost in thought as she reminisced about the encounter with Li Shiming in the morning, as well as the lost Array design draft.


    As serene as she was by nature, she had little fondness for social interactions and typically devoted herself to studying Arrays.


    Perhaps it was because of the embarrassment she felt in her heart, an uncharacteristic lapse she had never experienced before had been seen by a stranger, which led her to use her privileges to check Li Shiming''s information and commit his name to memory.


    Even after completing her tasks, when she passed by the area where they had met in the morning, she thought of Li Shiming once more.


    At that moment, the Array on the Flying Boat detected Li Shiming, who was far away on a paper crane, and Yin Shilan, who was connected to the Array, sensed him as well.


    "Is this a coincidence?" Yin Shilan saw Li Shiming through the Array and recalled the help he had offered her that morning, a hopeful glint in her eyes.


    By this time, after spending most of the day meditating, her mind had already returned to its usual clarity.


    She also thought about her own impropriety; Li Shiming had shielded her from heavy rain so her epiphany would remain undisturbed, yet she had left without saying goodbye, which made her feel uneasy.


    If they had never met again, it would have been one thing, but fate had brought Li Shiming into her path once more, and she decided to express her apologies for her earlier rudeness.


    When Yin Shilan was within visible distance of Li Shiming, he became aware of the approaching Flying Boat.


    It wasn''t Li Shiming''s fault for not being more attentive with IBMz15; rather, Yin Shilan''s Flying Boat possessed an Investigation Array with a much greater detection range than what IBMz15 could perceive through Li Shiming''s senses.


    Upon noticing the Flying Boat, Li Shiming was initially startled, yet recognizing the vessel from the magnified image provided by IBMz15.


    He slowed down the paper crane and waited in place for the Flying Boat to approach.


    "It seems the owner has come to retrieve the Array design draft!" he guessed the reason for Yin Shilan''s visit. Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    The Flying Boat stopped beside him and seeing Yin Shilan standing on the deck once again, her dazzling beauty still struck him with a strong sense of impact.


    The lamp served not only as a source of light but also to regulate the temperature, maintaining a constant climate within a space.


    Cultivators who desired illumination could simply use a Night Pearl, an object of immense value to mortals, but in the Cultivation World, it wasn''t even worth one Spirit Stone.


    What truly astonished Li Shiming was the size of the space within the cabin.


    From the outside, it seemed no more than around ten square meters, yet inside, the cabin expanded to a vast area of a hundred square meters.


    "Mr. Li, please have a seat!" Yin Shilan gestured gracefully.


    She took the opportunity to fetch something from a nearby cabinet, wondering to herself why she had invited Li Shiming into her boat in the first place; she did not understand what had prompted her to speak those words of invitation.


    After all, no man had ever set foot in her Flying Boat before, and in the span of a single day, she had broken many of her own precedents.


    If she hadn''t been aware of Li Shiming''s background and sensed that he was merely at the Qi Refining Third Level, she would have suspectedthat he might have cultivated some technique capable of influencing others'' minds.


    She took out a Jade Cup, brewed a pot of Spiritual Tea, poured it into the cup, and placed it on the low table in front of Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming had planted his own spirit tea tree, but it was still in the process of recovering, so he had never harvested the tea himself.


    The only time he had tasted Spiritual Tea was at Cultivator Gu Jia in Central Capital.


    Although his experience with Spiritual Tea was limited, he could tell just from the fragrance that the tea before him was extraordinarily valuable.


    The scent alone seemed to invigorate the Spiritual Energy Vortex within him, accelerating its rotation significantly.


    He picked up the Jade Cup, which remained cool to the touch despite containing hot tea.


    Within the Jade Cup, the Spiritual Tea, with most of its Spiritual Energy sealed within, swirled in a fascinating manner, with only a fraction of the energy escaping into the air.

 Chapter 96 Identity (Please Subscribe!)

    Li Shiming''s brain had borrowed the computing power of IBMz15, and he was astonished to find that the advantage of IBMz15 in formation design was unimaginable.


    The establishment of an Array required consideration of many factors.


    A normal beginner Array Master could only use refined Array flags, setting them up according to the local environment and terrain, placing them in different directions to connect the Spiritual Energy for the purpose of allowing the free flow of Spiritual Energy.


    Only an experienced Intermediate Array Master could design an Array Plate Formation without relying on Array flags.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that the Array Plate Formation was stronger, but that it was more portable.


    For example, the Sect''s Mountain Protection Array was not arranged through Array Plates but was built using a large amount of precious materials to make Array flags, supplemented by rare Spiritual Objects.


    The designs Li Shiming had on paper had already surpassed the level of a beginner Array Master.


    Although it was just a design and not an actual creation, for an Array Master, design was more important than production.


    Design involved intellectual work, whereas production involved a great deal of hands-on ability.


    A vast amount of formation knowledge was called upon; IBMz15 solved the biggest computational issues, allowing him to freely substitute his ideas in his mind and quickly analyze whether they were feasible.


    Any design that made it onto paper had already been calculated through IBMz15.


    Initially, Yin Shilan admired him for being able to apply the formation heritage to practical design so quickly, recognizing Li Shiming as a genius in arrays just like herself.


    However, as time passed, the admiration in her eyes turned into surprise.


    The Array Plate had a built-in environmental assessment, allowing for the formation to be set up quickly unless the environment was overly complex.


    Once the formation was set, the environment could no longer change; otherwise, all the pre-calculated data in the formation would go wrong, causing the formation to collapse.


    Li Shiming had designed a new mathematical formula for this formation, reducing the computation process and devising a novel approach to designing a movable Array.


    Yin Shilan''s eyes sparkled like stars; even her formation mentor hadn''t inspired such admiration in her, marking the beginning of a new school of formation art.


    "Alright, we''ll create this formation when we get the chance!" Li Shiming stretched and said.


    His arm accidentally touched Yin Shilan, who was next to him, and he quickly withdrew it.


    Only then did the two realize that they were almost head-to-head, separated by less than a fist-width between them.


    Yin Shilan''s figure blurred for a moment, and then she reappeared in her original position.


    "The Flying Boat has stopped!" Li Shiming smelled a fragrance like that of orchids, feeling a sudden pang of anxiety and swiftly changing the topic.


    "Take out your Identity Jade Disc, and if you have any questions about formations later, you can ask me through the Identity Jade Disc, and maybe I will also have questions for you!" Yin Shilan, suppressing a blush, gently adjusted a lock of hair at her temple and said.


    Having received so many benefits from her, Li Shiming naturally did not refuse; he took out his Identity Jade Disc.


    Yin Shilan also took out her Identity Jade Disc, and they exchanged contact information.


    "Could you let me borrow the Spirit Turtle Shield and this design for a few days?" Yin Shilan put away her Identity Jade Disc and then asked.


    "Take it!" Li Shiming did not hesitate. Since the design was a joint effort and he had the assistance of IBMz15, he had already saved the designs as data.

 Chapter 97 Breakthrough

    Li Shiming was somewhat surprised that Yin Shilan did not arrive afterward, and even the contact at noon had been interrupted.


    On the morning of the tenth day, while adjusting the spirit field using the "Earth Spirit Technique", he felt a warning from the Identity Jade Disc that someone was approaching the defensive Formation of Eagle Beak Island.


    He thought it was Qiu Tan delivering goods, and he greeted him with a smile.


    When he saw a verdant green Flying Boat, his heart settled down.


    Having lost contact in the Cultivation World had him worried about Yin Shilan''s safety for a long time.


    He had planned to use the few connections within his sect to inquire about Yin Shilan if there was still no news.


    Given his status, the only people he knew were Senior Brother Ji, his mentor for newcomers, and their relationship had not continued after the newcomer period ended.


    Mainly because he was outside of the Nine Peaks, and Senior Brother Ji was in the late-stage Qi Refining, it was difficult for him to have interactions with Senior Brother Ji.


    The only connection was their three-month interaction during the newcomer period; beyond that, only the favors of two fellow elders.@@@@


    Using these connections was almost tantamount to exhausting all his connections.


    "You''ve come!" Li Shiming said with a smile, looking at the silhouette in a cyan garment standing on the deck of the Flying Boat.


    "I was suddenly sent on a mission by the sect six days ago and just returned!" Yin Shilan said with a charming smile.


    What she did not mention was that to return as soon as possible, she had hurriedly manned the Flying Boat for more than two hours'' journey right after finishing the Formation task, and came here directly without even returning to the sect.


    Li Shiming, hearing her explanation, felt relieved and his days of concern swept away.


    Yin Shilan packed away the Flying Boat and entered Eagle Beak Island with him.


    "This is the spice I planted out of greed, and this is Spirit Bamboo, which I acquired before joining the sect and have successfully transplanted!" Li Shiming introduced the island''s features to Yin Shilan with a smile.


    "Please excuse me for a moment!" Li Shiming hastily left these words behind and turned into the Cultivation Room.


    Yin Shilan''s beautiful eyes shimmered, and a smile appeared on her face.


    Being much more advanced in cultivation than Li Shiming, she naturally spotted his current state.


    She had sensed that Li Shiming was at the Qi Refining Third Level bottleneck upon first meeting.


    She did not inquire why Li Shiming did not use a top-tier First-Grade Breaking Realm Pill, having given out cultivation resources; how he used them was Li Shiming''s own decision.


    A cultivator''s choices are a very personal matter, her nature was rather reserved and extremely intelligent, so she would naturally not interfere with Li Shiming''s choices.


    Seeing Li Shiming''s state, clearly his first time drinking this Spiritual Tea, she believed more than ever that the Spiritual Tea was specifically prepared for her.


    Her clear, lake-like eyes brimmed with a gentle warmth, the arcs of her lips as perfect as crescent moons, and her smile bloomed like a room full of flowers in an instant.


    Unfortunately, Li Shiming did not see it; he was already seated in the Cultivation Room, operating the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique".


    He hadn''t expected his breakthrough to come so swiftly, isn''t it said that breaking major realm bottlenecks was extremely difficult for normal Dual Spirit Roots cultivators?


    The breakthrough difficulties for Triple Spirit Roots cultivators are considered moderate among cultivators, with Single and Dual Spirit Roots geniuses above them simply needing continual cultivation during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Especially Single Spirit Roots, in order to prevent too rapid cultivation from destabilizing their realm, Single Spirit Roots cultivators often simultaneously practice Body Refining Techniques to lay the most solid foundation during Qi Refinement.


    Such geniuses never focus on the Qi Refinement Realm but prepare for higher realms in the future.


    Unlike Single Spirit Roots who focus on solidifying their bases, Four and Five Spirit Roots are at another extreme.


    Each level for Four and Five Spirit Roots cultivators presents a tough bottleneck, making the Qi Refinement extremely challenging for them.


    That is why the majority of Four and Five Spirit Roots cultivators remain stuck at the Qi Refinement stage.

 Chapter 98 Eight Diagram

    "Eh, isn''t that Yin Fairy?" Qiu Tan exclaimed in his heart as he approached Eagle Beak Island, spotting the verdant Flying Boat and the graceful silhouette standing upon it.


    Yin Fairy held an extremely high status within the sect, being one of the strongest among the younger generation and could be considered a top genius of the sect.


    Moreover, she was an esteemed Intermediate Array Master. Array Masters were extremely rare, so much so that the sect could count their number on one hand.


    How could such a favored daughter of the heavens come to Eagle Beak Island, and what could her relationship be with Li Shiming?


    At this moment, the flames of gossip within Qiu Tan''s heart blazed fiercely. One was the sect''s top genius, beautiful as a celestial being, Yin Fairy, and the other was a newly joined disciple who, at best, held the status of a low-level Spirit Plant husbander.


    These two could be said to be from completely different worlds. How could they have come to know each other?


    Driven by intense curiosity, Qiu Tan kicked the white bird beneath him, urging it to go faster.


    The white bird had long been discontented internally, having suffered quite a bit from this flight. With that kick, it shuddered and almost threw Qiu Tan into the sea.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''ll feed you extra when we get back, with your favorite silver thread fish!" Qiu Tan immediately recognized his mistake and kept apologizing.


    The white bird steadied itself, giving him some face.@@@@


    Qiu Tan looked up again towards the distance and saw that the verdant Flying Boat had already flown away, Li Shiming still watching the direction it had disappeared into.


    Only after the Flying Boat vanished did Li Shiming turn around to prepare to return to his cave-dwelling.


    "Mr. Li, wait for me!" Qiu Tan''s call came over.


    Li Shiming turned to look and saw Qiu Tan riding the white bird, a giant wooden box supported behind him, approaching from this side.


    Li Shiming handed over the Spirit Stones, which Qiu Tan accepted. Then, Qiu Tan opened the giant wooden box and poured out a great quantity of metal.


    "Is this a storage space?" Li Shiming curiously watched as Qiu Tan took out metals exceeding ten times the space of the box itself and couldn''t help but ask aloud.


    His curiosity was natural¡ªafter all, the storage capacity of a cultivator''s storage bag was limited.


    And for Qiu Tan to own storage equipment with such capacity, considering his assets, seemed unbelievable.


    "This is a commercial tool. Its internal space is very unstable and can only hold items of lesser value. One must always be prepared for the risk of the items being destroyed. I kept the Array materials and the three types of Spiritual Medicine in a storage bag!" Qiu Tan explained with a smile.


    He took out the Array materials and the Spiritual Medicines from his own storage bag and, together with the metals piled on the ground, concluded the deal.


    "I didn''t expect you to have planted Spirit Bamboo. Spirit papers made from it have a certain enhancement effect on wood attribute spells and are very popular in the market. The Spirit Bamboo shoots are even sought after by cultivators who love fine food... There are also spices in the spirit field, should you consider selling, be sure to think of me first!" Qiu Tan turned his head and saw the Spirit Bamboo, his business acumen kicking in, and he spoke right away.


    "Certainly, certainly!" Li Shiming quickly ushered him away, not wanting Qiu Tan to stay on the island any longer¡ªhe was truly wary of Qiu Tan.


    Qiu Tan didn''t realize what he had missed; originally, Li Shiming had intended to invite him into his dwelling.


    Li Shiming had few acquaintances in the sect, and there were still a few pieces of Spiritual Tea he had just made¡ªit was a pity that Qiu Tan''s business acumen successfully deterred Li Shiming''s intention to entertain him.


    Luckily, the spirit tea tree was in the machinery space, the Spiritual Spring and spirit fish were in an underground space; otherwise, Li Shiming worried that Qiu Tan might even ask him to sell those things.


    With Li Shiming''s enthusiastic send-off, Qiu Tan left Eagle Beak Island with the giant wooden box in tow.


    The giant wooden box was a spatial item and couldn''t be taken into a storage bag. The journey back was as hard as the journey there.


    But Qiu Tan was in a good mood, whistling a tune with satisfaction.

 Chapter 99 Captured (Extra for rewards from Li煤 m茅ng ch茅n m猫ng)

    Li Shiming was organizing the items sent by Qiu Tan, sending a large pile of mortal metals into the underground space.


    Array materials were sorted within the cave dwelling, and as for the three types of Spiritual Medicines, he stored them in his storage bag.


    From today, he could start practicing the actual operations of the Array.


    After many days, constantly communicating with Yin Shilan and consolidating the Array inheritance through IBMz15, his theoretical level had reached a very high level of proficiency.


    Otherwise, Yin Shilan wouldn''t often consult him with some questions. In terms of theory, his level was not much weaker than Yin Shilan''s; in fact, in calculations, he far surpassed her.


    With the three Spiritual Medicines and his realm elevated to the Qi Refining Fourth Level,


    he could feel the Blood Covenant between him and the copper corpse strengthening significantly, and the resistance from the copper corpse had vanished, recognizing him completely as its master.


    Regrettably, this copper corpse was not cultivated from scratch by him. According to the records in "Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter," if one could cultivate a corpse from scratch into a Life-bound Corpse Refinement, the realm difference between the corpse and the master could span an entire major realm.


    But the conditions for Life-bound Corpse Refinement are extremely stringent; even within the Xuanming Sect, there are few cultivators who possess a Life-bound Corpse Refinement.


    Mainly because Life-bound Corpse Refinement requires a certain level of strength. Before turning into a refined corpse, it must possess a physical and spiritual strength surpassing the cultivator''s own, and the internal Spiritual Power Pattern standard must also exceed theirs.


    This means the original strength of the corpse materials while alive needs to be greater than that of the cultivator, and the refinement must begin immediately after killing the enemy, as the corpses lose some of their energy with every passing minute.


    The failure rate of Life-bound Corpse Refinement process is higher than that of ordinary corpse refining, mainly because it''s difficult for the corpses to withstand the initial process of Life-bound Corpse Refinement.


    As for the basic materials for making Life-bound Corpse Refinement, Li Shiming had obtained a complete set in his spoils of war. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    In fact, he could easily break through the defense array in front of him with a single strike.


    But this location was too close to the Nine Peaks, breaking the defense array here would trigger the Sky Sea Sect''s response.


    Furthermore, Baili Jin Yan was still unclear about the exact nature of the relationship between Li Shiming and Yin Shilan. If their relationship was very close, then Sky Sea Sect''s protection over Eagle Beak Island would be more vigilant.


    Wasting an Array Breaking Talisman could avoid the trouble of being discovered by Sky Sea Sect. More importantly, it would prevent Yin Shilan from knowing that the matter concerning Li Shiming was related to him.


    The Array Breaking Talisman turned into a beam of red light, landing on the defense Array.


    Strangely, the defense array showed no reaction, allowing the Array Breaking Talisman to seep into it, forming a red hole large enough for a person to pass through.


    Baili Jin Yan gave a faint smile, and in a flash of his figure, he passed through the red hole and entered Eagle Beak Island, which was protected by the defense Array.


    The small Eagle Beak Island was completely visible at a glance, taking in everything at once; he saw Li Shiming standing by the spirit bamboo.


    Li Shiming had also sensed the warning from IBMz15 at that moment, with no hesitation, he instantly activated the Fiery Flame Sword.


    Yet before the Fiery Flame Sword could travel a meter from his side, Baili Jin Yan appeared beside him with inconceivable speed.


    Although Li Shiming had the aid of IBMz15 and could see Baili Jin Yan''s movements, his own nervous response failed to catch up with his thoughts and sight.


    Baili Jin Yan placed a hand on him, a terrifying force of Spiritual Energy surged into his body, suppressing his Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    "Novice Body Refinement, just broken through to Qi Refining Fourth Level, how could you possibly have achieved this!" Baili Jin Yan immediately sensed Li Shiming''s condition and exclaimed angrily.

 Chapter 100 Counterattack

    Li Shiming screamed miserably, his body convulsing uncontrollably, unimaginable pain striking directly at his soul.


    While Baili Jin Yan laughed wildly without restraint, he had no idea that at this moment, Li Shiming still had the spare mental capacity to calculate the situation of the Array Plate on the ground.


    The IBM z15 recorded the surface patterns of the Array Plate, and based on these patterns, although Li Shiming didn''t know the name of this Array, the basics of all Arrays were the same.


    He was also situated within the energy interior of the Array Plate, which allowed him to feel the energy flow of the Array more clearly.


    In front of him, a multitude of virtual energy routes were being drawn out, dense and intricate like a spider web.


    All these energy routes originated from the Array Plate on the ground; although they seemed disorderly, they actually followed extremely intricate rules.


    Even an ordinary Array Master couldn''t achieve such a colossal amount of calculations; it was equivalent to instantly completing months of work by the Array Master who created the Array Plate, and the calculations were continuous.


    Of course, a human brain couldn''t handle this, not even a Cultivator''s.


    But the IBM z15 could; no calculation was too complex for a large-scale computer to handle within its tolerable range of operations.


    However, as the calculations began, the IBM z15''s power consumption also sharply increased.


    To ensure the IBM z15''s power supply was stable, all nine ghost shadows were mobilized, pushing the efficiency of the perpetual motion generators to the extreme.


    One hundred and ninety CPUs, the crystallization of human technology, unleashed their terrifying computational power.


    Li Shiming''s screams grew even louder, and with the ability "Devil''s Sound in the Ear (Fake)," through the IBM z15''s multithreading operation, the IBM z15 managed to process a vast amount of computational data while simultaneously emitting ¨C through his mouth ¨C screams processed by "Devil''s Sound in the Ear (Fake)."


    The screams, because they lacked the fusion of Spiritual Energy, were significantly weakened in strength.


    Although he possessed a Metal Spirit Root, he practiced the secret techniques of the Holy Ice Sect, which provided him with an extremely strong defense against all kinds of mental attacks.


    If not for the fact that IBM z15''s screams had not a trace of Spiritual Energy fluctuation, Baili Jin Yan would not have been unknowingly affected.


    Meanwhile, Li Shiming also took action.


    He summoned the copper corpse, then collected the Soul-binding Rope and the Soul Piercing Needle into the machine room space.


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    The copper corpse grasped his body in one swoop and moved through space with a strange twisting motion.


    Li Shiming wasn''t idle either; a "White Phosphorus Grenade" and a "Thermite Grenade" were simultaneously thrown from the machine room space.


    The copper corpse appeared next to the Array Plate, lightly tapped a few points on the Array Plate with its finger, and then vanished beyond the range of the energy cocoon created by the Array Plate in a flash.


    It seemed like a lot of movements, but in reality, they were completed in an instant.


    Li Shiming knew full well that Baili Jin Yan was not so easily dealt with, and the trouble caused by the IBM z15 wouldn''t stop Baili Jin Yan for long.


    Indeed, Baili Jin Yan was only affected for a moment, and it was during that brief moment that Li Shiming escaped the range of the Array Plate.


    "You''re courting death, you thief!" Baili Jin Yan emitted an enraged roar.


    He paid no attention to the "White Phosphorus Grenade" and the "Thermite Grenade" that had fallen to the ground; like other Cultivators who had never witnessed the bombs from the previous world''s military, he didn''t take notice of ordinary items without Spiritual Energy fluctuation.


    He also had that confidence; if Li Shiming were an equal to him, perhaps he would have been more cautious, taking extra care with the two mundane objects.


    Besides, by then, he had already been blinded by anger; a mere Qi Refining Fourth Level Cultivator, a thief who he regarded as having stolen his beloved, dared to play tricks in front of him.

 Chapter 101 Harvest

    The Dragon-Locking Phoenix-Sealing Array Plate, a name given to an extremely exaggerated array plate, embedded with the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array, is a masterpiece by an Array Master.


    This kind of completely customized formation, crafted uniquely from design to production according to client specifications, comes at an exorbitantly expensive price.


    Only cultivators of high status are able to afford such customized formations; otherwise, ordinary cultivators, even if they possess Spirit Stones, might not even get noticed by an Array Master.


    Compared to mature formations, customized formations are harder to decipher, especially by fellow Array Masters.


    Li Shiming had taken control of the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate, but he had not deactivated the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array.


    The Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate achieved defense and isolation simultaneously, and its effects exceeded his expectations.


    The energy source within the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate was a type of Spirit Stone he had never seen before, which was more translucent and had higher levels of Spiritual Energy.


    Unfortunately, due to two consecutive explosions before, the three Spirit Stones serving as the energy source were nearly depleted.


    "Could this be a Mid-grade Spirit Stone?" Remembering records from the knowledge of a Qi Refinement cultivator, he guessed what the energy source Spirit Stones were.


    Theoretically, Qi Refinement Realm cultivators should not have access to Mid-grade Spirit Stones, as these are circulated only among Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and Qi Refinement cultivators rarely even get a chance to see Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    No wonder a formation driven by Mid-grade Spirit Stones could withstand the simultaneous explosions of ''white phosphorus bombs'' and ''thermite bombs''.


    Indeed, it was because the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate absorbed the explosions'' forces that all the explosive force repeatedly acted on Baili Jin Yan''s body, which was the main cause of Baili Jin Yan''s death.


    Otherwise, with the life-saving objects on Baili Jin Yan, he would not have fallen here.


    This storage bracelet exceeded Li Shiming''s imagination, even larger than the space of his own server room.


    Li Shiming''s expression turned grim. He didn''t start to examine what was inside the storage bracelet closely; he only saw piles of Spirit Stones and the most conspicuous item¡ªa small Elegant Flying Boat.


    Upon seeing the Flying Boat, he realized that the state of Flying Boats when placed into a storage item is minimized before entry.


    It makes sense, as not all cultivators have such extravagant storage space; Flying Boats must be designed with storage in mind for ease of carriage by cultivators.


    Of course, there are Flying Boats that cannot be minimized; those are medium to large Flying Boats used communally within the sect.


    Li Shiming first retrieved his own Identity Jade Disc, then tried to store the storage bracelet in the server room space. If the server room space was just a regular storage area, the spatial overlap would make it impossible to store the bracelet.


    Fortunately, the server room space was a uniquely special space, and the storage bracelet was easily stored within it.


    He couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief, the storage bracelet including all its contents, the Soul-binding Rope, and the Soul Piercing Needle had to be kept in the server room space for a long time.


    Who knows whether the storage bracelet or any of the Spiritual Objects inside carried the mark of the forces behind Baili Jin Yan.


    He did not want to be pursued by the terrifying force capable of giving out a storage bracelet; if discovered, even the Heavenly Sea Sect might not be able to protect him.


    For a mere Qi Refinement Realm disciple, Heavenly Sea Sect wouldn''t oppose a powerful force. Perhaps Heavenly Sea Sect would appear firm on the surface, but with a minor trick, they could easily betray him.


    In his previous life, he had seen countless cases in movies, television, and real life, where people were betrayed for sufficient interests.


    Li Shiming''s gaze returned to Baili Jin Yan''s body, recalling the torture he had endured from him.@@@@

 Chapter 102 Doppelganger

    Baili Jin Yan''s consciousness had recovered, but he was unable to use even the slightest bit of Spiritual Power within his body, and he couldn''t even open his eyelids.


    A pain like flaying and deboning spread from every part of his body, and no part could escape this sensation of pain.


    Just as he had tortured Li Shiming, he had tortured Li Shiming to the extreme of soul pain, but now it was his body that was in extreme pain.


    "I''ve been captured by that Li Shiming! He''s torturing me with the same methods!" Baili Jin Yan thought about his situation and guessed a possibility.


    He didn''t have Li Shiming''s endurance. The mere thought made it impossible for him to think further.


    Because of the pain, he lost his ability to think; the terrifying pain made his soul tremble.


    He didn''t understand what methods Li Shiming had used to render his Body Refinement, perfected in the Qi Refinement Realm and comparable to an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator''s body, completely immobile.


    Even he was slowly losing his awareness of his body and simultaneously, he felt something eroding his soul.


    Baili Jin Yan didn''t know that his bodily restriction wasn''t intentional by Li Shiming, but rather a result of the Life-bound Corpse Refinement process.


    Baili Jin Yan''s body was transitioning towards Corpse Refinement, and this was a forced conversion using a living person''s body.@@@@


    Not that no Cultivators had researched the feasibility of converting a living person into a Corpse Refinement; in fact, this cruel method had never stopped being experimented with by malevolent Cultivators.


    But starting from the early stages of a living body''s Corpse Refinement would result in failure, confounding all Cultivators.


    Baili Jin Yan''s body was special; a Tier 3 artifact''s ''faux death'' had even deceived the Life-bound Corpse Refinement Corpse Liquid in the early phase of the body''s transformation.


    The transformation liquid needed more than five ''two hour periods'' to convert the faux dead body before the Tier 3 artifact took effect and began repairing Baili Jin Yan''s body.


    Just as he was thinking about it, the scene before him blurred, and he appeared in a room with a white ceiling four meters high.


    He was somewhat at a loss, wondering what was going on.


    "Could I have traveled through time again?" he wondered, feeling the condition of his body.


    He couldn''t blame himself for thinking this way because this body was too special. The almost overflowing sense of strength and the dense Spiritual Energy Vortex in his body clearly indicated that this was not his original body.


    Compared to his original body, this body was much more powerful.


    In terms of strength alone, he estimated that one hand of this body could easily overpower his original body, even if the original used Spells or Magic Artifacts.


    Not to mention the Spiritual Energy Vortex inside; though Qi Refinement was divided into nine levels, all of them were actually stages of the Spiritual Energy Vortex''s growth.


    The Spiritual Energy Vortex within him now was of a quality beyond his imagination.


    The massive Spiritual Energy Vortex inside him, in terms of size alone, was more than ten times larger than his original vortex.


    He tried to sit up and his gaze fell on a plant nearby.


    "Isn''t this a spirit tea tree?" he murmured to himself.


    He then saw more familiar items: IBMz15, uninterruptible power supply, perpetual motion generators, and so forth; he immediately understood where he was.


    He had never observed the control room space from this angle before; he had always controlled it from a god-like perspective with his consciousness.


    He had also tried entering the control room space himself, but his body was unable to enter it.

 Chapter 103 Intermediate

    Li Shiming placed the five prepared array banners into the Gathering Spirit Array next to the Low Grade Spirit Vein, where they required a great amount of Spiritual Energy to nourish them.


    He took out the Spirit Turtle Shield, which he had not refined since he acquired it.


    Previously, he lacked a sense of urgency, but now he urgently needed to improve his own strength as swiftly as possible.


    The Dragon Drawing Technique was activated, and the Spirit Turtle Shield flashed with incredibly complex patterns, including both the Mid Grade Magical Artifact patterns originally on the Spirit Turtle Shield and the Array Diagram patterns he had developed together with Yin Shilan.


    Having received the Array inheritance, he was no longer a complete novice to these patterns.


    Four light points appeared on the Spirit Turtle Shield, indicating that its quality surpassed that of a top-grade magic tool.


    Of course, although the Spirit Turtle Shield exceeded the quality of a top-grade magic tool, its limitations significantly reduced its actual value¡ªit was only in Li Shiming''s hands that the Spirit Turtle Shield could exert its greatest effect.


    As for value, perhaps the Spirit Turtle Shield''s portable carrying array was of greatest worth to an Array Master.


    Li Shiming no longer chose the sequence of the four light points carelessly as before, a method that would still allow refining but was much less efficient.@@@@


    He sorted the four light points from lowest to highest and refined each one with the "Drawing Technique," quickly establishing a connection with the Spirit Turtle Shield.


    At this point, the Spirit Turtle Shield could be used, but to handle it with supreme flexibility, he still needed to refine it completely.


    He discovered that at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, his speed in refining the Spirit Turtle Shield was much faster than it was during the Early-stage Qi Refining period.


    He estimated that fully refining the Spirit Turtle Shield would take about two months.


    Despite the complexity of the Sect Protection Array in front of him, it was still fundamentally based on the Eight Diagrams, with other arrays arranged around it.


    Of course, what Li Shiming saw was just the tip of the iceberg; the Sect Protection Array in its current state was yet to be fully activated. A fully activated Sect Protection Array would consume even more but would also be more formidable.


    This was the profound foundation of a great sect. Without a Spirit Vein of exceedingly high quality, such a Sect Protection Array could not be laid out.


    With his Identity Jade Disc, he easily entered the Sect Protection Array.


    The Thunder Rain Pavilion on Xun Peak was one of the few pavilions open to outsiders, and his status as a low-level Spirit Plant Cultivator registered on his Identity Jade Disc was his pass to enter the Thunder Rain Pavilion on Xun Peak. It wasn''t necessary to be a disciple of Xun Peak.


    Li Shiming landed in front of the Thunder Rain Pavilion, feeling the vitality in the air. This time his perception was much clearer.


    Different from the previous sense of amazement during his first visit, what had taken its place was his sense of the gap between his Spring Breeze and Rain Skill and the life force here¡ªjust one step away from an Intermediate Spiritual Plant Cultivation Skill.


    He confidently walked into the Thunder Rain Pavilion; it was still the same elder, Master Cheng, inside.


    "You''re that disciple who had a keen understanding of the ''Spring Breeze and Rain Skill,'' what''s your name again?" Master Cheng saw Li Shiming, nodded thoughtfully, and spoke as he pondered.


    "Master Cheng, my name is Li Shiming!" Li Shiming did not expect that after so long, Master Cheng would still remember him and quickly responded.


    "My memory isn''t poor; I remember your name!" Master Cheng was displeased to be thought of as forgetful and waved his hand dismissively before asking, "You''ve come to join Xun Peak this time, right, to make your mark in the profession of Spirit Plant Cultivators? You have to join Xun Peak to achieve that!"


    "Err, Master Cheng, I am here to apply for the Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator assessment!" Li Shiming reminded, somewhat embarrassed.


    Master Cheng was slightly taken aback. He emitted a fluctuation that swept over Li Shiming''s body.


    "You''ve only recently advanced to Qi Refining Fourth Level. Don''t set your sights too high; indeed, one needs the power of the Qi Refining Middle Stage to reach the Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator level. With a bit more effort, you can achieve it!" Master Cheng advised while shaking his head.

 Chapter 104 Retake

    Standing in front of the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, Li Shiming was slightly startled¡ªthe grand doors of the pavilion were concealed by a layer of fog.


    To enter the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, one had to pass through the foggy area ahead.


    "Could this be the first test of the assessment?" he speculated in his mind.


    The fog posed no challenge to him, for it was merely a simple Five Elements Confusion Array, the exact type of Formation he was in the process of arranging with his Five Elements Array Flags.


    Inside the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, a handsome middle-aged man was reading while keeping an eye on the situation outside the pavilion.


    The Five Elements Confusion Array at the entrance was the first barrier he set up to block the candidates.


    If one couldn''t even break through the most elementary Five Elements Confusion Array, then what assessment were they talking about?


    At the same time, he had no desire to be disturbed by laymen. Being assigned to guard the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion was unfortunate enough, much less having to assess the novices. It was something he was reluctant to do.


    "This kid''s going to have a rough time!" the handsome middle-aged man muttered to himself, shaking his head.


    The way Li Shiming entered the Five Elements Confusion Array was vastly different from the normal approach to breaking the Formation; it was as if he were a cultivator who knew nothing about Arrays.


    He just walked straight into the Five Elements Confusion Array without any semblance of skill.


    As the simplest Formation, the Five Elements Confusion Array had no offensive power and only caused those who entered to lose their sense of direction. Those unfamiliar with Formations would wander aimlessly within.


    With luck, they might exit where they entered; with bad luck, they could be trapped inside, waiting for rescue.


    Of course, as a simple Formation, the Five Elements Confusion Array had another way to be broken¡ªthat was with a powerful attack.


    "Greetings, Uncle Master!" Li Shiming, noticing the only cultivator in the great hall and feeling the imposing aura that only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator possessed, respectfully bowed and saluted.


    "You''ve passed, bring out your Identity Jade Disc," said the handsome middle-aged man with a smile.


    Li Shiming was initially taken aback, then realized that the two Arrays he had encountered were part of the assessment.


    He took out his Identity Jade Disc and handed it to the handsome middle-aged man, who took it and operated on another Jade Disc, handing the new one back to him.


    "With the Identity Jade Disc of a Basic-level Array Master, you can connect to the Sect Formation within a thousand li of the nine peaks," the handsome middle-aged man explained with a smile, "and receive tasks from other Array Masters. If you are excellent enough, the rewards for these tasks are very generous!"


    Li Shiming looked at his new Identity Jade Disc and saw that his original information was completely retained, but this new Jade Disc was clearly more refined and made of vastly different materials than the previous one.


    It was only at this moment that he truly felt the distinction of being an Array Master.


    He had attained the rank of Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator, yet his Identity Jade Disc had never been changed, but having just become a Basic-level Array Master, he was given a superior Identity Jade Disc¡ªthe difference was stark.


    "Moreover, there''s no need to go to the Hidden Technique Pavilion to exchange for knowledge on Arrays. You can directly use good deeds to exchange for relevant knowledge through your Identity Jade Disc."


    "Much of this Array knowledge is not just collected by the sect; many Array Masters have researched these results themselves. If you wish to learn, you must pay the appropriate price!" the handsome middle-aged man continued to explain.


    "Thank you for the information, Uncle Master!" Li Shiming expressed his gratitude.


    Suddenly, with a ''boom,'' the entire Sect Formation trembled, followed by an extremely terrifying aura that flew out from within the sect.


    Thankfully, he had practiced Body Refining Techniques, allowing him to stand his ground without falling.


    The handsome middle-aged man''s complexion was not good either; his eyes gazed at the sky, flickering with shock.


    "What grave situation has occurred? All the Elders have personally been mobilized!" the handsome middle-aged man murmured to himself.

 Chapter 105 Enforcement

    The tasks of a basic-level Array Master were mostly posted by Qi Refining cultivators, including requests to bolster the defense formations of their cave dwellings, to customize formations, and to address difficult array issues posed by other basic-level Array Masters.


    The late-stage Qi Refining disciples who were able to post these tasks were the more powerful ones within the sect, possessing plentiful spirit stones and merit rewards.


    Li Shiming also discovered that most of the rewards for these tasks were spirit stones, and there weren''t many tasks offering merit rewards.


    He didn''t know if it was because the merit reward tasks had been taken first or if the Qi Refining disciples were reluctant to part with their merit rewards as compensation.


    However, the difficult array problems posted by other basic-level Array Masters were all offering merit rewards.


    In addition, there was a long-term sect mission to maintain the Sect Formation, which offered a generous five hundred merit rewards per month.


    Considering that a junior Spirit Plant Cultivator could barely earn less than three hundred merit rewards after toiling away for a year, a basic-level Array Master could earn as much as five hundred merit rewards from just one monthly task, and this was a long-term mission.


    If a basic-level Array Master was willing, they could amass a significant amount of merit rewards by continuously undertaking this long-term mission.


    Li Shiming was almost indulging in a fantasy of possessing a vast amount of merit rewards and freely selecting exclusive items inside the Hidden Technique Pavilion.


    But then, after seeing the exchange list available to basic-level Array Masters, his fantasy was shattered.


    The knowledge and materials for arrays within the sect all required merit rewards to exchange, and considering the required amount, he suspected that the sect had intentionally increased the merit reward compensation for Array Masters; otherwise, no one could afford such exchanges.


    Indeed, basic-level Array Masters earned a lot, but likewise, they spent a lot as well.


    Unless they no longer wished to advance, they could certainly store up a large number of merit rewards, but once an Array Master was promoted to the intermediate level, their ability to earn merit rewards would further increase, as would their standing within the sect.


    Which Array Master could resist such temptation, to not learn about so many formations and not purchase materials for practice?


    "Hmph!" The Law Enforcement Monk jumped down from the Flying Boat and snorted coldly as he passed by.


    Another Law Enforcement Monk followed suit, jumping down, while the remaining three stayed on the Flying Boat.


    They were experienced Law Enforcement Monks, and if there were any real issues with Li Shiming, even if he had the means to instantly deal with two late-stage Qi Refining Law Enforcement Monks, the three on the Flying Boat could immediately report to the sect.


    "We are conducting this search for your own good. A Qi Refining Peak Disciple from the Holy Ice Sect has gone missing. If he happens to be hiding with you, you could reap quite the reward upon discovery!" The following Law Enforcement Monk who seemed more approachable explained to Li Shiming.


    How could Li Shiming believe such nonsense from the Law Enforcement Monk? He wasn''t absent from the sect before, and with all the commotion with the Elder, it had to be a significant event.


    When the Holy Ice Sect was mentioned by the Law Enforcement Monk, Li Shiming understood the background of Baili Jin Yan, and that Elder from the outer sect must have been an Elder of the Holy Ice Sect.


    It was still unclear what relation the missing disciple of the Holy Ice Sect shared with Baili Jin Yan, but considering that the distance between the Holy Ice Sect and the Sky Sea Sect must be quite vast, it was remarkable for them to come all this way for a Qi Refining disciple.


    The leading Law Enforcement Monk spotted the Spirit Bamboo as soon as he set foot on Eagle Beak Island.


    It was obvious he recognized the Spirit Bamboo, and a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.


    The Spirit Bamboo was still in its growth stage, yet when it fully matured, it would form a small bamboo grove.


    Not to mention the other uses of Spirit Bamboo, just its leaves could provide an income of over five hundred spirit stones each month.


    Five hundred spirit stones each month was a considerable sum for any Qi Refinement Realm cultivator. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    If one did not wish to manage it personally, one could simply find a junior Spirit Plant Cultivator, offer some benefits to manage it, and then sit back to split the spirit stones each month.


    As he thought about it, his gaze shifted to the spirit field above.

 Chapter 106 Nanshan

    Li Shiming sat on the back of a paper crane, taking out his Identity Jade Disc to send a message to Yin Shilan, informing her that he was about to undertake a mandatory task.


    Then, he opened the mandatory task and discovered that it was to heal a spirit tree in Nanshan Country.


    Nanshan Country was a mundane place, and the spirit tree there wouldn''t likely be any notable Spirit Plant.


    Because precious Spirit Plants simply couldn''t survive in the world''s regions where Spiritual Energy was sparse, yet, as a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator according to the records, such a task was still plausible for him.


    However, the distance to Nanshan Country was considerable. If he rode the paper crane, the flight alone would take more than ten days.


    "This is also good, I can use it as an excuse to stay away from the sect. Even if the Holy Ice Sect investigates, they can''t scrutinize me when I''m away from the sect. My mission is enforced by the Law Enforcement Hall, not a request of my own volition!" Li Shiming thought while controlling the paper crane.


    After flying for two hours, he felt that this speed was simply too slow.


    Indeed, the speed was almost comparable to the car speeds from his previous life, but compared to the distances a cultivator needed to travel, the paper crane''s speed seemed rather inadequate.


    If it had been the early stages of Qi Refinement, he would have had no other choice due to his meager Spiritual Power, but now he was at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, having truly reached the middle stage of Qi Refinement.


    At the very least within the realm of Qi Refinement, he was a cultivator with some genuine strength.


    He hadn''t learned any flight-related Cultivation Techniques, but the ''Sword Manipulation Technique'', a Sword Cultivation Technique, did include a method for using a longsword to carry a cultivator in flight.


    Previously, his Spiritual Power was insufficient to utilize the ability to fly, but now he had the capability.


    Deciding to act, he withdrew the paper crane, which left him unsupported in mid-air.


    Just as his body was about to fall to the sea surface, with a flick of his finger, his Qingyuan Wood Sword flew out, turning into a streak of golden-green sword light.


    One is natural recovery, where the Spiritual Energy Vortex is constantly absorbing the world''s spiritual energy all the time, albeit very slowly. If consumption is too high, one has to wait until the next main Cultivation Technique practice to replenish through the main technique.


    Two is taking Elixir Pills, which is the quickest way to recover Spiritual Power.


    But Qi Refining cultivators rarely do so, mainly because the Elixir Pills that restore Spiritual Power are too expensive. Only if a Qi Refining cultivator has the capability of later stages and a stable method for swiftly earning Spirit Stones do they have the qualification to consume Elixir Pills for restoring spiritual power.


    Cultivators who hunt sea beasts, for example, use Elixir Pills to recover Spiritual Power when necessary.


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    Three is with the help of Spiritual Energy inside Spirit Stones, which is the most common method among ordinary cultivators.


    The reason Spirit Stones became the general currency in the Cultivation World is that they contain Spiritual Energy that cultivators can absorb.


    Many cultivators even use Spirit Stones to increase the intake of Spiritual Energy during their main Cultivation Technique practice to accelerate their cultivation speed.


    Li Shiming used Spirit Stones to restore his Spiritual Energy and after it was full, he would use the Qingyuan Wood Sword to initiate Sword Escape again.


    With each practice, his mastery over the ''Sword Manipulation Technique''s Sword Escape improved. Adding to that his research on aerodynamics from the IBMz15, he altered the shape of the sword light, reducing the air resistance during Sword Escape.


    With each Sword Escape, his flying distance increased, from initially eight miles in thirty breaths to later reaching ten miles.


    He calculated the speed, reaching an impressive six hundred kilometers per hour during Sword Escape.


    Unfortunately, due to his Spiritual Power, he still couldn''t use Sword Escape as a regular method of flight, so he had to continuously recover Spiritual Power and then use Sword Escape again.


    While recovering Spiritual Power, he could still travel using the paper crane, so there was no delay at all.


    Yin Shilan snapped out of her research, feeling somewhat fatigued as she shook her head, only to discover the message on her Identity Jade Disc.

 Chapter 107 Inventory Check

    In the vast space measuring 30 meters in length, width, and height, various items were arranged categorically.


    A golden Flying Boat was placed separately, next to which was a pile of Spirit Stones resembling a small mountain.


    Within the storage bracelet, no matter how numerous the items were, their exact count could easily be discerned, and Li Shiming sensed that there were precisely 51,200 Spirit Stones here.


    After counting the Spirit Stones, he couldn''t help but inhale a breath of cold air.


    He thought Baili Jin Yan was wealthy enough, but he had never imagined riches to this extent.


    Other items were unusable, but the 51,200 Spirit Stones could be used discreetly without problems as long as it wasn''t too obvious.


    Next to the Spirit Stones were two spirit stone bags, each containing a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones, making a total of two hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    Li Shiming could not assess the value of Mid-grade Spirit Stones, but they must not be cheap, crucially because Mid-grade Spirit Stones were rare and frequently used as the driving force for powerful Arrays.


    It seemed that Baili Jin Yan carried Mid-grade Spirit Stones likely for the purpose of powering Arrays.


    Beside that was a short sword magic artifact, which even without Spiritual Power driving it, faintly shimmered with a golden light.


    "A golden top-grade magic tool, and among the top-grade magic tools, it is the pinnacle!" Li Shiming merely sensed briefly before he judged the quality and properties of the short sword magic artifact.


    This was exactly the kind of golden attribute sword-type magic tool he had wanted, capable of maximizing the use of his own golden Spiritual Power, and also maximizing the power of "Sword Manipulation Technique."


    The issue remained the same, however, if he wanted to bring colossal trouble upon himself, then he could take out this golden top-grade magic tool to use.


    But this one talisman exerted tremendous pressure, with patterns depicting a White Jade Cup on it.


    The very sight of this White Jade Cup gave him an oppressive feeling, reminiscent of the overwhelming aura he once felt during the tremor of the Sect Formation at Spirit Mechanism Pavilion.


    The material that could endure patterns of the White Jade Cup must be exceptionally high-quality, beyond imagination.


    Li Shiming had never heard of talismans of this formidable nature; he was no amateur when it came to talismans, as he himself could draw Magic Talismans he had mastered.


    However, he was certain that the power of this talisman, once activated, would be unparalleled; he suspected it was connected to a Cultivator at the Elder-level.


    Once again, he felt fortunate that he hadn''t given Baili Jin Yan any chance to counterattack, and Baili Jin Yan couldn''t use any attack-category Spiritual Objects either; otherwise, before he could have killed Baili Jin Yan, any of these objects would have killed him countless times.


    He carefully stored the White Jade Cup talisman back into the jade box, which was resealed.


    Next to it were three purple Jade Scrolls, whose grade he wasn''t sure of, but he recognized that purple Jade Scrolls were of very high quality.


    The Array heritage Yin Shilan gave him was carried on a purple Jade Scroll.


    Li Shiming had some interest in the three Jade Scrolls, but not much.


    Because as far as he knew, every Sect had strict controls over Cultivation Techniques.


    Take the "Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter" he had acquired; although he obtained it, that was only after decoding it with an IBMz15.


    If a normal Cultivator acquired a Jade Scroll recorde

 Chapter 108 Ambush

    ```


    Li Shiming would need Third Grade Metal materials as a sword base to cultivate the "Sword Demon Secret Manual" himself.


    Unfortunately, let alone Third Grade Metal materials, even Second Grade materials had only been seen in Baili Jin Yan''s storage bracelet and not encountered elsewhere.


    Fortunately, with the "Sword Demon Secret Manual" acquired by his clone, he could continue the Body Refinement cultivation.


    He turned his attention to the last purple Jade Scroll, eager to find out if it contained Baili Jin Yan''s main cultivation method.


    If so, the clone wouldn''t need to change the main cultivation method and could directly cultivate the original one, saving a lot of trouble.


    "Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique", that was the name of the cultivation method inside the last purple Jade Scroll.


    "Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique" was not a cultivating method but a secret technique, an auxiliary tool.


    Using the "Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique", one could control a soul and, by stimulating the soul''s split-off part, send it out to act as one''s own eyes or with a certain offensive ability to silently take down enemies.


    Of course, the primary condition for cultivating the "Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique" was the presence of Spiritual Thought.


    "Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique" seemed somewhat similar to the Xuanming Sect''s "Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner" but was in actuality much more advanced.


    The controlled soul would be strengthened by the "Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique", and after each soul splitting, it could recover through the "Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique".


    Moreover, the split soul could share vision with the cultivator, and the cultivator could even control the split soul''s actions over a very long range.


    In short, this was a high-ranking method of soul manipulation.


    Li Shiming sighed in relief; he had truly seen the wonders of the Cultivation World, and such methods did exist.


    He didn''t know how long it would take to accumulate fifty thousand good deeds or whether the sect''s storeroom would have a "Foundation Establishment Pill".


    Even if he could exchange for one "Foundation Establishment Pill", he was not sure that just one pill would be enough to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The reason why Baili Jin Yan had only prepared one "Foundation Establishment Pill" for him was that he possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root. He had a certain probability of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage even without using the "Foundation Establishment Pill".


    It could be assumed that this "Foundation Establishment Pill" served as a guarantee to make his breakthrough more certain.


    Li Shiming suppressed the joy in his heart; he was still a long way from the late-stage Qi Refining, and there was plenty of time ahead.


    He capped the "Foundation Establishment Pill" bottle to prevent the leakage of its Spiritual Power. The bottle itself was a treasure that could preserve high-level elixirs like the "Foundation Establishment Pill" for a long time.


    He also checked the other elixirs and found "Spirit Revitalizing Pills" for restoring Spiritual Power, "Strong Body Pills" to strengthen the body, and "Detoxification Pills" among others.


    Beyond these items, the rest inside the storage bracelet were miscellaneous objects, which he had no plans to touch for now, deciding to keep them all, as he might find something unrecognized and valuable as his strength improved.


    Li Shiming brought his consciousness back to his main body, sitting in the middle of the Mysterious Shadow Formation, and practiced the "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique" with the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    Having been out at sea for so many days, riding atop a paper crane, he dared not cultivate his main technique.


    If an unexpected attack occurred at sea, he wouldn''t even have time to react.


    After completing the cultivation of "Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique", he stored the Gathering Spirit Plate back in his dimensional space and turned to consider the matters concerning his clone.


    One thing was certain: he had to change the main cultivation method for his clone.


    He hadn''t found Baili Jin Yan''s original main cultivation method in the storage bracelet, nor did he know the name of it. Even if he did know the name, it wouldn''t help without the method itself.


    ```

 Chapter 109 Buddhas Sound

    After reading "Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique," Li Shiming, although he hadn''t learned Spiritual Thought, became aware of the importance of temperament for a cultivator, which was why it was essential to master Spiritual Thought during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    If there had been only one or two cultivators lying in ambush, he might not have thought about battle.


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    Because if it were only one or two cultivators, there was a great chance that a sect cultivator would be among them; with his Qi Refining Fourth Level strength, the odds of winning a battle against two sect cultivators were not significant.


    But with the appearance of as many as ten cultivators, it indicated that the opponents'' strength was limited, necessitating a number in order to bridge the gap in power between them.


    This meant that all ten cultivators were Loose Cultivators.


    Moreover, Li Shiming''s Sword Escape technique was already refined, and he could use it to escape at any time. Why would he avoid a fight?


    Taking advantage of this occasion, he would, on the one hand, test his own combat strength and, on the other, undergo a rare tempering of his temperament.


    He took out two Spirit Stones and held them in his hand to restore his spiritual power while standing at the entrance of Changshi Valley, blocking the direction the ten cultivators could leave from.


    "Why is it a Sword Cultivator?" Han Yu said in shock.


    Sword Cultivators had always been the best at fighting among cultivators, with those in the Qi Refinement Realm possessing the strongest attack power.


    He did not want to fight against a Sword Cultivator as it would lead to losses among his clansmen.


    But the sword light had passed through the Array and unexpectedly stopped at the mountain pass leading out of the valley; he certainly understood the other''s intention¡ªit was waiting for them to come out and fight.


    "Gather and form a battle Array!" Han Yu declared with a fierce look in his eyes.


    He didn''t believe that ten cultivators gathering to kill one sect cultivator would be unable to achieve victory.


    "Devil''s Sound in the Ear (Fake)" was an assault on the cultivator''s minds, and this sophisticated attack seemed too complex for Loose Cultivators, at least as far as Han Yu and his fellow cultivators were concerned when the music began, as they weren''t immediately aware of this.


    The ten cultivators'' steps further slowed; initially, they were curious about how Li Shiming could chant music inclusive of brass and drums from his mouth, but later they were influenced by "Buddha''s Light Appears."


    Their will to fight gradually waned, and their intent to kill continuously weakened.


    Those cultivators with weaker mentalities thought back on their past deeds and felt a sense of guilt in their hearts.


    "Steady your minds... he is using sound to influence our minds!" As Han Yu was considerably stronger, being in the Qi Refining Sixth Level helped him to be the first to recover from the influence.


    He couldn''t use the Sound Wave Technique, but he used the most simple and direct method by invoking his spiritual power to let out a loud shout.


    The rest of the cultivators were startled and quickly stabilized their minds, their eyes showing extreme terror.


    The battle hadn''t even started, and they had almost fallen for the opponent''s ploy.


    Moreover, under the influence of this music, their capacity to fight would be severely affected.


    They needed to constantly stabilize their minds, which would prevent them from fighting with their full strength.


    Luckily, they had numbers on their side, and by supporting each other, the fight was still manageable.


    As the distance between both parties narrowed, Li Shiming stood at the valley entrance, his face showing compassion.


    Li Shiming had long cultivated the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," listening daily to "The Scripture of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses" for cultivation. When Li Shiming chanted "Buddha''s Light Appears" through IBMz15 using his mouth, he could coordinate with the power of Vajra.


    Vajra Power is the strength of Buddhist Body Refinement, and it enhanced "Buddha''s Light Appears" after endowment.


    He also did not intend to use "Devil''s Sound in the Ear (Fake)" to completely wipe out the other party, unless he had at that moment gotten the complete version of "Devil''s Sound into the Ear" and reached at least the Qi Refining Sixth Level, matching strength with the strongest cultivator, which was a slight possibility.

 Chapter 110 The Old Monk

    "I do not recognize this place!" Old Monk Du Yuan said with a smile.


    As soon as he spoke, it confirmed to Han Yu and his group that this was indeed a targeted ambush, clearly visible from the scene.


    "I see that the young benefactor is well-versed in the Buddhist teachings, would you be interested in joining our Buddhist order?" Old Monk Du Yuan continued.


    The ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'' has spread far, but very few have truly mastered this Buddhist Body Refining Technique.


    Because it requires the blessing of the Buddhist teachings, otherwise, one cannot even begin.


    The Vajra power within Li Shiming''s body demonstrated his deep study of the Buddhist teachings, providing him with the foundation to cultivate the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.''


    Additionally, the magnificent Buddhist chants from earlier made Old Monk Du Yuan feel the profound spiritual connection Li Shiming had with Buddhism.


    "Master, I am a disciple of the Sky Sea Sect and have no intention of converting to Buddhism!" Li Shiming quickly declined.


    "I heard the young benefactor''s two Buddhist sounds earlier, may I know who composed them?" Old Monk Du Yuan shifted the topic and asked with a smile.


    "They are my scribblings!" Li Shiming recognized himself as the author.


    Although this was somewhat unfair to the original author from his previous life, in this world, he was the only one who knew these two songs.


    "The young benefactor indeed has a connection with Buddhism!" Old Monk Du Yuan did not suspect anything. Although there were many Buddhist sounds in the world, there were not many he had never heard of. He then said, "It''s a pity that such Buddhist sounds are matched with the devil''s sound techniques, making their purpose harmful!"


    "That devil''s sound technique is not something learned from a sect, but rather, it is a result of my own research after being afflicted by the devil''s sound," Li Shiming quickly explained.


    He certainly did not want Old Monk Du Yuan to think of him as a devil to be exorcised.


    "Of course, I can tell that your devil''s sound just now surpasses the ''Devil''s Sound into the Ear'' of the Xuanming Sect in technique, but you have not learned even the least bit of using spiritual power!" Old Monk Du Yuan looked earnestly at Li Shiming.


    Old Monk Du Yuan did not hide the joy on his face.


    These two Buddhist sounds were very different from the usual ones in the world; besides affecting the cultivator''s spirit during battle, they could also be used to spread Buddhism, which was the greatest merit and what Old Monk Du Yuan valued most.


    "Please, Master!" Li Shiming handed the well-written score to Old Monk Du Yuan.


    Old Monk Du Yuan received them with both hands, showing his seriousness.


    "Two pieces of Buddhist sound for one ''Oral Lotus'' technique seems unfair to the young benefactor. I have also studied the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,'' and here is a relic from a predecessor who practiced it. I shall give it to the young benefactor as well!" Old Monk Du Yuan put away the score, took out a jade scroll and a small box, and handed them to Li Shiming.


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    Li Shiming was momentarily stunned. The relics of a Buddhist cultivator were not the same as those of ordinary monks.


    The relics of a deeply enlightened Buddhist cultivator, upon their death, would condense part of their spirit into the relic.


    The relic of a Buddhist cultivator who had practiced the ''Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill'' surely contained the high monk''s lifetime of insights into the Vajra power. Moreover, wearing the relic could enhance the cultivation of the Vajra power.


    Such a treasure being casually given by Old Monk Du Yuan naturally shocked Li Shiming, and he began to speculate about Old Monk Du Yuan''s identity.


    He was unfamiliar with the Cultivation World and only knew some information about the Sky Sea Sect and Xuanming Sect; beyond that, he was clueless.


    However, with such benefits laid before him and coming from a senior whose strength far exceeded his own, he had no choice but to accept.


    "Thank you, Master!" Li Shiming bowed deeply as he accepted the items.


    Old Monk Du Yuan smiled slightly, not saying anything more, and with his figure floating, a gourd appeared, carrying him off into the distance.


    Li Shiming, holding the jade scroll and the box containing the relic, felt as if he were in a dream.

 Chapter 94 - 94 - 93 First Encounter (Please Subscribe!)_2

    Chapter 94 ¨C 93 First Encounter (Please Subscribe!)_2


    Li Shiming¡¯s breath hitched for a moment, but he quickly recovered.


    ¡°Mr. Yin, it was but a trifle!¡± He did not look directly at Yin Shilan but turned his gaze away as he responded.


    With a wave of his hand, he recalled the Fiery Flame Sword.


    Yin Shilan noticed his demeanor and realized her own situation.


    Her face flushed with embarrassment, the normally serene her hadn¡¯t expected to lose her composure in front of a man.


    Her figure gracefully floated back into the Flying Boat, and the boat suddenly accelerated and flew off into the distance.


    Because she left in such a rush, feeling deeply embarrassed, she even forgot the sheet of paper on the deck.


    The Flying Boat sped away as if to leave behind her bashful heart, disappearing in an instant from in front of Li Shiming.


    Only a piece of paper was left spiraling in the air, which Li Shiming¡¯s Object Driving Skill captured with a hand made of Spiritual Power.


    The paper was written in an exquisite hand, filled with many words and symbols. He could recognize some of them, but most of the content was beyond his comprehension.


    Nevertheless, from this paper, he understood that Yin Shilan was focused on researching an Array¡ªit was a design draft of an Array.


    Li Shiming looked towards the direction where the Flying Boat vanished and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Seeing a fairy-like woman lose her composure made him feel as if a celestial maiden had descended to the mortal realm.


    ¡°My design draft!¡± Yin Shilan, having flown quite a distance with the Flying Boat, belatedly remembered the Array design draft.


    Fortunately, she had committed the design to memory and could rewrite it if needed. Yet, it was an Array that she had researched after a long period of contemplation and an epiphany. It would be troublesome if it were to spread.


    However, for Yin Shilan to turn back now, she felt too shy. At least for the short term, she did not want to face that young cultivator again.


    She took out her Identity Jade Disc and operated it for a moment.


    ¡°Li Shiming, new sect Disciple, cultivator of Spirit Plants, from Eagle Beak Island,¡± Yin Shilan softly recited.


    If Li Shiming were here at this moment, he would be incredibly surprised by this function of the Identity Jade Disc.


    Of course, not any cultivator could possess such privilege. Within the sect, the ability to inquire about nearby sect members¡¯ Identity Jade Discs was exclusive to the core members of the sect.


    Meanwhile, Li Shiming put away the Array design draft. He had no particular thoughts about this unexpected encounter.


    Although he couldn¡¯t discern Yin Shilan¡¯s strength, she was undoubtedly much stronger than he was. Moreover, Yin Shilan¡¯s Flying Boat suggested her significant status within the sect.


    Such a fairy-like woman was merely a refreshing breeze in his monotonous life of cultivation, a breeze that could brush past his eyes but not affect his state of mind.


    He propelled the paper crane and continued toward Changming Island.


    After the delay, when he finally saw Changming Island, the time on his pocket watch was nine in the morning.


    ¡°Let me see it!¡± Li Shiming motioned with his hand.


    The old cultivator brought out a black turtle shell-shaped shield and placed it in front of him, not at all worried that he might take it and leave.


    During the Sun Workshop period, all who entered the market were sect cultivators, benefiting both buyers and sellers.


    Li Shiming took the Spirit Turtle Shield and tapped lightly on it. Without activating the ¡°Dragon Drawing Technique¡±, he could still sense the quality of the Mid Grade shield.


    To be honest, this Mid Grade shield was a lot better than the Hao Family¡¯s Mid Grade Shield Artifact. After all, the Hao Family was just a grouping of Loose Cultivators, and the artifacts they manufactured themselves were inferior in all aspects.


    ¡°Add this Mid Grade shield to the trade, for the Spirit Turtle Shield!¡± Li Shiming pulled out the Hao Family¡¯s Mid Grade Shield and tossed it onto the counter.


    The old cultivator picked up the Hao Family¡¯s Mid Grade Shield and inspected it carefully, calculating its value in his mind.


    ¡°Fellow, I¡¯m at a loss here, but let¡¯s make the trade!¡± He spoke with a reluctant expression, as if it pained him greatly.


    Li Shiming snorted at his performance; the old merchant was clearly making a big profit.


    But the Hao Family¡¯s artifacts were useless in his hands; apart from junk to be sold, no cultivator inside the sect would be interested in them.


    As he left the store with the Spirit Turtle Shield, the old merchant behind him wore a sincerely happy smile.


    Li Shiming too was in high spirits; having cleared out the Hao Family¡¯s artifacts, he¡¯d exchanged them for a usable Mid Grade Defense Magical Artifact, cutting off the last ties to the Hao Family.


    ¡°Mr. Li, you came to Changming Island and didn¡¯t contact me?¡± A voice came, enthusiastic yet tinged with a hint of reproach.


    The speaker was Qiu Tan. Li Shiming hadn¡¯t expected to encounter him here.


    ¡°Mr. Qiu, I was just browsing, not wanting to cause too much of a disturbance!¡± Li Shiming explained with a smile.


    ¡°Mr. Li, it¡¯s no disturbance at all, coming here you might even take care of my little shop¡¯s business!¡± Qiu Tan pointed at a neighboring shop and laughed.


    The signboard of that shop had the symbol of a Spirit Plant on it; it seemed to be a Spirit Plant Store.


    Li Shiming now understood why Qiu Tan was being so courteous; it turned out Qiu Tan was hoping to get some Spirit Plants from him for his store.


    Since he had to sell them anyway, and he had a good impression of Qiu Tan.


    ¡°This time did you bring any Spirit Rice? One Spirit Stone per catty, I¡¯ll buy as much as you have!¡± Qiu Tan got straight to the point as soon as they entered.


    This shop was much larger than the magic artifact shop they had just left, and besides Qiu Tan, there were two other workers in the Qi Refinement Realm, although their strength was only at the first or second level of the Qi Refining Cultivator, revealing the scale of this Spirit Plant Store.


    The price offered for Spirit Rice was higher than Li Shiming had anticipated.


    After all, in the sect, one could exchange ten catties of Spirit Rice for one good deed. If good deeds were converted to Spirit Stones, wouldn¡¯t one good deed be worth ten Spirit Stones?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 95 - 95 - 94 Trade (Subscribe please!)

    Chapter 95 ¨C 94 Trade (Subscribe please!)


    ¡°Mr. Qiu, is there still a profit to be had in purchasing your Spirit Rice?¡± Li Shiming asked with mild surprise.


    ¡°Of course, my store would not engage in a losing business. As you know, it¡¯s difficult to sell Spirit Rice at a high price since it¡¯s a low-margin business. Moreover, within the sect¡¯s domain, there are not many Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators, and even fewer cultivate spirit fields on their own,¡± Mr. Qiu explained without any concealment.


    Changming Island Market is only one of the many markets within the sect¡¯s domain. Spirit Plant Cultivators will sign cooperation contracts with various Spirit Plant Stores. If I were to offer a low price, wouldn¡¯t other stores snatch you away?¡± Qiu Tan explained quite frankly.


    Due to the climate of the Sky Sea Sect, spirit fields within the nine peaks are protected by the Sect Formation, so they are not affected much by the climate.


    However, the spirit fields in the sea region can only produce Spirit Rice for six months of the year, which is divided into three seasons, increasing the difficulty for Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators to survive.


    Therefore, apart from the professional Spirit Plant Cultivators actively cultivated by the Sky Sea Sect, few cultivators who enter the sect through the Ascension Conference choose to become Spirit Plant Cultivators.


    This is not to say that the profession of a Spirit Plant Cultivator is no good, but it is more challenging in the initial stage compared to other secondary jobs.


    Of course, this difficulty is only relative. Compared to ordinary sect cultivators, Spirit Plant Cultivators are still much better off.


    The reason why Qiu Tan paid special attention to Li Shiming was precisely that he discovered that Li Shiming was a newcomer in this period.@@@@


    This term is quite special. Normally, the Ascension Conference would bring thirty to forty newcomers to the sect every year. Added to the qualified newcomers from the sect¡¯s sea region, there could be a replenishment of fifty to sixty newcomers to the sect over five years.


    But the news of the spirit root seeds being attacked this year, with only a few survivors among the spirit root seeds, had already spread among the Qi Refining disciples of the sect.


    This, in addition to deepening the grievances between the Heavenly Sea and Xuanming Sects, also drew the attention of resourceful Qi Refining disciples to this term¡¯s spirit root seeds.


    After meeting Li Shiming, Qiu Tan had people inquire about Li Shiming¡¯s situation.


    What techniques Li Shiming possessed, Qiu Tan did not care to investigate. After all, he was not a Spirit Plant Cultivator, but it was crucial to keep a talent like Li Shiming.


    ¡°Agreed!¡± Li Shiming thought it over for a moment and agreed.


    Astable channel would also be nice. Even if he no longer grew Spirit Rice in the mechanized space, he would still have over a thousand catties of Spirit Rice to sell from the spirit field each year.


    ¡°By the way, what spirit seeds do you need? As long as they are within the scope of the sect¡¯s influence, I can get them for you!¡± Qiu Tan saw Li Shiming agree and continued.


    They did not discuss any contract signing. Among cultivators, a verbal agreement is rarely violated.


    In the circle of cultivators, breaking a promise is a grave matter; a cultivator who breaks their word would be ostracized by others.


    It¡¯s sufficient for less critical matters to have a verbal agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a list!¡± Li Shiming took out a piece of paper and handed it to Qiu Tan. Continue your journey on Novgo


    Qiu Tan took it and saw that the list included some expensive Spiritual Medicine that Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators could grow.


    Many Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators would buy these expensive spirit seeds and attempt to cultivate them carefully, hoping for a successful harvest that could earn them a significant amount of Spirit Stones.


    Of course, these Spiritual Medicines are costly because of their difficulty to cultivate. Even though they are within the capability of Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators, it¡¯s still difficult for Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivators to ensure a high survival rate.


    Although Qiu Tan was aware of this, he would not advise against it; Spirit Plant Cultivators grow faster by cultivating challenging Spirit Plants.


    The rest of the list included some spice-type spirit plant seeds. Seeing this, Qiu Tan laughed to himself. He thought back to how he became acquainted with Li Shiming, which all started with a transaction involving sea pig beasts.

 Chapter 96 - 96 - 94 Trading (Subscribe please!)_2

    Chapter 96 ¨C 94 Trading (Subscribe please!)_2


    It was evident that Li Shiming had his thoughts about eating¡ªspiritual plants used as seasoning held little practical value, yet they required the occupation of spirit fields.


    The final items were seeds of three special spiritual medicines, and upon seeing these seeds, Qiu Tan couldn¡¯t help but look up at Li Shiming.


    ¡°I can¡¯t procure these three types of spiritual medicine seeds for you, but if you really need them, I can try to find them for you. You should be able to purchase them!¡± said Qiu Tan, though he harbored doubts, he still disclosed the truth.


    He was well aware that these three types of spiritual medicines were resources demanded by the Xuanming Sect, so where could one find these seeds within the Sky Sea Sect?


    However, the war between the Sky Sea Sect and the Xuanming Sect had lasted for many years, with both sides suffering casualties. Many storage bags had also been captured.


    For the Xuanming Sect, the vast majority of resources captured were practically unusable for the cultivators of the Sky Sea Sect.


    What Qiu Tan meant was to try and look among some well-known Sky Sea Sect cultivators he was familiar with. Although these three types of spiritual medicine were also considered precious, he had still heard about them, and the likelihood of finding them was extremely high.


    ¡°Mr. Qiu, I truly appreciate it, might I ask how many spirit stones will be needed?¡± Li Shiming, hearing that he could directly purchase the spiritual medicine, naturally felt elated, but he had limited spirit stones, and these three types of spiritual medicine were late-stage Qi Refining resources, and he might not have enough spirit stones.


    ¡°If you trust me, Mr. Li, let¡¯s leave 2100 spirit stones for the 2000 catties of Spirit Rice. You take the existing spirit seeds, and I will go to purchase these three types of spiritual medicine. We will refund any excess and make up any shortfall!¡± Qiu Tan said generously waving his hand.


    Li Shiming rode on a paper crane, a smile on his face, as this trip to the market was quite fruitful.


    He had purchased the necessary spirit plant seeds, sold the surplus Spirit Rice, and even reserved the last three materials needed for the promotion of the copper corpse to an iron corpse.


    He had never imagined that it would go so smoothly. The three materials, which the original owner of the iron corpse in the Xuanming Sect couldn¡¯t procure, were easily accessible in the Sky Sea Sect.


    Qiu Tan was as confident as he had said, and Li Shiming even wondered if Qiu Tan knew exactly who had these three materials.


    With the help of Qiu Tan, Li Shiming was also able to purchase at a low price the talismanic ink materials he needed, as well as the knowledge appropriate for Qi Refining cultivators to master.


    Throughout the process, aside from paying out 2100 spirit stones for the 2000 catties of Spirit Rice, he only spent a little over a hundred spirit stones.


    The most important gain from this trip was establishing a channel with Qiu Tan. Despite owning a spirit plant store, Qiu Tan, in fact, had deep connections with many other shops. Through the channel that was Qiu Tan, whether buying or selling any spiritual objects, all could be transacted through him.


    Leaving Changming Island Market for the first time, Li Shiming was extremely cautious, fearing that he might encounter the situation he had faced at the Loose Cultivator Market previously.


    His first experience going to the market after becoming a cultivator was harrowing. If he hadn¡¯t thrown out the ¡¯thermite grenades,¡¯ his path in cultivation might have ended there.


    The safety of Changming Island Market was not just for show. After leaving the market, he continued flying for two hours without encountering any cultivator¡¯s pursuit.


    the probability of advancement for the cultivator who has never consumed Elixir Pills is one to two times higher than that of the cultivator who has consumed a large number of Elixir Pills. This conclusion comes from many years of research by numerous forces in the Cultivation World.


    However, even though cultivators are aware of the existence of drug resistance, every additional non-top-grade Elixir Pill consumed increases the body¡¯s drug resistance, yet cultivators still use Elixir Pills to enhance their abilities.


    Not every cultivator possesses exceptional innate spirit root seeds that enable effortless cultivation to the peak of Qi Refinement without the aid of Elixir Pills.


    Top-grade Elixir Pills, which do not induce drug resistance due to their uncertain production, are exceedingly rare.


    It is not that Pill Masters do not wish to produce top-grade Elixir Pills, but rather that producing top-grade Elixir Pills is entirely a matter of luck.


    Most Pill Masters create only one or two top-grade Elixir Pills in their lifetime, but when asked how to produce top-grade Elixir Pills, they have no clue, as the process is irreproducible.


    Li Shiming found from the spoils of war that the Elixir Pills from the Hao Family were low-grade First-grade Grain Avoidance Pills, while the Elixir Pills obtained from Xuanming Sect cultivators were Intermediate First Grade Xuan Yin Life Spirit Pills, which are Xuanming Sect cultivators¡¯ auxiliary Elixir Pills for cultivation.


    Even if he was starving, knowing the drawbacks of the low-grade First-grade Grain Avoidance Pills, he would not consume them.


    In the relevant knowledge for Qi Refining cultivators, there is also information about various Magic Artifacts.


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from Novgo


    Within the sect, the Magic Artifacts produced by Li Peak are the best, and for sect cultivators, Magic Artifacts are among the few Spiritual Objects that should not be scrimped on, as they relate to the cultivator¡¯s life.


    Therefore, it is strongly recommended in the relevant knowledge that cultivators, once they have accumulated enough good deeds, should first exchange them for a Magic Artifact produced by Li Peak to enhance themselves.


    Seeing this, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but take out the Spirit Turtle Shield and look it over again, confirming that there was no mark from Li Peak on it.


    ¡°What a loss!¡± he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and mutter to himself.


    He thought of the sincere farewell smile from that old cultivator, of course, it was genuine, as that was the smile one shows after earning a significant amount of Spirit Stones from him!


    ¡°I¡¯ll make do with it for now!¡± he said, playing with the Spirit Turtle Shield, which he felt wasn¡¯t too bad. Although he was reluctant, he decided not to return to the market to make another purchase.


    Although he still had some Spirit Stones, after inquiring about the prices of top-grade Magic Artifacts and Flying Boats, he realized how poor he was; his Spirit Stones amounted to next to nothing.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t afford a Spirit Boat for the time being, in order to travel quickly across the sea, he needed to replace his paper crane.


    These all required a large amount of Spirit Stones; he still needed to cultivate and had to reserve some Spirit Stones in anticipation for news from Qiu Tan about three types of Spiritual Medicine.

 Chapter 97 - 97 - 95 Reunion (Please Subscribe!)

    Chapter 97 ¨C 95 Reunion (Please Subscribe!)


    Yin Shilan maneuvered the Flying Boat, lost in thought as she reminisced about the encounter with Li Shiming in the morning, as well as the lost Array design draft.


    As serene as she was by nature, she had little fondness for social interactions and typically devoted herself to studying Arrays.


    Perhaps it was because of the embarrassment she felt in her heart, an uncharacteristic lapse she had never experienced before had been seen by a stranger, which led her to use her privileges to check Li Shiming¡¯s information and commit his name to memory.


    Even after completing her tasks, when she passed by the area where they had met in the morning, she thought of Li Shiming once more.


    At that moment, the Array on the Flying Boat detected Li Shiming, who was far away on a paper crane, and Yin Shilan, who was connected to the Array, sensed him as well.


    ¡°Is this a coincidence?¡± Yin Shilan saw Li Shiming through the Array and recalled the help he had offered her that morning, a hopeful glint in her eyes.


    By this time, after spending most of the day meditating, her mind had already returned to its usual clarity.


    She also thought about her own impropriety; Li Shiming had shielded her from heavy rain so her epiphany would remain undisturbed, yet she had left without saying goodbye, which made her feel uneasy.


    If they had never met again, it would have been one thing, but fate had brought Li Shiming into her path once more, and she decided to express her apologies for her earlier rudeness.


    When Yin Shilan was within visible distance of Li Shiming, he became aware of the approaching Flying Boat.


    It wasn¡¯t Li Shiming¡¯s fault for not being more attentive with IBMz15; rather, Yin Shilan¡¯s Flying Boat possessed an Investigation Array with a much greater detection range than what IBMz15 could perceive through Li Shiming¡¯s senses.


    Upon noticing the Flying Boat, Li Shiming was initially startled, yet recognizing the vessel from the magnified image provided by IBMz15.


    He slowed down the paper crane and waited in place for the Flying Boat to approach.


    ¡°It seems the owner has come to retrieve the Array design draft!¡± he guessed the reason for Yin Shilan¡¯s visit. Experience more on Novgo@@@@


    The Flying Boat stopped beside him and seeing Yin Shilan standing on the deck once again, her dazzling beauty still struck him with a strong sense of impact.


    The lamp served not only as a source of light but also to regulate the temperature, maintaining a constant climate within a space.


    Cultivators who desired illumination could simply use a Night Pearl, an object of immense value to mortals, but in the Cultivation World, it wasn¡¯t even worth one Spirit Stone.


    What truly astonished Li Shiming was the size of the space within the cabin.


    From the outside, it seemed no more than around ten square meters, yet inside, the cabin expanded to a vast area of a hundred square meters.


    ¡°Mr. Li, please have a seat!¡± Yin Shilan gestured gracefully.


    She took the opportunity to fetch something from a nearby cabinet, wondering to herself why she had invited Li Shiming into her boat in the first place; she did not understand what had prompted her to speak those words of invitation.


    After all, no man had ever set foot in her Flying Boat before, and in the span of a single day, she had broken many of her own precedents.


    If she hadn¡¯t been aware of Li Shiming¡¯s background and sensed that he was merely at the Qi Refining Third Level, she would have suspectedthat he might have cultivated some technique capable of influencing others¡¯ minds.


    She took out a Jade Cup, brewed a pot of Spiritual Tea, poured it into the cup, and placed it on the low table in front of Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming had planted his own spirit tea tree, but it was still in the process of recovering, so he had never harvested the tea himself.


    The only time he had tasted Spiritual Tea was at Cultivator Gu Jia in Central Capital.


    Although his experience with Spiritual Tea was limited, he could tell just from the fragrance that the tea before him was extraordinarily valuable.


    The scent alone seemed to invigorate the Spiritual Energy Vortex within him, accelerating its rotation significantly.


    He picked up the Jade Cup, which remained cool to the touch despite containing hot tea.


    Within the Jade Cup, the Spiritual Tea, with most of its Spiritual Energy sealed within, swirled in a fascinating manner, with only a fraction of the energy escaping into the air.

 Chapter 98 - 98 - 95 Reunion (Please Subscribe!)_2

    Chapter 98 ¨C 95 Reunion (Please Subscribe!)_2


    It was certain that the Jade Cup was definitely a spiritual object of no low grade.


    Li Shiming brought the Jade Cup to his lips and poured the spiritual tea within into his mouth. As his mouth touched the Jade Cup, he felt both coolness and warmth at the same time.


    A surge of spiritual energy then exploded from his belly, and a spiritual energy vortex spun crazily, sucking in the spiritual energy that had entered his body.


    As the spiritual energy of the tea circulated through his body, his constitution saw a significant improvement.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but be astounded. What level of spiritual tea was this? Its effects almost made Gu Jia¡¯s spiritual tea pale in comparison by a long shot.


    In a short time, he felt that he was a whisker away from the Qi Refining Fourth Level, almost touching the threshold.


    Of course, to break through to the Qi Refining Fourth Level wasn¡¯t just about having enough spiritual power. Every level a cultivator ascended to would encounter a bottleneck.


    And from the early stages to the middle stage of Qi Refinement, that was yet another significant checkpoint, with an even bigger bottleneck.


    This is why sects pay more attention to cultivators with fewer spirit root seeds; not only do they cultivate faster, but the bottlenecks at each stage are also far easier to break through.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to me?¡± Yin Shilan pondered with a slight bewilderment in her heart, unsure why she would serve Li Shiming with her most treasured Glazed Glass Gathering Element Lamp.


    However, when Li Shiming¡¯s mouth touched the Jade Cup, she didn¡¯t feel any resistance in her heart, as if sharing her treasured items with Shiming was the most natural thing to do.


    While Li Shiming was feeling the changes in the spiritual energy vortex within him, Yin Shilan was lost in her own thoughts, making the cabin exceptionally warm and quiet.


    ¡°Mr. Yin, I almost forgot to return this item to you!¡± exclaimed Li Shiming, emerging from the changes within him and producing the array diagram design.


    With such exquisite spiritual tea, he believed that Yin Shilan had offered it to ask for the array diagram design in return, only she was too demure as a woman to ask for it directly.


    ¡°I have no need for this item, as I have already memorized the array!¡± said Yin Shilan, not reaching for the array diagram, and her impression of Li Shiming rose somewhat when she saw him take out the design.@@@@


    This array diagram was her proudest creation, summing up many years of her study in array designs.


    Although it hadn¡¯t become a real product, based on this design, an array master could complete the array just by following the diagram.


    Li Shiming¡¯s earnest return of the array diagram was an acknowledgment of the value of her array design.


    ¡°I wonder if Mr. Li has studied arrays, and could you please point out any inadequacies in the diagram?¡± said Yin Shilan with a smile.


    No sooner had she said this than she realized it was inappropriate; she remembered that Li Shiming¡¯s records listed him as a spirit plant husband.


    ¡°Mr. Li, if you are interested in arrays, I have an external sect array inheritance here!¡± hurriedly amended Yin Shilan, not wanting the rest of the voyage to be too awkward between them.


    He activated the IBM z15 to open the document of the Array inheritance, and the cabin grew quiet once again.


    Yin Shilan wanted to give Li Shiming more time to comprehend, so she slowed down the Flying Boat to extend the duration of the journey.


    Ten minutes later, Li Shiming opened his eyes. Although he could not gain a profound understanding of the Array in such a short time, he was no longer a complete novice.


    He took out the Spirit Turtle Shield from his storage bag and began to study it intently.


    The shell in his hand was a natural material for Arrays, with five cracks at the center of the back symbolizing metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Cracks on the left and right sides represented the Eight Diagrams: Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui, while the peripheral cracks symbolized the twenty-four solar terms.


    In the center of the underside were twelve cracks, each representing one of the twelve two-hour periods, and the edge cracks held even more significance.


    Such a small Turtle Shell contained marvels within it. The Array inheritance allowed him to see the world from a different perspective, showing him that he had never truly seen the world clearly.


    ¡°This Land Turtle Shell is indeed good material for an Array, but it¡¯s a pity it has been made into a Magic Artifact shield!¡± Yin Shilan remarked with a smile when she saw Li Shiming¡¯s focus on the Turtle Shell, quickly realizing that he had begun to grasp the basics of Arrays.


    Li Shiming was taken aback by her words.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a sea spirit turtle shell?¡± he blurted out.


    After asking, he remembered that in his previous life, it seemed that only land turtles had such distinctive patterns, while sea turtles didn¡¯t have patterns on their shells.


    Although different, this world probably wouldn¡¯t be too dissimilar.


    Yin Shilan couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, her delicate hand covering her red lips in amusement.


    She had not expected that a disciple from Sky Sea Sect would not be able to distinguish between a sea turtle and a land turtle.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been duped by that person. Is a Spirit Turtle Shield made from a land turtle shell much worse than one made from a sea turtle shell?¡± Li Shiming was not embarrassed by Yin Shilan¡¯s laughter and candidly shared his experience before asking.


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly the case. It¡¯s just that our sect is based at sea, so a shield made from a sea turtle shell is better suited for combat in the sea. A shield made from a land turtle shell doesn¡¯t have this advantage, but the difference is not significant!¡± Yin Shilan replied with a light laugh.


    Upon hearing that the difference wasn¡¯t significant, Li Shiming did not probe further.


    He took out a piece of paper from his storage bag and began to draw, replicating the Turtle Shell¡¯s pattern.


    Yin Shilan grew interested and leaned in closer to watch him sketch on the paper.


    She was curious to see what kind of Formation the newly initiated Li Shiming would design using the Turtle Shell.


    As both of them became increasingly focused, neither noticed the distance between them had closed, exceeding the usual caution maintained by cultivators.


    There is usually a safe distance between cultivators during interactions. Allowing another cultivator within this safe zone typically only happens when a certain level of trust and safety is felt in their hearts.

 Chapter 99 - 99 - 96 Identity (Please Subscribe!)

    Chapter 99 ¨C 96 Identity (Please Subscribe!)


    Li Shiming¡¯s brain had borrowed the computing power of IBMz15, and he was astonished to find that the advantage of IBMz15 in formation design was unimaginable.


    The establishment of an Array required consideration of many factors.@@@@


    A normal beginner Array Master could only use refined Array flags, setting them up according to the local environment and terrain, placing them in different directions to connect the Spiritual Energy for the purpose of allowing the free flow of Spiritual Energy.


    Only an experienced Intermediate Array Master could design an Array Plate Formation without relying on Array flags.


    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that the Array Plate Formation was stronger, but that it was more portable.


    For example, the Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array was not arranged through Array Plates but was built using a large amount of precious materials to make Array flags, supplemented by rare Spiritual Objects.


    The designs Li Shiming had on paper had already surpassed the level of a beginner Array Master.


    Although it was just a design and not an actual creation, for an Array Master, design was more important than production.


    Design involved intellectual work, whereas production involved a great deal of hands-on ability.


    A vast amount of formation knowledge was called upon; IBMz15 solved the biggest computational issues, allowing him to freely substitute his ideas in his mind and quickly analyze whether they were feasible.


    Any design that made it onto paper had already been calculated through IBMz15.


    Initially, Yin Shilan admired him for being able to apply the formation heritage to practical design so quickly, recognizing Li Shiming as a genius in arrays just like herself.


    However, as time passed, the admiration in her eyes turned into surprise.


    The Array Plate had a built-in environmental assessment, allowing for the formation to be set up quickly unless the environment was overly complex.


    Once the formation was set, the environment could no longer change; otherwise, all the pre-calculated data in the formation would go wrong, causing the formation to collapse.


    Li Shiming had designed a new mathematical formula for this formation, reducing the computation process and devising a novel approach to designing a movable Array.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s eyes sparkled like stars; even her formation mentor hadn¡¯t inspired such admiration in her, marking the beginning of a new school of formation art.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll create this formation when we get the chance!¡± Li Shiming stretched and said.


    His arm accidentally touched Yin Shilan, who was next to him, and he quickly withdrew it.


    Only then did the two realize that they were almost head-to-head, separated by less than a fist-width between them.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s figure blurred for a moment, and then she reappeared in her original position.


    ¡°The Flying Boat has stopped!¡± Li Shiming smelled a fragrance like that of orchids, feeling a sudden pang of anxiety and swiftly changing the topic.


    ¡°Take out your Identity Jade Disc, and if you have any questions about formations later, you can ask me through the Identity Jade Disc, and maybe I will also have questions for you!¡± Yin Shilan, suppressing a blush, gently adjusted a lock of hair at her temple and said.


    Having received so many benefits from her, Li Shiming naturally did not refuse; he took out his Identity Jade Disc.


    Yin Shilan also took out her Identity Jade Disc, and they exchanged contact information.


    ¡°Could you let me borrow the Spirit Turtle Shield and this design for a few days?¡± Yin Shilan put away her Identity Jade Disc and then asked.


    ¡°Take it!¡± Li Shiming did not hesitate. Since the design was a joint effort and he had the assistance of IBMz15, he had already saved the designs as data.

 Chapter 100 - 100 - 96 Identity (Please Subscribe!)_2

    Chapter 100 ¨C 96 Identity (Please Subscribe!)_2


    Additionally, the greatest gain this time was not the design plans but the inheritance of the Array, and through the mutual exchange of ideas with Yin Shilan, he truly neared the level of an Array Master.


    What he lacked to become an Array Master was only materials and practical experience; in this aspect, he was temporarily unable to resolve the issue because his financial resources were insufficient to support the research of an Array Master.


    As for the Spirit Turtle Shield, it was worth only a few Spirit Stones; the value of the Array inheritance that Yin Shilan offered was likely worth dozens of times more than the shield.


    ¡°Since I¡¯ve accepted your design plans, I¡¯m giving you this First-Grade Breaking Realm Pill as a gift, so you can break through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage sooner; your current Spiritual Power is insufficient for crafting Arrays,¡± Yin Shilan explained as she placed a jade bottle in front of Li Shiming, as if afraid he would refuse.


    A Breakthrough Pill, as the name suggests, is used by cultivators to break through realms; First-Grade indicates that it is a Breakthrough Pill meant for the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Li Shiming looked at Yin Shilan¡¯s expectant expression and smiled as he accepted the jade bottle.


    ¡°Visit me on Eagle Beak Island when you have time,¡± he said, glancing at the time and standing up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the Array design plans to you in a few days!¡± Yin Shilan then stood up and said while opening the cabin door.


    As if by agreement, yet somehow casual, the two set their next meeting.


    Li Shiming leapt onto the island, watching the Flying Boat gradually pick up speed as it left, a faint sense of parting sorrow rising within him.


    It was only then that he remembered he still had the other Array design plan in his hand.


    Back in his cave abode, Li Shiming opened the jade bottle.


    An elixir exuding a purple aura came into view, and upon seeing it, he couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply.


    After having learned about the knowledge of Qi Refining Cultivators, he had gained a certain understanding of Elixir Pills.


    Elixirs for the Qi Refinement Realm are First-Grade Elixirs, which are further divided into Lower-Grade, Intermediate, Upper-Grade, and Top-Grade.


    Lower-Grade Elixirs have a white aura, Intermediate Elixirs have a red aura, Upper-Grade Elixirs have a blue aura, and the most superior, Top-Grade Elixirs, have a purple aura.


    The Breakthrough Pill in his hand was a Top-Grade First-Grade Elixir, second only to the Foundation Establishment Pill for cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    To his knowledge, such a Top-Grade First-Grade Breakthrough Pill would be extravagant not just for breaking through the Qi Refining Third Level, but even for breaking into the late-stage Qi Refining at the Sixth Level.


    Because the greatest use of a Top-Grade First-Grade Breakthrough Pill was in conjunction with the Foundation Establishment Pill; for cultivators in the Qi Refining Ninth Level attempting to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, a Top-Grade Breakthrough Pill could increase their odds by nearly half.


    Do not underestimate that half chance; often, it can be the difference between heaven and earth.


    Yin Shilan casually giving away a Top-Grade First-Grade Breakthrough Pill aroused indescribable feelings in Li Shiming¡¯s heart.


    These pieces of glass were also part of the not so abundant supplies he had left; after leaving the mortal world, it was too troublesome to buy items from the secular world within the sect.


    If he hadn¡¯t met Qiu Tan, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t even have found a channel to make purchases.


    During these ten days, he contacted Yin Shilan daily through the Identity Jade Disc, as both of them were cultivators, and they would open the Identity Jade Disc at a fixed time every noon.


    Initially, it was Yin Shilan who contacted him about some computational issues, reaching out to him at noon.


    As he was also continuously studying the array heritage, he encountered some problems he didn¡¯t understand; to match Yin Shilan¡¯s schedule and since he had free time at noon anyway, he contacted Yin Shilan at that time.


    For ten days, their contact never broke off, and although they talked about nothing but arrays, it didn¡¯t make their relationship cool down due to not meeting each other. On the contrary, they both silently arranged their midday time.


    At noon, they ended the communication tacitly after half an hour.


    Li Shiming, in great spirits, focused his consciousness into the server room space, where the spirit tea tree had grown for some time and was now thoroughly revitalized.


    Originally, he didn¡¯t plan to harvest the tea now, as the spirit tea tree had not yet reached its best state.


    However, from today¡¯s communication with Yin Shilan, he caught the implication that Yin Shilan was planning to visit soon.


    Since it was Yin Shilan¡¯s first visit as a guest to his cave abode, he had to present something for hospitality.


    The only thing he could pride himself on was this Spiritual Tea, which, combined with spiritual spring water, was still not comparable to Yin Shilan¡¯s hospitality towards him.


    Because the quality of his Spiritual Tea fell short of what Yin Shilan had offered, a fundamental difference in the tea trees themselves.


    With great care, Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness harvested the tenderest buds from the branches of the spirit tea tree, and even the process of frying them was completed entirely within the server room space.


    The ten tender buds were roasted with micron-level control to ensure the best possible quality of the Spiritual Tea.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was stingy, but because Spiritual Tea is quite special, no more than two leaves should be infused at once.


    If he wasn¡¯t worried about appearing too miserly, which would make him seem like a stingy host, he would have considered harvesting only four tender buds. The fried Spiritual Tea was then stored in a jade box.


    He also drew some water from the Spiritual Spring and stored it in another jade box.


    The spiritual spring water in the jade box was scheduled to be changed daily, given that the Spiritual Spring was underground and that area was intended to become his research space.


    During the daytime, he lost some time, so he made up for the practice of the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique¡± at night.


    While practicing the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± at night, he felt the presence of a bottleneck, indicating that he had completely reached the peak of the Qi Refining Third Level, and breaking through this would allow him to enter the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

 Chapter 101 - 101 - 97 Breakthrough

    Chapter 101 ¨C 97 Breakthrough


    Li Shiming was somewhat surprised that Yin Shilan did not arrive afterward, and even the contact at noon had been interrupted.


    On the morning of the tenth day, while adjusting the spirit field using the ¡°Earth Spirit Technique¡±, he felt a warning from the Identity Jade Disc that someone was approaching the defensive Formation of Eagle Beak Island.


    He thought it was Qiu Tan delivering goods, and he greeted him with a smile.


    When he saw a verdant green Flying Boat, his heart settled down.


    Having lost contact in the Cultivation World had him worried about Yin Shilan¡¯s safety for a long time.


    He had planned to use the few connections within his sect to inquire about Yin Shilan if there was still no news.


    Given his status, the only people he knew were Senior Brother Ji, his mentor for newcomers, and their relationship had not continued after the newcomer period ended.


    Mainly because he was outside of the Nine Peaks, and Senior Brother Ji was in the late-stage Qi Refining, it was difficult for him to have interactions with Senior Brother Ji.


    The only connection was their three-month interaction during the newcomer period; beyond that, only the favors of two fellow elders.


    Using these connections was almost tantamount to exhausting all his connections.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile, looking at the silhouette in a cyan garment standing on the deck of the Flying Boat.


    ¡°I was suddenly sent on a mission by the sect six days ago and just returned!¡± Yin Shilan said with a charming smile.


    What she did not mention was that to return as soon as possible, she had hurriedly manned the Flying Boat for more than two hours¡¯ journey right after finishing the Formation task, and came here directly without even returning to the sect.


    Li Shiming, hearing her explanation, felt relieved and his days of concern swept away.


    Yin Shilan packed away the Flying Boat and entered Eagle Beak Island with him.


    ¡°This is the spice I planted out of greed, and this is Spirit Bamboo, which I acquired before joining the sect and have successfully transplanted!¡± Li Shiming introduced the island¡¯s features to Yin Shilan with a smile.


    ¡°Please excuse me for a moment!¡± Li Shiming hastily left these words behind and turned into the Cultivation Room.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s beautiful eyes shimmered, and a smile appeared on her face.


    Being much more advanced in cultivation than Li Shiming, she naturally spotted his current state.


    She had sensed that Li Shiming was at the Qi Refining Third Level bottleneck upon first meeting.


    She did not inquire why Li Shiming did not use a top-tier First-Grade Breaking Realm Pill, having given out cultivation resources; how he used them was Li Shiming¡¯s own decision.


    A cultivator¡¯s choices are a very personal matter, her nature was rather reserved and extremely intelligent, so she would naturally not interfere with Li Shiming¡¯s choices.


    Seeing Li Shiming¡¯s state, clearly his first time drinking this Spiritual Tea, she believed more than ever that the Spiritual Tea was specifically prepared for her.


    Her clear, lake-like eyes brimmed with a gentle warmth, the arcs of her lips as perfect as crescent moons, and her smile bloomed like a room full of flowers in an instant.


    Unfortunately, Li Shiming did not see it; he was already seated in the Cultivation Room, operating the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡±.


    He hadn¡¯t expected his breakthrough to come so swiftly, isn¡¯t it said that breaking major realm bottlenecks was extremely difficult for normal Dual Spirit Roots cultivators?


    The breakthrough difficulties for Triple Spirit Roots cultivators are considered moderate among cultivators, with Single and Dual Spirit Roots geniuses above them simply needing continual cultivation during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Especially Single Spirit Roots, in order to prevent too rapid cultivation from destabilizing their realm, Single Spirit Roots cultivators often simultaneously practice Body Refining Techniques to lay the most solid foundation during Qi Refinement.


    Such geniuses never focus on the Qi Refinement Realm but prepare for higher realms in the future.


    Unlike Single Spirit Roots who focus on solidifying their bases, Four and Five Spirit Roots are at another extreme.


    Each level for Four and Five Spirit Roots cultivators presents a tough bottleneck, making the Qi Refinement extremely challenging for them.


    That is why the majority of Four and Five Spirit Roots cultivators remain stuck at the Qi Refinement stage.

 Chapter 102 - 102 - 97: Breakthrough_2

    Chapter 102 ¨C 97: Breakthrough_2


    Because they had spent too much time during the Qi Refinement Realm, neither their lifespan nor their realm was sufficient to break through the realm of Qi refining.


    Those with three spirit root seeds were rather ordinary, lacking the genius of those with single or dual spirit roots, nor did they have the hardship of those with four or five spirit roots, only facing bottlenecks that were hard to break through when advancing from early-stage to middle-stage Qi Refining, and from middle-stage to late-stage Qi Refining. The challenges of small realm advances were not considered significant.


    However, Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough still came as a surprise to him, which was actually related to his experiences.


    In recent days, the loss of contact with Yin Shilan had left him somewhat restless. Even with the help of the IBM z15 to regulate his state of mind, it still affected his mentality.


    Today, with the appearance of Yin Shilan, his state of mind was restored, and his mentality was even far superior to usual.


    Then, tasting the newly made Spiritual Tea for the first time, the effects of the new Spiritual Tea played a promotional role.


    Of course, there was also the fact that everything happened naturally, without a trace of deliberation, which was the key to a breakthrough.


    As the bottleneck within Li Shiming broke, the Spiritual Energy Vortex in his body suddenly expanded twofold, and his whole body¡¯s aura also rose significantly.


    This breakthrough was exceptionally smooth, so much so that he didn¡¯t even need to use the Spiritual Energy collected in the cultivation space to break through directly.


    After the breakthrough, he took some time to stabilize the Spiritual Energy Vortex inside his body before returning to the Cultivation Room.


    Seeing the aura on Li Shiming, how could Yin Shilan not realize that he had successfully advanced?


    ¡°It seems I am fortunate to witness your advancement today!¡± she said with a light laugh, congratulating him.


    Li Shiming also looked at Yin Shilan. At the Qi Refining Third Level, he could not discern Yin Shilan¡¯s strength, and now at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, which is the Qi Refining Middle Stage, he still could not determine her strength.


    If even he, in the Qi Refining Middle Stage, could not perceive Yin Shilan¡¯s strength, then either she had cultivated a special technique to conceal her aura, or Yin Shilan¡¯s strength had reached the late-stage Qi Refining.


    He suspected that Yin Shilan had both conditions, otherwise he would not have failed to sense even a bit of her Spiritual Energy fluctuation.


    ¡°The Breakthrough Pill wasn¡¯t needed, it¡¯s too precious. You should keep it for your Foundation Establishment attempt!¡± Li Shiming said as he took out a jade bottle and handed it over.


    Yin Shilan didn¡¯t take it, just looked at him with a reproachful glance.


    ¡°The Breakthrough Pill was exchanged for an Array Diagram with me. I¡¯ve already memorized the Array Diagram and can¡¯t return it, so you should keep the pill!¡± Yin Shilan, withdrawing her gentle reproach, spoke softly.


    Hearing Yin Shilan¡¯s excuse, Li Shiming, under her gaze, put the jade bottle away again.


    Seeing him put the jade bottle away, Yin Shilan revealed a slight smile once more.@@@@


    Every time he saw Yin Shilan¡¯s smile, he felt a sense of intoxication.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind it¡¯s a mundane object, that¡¯s great. This was just a playful creation during my leisure time. I¡¯ve grown accustomed to it, so I¡¯m giving it to you for checking the time. It also has a stopwatch function,¡± said Li Shiming, pleased to see Yin Shilan¡¯s fondness, as he began to explain the features to her.


    Originally, he had worried that Yin Shilan might look down on a mundane item, but it seemed his worry was unfounded.


    It was normal for cultivators to look down on mundane items; any item that could be driven by Spiritual Energy, or contain it, was referred to as a Spiritual Object. This distinction signified the difference from mundane items.


    ¡°What is a second?¡± Yin Shilan seemed to forget her intention to leave and inquired further.


    Li Shiming then explained the timekeeping system of his previous life and how he had adopted his own definitions for shorter durations, which he had applied to the pocket watch.


    Yin Shilan nodded continuously, marveling as she listened, her affection for the pocket watch growing.


    With its features like the stopwatch and date functions, it could help her better manage the most troublesome aspect of setting up an Array: timing.


    You see, even in the Cultivation World, judging the duration of a single breath required each person to make their own division.


    Using the sundial¡¯s marker for judgment, a marker represented five minutes. A cultivator¡¯s thoughts were far quicker than those of mortals but dividing five minutes into even shorter durations, usually into breaths, wouldn¡¯t ensure absolute precision.


    As an Array Master, Yin Shilan had a significant advantage over ordinary cultivators when it came to calculating time, but Arrays demanded even higher precision.


    ¡°What shall this object be called?¡± asked Yin Shilan as she looked up.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t given it a name in this world yet; why don¡¯t you name it?¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    He hadn¡¯t intended to use the name ¡°pocket watch,¡± as even in his previous life, that was simply a broad category, with each watch having its own brand and model name.


    Enjoy more content from Novgo


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you once I¡¯ve thought of something good!¡± Yin Shilan said with a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. She promptly noticed new information on her Identity Jade Disc and said without hesitation, ¡°I must go now!¡±


    Li Shiming saw Yin Shilan off to the edge of the island, where she took out her Flying Boat and stood on the deck, waving to Li Shiming.


    At some point, the two had stopped referring to each other as fellow Daoists, but also hadn¡¯t adopted any other titles, instead using a more intimate form of address with ¡°you¡± and ¡°me.¡±


    Qiu Tan rode on the back of a spirit beast white bird, looking rather disheveled, and the bird¡¯s flight was a tad slow.


    On the back of the spirit beast white bird, there was not only Qiu Tan but also a colossal wooden box, which affected the bird¡¯s flight.


    ¡°Finally arrived. This time I must ask Mr. Li for more Spirit Stones, can¡¯t let it be a loss!¡± Qiu Tan muttered to himself as he saw Eagle Beak Island drawing nearer.


    Transporting this batch of goods had been exceedingly troublesome, having to be sent from the mundane world all the way here. On land, there were several horse-drawn carriages and an army escort, at the seashore taken over by large ships, until delivered near the sect¡¯s territorial waters where he took over the shipment.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 103 - 103 - 98: Eight Diagram

    Chapter 103 ¨C 98: Eight Diagram


    ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t that Yin Fairy?¡± Qiu Tan exclaimed in his heart as he approached Eagle Beak Island, spotting the verdant Flying Boat and the graceful silhouette standing upon it.


    Yin Fairy held an extremely high status within the sect, being one of the strongest among the younger generation and could be considered a top genius of the sect.


    Moreover, she was an esteemed Intermediate Array Master. Array Masters were extremely rare, so much so that the sect could count their number on one hand.


    How could such a favored daughter of the heavens come to Eagle Beak Island, and what could her relationship be with Li Shiming?


    At this moment, the flames of gossip within Qiu Tan¡¯s heart blazed fiercely. One was the sect¡¯s top genius, beautiful as a celestial being, Yin Fairy, and the other was a newly joined disciple who, at best, held the status of a low-level Spirit Plant husbander.


    These two could be said to be from completely different worlds. How could they have come to know each other?


    Driven by intense curiosity, Qiu Tan kicked the white bird beneath him, urging it to go faster.


    The white bird had long been discontented internally, having suffered quite a bit from this flight. With that kick, it shuddered and almost threw Qiu Tan into the sea.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll feed you extra when we get back, with your favorite silver thread fish!¡± Qiu Tan immediately recognized his mistake and kept apologizing.@@@@


    The white bird steadied itself, giving him some face.


    Qiu Tan looked up again towards the distance and saw that the verdant Flying Boat had already flown away, Li Shiming still watching the direction it had disappeared into.


    Only after the Flying Boat vanished did Li Shiming turn around to prepare to return to his cave-dwelling.


    ¡°Mr. Li, wait for me!¡± Qiu Tan¡¯s call came over.


    Li Shiming turned to look and saw Qiu Tan riding the white bird, a giant wooden box supported behind him, approaching from this side.


    Li Shiming handed over the Spirit Stones, which Qiu Tan accepted. Then, Qiu Tan opened the giant wooden box and poured out a great quantity of metal.


    ¡°Is this a storage space?¡± Li Shiming curiously watched as Qiu Tan took out metals exceeding ten times the space of the box itself and couldn¡¯t help but ask aloud.


    His curiosity was natural¡ªafter all, the storage capacity of a cultivator¡¯s storage bag was limited.


    And for Qiu Tan to own storage equipment with such capacity, considering his assets, seemed unbelievable.


    ¡°This is a commercial tool. Its internal space is very unstable and can only hold items of lesser value. One must always be prepared for the risk of the items being destroyed. I kept the Array materials and the three types of Spiritual Medicine in a storage bag!¡± Qiu Tan explained with a smile.


    He took out the Array materials and the Spiritual Medicines from his own storage bag and, together with the metals piled on the ground, concluded the deal.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have planted Spirit Bamboo. Spirit papers made from it have a certain enhancement effect on wood attribute spells and are very popular in the market. The Spirit Bamboo shoots are even sought after by cultivators who love fine food... There are also spices in the spirit field, should you consider selling, be sure to think of me first!¡± Qiu Tan turned his head and saw the Spirit Bamboo, his business acumen kicking in, and he spoke right away.


    ¡°Certainly, certainly!¡± Li Shiming quickly ushered him away, not wanting Qiu Tan to stay on the island any longer¡ªhe was truly wary of Qiu Tan.


    Qiu Tan didn¡¯t realize what he had missed; originally, Li Shiming had intended to invite him into his dwelling.


    Li Shiming had few acquaintances in the sect, and there were still a few pieces of Spiritual Tea he had just made¡ªit was a pity that Qiu Tan¡¯s business acumen successfully deterred Li Shiming¡¯s intention to entertain him.


    Luckily, the spirit tea tree was in the machinery space, the Spiritual Spring and spirit fish were in an underground space; otherwise, Li Shiming worried that Qiu Tan might even ask him to sell those things.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s enthusiastic send-off, Qiu Tan left Eagle Beak Island with the giant wooden box in tow.


    The giant wooden box was a spatial item and couldn¡¯t be taken into a storage bag. The journey back was as hard as the journey there.


    But Qiu Tan was in a good mood, whistling a tune with satisfaction.

 Chapter 104 - 104 - 98 Eight Diagram_2

    Chapter 104 ¨C 98 Eight Diagram_2


    This investment seemed to be quite profitable. Li Shiming¡¯s future would be higher than he had imagined because he knew Yin Fairy and their relationship appeared to be complex.


    Qiu Tan¡¯s eyes were sharp enough to sense the sourness of love from a distance.


    Li Shiming had won the favor of Yin Fairy, which meant he was set for swift ascension.


    He carried this proud feeling all the way back to Changming Island and back to the shop.


    ¡°Mr. Qiu, what¡¯s making you so happy?¡± a Qi Refinement Realm shop assistant asked with a smile.


    Including Qiu Tan, there were three Qi Refining cultivators in the shop, with Qiu Tan at the Qi Refining Fifth Level and the other two shop assistants at the Qi Refining First and Second Levels.


    Such Qi Refining First and Second Level cultivators were numerous within the sect¡¯s territories, all being individuals who had undergone the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s spirit root test and discovered to have extremely poor spirit roots.


    Most of these people chose to join the Sky Sea Sect, becoming servant disciples in hopes of that slim possibility.


    Others sought to live their own lives by joining establishments like shops or workshops, where they were given a chance to become cultivators and earn greater profits.


    On their own, the chance that they would advance to even the Qi Refining First Level was incredibly low, yet it wasn¡¯t impossible; through methods that damaged their core essence, they could break through to the Qi Refining First or Second Levels.


    Within Qiu Tan¡¯s shop, he was on very friendly terms with the two Qi Refinement Realm assistants, almost like family.


    ¡°Remember the highly promising Spirit Plant we discussed?¡± Qiu Tan asked, raising an eyebrow with a smile.


    ¡°The best-selling Spirit Rice in the shop lately is cultivated by that Spirit Plant Husbandry fellow Li Shiming, how could we not know!¡± one of the Qi Refinement Realm assistants replied, nodding.


    Recently, any cultivator who had bought Spirit Rice cultivated by Li Shiming always specifically requested it when making a repeat purchase.


    They had checked themselves, and the quality of this batch of Spirit Rice was surprisingly good.


    ¡°That¡¯s him. On my recent delivery trip, guess what I saw on Eagle Beak Island?¡± Qiu Tan asked, feigning mystery.


    ¡°Mr. Qiu, don¡¯t keep us in suspense, tell us!¡± the two Qi Refinition Realm assistants said, pretending to be annoyed as they urged him on.


    At that moment, they did not notice a figure, a cultivator dressed in brocaded robes, passing by the front of the shop.


    ¡°I saw Yin Fairy!¡± Qiu Tan whispered.


    ¡°Which Yin Fairy?¡± one Qi Refinement Realm assistant asked, clueless.


    ¡°Which other Yin Fairy of our Sky Sea Sect!¡± Before Qiu Tan could reply, the other Qi Refinement Realm assistant answered for him.


    ¡°Right, I had not noticed it, but Mr. Li has advanced to the Qi Refining Fourth Level!¡± Qiu Tan suddenly slapped his head as it dawned on him.


    Cultivators who would haggle over the price of Spirit Rice would not buy the double-priced rice, and those concerned with the quality of Spirit Rice would not mind the increase to two Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Good!¡± Baili Jin Yan nodded in agreement.


    As Qiu Tan turned around, Baili Jin Yan lightly tapped his finger, and a faint light landed on Qiu Tan¡¯s clothes.


    With this mark, as long as the distance between them was within a thousand li for the next ten days, he could sense Qiu Tan¡¯s location.


    Qiu Tan was unaware of the great trouble his gossip had brought him; he was still directing two Qi Refining cultivators in preparing the Spirit Rice.


    Baili Jin Yan did not intend to spare even the two Qi Refining assistants; he continuously tapped his finger, placing two more marks on the assistants.


    Within a short time, Baili Jin Yan left the market with the Spirit Rice. Find more to read at Novgo


    He took out his Flying Boat, sat inside, and opened a Jade Scroll, which contained a map.


    This was no ordinary map. In the Sky Sea Sect, it was not that maps were unavailable for purchase.


    However, the maps one could buy generally covered only the territories of the Sky Sea Sect and the Xuanming Sect; areas beyond those were not documented.


    A normal cultivator would not venture beyond these two sects¡¯ territories.


    You should know that the territory of the Sky Sea Sect encompasses numerous land nations and vast ocean areas. Without a Flying Boat capable of high-speed flight, an ordinary cultivator would need a great deal of time to traverse this region.


    Additionally, including the territory of the Xuanming Sect, two major sects that were enemies, it was common for both Sky Sea Sect and Xuanming Sect cultivators to undertake missions targeting each other¡¯s territories, hence the maps included the Xuanming Sect.


    But the map Baili Jin Yan had was different; it included the entire continent and was extremely detailed.


    Many of the recorded details were secrets of the sects.


    Baili Jin Yan inserted the Jade Scroll into an Array within the Flying Boat, and a holographic Terrain Map appeared inside.


    He lightly tapped the holographic Terrain Map, transforming it into one centered on his current location.


    He connected mentally and queried the Terrain Map for Eagle Beak Island; soon, the location of Eagle Beak Island lit up.


    ¡°Found you!¡± Baili Jin Yan said coldly as he looked at the holographic Terrain Map, thinking of Yin Shilan¡¯s extraordinarily beautiful face, his desire to kill Li Shiming surged.


    In his heart, he was already considering a hundred different ways to brutally kill Li Shiming; he never doubted whether he would succeed.


    With his methods, unless Li Shiming hid within the nine peaks of the Sky Sea Sect, it would be impossible for him to escape Baili Jin Yan¡¯s techniques, given the vast differences between them.


    The Flying Boat went from invisibility to accelerating in one swift motion, immediately disappearing into the sky.

 Chapter 105 - 105 - 99: Captured (Extra for rewards from Li煤 m茅ng ch茅n m猫ng)

    Chapter 105 ¨C 99: Captured (Extra for rewards from Liu? me?ng che?n me?ng)


    Li Shiming was organizing the items sent by Qiu Tan, sending a large pile of mortal metals into the underground space.


    Array materials were sorted within the cave dwelling, and as for the three types of Spiritual Medicines, he stored them in his storage bag.


    From today, he could start practicing the actual operations of the Array.


    After many days, constantly communicating with Yin Shilan and consolidating the Array inheritance through IBMz15, his theoretical level had reached a very high level of proficiency.


    Otherwise, Yin Shilan wouldn¡¯t often consult him with some questions. In terms of theory, his level was not much weaker than Yin Shilan¡¯s; in fact, in calculations, he far surpassed her.


    With the three Spiritual Medicines and his realm elevated to the Qi Refining Fourth Level,


    he could feel the Blood Covenant between him and the copper corpse strengthening significantly, and the resistance from the copper corpse had vanished, recognizing him completely as its master.


    Regrettably, this copper corpse was not cultivated from scratch by him. According to the records in ¡°Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter,¡± if one could cultivate a corpse from scratch into a Life-bound Corpse Refinement, the realm difference between the corpse and the master could span an entire major realm.


    But the conditions for Life-bound Corpse Refinement are extremely stringent; even within the Xuanming Sect, there are few cultivators who possess a Life-bound Corpse Refinement.


    Mainly because Life-bound Corpse Refinement requires a certain level of strength. Before turning into a refined corpse, it must possess a physical and spiritual strength surpassing the cultivator¡¯s own, and the internal Spiritual Power Pattern standard must also exceed theirs.


    This means the original strength of the corpse materials while alive needs to be greater than that of the cultivator, and the refinement must begin immediately after killing the enemy, as the corpses lose some of their energy with every passing minute.


    The failure rate of Life-bound Corpse Refinement process is higher than that of ordinary corpse refining, mainly because it¡¯s difficult for the corpses to withstand the initial process of Life-bound Corpse Refinement.


    As for the basic materials for making Life-bound Corpse Refinement, Li Shiming had obtained a complete set in his spoils of war. Find exclusive stories on Novgo


    In fact, he could easily break through the defense array in front of him with a single strike.


    But this location was too close to the Nine Peaks, breaking the defense array here would trigger the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s response.


    Furthermore, Baili Jin Yan was still unclear about the exact nature of the relationship between Li Shiming and Yin Shilan. If their relationship was very close, then Sky Sea Sect¡¯s protection over Eagle Beak Island would be more vigilant.


    Wasting an Array Breaking Talisman could avoid the trouble of being discovered by Sky Sea Sect. More importantly, it would prevent Yin Shilan from knowing that the matter concerning Li Shiming was related to him.


    The Array Breaking Talisman turned into a beam of red light, landing on the defense Array.


    Strangely, the defense array showed no reaction, allowing the Array Breaking Talisman to seep into it, forming a red hole large enough for a person to pass through.


    Baili Jin Yan gave a faint smile, and in a flash of his figure, he passed through the red hole and entered Eagle Beak Island, which was protected by the defense Array.


    The small Eagle Beak Island was completely visible at a glance, taking in everything at once; he saw Li Shiming standing by the spirit bamboo.


    Li Shiming had also sensed the warning from IBMz15 at that moment, with no hesitation, he instantly activated the Fiery Flame Sword.


    Yet before the Fiery Flame Sword could travel a meter from his side, Baili Jin Yan appeared beside him with inconceivable speed.


    Although Li Shiming had the aid of IBMz15 and could see Baili Jin Yan¡¯s movements, his own nervous response failed to catch up with his thoughts and sight.


    Baili Jin Yan placed a hand on him, a terrifying force of Spiritual Energy surged into his body, suppressing his Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    ¡°Novice Body Refinement, just broken through to Qi Refining Fourth Level, how could you possibly have achieved this!¡± Baili Jin Yan immediately sensed Li Shiming¡¯s condition and exclaimed angrily.

 Chapter 106 - 106 - 99: Captured (Extra for rewards from Li煤 m茅ng ch茅n m猫ng)_2

    Chapter 106 ¨C 99: Captured (Extra for rewards from Liu? me?ng che?n me?ng)_2


    Passing through the barren spirit field, Li Shiming could tell from the condition of the spirit plants and his spiritual thought scanning the interior of the cave dwelling that this cultivator wasn¡¯t wealthy.


    Additionally, given that Li Shiming was only seventeen years old with a three spirit root seeds talent, Baili Jin Yan could confirm with one hundred percent certainty through his secret technique upon touching Li Shiming¡¯s body.


    For someone of his age with a three spirit root seeds talent to have reached the Qi Refining Fourth Level of strength and still have the spare capacity to practice Body Refining Techniques was noteworthy.


    Hearing the gossip from Qiu Tan on Changming Island previously, Baili Jin Yan had only believed three-tenths of it, but now he believed most of the rumors about Li Shiming.@@@@


    Baili Jin Yan believed that without the help of Yin Shilan, it would have been impossible for someone with Li Shiming¡¯s conditions to achieve such accomplishments at the age of seventeen with a triple spirit root seeds talent.


    Even though in the eyes of a prodigy like Baili Jin Yan, Li Shiming¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t anything impressive, when considering what kind of resources Baili Jin Yan had access to during his growth, the background he came from, and his own spirit root seeds, there simply was no comparison between them.


    Baili Jin Yan didn¡¯t want to kill Li Shiming just yet; he produced a rope in his hand and tied up Li Shiming as nimbly as a spiraling Spirit Snake.


    From his appearance to having completely subdued Li Shiming, Li Shiming had only managed to summon the Fiery Flame Sword, and could do nothing else.


    He had managed to summon the Fiery Flame Sword only because his mastery of the ¡¯Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯ was extremely proficient, which was known as the strongest sword dao cultivation technique of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    After being restrained by Baili Jin Yan, Li Shiming immediately put the corpse bag into his mechanical room space and swapped his ten cubic meter storage bag for a five cubic meter one.


    In the five cubic meter bag, he stored some ordinary Spiritual Objects such as High-level Grain Avoidance Pills, while all the important items were in the mechanical room space.


    The mechanical room space was connected to his soul and was not affected by his spiritual power being sealed or his body being controlled.


    He was still somewhat bewildered, not knowing where this cultivator came from and why he had restrained him.


    Li Shiming could feel the cultivator¡¯s might; even Senior Brother Ji, who mentored the new Qi Refiners, never gave him such a sense of oppression.


    When Baili Jin Yan approached him, that sense of oppression nearly robbed him of his will to resist.


    But Li Shiming had no intention of surrendering without a fight; stowing away the corpse bag was to keep an ace up his sleeve.


    Everything before his eyes went dark as something covered them, and he soon left Eagle Beak Island, speeding away at an incredibly fast pace.


    Thirty-one minutes and sixteen seconds later, the flight ceased. This timing was exact, as it was recorded by the IBMz15.


    Baili Jin Yan arrived on an uninhabited island and with a flick of his wrist, a sword light flew out and carved out a simple cave dwelling.


    This would become the place where he interrogated Li Shiming, taking out an array plate and placing it in the center of the dwelling.


    With the activation of the array plate, a beam of white light enveloped an area within the dwelling, forming a cocoon-like space.


    Baili Jin Yan carefully picked up Li Shiming and carried him into the white cocoon, taking every precaution, not leaving Li Shiming any chance at all.


    However, he didn¡¯t collect it right away; instead, he was waiting for an opportunity.


    Baili Jin Yan sitting opposite him put great pressure on him; his terrifying strength made Li Shiming aware that he couldn¡¯t act impulsively and had to wait for a foolproof moment to resist.


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    ¡°Answer my question!¡± Baili Jin Yan¡¯s hand suddenly held a thin needle, which flew out and pierced Li Shiming¡¯s arm.


    Li Shiming¡¯s body jerked, and an indescribable pain emanated from the spot pierced.


    ¡°Damn it, this guy actually learned my interrogation methods!¡± Amidst the extreme pain, he had a strange thought.


    When he had interrogated others before, he used extreme pain to force confessions.


    However, his methods were based on medical knowledge, which, compared to Baili Jin Yan¡¯s methods, had a significant difference.


    The thin needle used by Baili Jin Yan was also a Magic Artifact. Once it penetrated a cultivator¡¯s body, it caused damage and an intense sensation of pain.


    This needle-shaped Magic Artifact was suited for sneak attacks. If it hit an enemy, even if it didn¡¯t pierce a vital part to kill them instantly, it could still incapacitate them with pain, leaving them unable to resist subsequent attacks.


    Li Shiming never thought he was so resistant to pain before; it could be that his partial consciousness in the room of spiritual power affected his pain perception.


    Although the pain brought his body close to its endurance limit, his mind remained extremely clear, unaffected to the point of being unbearable.


    The entire painful experience lasted about twenty seconds before Baili Jin Yan retracted the needle-shaped Magic Artifact.


    ¡°Name?¡± Baili Jin Yan again asked sharply.


    ¡°Li Shiming!¡± This time, Li Shiming did not hesitate and revealed his own name.


    ¡°Looking at you, how could you possibly be worthy of Yin Fairy? Only someone like me with a Gold Attribute Heavenly Spirit Root is a match for Yin Fairy, not trash with a triple spirit root like you!¡± Seeing Li Shiming capitulate, Baili Jin Yan mocked him.


    Li Shiming was taken aback; he finally understood why he was captured.


    He never imagined it was because of Yin Shilan.


    Thinking about it, with Yin Shilan¡¯s excellence, it made sense for those with the power to pursue her to want him dead once they learned how close he was to her.


    ¡°Yet, why do you look like a loser?¡± Li Shiming suddenly provoked.


    ¡°You little brat, you¡¯re courting death!¡± Unable to contain his fury, Baili Jin Yan waved his hand, and the needle-shaped Magic Artifact flew out again, piercing into Li Shiming¡¯s body.


    He watched Li Shiming, who couldn¡¯t move due to being restrained by the rope Magic Artifact, twitch and scream in agony, and couldn¡¯t help but burst into loud laughter.


    ¡°After you die, I will extract your soul and turn you into a Soul Banner, letting you watch with your own eyes as I am together with Yin Fairy!¡± Baili Jin Yan laughed uncontrollably.

 Chapter 107 - 107 - 100 Counterattack

    Chapter 107 ¨C 100 Counterattack


    Li Shiming screamed miserably, his body convulsing uncontrollably, unimaginable pain striking directly at his soul.


    While Baili Jin Yan laughed wildly without restraint, he had no idea that at this moment, Li Shiming still had the spare mental capacity to calculate the situation of the Array Plate on the ground.


    The IBM z15 recorded the surface patterns of the Array Plate, and based on these patterns, although Li Shiming didn¡¯t know the name of this Array, the basics of all Arrays were the same.


    He was also situated within the energy interior of the Array Plate, which allowed him to feel the energy flow of the Array more clearly.


    In front of him, a multitude of virtual energy routes were being drawn out, dense and intricate like a spider web.


    All these energy routes originated from the Array Plate on the ground; although they seemed disorderly, they actually followed extremely intricate rules.


    Even an ordinary Array Master couldn¡¯t achieve such a colossal amount of calculations; it was equivalent to instantly completing months of work by the Array Master who created the Array Plate, and the calculations were continuous.


    Of course, a human brain couldn¡¯t handle this, not even a Cultivator¡¯s.


    But the IBM z15 could; no calculation was too complex for a large-scale computer to handle within its tolerable range of operations.


    However, as the calculations began, the IBM z15¡¯s power consumption also sharply increased.


    To ensure the IBM z15¡¯s power supply was stable, all nine ghost shadows were mobilized, pushing the efficiency of the perpetual motion generators to the extreme.


    One hundred and ninety CPUs, the crystallization of human technology, unleashed their terrifying computational power.@@@@


    Li Shiming¡¯s screams grew even louder, and with the ability ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound in the Ear (Fake),¡± through the IBM z15¡¯s multithreading operation, the IBM z15 managed to process a vast amount of computational data while simultaneously emitting ¨C through his mouth ¨C screams processed by ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound in the Ear (Fake).¡±


    The screams, because they lacked the fusion of Spiritual Energy, were significantly weakened in strength.


    Although he possessed a Metal Spirit Root, he practiced the secret techniques of the Holy Ice Sect, which provided him with an extremely strong defense against all kinds of mental attacks.


    If not for the fact that IBM z15¡¯s screams had not a trace of Spiritual Energy fluctuation, Baili Jin Yan would not have been unknowingly affected.


    Meanwhile, Li Shiming also took action.


    He summoned the copper corpse, then collected the Soul-binding Rope and the Soul Piercing Needle into the machine room space.


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    The copper corpse grasped his body in one swoop and moved through space with a strange twisting motion.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t idle either; a ¡°White Phosphorus Grenade¡± and a ¡°Thermite Grenade¡± were simultaneously thrown from the machine room space.


    The copper corpse appeared next to the Array Plate, lightly tapped a few points on the Array Plate with its finger, and then vanished beyond the range of the energy cocoon created by the Array Plate in a flash.


    It seemed like a lot of movements, but in reality, they were completed in an instant.


    Li Shiming knew full well that Baili Jin Yan was not so easily dealt with, and the trouble caused by the IBM z15 wouldn¡¯t stop Baili Jin Yan for long.


    Indeed, Baili Jin Yan was only affected for a moment, and it was during that brief moment that Li Shiming escaped the range of the Array Plate.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death, you thief!¡± Baili Jin Yan emitted an enraged roar.


    He paid no attention to the ¡°White Phosphorus Grenade¡± and the ¡°Thermite Grenade¡± that had fallen to the ground; like other Cultivators who had never witnessed the bombs from the previous world¡¯s military, he didn¡¯t take notice of ordinary items without Spiritual Energy fluctuation.


    He also had that confidence; if Li Shiming were an equal to him, perhaps he would have been more cautious, taking extra care with the two mundane objects.


    Besides, by then, he had already been blinded by anger; a mere Qi Refining Fourth Level Cultivator, a thief who he regarded as having stolen his beloved, dared to play tricks in front of him.

 Chapter 108 - 108 - 100 Counterattack_2

    Chapter 108 ¨C 100 Counterattack_2


    ¡°`


    The most crucial thing was, he had been hit by a move, even if it was just for a moment, that was an intolerable humiliation.


    His figure turned into a phantom, chasing after Li Shiming.


    But just as he came into contact with the Energy Light Cocoon Wall, he was blocked by it.


    He collided heavily with the Energy Light Cocoon Wall and, not having anticipated that it would stop him, he was somewhat dazed by the impact.


    It wasn¡¯t his fault, how could he have expected that the Array Plate that belonged to him would malfunction at such a critical moment?


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a malfunction. Li Shiming, with both his body and Spiritual Power only just recovered, couldn¡¯t fully regain control of his body in such a short time.


    He then manipulated the copper corpse to alter the energy flow of the Array Plate with its fingers before carrying his body away.


    This alteration wouldn¡¯t last long, as the Array Plate would restore itself soon.


    But it was enough, all Li Shiming needed was that little bit of time.


    He was well aware that once he escaped the bounds of the Energy Light Cocoon Wall, with the gap in strength between him and Baili Jin Yan, he simply couldn¡¯t escape Baili Jin Yan¡¯s pursuit over the vast ocean.


    And his Identity Jade Disc for calling for help from his sect was still in the hands of Baili Jin Yan; even if he had the Identity Jade Disc to ask for help, the time it would take for the Cultivators from his sect to arrive would be enough for Baili Jin Yan to catch up with him and finish him off.


    Li Shiming had seen the ruthlessness in Baili Jin Yan¡¯s nature, knowing that if Baili Jin Yan caught him again, he wouldn¡¯t even be given a chance to speak this time, but would be immediately executed.


    Inside the Array Plate, Baili Jin Yan shook his head; he was about to take out an Array Breaking Talisman, only to find that he had already expended it.


    In that moment of hesitation, both the ¡¯white phosphorus bomb¡¯ and ¡¯thermite bomb¡¯ exploded.


    Indeed, when Li Shiming had thrown the ¡¯white phosphorus bomb¡¯ and ¡¯thermite bomb¡¯, he triggered them; the two bombs had a slight delay, needing the internal chemical components to react before they would explode.


    The terrifying heat and explosive shock waves expanded outward from the centers of the two explosions, but the problems was that the explosions were inside the Energy Light Cocoon Wall.


    The quality of this Formation was extremely high, and the resistance of the Energy Light Cocoon Wall was beyond imagination.


    Baili Jin Yan, upon noticing the explosions beside him, started running his Body Refining Techniques in succession, while also activating the defensive treasures on his body.


    If outside, the explosions from the ¡¯white phosphorus bomb¡¯ and ¡¯thermite bomb¡¯, considering his vast resources, wouldn¡¯t be undefendable attacks to him.


    But inside the Energy Light Cocoon Wall, especially since the two explosions didn¡¯t immediately break through the wall, the impact Baili Jin Yan faced was far beyond the inherent power of the two bombs.


    The terrible heat he could mitigate with his defensive treasures to some extent, but the forces of the intense shock waves were too much for him to bear.


    When his life was threatened, a life-saving artifact within his body was automatically activated.


    The white energy cocoon had become extremely transparent, as if it could disappear at any moment.


    Through the cocoon shell, one could see the toxic gas churning within.


    This was a remnant of the explosion. As for the flames from the explosion, they had been extinguished in a brief moment.


    The small space of the energy cocoon, having endured the explosions of two incendiary bombs, had all the combustible gases inside consumed completely.


    The flames naturally could not continue, leaving only the toxic gases behind.


    Within the white toxic gases, the body of Baili Jin Yan remained and appeared to have little damage on the surface.


    Li Shiming, who had practiced Body Refining Techniques, felt his eyelids twitch. One would need to cultivate such techniques to an incredible extent to achieve such an effect.


    This was still the Qi Refinement Realm; if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator practiced Body Refining Techniques, would his current bombs still be able to hurt a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?


    Having relied on bombs to save his life many times before, he realized that weapons from his former life might no longer guarantee him an attack strength many times greater than his own.


    However, these thoughts were premature. He harbored ideas to strengthen his attack capabilities, and he would research them slowly once he returned.


    He took out a breathing apparatus and waited a while longer before proceeding to break the formation.


    He had long since thoroughly studied the Formation of the Array Plate; breaking the Formation from the outside was somewhat troublesome, but not beyond his capability.


    Once again, his eyes brimmed with numerous energy circuits, appearing even more intricate and dense from the outside. To locate a node within such tangled energy routes, and then open a pathway through that node, demanded an immense amount of processing.


    In just ten seconds, Li Shiming extended his finger, having regained control over his own Spiritual Energy Vortex and the ability to freely manipulate Spiritual Power.


    He placed his finger on a node of the Array, directing a burst of Spiritual Power straight at the center of an energy circuit.


    In front of him, a hole appeared in the Array.


    Then, air from outside was sucked in, and after a second, the toxic gases inside were expelled in a compressed burst along with heat.


    Li Shiming used the Object Driving Skill, turning the hand of Spiritual Power into a giant fan to accelerate the replacement of the cocoon¡¯s hot and toxic gases.


    Once he had purged the toxic gases from the energy cocoon and reduced the temperature inside to an acceptable level, he entered the Formation.


    IBMz15, through his senses, had already examined the corpse of Baili Jin Yan, confirming the end of Baili Jin Yan¡¯s life.


    Li Shiming did not attend to him first but approached the Array Plate instead.


    Due to Baili Jin Yan¡¯s death, the Array Plate had also lost its owner, becoming ownerless.


    He activated the ¡¯Dragon Drawing Technique,¡¯ not requiring complete refinement, just enough to control the Formation without calculation.

 Chapter 109 - 109 - 101: Harvest

    Chapter 109 ¨C 101: Harvest


    The Dragon-Locking Phoenix-Sealing Array Plate, a name given to an extremely exaggerated array plate, embedded with the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array, is a masterpiece by an Array Master.


    This kind of completely customized formation, crafted uniquely from design to production according to client specifications, comes at an exorbitantly expensive price.


    Only cultivators of high status are able to afford such customized formations; otherwise, ordinary cultivators, even if they possess Spirit Stones, might not even get noticed by an Array Master.


    Compared to mature formations, customized formations are harder to decipher, especially by fellow Array Masters.


    Li Shiming had taken control of the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate, but he had not deactivated the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array.@@@@


    The Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate achieved defense and isolation simultaneously, and its effects exceeded his expectations.


    The energy source within the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate was a type of Spirit Stone he had never seen before, which was more translucent and had higher levels of Spiritual Energy.


    Unfortunately, due to two consecutive explosions before, the three Spirit Stones serving as the energy source were nearly depleted.


    ¡°Could this be a Mid-grade Spirit Stone?¡± Remembering records from the knowledge of a Qi Refinement cultivator, he guessed what the energy source Spirit Stones were.


    Theoretically, Qi Refinement Realm cultivators should not have access to Mid-grade Spirit Stones, as these are circulated only among Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and Qi Refinement cultivators rarely even get a chance to see Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    No wonder a formation driven by Mid-grade Spirit Stones could withstand the simultaneous explosions of ¡¯white phosphorus bombs¡¯ and ¡¯thermite bombs¡¯.


    Indeed, it was because the Dragon-locking Phoenix-sealing Array Plate absorbed the explosions¡¯ forces that all the explosive force repeatedly acted on Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body, which was the main cause of Baili Jin Yan¡¯s death.


    Otherwise, with the life-saving objects on Baili Jin Yan, he would not have fallen here.


    This storage bracelet exceeded Li Shiming¡¯s imagination, even larger than the space of his own server room.


    Li Shiming¡¯s expression turned grim. He didn¡¯t start to examine what was inside the storage bracelet closely; he only saw piles of Spirit Stones and the most conspicuous item¡ªa small Elegant Flying Boat.


    Upon seeing the Flying Boat, he realized that the state of Flying Boats when placed into a storage item is minimized before entry.


    It makes sense, as not all cultivators have such extravagant storage space; Flying Boats must be designed with storage in mind for ease of carriage by cultivators.


    Of course, there are Flying Boats that cannot be minimized; those are medium to large Flying Boats used communally within the sect.


    Li Shiming first retrieved his own Identity Jade Disc, then tried to store the storage bracelet in the server room space. If the server room space was just a regular storage area, the spatial overlap would make it impossible to store the bracelet.


    Fortunately, the server room space was a uniquely special space, and the storage bracelet was easily stored within it.


    He couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief, the storage bracelet including all its contents, the Soul-binding Rope, and the Soul Piercing Needle had to be kept in the server room space for a long time.


    Who knows whether the storage bracelet or any of the Spiritual Objects inside carried the mark of the forces behind Baili Jin Yan.


    He did not want to be pursued by the terrifying force capable of giving out a storage bracelet; if discovered, even the Heavenly Sea Sect might not be able to protect him.


    For a mere Qi Refinement Realm disciple, Heavenly Sea Sect wouldn¡¯t oppose a powerful force. Perhaps Heavenly Sea Sect would appear firm on the surface, but with a minor trick, they could easily betray him.


    In his previous life, he had seen countless cases in movies, television, and real life, where people were betrayed for sufficient interests.


    Li Shiming¡¯s gaze returned to Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body, recalling the torture he had endured from him.

 Chapter 110 - 110 - 101 Harvest_2

    Chapter 110 ¨C 101 Harvest_2


    Even with a portion of his consciousness entrusted to the spatial cabin, the thought of that soul-deep pain triggered a stress response in both his muscles and brain.


    He had never offended Baili Jin Yan; Baili Jin Yan merely wanted to win over Yin Shilan¡¯s heart and thus sought to kill him.


    Towards those who wanted to kill him, even if he had already slain them, he still had not completely released his anger.


    ¡°Since you wished to kill me, it is only fair that I turn your corpse into my Life-bound Corpse Refinement!¡± Li Shiming said coldly.


    After all, it was Baili Jin Yan himself who mentioned that his spirit root was a sole elemental type, and more specifically, a Metal Spirit Root perfect for Corpse Refining.


    Within the Body Refining Techniques, at least half are related to the metal property, compatible with Metal Spirit Root and relevant to Body Refinement.


    A single-element Metal Spirit Root, the practice of Body Refining Techniques, coupled with the power of the late-stage Qi Refining¡ªit was all overly perfect for the requirements of Life-bound Corpse Refinement.


    What¡¯s more, Baili Jin Yan had just perished, and Li Shiming had in his possession the materials ready for forging a Life-bound Corpse.


    Almost every Xuanming Sect cultivator with the means would prepare a set of materials for creating a Life-bound Corpse, just in case good fortune struck and they came upon suitable Life-bound Corpse materials so they wouldn¡¯t lament the lack of basic components.


    Although Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body had some damage, Li Shiming had examined it and found that the damages were not severe.


    Baili Jin Yan¡¯s corpse had severe internal impact injuries, but these injuries would automatically heal during the Corpse Refining process.


    Of course, the difficulty of forging a Life-bound Corpse was immense, and the failure rate was equally high.


    But to Li Shiming, this did not matter¡ªif he succeeded, it was his good luck; if he failed, then it was just practice.


    He took out a large packet of liquid, which was the transformation fluid for Corpse Refining¡ªmade by melding the Lifebound Corpse Refining Fluid with various materials.


    He was about to use the Fiery Flame Sword to cut open his arm and bleed, but realized the sword was gone.


    Indeed, the Fiery Flame Sword had been claimed by Baili Jin Yan previously. After some hesitation, he decided not to retrieve it from his storage bracelet; whatever was in the bracelet he wouldn¡¯t take out in the short term.


    He took out the Qingyuan Wood Sword, this tiny toy-like wooden sword, which could be far sharper than the Fiery Flame Sword when imbued with Spiritual Power.


    This chapter is updated by .


    The Qingyuan Wood Sword glided across his arm, immediately drawing forth fresh blood.


    He used a Spiritual Power hand created by the Object Driving Skill to wrap the blood and mix it into the previously taken out transformation fluid, ensuring it was fully integrated.


    After the transfusion fluid integrated with his spirit blood, as long as the transformation was complete, the corpse would naturally become his Corpse Refining project.


    He also recognized how unsafe defense arrays were, so easily infiltrated by others.


    But with only low-level array materials at hand, it was impossible to strengthen the defense arrays; at best he could only make a few small warning arrays.


    In addition, he needed to install surveillance cameras, having placed too much trust in defense arrays before.


    He entered the cave dwelling and then went down to the underground space, still feeling unsettled, and released the copper corpse.


    His spirit was extremely exhausted; the Soul Piercing Needle attacked the soul, and although its main method of attack was to cause extreme soul pain, his soul still suffered considerable damage.


    His body was in a similar state; after being restrained and tortured, and then undergoing ten hours of flight, he was nearing his limit.


    Li Shiming collapsed next to the Spiritual Spring and fell into a deep sleep.


    While he was sleeping, dramatic changes were occurring to Baili Jin Yan in the machine room space.


    Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body was twitching uncontrollably; had Li Shiming been awake, he would certainly have noticed something amiss.


    A corpse shouldn¡¯t twitch; only a living body would convulse upon stimulation.


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    Baili Jin Yan was indeed alive, but his state of being was somewhat special.


    His father had prepared many life-saving measures for him, and the one currently preserving his life was the last; it was an extravagant third-ranking artifact, beyond the level of Foundation Establishment.


    When Baili Jin Yan suffered a fatal injury, in theory, it meant the enemy was too powerful, not something he could withstand.


    Even fleeing would not be possible, for if escape was possible, then the previous life-saving measure would have already succeeded.


    Or maybe the previous life-saving measure had been used, and Baili Jin Yan¡¯s injuries were too severe, triggering the last life-saving third-ranking artifact.


    Combining a special cultivation technique with the third-ranking artifact, Baili Jin Yan immediately entered a state of feigned death upon receiving a fatal injury.


    In this state, Baili Jin Yan¡¯s vitality completely disappeared, indistinguishable from actual death. Only the third-ranking artifact preserved a trace of his life force and prevented his body and brain from sustaining severe damage due to a prolonged death-like state.


    To create an even more realistic appearance of death, Baili Jin Yan relinquished all connections to his magic artifacts the moment he entered into a feigned death.


    Even an experienced cultivator, upon seeing this, would believe Baili Jin Yan had truly died.


    At least through observation with IBMz15, Li Shiming had not detected any anomalies, which showed how convincingly deceptive Baili Jin Yan¡¯s feigned death was.


    It is rare for cultivators to destroy a corpse after killing an enemy; at most, they would take the spoils of war, especially the substantial loot that Baili Jin Yan had, enough to draw the attention of cultivators and thus prevent them from paying too much attention to Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body.

 Chapter 111 - 111 - 102: Doppelganger

    Chapter 111 ¨C 102: Doppelganger


    Baili Jin Yan¡¯s consciousness had recovered, but he was unable to use even the slightest bit of Spiritual Power within his body, and he couldn¡¯t even open his eyelids.


    A pain like flaying and deboning spread from every part of his body, and no part could escape this sensation of pain.


    Just as he had tortured Li Shiming, he had tortured Li Shiming to the extreme of soul pain, but now it was his body that was in extreme pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been captured by that Li Shiming! He¡¯s torturing me with the same methods!¡± Baili Jin Yan thought about his situation and guessed a possibility.


    He didn¡¯t have Li Shiming¡¯s endurance. The mere thought made it impossible for him to think further.


    Because of the pain, he lost his ability to think; the terrifying pain made his soul tremble.


    He didn¡¯t understand what methods Li Shiming had used to render his Body Refinement, perfected in the Qi Refinement Realm and comparable to an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s body, completely immobile.


    Even he was slowly losing his awareness of his body and simultaneously, he felt something eroding his soul.


    Baili Jin Yan didn¡¯t know that his bodily restriction wasn¡¯t intentional by Li Shiming, but rather a result of the Life-bound Corpse Refinement process.


    Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body was transitioning towards Corpse Refinement, and this was a forced conversion using a living person¡¯s body.


    Not that no Cultivators had researched the feasibility of converting a living person into a Corpse Refinement; in fact, this cruel method had never stopped being experimented with by malevolent Cultivators.


    But starting from the early stages of a living body¡¯s Corpse Refinement would result in failure, confounding all Cultivators.@@@@


    Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body was special; a Tier 3 artifact¡¯s ¡¯faux death¡¯ had even deceived the Life-bound Corpse Refinement Corpse Liquid in the early phase of the body¡¯s transformation.


    The transformation liquid needed more than five ¡¯two hour periods¡¯ to convert the faux dead body before the Tier 3 artifact took effect and began repairing Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body.


    Just as he was thinking about it, the scene before him blurred, and he appeared in a room with a white ceiling four meters high.


    He was somewhat at a loss, wondering what was going on.


    ¡°Could I have traveled through time again?¡± he wondered, feeling the condition of his body.


    He couldn¡¯t blame himself for thinking this way because this body was too special. The almost overflowing sense of strength and the dense Spiritual Energy Vortex in his body clearly indicated that this was not his original body.


    Compared to his original body, this body was much more powerful.


    In terms of strength alone, he estimated that one hand of this body could easily overpower his original body, even if the original used Spells or Magic Artifacts.


    Not to mention the Spiritual Energy Vortex inside; though Qi Refinement was divided into nine levels, all of them were actually stages of the Spiritual Energy Vortex¡¯s growth.


    The Spiritual Energy Vortex within him now was of a quality beyond his imagination.


    The massive Spiritual Energy Vortex inside him, in terms of size alone, was more than ten times larger than his original vortex.


    He tried to sit up and his gaze fell on a plant nearby.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a spirit tea tree?¡± he murmured to himself.


    He then saw more familiar items: IBMz15, uninterruptible power supply, perpetual motion generators, and so forth; he immediately understood where he was.


    He had never observed the control room space from this angle before; he had always controlled it from a god-like perspective with his consciousness.


    He had also tried entering the control room space himself, but his body was unable to enter it.

 Chapter 112 - 112 - 102: Doppelganger_2

    Chapter 112 ¨C 102: Doppelganger_2


    After Li Shiming¡¯s thoughts became clear, he understood the whole sequence of events and knew what was going on with himself.@@@@


    His consciousness had transferred to the corpse, and he carefully examined this body, which was indeed the corpse of Baili Jin Yan.


    The remaining Corpse Liquid also indicated this.


    ¡°Has the transformation succeeded?¡± Li Shiming asked, somewhat hesitantly and perplexed.


    Life-bound Corpse Refinement, although closely connected to its master, was not supposed to be this intimately linked; this was not just any Corpse Refining, it was practically another body altogether.


    ¡°Not right!¡± He discovered another anomaly. Discover hidden stories at Novgo


    It wasn¡¯t his first encounter with Corpse Refining; this body¡¯s skin hadn¡¯t darkened as normally happens with corpses, and he had never heard of a corpse possessing a Spiritual Energy Vortex either.


    The greatest strength of a refined corpse lay in its physique and power, and the Yin Cold Spiritual Power was integrated with the corpse¡¯s body, without the presence of a Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    It could be said that any part of a refined corpse¡¯s body was a place for storing Spiritual Power; the Yin Cold Spiritual Power enhanced the corpse¡¯s body, endowing it with formidable defensive power and strength.


    However, this corpse was too peculiar and completely different from the descriptions in the ¡°Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter.¡±


    He had used the Life-bound Corpse Refining method from the ¡°Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter,¡± so why was there such a significant difference?


    But before finding the answer, he wondered how he would return to his own body?


    As Li Shiming thought about returning to his own body, his vision blurred, and he once again returned to his own perspective.


    His heartbeat suddenly accelerated; the changes were too astonishing, rendering him somewhat unable to calm down momentarily.


    His brain connected to the IBMz15, starting to inquire about what had occurred in the server room during his period of sleep.


    The sensors connected to the IBMz15 could monitor events in the server room, originally intended to monitor the room¡¯s temperature, humidity, and lighting.


    While planting Spirit Plants in the server room space, he had also enhanced the sensors with visual monitoring capabilities.


    With no need to conserve power anymore, the IBMz15 stored the monitoring content on a hard drive.


    Li Shiming saw the convulsions of Baili Jin Yan and various signs of life, and he couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply.


    If Baili Jin Yan truly woke up in the server room and was capable of moving, then his biggest secret would have been exposed.


    The key issue was, if the IBMz15 were damaged, his greatest advantage in this world would be destroyed.


    A strong sense of fear rose from his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but blame himself for his carelessness.


    Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness returned to the Spiritual Energy Vortex, and he tried to remove the black matter from the vortex.


    The black matter obediently left the Spiritual Energy Vortex, which then changed back to its original golden color.


    In the state of being a double, this body functioned just as a normal cultivator.


    Regrettably, without the original Cultivation Method, he could not manipulate his double to cultivate, but from what he could discern from the body, the ability to cast spells and everything else was no different from a normal cultivator.


    The double had three modes of control: the first was to transfer his consciousness into the double for full control, which left his original body without conscious control.


    In this situation, the original body was extremely vulnerable, and he would not do this unless his original body was in a very safe situation.


    The second mode was like normal Corpse Refining; he would split part of his consciousness to control it. Without the ability to multitask in this condition, it was almost no different from the first situation.


    The third was to issue simple commands, and the double would autonomously launch attacks.


    After experimenting, he found that in this form, the double could only engage in close combat attacks with its body like a normal refined corpse, despite having a Spiritual Energy Vortex; the double would not utilize it.


    The spirit within the double¡¯s body was indeed the spirit of Life-bound Corpse Refinement; at least at the current stage, it could not elevate its wisdom to actively use specific Cultivation Techniques or spells.


    However, Li Shiming quickly set these concerns aside, realizing he was overthinking it.


    For the foreseeable future, this double could only stay in the machine room space, unable to appear in the outside world.


    Li Shiming reminded himself to act normally during the upcoming period, to avoid arousing any suspicion.


    Of course, it would not be easy for others to suspect him; no one would believe that Baili Jin Yan had been killed by him.


    He returned to his cave dwelling and started to fiddle with the low-level Array materials.


    He needed to hide the monitoring probes with an Array, even if he just wanted to set them up for surveillance.


    This was not the ordinary world; the eyes of cultivators were extremely keen, and the peculiar shape of the monitoring probes, though mundane, were easily noticeable to cultivators.


    From the Array materials, he chose five blank Array flags and dipped the talisman pen in ink specially used for Arrays, beginning to draw on the blank Array flags.


    This may seem similar to making a talisman, but essentially, it was completely different.


    Talismans involved the solidification of a spell casting process onto talisman paper, whereas Array flags involved drawing Array Diagrams representing different effects onto blank Array flags.


    While making talismans required the aid of true intent of spells, Array flags only needed the cooperation of spiritual power.


    Although Array flags seemed simpler, it should be noted that these were just the most basic low-level Array components, only suitable for beginners¡¯ practice.


    The five blank Array flags were each drawn with Array Diagrams representing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, completing the initial preparations.

 Chapter 113 - 113 - 103 Intermediate

    Chapter 113 ¨C 103 Intermediate


    Li Shiming placed the five prepared array banners into the Gathering Spirit Array next to the Low Grade Spirit Vein, where they required a great amount of Spiritual Energy to nourish them.


    He took out the Spirit Turtle Shield, which he had not refined since he acquired it.


    Previously, he lacked a sense of urgency, but now he urgently needed to improve his own strength as swiftly as possible.


    The Dragon Drawing Technique was activated, and the Spirit Turtle Shield flashed with incredibly complex patterns, including both the Mid Grade Magical Artifact patterns originally on the Spirit Turtle Shield and the Array Diagram patterns he had developed together with Yin Shilan.


    Having received the Array inheritance, he was no longer a complete novice to these patterns.


    Four light points appeared on the Spirit Turtle Shield, indicating that its quality surpassed that of a top-grade magic tool.


    Of course, although the Spirit Turtle Shield exceeded the quality of a top-grade magic tool, its limitations significantly reduced its actual value¡ªit was only in Li Shiming¡¯s hands that the Spirit Turtle Shield could exert its greatest effect.


    As for value, perhaps the Spirit Turtle Shield¡¯s portable carrying array was of greatest worth to an Array Master.


    Li Shiming no longer chose the sequence of the four light points carelessly as before, a method that would still allow refining but was much less efficient.


    He sorted the four light points from lowest to highest and refined each one with the ¡°Drawing Technique,¡± quickly establishing a connection with the Spirit Turtle Shield.


    At this point, the Spirit Turtle Shield could be used, but to handle it with supreme flexibility, he still needed to refine it completely.@@@@


    He discovered that at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, his speed in refining the Spirit Turtle Shield was much faster than it was during the Early-stage Qi Refining period.


    He estimated that fully refining the Spirit Turtle Shield would take about two months.


    Despite the complexity of the Sect Protection Array in front of him, it was still fundamentally based on the Eight Diagrams, with other arrays arranged around it.


    Of course, what Li Shiming saw was just the tip of the iceberg; the Sect Protection Array in its current state was yet to be fully activated. A fully activated Sect Protection Array would consume even more but would also be more formidable.


    This was the profound foundation of a great sect. Without a Spirit Vein of exceedingly high quality, such a Sect Protection Array could not be laid out.


    With his Identity Jade Disc, he easily entered the Sect Protection Array.


    The Thunder Rain Pavilion on Xun Peak was one of the few pavilions open to outsiders, and his status as a low-level Spirit Plant Cultivator registered on his Identity Jade Disc was his pass to enter the Thunder Rain Pavilion on Xun Peak. It wasn¡¯t necessary to be a disciple of Xun Peak.


    Li Shiming landed in front of the Thunder Rain Pavilion, feeling the vitality in the air. This time his perception was much clearer.


    Different from the previous sense of amazement during his first visit, what had taken its place was his sense of the gap between his Spring Breeze and Rain Skill and the life force here¡ªjust one step away from an Intermediate Spiritual Plant Cultivation Skill.


    He confidently walked into the Thunder Rain Pavilion; it was still the same elder, Master Cheng, inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re that disciple who had a keen understanding of the ¡¯Spring Breeze and Rain Skill,¡¯ what¡¯s your name again?¡± Master Cheng saw Li Shiming, nodded thoughtfully, and spoke as he pondered.


    ¡°Master Cheng, my name is Li Shiming!¡± Li Shiming did not expect that after so long, Master Cheng would still remember him and quickly responded.


    ¡°My memory isn¡¯t poor; I remember your name!¡± Master Cheng was displeased to be thought of as forgetful and waved his hand dismissively before asking, ¡°You¡¯ve come to join Xun Peak this time, right, to make your mark in the profession of Spirit Plant Cultivators? You have to join Xun Peak to achieve that!¡±


    ¡°Err, Master Cheng, I am here to apply for the Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator assessment!¡± Li Shiming reminded, somewhat embarrassed.


    Master Cheng was slightly taken aback. He emitted a fluctuation that swept over Li Shiming¡¯s body.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only recently advanced to Qi Refining Fourth Level. Don¡¯t set your sights too high; indeed, one needs the power of the Qi Refining Middle Stage to reach the Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator level. With a bit more effort, you can achieve it!¡± Master Cheng advised while shaking his head.

 Chapter 114: 103 Intermediate

    Chapter 114: Chapter 103 Intermediate


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t say anything; he bowed and waited.


    ¡°Alright, if you want to test, then test. Cast the ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡¯!¡± Master Cheng said with a wave of his hand, sounding resigned.@@@@


    In his eyes, Li Shiming was like those disciples who lacked patience, eager to attempt the assessment after achieving a little success.


    As someone in charge of gatekeeping for the sect, how could he casually allow cultivators to pass the assessment?


    A Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator who hadn¡¯t reached a certain level was simply incapable of mastering the spells of an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator. If that were to happen, wouldn¡¯t he, the assessor, be the one to lose face?


    Li Shiming drew the magic runes in the void with his fingers, the ones he had practiced numerous times. In less than the time of a breath, he had completed the runes, a speed that made Master Cheng sit up straight and look at him with appreciation in his eyes.


    Just by the speed of casting, it was clear how well Li Shiming had mastered the ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡¯. There were no shortcuts here; it was all through relentless practice.


    Of course, talent was extremely important. A Spirit Plant Cultivator with strong innate talent for the cultivation of plants would progress faster, one practice equaling ten for those less gifted.


    The dark clouds that covered almost the entire sky above the great hall within a range of over three hundred square meters dissipated with a mere wave of Master Cheng¡¯s hand.


    Leaving Xun Peak with a smile on his face, Li Shiming now had the status of an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator on his Identity Jade Disc.


    Upon becoming an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator, Xun Peak had another reward: the opportunity to acquire the Intermediate Advanced Basic Magic for Spirit Plant Cultivators for free.


    There was only the ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡¯ for the Intermediate Advanced Basic Magic, and the rest of the spells for Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivators still required exchange with good deeds.


    This was already a great deal, and Li Shiming, who didn¡¯t have many good deeds to his name, didn¡¯t even know if he had enough to exchange for one advanced spell.


    He flew towards the Hidden Technique Pavilion on Central Peak with a very good mood. When he saw the pavilion, he wondered when he would be able to freely select cultivation techniques from inside.


    With unrealistic fantasies, he entered the Hidden Technique Pavilion and immediately saw a familiar face, Senior Brother Liu.


    ¡°Give me your identity jade disc. What cultivation technique do you wish to take?¡± Senior Brother Liu asked indifferently.


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu, we meet again!¡± greeted Li Shiming warmly.


    ¡°Who are you? Don¡¯t get familiar with me. Hand over the identity jade disc if you want a cultivation technique, otherwise leave!¡± Senior Brother Liu replied without even glancing up.


    ¡°No wonder Yin Shilan is so wealthy; it turns out that Array Masters are the ones with the most lucrative prospects!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s eyes brightened as he thought to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Cheng, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t continue on the path of a Spirit Plant Cultivator; I shall embark on the greater path of an Array Master!¡± His thoughts whirled, and he was shocked by the news from Senior Brother Liu.


    Of course, he still had to study advanced techniques, which were free. Besides, even if he didn¡¯t make a career out of being a Spirit Plant Cultivator, he would still have to learn more for his own planting, as the effects of spells from an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator are incomparable to those of a Junior.


    ¡°The ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡¯ advances to the ¡®Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique.¡¯ The jade scroll has a preservation period of one month; don¡¯t leave the sect¡¯s grounds during this period!¡± Senior Brother Liu handed the jade scroll to Li Shiming in a procedural manner and instructed him.


    ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s within the sect¡¯s sea domain; the ¡®Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique¡¯ is a general spell, with the true meaning of our sect having some unique features!¡± he said in a lowered voice.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Liu!¡± Li Shiming took the jade scroll.


    Having left the Hidden Technique Pavilion, he immediately rushed towards Dui Peak.


    On the paper crane, he applied for the Array Master examination at the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion on Dui Peak using his Identity Jade Disc.


    As he approached Dui Peak, he received approval for the examination.


    No matter which auxiliary cultivation profession it was, there were not many people taking the examination ordinarily, not to mention Array Masters, which had the fewest numbers, so the examinations were on a come-and-go basis.


    His application was just for the qualification to enter Dui Peak; as the paper crane neared Dui Peak, the formation there allowed him entry.


    Beyond the Sect Protection Array, each of the nine peaks has its own large array, and the nine Peak Protection Arrays combined form the Sect Protection Array. The more Li Shiming observed, the more complex he realized it was.


    He stopped his study of the formation, as the complexity of the large array only increased, and he felt that even the IBMz15 would have to run at full capacity to calculate such a complex array, which would require all nine ghost shadows to drive perpetual motion generators.


    The IBMz15 could calculate such a complex array, but Li Shiming¡¯s own brain was a bit overwhelmed, even just assisting made him feel that his brain couldn¡¯t handle such complex calculations.


    With his level, studying the Sect Protection Array was a bit difficult.


    Of course, no Array Master would do what he did, forcibly analyzing and calculating upon seeing an array through the fluctuations of Spiritual Power, because Array Masters don¡¯t have that kind of capability.


    The computational load required was enough to drive any Array Master insane.


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 Chapter 115: 104 Retake

    Chapter 115: Chapter 104 Retake


    Standing in front of the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, Li Shiming was slightly startled¡ªthe grand doors of the pavilion were concealed by a layer of fog.


    To enter the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, one had to pass through the foggy area ahead.


    ¡°Could this be the first test of the assessment?¡± he speculated in his mind.


    The fog posed no challenge to him, for it was merely a simple Five Elements Confusion Array, the exact type of Formation he was in the process of arranging with his Five Elements Array Flags.


    Inside the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, a handsome middle-aged man was reading while keeping an eye on the situation outside the pavilion.


    The Five Elements Confusion Array at the entrance was the first barrier he set up to block the candidates.


    If one couldn¡¯t even break through the most elementary Five Elements Confusion Array, then what assessment were they talking about?


    At the same time, he had no desire to be disturbed by laymen. Being assigned to guard the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion was unfortunate enough, much less having to assess the novices. It was something he was reluctant to do.


    ¡°This kid¡¯s going to have a rough time!¡± the handsome middle-aged man muttered to himself, shaking his head.


    The way Li Shiming entered the Five Elements Confusion Array was vastly different from the normal approach to breaking the Formation; it was as if he were a cultivator who knew nothing about Arrays.


    He just walked straight into the Five Elements Confusion Array without any semblance of skill.


    As the simplest Formation, the Five Elements Confusion Array had no offensive power and only caused those who entered to lose their sense of direction. Those unfamiliar with Formations would wander aimlessly within.


    With luck, they might exit where they entered; with bad luck, they could be trapped inside, waiting for rescue.


    Of course, as a simple Formation, the Five Elements Confusion Array had another way to be broken¡ªthat was with a powerful attack.


    The ordinary Array Flags used for the Five Elements Confusion Array couldn¡¯t withstand overly strong spiritual power attacks. If the flags were destroyed, the Formation would naturally be broken as well.


    Li Shiming was initially taken aback, then realized that the two Arrays he had encountered were part of the assessment.


    He took out his Identity Jade Disc and handed it to the handsome middle-aged man, who took it and operated on another Jade Disc, handing the new one back to him.


    ¡°With the Identity Jade Disc of a Basic-level Array Master, you can connect to the Sect Formation within a thousand li of the nine peaks,¡± the handsome middle-aged man explained with a smile, ¡°and receive tasks from other Array Masters. If you are excellent enough, the rewards for these tasks are very generous!¡±


    Li Shiming looked at his new Identity Jade Disc and saw that his original information was completely retained, but this new Jade Disc was clearly more refined and made of vastly different materials than the previous one.


    It was only at this moment that he truly felt the distinction of being an Array Master.


    He had attained the rank of Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator, yet his Identity Jade Disc had never been changed, but having just become a Basic-level Array Master, he was given a superior Identity Jade Disc¡ªthe difference was stark.


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s no need to go to the Hidden Technique Pavilion to exchange for knowledge on Arrays. You can directly use good deeds to exchange for relevant knowledge through your Identity Jade Disc.¡±


    ¡°Much of this Array knowledge is not just collected by the sect; many Array Masters have researched these results themselves. If you wish to learn, you must pay the appropriate price!¡± the handsome middle-aged man continued to explain.


    ¡°Thank you for the information, Uncle Master!¡± Li Shiming expressed his gratitude.


    Suddenly, with a ¡®boom,¡¯ the entire Sect Formation trembled, followed by an extremely terrifying aura that flew out from within the sect.


    Thankfully, he had practiced Body Refining Techniques, allowing him to stand his ground without falling.


    The handsome middle-aged man¡¯s complexion was not good either; his eyes gazed at the sky, flickering with shock.


    ¡°What grave situation has occurred? All the Elders have personally been mobilized!¡± the handsome middle-aged man murmured to himself.


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 Chapter 116: 104 Retest_2

    Chapter 116: Chapter 104 Retest_2


    The middle-aged handsome man¡¯s voice was very soft, but Li Shiming still heard it clearly.


    Elders are the highest echelon of the Sky Sea Sect. They are invincible beings who have surpassed the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Normally, Elders do not interfere in the affairs of the sect. Even the Sect Leader is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, which shows that Elders are an existence above the Sect Leader.


    Only when major incidents concerning the sect¡¯s survival or matters at the Elder level arise do Elders take action.


    ¡°You should not leave, stay in the pavilion!¡± the middle-aged handsome man solemnly said to Li Shiming.


    He had reviewed Li Shiming¡¯s information and knew that Li Shiming¡¯s residence was outside of the Nine Peaks.


    With the situation unclear at this time, he did not want anything untoward to happen to a promising Array disciple.


    Inside Dui Peak, even if battle at the Elder level erupted, it would not affect this area.


    ¡°Yes, Junior Master!¡± Li Shiming bowed and responded.


    ¡°My surname is Zhuge. Call me Junior Master Zhuge!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said while sensing the outside situation through the Array.


    After the Elder had left, the Array did not provide any useful information, which was a good sign, indicating that no battle at the Elder level had broken out within the sect¡¯s territorial waters.@@@@


    The Sect Protection Array of the Nine Peaks could also monitor any intense Spiritual Power fluctuations that occurred within a thousand-mile radius of the sect¡¯s waters.


    A battle at the Foundation Establishment Stage, once it occurred within a thousand miles of the sect, would be detected by the sect, let alone fluctuations from an Elder-level battle.


    Li Shiming waited for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and Junior Master Zhuge received a transcendent message, his expression then relaxed.


    ¡°You can leave now!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said, waving Li Shiming away.


    ¡°Junior Master Zhuge, has something happened?¡± After taking a few steps, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but turn back and ask curiously.


    ¡°An Elder from the external sect suddenly came, and the whole Elder left without restraining his aura, alarming the Array!¡± Perhaps owing to the scarcity of Array Masters, Junior Master Zhuge did not get angry at his question but instead smiled and answered.


    Li Shiming bowed to Junior Master Zhuge then left the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion. Riding on his paper crane, he contemplated the recent events.


    The sudden arrival of an external sect Elder led him to speculate.


    The timing was just too coincidental. The incident with Baili Jin Yan yesterday, and today an external sect Elder showed up.


    Once he went to the Thunder Rain Pavilion for the ¡°Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique¡± authentication, his status as an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator would be updated within the sect, and he would gain access to certain affairs designated for Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivators.


    Despite the vast expanse of dark clouds, Li Shiming could sense his control over the spirit rain within them.


    Following his intent, the spirit rain within the clouds began to fall, but this time not in the form of droplets, but as a mist.


    This mist-like spirit rain seemed to have consciousness of its own, converging towards the spirit plants on the island.


    There weren¡¯t many spirit plants on the island, just some aromatic spirit plants and Spirit Bamboo.


    Enveloped by the misty spirit rain, a new shoot next to the Spirit Bamboo crackled as it grew, stretching several inches within just a few breaths.


    The leaves of the aromatic spirit plants also grew larger in size. This brief application of ¡°Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique¡± had increased the growth rate of the spirit plants manyfold.


    No wonder it is said that if an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator were to grow Spirit Rice, the yield would be greatly increased and the growing time significantly reduced. Given the current effects of the ¡°Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique,¡± this is no exaggeration.


    However, with such effects, one could manage better spirit fields and cultivate more valuable spirit plants. Why bother growing Spirit Rice, a relatively low-value spirit plant?


    Li Shiming did not immediately return to the sect¡¯s Thunder Rain Pavilion for authentication. He had only received the advanced cultivation technique not long ago, and it would seem too showy to do so now.


    With his current title of Basic-level Array Master, he decided to check out the tasks available for Basic-level Array Masters first and wait some days before seeking authentication.


    Just as Junior Master Zhuge had said, when Li Shiming infused a thread of spiritual power into his Identity Jade Disc, he sensed a special remote communication channel open.


    What made it special was that upon opening this communication channel, the Identity Jade Disc automatically received a series of tasks.


    These tasks were all for Basic-level Array Masters. If he chose any task, he could reply directly, and the Sect Formation would update in real time; the task would then be marked as taken.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but marvel; this was essentially a simple network!


    Using the Sect Protection Array as a server and router, utilizing the remote communication channel as networking cables, and the Identity Jade Disc as the terminal, they had formed an interactive network capable of receiving, processing, giving feedback, storing, and updating information.


    Of course, this interactive network was far from as mature as the networks of his former world, but given the coverage of thousands of miles, this technology was leagues ahead of his previous world in terms of signal coverage.


    In his previous world, networks consisted of countless base stations, each covering only a small area.


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 Chapter 117: 105 Enforcement

    Chapter 117: Chapter 105 Enforcement


    The tasks of a basic-level Array Master were mostly posted by Qi Refining cultivators, including requests to bolster the defense formations of their cave dwellings, to customize formations, and to address difficult array issues posed by other basic-level Array Masters.


    The late-stage Qi Refining disciples who were able to post these tasks were the more powerful ones within the sect, possessing plentiful spirit stones and merit rewards.


    Li Shiming also discovered that most of the rewards for these tasks were spirit stones, and there weren¡¯t many tasks offering merit rewards.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because the merit reward tasks had been taken first or if the Qi Refining disciples were reluctant to part with their merit rewards as compensation.


    However, the difficult array problems posted by other basic-level Array Masters were all offering merit rewards.


    In addition, there was a long-term sect mission to maintain the Sect Formation, which offered a generous five hundred merit rewards per month.


    Considering that a junior Spirit Plant Cultivator could barely earn less than three hundred merit rewards after toiling away for a year, a basic-level Array Master could earn as much as five hundred merit rewards from just one monthly task, and this was a long-term mission.


    If a basic-level Array Master was willing, they could amass a significant amount of merit rewards by continuously undertaking this long-term mission.


    Li Shiming was almost indulging in a fantasy of possessing a vast amount of merit rewards and freely selecting exclusive items inside the Hidden Technique Pavilion.


    But then, after seeing the exchange list available to basic-level Array Masters, his fantasy was shattered.


    The knowledge and materials for arrays within the sect all required merit rewards to exchange, and considering the required amount, he suspected that the sect had intentionally increased the merit reward compensation for Array Masters; otherwise, no one could afford such exchanges.


    Indeed, basic-level Array Masters earned a lot, but likewise, they spent a lot as well.


    Unless they no longer wished to advance, they could certainly store up a large number of merit rewards, but once an Array Master was promoted to the intermediate level, their ability to earn merit rewards would further increase, as would their standing within the sect.


    Which Array Master could resist such temptation, to not learn about so many formations and not purchase materials for practice?


    They were experienced Law Enforcement Monks, and if there were any real issues with Li Shiming, even if he had the means to instantly deal with two late-stage Qi Refining Law Enforcement Monks, the three on the Flying Boat could immediately report to the sect.


    ¡°We are conducting this search for your own good. A Qi Refining Peak Disciple from the Holy Ice Sect has gone missing. If he happens to be hiding with you, you could reap quite the reward upon discovery!¡± The following Law Enforcement Monk who seemed more approachable explained to Li Shiming.


    How could Li Shiming believe such nonsense from the Law Enforcement Monk? He wasn¡¯t absent from the sect before, and with all the commotion with the Elder, it had to be a significant event.


    When the Holy Ice Sect was mentioned by the Law Enforcement Monk, Li Shiming understood the background of Baili Jin Yan, and that Elder from the outer sect must have been an Elder of the Holy Ice Sect.


    It was still unclear what relation the missing disciple of the Holy Ice Sect shared with Baili Jin Yan, but considering that the distance between the Holy Ice Sect and the Sky Sea Sect must be quite vast, it was remarkable for them to come all this way for a Qi Refining disciple.


    The leading Law Enforcement Monk spotted the Spirit Bamboo as soon as he set foot on Eagle Beak Island.


    It was obvious he recognized the Spirit Bamboo, and a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.


    The Spirit Bamboo was still in its growth stage, yet when it fully matured, it would form a small bamboo grove.


    Not to mention the other uses of Spirit Bamboo, just its leaves could provide an income of over five hundred spirit stones each month.


    Five hundred spirit stones each month was a considerable sum for any Qi Refinement Realm cultivator.


    If one did not wish to manage it personally, one could simply find a junior Spirit Plant Cultivator, offer some benefits to manage it, and then sit back to split the spirit stones each month.


    As he thought about it, his gaze shifted to the spirit field above.


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 Chapter 118: 105 Enforcement_2

    Chapter 118: Chapter 105 Enforcement_2


    ¡°When did this spirit field get upgraded to a high-level lower grade spirit field?¡± he wondered with shock.


    He held the information about Eagle Beak Island in his hand; it had been rented to a new cultivator who had not been in the sect for long, specifically to the one who had just spoken with him, Li Shiming.


    Because Li Shiming was a junior spirit plant cultivator, as a newcomer, he could rent a cave dwelling with a spirit field.


    The five mu of spirit field on Eagle Beak Island were recorded as low grade lower spirit fields, and there was no mistake in that.


    That is to say, after renting it, Li Shiming used resources to improve the quality of the lower grade spirit field.


    The greed in the leading law enforcement monk¡¯s eyes resurfaced; the yield of Spirit Rice from a high-level lower grade spirit field could nearly double that from a low-grade one.


    Renting Eagle Beak Island with the sect¡¯s data would allow one to rent a cave dwelling with a high-level lower grade spirit field and spirit bamboo for the cost of renting a low-grade one.


    Of course, the precondition was to get rid of the nuisance that was Li Shiming first.


    The insignificant Li Shiming, a Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivator, had many ways he could be dealt with by him.


    But the clever man had no plans to frame Li Shiming; instead, he had other plans that could benefit his superiors to a certain extent.


    Li Shiming sensed the ill will emanating from the leading law enforcement monk and couldn¡¯t help wondering how someone with such a narrow mindset became a law enforcement monk.


    Was it because I wouldn¡¯t let the law enforcement monk enter as he pleased that he harbored such great malice!


    ¡°Li Shiming, when did you advance to the Qi Refining Fourth Level, and why didn¡¯t you report it to the sect?¡± the lead law enforcement monk turned to Li Shiming and asked.


    According to the records, Li Shiming had only recently reached the Qi Refining Third Level, and considering his three spirit root talents, without some fortuitous encounter, it was impossible for him to advance to the Qi Refining Fourth Level so quickly.


    However, with Li Shiming already at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, this could be made an issue.


    ¡°I have just entered the Qi Refining Fourth Level, and I have never seen any sect decree stating that one must report their power at the Qi Refinement Realm!¡± Li Shiming replied indifferently.


    He could see that this law enforcement monk was deliberately looking for trouble.


    Although this law enforcement group had five late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, they were only two hundred li from the nine peaks of the sect, so he was not at all worried about the law enforcement monks attacking him without cause.


    If this had happened the day before, he might have felt some fear, but now he was a junior array master, a rare and important profession in the sect.


    At the very least, he was not someone who could be easily manipulated without proper reasons, and dealing with him would require considering whether Dui Peak would agree to it.


    In fact, if Li Shiming were to reveal his identity as a junior array master now, the law enforcement monk would no longer have any designs on him.


    However, the benefits from the high-level lower grade spirit field, although less than those from the spirit bamboo, were substantial for a Qi Refining cultivator.


    With half of the spirit bamboo¡¯s income for himself, plus the benefits from the high-level lower grade spirit field, he still took the lion¡¯s share.


    Although Han Tianlei was the one doing all the work and Xu Peiran simply provided the authority, there were many areas where he would rely on Xu Peiran in the future. If he wanted a comfortable life in the Law Enforcement Hall, he had to maintain a good relationship with his superior.


    ¡°Li Shiming, because you failed to report your advancement to Qi Refining Middle Stage, Deacon Xu from the Law Enforcement Hall has issued an order for you to complete a compulsory task. This is the compulsory task order!¡± Han Tianlei came to Li Shiming and spoke coldly.


    He knew that Li Shiming was familiar with the sect¡¯s laws, so he made sure to execute everything properly, utilizing the authority given by Xu Peiran to issue the compulsory task order to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Identity Jade Disc also received the compulsory task order. He furrowed his brows slightly; this was highly unreasonable.


    Even if he had advanced to Qi Refining Middle Stage, he would still need time to acclimate to the new realm because it¡¯s not as if he could form combat strength immediately upon advancing; it required time for polishing.


    Yet, this Steward Xu had forcefully issued a compulsory task. Why he would do such a thing was something Li Shiming could not understand.


    One couldn¡¯t blame him; in his eyes, the value of spirit bamboo wasn¡¯t great. He didn¡¯t plant spirit bamboo with the intention of earning Spirit Stones from it.


    He could create talismans himself, and with the spirit bamboo, he had his own talisman paper and no longer needed to order from outside.


    Value-wise, his spirit tea tree far surpassed the spirit bamboo in terms of worth.


    What Li Shiming hadn¡¯t considered was that the Hao Family had risen to prominence among Loose Cultivators precisely because they had spirit bamboo.


    Relying on spirit bamboo, the Hao Family was able to support seven cultivators and even continue to cultivate the next generation. This illustrated how significant spirit bamboo was for a Qi Refining cultivator.


    Since entering the cultivation world, Li Shiming had hardly ever run short of Spirit Stones.


    Of course, this lack referred to the consumption level of an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator. He too was short on Spirit Stones, but that was when he set his sights on items like Flying Boats that were beyond his status.


    To date, he still had nearly two thousand Spirit Stones in his possession, and he had yet to open Baili Jin Yan¡¯s storage bracelet to see the Spirit Stones inside, which surely wouldn¡¯t be few.


    His need for Spirit Stones was only for a windfall, a substantial sum of wealth, hence, he didn¡¯t have much use for a small amount of Spirit Stones, which is why he had never considered cultivating the spirit bamboo further.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get ready and then go to carry out the task,¡± Li Shiming said helplessly as he accepted the compulsory task, glancing around the cave dwelling.


    ¡°What do you need to get ready for? Leave immediately, or else I¡¯ll take you to see Steward Xu for resisting enforcement!¡± How could Han Tianlei allow him to prepare anything, he said coldly.


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 Chapter 119: 106 Nanshan

    Chapter 119: Chapter 106 Nanshan


    Li Shiming sat on the back of a paper crane, taking out his Identity Jade Disc to send a message to Yin Shilan, informing her that he was about to undertake a mandatory task.


    Then, he opened the mandatory task and discovered that it was to heal a spirit tree in Nanshan Country.


    Nanshan Country was a mundane place, and the spirit tree there wouldn¡¯t likely be any notable Spirit Plant.@@@@


    Because precious Spirit Plants simply couldn¡¯t survive in the world¡¯s regions where Spiritual Energy was sparse, yet, as a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator according to the records, such a task was still plausible for him.


    However, the distance to Nanshan Country was considerable. If he rode the paper crane, the flight alone would take more than ten days.


    ¡°This is also good, I can use it as an excuse to stay away from the sect. Even if the Holy Ice Sect investigates, they can¡¯t scrutinize me when I¡¯m away from the sect. My mission is enforced by the Law Enforcement Hall, not a request of my own volition!¡± Li Shiming thought while controlling the paper crane.


    After flying for two hours, he felt that this speed was simply too slow.


    Indeed, the speed was almost comparable to the car speeds from his previous life, but compared to the distances a cultivator needed to travel, the paper crane¡¯s speed seemed rather inadequate.


    If it had been the early stages of Qi Refinement, he would have had no other choice due to his meager Spiritual Power, but now he was at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, having truly reached the middle stage of Qi Refinement.


    At the very least within the realm of Qi Refinement, he was a cultivator with some genuine strength.


    He hadn¡¯t learned any flight-related Cultivation Techniques, but the ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯, a Sword Cultivation Technique, did include a method for using a longsword to carry a cultivator in flight.


    Previously, his Spiritual Power was insufficient to utilize the ability to fly, but now he had the capability.


    Deciding to act, he withdrew the paper crane, which left him unsupported in mid-air.


    Just as his body was about to fall to the sea surface, with a flick of his finger, his Qingyuan Wood Sword flew out, turning into a streak of golden-green sword light.


    Two is taking Elixir Pills, which is the quickest way to recover Spiritual Power.


    But Qi Refining cultivators rarely do so, mainly because the Elixir Pills that restore Spiritual Power are too expensive. Only if a Qi Refining cultivator has the capability of later stages and a stable method for swiftly earning Spirit Stones do they have the qualification to consume Elixir Pills for restoring spiritual power.


    Cultivators who hunt sea beasts, for example, use Elixir Pills to recover Spiritual Power when necessary.


    Three is with the help of Spiritual Energy inside Spirit Stones, which is the most common method among ordinary cultivators.


    The reason Spirit Stones became the general currency in the Cultivation World is that they contain Spiritual Energy that cultivators can absorb.


    Many cultivators even use Spirit Stones to increase the intake of Spiritual Energy during their main Cultivation Technique practice to accelerate their cultivation speed.


    Li Shiming used Spirit Stones to restore his Spiritual Energy and after it was full, he would use the Qingyuan Wood Sword to initiate Sword Escape again.


    With each practice, his mastery over the ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯s Sword Escape improved. Adding to that his research on aerodynamics from the IBMz15, he altered the shape of the sword light, reducing the air resistance during Sword Escape.


    With each Sword Escape, his flying distance increased, from initially eight miles in thirty breaths to later reaching ten miles.


    He calculated the speed, reaching an impressive six hundred kilometers per hour during Sword Escape.


    Unfortunately, due to his Spiritual Power, he still couldn¡¯t use Sword Escape as a regular method of flight, so he had to continuously recover Spiritual Power and then use Sword Escape again.


    While recovering Spiritual Power, he could still travel using the paper crane, so there was no delay at all.


    Yin Shilan snapped out of her research, feeling somewhat fatigued as she shook her head, only to discover the message on her Identity Jade Disc.


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 Chapter 120: 106 Nanshan_2

    Chapter 120: Chapter 106 Nanshan_2


    As long as she was in the sect, no matter how busy she was, she would always free up time during the noon.


    It was now noon, finally allowing her some free time to prepare for a communication with Li Shiming via the Identity Jade Disc.


    Communicating with Li Shiming not only greatly benefited her formation skills, but also allowed her to feel an indescribable closeness.


    ¡°How could there be a mandatory task?¡± Yin Shilan murmured in disappointment.


    Given her identity, she naturally wouldn¡¯t have any connection with mandatory tasks, everything needed from the sect was always consulted with her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Li Shiming when he gets back!¡± she didn¡¯t think too much and decided immediately, immersing herself back into her research.


    Without such a spirit for research, how could she have become one of the few intermediate array masters in the sect, maintaining a unique advantage among them.


    She was not like Li Shiming, who had the assistance of an IBMz15, completely relying on her own relentless effort and passion to achieve such accomplishments at a young age.


    On the other hand, Han Tianlei, unable to wait, aggressively used the power of the Law Enforcement Hall to forcibly activate the defensive formation of Eagle Beak Island.


    In his eyes, Li Shiming was now a dead man, and all the high-level lower grade spirit fields and spirit bamboo here were his.


    As for the procedures, he used the authority given by the steward Xu Peiran of the Law Enforcement Hall to bypass the Transaction Hall and transferred the rights of Eagle Beak Island to his name; from then on, Eagle Beak Island was his, and he only needed to pay several hundred catties of Spirit Rice each year.


    The Han Family, relying on the independent practitioner families of Nanshan Country.


    Now, with Han Tianlei being a cultivator of the Law Enforcement Hall of the Sky Sea Sect, the Han Family had gained enormous benefits in Nanshan Country.


    If not for the emperor of Nanshan Country being protected by the sect, the Han Family might even have become the new emperor of Nanshan Country.


    Of course, if Han Tianlei became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it might indeed be possible.


    In the grand hall of the Han Family, ten Han Family cultivators gathered together, with Han Yu sitting at the head.


    Han Yu looked at the nine cultivators in the hall and felt a surge of pride within him.


    Han Tianlei was his younger brother, and although his spirit root seeds were poor, far inferior to Han Tianlei, with Han Tianlei¡¯s and the family¡¯s help, he had barely reached Qi Refining Sixth Level after nearly a hundred years.


    This was the peak of his cultivation; his aptitude set the limits for his growth.


    However, looking at the Han Family cultivators in the hall, all of them possessed mid-stage Qi Refinement strength.


    Under Han Yu¡¯s leadership over these years, the Han Family had developed extremely fast, thriving by constantly absorbing and expanding.


    Now far from the sect and even farther from the site of the incident, he couldn¡¯t believe that the Holy Ice Sect could trace him here, across such a vast distance.


    Besides, he had no plans to take the Spiritual Objects out of the storage bracelet into the outside world; at most, he would move them into the engine room space.


    After all, with a clone present in the engine room space, even if his consciousness couldn¡¯t completely check, he could still inspect through his clone.


    Thinking of the storage bracelet, he hesitated no more and entered the engine room space with his consciousness.


    The clone was sitting cross-legged on the ground of the engine room space. Even without cultivating, streams of Spiritual Power continuously entered the clone¡¯s body, strengthening it and enhancing the Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    However, with this rate of progress, the growth of the Spiritual Energy Vortex was extremely slow.


    If he hadn¡¯t discovered Baili Jin Yan¡¯s main Cultivation Technique within the storage bracelet, then Li Shiming might have to consider switching his clone¡¯s main Cultivation Technique.


    As for how to identify the main Cultivation Technique, it was simple; since Baili Jin Yan was a Metal Spirit Root, the main Cultivation Technique would certainly be a top-tier metal attribute technique.


    First, he set up a Formation, the Mysterious Shadow Formation he had previously obtained. In his eyes, this Formation was mediocre; however, without material for other formations, this was the best he could come up with.


    This area was rarely visited, and the Mysterious Shadow Formation also had a concealment effect.


    Unfortunately, the Five Elements Array Flag he had made was left in the underground space, nourished by the Low Grade Spirit Vein, because Han Tianlei had not allowed him to pack up his belongings.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t need to use the Xuanming Sect¡¯s formation; using the Mysterious Shadow Formation within the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s territory could lead to misidentification by other cultivators who recognized it.


    The Mysterious Shadow Formation was deployed, and his body was enveloped in black mist.


    With a shift of his mind, he switched to his clone¡¯s body.


    The clone stood up, walked over to the storage bracelet, and took it in hand.


    A stream of Spiritual Power was inputted, and the interior of the storage bracelet came into his perception.


    As when he first checked, the first thing that caught his eye was the Flying Boat.


    Ever since he saw Yin Shilan standing elegantly on the Flying Boat, he had developed a special fondness for it, ardently wishing he too had a Flying Boat that could soar through the sky with Yin Shilan.


    The Flying Boat before him appeared rather small, probably only about a foot long, seeming even smaller within the vast space of the storage bracelet.


    But Li Shiming knew well that this was only on the surface; once he claimed ownership of the Flying Boat, it could be controlled to revert to its original size.


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 Chapter 121: 107: Inventory Check

    Chapter 121: Chapter 107: Inventory Check


    In the vast space measuring 30 meters in length, width, and height, various items were arranged categorically.


    A golden Flying Boat was placed separately, next to which was a pile of Spirit Stones resembling a small mountain.


    Within the storage bracelet, no matter how numerous the items were, their exact count could easily be discerned, and Li Shiming sensed that there were precisely 51,200 Spirit Stones here.


    After counting the Spirit Stones, he couldn¡¯t help but inhale a breath of cold air.


    He thought Baili Jin Yan was wealthy enough, but he had never imagined riches to this extent.


    Other items were unusable, but the 51,200 Spirit Stones could be used discreetly without problems as long as it wasn¡¯t too obvious.


    Next to the Spirit Stones were two spirit stone bags, each containing a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones, making a total of two hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    Li Shiming could not assess the value of Mid-grade Spirit Stones, but they must not be cheap, crucially because Mid-grade Spirit Stones were rare and frequently used as the driving force for powerful Arrays.


    It seemed that Baili Jin Yan carried Mid-grade Spirit Stones likely for the purpose of powering Arrays.


    Beside that was a short sword magic artifact, which even without Spiritual Power driving it, faintly shimmered with a golden light.


    ¡°A golden top-grade magic tool, and among the top-grade magic tools, it is the pinnacle!¡± Li Shiming merely sensed briefly before he judged the quality and properties of the short sword magic artifact.


    This was exactly the kind of golden attribute sword-type magic tool he had wanted, capable of maximizing the use of his own golden Spiritual Power, and also maximizing the power of ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique.¡±


    The issue remained the same, however, if he wanted to bring colossal trouble upon himself, then he could take out this golden top-grade magic tool to use.


    The material that could endure patterns of the White Jade Cup must be exceptionally high-quality, beyond imagination.


    Li Shiming had never heard of talismans of this formidable nature; he was no amateur when it came to talismans, as he himself could draw Magic Talismans he had mastered.


    However, he was certain that the power of this talisman, once activated, would be unparalleled; he suspected it was connected to a Cultivator at the Elder-level.


    Once again, he felt fortunate that he hadn¡¯t given Baili Jin Yan any chance to counterattack, and Baili Jin Yan couldn¡¯t use any attack-category Spiritual Objects either; otherwise, before he could have killed Baili Jin Yan, any of these objects would have killed him countless times.


    He carefully stored the White Jade Cup talisman back into the jade box, which was resealed.


    Next to it were three purple Jade Scrolls, whose grade he wasn¡¯t sure of, but he recognized that purple Jade Scrolls were of very high quality.


    The Array heritage Yin Shilan gave him was carried on a purple Jade Scroll.


    Li Shiming had some interest in the three Jade Scrolls, but not much.


    Because as far as he knew, every Sect had strict controls over Cultivation Techniques.


    Take the ¡°Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter¡± he had acquired; although he obtained it, that was only after decoding it with an IBMz15.


    If a normal Cultivator acquired a Jade Scroll recorde


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 Chapter 122: 107: Inventory Check_2

    Chapter 122: Chapter 107: Inventory Check_2


    At the very least, Baili Jin Yan had never considered the possibility of being killed by a cultivator on this continent, confident in the treasures he possessed and the strength of his powerful father.


    It was with such a mindset that the Jade Scroll Baili Jin Yan brought with him was left unencrypted.


    Li Shiming read through the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique.¡± This was a cultivation technique for refining spiritual thought.


    Spiritual thought is not an ability that a Qi Refining cultivator should possess; typically, a cultivator would need to wait until after succeeding in Foundation Establishment, their soul being sublimated by the Foundation Establishment, to possess spiritual thought.@@@@


    The strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator lies in their possession of spiritual thought, which plays an extremely important role in detection, attack, and defense against spirit assaults.


    In the Qi Refinement Realm, the rudimentary form of spiritual thought manifests as the Object Driving Skill, and after refining this skill, a Qi Refining cultivator can create a hand made of spiritual power.


    This hand of spiritual power possesses part of a Qi Refining cultivator¡¯s perception abilities, and through it, one can feel heat, cold, the magnitude of force, and so forth.


    Spiritual thought, by contrast, is countless times more perceptive than the hand of spiritual power. Once one refines spiritual thought, within its coverage area, one can sense everything around, with no details missed.


    When needed to reach further, spiritual thought can be focused into a beam, exploring distances beyond its coverage area.


    The ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± is precisely such a cultivation technique that should not be possessed by a Qi Refining cultivator, yet it is specifically designed for genius cultivators with top-level talents.


    Cultivators with a Heavenly Spirit Root need only to continuously hone their spiritual power, compressing the spiritual power within their bodies to strive for a stronger foundation.


    The so-called Foundation Establishment is about constructing the basis for cultivation. The better the foundation, the longer one¡¯s potential for development in the future.


    Those with a Heavenly Spirit Root usually don¡¯t focus on the Foundation Establishment Stage but look towards a more distant direction.


    Their cultivation speed is too fast, too swift to satisfy their need to refine themselves.


    This necessitates that they practice Body Refining Techniques to strengthen their bodies and enhance their foundation to house more spiritual power.


    They also need to find various ways to pass time, hone their temperaments, and prepare for the future.


    Like Baili Jin Yan, his father knew about his son¡¯s character flaws, but it was just his nature, which also made him competitive, ambitious, and unwilling to lag behind others¡ªtraits that naturally come with advantages and disadvantages.


    To compensate for the temperament issues caused by his personality, his father had gone to great lengths to procure the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± a spiritual thought technique that could be cultivated during the Qi Refining phase.


    Having cultivated the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± and obtained spiritual thought, Baili Jin Yan would possess a stronger spiritual thought than other Foundation Establishment cultivators when he reached that stage, creating a gap that would lead to him being steps ahead.


    Li Shiming set down the purple Jade Scroll of ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± knowing he could learn this spiritual thought technique through the IBMz15 in the future.


    However, after repeatedly studying the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± via the IBMz15, he revealed a peculiar expression.


    He controlled his avatar to stretch out a hand as per the methods described in the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±.


    Minuscule particles from various parts within the avatar¡¯s body converged towards his palm, slowly forming a longsword¡ªa longsword emanating a strong aura of metal property.


    The quality of this longsword even surpassed that of a top-grade magic tool, and more importantly, when the avatar held the longsword, it felt as a seamless extension of the body.


    This was the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± practiced by Baili Jin Yan; because Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body had not completely perished, the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± was perfectly inherited.


    The longsword was the sword basis cultivated by Baili Jin Yan through the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±, made from third-grade materials.


    Third-grade materials are normally used by Golden Core Elders. Baili Jin Yan¡¯s father had specifically procured third-grade metal materials for him, aiming to lay a solid foundation.


    While cultivating the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±, the sword basis could become the strongest sword weapon in its realm at each stage, all the way to entering the Golden Core Stage and matching the realm of a Golden Core Elder¡¯s weapon.


    The sword basis of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± is a weapon that can grow alongside the cultivator, provided, of course, that the quality of the material for the sword basis is high enough.


    Otherwise, the quality of the sword basis material would become a constraint, hindering it from reaching the goal of cultivating a Golden Core stage sword weapon from the Qi Refinement Stage.


    One can imagine how terrifying the compatibility between the cultivator and a sword weapon that has been one with the body since the Qi Refinement Stage would be, nurtured through the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±.


    For a sword cultivator, a highly compatible sword weapon greatly strengthens combat abilities, far more so than for the average cultivator.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how the protagonist-like Baili Jin Yan was. Had it not been for his encounter with him, Baili Jin Yan would have certainly become an elder of a sect.


    ¡°What was I considering at the Qi Refining Fourth Level?¡± Li Shiming asked himself after some thought.


    He was currently only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, but previously he hadn¡¯t considered the future much, not even the Foundation Establishment, let alone the distant Golden Core Stage.


    What does it mean to lose at the starting line? He thought that only applied to his previous life, but now he saw it was the same in the Cultivation World.


    But now that the avatar was his, even though the sword weapon was excellent, it had already been fully refined and integrated by the avatar. This was also why, after the avatar withstood two bomb blasts at close range, multiple rebound shocks, and extreme heat, the body was still preserved intact.


    Who was stronger, the body refinement effect of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± or the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡±? Li Shiming did not feel qualified to judge, but he would be extremely satisfied if he could have a physique like Baili Jin Yan¡¯s at the same stage of cultivation.


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 Chapter 123: 108 Ambush

    Chapter 123: Chapter 108 Ambush


    ¡°`


    Li Shiming would need Third Grade Metal materials as a sword base to cultivate the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± himself.


    Unfortunately, let alone Third Grade Metal materials, even Second Grade materials had only been seen in Baili Jin Yan¡¯s storage bracelet and not encountered elsewhere.


    Fortunately, with the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± acquired by his clone, he could continue the Body Refinement cultivation.


    He turned his attention to the last purple Jade Scroll, eager to find out if it contained Baili Jin Yan¡¯s main cultivation method.


    If so, the clone wouldn¡¯t need to change the main cultivation method and could directly cultivate the original one, saving a lot of trouble.


    ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡±, that was the name of the cultivation method inside the last purple Jade Scroll.


    ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡± was not a cultivating method but a secret technique, an auxiliary tool.


    Using the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡±, one could control a soul and, by stimulating the soul¡¯s split-off part, send it out to act as one¡¯s own eyes or with a certain offensive ability to silently take down enemies.


    Of course, the primary condition for cultivating the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡± was the presence of Spiritual Thought.


    ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡± seemed somewhat similar to the Xuanming Sect¡¯s ¡°Five Ghosts Soul Refining Banner¡± but was in actuality much more advanced.


    The controlled soul would be strengthened by the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡±, and after each soul splitting, it could recover through the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡±.


    Moreover, the split soul could share vision with the cultivator, and the cultivator could even control the split soul¡¯s actions over a very long range.


    In short, this was a high-ranking method of soul manipulation.


    Li Shiming sighed in relief; he had truly seen the wonders of the Cultivation World, and such methods did exist.@@@@


    The reason why Baili Jin Yan had only prepared one ¡°Foundation Establishment Pill¡± for him was that he possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root. He had a certain probability of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage even without using the ¡°Foundation Establishment Pill¡±.


    It could be assumed that this ¡°Foundation Establishment Pill¡± served as a guarantee to make his breakthrough more certain.


    Li Shiming suppressed the joy in his heart; he was still a long way from the late-stage Qi Refining, and there was plenty of time ahead.


    He capped the ¡°Foundation Establishment Pill¡± bottle to prevent the leakage of its Spiritual Power. The bottle itself was a treasure that could preserve high-level elixirs like the ¡°Foundation Establishment Pill¡± for a long time.


    He also checked the other elixirs and found ¡°Spirit Revitalizing Pills¡± for restoring Spiritual Power, ¡°Strong Body Pills¡± to strengthen the body, and ¡°Detoxification Pills¡± among others.


    Beyond these items, the rest inside the storage bracelet were miscellaneous objects, which he had no plans to touch for now, deciding to keep them all, as he might find something unrecognized and valuable as his strength improved.


    Li Shiming brought his consciousness back to his main body, sitting in the middle of the Mysterious Shadow Formation, and practiced the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± with the Gathering Spirit Plate.


    Having been out at sea for so many days, riding atop a paper crane, he dared not cultivate his main technique.


    If an unexpected attack occurred at sea, he wouldn¡¯t even have time to react.


    After completing the cultivation of ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡±, he stored the Gathering Spirit Plate back in his dimensional space and turned to consider the matters concerning his clone.


    One thing was certain: he had to change the main cultivation method for his clone.


    He hadn¡¯t found Baili Jin Yan¡¯s original main cultivation method in the storage bracelet, nor did he know the name of it. Even if he did know the name, it wouldn¡¯t help without the method itself.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 124: 108 Ambush_2

    Chapter 124: Chapter 108 Ambush_2


    The Qi Refinement cultivation technique that Baili Jin Yan considered his main method must certainly be among the most top-tier techniques for the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Although Li Shiming¡¯s origins in the Cultivation World were not prestigious, he was still quite fortunate, as the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ he cultivated was evaluated by Junior Master Cui at the Foundation Establishment Stage as a top-tier Qi Refinement cultivation technique.


    The ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ was also the only cultivation technique he could practice, and he decided to have his avatar cultivate this ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯.


    He retrieved the Gathering Spirit Plate back into his mechanical room¡¯s space, and the Gathering Spirit Plate appeared beneath his avatar.


    The Gathering Spirit Plate gathered the Spiritual Energy from the void and enveloped his avatar within it.


    Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness shifted into his avatar¡¯s body, and although it was the first time his avatar cultivated the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯, the extreme proficiency of the original body in this technique ensured not a hint of confusion.


    The Spiritual Power Pattern within was drawn out into a Spiritual Energy Vortex, and after being transformed through the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ in the avatar¡¯s body, it flowed back into the Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    Throughout the entire process, the quality of the Spiritual Power Vortex didn¡¯t decline.


    However, the original Spiritual Power in the Spiritual Energy Vortex had a sharpness characteristic of metal, after transformation by the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯, the sharpness was diminished, replaced by a sense of solidity and inclusiveness.


    Of course, switching to a new cultivation technique wasn¡¯t something that could be completed in one or two days; it required prolonged, continuous practice.


    But he also encountered a troublesome matter: there wasn¡¯t enough Spiritual Energy available.


    Ever since Li Shiming acquired the Gathering Spirit Plate, he had never worried about the supply of Spiritual Energy.


    This was also the main reason why he dared to choose the small island outside of the nine peaks with relatively poor Spiritual Energy, to gain more personal time.


    Although the quality of Spiritual Energy on the island was lower, with the Gathering Spirit Plate¡¯s collection, it was completely sufficient for his cultivation needs.


    And those cultivators who remained in the nine peaks were not permitted to use the main spirit root seeds freely; apart from needing to spend most of their daily time completing designated tasks, the Spiritual Energy provided to their dwellings was also supplied according to a standard.


    But it was different for his avatar. His avatar was a cultivator at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, and even after switching cultivation techniques, it only fell from the peak of Qi Refining Ninth Level to the early or middle phases of the same level.


    The Gathering Spirit Plate indeed was a treasure for cultivation, but such a treasure was somewhat inadequate for a cultivator at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, especially one with a Heavenly Spirit Root.


    After the avatar completed one cycle of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯, not only was the Spiritual Energy collected by the Gathering Spirit Plate absorbed entirely, but even the Spiritual Energy that had been accumulating in the mechanical room¡¯s space over time was noticeably thinner.


    Through the consumption of Spiritual Energy, Li Shiming gauged that to ensure one cycle of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ for his avatar, the Gathering Spirit Plate needed to accumulate for two days in the mechanical room¡¯s space.


    Of course, with the Low Grade Spirit Vein in the underground space of his sect¡¯s Eagle Beak Island supplemented by the Gathering Spirit Plate, it was barely sufficient to support one extra day of cultivation within two days.


    But the problem was, he dared not summon his avatar out of the mechanical room¡¯s space.


    ¡°It seems converting to a new cultivation technique will have to be delayed for a while!¡±Since he couldn¡¯t practice his main cultivation technique every day, the estimated duration to convert is set to extend well beyond twice the original time.


    In the middle of the valley, they had set up a Formation, arranged via Array Plates, designed to trap any cultivator inside.


    Anyone passing through Changshi Valley would inevitably enter the Formation, becoming trapped upon entry.


    This Formation was also unique in that outside cultivators could freely attack the trapped one.


    Once a sect cultivator was trapped, they would face attacks from their ten cultivators¡¯ spells, and with the combined strength of ten cultivators, even a strong sect cultivator would not be able to withstand such an onslaught.


    Everything was planned out, and this strategy had allowed them to successfully kill previous cultivators on multiple occasions, but what was the deal with this time¡¯s sect cultivator?


    No cultivator answered Han Yu¡¯s question because they were also at a loss to understand what was happening before them.


    Li Shiming, using the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique¡± for his Sword Escape, sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations of the Formation in the valley, but he did not stop his advance.


    Wrapped in the light of his Sword Escape, he could see the Spiritual Power Patterns of the Formation up ahead.


    The Formations used by Loose Cultivators were nothing compared to even the simplest Five Elements Confusion Array and Small Nine Palace Illusion Array set up by Junior Master Zhuge in the sect; the gap between the heritage of the sect and that of Loose Cultivators was vast.


    Perhaps sect cultivators with no knowledge of Formations really would be affected, but this did not include Li Shiming.


    Even the Formation did not affect the speed of his Sword Escape, he passed through it easily.


    He passed through the Formation and stopped at the exit of the valley.


    Turning back to look in the direction of Changshi Valley, a sharp intent to kill flashed in his eyes.


    He finally understood what the Law Enforcement Monk named Han Tianlei intended to do; the mission map was provided by Han Tianlei, yet he encountered a Formation meant to trap people along this path.


    Was there anything more to be said about what Han Tianlei wanted to do?


    Li Shiming took out a drone and put on the goggles.


    The drone, imbued with the ¡°Invisibility Technique,¡± took to the sky and activated its infrared feature.


    Ten red figures appeared on the display of the goggles, informing him of the enemy¡¯s location.


    Now, he had the upper hand, whether to fight or to hide and launch a surprise attack was up to him.


    ¡°Fight!¡± Li Shiming muttered coldly to himself.


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 Chapter 125: 109: Buddhas Sound

    Chapter 125: Chapter 109: Buddha¡¯s Sound


    After reading ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± Li Shiming, although he hadn¡¯t learned Spiritual Thought, became aware of the importance of temperament for a cultivator, which was why it was essential to master Spiritual Thought during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    If there had been only one or two cultivators lying in ambush, he might not have thought about battle.


    Because if it were only one or two cultivators, there was a great chance that a sect cultivator would be among them; with his Qi Refining Fourth Level strength, the odds of winning a battle against two sect cultivators were not significant.


    But with the appearance of as many as ten cultivators, it indicated that the opponents¡¯ strength was limited, necessitating a number in order to bridge the gap in power between them.


    This meant that all ten cultivators were Loose Cultivators.


    Moreover, Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Escape technique was already refined, and he could use it to escape at any time. Why would he avoid a fight?


    Taking advantage of this occasion, he would, on the one hand, test his own combat strength and, on the other, undergo a rare tempering of his temperament.


    He took out two Spirit Stones and held them in his hand to restore his spiritual power while standing at the entrance of Changshi Valley, blocking the direction the ten cultivators could leave from.


    ¡°Why is it a Sword Cultivator?¡± Han Yu said in shock.


    Sword Cultivators had always been the best at fighting among cultivators, with those in the Qi Refinement Realm possessing the strongest attack power.


    He did not want to fight against a Sword Cultivator as it would lead to losses among his clansmen.


    But the sword light had passed through the Array and unexpectedly stopped at the mountain pass leading out of the valley; he certainly understood the other¡¯s intention¡ªit was waiting for them to come out and fight.


    ¡°Gather and form a battle Array!¡± Han Yu declared with a fierce look in his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t believe that ten cultivators gathering to kill one sect cultivator would be unable to achieve victory.


    Besides, Li Shiming was a Sword Cultivator who had cultivated for how long? He had been in the sect for less than a year; how much strength could he have?


    Their will to fight gradually waned, and their intent to kill continuously weakened.


    Those cultivators with weaker mentalities thought back on their past deeds and felt a sense of guilt in their hearts.


    ¡°Steady your minds... he is using sound to influence our minds!¡± As Han Yu was considerably stronger, being in the Qi Refining Sixth Level helped him to be the first to recover from the influence.


    He couldn¡¯t use the Sound Wave Technique, but he used the most simple and direct method by invoking his spiritual power to let out a loud shout.


    The rest of the cultivators were startled and quickly stabilized their minds, their eyes showing extreme terror.


    The battle hadn¡¯t even started, and they had almost fallen for the opponent¡¯s ploy.


    Moreover, under the influence of this music, their capacity to fight would be severely affected.


    They needed to constantly stabilize their minds, which would prevent them from fighting with their full strength.


    Luckily, they had numbers on their side, and by supporting each other, the fight was still manageable.


    As the distance between both parties narrowed, Li Shiming stood at the valley entrance, his face showing compassion.


    Li Shiming had long cultivated the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± listening daily to ¡°The Scripture of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses¡± for cultivation. When Li Shiming chanted ¡°Buddha¡¯s Light Appears¡± through IBMz15 using his mouth, he could coordinate with the power of Vajra.


    Vajra Power is the strength of Buddhist Body Refinement, and it enhanced ¡°Buddha¡¯s Light Appears¡± after endowment.


    He also did not intend to use ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound in the Ear (Fake)¡± to completely wipe out the other party, unless he had at that moment gotten the complete version of ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear¡± and reached at least the Qi Refining Sixth Level, matching strength with the strongest cultivator, which was a slight possibility.


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 Chapter 126: 109 Buddha Sound_2

    Chapter 126: Chapter 109 Buddha Sound_2


    This was still based on the assumption that the opponent was a Loose Cultivator, as sect cultivators possessed a certain level of defense against sound wave attacks.


    This was related to experience, for sect cultivators who needed to face Xuanming Sect cultivators had to learn how to cope with sound wave attacks.


    Under Han Yu¡¯s leadership, the cultivators drew increasingly closer to Li Shiming, and they were about to enter within a hundred meters.


    The chanting from Li Shiming¡¯s mouth suddenly changed in style, as the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯ emerged. This piece of music transformed Buddhist chants into music filled with evil energy, which, coupled with ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound in the Ear (Fake)¡¯, further affected the cultivators¡¯ spiritual minds.


    The sound was magnificent and righteous, and the words were booming Buddhist prayers. Amidst the sincere praise and prayer, an undeniable evil energy spilled out in abundance.


    The valley immediately gave off the sensation of being in Avici Hell, making even Han Yu¡¯s scalp tingle.


    At a position a hundred meters from the valley entrance, right at the central point where the sounds of Changshi Valley echoed, the place where Li Shiming chose to stand was deliberate.


    The ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯, after being echoed by the valley, had its power elevated once again. Even more terrifying was how it perfectly intertwined with the ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound in the Ear (Fake)¡¯.


    Even Li Shiming had not anticipated this. As the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯ reached its climax, it coincided with the moment the ten cultivators reached the hundred-meter mark.


    For a moment, good and evil, Buddha and demon, interlaced beside the ears of the ten cultivators, emitting a temptation to influence the mind, urging them to lay down their butcher knives and instantly become Buddhas.


    Li Shiming took out the Spirit Turtle Shield, and although his level of refinement with the Spirit Turtle Shield wasn¡¯t high, he was able to trigger the array on the Spirit Turtle Shield due to his familiarity with the array above.


    The hand of spiritual power placed three Spirit Stones behind the Spirit Turtle Shield, and as the array on the Spirit Turtle Shield was activated, a Magic Array Shield enveloped his body.


    This Magic Array Shield¡¯s defensive power was comparable to a High Grade Defense Magic Tool; at the very least, it was not something these Loose Cultivators could break through.


    The Spirit Turtle Shield was one of his sources of confidence. With this defense, he was almost in an invincible position.


    Of the ten cultivators, with the exception of Han Yu and two Qi Refining Fifth Level cultivators, the rest were already influenced by the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯, their spirits so bewildered they could no longer sustain their body-protecting spells.


    The two Qi Refining Fifth Level cultivators were only just managing to hold on.


    Han Yu really wanted to shout out a warning again, but he was only slightly higher in cultivation level, and his foundation was not much different from the other cultivators; at most, he could only protect himself.@@@@


    His expression changed for the first time; he felt the huge gap between himself and sect cultivators.


    The previous sect cultivators that he encountered might have just been weak within their own sects. But after facing a powerful sect cultivator, the real difference between Loose Cultivators and sect cultivators was clearly demonstrated.


    At the same time, Han Yu held resentment towards his own younger brother, Han Tianlei. Did Han Tianlei send them to attack such a sword cultivator, a terrifying sect cultivator, because he wanted to eradicate the Han Family?


    Li Shiming changed the chant from ¡°Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡± to ¡°Buddhist Light Appears¡±, and a grand aura pressed towards Han Yu, making his will to fight even more fragile.


    The corpses on the ground, the magnificent Buddhist chant, and even the Vajra power within Li Shiming all exuded a Buddhist majesty, like the first rising sun, shattering the last beliefs in Han Yu¡¯s heart.


    What made Han Yu lose the will to fight completely was still the Qingyuan Wood Sword, whose sword light emitted a harsh brilliance, flickering around him.


    Han Yu¡¯s body suddenly softened, and he, a formidable Qi Refining Sixth Level cultivator, just collapsed in front of Li Shiming, who was at the Qi Refining Fourth Level.


    The sword light danced, as Li Shiming used the ¡°Sword Control Technique¡± to seal off Han Yu¡¯s spiritual power.


    ¡°Amitabha!¡± Just as he restrained Han Yu and stopped chanting ¡°Buddhist Light Appears¡±, a Buddhist chant came from the sky above.


    Li Shiming¡¯s entire body jolted, and the sword light that had taken on a sword body reverted to its sword light state, this time larger and more intense than before.


    Whoever could arrive overhead unnoticed possessed strength far surpassing his; if they held hostile intent, then he would have to fight with all his might.


    The sword light aimed at the space above his head, where an old monk was sitting on a gourd, smiling down at Li Shiming.


    The old monk had no intention of intervening in the matter at hand; the fights between cultivators were complex, and it was hard to clearly define right and wrong.


    He was drawn by the Buddhist chant recited by Li Shiming, having arrived at the start of the battle.


    He even noticed the Vajra power within Li Shiming; Vajra power and Buddhist chants, if it weren¡¯t for the Sky Sea Sect robe on Li Shiming, he might have mistaken him for a Buddhist sect disciple.


    ¡°This poor monk Du Yuan greets the young benefactor!¡± Old Monk Du Yuan descended from the sky, put away his gourd, and gave a slight Buddhist bow.


    ¡°May I know what brings Master Du Yuan? If it¡¯s to save this man, I am willing to hand him over to you!¡± Li Shiming extinguished the sword light and spoke as he held Han Yu in his hands.


    He put away the sword light because there was no need for it anymore.


    When Old Monk Du Yuan touched down to the ground, the aura he exuded let Li Shiming know the other¡¯s realm; this person was at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    In front of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, regardless of how many methods Li Shiming had, they would appear childish and trivial.


    Even if he summoned his clone, there would be no chance of victory; the gap between them was simply too great.


    Most importantly, he did not feel any malice from Old Monk Du Yuan. It could be that Du Yuan was good at concealing his intentions, or perhaps he was just casually making conversation.


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 Chapter 127: 110 The Old Monk

    Chapter 127: Chapter 110 The Old Monk


    ¡°I do not recognize this place!¡± Old Monk Du Yuan said with a smile.


    As soon as he spoke, it confirmed to Han Yu and his group that this was indeed a targeted ambush, clearly visible from the scene.


    ¡°I see that the young benefactor is well-versed in the Buddhist teachings, would you be interested in joining our Buddhist order?¡± Old Monk Du Yuan continued.


    The ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ has spread far, but very few have truly mastered this Buddhist Body Refining Technique.


    Because it requires the blessing of the Buddhist teachings, otherwise, one cannot even begin.


    The Vajra power within Li Shiming¡¯s body demonstrated his deep study of the Buddhist teachings, providing him with the foundation to cultivate the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡¯


    Additionally, the magnificent Buddhist chants from earlier made Old Monk Du Yuan feel the profound spiritual connection Li Shiming had with Buddhism.


    ¡°Master, I am a disciple of the Sky Sea Sect and have no intention of converting to Buddhism!¡± Li Shiming quickly declined.


    ¡°I heard the young benefactor¡¯s two Buddhist sounds earlier, may I know who composed them?¡± Old Monk Du Yuan shifted the topic and asked with a smile.


    ¡°They are my scribblings!¡± Li Shiming recognized himself as the author.


    Although this was somewhat unfair to the original author from his previous life, in this world, he was the only one who knew these two songs.


    ¡°The young benefactor indeed has a connection with Buddhism!¡± Old Monk Du Yuan did not suspect anything. Although there were many Buddhist sounds in the world, there were not many he had never heard of. He then said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that such Buddhist sounds are matched with the devil¡¯s sound techniques, making their purpose harmful!¡±


    ¡°That devil¡¯s sound technique is not something learned from a sect, but rather, it is a result of my own research after being afflicted by the devil¡¯s sound,¡± Li Shiming quickly explained.


    He certainly did not want Old Monk Du Yuan to think of him as a devil to be exorcised.


    ¡°Of course, I can tell that your devil¡¯s sound just now surpasses the ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear¡¯ of the Xuanming Sect in technique, but you have not learned even the least bit of using spiritual power!¡± Old Monk Du Yuan looked earnestly at Li Shiming.


    These two Buddhist sounds were very different from the usual ones in the world; besides affecting the cultivator¡¯s spirit during battle, they could also be used to spread Buddhism, which was the greatest merit and what Old Monk Du Yuan valued most.


    ¡°Please, Master!¡± Li Shiming handed the well-written score to Old Monk Du Yuan.


    Old Monk Du Yuan received them with both hands, showing his seriousness.


    ¡°Two pieces of Buddhist sound for one ¡®Oral Lotus¡¯ technique seems unfair to the young benefactor. I have also studied the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ and here is a relic from a predecessor who practiced it. I shall give it to the young benefactor as well!¡± Old Monk Du Yuan put away the score, took out a jade scroll and a small box, and handed them to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was momentarily stunned. The relics of a Buddhist cultivator were not the same as those of ordinary monks.


    The relics of a deeply enlightened Buddhist cultivator, upon their death, would condense part of their spirit into the relic.


    The relic of a Buddhist cultivator who had practiced the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ surely contained the high monk¡¯s lifetime of insights into the Vajra power. Moreover, wearing the relic could enhance the cultivation of the Vajra power.


    Such a treasure being casually given by Old Monk Du Yuan naturally shocked Li Shiming, and he began to speculate about Old Monk Du Yuan¡¯s identity.


    He was unfamiliar with the Cultivation World and only knew some information about the Sky Sea Sect and Xuanming Sect; beyond that, he was clueless.


    However, with such benefits laid before him and coming from a senior whose strength far exceeded his own, he had no choice but to accept.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Li Shiming bowed deeply as he accepted the items.


    Old Monk Du Yuan smiled slightly, not saying anything more, and with his figure floating, a gourd appeared, carrying him off into the distance.


    Li Shiming, holding the jade scroll and the box containing the relic, felt as if he were in a dream.


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 Chapter 128: 110 Old Monk_2

    Chapter 128: Chapter 110 Old Monk_2


    With the Jade Scroll in hand, it was naturally safe and secure.


    He placed the Jade Scroll on his forehead, and a massive amount of information flowed into his brain, which was also recorded by IBMz15 as a document named ¡®Oral Lotus.¡¯


    ¡®Oral Lotus¡¯ is somewhat similar to ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear,¡¯ both being sonic wave-based cultivation techniques, but ¡®Oral Lotus¡¯ is a Buddhist cultivation technique, which requires the blessing of Buddhist intent during cultivation and application to unleash its full potential.


    ¡°Buddhist cultivation techniques are indeed domineering!¡± Li Shiming sighed in his heart after a cursory look.


    To cultivate Buddhist cultivation techniques, one must thoroughly study Buddhist teachings, using them to reinforce one¡¯s spirit, to cultivate without impediments.


    Ordinary cultivators who long contact Buddhist cultivation techniques either fall into devilry or are profoundly influenced by the Buddhist teachings, becoming completely integrated into the Buddhist fold.


    This type of domineering is an overt scheme, while ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear¡¯ is a covert plot, with long-term practice affecting one¡¯s mind with demon cultivation techniques.


    Li Shiming had experience in practicing the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ which afforded him his own way to handle Buddhist cultivation techniques.


    In another small box was a relic, which he did not take out. He decided to wait until returning to his sect to ask someone for more information about the relic.


    He did not believe that an old monk he had just met would have such good intentions as to give him a Buddhist relic, which was such a precious treasure.


    Li Shiming cleared the battlefield and left Changshi Valley with Han Yu to find a secluded spot to interrogate Han Yu.


    Three days after Li Shiming left, Yin Shilan arrived at a small island about five hundred miles from Jiufeng on a Flying Boat.


    ¡°Sister!¡± A petite figure in a peach-colored, floor-length, plum blossom-bordered water-patterned dress lunged toward Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, how did you come here!¡± Yin Shilan smiled and caught the flying figure.


    ¡°Someone wants to bully Sister; I came to help you!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er clenched her small fist and waved it energetically.


    ¡°With father here, who could bully me!¡± Yin Shilan gently patted her little face.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s somewhat aloof demeanor disappeared in front of Ren Fei¡¯er, perhaps only showing her real self in front of those close to her.


    ¡°Wait for your father to deal with it? By the time they come knocking on our door, he¡¯s still in seclusion!¡± At this moment, another voice came from the island, followed by a woman in a black dress appearing.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Yin Shilan stepped forward, bowing in greeting.


    ¡°The Baili brat is not worthy of my Lan¡¯er!¡± the woman in the black dress held Yin Shilan¡¯s hand, looked at her, and said.


    If Yin Shilan hadn¡¯t revealed the identity of the woman in black, given their appearance standing together, no one would think they were mother and daughter, but would take them for sisters.


    However, in the cultivation world, women often spend substantial resources on their maintenance, so they generally appear quite young.


    Looking at the dial divided into twelve parts and the arrangement of three hands, she immediately guessed the function of the pocket watch.


    ¡°Sister, can you give it to me, please?¡± Fei¡¯er blinked her large eyes at Shilan, pleading.


    From childhood, this trick had never failed her.


    Although she and Shilan lived in different places, the two sisters met often. Shilan was extremely protective of her younger sister, always giving her any good things she had.


    ¡°This one, I cannot,¡± Shilan unusually refused this time and quickly took back the pocket watch.


    Fei¡¯er looked incredulously at her now empty hand, for the first time in her life she had asked her sister for something and hadn¡¯t succeeded.


    ¡°Mother, sister has someone she loves!¡± Fei¡¯er suddenly reported to the woman in black.


    The woman in black had been watching the interaction between the two sisters. It was not easy for a cultivator to have two children; if it hadn¡¯t been for a stroke of luck during an adventure, even having one child at the Golden Core Stage could greatly damage their vitality.


    Due to the special status between her and Elder Yin, each parent had taken one child, even their surnames were split between them.


    Although Shilan did not take her surname, her love for Shilan was not reduced in any way.


    Upon hearing Fei¡¯er¡¯s report, the woman in black was prepared to laugh it off, knowing Shilan¡¯s character. Given Shilan¡¯s aloof nature, she was worried that Shilan would end up alone for life.


    Of course, cultivators did not necessarily have to marry; many cultivators chose celibacy to pursue the path of immortality.


    But the woman in black did not wish this for Shilan; even at the Golden Core Stage, she still believed it was best for her daughter to find someone she could entrust with her life.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, don¡¯t...¡± As the woman in black was about to stop Fei¡¯er from speaking nonsense, she suddenly noticed the blush on Shilan¡¯s face and held her words.


    At that moment, Fei¡¯er also sensed something amiss. She had been speaking carelessly, only joking due to her frustration at not receiving what she wanted.


    But Shilan¡¯s reaction was not at all joking, and Shilan was not one to joke.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, who is that young man?¡± the woman in black asked, her voice carrying a strange note mixed with Spiritual Power.


    ¡°It¡¯s...¡± As Shilan was about to reply, she suddenly clenched her voice and her gaze towards the woman in black filled with reproach.


    ¡°Mother, how could you use ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear¡¯!¡± she complained with a delicate shout, nearly caught by the technique.


    The woman in black chuckled smugly; although she hadn¡¯t heard the name, she could be sure that her daughter indeed had someone she cherished.


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 Chapter 129: 111 Negotiation

    Chapter 129: Chapter 111 Negotiation


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, Mother would never hurt you. Let me see him just once, my instincts can help protect you from deceit!¡± The woman in the black dress was pulling on Yin Shilan¡¯s hand, persuading her gently.


    ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s just one meeting, we won¡¯t do anything to him!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er chimed in with shining eyes.


    In an instant, the mother and daughter had synchronized, both of their eyes brimming with anticipation.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Yin Shilan said with a hint of helplessness, well aware of her mother¡¯s personality. She knew that if she didn¡¯t say something, her mother might pester her incessantly.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a friend I enjoy talking to. Even if you wanted to meet him, you couldn¡¯t, he¡¯s been assigned a compulsory mission!¡± She tried to explain.


    The explanation only served to convince the woman in the black dress that her daughter indeed had a special someone in her heart.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name? How old is he? What is his cultivation level? What does he excel in?¡± The woman in the black dress pressed on with question after question.


    Yin Shilan was flustered by her mother¡¯s relentless questioning and even more so by Ren Fei¡¯er tugging at her arm and pleading with those beseeching eyes.


    She might be able to refuse others, but when it came to her own family, she couldn¡¯t say no.


    Of course, the main reason was that, in her opinion, her relationship with Li Shiming was still at the stage of being good friends.@@@@


    ¡°His name is Li Shiming, he¡¯s a new disciple this year, and he has an extraordinary talent in Formation!¡± After hesitating for a moment, Yin Shilan still gave an answer.


    ¡°No wonder you can talk to him so well!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er said, pretending to understand, though her youthful demeanor made it somewhat comical, prompting Yin Shilan to rub her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, why would a new disciple have a compulsory mission?¡± The woman in the black dress caught something amiss in her daughter¡¯s words and shook her head in disbelief.


    Although she was not an Elder of the Sky Sea Sect, her knowledge of sect affairs was no less than that of the sect Elders.


    Both Yin Shilan and Ren Fei¡¯er had life-saving treasures given by her and Elder Yin, each incredibly precious and acquired only through great effort by the couple.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need it; he has his own Spirit Turtle Shield, a handheld defensive Formation that not even late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators can break through!¡± Yin Shilan declared with undeniable pride.


    She seemed to forget that she too had a role in the design of the Spirit Turtle Shield, and it was she who had provided the materials for its creation.


    ¡°Even so, I¡¯ll send someone to check on him!¡± The woman in the black dress shook her head after seeing her daughter¡¯s reaction.


    Even though Yin Shilan had not given her life-saving item to Li Shiming, her manner suggested that she had already entrusted him with something even more valuable.


    As a mother, the woman in the black dress felt both happy and reluctant yet had a faint sense of concern.


    ¡°Mother, let me go protect Li Shiming!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er exclaimed excitedly, jumping at the chance.


    ¡°Stay put and don¡¯t cause any trouble!¡± The woman in the black dress pressed down on Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s hand and gave her a stern look.


    ¡°Always looking down on me, I¡¯m also in the late-stage Qi Refinement!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er mumbled under her breath, eyes darting about, clearly up to something.


    ¡°Old Monster Baili is coming, stay here!¡± The woman in the black dress looked up at the distant sky and gestured for the sisters to stay put.


    There was a Third Grade Array in place that could protect the sisters from the influence of Golden Core Stage cultivators, which was why she dared to bring them along.


    Furthermore, this was near the Sky Sea Sect, and a fight here could not be ignored by the sect.


    The woman in the black dress soared into the sky, her black dress billowing as chilling gusts suddenly sprang up around her.


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 Chapter 130: 111 Negotiation_2

    Chapter 130: Chapter 111 Negotiation_2


    For a moment, she transformed from a graceful mother into a fearsome Golden Core Demon Cultivator.


    ¡°Mr. Ren, how come it¡¯s you who has arrived?¡± Elder Baili flew closer and his head ached when he saw the woman in the black dress.


    ¡°Old Monster Baili, you¡¯ve pushed me too far. If I hadn¡¯t come, would you have kidnapped Lan¡¯er?¡± the woman in the black dress sneered coldly.


    She spoke with no politeness, seemingly not taking the Golden Core Stage Elder Baili seriously.


    ¡°Mr. Ren, my son has gone missing and it has something to do with your daughter. I just came to ask what happened,¡± Elder Baili replied, his voice heavy with annoyance.


    He was aware of Yin Shilan¡¯s background and merely wanted a straightforward inquiry with no other motives.


    ¡°My daughter said she did not know the Baili boy was coming, and she has never met him!¡± the woman in the black dress replied indifferently, unfazed by Elder Baili¡¯s irritation.


    ¡°Could I meet her to ask her in person?¡± Elder Baili was out of options. The longer the delay, the lesser the chances of Baili Jin Yan¡¯s survival seemed, and even in his imposing tone, there seemed to carry a hint of pleading.


    Meeting Yin Shilan would allow him to immediately discern whether she was lying.


    But how could the woman in the black dress let her daughter face Elder Baili directly? If Elder Baili were to implant some malicious Divine Thought, it could affect Yin Shilan¡¯s future cultivation.


    A Golden Core cultivator¡¯s methods were extremely numerous, and even another Golden Core cultivator couldn¡¯t guarantee complete prevention.


    ¡°Old Monster Baili, it seems you think I¡¯m easy to talk to. If Holy Ice Sect really wants a battle, the Heavenly Sea Sect and Xuanming Sect have accepted the challenge. Go back and prepare, and see if I have the ability to poison all of Holy Ice Sect to death!¡± The woman in the black dress sneered and turned to leave.


    Her temperament was so fierce it turned Elder Baili¡¯s face dark.


    Was this a way to negotiate?


    Moreover, it was just a meeting, a question; did it have to escalate to this extent?


    Of course, if there had been any cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Stage there, they would be astonished at the implications in the woman¡¯s words.


    Given Yin Shilan¡¯s identity, it was natural for Heavenly Sea Sect to intervene, but why would Xuanming Sect be involved, and even considering joining forces with Heavenly Sea Sect.


    The woman in the black dress exuded a towering demonic aura, her other identity being a Golden Core Elder of Xuanming Sect.


    ¡°Evil Elder Ren, I¡¯m also worried about Jin Yan. Since you said your daughter hasn¡¯t seen Jin Yan, I believe you!¡± Elder Baili gritted his teeth and admitted softer words.


    The power of Holy Ice Sect was likely comparable to either Heavenly Sea Sect or Xuanming Sect.


    The possibility of all three parties erupting in a large-scale battle was very low. Nobody wanted to initiate a Golden Core Level conflict.


    But this did not include the woman he called Evil Elder Ren. The deeds she had done in the past were well known in the Cultivation World.


    There were no cultivators there who could pose a threat to Ren Fei¡¯er; Ren Fei¡¯er was just too restless by nature, so she let her go.


    Moreover, the sect had sent a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to Nanshan Country. The woman in the black dress sent a message to this cultivator to keep an eye on Ren Fei¡¯er.


    In a cave within the territory of Nanshan Country, Li Shiming faced Han Yu, who was still relatively intact, his eyes shimmering with murderous intent.


    He never imagined that Han Tianlei would genuinely want to kill him over a cave dwelling.


    And it was Han Tianlei¡¯s family who made the move, no wonder the compulsory mission had sent him to Nanshan Country¡ªit was a mission designed to send him to his death.


    If it weren¡¯t for his strength being slightly above that of a typical Qi Refining Fourth Level Cultivator, any ordinary one would have nearly been doomed.


    From Han Yu¡¯s mouth, he learned about the situation in Nanshan Country, and he began to have some ideas about his trip there.


    The compulsory mission had to be completed, even if it was a trap, but that would be for after the mission was done.


    Han Yu, the head of the Han Family, wasn¡¯t as tough to deal with as imagined, and he confessed everything not long after being tortured.


    Whether relevant or not, in order to avoid further inhumane torture, Han Yu spilled everything at once.


    When it came to torture, Li Shiming could be said to be absolutely ahead of his time.


    Data in the IBMz15 about medicine informed him of the most painful parts of the human body, psychological data allowed him to manipulate minds, and information on interrogation diversified his methods of inflicting pain.


    Being a Loose Cultivator like Han Yu, with Han Tianlei as his support, actually spared him many hardships that common Loose Cultivators faced.


    Thus, his endurance to torture was significantly weaker.


    Li Shiming¡¯s hand of spiritual power twisted Han Yu¡¯s neck, and a look of relief appeared on Han Yu¡¯s face.


    He placed Han Yu¡¯s body together with the bodies of nine other Han Family cultivators, and checked their storage bags.


    Unsurprisingly, the storage bags contained no particularly valuable treasures.


    Only some spirit stones were useful; even the magical artifact used by Han Yu himself was only intermediate, something Li Shiming no longer valued.


    However, the ten storage bags provided more warehouse space in his spatial device, allowing him to store more items.


    He released a paper crane, holding a spirit stone in each hand to replenish his energy from the fight while he flew toward the capital of Nanshan Country.


    ¡°Eh!¡± He hadn¡¯t gone far when he sensed a surge of spiritual power nearby.


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 Chapter 131: 112 Witch

    Chapter 131: Chapter 112 Witch


    Li Shiming had sensed the fluctuation of Spiritual Power Pattern in less than a breath¡¯s time when a streak of light arrived beside him.


    The light enveloped a girl around fifteen or sixteen years of age, wearing a peach-colored floral dress. The girl¡¯s face was pale as gold leaf, an indication of severe injuries.


    Upon seeing him, a relaxed expression appeared on the girl¡¯s face. Then the light descended toward him, and at that moment, the girl gloriously fainted.


    Li Shiming effortlessly transformed into a hand of Spiritual Energy, catching the girl.


    He dared not allow the unfamiliar Cultivator to come too close to him, as he had seen plenty of dangers in the Cultivation World.


    After catching the girl, he found that she had already passed out.


    It seemed that after being severely injured, she had persisted in escaping and had fainted upon seeing him and relaxing her mind, probably believing the danger was no longer present.


    Li Shiming did not underestimate this girl; though young in appearance, the fluctuations of her Spiritual Energy were that of the late-stage Qi Refinement.


    After analyzing the girl¡¯s condition through the IBM z15, the conclusion was that the girl had indeed fainted.


    ¡°Do I seem that trustworthy to her?¡± Li Shiming touched his face, thinking he must look quite exceptional in this world, otherwise why would the girl feel safe with him?


    He looked at the girl¡¯s face, feeling a sense of familiarity, yet he couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen her before.


    After cross-referencing with IBM z15, he was one hundred percent certain that he had never met this girl.


    If the girl was fleeing, then surely some Cultivator must be pursuing her.


    He thought for a moment, covered the girl¡¯s eyes with cloth, and then placed her into the machine room space.


    After a moment, Old Monk Du Yuan picked a direction and flew away on his gourd.


    Li Shiming watched Old Monk Du Yuan¡¯s retreating figure without any movement, still maintaining the paper crane¡¯s flight.


    He dared not underestimate these sly old fellows.


    After all, the girl was in the machine room space, in an environment rich in Spiritual Energy, which was beneficial for her recovery.


    Furthermore, his consciousness in the machine room space could detect that the girl¡¯s aura was stabilizing. She must have taken some healing Elixir Pills earlier.


    He merely needed to ensure that the girl did not awaken, the rest he could handle as usual.


    Old Monk Du Yuan halted at a distance where Li Shiming could not observe him, following Li Shiming for a while.


    Partly, he did this to protect Li Shiming, and also to see if Li Shiming really had not encountered the Little Witch.


    Only after two hours did he deem Li Shiming relatively safe and truly left.


    Li Shiming did not realize this, and in the absence of employing the Sword Escape, he continued to fly on the paper crane until it was dark.


    He found a mountaintop and released the copper corpse to dig out a temporary cave dwelling.


    With prior experience, the copper corpse dug rapidly, and as the temporary cave dwelling only needed one room, it was ready in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.


    Entering the temporary cave dwelling, he immediately took the girl out of the machine room space.


    After thinking it over, he took out the Gathering Spirit Plate and placed it at the center of the room.


    This would create an environment that could still be acceptable for Spiritual Energy, even in the spiritually sparse mundane world.


    The girl slept on a bed made of large stones, and Li Shiming sat cross-legged at the entrance of the cave.

 Chapter 132: 112 Witch_2

    Chapter 132: Chapter 112 Witch_2


    If it weren¡¯t for the girl, Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t have needed a temporary cave dwelling.


    When Ren Fei¡¯er regained consciousness, she felt pain throughout her body and thought about the previous pursuit by the old monk.


    The warm flow inside her body was slowly recovering the pain, it seemed she had escaped the old monk¡¯s pursuit.


    ¡°Right, I seem to have seen my brother-in-law!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s mind conjured up the appearance of Li Shiming, giving rise to an intense sense of grievance.


    She was injured protecting her brother-in-law, when had she ever suffered such indignity?


    Ren Fei¡¯er completely forgot that she seemed to have sneaked out, her playful nature far stronger than her desire to save others.@@@@


    Opening her eyes, her injuries, although treated with elixir pills and healing rapidly, was troublesome because the Buddhist Spiritual Power within her body had a severe suppressing effect on the spiritual power in her body.


    The casual blow from Old Monk Du Yuan, although most of its force was blocked by Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s life-saving spiritual object, the remaining Buddhist Spiritual Power still suppressed her abilities due to mismatched attributes and realm, leaving her with barely a tenth of her strength.


    ¡°Damn old bald donkey, when I get back I¡¯ll tell mom to take revenge for me!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er thought bitterly.


    What she saw was a room, where a strange lantern was placed on the stone wall, lighting up the entire room.


    Ren Fei¡¯er saw the figure sitting at the entrance of the room, back facing her.


    Perhaps because she was in a very weak state, or perhaps because she knew Li Shiming had saved her, she felt an intense sense of safety looking at his silhouette.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, eat something first!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s senses were extremely sharp, and when Ren Fei¡¯er opened her eyes, he sensed it and turned around to say.


    Ren Fei¡¯er had seen portraits of Li Shiming, which were preserved within the Heavenly Sea Sect, and were part of the disciple¡¯s records.


    Before she fainted from her injuries, she had also seen Li Shiming, and it was the sight of him that made her feel as if she had seen a family member, allowing her to entrust her safety to him without worry.


    Looking at Li Shiming now, behind him was darkness, while the light illuminated his face; under the stark contrast of light and shadow, Li Shiming¡¯s already handsome features took on an especially charming aura.


    Li Shiming was able to achieve third place in the Great Xia examination, not merely because of manipulations with the papers or Gu Jia¡¯s actions, but primarily because the Emperor considered Li Shiming¡¯s appearance befitting of the title ¡°third place.¡±


    For some reason, Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s heartbeat sped up while looking at Li Shiming turning his head, like a lost little deer crashing around in her heart.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to me, did that old bald donkey¡¯s cultivation technique contain poison?¡± she quickly checked her internal condition.


    It seemed to her that Li Shiming¡¯s rescuing her was nothing compared to his ability to fool Old Monk Du Yuan.


    Li Shiming was somewhat displeased with Ren Fei¡¯er referring to Old Monk Du Yuan as a bald donkey; after all, Old Monk Du Yuan had treated him well. But when he thought about Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s injuries, as well as the relentless pursuit by Old Monk Du Yuan, he came to understand.


    Still, it was a strange feeling to hear what seemed like a well-behaved young girl continuously calling someone ¡°bald donkey.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, and why is Master Du Yuan trying to kill you?¡± Li Shiming asked.


    ¡°My name is Ren Fei¡¯er. You can call me Fei¡¯er. That¡¯s what my mother calls me. That bald donkey has a grudge against my mother. He saw me and struck me with a palm. Thankfully, I¡¯m fast on my feet...¡± Ren Fei¡¯er began angrily recounting the event, but then she changed her tone and added, ¡°Fortunately, I met you!¡±


    ¡°You rest up. I¡¯ll be staying until tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll part ways in the morning, as I need to head to the capital of Nanshan Country!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile after understanding the situation.


    He raised his hand and used his Spiritual Power to dim the LED light on the rock wall, making it easier for Ren Fei¡¯er to rest.


    He then returned to the entrance of the cave and sat down, contemplating the content of the ¡®Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique.¡¯ Through his connection with the IBM z15, he was thoroughly analyzing the technique.


    Ren Fei¡¯er, who had just woken up, was far from sleepy. Her eyes roamed curiously, fixing on the light installed on the rock wall.


    The light showed no indication of spiritual power fluctuations, which meant it was not a Spiritual Object. Yet, there was no sign of fire, unlike any mundane light she had seen before.


    She glanced at Li Shiming, who had his back to her, and quietly extended her small hand. Although it was still somewhat painful, casting the Object Driving Skill wasn¡¯t a problem.


    The Spiritual Power reached out to the LED light. Li Shiming sensed Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s actions but did not stop her.


    He was already capable of manufacturing LED beads by himself; such small-scale technological products could be made in the server room space with its micrometer-level control, provided he had the raw materials.


    However, learning the skills to manufacture each type of technological product would take up a lot of his time.


    Therefore, he would only study the necessary materials for essential technological products, with the majority of his time still being dedicated to cultivation.


    For the people of this world, the LED light was an inexplicable marvel, powered by four batteries that allowed it to shine for over two hundred hours continuously.


    On the other side of the LED light, there was also a solar charging panel that could recharge the four batteries when placed under the sun.


    This was something Li Shiming had prepared for travel, ensuring that he could minimize taking items from the server room space and maintain his daily routines with the LED light.


    The LED light flew to Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s side. She pressed the tactile switch with her Spiritual Power, and the brightness instantly disappeared.


    In a hurry, she continued to press with her Spiritual Power; the LED light turned on, but the brightness was the same as when she first woke up, illuminating the entire room.

 Chapter 133: 113 Soul Device

    Chapter 133: Chapter 113 Soul Device


    In the morning, Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s injuries had greatly improved, yet she was still unable to mobilize her spiritual power. The daunting Buddhist spiritual power suppressed her spiritual energy vortex tightly.


    From this, it was evident that Old Monk Du Yuan did not intend to kill her on the spot but rather sought to capture her alive.


    Otherwise, the Buddhist spiritual power would not have been so mild, and instead, it would have turned into a furious demon-destroying force, destroying everything inside her body.


    ¡°Big brother, can you take me with you?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er pleaded to Li Shiming, who had come with breakfast.


    Li Shiming was so startled by her form of address that he almost didn¡¯t hold onto the spirit food he held; he really wanted to respond, ¡®How about I reward you with a rocket?¡¯ This standard internet celebrity term being heard in this world was indeed surprising.


    He looked at himself then at Ren Fei¡¯er, realizing he was indeed not much older than her, so being called ¡®big brother¡¯ wasn¡¯t really an issue. It was his own overreaction that was somewhat excessive.


    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ve mostly recovered, our paths crossed by chance, so let¡¯s part ways!¡±


    Li Shiming had saved Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s life but did not intend to keep accompanying her, considering her likely to be a great trouble his frail body could hardly withstand.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use my spiritual power, it¡¯s very dangerous to go out like this!¡± her eyes twinkling, Ren Fei¡¯er said in a deliberately weak and helpless manner.


    Li Shiming could sense the Buddhist spiritual power emanating from her body, which definitely was not her own spiritual power but rather something Old Monk Du Yuan had left inside her body.


    ¡°How long until your spiritual power is restored? I won¡¯t be staying in Nanshan Country for long,¡± Li Shiming nodded and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back with you to Heavenly Sea, once there I can contact my family!¡± Hearing his agreement, Ren Fei¡¯er could not hide her smile.


    Li Shiming shook his head and took out a paper crane. The crane enlarged before them and floated in the air.


    Of course, as his strength and cultivation level improved, especially after practicing the ¡®Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡¯ the number of artifacts he could control simultaneously would quickly increase.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, this is a high-grade flying magical artifact, and that lamp is just a mundane object!¡± Still, Li Shiming was somewhat tempted by the black wings, but he reminded her nonetheless.


    The black wings, paired with ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique,¡¯ would enhance the sharpness of a sword cultivator¡¯s attacks with its autonomous and agile flying.


    ¡°I just like that lamp, don¡¯t worry, the Black Sparrow Wing was a birthday gift when I was fourteen; I¡¯ve long since tired of it!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er tossed the Black Sparrow Wing to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming sighed helplessly, seemingly always stumbling upon cultivators with significant backgrounds.


    Just look at Ren Fei¡¯er, receiving a high-grade flying magical artifact as a birthday gift at just fourteen years old, then look at himself.


    ¡°This LED lamp can be used for a hundred two-hour periods; if it doesn¡¯t light up, just place it under the sun, and it will recharge itself!¡± Li Shiming handed the LED lamp to Ren Fei¡¯er and explained.


    ¡°LED, what empire is that? That name is so strange!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er took the LED lamp, muttering as she fiddled with the lamp.


    Li Shiming did not explain the origin of the name or delve into details.


    He activated the ¡®Dragon Drawing Technique,¡¯ preparing to refine it.


    ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s not refined like that; just drop a drop of blood here!¡± Seeing Li Shiming¡¯s actions, Ren Fei¡¯er quickly directed.


    Following her instruction, Li Shiming dropped a drop of blood on the base of the Black Sparrow Wing. A flash of spiritual light swept across the wing.


    He sensed that a spirit within the Black Sparrow Wing seemed to have connected with his spirit. The spirit perfectly integrated with the wing, allowing him to freely control the Black Sparrow Wing.


    ¡°This is a Soul Device; my mother sealed a spiritual sparrow¡¯s spirit inside it to allow me, who was only at the Qi Refining Middle Stage then, to use it easily. Under normal flying conditions, the spiritual sparrow soul provides the spiritual power, but for high-speed travel, input of spiritual power is needed!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er continued to explain.

 Chapter 134: 113 Soul Device_2

    Chapter 134: Chapter 113 Soul Device_2


    Soul Devices, even those purchased from the market by Qi Refining cultivators, were unheard of in their knowledge base.


    It seemed that Soul Devices were not commonly circulated among Qi Refining cultivators, perhaps they were secret techniques from a particular sect.


    At that moment, Li Shiming felt the Black Sparrow Wing getting somewhat hot to the touch, wondering if putting it away would make the people behind Ren Fei¡¯er think he was deceiving the little girl.


    However, Ren Fei¡¯er did not feel at a loss; she had seen her sister¡¯s pocket watch and was keen to own one due to its intricate mechanical techniques.


    But getting one from her sister was now impossible. She had fallen for the LED light last night, which seemed just as magical as the pocket watch.


    She had it all planned out. This time she would bring the LED light back to show her sister that not only pocket watches could be of such extreme mortal refinement.


    Indeed, by the metric of rarity, a single LED light, lost to the world, was more valuable than a Soul Device.


    Soul Devices could be bought or manufactured by powerful cultivators and were not unique, but if Li Shiming chose not to give another LED light away, then it would remain singularly unique.


    Moreover, this world lacked the fundamental knowledge to replicate an LED light.


    Li Shiming experienced his first true sensation of flight after his cultivation, distinct from paper cranes and Sword Escape, as a pair of black wings on his back allowed him to soar freely like a bird.


    The speed of the Black Sparrow Wings was not as slow as Ren Fei¡¯er had mentioned when not using his own Spiritual Energy.


    In the trial flight, just the Black Sparrow Wings¡¯ own flying speed far exceeded that of the paper cranes by more than four times, only a little slower than Sword Escape.


    It was notable that the flight of the Black Sparrow Wings could be sustained. The Spiritual Sparrow Soul inside controlling the flight did not consume much Spiritual Energy, primarily because the material of the Black Sparrow Wings inherently possessed a power of flight.


    The Black Sparrow Wings could unfurl at will when needed or fold discreetly when not, blending unobtrusively into his back like a mere ornament.


    With the Black Sparrow Wings, their speed increased to the maximum flying speed of the paper cranes.


    On the road, due to it being daytime, the brightness of the LED light was not as apparent as at night, prompting Ren Fei¡¯er to shift her attention to Li Shiming, eagerly talking with him.


    Li Shiming, feeling obligated since he had accepted her gift, indulged her whim and joined in the casual conversation.


    Finally, with no other choice, he began telling stories to Ren Fei¡¯er while they flew.


    This indeed aligned with Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s wishes, and she finally settled down to listen to the stories.


    In the afternoon, they finally reached the capital city of Nanshan Country, where Li Shiming applied the ¡°Invisibility Technique¡± to both of them; though this minor technique had little effect on cultivators, it was extremely practical for navigating the secular world.


    ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t talk!¡± Li Shiming instructed uneasily.


    ¡°Li Shiming of the Sky Sea Sect pays respect to Your Majesty!¡± Li Shiming materialized and slightly bowed as he spoke.


    His voice did not travel beyond the hall, as he utilized the Formation here, manipulating several Spiritual Power Pattern lines to isolate the great hall from the outside world.


    The middle-aged emperor was startled, his imperial brush leaving a blot of excess ink on the paper.


    Nevertheless, the middle-aged emperor remained very composed, he looked towards Li Shiming who had just appeared.


    ¡°So it is a Sage from the sect who has arrived, may I know what brings the Sage to me?¡± The middle-aged emperor stood up with a smile, walked from behind the desk to Li Shiming, and respectfully performed a salutation.


    ¡°Wait a moment, I will call our fellow stationed elder brother over!¡± Li Shiming waved his hand and said.


    His words made the middle-aged emperor feel relieved, understanding that Li Shiming had no malicious intent, else he could have easily dealt with him by now instead of calling for another stationed cultivator.


    Li Shiming¡¯s method of calling the stationed cultivator was simple, he lightly tapped on a line of Spiritual Power in the Formation.


    The stationed cultivator, who was in the courtyard, sensed a message coming from the direction of the palace¡ªan exceedingly strange message, transmitted through the Formation.


    ¡°Li Shiming awaits the elder brother in the great hall!¡± The stationed cultivator grasped the content of the message, his eyes revealing a sign of shock.


    He was well aware of what this ability signified, it was at least that of an Array Master.


    The status of an Array Master in the sect was far from simple, he did not hesitate for even a moment, his figure flickered as he rushed out of the yard.


    ¡°Greetings, junior brother!¡± The stationed cultivator was an old cultivator with white hair, clearly in the later stages of life, but he showed no condescension towards Li Shiming, he bowed deeply in the traditional cultivator¡¯s greeting.


    The stationed cultivator¡¯s gaze swept over Ren Fei¡¯er, who remained invisible, and since she did not reveal herself, he did not expose her either.


    ¡°Elder brother, I have called you here to discuss a matter concerning the Han Family of Nanshan Country!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said in a serious tone.


    The stationed cultivator and the middle-aged emperor did not follow his meaning, not knowing what he intended to do.


    However, Li Shiming¡¯s next action took them completely by surprise.


    Suddenly, Li Shiming took out one corpse after another, laying out ten bodies side by side in the hall.


    Both the stationed cultivator and the middle-aged emperor were no strangers to corpses, having seen many more than present here.


    But upon discovering the identities of these bodies, both were utterly shocked.


    ¡°I undertook a mission to cure Spirit Plants in Changshi Valley and encountered their ambush, here they all are!¡± Li Shiming explained indifferently.


    The stationed cultivator took another look at Li Shiming¡¯s realm, indeed, it was the Qi Refining Fourth Level.

 Chapter 135: 114: Accident

    Chapter 135: Chapter 114: Accident


    Li Shiming had no choice but to make public the matter of killing the Han Family cultivator.


    This event was witnessed by Old Monk Du Yuan personally, and if he hid this, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that Old Monk Du Yuan wouldn¡¯t speak out.


    He didn¡¯t know who Old Monk Du Yuan was, but he had to assume the worst.


    Although Old Monk Du Yuan had no intention of harming him, he did express a desire for him to convert to Buddhism.


    Therefore, it was better for him to come out with it himself, report it to his sect, and besides, the matter of Han Tianlei setting a trap for him needed to be resolved upon his return.


    ¡°Junior brother, what do you mean?¡± the stationed cultivator awakened from his shock, exchanged a glance with the middle-aged Emperor that flashed with delight, and then asked Li Shiming.


    ¡°I will handle Han Tianlei. After I heal the spirit plant, I¡¯ll return to the sect. I hope that the Han Family will no longer exist!¡± Li Shiming replied indifferently.


    From Han Yu¡¯s confession, he knew that the conflict between the Han Family and the Imperial Family had nearly become public.@@@@


    Many forces in Nanshan Country had already sided with the Han Family, while the stationed cultivators standing with the Imperial Family were also enemies of the Han Family.


    Normally, Li Shiming making this request would never be agreed upon by the stationed cultivator and the middle-aged Emperor.


    But Li Shiming¡¯s display of strength was overwhelming, first breaking the array, and then producing ten corpses of middle-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Han Family, which represented all their middle-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    The Han Family was now extremely weak, boasting at most a few early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, who the stationed cultivator could dismiss with a flick of his hand.


    ¡°Junior brother, the spirit plant is in the Imperial Palace. I¡¯ll take you there first. As for the Han Family, I¡¯ll make another trip there while you treat the spirit plant, so the Imperial side can prepare!¡± the stationed cultivator invited with a smile.


    She took out a talisman, flicked it gently, and the talisman transformed into a spiderweb, enveloping the Golden Winged Beetle within.


    The Golden Winged Beetle struggled continuously but couldn¡¯t break free from the web¡¯s constraint.


    She then took out a jade box, used a spiritual energy hand to place the Golden Winged Beetle inside the box, then closed and lightly tapped it with her finger. Spiritual Power Patterns appeared on the box, sealing it from the inside.


    ¡°The Golden Winged Beetle is one of the mystical creatures recorded in the ¡®Strange Insect Record¡¯. You could learn the Insect Extermination Technique in the future, and then you could control this insect,¡± she explained softly to Li Shiming, who looked puzzled.


    Li Shiming had never heard of the ¡°Strange Insect Record,¡± and of course, he didn¡¯t know the Insect Extermination Technique.


    ¡°What use is the Golden Winged Beetle?¡± he asked Ren Fei¡¯er, looking at the jade box she handed him.


    ¡°This Golden Winged Beetle, if sold to a cultivator skilled in Insect Extermination Technique, could be worth at least a thousand spirit stones!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er did not want to explain further and switched to a simpler explanation.


    ¡°So, this bug is that valuable, it should be well kept!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t hesitate, as it was a part of his reward for the mission, and smiled as he put the jade box into his storage bag.


    A loud ¡°boom¡± noise came from a distance, and the strong fluctuation of spiritual energy alerted Li Shiming that an accident had occurred.


    ¡°You stay here, I¡¯ll go check!¡± Li Shiming instructed Ren Fei¡¯er, but upon seeing her reluctant expression, he amended, ¡°You should have ways to protect yourself, but don¡¯t stray too far from me, or I won¡¯t be able to look after you!¡±


    ¡°Got it, you¡¯re such a nag!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er chuckled and nodded in agreement.


    While Ren Fei¡¯er sat on the back of a paper crane, Li Shiming grew a pair of wings on his back and flew towards the area where the spiritual energies had collided.


    They quickly reached the battlefield and saw the stationed cultivator engaged in fierce battle with a black-clothed cultivator.


    Ren Fei¡¯er recognized immediately that this was a cultivator from the Xuanming Sect.

 Chapter 136: 114 Accident_2

    Chapter 136: Chapter 114 Accident_2


    The Xuanming Sect cultivator did not recognize Ren Fei¡¯er, otherwise this battle would not need to be fought.


    By this time, Li Shiming had recognized the tactics used by the Xuanming Sect cultivator, whose strength had reached the late-stage of Qi Refinement, similar to that of the stationed cultivator.


    It was unclear how the Han Family had colluded with this Xuanming Sect cultivator, or if there was some other reason.


    But whatever the reason, the Han Family was definitely finished. As long as not all the cultivators at the scene were dead, the collusion with the Xuanming Sect would be confirmed.


    The stationed cultivator was indeed old, and although he possessed dense spiritual power, he lacked stamina.


    On the other hand, the Xuanming Sect cultivator seemed to grow more eager as the battle waged on, and he did not care about the arrival of Li Shiming, as one more cultivator in the middle stage of Qi Refinement made no difference to him.


    Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s spiritual power fluctuations were severely suppressed by the Buddhist spiritual power; unless one was particularly close, it was impossible to clearly sense her realm.


    ¡°Junior Brother, escape quickly and report the situation here to the sect; your Senior Brother will hold him back!¡± The stationed cultivator, seeing Li Shiming¡¯s arrival, could not help but shout anxiously.


    It was meaningless for all the sect cultivators to fall here. As long as Li Shiming could escape, the sect would avenge him in due time.


    If the stationed cultivator had not said this, Li Shiming might have chosen to hide some of his strength and look for a way to escape.


    Li Shiming waved his hand, and a copper corpse appeared in front of him.


    Clutching a huge, low-grade axe magical artifact in its hand, the copper corpse let out a roar and charged towards the Xuanming Sect cultivator.


    ¡°Senior Brother, I¡¯ll help you!¡± shouted Li Shiming loudly.


    He himself took to the air with Ren Fei¡¯er, while the Qingyuan Wood Sword at his side transformed into a beam of sword light, emitting the unique brilliance characteristic of sword cultivation.


    He did not join the battle himself, as he was very clear about his own strength.


    It may seem that he alone had killed ten middle-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, but they were all loose cultivators, vastly inferior to sect cultivators.


    He had previously encountered a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator from the Xuanming Sect and knew all too well how terrifying they could be; leaving the battlefield was undoubtedly the best choice.


    The stationed cultivator showed a flash of surprise in his eyes when he saw Li Shiming summon a copper corpse, but he was not overly shocked.


    The Heavenly Sea Sect also had methods to cultivate corpse refining; while cultivators who refined copper corpses were rare, they were not non-existent.


    Indeed, if a refined corpse was injured, it could be repaired by replenishing bones and flesh, but such foreign matter needed a long time to integrate into the corpse part.


    Besides, doing so could severely damage the corpse¡¯s vitality or even cause its grade to drop.


    Thus, many corpse-refining cultivators, even with damaged corpses, wouldn¡¯t attempt repairs if the damage didn¡¯t significantly impact battle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for it when I get back. There must be some!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er nodded firmly, confident in her assertion.


    The Xuanming Sect cultivators also realized the copper corpse belonged to Li Shiming; they tried multiple times to rush towards him, but each attempt was thwarted by the copper corpse and the attacks of the defending cultivators.


    Just as one was about to use a secret technique, a voice echoed in his ear.


    ¡°Scram back!¡± The ¡®Magic Ear Token,¡¯ combined with the unique intonation of the Xuanming Sect, made him panic. Without hesitation, he employed an escape skill, turning into a streak of black light to break from the battlefield, fleeing into the distance.


    Though the copper corpse was not slow, it was far outpaced by the escape skill, and even the defending cultivator¡¯s spells couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of the black light.


    The defending cultivator was taken aback; the battle seemed to favor their side, but prolonging it was uncertain, mainly because he was getting old and running low on strength.


    If the fight continued, he might not last much longer.


    ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m going back. This is a communication token. Remember to contact me when you return to the sect; if you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t pay attention to you anymore!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er said with an upset face, glancing at the void, then turned to Li Shiming, handing him a jade token.


    ¡°Can this token really contact you?¡± Li Shiming took the jade piece, first surprised and slightly incredulous, then, recalling something, he asked, ¡°Your injury hasn¡¯t healed; can you make it back alone?¡±


    ¡°Someone from home has come to pick me up. You hurry back to the sect. I still want to hear your stories!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er implored with a hint of reluctance in her voice.


    ¡°You take care too!¡± Li Shiming waved his hand.


    Ren Fei¡¯er rode a paper crane into the distance. Li Shiming watched his paper crane being taken away, thought for a moment, but said nothing; after all, he had acquired the top-grade Black Sparrow Wing, so the paper crane could be a gift to Ren Fei¡¯er.


    ¡°Little junior sister, do you like this boy? Should I tie him up and bring him back for you?¡± The Foundation Establishment Cultivator jested upon seeing Ren Fei¡¯er.


    This junior sister was so called according to Elder Ren¡¯s side. In the sect, status was primarily determined by strength, and age differences meant little as long as one¡¯s power was sufficient, they would be addressed as senior or junior fellow disciples.


    However, there were exceptions, such as the children of Golden Core Elders. Any Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator would treat them as equals in the sect.


    ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er pouted.


    She was obedient only in front of a few people, and the direct disciple of her mother wasn¡¯t among them.

 Chapter 137: 115: Rage

    Chapter 137: Chapter 115: Rage


    Li Shiming also felt a tinge of reluctance in his heart. Having spent some time with Ren Fei¡¯er, he found her quite fashionable.


    Indeed, the word ¡°fashionable¡± didn¡¯t exist in this world. Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s personality and behavior resembled women from his previous life.


    In Ren Fei¡¯er, he saw a reflection of his previous life.


    The jade Dishware in his hand puzzled him. Could it be that Ren Fei¡¯er was not a Devil Cultivator? Otherwise, how could he possibly contact her with just a disc?


    Li Shiming had encountered the Sect Formation before. The Sect Formation expanded the communication range to thousands of miles within the sect.


    This was why the Identity Jade Disc could always contact fellow disciples within the sect, but he had never known that it could contact external sects through the Sect Formation.


    Regardless, this was good news. At least, he felt that Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s sect was not an enemy; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with each other.


    ¡°Junior brother, we owe it to your copper corpse that we could drive away that Devil Cultivator!¡± A monk stationed nearby came over to Li Shiming and said with a smile.


    ¡°Senior brother was the main force; the copper corpse just played a delaying effect!¡± Li Shiming humbly said.


    Through this battle, he had also mastered using the copper corpse.


    The copper corpse¡¯s hand-to-hand combat was indeed strong, especially against cultivators of the same rank, where it could completely hold off the opponent.


    Li Shiming, a Sword Cultivator, also mainly focused on ranged attacks: the copper corpse up close and he from afar. This allowed him to fully utilize the Sword Cultivator¡¯s maximum striking effect while ensuring his own safety.


    He used to worry that the copper corpse might attract unwanted attention but, after becoming an Array Master, exposing the copper corpse was no longer a big issue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take these, and the rest are all yours, senior brother!¡± After selecting the jade stones, he made no further moves and gestured to the stationed monk.


    ¡°Then senior brother won¡¯t stand on ceremony. The Han Family has been eliminated, and my family will move here to take the Han Family¡¯s place. I hope, junior brother, for the sake of our brotherhood, you will look after it when I¡¯m gone!¡± The stationed monk bowed to Li Shiming as he spoke.


    ¡°Should trouble arise, and if I happen to be free, I¡¯ll lend a hand!¡± Li Shiming thought of the stationed monk¡¯s performance in the recent battle and his elderly appearance, and couldn¡¯t help but soften his heart as he responded.


    He didn¡¯t stay any longer. Black wings appeared on his back, and he flew towards the outskirts of the city.


    The stationed monk remained bowed until Li Shiming¡¯s figure had completely disappeared into the sky.


    The promise of a cultivator is taken very seriously, and Li Shiming¡¯s acceptance signified a responsibility.


    Although the stationed monk was in the late-stage Qi Refining, he simply couldn¡¯t compare to Li Shiming, who was only at the Qi Refining Fourth Level.


    Li Shiming¡¯s identity as an Array Master, along with a late-stage Qi Refining copper corpse, a high-grade sword artifact, and a high-grade flying artifact he brought out, all demonstrated his profound foundation.


    The stationed monk couldn¡¯t thank Li Shiming enough and could only express genuine gratitude in this manner.


    Li Shiming returned to the sect. On the way back, he practiced Sword Escape. The Black Sparrow Wings barely consumed his Spiritual Energy, giving him ample time to restore his energy with Spirit Stones while continuously practicing Sword Escape.


    The increased speed of flight greatly reduced his time to return to the sect.


    On the way, he also had the energy to analyze and study a few new cultivation techniques that he planned to start cultivating once he was back.


    From the land to the sea, and then flying over the sea for several days, he returned to the sect¡¯s territory.


    His first thought was to order some Spirit Plants. When cultivating the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± it was best to prepare calming incense. Plus, he wanted to replenish some formation materials, so he planned to include them all in one order.

 Chapter 138: 115: Rage_2

    Chapter 138: Chapter 115: Rage_2


    He took out his Identity Jade Disc, wanting to contact Qiu Tan.


    Strangely, there was no response from Qiu Tan, which might mean he had left the sect¡¯s boundary.


    However, Li Shiming was aware that even if Qiu Tan had left the sect¡¯s boundary, if any cultivator tried to contact him, the call would still be redirected to his store, and his assistants would receive it on his behalf.


    Qiu Tan was skilled in business; it was unlikely there would be a mistake in this area.


    Qiu Tan often said that he liked to provide the best service to his customers, and he did just that, often personally delivering goods to them.


    Li Shiming felt a growing unease; looking at the map, he saw that he would soon pass by Changming Island, and he decided to make a detour there.


    Today, Changming Island was under the jurisdiction of Sun Workshop, with few cultivators around.


    Walking through the market, Li Shiming felt a tense atmosphere.


    He soon saw Qiu Tan¡¯s Spirit Plant Store, but the store was not open. Glancing at the time, it was around nine in the morning, precisely when the store was supposed to open for business.


    He went to the store next to the Spirit Plant Store and took out two Spirit Stones, slipping them to the clerk standing at the door.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with Qiu Tan¡¯s store?¡± he quietly asked.


    The clerk joyfully accepted the Spirit Stones, but upon hearing Li Shiming¡¯s question, his expression changed. Still, glancing at the Spirit Stones in his hand, he pulled Li Shiming to a secluded corner.


    ¡°Mr. Qiu has disappeared, not just Mr. Qiu, but also the two assistants from the store; they all disappeared ten days ago!¡± the clerk whispered, checking that no one was around.


    When Li Shiming left Changming Island Market, his heart was heavy.


    He thought about the hundred catties of Spirit Rice inside Baili Jin Yan¡¯s storage bracelet, which were planted in a chamber space.


    Back then, he speculated that Baili Jin Yan sought him out probably because of something he heard from Qiu Tan.


    Now that Qiu Tan and his two colleagues had disappeared, it could be connected to Baili Jin Yan¡¯s affairs.


    The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, making him extremely cautious on his way back to Eagle Beak Island, constantly wary of a sudden attack by cultivators.


    Nothing happened all the way till he reached Eagle Beak Island, but when he stood in front of it, trouble arose.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Identity Jade Disc was unable to activate the island¡¯s formation, and without the formation being activated, he could not enter the island.


    This situation should not have occurred; even if the cave dwelling was rented, it was still the private property of a cultivator, and even if a cultivator disappeared for a while, the sect would maintain the rental for many years.


    This led to frequent squalid interactions among Qi Refining cultivatees within the sect, but such issues had seemingly never reached the formation mages previously.


    ¡°At the time, Master Du Yuan was passing by and can testify to this!¡± Li Shiming bowed as he spoke.


    ¡°Master Du Yuan, no wonder you managed to survive the hands of ten middle-level cultivators!¡± Knowing who Old Monk Du Yuan was and that Li Shiming would not lie about such a matter, Junior Master Zhuge also understood.


    Even if one wanted to lie, they wouldn¡¯t dare use the name of Old Monk Du Yuan, a Buddhist master who holds the same rank as the sect elders.


    ¡°Later in Nanshan Country, along with the stationed cultivators, I discovered the Han Family colluding with Xuanming Sect cultivators. This matter should have been reported by the stationed cultivators after the mission. When I returned to my dwelling on Eagle Beak Island, it was no longer mine but had been transferred to Han Tianlei!¡± Li Shiming did not explain that he had killed the ten Han Family cultivators, but continued on.


    Junior Master Zhuge silently took out his Identity Jade Disc and checked some details, confirming the truth of Li Shiming¡¯s claims.


    ¡°Follow me. First, to Eagle Beak Island!¡± Junior Master Zhuge waved his hand, enveloping Li Shiming in spiritual power.


    Li Shiming felt a repulsion from the sect formation, and soon he and Junior Master Zhuge appeared a hundred li outside of the sect¡¯s grand formation encompassing the nine peaks, seeing that they weren¡¯t too far from Eagle Beak Island.


    Li Shiming was truly surprised; he had not anticipated that the sect formation also possessed this capability, to directly transport a cultivator out by over a hundred li.


    Without needing to fly, Junior Master Zhuge carried him at a speed surpassing his Sword Escape, and in an instant, they arrived above Eagle Beak Island.


    ¡°Open!¡± Junior Master Zhuge extended his hand towards the defense formation of Eagle Beak Island and commanded lightly.


    The defense formation of Eagle Beak Island automatically parted to create a passage, and Junior Master Zhuge led Li Shiming onto the island.


    As soon as they entered the island, Junior Master Zhuge paused in shock while Li Shiming detected a foul odor.


    They saw a corpse dressed in Sky Sea Sect¡¯s robes lying at the entrance of the dwelling. Junior Master Zhuge approached and examined it closely.


    ¡°He has been dead for at least nine days. See if this is Han Tianlei?¡± Junior Master Zhuge instructed Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming looked at the decomposed and distorted corpse, and from both the clothing and the features, he could assert that it was not Han Tianlei.


    ¡°It is not Han Tianlei!¡± he replied, shaking his head.


    ¡°The Law Enforcement Hall is really in a mess, seizing the dwelling and then recklessly killing someone within. Come, we must seek justice for you today!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said once again, enveloping Li Shiming in spiritual power.


    The corpse was left where it fell as their figures vanished from Eagle Beak Island once again.


    The death of a Qi Refinement disciple wasn¡¯t a significant issue in itself, but the problem was that this disciple died on a sect island only two hundred li from the nine peaks, which was a slap in the face for the sect.


    Moreover, the death of the Qi Refinement disciple occurred while Li Shiming, the original owner of the dwelling, was away on a compulsory task assigned by the Law Enforcement Hall¡ªa task that was effectively a death sentence.


    Li Shiming could clear himself of the suspicion of killing a fellow sect member, thereby significantly implicating the Law Enforcement Hall.

 Chapter 139: 116: Living in Peace

    Chapter 139: Chapter 116: Living in Peace


    On the way back to Jiufeng, Li Shiming was thinking about the deceased Qi Refining cultivator.


    He had a suspicion that perhaps the death of this Qi Refining cultivator was unrelated to the Law Enforcement Hall, and that someone had taken the blame for him.


    Judging by the time, it was shortly after Qiu Tan and two workers went missing that the Qi Refining cultivator of Eagle Beak Island was killed.


    He did not share this judgement with Junior Master Zhuge. It was not that he did not want to, but that he could not; many things were inexplicable.


    Returning to Central Peak, he headed straight to the Sky Sea Hall at the top of the peak.


    The Sky Sea Hall is the main hall at the waist of Central Peak, which is also the core of the Sky Sea Sect.


    ¡°Yu Sect Leader, Zhuge Xuan seeks an audience!¡± Junior Master Zhuge called out using his Spiritual Power Pattern outside the Sky Sea Hall.


    Even with anger in his heart, he still suppressed his rage upon reaching this place, yet it was still detectable in his tone.


    ¡°Junior Brother Zhuge, come in!¡± a booming voice came from inside.


    ¡°Follow me!¡± Junior Master Zhuge gestured to Li Shiming and went ahead into the grand hall.


    There were many cultivators inside the grand hall, all busy with their tasks.


    Junior Master Zhuge led Li Shiming deeper inside the hall, to a spacious office.


    A tall and robust man was sitting in a chair, with a stack of papers on the table before him.


    ¡°Han Tianlei, born in the Han Family of Nanshan Country, over fifty-three years after joining the sect, three Qi Refining disciples assigned by you to execute missions in Nanshan Country went missing, and you profited significantly following each disappearance.


    This report is from the stationed cultivators in Nanshan Country, the Han Family colluded with Xuanming Sect cultivators to practice demonic cultivation techniques on living people.¡± Yu Sect Leader¡¯s voice was steady yet deeply incisive.


    ¡°Sect Leader, please forgive me!¡± Han Tianlei, struck as if by lightning, prostrated himself on the floor, begging in a mournful voice.


    ¡°Yu Sect Leader, though Han Tianlei is at fault, he has also established significant merits for the sect. Perhaps the punishment could be lighter!¡± Steward Xu saw the scene and realized it was Junior Master Zhuge who had brought up the complaint.


    Han Tianlei had just given him benefits, and since he worked efficiently under him, he needed to show a protective stance, or else who would be willing to serve him in the future.


    ¡°Xu Peiran, do you think you¡¯re off the hook?¡± Yu Sect Leader looked coldly at Steward Xu.


    A terrifying aura instantly spread through the room, stronger than any Foundation Establishment Cultivator Li Shiming had ever encountered.


    Steward Xu looked at Yu Sect Leader, bewildered. Knowing Yu Sect Leader well, being directly addressed by name meant serious trouble.


    He looked resentfully at Li Shiming, not understanding why the Sect Leader would deal with him for such a disciple.


    ¡°Xu Peiran, a little greed is acceptable, but you are the Steward of the Law Enforcement Hall. If your side becomes like this, what position does it put the sect in? Relinquish your position as Steward of the Law Enforcement Hall. Eagle Beak Island will be exchanged for your accumulated good deeds within the sect, henceforth owned forever by Li Shiming. Prepare to guard the Heavenly Sea coastline for twenty years!¡± Yu Sect Leader spoke with some frustration.


    Hearing that good deeds were being used to exchange for Eagle Beak Island for Li Shiming, Xu Peiran, although somewhat distressed, did not react much.


    While Eagle Beak Island might seem trivial, renting and exchanging were different matters.


    Exchanging meant transferring ownership forever, privately owned, requiring a vast amount of good deeds, far beyond what a Qi Refining cultivator could afford.


    Even for Xu Peiran to use his good deeds to exchange for Eagle Beak Island, it would require many years of accumulation, which he accepted.

 Chapter 140: 116: Living in Peace_2

    Chapter 140: Chapter 116: Living in Peace_2


    But upon hearing he was to guard the Heavenly Sea shoreline for twenty years, Xu Peiran¡¯s face completely changed, and he looked at Yu Sect Leader incredulously, thinking Yu Sect Leader was joking.


    Yu Sect Leader opened his mouth, and this time he did not speak aloud but used a sound transmission technique to say a few words to Xu Peiran.


    After hearing these words, the resistant look on Xu Peiran¡¯s face faded. At this point, he wished he could immediately head to the Heavenly Sea shoreline, where though dangerous, it was much better than being troubled by an Elder after coming out of seclusion.


    Moreover, dealing with Elder Yin was somewhat bearable, but if Evil Elder Ren from the Xuanming Sect made a move, he was afraid he wouldn¡¯t even know how he died.


    Sending him to the Heavenly Sea coastline was Yu Sect Leader¡¯s way of protecting him.


    ¡°I know my mistake and accept the punishment from the Sect Leader!¡± Xu Peiran said while taking out the Identity Jade Disc, and quickly purchased Eagle Beak Island and transferred it to Li Shiming¡¯s name.


    Li Shiming stood stupefied as he watched everything unfolding before him. Was Yu Sect Leader¡¯s style of handling matters always this swift and decisive? From the present situation, it seemed he had clear and thorough control over the entire matter.


    This intelligence capability was simply too terrifying. He wondered if the little things he had done had also not escaped Yu Sect Leader¡¯s intelligence.


    Junior Master Zhuge, however, saw the signs. Yu Sect Leader knew even more than him. It seemed he was just waiting for Li Shiming to come over.


    Han Tianlei was brought back by the Law Enforcement Hall, this time as a prisoner.


    Dealing with Han Tianlei would have to wait until after all matters were investigated, but he shouldn¡¯t think of living, he could only pray that the sect wouldn¡¯t let his spirit and body be destroyed, completely disappearing from the world.


    Li Shiming thanked Junior Master Zhuge and returned to Eagle Beak Island with a Foundation Establishment Master from the Law Enforcement Hall named Xu.


    Junior Master Xu arrived at Eagle Beak Island, first surveyed the murder scene, and recorded all the information he could.


    ¡°The Sect Leader instructed, this is a small-scale Mountain Protection Array, consider it compensation from the Law Enforcement Hall. The original defensive formation will be repossessed by the Sect Formation!¡± Junior Master Xu said after finishing everything and collecting the bodies.


    After Junior Master Xu left, Li Shiming still looked incredulously at the storage bag in his hand.


    The reason for using a storage bag for the small-scale Mountain Protection Array was because it was not in the form of an Array Plate but consisted of multiple Array Flags and a Spiritual Object rich in Spiritual Energy as the base of the Array.


    This was still a small-scale Mountain Protection Array. If it were a medium or large-scale Mountain Protection Array, higher grades of Spiritual Objects would be required, and the formation would be even more complex.


    It could be said that the small-scale Mountain Protection Array was the best formation to protect a mountain peak, and could be used by smaller sects as a Sect Protection Array.


    Li Shiming took out a Jade Scroll from the storage bag, which contained the diagrams for the small-scale Mountain Protection Array.


    Normally, such a Mountain Protection Array requires a professional Array Master to set up, but he also counted as a professional Array Master, plus he was setting up his own dwelling, needing to minimize the involvement of other Cultivators as much as possible.


    ¡°Yu Sect Leader is such a good person!¡± Li Shiming felt grateful in his heart.


    This time, while setting up the small Mountain Protection Array, Li Shiming intentionally increased its range to include the sea surface above the underground space as well.


    He planned to build a dock on that patch of sea, partially to cover for the underground space and partially to prepare for future shipments of mundane items to the island.


    He caught two spirit fish from the water. Recently, having been away, his ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ had not improved at all.


    As he prepared fish soup from the spirit fish, he thought of Ren Fei¡¯er who loved the Spirit Food he cooked and chuckled softly.


    He took out his communication jade disc, only to find it flickering continuously.


    ¡°Big brother, have you come back?¡±


    ¡°Big brother, why are you so slow?¡±


    ¡°You bad guy, didn¡¯t you throw the communication disc away, did you?¡±


    ¡°I just threw a little tantrum, because a little cat made me angry.¡±


    ¡°I really want to hear a story.¡±


    ...


    Li Shiming sensed the messages in the communication jade disc, which started three days after they parted.


    It seemed that at that time, Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s family had taken her home, yet Li Shiming wasn¡¯t someone who wasn¡¯t aware of Li Shiming¡¯s speed; he had not delayed his return at all.


    However, Li Shiming realized that he seemed to have been delayed by one day due to the issues involving Han Tianlei and the setting up of the small Mountain Protection Array on Eagle Beak Island.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, I just finished dealing with some issues. You know, when I came back, Eagle Beak Island had been seized, but luckily, the Sect Leader dealt with Han Tianlei, and now Eagle Beak Island belongs to me completely!¡± Li Shiming shared with Ren Fei¡¯er what had happened upon his return.


    ¡°That big villain Han Tianlei is so despicable, we must not let him off lightly!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er, united in anger, supported him.


    Both of them denounced Han Tianlei together, Li Shiming for the troubles he had faced this time, and Ren Fei¡¯er because she had almost been captured by Old Monk Du Yuan¡ªbut in any event, it all stemmed from Han Tianlei.


    ¡°Big brother, I found the records for modifying Corpse Refining, activate your communication disc¡¯s location, and I will send it to you!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er, recalling something important, hurriedly said.


    Li Shiming glanced at his surroundings, only after leaving the underground space and returning to his cave dwelling did he activate the location on the communication disc.


    He was curious about how Ren Fei¡¯er was going to send the records, was she in the sect all this time?


    Just as he was pondering, he sensed an alert from the small Mountain Protection Array that it had been touched.


    He put on his eyepatch and saw a small bird striking the formation.@@@@

 Chapter 141: 117 Secret Technique

    Chapter 141: Chapter 117 Secret Technique


    ¡°Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman!¡± Li Shiming knew that Ren Fei¡¯er used a very special method to send the transformed corpse refining records; a ¡°Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman¡± isn¡¯t just limited to a thousand miles but is a precious talisman capable of ultra-long-distance communication.


    Ren Fei¡¯er even used such a precious ¡°Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman¡± for something that wasn¡¯t urgent.


    But since the ¡°Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman¡± had already arrived, he opened a gap in the small Mountain Protection Array to let the bird fly into the main array.


    The bird flew into the cave dwelling, landing in front of Li Shiming and spat out a small storage bag before disappearing.


    ¡°Are they all so extravagant?¡± Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim as he looked at the storage bag.


    This storage bag was noticeably specially made, not one of the mass-produced standard storage bags.


    No matter how spacious it was inside, this storage bag wouldn¡¯t be cheap.


    Li Shiming picked up the storage bag, infused it with Spiritual Power, and sensed that inside there were a Jade Scroll, an Array Plate, and sixteen Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Big brother, did you receive it? I had to beg for a long time to get that Array Plate!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s eager voice came through the communication jade plaque.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, I¡¯ve received it; this is too precious,¡± Li Shiming felt undeserving of such generosity.


    He had traded an LED light for the superior Soul Device Black Sparrow Wing, and now he had also received so many valuable items, making him feel like he was deceiving a child.


    ¡°Oh dear, my mother is coming, gotta go!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er sent another message before cutting off the communication.


    Li Shiming pulled out the Jade Scroll first, pressed it to his forehead, and a stream of information transferred into his brain while the IBM z15 recorded it.


    Within the Jade Scroll was not just simple information, but a secret technique, a secret technique regarding Corpse Refining.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Ren Fei¡¯er didn¡¯t need to steal; she had simply coaxed the Xuanming Sect¡¯s elder who was best at refining corpses, persuading him to give her an Array Plate he no longer used.


    Li Shiming took the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array Plate back to the underground space. The previously prepared Five Elements Array Flags had matured near the spiritual vein, ideal for setting up an isolated area to arrange the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array inside.


    The Five Elements Array Flags were inserted into the ground near the Spiritual Spring. As he manipulated his Spiritual Power, a separate space was formed inside.


    After reviewing the secret technique, he knew the successful setup of the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array would create a Ghost Domain. Although it was greatly beneficial for Corpse Refining, it could affect the surrounding environment.


    He didn¡¯t want the underground space to transform into a Ghost Domain because he had other uses for it, and it might even affect the emergence of spirit fish.


    The Netherworld Ghost Realm Array Plate was set in the designated spot, placing four Mid-grade Spirit Stones inside it, and activated according to the method described in the secret technique.


    Immediately, within the designated space, black mist appeared in the air, the temperature dropped to freezing, and a chilly Spiritual Energy filled the area, becoming uncomfortable for Li Shiming.


    He summoned the copper corpse which then stood in the Ghost Domain, the strands of chilling Spiritual Energy being absorbed into its body.


    Just the environment provided by the Ghost Domain itself could replace a great deal of materials needed for the copper corpse¡¯s enhancement.


    Considering the main material of the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array was the third-grade spiritual item Netherworld Crystal, it wasn¡¯t surprising that it could replace the enhancement materials for the copper corpse.


    Indeed, a third-grade Netherworld Ghost Realm Array was not meant to be used by Qi Refining cultivators, and even Foundation Establishment Cultivators, except for Direct Disciples of elders, weren¡¯t qualified to use it.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for that elder of the Xuanming Sect whose Corpse Refining had reached a certain level, making the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array unable to assist that refined corpse any further, Ren Fei¡¯er wouldn¡¯t have been able to get it.


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 Chapter 142: 117 Secret Technique_2

    Chapter 142: Chapter 117 Secret Technique_2


    Li Shiming, through the Blood Covenant, sensed the state of the copper corpse; staying within the Ghost Domain for a maximum of one month, the copper corpse could advance to the next level of strength.


    This was a progression from the Qi Refining Seventh Level to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, a feat that cultivators, even with an abundance of resources, could not achieve without years of dedicated cultivation.


    The improvement of Corpse Refining was inherently slow, but this slowness was under the condition of insufficient resources. With a large supply of resources, like using Third Grade resources for a Qi Refinement Realm copper corpse, the effects were naturally phenomenal.


    And that was just a regular benefit of the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array aiding in Corpse Refining; the research of this Formation was intended to work in conjunction with Secret Techniques to modify Corpse Refining.


    Li Shiming decided to embark on a new research project afterward, which was to transform the copper corpse and maximize its strength.


    He felt it was a pity that the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array, once set up, covered a wider area and could not be used in the machinery room space; otherwise, he would have liked to send his clone into it for enhancement.


    As long as the clone was transformed into the state of a corpse, it could accept the resources for Corpse Refining to strengthen itself.@@@@


    However, after so many days, the clone had been cultivating in the machinery room space, and it was unclear whether it was influenced by Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness or the machinery room space itself that was affecting the clone, but its aura was gradually changing to match Li Shiming¡¯s aura.


    Everyone has their own unique aura, a unique imprint of life, with each individual¡¯s aura being distinct from the others.


    Take the clone, for instance, its aura was originally Baili Jin Yan¡¯s, but after about twenty days in the machinery room space, what was originally Baili Jin Yan¡¯s aura was fading, and Li Shiming¡¯s aura was taking its place.


    This had an advantage, meaning when the clone¡¯s aura had completely changed, void of any hint of Baili Jin Yan¡¯s aura, he could attempt to summon the clone out of the machinery room space into the real world.


    At that time, he could use the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array to enhance himself, and also provide Li Shiming with stronger combat power.


    Of course, there was one issue with bringing the clone into the outside world¡ªits appearance.


    But this posed no challenge for Li Shiming, perhaps there were many ways to change one¡¯s appearance in the Cultivation World, even enough to fool the heavens.


    But it wasn¡¯t that he looked down on these transfiguration methods, at least not the ones available during the Qi Refinement Realm, none of which could compare to plastic surgery of his previous life.


    Plastic surgery fundamentally changed the appearance, unlike those simple transfiguration techniques.


    The transfiguration methods of the Cultivation World usually required the use of Spiritual Power, and once Spiritual Power was used, there was a chance of detection by powerful beings.


    The oppression of hierarchy in the Cultivation World was very clear; the Spiritual Power of a higher realm had a powerful penetrative effect against the Spiritual Power of a lower realm.


    However, plastic surgery was different; it involved changing bone structure, facial muscles, skin, and even teeth, resulting in a complete alteration of the face, unrelated to Spiritual Power and nearly indistinguishable from nature.


    Li Shiming spent some time learning about facial related medicine, cosmetic surgery, and other relevant knowledge within IBMz15.


    The Third Grade Sword Base was extraordinary¡ªthe skin sliced open, the bones cut with ease, the muscles divided effortlessly.


    A surgery unparalleled in history was unfolding within the computer room space.


    Li Shiming had also practiced Body Refining Techniques and was well aware of the benefits of top-tier Body Refinement.


    Injuries such as those to the flesh, for a body that had practiced top-tier Body Refining Techniques, could completely self-heal in a short time without leaving the slightest scar.


    The facial bones of the avatar were altered, the paths of facial muscles minutely adjusted, making the eyes appear larger.


    After the surgery was complete, there was no need for bandaging or any medication.


    In just a short ten minutes, all signs of injury on the avatar¡¯s face had vanished, and what appeared within the computer room space was the face designed by IBMz15¡¯s analysis.


    Even seeing the real avatar¡¯s face, which he had crafted himself, Li Shiming still felt a sense of suffocation.


    He doubted that if he let the avatar face female cultivators, just the visage alone would incapacitate them from acting.


    Even when dealing with male cultivators, by capitalizing on their moment of astonishment, the avatar could easily gain the upper hand.


    Of course, it would still be best to prepare a mask for the avatar to maximize the element of surprise offered by their appearance.


    After some time, once the avatar¡¯s aura had completely transformed, even presenting it before the Holy Ice Sect Elder, who was Baili Jin Yan¡¯s father, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize the avatar.


    ¡°When will I be able to learn the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯? Li Shiming stared at the avatar, enviously muttering to himself.


    It wasn¡¯t that the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was inadequate, but that the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± was simply too good.


    The ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± was not merely a Body Refinement Technique; Body Refinement was only part of it.


    What mattered most was that the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± did not conflict with other Body Refining Techniques, such as the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡±


    Of course, once someone had cultivated the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± their body would be strengthened to the utmost, and the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± would offer limited further enhancement.


    Without access to Third Grade Metal, Li Shiming could not cultivate the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± and he could only covet what had just occurred.


    If even a High Grade Sword Artifact couldn¡¯t penetrate the unprotected skin of the avatar, it raised the question of how strong this body was and how long it would take to reach such a level with the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡±


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 Chapter 143: 118 Machine Tool (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

    Chapter 143: Chapter 118 Machine Tool (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)


    Li Shiming emerged from a cave dwelling at the lower levels of Xun Peak, courteously seen off by a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.


    This was his eighth task of setting up Arrays for sect cultivators, and all the tasks he had chosen were rewarded with good deeds, even though the rewards were a bit meager, he had still accepted them.


    Because the Arrays he set up maximized the power of the Arrays, he had gained a bit of fame among the late-stage Qi Refining disciples who needed Arrays.


    Unfortunately, it had been twenty days, and he had only accepted eight tasks with good deeds, earning a total of four hundred good deeds, which felt slow to him.


    This was also related to the fact that all the tasks he took were from Qi Refining cultivators, who had limited good deeds to offer.


    The reason he spent a lot of time and energy taking tasks within the sect was that he was worried.


    During the twenty days since he returned to the sect, aside from daily casting the ¡°Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique¡± on Eagle Beak Island, he had stayed in the underground space.


    Han Tianlei¡¯s interrogation had ended, and the death of the Spirit Plant Mage on Eagle Beak Island was cleared of any relation to him, but the sect had yet to find the murderer.


    Li Shiming knew that the Spirit Plant Mage had undoubtedly died due to retaliation from Holy Ice Sect, but he was not sure if Holy Ice Sect knew they had killed the wrong person.


    Every time he returned to the sect, he checked the surveillance records to see if any suspicious cultivators had approached Eagle Beak Island, but there had been no new discoveries.


    This did not mean it was safe, but fortunately, Eagle Beak Island was close to the Nine Peaks, and with the replacement of a stronger, smaller-scale Mountain Protection Array, the likelihood of an easy breach as before was small.


    ¡°Junior Li, take care!¡± Li Shiming was about to head to Spirit Mechanism Pavilion but was stopped by a cultivator as he was about to leave Xun Peak.


    The one who stopped him was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, who did not seem like an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, giving him a pleasantly agreeable impression.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you, Junior Li, my name is Yun Ze, and my family operates Yun¡¯s Trading House within the sect!¡± Yun Ze said, introducing himself with a smile.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I need, can you check when you can get these?¡± Li Shiming took out a paper list and handed it to Yun Ze to inquire.


    Yun Ze was slightly taken aback; he had not expected Li Shiming to be prepared, and he also felt fortunate in his heart that it was he who had approached Li Shiming, or else this deal might have gone to another business.


    The businesses accepted by the sect, authorized to operate within the sect were not the only ones.


    These businesses were completely different from the markets outside the Nine Peaks; they only dealt with promising cultivators, conducting business was also a form of investment.


    When a promising cultivator needed something, the businesses could provide as much assistance as possible.


    As the promising cultivators grew, they would in turn bolster the businesses.


    Moreover, this did not prevent the businesses from profiting, closing a deal with a promising cultivator was worth as much as dealing with dozens of cultivators in the external markets.


    ¡°Ten sticks of Soul Stabilizing Incense are not cheap, and some of the common items on the list are in stock, the rest will take half a month to arrive, the Array materials can be traded anytime!¡± Yun Ze explained while looking at the list.


    ¡°How many Spirit Stones will it cost in total?¡± Li Shiming had no shortage of Spirit Stones, not counting what he had obtained from Baili Jin Yan: he still had over two thousand Spirit Stones.


    What he lacked was not Spirit Stones but good deeds.


    ¡°1680 Spirit Stones, aside from the common items which will be delivered tomorrow morning to your dwelling, consider them a gift from the business, they will be sent immediately upon arrival!¡± Yun Ze quickly calculated the total and said.


    ¡°Okay, here are the Spirit Stones!¡± Li Shiming took out the Spirit Stones and handed them over to Yun Ze swiftly.


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 Chapter 144: 118 Machine Tool (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)_2

    Chapter 144: Chapter 118 Machine Tool (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)_2


    This took place within the sect, where deception was impossible. Yun Ze couldn¡¯t afford it, and Li Shiming didn¡¯t have to worry about such an occurrence.


    The trade required a contract to be backed up onto the Identity Jade Disc. Once one party broke the contract, the sect would intervene.


    This was the benefit of trading with a sect-approved merchant, which is why Li Shiming readily paid with Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Contact me if you need anything in the future!¡± Yun Ze said with a sincere smile, taking out his Identity Jade Disc.


    The two exchanged contact information, and afterward, Li Shiming could contact Yun Ze to order items within a thousand li of the sect.


    Watching Li Shiming¡¯s departing figure, Yun Ze wore a look of triumph.


    He had expended favors to precisely learn Li Shiming¡¯s task location and had intercepted him outside before other trading houses could.


    He had managed to attract Li Shiming, a potential beginner Array Master, as a client of the trading house before others could.


    Just this one order had earned him far more than the value of ten favors he had paid.


    Li Shiming was also pleased. In his cultivation plan formulated for his return, he had included the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± but he had been unable to purchase Soul Stabilizing Incense, a basic resource for cultivating Spiritual Thought, thus unable to begin proper cultivation.


    Indeed, the sect did sell Soul Stabilizing Incense. After this mission, he would have enough good deeds to exchange for some Soul Stabilizing Incense. He hadn¡¯t expected to run into Yun Ze and be able to purchase Soul Stabilizing Incense with Spirit Stones, which saved his good deeds.


    The next morning, Yun Ze personally delivered the goods to Eagle Beak Island, where Li Shiming received them.


    After receiving the goods, Li Shiming immediately returned to the underground space.


    Here, a machine tool was almost fully assembled.


    Aside from cultivating and completing tasks, he had been manufacturing this machine tool these days.


    This machine tool was not just any machine tool; it should accurately be called an industrial mother machine.


    An industrial mother machine is a metalworking machine tool, in layman¡¯s terms, a machine that makes machines.


    Soon after settling down, he had planned this, and now he had finally started the manufacturing work.


    The industrial mother machine¡¯s design blueprint was archived in IBMz15 and was highly confidential, specially encrypted.


    It included not only domestic design blueprints from his previous life but also foreign industrial mother machine blueprints. How he obtained them was beyond his knowledge.


    At present, this machine tool could not be used, but just looking at the machine tool, Li Shiming felt a sense of satisfaction.


    This was the beginning of his civilization alone; the day the machine tool was activated, those complex processing machines could all be manufactured one by one.


    And as for the raw materials he worried most about, with the assistance of Yun¡¯s Trading House, most could still be purchased; for those truly unavailable, he could find alternatives.


    This was a process of discovering and solving problems; integrating the technologies of two worlds with cultivation techniques, achieving his design goals was not an issue.


    Li Shiming took out the array materials he had purchased this time, recreated some Formation Flags, and after completing them, placed them over a spirit vein to nurture.


    In the future, in the underground space, he did not plan to remove the Gathering Spirit Plate anymore, as removing it each time would affect the accumulation of spiritual energy in the workshop space, thereby influencing the progress of his avatar practicing ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique.¡¯


    To ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, the Gathering Spirit Plate remained precious, but for Li Shiming, who had mastered formation knowledge, replacing it with his own formations, and even improving upon them, was entirely possible.


    Li Shiming took out the Soul Stabilizing Incense, which was the most expensive resource in this purchase, with one stick valued at one hundred spirit stones.


    These ten sticks of Soul Stabilizing Incense accounted for more than half of the spirit stones paid, which shows how great the consumption is for cultivation beyond the abilities of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    In the Qi Refinement Realm, Soul Stabilizing Incense is generally used by cultivators during the recovery period after encountering issues with a cultivation technique.


    Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators have a need for Soul Stabilizing Incense, which is also effective for them during the recovery when cultivating Spiritual Thought.


    Thus, when Li Shiming ordered ten sticks of Soul Stabilizing Incense, Yun Ze thought it was intended for some Qi Refining cultivator who had gone through cultivation deviation, not realizing that it was meant for cultivating Spiritual Thought.


    Looking at the Soul Stabilizing Incense, Li Shiming hesitated for a while, considering whether the main body or the avatar should cultivate first.


    The avatar had previously practiced the ¡®Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡¯ but the original soul of the avatar had disappeared, replaced by a new Corpse Refining spirit, and he did not know if the avatar still retained some of the Spiritual Thought.


    The state of the avatar was indeed too peculiar, encompassing both life and death, able to switch freely between the two, surpassing his understanding of life.


    ¡°Let the avatar try practicing first!¡± Li Shiming made up his mind, placed a stick of Soul Stabilizing Incense in the workshop space, and lit it.


    His consciousness also entirely entered the avatar¡¯s body, starting to concentrate his spiritual power in accordance with the ¡®Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique.¡¯


    The aroma of the Soul Stabilizing Incense, with the avatar¡¯s breath, was fully absorbed into the avatar¡¯s body, making his mind exceptionally clear, as though a basin of water had been poured over his head.


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 Chapter 145: 119 Spiritual Thought (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

    Chapter 145: Chapter 119 Spiritual Thought (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)


    The ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± posits that the human brain is shackled by the natural laws of the universe, and only by breaking through these restrictions can one¡¯s thoughts leave the body, thereby forming Spiritual Thought.


    Spiritual Thought is an elevation of the cultivator¡¯s soul; to a certain extent, it is akin to the creation of a Spiritual Power Vortex within a cultivator¡¯s body, both representing significant leaps forward.@@@@


    The formation of the Spiritual Power Vortex signifies that a cultivator¡¯s body is no longer that of a mortal but is capable of binding spiritual power.


    And when Spiritual Thought leaves the body, it signifies that the cultivator¡¯s spirit can interact with nature, such that one can perceive and observe the world without using their eyes. This kind of perception and observation is more conducive to understanding the true nature of the world.


    Li Shiming knew that the training difficulty of the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± was immense. In his exchanges with Yin Shilan, he inquired about Spiritual Thought.


    In Yin Shilan¡¯s reply, she told him that Spiritual Thought was an important advancement for an Array Master; an Array Master with Spiritual Thought was on a completely different level.


    The Spiritual Thought Technique is so rare that even Foundation Establishment Cultivators within the Sky Sea Sect are unable to exchange for it. Yin Shilan hadn¡¯t asked about the circumstances in other sects, but she surmised they were likely similar.


    The rarity of the Spiritual Thought Technique and the various difficulties in cultivating it mainly boil down to the exceedingly high demands it places on the spirit.


    It was also from Yin Shilan that Li Shiming learned how precious the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± really was, its value far beyond his imagination.


    The spirit of his clone focused to a single point, and with the help of Soul Stabilizing Incense, the clone¡¯s spirit reached an optimal state.


    Within the brain, the spirit turned into a Jade Sword radiating coldness, which constantly kept his spirit more alert and prevented him from becoming lost due to excessive mobilization of spirit.


    The Jade Sword shot out, striking the position of the forehead right in front of the brain.


    If the difficulty of a normal cultivator cultivating the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± is a hundred, then the difficulty for the clone to retrain the technique is one¡ªthat¡¯s the difference.


    Li Shiming tried to control the Spiritual Thought. The control of Spiritual Thought was somewhat similar to that of a hand formed from spiritual power, but Spiritual Thought was even more special. Unless one reached the Foundation Establishment Stage and already possessed Spiritual Thought, one could not detect its presence.


    In other words, even if Spiritual Thought extended right in front of a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, they would not be able to discern its existence.


    Spiritual Thought also possesses offensive capabilities, which are related to both the strength of the Spiritual Thought itself and the Spiritual Thought Technique practiced.


    If one hasn¡¯t cultivated a Spiritual Thought Technique, then the control over Spiritual Thought is instinctual, and releasing Spiritual Thought mainly facilitates the control of spells and remote weapons such as flying swords.


    Using Spiritual Thought to directly attack an enemy, unless the enemy¡¯s soul strength is much weaker than one¡¯s own, makes damaging someone with Spiritual Thought possible.


    However, cultivating a Spiritual Thought Technique is different. Techniques like the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± not only make the Spiritual Thought stronger, but they also allow it to transform into a Jade Sword when needed, striking at the enemy¡¯s spirit, causing a fatal blow.


    After personally experiencing the power of the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± Li Shiming felt extremely fortunate for having killed Baili Jin Yan and realized that if he had given Baili Jin Yan even the slightest chance, he would have been the one to die.


    Baili Jin Yan possessed the peak realm of Qi Refinement, a robust body honed by the Third Grade Sword Base of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± and the Spiritual Thought cultivated through the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± making him a hexagonal warrior without any weaknesses.


    With his comparison, Li Shiming knew the direction of his efforts. If he could reach the level of Baili Jin Yan while still in the Qi Refinement Realm, he would be able to close the gap with the second-generation immortals.


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 Chapter 146: 119 Spiritual Thought (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)_2

    Chapter 146: Chapter 119 Spiritual Thought (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)_2


    After completing the practice of ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± with his avatar, Li Shiming prepared for the cultivation of ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± with his original body.


    Soul Stabilizing Incense was lit, and he inhaled the fragrance forcefully, not wanting to waste a single bit.


    With the experience of cultivating through an avatar, cultivating with his original body was extremely proficient, focusing all his spirit.


    His spirit turned into a jade sword emitting a cold air, and he was surprised to find that the jade sword formed by his spirit seemed to be larger than that formed by his avatar, with many more intricate runes visible even under microscopic examination.


    ¡°Could this be related to the fusion of two souls?¡± he speculated in his heart.


    Besides this reason, he could not think of any other areas where his original body was superior to Baili Jin Yan.


    Not that he was denying himself, he had three spirit root seeds, and although the Metal Spirit Root among them unusually reached 81, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he had three spirit root seeds.


    While Baili Jin Yan had a Heavenly Spirit Root with a Metal Spirit Root value of 100, he had been nurtured with countless precious Spiritual Objects from childhood, his soul and body far surpassing others.


    Thinking that a powerful soul made it more probable to cultivate ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± Li Shiming felt slightly relieved as the Jade Sword targeted the invisible cosmic restrictive barrier at the forehead of his brain.


    With a ¡°boom,¡± he felt dizzy, the world seeming to spin around him, and his Jade Sword was blocked by an invisible barrier.


    Li Shiming opened his mouth wide, breathing heavily, as the recent cultivation of ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± had nearly cost him his life.


    When the first ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± generated Spiritual Jade Sword impacted the cosmic restrictive barrier at the forehead, he had been strongly repelled.


    However, ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± required repeated impacts, like a water-grinding effort; a one-time success was just a special case with the avatar.


    In the following period, he repeatedly used the Spiritual Jade Sword to strike the cosmic restrictive barrier at his forehead.


    He thought the process of his first cultivation of ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± would end amidst these collisions and repulsions.


    Yet during the last attempt he prepared before ending the session, when the Spiritual Jade Sword collided with the cosmic restrictive barrier, he heard a familiar cracking sound.


    ¡°I am not a rotten wood!¡± Li Shiming laughed loudly.


    At this moment, he felt very good about himself, as the newly formed Spiritual Thought extended from his body, experiencing a new world.


    Just like having developed a new set of sensory organs, the newly formed Spiritual Thought had eyes, ears, skin, and other sensory functions of the body.


    He could see the scene of various properties of Spiritual Power Patterns dancing in the underground space and feel the spirit fish jumping, with the droplets from the Spiritual Spring leaving a trail of spiritual marks in the air.


    In the outside world, his Spiritual Thought had a clearer sensation; this world was richer than what the eyes could see.


    Once IBMz15 succeeded in its research, it would then upload into Li Shiming¡¯s brain through memory, allowing him to learn in a similarly short time.


    This effectively accelerated Li Shiming¡¯s work in studying Formations; regardless of the amount of Formation knowledge, all could be researched by the IBMz15, allowing him to simply enjoy the results of the research.


    Of course, the prerequisite was still that Li Shiming first had to experiment with various Formation runes in reality and have IBMz15 scan the data; just this task alone required him to invest vast amounts of time and energy, along with many Spirit Stones.


    However, it was all worth it, as IBMz15 excelled particularly in analysis and computation, and the study of Formations required exactly these abilities.


    Succeeding in cultivating Spiritual Thought, Li Shiming had finally accomplished his first planned goal.


    He took out the relic given to him by Old Monk Du Yuan. After returning to the sect, he inquired about the relic.


    The most concrete answer came from Yin Shilan; prolonged contact with the relic was advisable at the Foundation Establishment Stage, otherwise, the relic would subtly influence the cultivator¡¯s body and mind.


    For the Buddhist, this subtle influence was beneficial as it could enhance their cultivation of Buddhist teachings.


    However, for other cultivators, this was not good news, as having one who practiced Buddhist teachings among those of the Taoist sect like the Heavenly Sea Sect was definitely not favorable.


    The reason one could resist the influence of the relic after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage was because the defense against external spiritual influences had significantly multiplied after acquiring Spiritual Thought.


    In the twenty days since his return, he had eaten spirit fish each day, and he never neglected his practice of the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.


    He grasped the relic in his hand, feeling its interior.


    Seemingly sensing the presence of Vajra power, a faint vibration emanated from the relic, and a pale golden Buddhist Seal wrapped around the Vajra power infused into the skin of his palm.


    This Vajra power was very feeble, but its quality far surpassed that of his own Vajra power.


    Transforming into a golden light, the Buddhist Seal surged towards his brain, only to be blocked by a wave of Spiritual Thought as it neared the brain.


    This wasn¡¯t an action initiated actively by Li Shiming but rather an autonomous defense of Spiritual Thought against any spiritual attacks targeted at the brain.


    Even if the Buddhist touted the harmlessness of their teachings, Spiritual Thought didn¡¯t recognize that claim; any alien spiritual vibrations were blocked outside.


    Li Shiming now understood what this relic was all about; wearing the relic, originally from a high monk who had mastered the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill continuously, would allow high-quality Vajra power to seep into his body unceasingly.


    This greatly accelerated the enhancement of the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill, while the Buddhist Seal would also continuously erode his spirit.


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 Chapter 147: 120: Chip (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 147: Chapter 120: Chip (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)


    ¡°`


    It seems that this relic is nothing but a sugar-coated bullet, but perhaps even Old Monk Du Yuan didn¡¯t expect a Qi Refining Fourth Level Cultivator with little foundation like Li Shiming to cultivate Spiritual Thought.


    Not to mention cultivators like Li Shiming, even among those second-generation immortals with astounding talents, very few could cultivate Spiritual Thought during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    The main reason is that the talent for spirit root seeds and the talent for the spirit are two different types of talent; having top-notch spirit root talent does not mean that one¡¯s talent for the spirit is equally outstanding.


    Geniuses like Baili Jin Yan are really rare, otherwise, his father at the Holy Ice Sect would not have prepared so many resources that surpass the needs of the Qi Refining Realm for him.


    Li Shiming took a thread and hung the relic on his chest so that he could constantly absorb the high-quality Vajra energy seeping out of the relic.


    As for the erosion of the Buddhist Seal, he found it to be an excellent method for training Spiritual Thought. After being blocked by Spiritual Thought, the Buddhist Seal would be continuously eroded.


    Spiritual Thought, relying on his soul, could be said to be endlessly supplied.


    The Buddhist Seal emanating from the relic was like water with no source, and as Spiritual Thought continued to erode it, the Buddhist Seal eventually transformed into pure spiritual energy, which was absorbed by Spiritual Thought, making it even stronger.


    ¡°This is like getting sugar-coating and sending back the bullet!¡± Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help feeling proud after this discovery.


    As for the other Cultivation Technique that Old Monk Du Yuan gave him, ¡®Oral Lotus,¡¯ Li Shiming had already mastered it during this time and could fully coordinate its use with ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear (Fake).¡¯


    The power of ¡®Oral Lotus¡¯ is not trivial, primarily due to its effect of bewildering people¡¯s hearts. However, after his research with the IBMz15, the main contribution was the IBMz15¡¯s analysis of the two Sound Wave Techniques of Buddhism and Devilry, combining them to form a new Cultivation Technique.


    This new technique, which Li Shiming called ¡®Devil Sound Lotus,¡¯ referred to ¡®Oral Lotus¡±¡¯s application of Spiritual Power Pattern, as well as the voice control skills of both techniques, and included research findings on sound from later generations.


    The actual cultivation efficiency of Li Shiming is about 27, which definitely belongs to the very top tier among the Three Spirit Roots.


    This is also why he doesn¡¯t cultivate slowly; it was extremely correct for him to choose to cultivate the metal property Spiritual Power Pattern from the beginning.


    As for the Four Spirit Roots, the theoretical cultivation effect is only 25, and since the Four Spirit Roots are spread among each spirit root, their cultivation effect is even worse.


    Not to mention the Five Element Roots, whose cultivation efficiency is even more miserable.


    Of course, these are all theoretical figures. In reality, there is a significant gap between Heavenly Spirit Root, Dual Spirit Roots, Three Spirit Roots, and Four or Five Spirit Roots in terms of sensitivity to and absorption rate of Spiritual Energy; the better the spirit root, the stronger the sensitivity and absorption rate.


    Cultivators with Four and Five Spirit Roots often cannot reach their theoretical cultivation efficiency simply because they can¡¯t sense enough Spiritual Energy. Even after absorbing Spiritual Energy, a lot of it is wasted in the Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    To some extent, Spiritual Thought reduces the gap in sensitivity to and absorption rates of Spiritual Energy.


    Spiritual Thought allows for clearer sensing of Spiritual Energy and can extend outside the body, forming a more efficient collection net than the body¡¯s own absorption, gathering and channeling suitable Spiritual Energy into the body.


    With Spiritual Thought, Li Shiming¡¯s actual cultivation effect can almost reach the theoretical limit of 27.


    Although it can¡¯t compare with the Heavenly Spirit Root¡¯s efficiency of 100, it¡¯s enough to catch up with the poorer part of the Dual Spirit Roots cultivators.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 148: 120: Chip (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 148: Chapter 120: Chip (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)_2


    Li Shiming thought to himself that if he could arrange his own Gathering Spirit Array soon, his cultivation efficiency would improve even further. Although there were upper limits, even a 0.1 increase per cultivation session accumulated significantly over time.


    The next day, through his Identity Jade Disc, Li Shiming exchanged for Storage Spirit Runes, Acceleration Runes, Solidifying Runes, Sharpness Runes, Flame Runes, and Frost Runes. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to exchange more, but his good deeds were running low.


    With the remaining good deeds, he exchanged for a special formation named the Cloud-shocking Thunder Formation.


    The Cloud-shocking Thunder Formation was the only thunder and lightning type formation he found among the formations available for exchange.


    Because thunder and lightning type formations possess high burst attack power and are naturally effective against Demon Cultivation Techniques, they are extremely popular.


    However, the issue with thunder and lightning type formations was that they had a significant flaw: the thunder and lightning in the formation were not generated without cause; it required the condensation of thunderclouds in the sky before heavenly thunder would fall.


    Any cultivator who saw thunderclouds suddenly appearing in the sky would stay alert, making it difficult to trap them in a thunder and lightning type formation.


    Furthermore, the Cloud-shocking Thunder Formation required too long to gather clouds, making this knowledge of the thunder and lightning formation exceptionally cheap and somewhat impractical.@@@@


    Learning these runes was unproblematic. On this matter, Li Shiming, having memories from a previous life and the support of IBMz15, found it easier to perceive true meanings the first time he encountered spells.


    His learning of spell runes was not for the purpose of making magic artifacts, not least because he lacked the energy for it at the moment.


    Even with the help of IBMz15, his time and energy each day were limited.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning another advantage of Spiritual Thought: having cultivated Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique and nurtured his Spiritual Thought, his spirit would fully recover. Moreover, practicing Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique aided in his physical recovery, meaning he no longer needed sleep to restore his spirit and body.


    This meant he could almost, like a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, go without rest for at least a month.


    This allowed him more time each day, and naturally, the things he learned also increased.


    As time passed, after several days¡¯ efforts, what he referred to as his ¡°industrial mother machine¡± was finally completed.


    The entire machine was endowed with ¡°Solidifying Runes¡±, giving it stability far surpassing that of previous designs.


    The machine¡¯s cutter head made use of a Low Grade Magical Artifact, personally enchanted by Li Shiming with Storage Spirit Runes, Solidifying Runes, and Sharpness Runes, and connected to a small Spiritual Power Pattern that continuously replenished the power inside the Storage Spirit Rune.


    The information from IBMz15 was plentiful, but actual manufacturing still differed from the documentation.


    To speak of these three months, even if the manufacturing of the wafers and micrometer-level optical lithography machine was challenging, with the unmatched sharpness of the five-axis industrial mother machine and the aid of his spiritual thoughts, even some especially needed components could be sent into the machine room space to be completed by the control of third-grade sword bases, manufacturing these pieces of equipment shouldn¡¯t take long.


    However, he encountered many difficulties during this process; time slowly slipped away amidst repeated trial and error.


    Fortunately, during these days, nothing disturbed him, allowing him to peacefully continue with his activities while cultivating.


    Li Shiming activated a formation in an underground space, the air was expelled from within the formation, creating a temperature-stable environment similar to a vacuum.


    This formation was meant for trapping enemies. For cultivators, losing air wouldn¡¯t affect their ability to mobilize spiritual power for a long time; the effect of withdrawing the air was not significant.


    However, it was the best choice for creating a sterile and dust-free environment, achieving this without the need for complicated filtration equipment.


    Li Shiming did not need to enter the formation; he controlled the micrometer-level optical lithography machine with his spiritual thoughts, loading a cut wafer into the device.


    A cable extended from the machine room space and connected to the micrometer-level optical lithography machine.


    The world¡¯s first chip was not an advanced design, but rather a product quite behind compared to his previous world.


    As IBMz15 took control, the micrometer-level optical lithography machine started operating, its internal lights shining on the wafer¡¯s surface.


    Like printing a photograph, except it was transferring intricate designs onto the wafer¡¯s surface, etching the required design circuits.


    The micrometer-level optical lithography machine was just a tool; the actual precision work was carried out by the operations of IBMz15.


    Waiting for the chips to emerge from the micrometer-level optical lithography machine, the first batch of 450 chips was successfully etched.


    Afterwards, following the packaging process, the finished chips were not pretty, and even somewhat ugly, even more, their surfaces were marked with bizarre runes, all intended to confound.


    Upon inspection, out of the 450 chips, only about 164 met the design standards, the rest were flawed rejects.


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 Chapter 149: 121 Mutual Gaze

    Chapter 149: Chapter 121 Mutual Gaze


    164 chips named ¡®Dragon Heart Generation¡¯ by Li Shiming, 32-bit core, 168MHz, 1Mx8 memory, RAM 192Kx8, 1.8V voltage.


    The Dragon Heart chip generation was nothing extraordinary, but it was adequate for some facilities that didn¡¯t require particularly large calculations.


    Li Shiming planned to produce many batches of such chips, partly to accumulate production experience and partly to secure a reasonable plan for acquiring Spirit Stones.


    With the chips, the implementation of an LED display for the Identity Jade Disc became possible.


    Yes, he placed the plan to acquire Spirit Stones reasonably above equipping the Identity Jade Disc with an LED display. The Identity Jade Disc was initially able to provide remote visual communication similar to virtual imaging.


    However, that required the coordination of an Array, and additionally, this feature was only open to the high ranks of the sect, not to ordinary cultivators.


    Using his knowledge of Arrays and with the computational power of the IBM z15, Li Shiming successfully transformed some of the Array¡¯s information into data, thereby achieving dataization of the Array.


    This research achievement was useful only to him; without the help of the chips, no cultivator could handle complex hexadecimal data.


    He made a case similar to cell phones from his previous life and placed the Identity Jade Disc inside it. The Identity Jade Disc¡¯s information could then be displayed on a 16 cm LED screen, and touching the screen could activate simple functions of the Identity Jade Disc.


    This function was remote visual communication with friends, which was effective only within a thousand-mile range of the Sect Formation. Beyond this range, it couldn¡¯t connect to the Sect Formation.


    When the screen was tapped, a friend list from the Identity Jade Disc would appear, and one could choose whether to enable visual communication.


    He also made a restriction in the chip; it could only connect to the Sect Formation of the Sky Sea Sect and recognize the Identity Jade Disc of the Sky Sea Sect.


    Since the LED display and chips did not consume much energy, he used a small battery powered by a Formation that drew a tiny current from a Spirit Stone, continuously charging the small battery.


    This made Yun Ze pause slightly, unsure why Li Shiming would say such a thing. Could it be that he intended to borrow Spirit Stones?


    According to Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s standards, Li Shiming was eligible for a loan, but Yun Ze was unaware of what circumstances would make Li Shiming need to borrow Spirit Stones to get by.


    ¡°All my Spirit Stones have been invested in a research project, which has finally yielded some results. That¡¯s why I invited Senior Brother to help evaluate whether this research has any value,¡± Li Shiming continued to explain.


    ¡°What research is it?¡± Yun Ze asked, interested.


    ¡°This device is called ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡¯ and it needs to be used with an Identity Jade Disc!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile as he took out the Identity Jade Disc case named ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ and handed it over for introduction.


    Yun Ze received the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯, and from its name, he could guess its functionality.


    When he inserted his own Identity Jade Disc into the slot at the back of ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯, the screen suddenly lit up.


    It first displayed the majestic sight of nine peaks, with white clouds drifting between them, a scene that embodied the setting of an immortal family.


    Just seeing this display made Yun Ze widen his eyes, astounded by the little device in his hands and curious about how it could produce such effects.


    Similar effects existed in the Cultivation World, like the more immersive Illusion Array or the projection devices made from large Spiritual Objects and Crystal Stones, but those required a great cost to achieve.


    Yet this little device before him, although he didn¡¯t know what material the LED display was made of, he was one hundred percent certain it was not a Spiritual Object.


    Thinking about the massive amounts of mundane materials delivered over the past months, Yun Ze finally understood where Li Shiming had been applying these mundane materials, which also explained why he needed such large quantities of them.


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 Chapter 150: 121 Mutual Gaze_2

    Chapter 150: Chapter 121 Mutual Gaze_2


    The display screen blurred the animation of the nine peaks into the background, revealing Yun Ze¡¯s basic information, all of which were publicly accessible.


    Name: Yun Ze,


    Affiliation: Gen Peak, Yun¡¯s Trading House,


    Cultivation: Qi Refining Eighth Layer.


    There was also a portrait of Yun Ze on the side.


    Below, the words ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ were encircled by a cloud pattern.


    ¡°Senior Yun can tap ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ with your finger to choose a friend to contact!¡± Li Shiming instructed from the side.


    Yun Ze tapped ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡¯ and a list of his friends popped up; his number of friends was far greater than the single digits that Li Shiming had.


    The number of friends Li Shiming had only neared ten after adding a few fellow disciples from his sect who needed Formations, otherwise, it would have been only two or three at most.


    Yun Ze selected Li Shiming, and afterward, Li Shiming¡¯s Identity Jade Disc received a notification. Li Shiming took out the Identity Jade Disc fitted with ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ and tapped to agree.


    When Yun Ze saw Li Shiming¡¯s face appear on the display, he looked up incredulously at Li Shiming across from him. Li Shiming nodded and smiled at him, the Li Shiming on the display also nodded and smiled.


    ¡°Is it necessary for both sides to use ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯?¡± Yun Ze asked, suppressing his excitement, voicing his first question.


    ¡°It is indeed a requirement. The Identity Jade Disc doesn¡¯t have this function and wholly relies on ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ to make it work!¡± Li Shiming responded affirmatively with a nod.


    Yun Ze quickly weighed in his mind, realizing this requirement might present a minor inconvenience during the initial promotion, but it was not a significant problem.


    ¡°Could ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ be replicated by other cultivators?¡± Yun Ze asked the second question.


    In fact, if ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ were taken back, Yun¡¯s Trading House would immediately invite Array Masters and Artifact Makers, among other specialist cultivators. Even if it meant offending Li Shiming, they would still attempt replication if it was possible.


    Because if it could be replicated, even if Yun¡¯s Trading House refrained, other trading houses would do so, which would be detrimental to their business.


    ¡°Senior Yun can surely give it a try. You might not believe private guarantees, but I am confident that no one can replicate it!¡± Li Shiming stated with certainty.


    Even if some cultivator managed to decipher the decoy Formations and researched its internals, it would be meaningless.


    ¡°Forty percent of the sales price will be my share, and additionally, Yun¡¯s Trading House must declare the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ to be the result of the Yun Family¡¯s research and must not reveal my association to anyone!¡± Li Shiming said, extending four fingers.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Yun Ze sprang up as if his tail had been stepped on but, realizing his rudeness, sat down again and said, ¡°At most thirty percent. To sell the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯, Yun¡¯s needs to pave the way, which involves many expenses!¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Li Shiming reached out his hand.


    He was actually taking a risk. With thirty percent, the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ had to sell for at least two hundred spirit stones each for him to make a small profit.


    But he agreed nonetheless, as distributing the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ brought him many hidden benefits. His relationship with Yun¡¯s Trading House deepened, and he could offload any potential troubles associated with the device.


    The first batch of the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ was a hundred units, which he handed over to Yun Ze directly.


    The contract between him and Yun¡¯s Trading House was a secret contract, which would only be revealed if there were conflicts between them that required the sect to intervene.


    Li Shiming continued his daily cultivation and research while within the sect, the sudden emergence of the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ caused a fervor.


    The marketing tactics used by Yun¡¯s Trading House were quite special. For the convenience of communication, they gifted ten ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ devices to important business partners.


    These business partners included wealthy cultivators as well as celebrities within certain industries in the sect, all deliberately selected by Yun¡¯s Trading House.


    Naturally, Yun¡¯s Trading House also hired professional cultivators to take apart and study the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯. Even after damaging a few units in the process, they couldn¡¯t figure out the underlying principles, let alone reproduce them.


    This high difficulty in replication reassured Yun¡¯s Trading House even more.


    After ten cultivators used the visual chat function of the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯, they too wanted to gift it to friends, as it really was too convenient for communication.


    You must understand that for cultivators to communicate, even if they use the Identity Jade Disc, it is still a matter of sending one message and replying to another, which does not allow seeing the other¡¯s expression and always necessitates guessing the other¡¯s thoughts.


    But with visual chat, it¡¯s different. It¡¯s as convenient as meeting face to face, allowing cultivators who spend long periods secluded in their cultivation chambers to have the chance to see friends without leaving home.


    Yun¡¯s Trading House, using the extreme rarity of the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ as an excuse, released another ten units, each priced at five hundred spirit stones.


    Almost instantly after the message was released, all ten ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ were ordered, with many more cultivators urgently requesting Yun¡¯s Trading House to restock, even offering to pay spirit stones first and wait for the goods.


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 Chapter 151: 122: Magic Artifact

    Chapter 151: Chapter 122: Magic Artifact


    ¡°`


    Recently, among the Qi Refinement disciples within the sect, Yun¡¯s Trading House had become the most frequently mentioned name.


    A month had passed since Li Shiming began cooperating with Yun¡¯s Trading House, and every few days, they would release some ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯, all of which were primarily supplied to their regular customers.


    This enabled Yun¡¯s Trading House to establish a sales network centered around ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ within just a short month.


    Unlike other trading houses, customers who wanted to shop at Yun¡¯s Trading House could use Mutual View to see the display of goods, allowing them to understand the details of the products more intuitively.


    Additionally, with Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s deliberate promotion, ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ had become a more convenient, more accessible, and more confidential method of sale compared to traditional methods.


    The binding mechanism between ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ and the Identity Jade Disc gave Yun¡¯s Trading House a significant advantage over other trading houses.


    Any ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ sold by Yun¡¯s Trading House required on-the-spot binding with an Identity Jade Disc, ensuring that even if other trading houses wanted to imitate their network, they couldn¡¯t achieve the same goal without ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯.


    Over the years, the bottom line of each trading house was well known to the others.


    Of course, the other trading houses were also trying to find a way, but time waits for no one. Given the current growth rate of Yun¡¯s Trading House, by the time the others acquired ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯, it would be impossible to shake Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s dominant position.


    Li Shiming had never imagined that Yun¡¯s Trading House could be so shrewd and farsighted, and their pricing strategy for ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ was astonishing to him.


    His initial pricing consideration did not exceed 100 Spirit Stones, and even after knowing Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s plans, he only changed it to a thirty percent commission.


    He never anticipated that Yun¡¯s Trading House could sell ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ for the exorbitant price of 500 Spirit Stones each.


    Moreover, Yun¡¯s Trading House had developed a scarcity marketing method and even established a monopoly.


    In his eyes, Li Shiming was like a research fanatic, similar to the many Array Masters in the sect, spending as many Spirit Stones as they had access to.


    Of course, Li Shiming would not explain the dangers of having excessive Spirit Stones. Perhaps Yun Ze wouldn¡¯t get any ideas about a large sum of Spirit Stones, but that might not be the case for other Cultivators within Yun¡¯s Trading House.


    Li Shiming was like a child carrying gold through a bustling market¡ªvery likely to trigger the greed of others.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Senior Yun, but this is my dream!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    Returning to the underground space, the space now looked entirely different than before, with rows of neatly arranged machines separated by Formations.


    Though the chips being manufactured were still at the micrometer scale, after creating better wafers, he had managed to produce one-micrometer chips. To create even better chips, a nanometer-scale Optical Lithography Machine needed to be built. At present, he needed to gain more experience in wafer fabrication to stabilize the quality before moving on to the next steps.


    The one-micrometer chips, coupled with formation-based cooling, allowed all the equipment to operate independently without relying on the IBM z15 under the cooperation of multiple chips.


    Additionally, with the assistance of industrial robot arms, human intervention was greatly reduced.


    These machines, thanks to the integration with Cultivation World enhancements, did not have to consider wear and tear, and as long as there was sufficient electricity, they could operate continuously.


    However, up to this point in his research, Li Shiming had encountered a bottleneck. It wasn¡¯t that the technology from his previous life was bad, but rather figuring out how to combine it with the Cultivation World was the challenge.


    Perhaps it was because his exposure to the knowledge of the Cultivation World was limited. Reaching this stage was already pushing his limits.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 152: 122 Magic Artifact_2

    Chapter 152: Chapter 122 Magic Artifact_2


    Li Shiming did not rush; the greatest advantage for a cultivator is longevity.


    Even a Qi Refining cultivator can easily live over a hundred years, and he was confident that he would not be confined to the Qi Refinement Realm. He had plenty of time to conduct his research.


    He came to the side of the Spiritual Spring in the underground space, which by now was fully utilized.


    This was the energy outlet of a Low Grade Spirit Vein. The ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± occupied part of the space next to the Spiritual Spring, and the main core of the underground space¡¯s Formation was also situated next to the Spiritual Spring. Adding the area reserved for his own cultivation, the space around the Spiritual Spring was entirely occupied.


    Sitting on a stone stool, he took out Yun Ze¡¯s storage bag and pulled out a pile of metal items from inside.


    These metal items included long tube shapes, and irregular designs, but what was most surprising was that each piece was a Mid-grade Artifact Base.


    A Mid-grade Artifact Base is a Mid Grade Magical Artifact in its raw state before any magic has been infused. Just this pile of Mid-grade Artifact Bases had used up ten thousand Spirit Stones, no wonder Yun Ze said he was wasteful.


    In this world, no one could understand Li Shiming¡¯s ideas.


    His consciousness called up the Array design diagram from his IBMz15, which was for a six-barreled Gatling gun. Beyond the normal Gatling design, this one was covered in Array Runes and filled with complex Spiritual Power Pattern circuitry.


    These Array Runes and Spiritual Power Patterns were so small that they were impossible to clearly see without magnifying them dozens of times. Such small-scale Formations were extremely rare in the Cultivation World, at least they should not be in the hands of a Qi Refining cultivator.


    Li Shiming moved all the Mid-grade Artifact Bases into the machine room space, and his consciousness entered his clone.


    A small part of the clone¡¯s Third Grade Sword Base was taken out and transformed into a one-micron chisel.


    The Third Grade Sword Base, now a chisel, was controlled by both the consciousness and the clone in the machine room space, and they began carving the Formation base on the Mid-grade Artifact Base according to the design diagram.


    This process was incredibly delicate, and even the slightest error could affect the effectiveness of the Formation.


    Only within the machine room space, where the Third Grade Sword Base could change freely, could such precise operations be performed on the Mid-grade Artifact Base.


    It¡¯s very likely that the creator of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± never imagined that the powerful close combat Cultivation Technique he developed would become an aid for carving.


    The carving work, which did not affect his cultivation and also required energy recovery, took him five days to complete.


    But this was only the first step; the next was an equally precise task of fusing or cutting the Formation materials into the Formation base.


    This task continued for another two days, and arranging the Formation on the Mid-grade Artifact Base was even more complex than setting up the small Mountain Protection Array on Eagle Beak Island.


    After seven days of effort, Li Shiming had in his hands a weapon, the Gatling, that should not have existed in this world.


    Yet this was just the ice crystal bullets in stasis, just like a magic artifact held in the hand, they wouldn¡¯t inflict damage unless they struck a cultivator¡¯s body.


    At this moment, the sole fire attribute metal component inside the whole Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling, the combustion chamber, was successfully ignited, creating an explosion inside due to a vast influx of fire attribute spiritual energy via a miniature array.


    Since there was no need to worry about whether the chamber and the barrel could withstand the force of the explosion, the blast was made as fierce as possible.


    With the protection of durability runes, an array, and the Mid-Grade material body, the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling possessed exceptional sturdiness.


    The ice crystal bullets were fired out from the barrel with the explosion, continuously spinning as they traveled down the barrel¡¯s rifling.


    There was no concern regarding ejecting shell casings, so as soon as a second ice crystal bullet was made, it was also fired by the explosion in the combustion chamber, followed by a third and a fourth.


    While the description may seem prolonged, in reality, within one second, the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling had fired thirty ice crystal bullets.


    The firing rate was controlled by an electric actuator, an array that Li Shiming and IBM z15 had researched together, which could reach a maximum rate of thirty bullets per second.


    If there were further advancements in the array, simply adjusting the electric actuator would increase the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling¡¯s firing rate.


    At its current firing rate, the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling would consume a spirit stone every ten seconds, with ten spirit stones only lasting a hundred seconds.


    The spirit stone slot could also be combined with a storage bag, allowing for longer energy consumption from spirit stones.


    Li Shiming was conducting a test, after firing continuously for a hundred seconds, he began to inspect the status of the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling.


    In his previous life, synthetic metals were able to support the firing of a Gatling gun, not to mention that this Gatling was a Mid-Grade magic artifact, which had multiple enhancements.


    In terms of power, IBM z15 had estimated that each ice crystal bullet of the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling had the equivalent power of a copper corpse wielding a large axe and chopping down.


    In the span of one second, which Qi Refining Cultivator could withstand the attack of a copper corpse hacking at them thirty times in succession?


    Perhaps there were some, Li Shiming thought of Baili Jin Yan, a top second-generation immortal of the Qi Refinement Realm pushing its limits, who probably could resist the continuous attacks of the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling with their body alone.


    But in the Cultivation World, how many geniuses like Baili Jin Yan could there be?


    It¡¯s unlikely that even the Holy Ice Sect could produce a second one. The investment of a third-grade spiritual item could be used to nurture a Golden Core; it was no surprise that it could help a Qi Refining Cultivator resist the barrage of the Mid-Grade Magic Weapon Gatling.


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 Chapter 153: 123: Essence Blood

    Chapter 153: Chapter 123: Essence Blood


    Within an outpost on the outskirts of the Sky Sea Sect, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was observing two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    This outpost was a permanent base established by Elder Baili of the Holy Ice Sect, specifically for investigating the disappearance of Baili Jin Yan.


    Normally stationed here were two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and the operation was overseen by Wei Yun, a Foundation Establishment direct disciple of Elder Baili.


    Recently, while reviewing intelligence reports from the Sky Sea Sect, Wei Yun discovered that Li Shiming, who should have been killed, was still alive.


    Li Shiming was not important, but Wei Yun had already reported his death to his master, Elder Baili, thus Li Shiming must be dead.


    It was known that Elder Baili personally investigated Qiu Tan on Changming Island and sensed remnants of a mark left by Baili Jin Yan on Qiu Tan and two helpers.


    Due to the passage of time, only a faint trace of the mark remained.


    However, this did not hinder Elder Baili¡¯s discovery, and whether Qiu Tan was involved in Baili Jin Yan¡¯s disappearance or not, Qiu Tan was someone Baili Jin Yan wanted dead.


    Thus, killing Qiu Tan and the two helpers for his son amounted to fulfilling Baili Jin Yan¡¯s unfulfilled wish.


    After a period of investigation, Elder Baili harbored many doubts about the disappearance of Baili Jin Yan; the secret technique left in Baili Jin Yan¡¯s body had lost connection but had not vanished, which was his last hope that Baili Jin Yan was not dead.


    After capturing Qiu Tan and the two helpers, Elder Baili subjected them to a brutal Soul Search.


    Soul Search, even in the Cultivation World, is not a method used lightly, usually employed only by those with deep grievances.


    This technique, once used, would completely obliterate the soul of the searched, for cultivators understand death as the extinguishing of life with the soul entering the cycle of reincarnation.


    Soul obliteration meant no hope for reincarnation, representing the most cruel punishment.


    ¡°Claiming a reward for this task, do you understand the consequences?¡± Wei Yun sternly reprimanded, his face grim.


    The two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators turned pale, fully aware of Elder Baili¡¯s methods.


    ¡°Junior Master Wei, who would have known that the Spirit Plant Cultivator on that island wasn¡¯t Li Shiming!¡± one of the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators explained with a pained expression.


    Indeed, the location of the task was correct, and the target was a Qi Refining Middle Stage Spirit Plant Cultivator.


    They used the Breaking Formation Talisman provided by the sect to enter Eagle Beak Island and saw a cultivator casting the Spiritual Plant Cultivation Spell.


    Both the location and the description of the target were correct, and they had not anticipated killing the wrong person.


    In truth, not just them, but even Wei Yun had not bothered to investigate further; such a low-level Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivator was not worth the excessive attention of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and it hardly mattered if he died.


    If not for the intelligence mention of a Basic-level Array Master rising in fame within the Sky Sea Sect, whose name happened to be Li Shiming, Wei Yun would have forgotten this incident altogether.


    ¡°Here is another Breaking Formation Talisman, you two go once more and clean up this matter, leave no loose ends!¡± Wei Yun ordered in a deep voice.


    Wei Yun felt somewhat pained, having to give up another Breaking Formation Talisman, which this time was not reimbursed by Elder Baili but came out of his own pocket.


    Of course, the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators received no reward for the task this time, having already taken it previously, and they dared not accept another for the same task.


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Master Wei. Rest assured, we will not make a mistake again this time!¡± the two Qi Refining cultivators assured repeatedly.


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 Chapter 154: 123: Essence Blood_2

    Chapter 154: Chapter 123: Essence Blood_2


    Li Shiming had no idea that there was a follow-up to Baili Jin Yan¡¯s affair, as more than half a year had passed. He thought that the investigation from the Holy Ice Sect should have ended by now.


    Besides, nothing had ever happened on Eagle Beak Island; all was peaceful.


    At this moment, he was using his Spiritual Thought combined with his consciousness to conduct a thorough examination of his duplicate body.


    The aura of the duplicate had completely transformed and bore no trace of Baili Jin Yan¡¯s, coupled with the change in appearance, it was as if it were another person altogether.


    However, whenever Li Shiming immersed his consciousness into the duplicate to practice the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± he always sensed the existence of some kind of spiritual energy within.


    The duplicate had not felt this strongly when it had just recovered its Spiritual Thought, so he hadn¡¯t paid much attention, but as the duplicate¡¯s Spiritual Thought grew, this sensation became increasingly apparent.


    Moreover, when the duplicate cultivated the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± the rate at which its Spiritual Thought strengthened seemed a bit too fast, even surpassing the rate of increase of his own true body¡¯s Spiritual Thought.


    Li Shiming divided the duplicate¡¯s body into dozens of regions and started examining them at the micrometer level, meticulously probing each area.


    He knew his realm was too low, so his search was exceedingly slow: micrometer by micrometer, his Spiritual Thought inching along in the examination.


    Eventually, he found a suspicious detail¡ªa droplet of essence blood within the heart.


    He suspected this droplet because, although it seemed normal, when probed by Spiritual Thought, he discerned a hint of an abnormal aura.


    If the duplicate¡¯s aura had remained the same as before, Li Shiming would never have noticed anything peculiar about the droplet of essence blood.


    The problem was that now the duplicate¡¯s aura had completely changed, and although the aura of the essence blood was extremely faint, it didn¡¯t fit in with the surrounding aura at all.


    Aside from the aura of the essence blood, he failed to sense the special spiritual energy within it.


    After some consideration, Li Shiming decided to let the duplicate cultivate the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± because every time he sensed the spiritual energy, it was when the duplicate was in the middle of cultivating the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique.¡±


    At the same time, he had his true body¡¯s Spiritual Thought and consciousness monitor this droplet of essence blood, so that he could detect any irregularities immediately should they occur.


    With the operation of the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique,¡± this droplet of essence blood emitted an extremely pure spiritual energy into the duplicate¡¯s body, enhancing the intensity of its Spiritual Thought.


    Li Shiming finally understood the nature of the spiritual energy he had sensed¡ª it was precisely this seemingly normal droplet of essence blood.


    This essence blood was aiding Baili Jin Yan in cultivating the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± through some unknown method.


    In any case, with Li Shiming¡¯s current realm, even with the help of his room¡¯s space and an IBM z15, he couldn¡¯t unravel the special nature of the essence blood.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that this was an act of a father¡¯s selfless love. Elder Baili had used his own essence blood and a secret technique to extract it and transplanted it into his son, Baili Jin Yan¡¯s, body.


    This allowed him to stay on top of everything while swiftly advancing in the realm of Formation knowledge.


    Suddenly, the IBMz15 stopped sharing Formation knowledge and issued a warning alert to him.


    He understood that the vibrating eyepatch beside him was responding to his senses through the IBMz15¡¯s alert.


    A vibrating eyepatch indicated suspicious proximity.


    He didn¡¯t need to wear the eyepatch; by sending a Spiritual Thought into it, he could then see the abnormal location outside the island through a surveillance probe.


    Speaking of surveillance probes, with the advent of micro-level chips, he had made many of them, covering all directions approaching Eagle Beak Island within the surveillance range.


    Infrared combined with standard mode, processed and analyzed by the chip, would automatically send a preemptive warning to the relay device, that is, the eyepatch, whenever a suspicious situation arose.


    At the same time, the surveillance probes would track the movement of suspicious targets and provide real-time tracking footage to the eyepatch.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought acted as his eyes, seeing the image within the eyepatch, revealing a figure in a state of Invisibility.


    Cultivators possess many Invisibility Techniques, but most of them are of little use to fellow cultivators, as even a simple Qi Observation Skill could unveil them.


    Even without the use of Qi Observation Skill, a cultivator¡¯s sensitivity to fluctuations in Spiritual Energy is enough to detect an Invisibility cultivator approaching within a certain distance.


    Li Shiming¡¯s surveillance probes naturally lacked this method, but the infrared mode was equally capable of detecting the target.


    What surprised him, however, was that the target¡¯s silhouette didn¡¯t appear red as a normal cultivator would under the infrared night vision mode, which indicated the heat the body emits.


    Even as cultivators, the body continuously emits heat, with stronger cultivators radiating more intense heat.


    However, the figure in the surveillance was showing a deep blue color, indicative of a body temperature far below the surrounding temperature.


    Luckily, when Li Shiming wrote the judgment program, he included the possibility of a low body temperature. He had encountered a similar cultivator before, though that one was a Devil Cultivator.


    This Devil Cultivator was from the Xuanming Sect, very similar to the deep blue silhouette.


    ¡°Could it be a Xuanming Sect cultivator?¡± Li Shiming speculated in his mind.


    But why would a Xuanming Sect cultivator sneak into Eagle Beak Island so secretly? This place was a forbidden area for Xuanming Sect cultivators.


    Just then, he saw a second deep blue figure appear, and the two seemed to be exchanging words. Afterward, one of them extended a hand towards the Array.


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 Chapter 155: 124: Tracking

    Chapter 155: Chapter 124: Tracking


    The two cultivators who arrived were Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators from the Holy Ice Sect, and they practiced the Holy Ice Sect¡¯s main cultivation technique, which filled their bodies with chilly spiritual power. This is why they appeared deep blue in infrared mode.


    These two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, taking advantage of the night, made their way to Eagle Beak Island as if it were a route they knew well.


    The last time, it was them who came to assassinate, and this time they had come again.


    One of the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators took out an Array Breaking Talisman. When the spiritual power was stimulated, the talisman emitted a beam of white light that flew into the small Mountain Protection Array.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is the Array Breaking Talisman useless?¡± Seeing the white light disappear as if a stone ox had entered the sea, he asked in bewilderment.


    Little did he know that the defensive formation on Eagle Beak Island had been replaced with a smaller Mountain Protection Array. Unless someone employed a powerful method to crack it, a formidable Array Master, many times more skilled than Li Shiming, would have to make a personal appearance to possibly break through the small Mountain Protection Array.


    Array Breaking Talismans were precious because they could allow a cultivator with not even the slightest foundation in formation techniques the possibility of breaking through a formation.


    However, Array Breaking Talismans weren¡¯t omnipotent. Their creation involved taking the experience of an intermediate or higher level Array Master in breaking formations and gathering it onto a talisman with the aid of some spiritual objects.


    Such Array Breaking Talismans could easily break lower-level formations in one strike, but for relatively high-level formations like the small Mountain Protection Array, they lost their effect.


    Of course, there were different grades of Array Breaking Talismans. If one was made by a great master of formation techniques, it might still cause chaos in the small Mountain Protection Array, thereby opening a passage.@@@@


    Clearly, the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators weren¡¯t using a great master¡¯s Array Breaking Talisman; those wouldn¡¯t be wasted to deal with a Qi Refining cultivator¡ªit simply wasn¡¯t cost-effective.


    It would be like using third-grade materials for a self-destruct attack to kill a Qi Refining cultivator¡ªthe cost and the target difference were too great.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± One of the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators asked his companion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back for now. The Array Breaking Talisman is useless; do you expect us to break the formation by force?¡± His companion shook his head, indicating there was nothing they could do.


    Such small islands were too numerous and hardly attracted the attention of cultivators.


    Li Shiming descended from the sky to the sea surface, then changed into a diving suit and submerged himself in the water.


    He sank all the way to the seabed, which wasn¡¯t particularly deep, being only about thirty meters.


    From the seabed, he approached the direction of the small island. This was his experience; on Eagle Beak Island, he had realized that approaching a formation from underwater greatly reduced the likelihood of being detected by the formation.


    Therefore, he had also placed many surveillance probes beneath the waters surrounding Eagle Beak Island.


    Extending his spiritual thought, he detected the formation set up on the small island.


    As he had hypothesized, a high-level formation had been established here, its surface undetectable to the sense of spiritual power fluctuations.


    But when his spiritual thought made contact, the fluctuations of spiritual power could not escape the detection of his spiritual thought.


    Based on the sensations from his spiritual thought, the IBMz15 drafted a diagram of the spiritual power pattern of the formation, conjecturing the operation trajectory of the formation.


    While he was investigating, he suddenly felt a tremor in his heart. He withdrew his spiritual thought and suppressed the fluctuations of spiritual power within his body as much as possible.


    A figure flew out from the island, completely unaware of his presence below the surface, and soared away into the distance.


    Li Shiming broke out in a cold sweat. He had not expected that there would be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator on the small island. It was fortunate that the Foundation Establishment Cultivator hadn¡¯t discovered him; otherwise, he would¡¯ve been in great trouble.


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 Chapter 156: 124 Tracking_2

    Chapter 156: Chapter 124 Tracking_2


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivator was none other than Wei Yun, and he was here waiting for the report of two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.@@@@


    But unexpectedly, the two cultivators failed their mission, and knowing that the Array Breaking Talisman was ineffective, Wei Yun understood that he must report this matter to his master.


    Although he might get punished by the master, the trouble of concealing this issue was even greater.


    As for the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, he couldn¡¯t care about them anymore, whether they were dead or alive would be up to his master¡¯s decision.


    Li Shiming wanted to leave, but felt somewhat reluctant; he was growing more and more curious, just who was this force that targeted him?


    Was it the Xuanming Sect? Or had he been exposed somewhere recently and caught the attention of the Holy Ice Sect?


    Or perhaps some faction within the sect wanted to grab wealth, knowing that he had a large amount of Spirit Stones on hand?


    In truth, his affairs were quite numerous; he had killed Baili Jin Yan, the genius of the Holy Ice Sect, repelled the cultivators of the Xuanming Sect in Nanshan Country, and then caused a ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ incident within the Sky Sea Sect, obtaining a huge amount of Spirit Stones.


    Any one of these incidents was enough for the various powers to make a move against him, and he needed to determine specifically which faction wanted to deal with him.


    Moreover, based on his assessment of the island, there were no spiritual veins, meaning the island couldn¡¯t possibly support the cultivation needs of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, let alone those at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    So, the probability of another Foundation Establishment Cultivator being present after one had left was extremely low.


    The Formation on the small island was quite ingenious, but after analyzing with the IBM z15, a pattern in the Spiritual Power flow was still detected.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought successfully infiltrated the Formation, and entering through a hidden entrance concealed by the Formation, he found himself inside a cave dwelling.


    Inside the cave dwelling, sat two cultivators with grim faces, sitting in meditation across from each other, seemingly waiting for judgment.


    They were indeed awaiting judgment; despite the unintentional mistake, they had indeed deceived Elder Baili.


    And their attempt to rectify the mistake had failed, leaving them to face Elder Baili¡¯s disposition.


    Li Shiming re-assessed their realms, just as he had observed before, one was a Qi Refining Seventh Level and the other, a Qi Refining Eighth Layer.


    He didn¡¯t find the presence of other cultivators, and there were other rooms inside the cave dwelling, but no auras emanated from them.


    Spiritual Thought was extremely sensitive to auras, at this range, unless someone used a Secret Technique to intentionally conceal themselves, they would be detected by Spiritual Thought.


    This made him less hesitant, he wanted to test whether the Mid Grade Magical Artifact Gatling, made from ten thousand Spirit Stones, could really suppress a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.


    The two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in front of him were the perfect test subjects, and coincidentally, another one of his plans also required the corpses of two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    For a Cultivator, the power of a Magic Artifact is judged by its grade.


    Mid-grade magic weapons are stronger than low-grade ones, and top-grade are stronger than mid-grade¡ªthis is a recognition etched in every Cultivator¡¯s mind.


    Li Shiming slowly entered the cave dwelling, dissatisfied with the performance of the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling.


    Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had encountered elite Qi Refining disciples of the Holy Ice Sect, for the means of sect cultivators far exceeded those of Loose Cultivators, especially those elite disciples from the sects, who had all experienced life-and-death struggles.


    The two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators saw Li Shiming¡¯s figure. This time, to make up for their previous mistake, they had carefully examined Li Shiming¡¯s portrait and recognized him instantly.


    But at this moment, they had no spare energy to question anything, as they were fully resisting the storm-like attack from the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling.


    ¡°It seems the firepower is still insufficient,¡± Li Shiming muttered to himself.


    Do not be misled; though the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling was suppressing the two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators, they were definitely not at their limit and still had the strength to fight back.


    Li Shiming opened his mouth, and the ¡®Devil Sound Lotus¡¯ activated, with IBMz15 emitting the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant.¡¯


    Compared with the first time he used the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯ on the ten Han Family Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators, this time the chant activated through the ¡®Devil Sound Lotus¡¯ was many times more powerful.


    In the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant,¡¯ the Buddhist essence was amplified to showcase the Buddha¡¯s magnificence and compassion, while the demonic essence magnified the ugliness of the world. The coexistence of Buddha and demon drastically elevated each other¡¯s powers to the extreme.


    The expressions on the faces of the two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators changed with the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant,¡¯ seeming to fall into the music of the chant at any moment.


    Once their minds were controlled by the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant,¡¯ they would no longer have the spare energy to control the top-grade magic shield to resist the attack from the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling.


    ¡°Ice Meditation Calming Spirit!¡± the Qi Refining Eighth Layer Cultivator roared, a jade vial appearing in his hand. Without even looking, he poured the Elixir Pills into his mouth, and immediately the cold aura around him surged, his eyes clearing once again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off for a moment, you kill him!¡± he instructed his companion through a spiritual transmission.


    The Qi Refining Seventh Level Cultivator understood this was their last chance; the copper corpse was clearly Li Shiming¡¯s. As long as they killed Li Shiming, they could resolve the current crisis.


    Plus, by killing Li Shiming, they could also provide an explanation to Elder Baili.


    At this point, Li Shiming was also helpless. He and IBMz15 had spent a lot of time fusing the ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound in the Ear (Fake)¡¯ with the ¡®Oral Lotus¡¯¡ªone demonic, one Buddhist, two sound wave techniques¡ªinto one, thinking the combined ¡®Devil Sound Lotus¡¯ would be incredibly powerful.


    But the two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators before him had severely slapped the faces of both him and IBMz15, well, if IBMz15 had a face, that is.


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 Chapter 157: 125: Resolving

    Chapter 157: Chapter 125: Resolving


    It wasn¡¯t the fault of the ¡°Devil Sound Lotus¡±; Li Shiming simply chose the wrong target to use the Sound Wave Technique on.


    If he had used the ¡°Devil Sound Lotus¡± against the cultivators from other sects, even those from the demonic sects, the ¡°Devil Sound Lotus¡± would have produced a remarkable effect.


    However, due to the primary cultivation technique of the Holy Ice Sect, they possessed an extremely strong resistance against mind-dazzling illusions.


    Furthermore, Li Shiming¡¯s realm was still too low. If he had also been at the late-stage Qi Refining Realm, the two Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators would have definitely been unable to withstand it.


    As he contemplated this, a chilly light appeared before him.


    It was a transparent ice sword, which stopped half a meter in front of him.


    In front of him, a small Spirit Turtle Shield appeared, a mid-grade Spirit Turtle Shield that naturally couldn¡¯t withstand a full-power strike from a Qi Refining 7th Level Cultivator, but it was the effect produced by the shield¡¯s defensive array.


    This strike also made the defensive array of the Spirit Turtle Shield tremble for a moment, finally neutralizing the full force of the strike.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly; a Spiritual Thought Jade Sword, invisible to the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, shot out, targeting the Qi Refining 7th Level Cultivator.


    At the same time, under the drive of the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique,¡± the Qingyuan Wood Sword transformed into a streak of sword light following the Spiritual Thought Jade Sword towards the Qi Refining 7th Level Cultivator.


    Speaking of the Qingyuan Wood Sword, after Li Shiming had some Spirit Stones, he still wanted to buy a high-grade metal-attribute sword artifact from Yun¡¯s Trading House, but after reviewing several, none satisfied him.


    The main reason was still the high quality of the Qingyuan Wood Sword. Switching to those high-grade sword artifacts wouldn¡¯t fundamentally enhance the power of his ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique.¡±


    Considering the time it would take to re-refine a high-grade sword artifact, he found it not worthwhile, so he continued using the Qingyuan Wood Sword until now.


    Another most important reason was that his standards were too high.


    If he wanted to escape, then he would have to repel the copper corpse and Li Shiming.


    ¡°Let¡¯s die together!¡± The Qi Refining Eighth Level Cultivator yelled with a fierce look in his eyes.


    The spiritual power fluctuations on his body became violent, and his body began to swell.


    How could Li Shiming allow him to self-destruct; a self-destruction from a Qi Refining Eighth Level Cultivator, his slight frame couldn¡¯t withstand.


    He shot out another Spiritual Thought Jade Sword; the madness in the eyes of the Qi Refining Eighth Level Cultivator, when hit in the brain by the Spiritual Thought Jade Sword, seemed to solidify.


    The high-grade magic artifact shield in his hands, due to the short loss of spiritual power support, was struck by several ice crystal bullets and knocked away.


    The body of the Qi Refining Eighth Level Cultivator was exposed in front of the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling, and in a moment, several holes appeared in his chest, with the most fatal being the heart damage.


    Li Shiming sighed in relief; he had won this battle, but it was not as easy as he had imagined.


    Using the Spiritual Thought Jade Sword twice to harm his enemies, as their realms were higher than his own, both uses of the Spiritual Thought Jade Sword left him feeling spiritually exhausted.


    He then realized the risks of using the Spiritual Thought Jade Sword in combat; he had encountered Qi Refining cultivators who lacked the means to defend against Spiritual Thought attacks.


    If the enemy had methods to counter Spiritual Thought, combined with the difference in their realms, he feared his spirit would suffer severe damage.


    Before the battle, he had underestimated the combat power of the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators; he only understood this during the actual fight.


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 Chapter 158: 125 Solution_2

    Chapter 158: Chapter 125 Solution_2


    If it weren¡¯t for the suppression of a Mid Grade Magical Artifact, he wouldn¡¯t have even had a chance to use the Spiritual Thought attack, which deepened his understanding of the impact that the disparity in realms had on combat.


    Li Shiming stepped forward to the two corpses and cast the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡±, and two soul bodies were absorbed by the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡±.


    After that, he collected the two corpses and began to clean up the traces of battle within the cave dwelling.


    The cave dwelling was protected by a formation and was not damaged; all he needed to do was to retrieve all the ice crystal bullets.


    Of course, if the ice crystal bullets were left unchecked, they would slowly melt as the Spiritual Power inside weakened over time.


    He checked the cave dwelling again, and inside the storage room, there were no shortage of High-level Grain Avoidance Pills, as well as some healing Elixir Pills.


    In the other two rooms, Spirit Gathering Arrays had been set up, and just the cost of these formations was substantial.


    It was evident that this stronghold was very important, and he confirmed which power¡¯s stronghold it was.


    From the style of combat, he recognized that the two Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators were from the Holy Ice Sect, undoubtedly a consequence of Baili Jin Yan¡¯s influence.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t touch the Elixir Pills in the storage room, nor did he consider dismantling the formation there.


    Before he had devised the ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡±, he would never let go of everything here, as the materials for setting up the formations were quite valuable.


    Now, his fortunes were vastly different. It wasn¡¯t that he looked down on the wealth before him, but rather that he had deeper plans.


    Li Shiming began setting up traps in the cave dwelling, with the main setup being filling the space beneath the cave dwelling with solid explosives synthesized from nitroglycerin and various chemical substances.


    Only with an unrestricted source of raw materials could he create the most powerful explosives from his previous life in this world.


    A whole two tons of solid explosives were filled underneath the cave dwelling.


    He also installed pinhole surveillance cameras on the walls of the main hall of the cave dwelling.


    Due to the nature of the cave dwelling, the signals from the pinhole surveillance cameras were unable to penetrate the thick stone walls.


    This issue was easily resolved; he added several formation flags to the dwelling¡¯s original formation, enabling it to transmit information outside, enhancing the formation with the capability to pass messages outward.


    Similar to the Sect Formation in its effect to communicate information, the setup within the cave dwelling was a super simplified version, able to transmit information from inside of the dwelling to eighty meters outside.


    Outside of the formation at the sea bottom, he placed an intermediary receiver and extended the signal from there for a kilometer along the seabed using long cables.


    Having finished all preparations, Li Shiming sat in a small hole he had dug in the seabed rocks a kilometer away, clad in a diving suit, staying there.


    The strength of the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡± lay in the split souls ability to share vision and hearing with the primary soul, and the owner of the primary soul could share the primary soul¡¯s vision and hearing.


    In this way, no matter how far the split soul traveled from the primary soul, the master could share the sight and sound it experienced.


    The split soul was extremely weak, leaving it virtually defenseless. Yet the way the split soul existed made it a threat that very few beings could perceive, let alone detect.


    And because of the split soul¡¯s weakness, even if it were discovered by a powerful Cultivator, they would likely ignore its presence to a large extent.


    This demonstrated the preciousness of the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡±; any one of the three Jade Scrolls kept by Baili Jin Yan, who was worthy to collect them, would be a top-tier Cultivation Technique.


    Li Shiming carefully split a separate soul from the primary soul. The split soul was weak, and if it weren¡¯t for the primary soul¡¯s sensation, he would have struggled to detect the split soul that was almost within reach.


    Especially in seawater, the presence of the split soul was even less noticeable.


    ¡°It seems that a part of the surveillance work can be done by the split soul from now on!¡± he thought to himself.


    The split soul navigated through the sea, its energy body¡¯s flight unaffected by material, facing no resistance from the water.


    Through sharing sense with the primary soul, Li Shiming watched as the split soul before him moved through the water with ignorant fish swimming past it.


    The split soul reached the ocean¡¯s surface and, through shared vision, he saw the sky and the distant silhouette of a small island.


    He did not let the split soul leave the water but let it float on the surface, monitoring the direction of the island for him.


    In this way, he had two perspectives to observe the island, one from the split soul and the other from the peephole surveillance within his cave dwelling.


    He estimated the split soul¡¯s condition; it could sustain itself for about ten days.


    Without replenishing the soul, the primary soul would not be able to split off another separate soul after this one.


    Li Shiming could not help but think that Baili Jin Yan must have had a primary soul of extremely high energy intensity by his side. Unfortunately, the soul body that was the primary soul was completely eradicated by the sudden explosion.


    Due to his sudden departure, Yin Shilan and Ren Fei¡¯er were unable to contact him through the Identity Jade Disc over the next two days.


    Yin Shilan went directly to Eagle Beak Island, where she found that the small Mountain Protection Array was operating normally. In her mind, Li Shiming was likely to have entered a state of enlightenment or seclusion. Feeling that Li Shiming was not in any trouble, she also felt at ease.


    Ren Fei¡¯er, who had traveled with Li Shiming, was convinced that he had not run into any trouble. She was busy calculating how many stories Li Shiming owed her, planning to settle accounts with him once they could make contact again.


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 Chapter 159: 126: Explosion

    Chapter 159: Chapter 126: Explosion


    Four days later, Li Shiming¡¯s mind was immersed in learning when he suddenly felt a reminder from his split soul, an indication that it had detected something abnormal.


    He ceased learning from the IBM z15 and, through shared vision, received the perspective of his split soul.


    Two figures were initially far away but instantly appeared above the small island, their speed the like of which he had seldom seen in his life.


    The split soul, a kilometer away from the island, felt as if it were about to collapse under the oppressive aura emitted by one of the figures.


    Li Shiming thought of Old Monk Du Yuan and recalled the aura revealed by all the elders atop the Nine Peaks.@@@@


    ¡°Damn, how could it be a Golden Core Elder!¡± he thought in extreme horror.


    He had never expected that a Golden Core Elder would come this time.


    He also guessed the identity of the Golden Core Elder, with over eighty percent certainty that it was Baili Jin Yan¡¯s father, the Elder Baili Luo from the Holy Ice Sect.


    Only this Golden Core Elder would personally appear in these waters.


    In any sect, the Golden Core Elders are extremely enigmatic.


    Sect affairs do not disturb Golden Core Elders, and the power of the sect means nothing to them.


    In the face of absolute power, authority merely becomes a tool serving the Golden Core Elders.


    Just like the Yu Sect Leader of the Sky Sea Sect, whose power is only at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, cannot compare in status and position with a Golden Core Elder yet holds the sect¡¯s power as its foremost authority.


    Li Shiming controlled his split soul to slowly submerge into the sea.


    By doing so, there was a significant chance that the two Qi Refining Cultivators would be killed by the Sky Sea Sect, but if they somehow survived, it would also resolve previous mistakes.


    But now that he was here and the two Qi Refining Cultivators were not, his plan could not proceed, which naturally frustrated him.


    ¡°Master, let me do it. If I¡¯m careful enough, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems!¡± Wei Yun said, his face showing shame.


    ¡°Foolish, you are my Direct Disciple. If you are discovered, even I cannot dissociate myself from it!¡± Elder Baili rebuked sharply, then thought for a moment and continued, ¡°Issue a mission within the sect. Whoever kills Li Shiming, I will accept as a Registered Disciple!¡±


    For more than half a year, with no news of Baili Jin Yan, Elder Baili knew the chances of his son¡¯s survival were diminishing.


    He held vengeance as more important than anything else, but whether internally at the sect or between Sky Sea and Xuanming Sects, conditions restrained him from taking unfettered revenge.


    The crucial issue wasn¡¯t a mere Qi Refining Fourth Level Cultivator, whether it was sect members related to Baili Jin Yan¡¯s disappearance within the Holy Ice Sect or on the Sky Sea side, he had nearly cleaned them all.


    The reason he said nearly was because there was one, Yin Shilan, whom he had not yet managed to handle.


    Now, discovering that Li Shiming, who had incensed his son Baili Jin Yan, was still alive shocked him.


    It is known that all the Cultivators in the Holy Ice Sect who had incited Baili Jin Yan to go to the Sky Sea Sect had been captured by Elder Baili and tortured to death; on the Sky Sea side, three Qi Refining Cultivators who spread rumors on Changming Island had suffered the same fate.


    Of course, Elder Baili had never considered that Li Shiming, or any other Qi Refining Cultivator, could be the murderer behind Baili Jin Yan¡¯s disappearance, for he had a very clear understanding of his son¡¯s strength.


    At the Qi Refinement Realm, at least on this continent, he was hard to rival.


    The only threats to Baili Jin Yan, those who could prevent his escape, were either strong entities from the Foundation Establishment Stage or perhaps a Golden Core had intervened.


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 Chapter 160: 126 Explosion_2

    Chapter 160: Chapter 126 Explosion_2


    But after this period of investigation, no suspicious individuals were found among the powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivators and the Golden Core members.


    All of Elder Baili¡¯s fury had nowhere to vent, and Li Shiming naturally became the direct target of this anger.


    ¡°Yes, I will issue the task as soon as I return to the sect!¡± Wei Yun was quite shocked, not expecting his master, Elder Baili, to offer such great benefits.


    Even though he¡¯s a Registered Disciple, a Golden Core Elder¡¯s Registered Disciple holds a status within the sect that surpasses most Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    This is an opportunity to receive direct guidance from a Golden Core Elder, which, for the vast majority of sect cultivators, is an immense fortune.


    Wei Yun was considering, after issuing such a task, how many days could Li Shiming survive?


    For such a great opportunity, sect cultivators would dare to make a move near the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s nine peaks.


    All that transpired within the cave dwelling was seen by Li Shiming and heard by his ears.


    Shivering with rage, he never expected that Elder Baili, a mighty Golden Core strongman, would really fixate on him, a mere Qi Refining Fourth Level Cultivator.


    Until now, he had not figured out whether Elder Baili had discovered the real cause of Baili Jin Yan¡¯s death, or if there were other reasons.


    He had never considered that Elder Baili¡¯s reason for targeting him was largely because of Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Go die!¡± A chill ran through Li Shiming¡¯s heart as he connected to the formation within the cave dwelling through the undersea cable, transmitting the detonation command into the interior of the dwelling.


    Elder Baili sensed a faint, strange energy fluctuation before anyone else; he looked toward the ground and, despite no signs of Spiritual Energy fluctuations, felt an extremely strong sense of threat.


    ¡°Very well, to have made arrangements here, I¡¯d like to see which fellow it is,¡± he said, not surprised but somewhat excited.@@@@


    He had been investigating the disappearance of Baili Jin Yan for quite a while without any useful clues.


    Now, with cultivators setting up traps actively, it suggested that the cultivator hidden in the shadows would soon appear.


    As for danger, he, Baili Luo, being at the Golden Core Stage, had killed not less than thousands, if not tens of thousands, of cultivators; he had achieved his current accomplishments by stepping over a mount of corpses.


    He was not afraid of battle in the slightest and even hoped to meet the person behind the scenes for an intense, satisfying fight.


    Elder Baili saw the arrangements here as the handiwork of a peer, and this was not without reason.


    Firstly, an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s setup could hardly make him feel threatened, and those daring enough to set traps for a Golden Core cultivator would certainly not be Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    As for Qi Refining Cultivators, they were not even within his considerations.


    What a joke, what sort of cultivator would a Qi Refining Cultivator be, besides his own son?


    Everything happened too swiftly. When Wei Yun realized he had lost sight of his master¡¯s figure, he was already fully exposed to the explosion.


    Li Shiming indeed overestimated the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, treating Wei Yun like a Foundation Establishment Stage version of Baili Jin Yan; in fact, he was wrong.


    Cultivators like Baili Jin Yan were extremely rare, with Golden Core Stage fathers and the attention of their sect, enjoying the best resources and the most powerful cultivation techniques, achieving comprehensive development in physique, Spiritual Power, and spirit.


    Clearly, Wei Yun was just an average Foundation Establishment Cultivator with no particular focus on Body Refinement.


    This was the norm among cultivators. Body Refinement during the Qi Refinement Realm required a substantial amount of resources, and upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, resources were no less precious, rather even more so.


    A regular cultivator would already be quite accomplished to have sufficient resources for cultivating Spiritual Power, let alone have spare resources to consider Body Refinement.


    Given Elder Baili¡¯s presence initially, Wei Yun did not even prepare his defenses; his defenses were nowhere near as strong as those casually set up by Elder Baili.


    Elder Baili¡¯s Blood Escape left him utterly unguarded against the explosion.


    The Spiritual Energy around his body was torn apart by the violent explosion, which simultaneously ripped through his body and his life.


    Through the last glimpse, Li Shiming¡¯s split soul saw a fading blood shadow in the distance, the terrifying aura of which made the split soul tremble incessantly.


    Then, the blast wave from the explosion arrived and completely shattered the split soul.


    The split soul, which was supposed to exist for ten days, was destroyed in just four.


    Li Shiming waited for the aftermath of the explosion to subside, then immediately burst out from behind the rocks.


    He was one hundred percent certain that the fleeing figure was the Golden Core Elder Baili Luo, which meant the other Foundation Establishment Cultivator must have died in the explosion.


    Even a small portion of the belongings left by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would be an extremely considerable fortune.


    He had to act quickly, for the disturbance here was not slight. Though it was a thousand miles from the Sect Formation, it was not a far distance, and the shock waves from two tons of solid explosives would soon be detected by the Sect Formation.


    The wings on his back enabled Li Shiming to reach the site of the explosion with incredible speed. The small island had long disappeared, and even parts of it had vanished into the sea.


    He searched the sea relentlessly with his Spiritual Thought, hoping to find any remaining items.


    He discovered the body of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, its skeleton still mostly intact, though some flesh was missing, and barely one-tenth of his robe remained.


    To his surprise, a pitch-black storage bag was completely intact, which was an unexpected delight.


    His Spiritual Thought also caught sight of a sword-shaped piece of metal, its fluctuations of Spiritual Energy sent tremors of fear through him, but without dwelling too much on it, he collected it as well.


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 Chapter 161: 127 Starlight

    Chapter 161: Chapter 127 Starlight


    The black sea stretched out, Li Shiming flying closely above the waters. The Spirit Turtle Shield emitted a faint glow, shielding his entire body and enabling him to surge forward at full speed without any constraints.


    Beside him, the main soul of the ¡®Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡¯ had grown almost three times larger, with visible outlines of a body and head, and the vague semblance of facial features on the head.


    This was the result of the main soul devouring the residual souls of Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the explosion site. He had once worried about the weakness of the main soul, but now there was no need for concern.


    As he flew, he was receiving the research results from IBMz15 on the formations of the previous small island.


    The Holy Ice Sect¡¯s stronghold was set up extremely close to the territory of the Sky Sea Sect, so the formations they laid were quite thoughtfully designed, utilizing many significant methods of the Holy Ice Sect.


    This greatly expanded the array knowledge base of IBMz15, and after a short period of study, IBMz15 had already replicated the island¡¯s formations in their entirety.


    The ability to replicate the island formations was partly due to the formidable computational power of IBMz15, and partly because Li Shiming had entered that cave dwelling and approached the formations with his Spiritual Thought, collecting ample data for IBMz15¡¯s research.


    Li Shiming absorbed the new formation knowledge transmitted from IBMz15, and unknowingly he fell into a state of epiphany.


    The source of his formation knowledge was mainly from the legacy of array formations given by Yin Shilan, which was the most comprehensive system of array knowledge.


    Whenever Yin Shilan communicated with him thereafter, it benefited not only her but also greatly enriched his own understanding, as the issues she raised were key points in the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s formations.


    Although limited by Sect restrictions, Yin Shilan only revealed a part, allowing Li Shiming to catch a glimpse of the Sect¡¯s formation shadows.


    Another source of Li Shiming¡¯s formation knowledge was Yun¡¯s Trading House, from which he had acquired a vast amount of disorganized formation knowledge¡ªsome merely fragments of research on particular arrays.


    But it was the aggregation of this vast knowledge that formed his unique system of formations.


    But glancing at the time, he knew he had to wait until noon the next day to contact her through the Identity Jade Disc.


    He traveled through the undersea passage, directly returning to the underground space.


    He was growing fonder of the underground space, the dwelling above merely a decoy. Even if the Holy Ice Sect came looking for him, breaking through the modest Mountain Protection Array, they would only search the cave dwelling.


    Whereas he, ensconced in the underground space with surveillance set up, could detect intruders at any moment, always prepared for their arrival.


    ¡°If two tons can¡¯t kill a Golden Core, then twenty tons. If not twenty, then two hundred!¡± Seated on the ground in the underground space, he mulled over the recent operation, muttering to himself.


    Honestly, he was shaken; two tons of solid explosives had been placed below the ground of that cave dwelling.


    And as the detonation occurred, he watched Elder Baili and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator standing right above the solid explosives.


    The explosion¡¯s force was fully borne by Elder Baili and the Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the moment of blast; to say they experienced one hundred percent of the explosion¡¯s might would be an understatement, thanks to the cave¡¯s environment and formation protections, which significantly amplified the blast.


    The more confined the explosion, the greater the unleashed power.


    Yet despite this, Elder Baili still managed to escape. Though his exit was somewhat disheveled, given a Golden Core¡¯s might, Li Shiming believed that Elder Baili¡¯s injuries were trivial.


    ¡°Let¡¯s first see what¡¯s in the storage bag,¡± Li Shiming stopped pondering the unimaginable. A Golden Core cultivator was beyond his comprehension. He took out the all-black storage bag.


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 Chapter 162: 127 Starlight_2

    Chapter 162: Chapter 127 Starlight_2


    He infused Spiritual Power into the storage bag, but there was no reaction from it.


    ¡°Broken?¡± He considered a possibility, and it was a very likely one.


    Given the explosion at that time, the force of two tons of solid explosives, it was lucky the storage bag had not turned to ashes.


    Yet, he was still somewhat unwilling to give up. He switched to using Spiritual Thought and, this time, it went smoothly as the Spiritual Thought entered the storage bag.


    The storage bag was roughly fifty cubic feet in size, and the items inside were fewer than he had expected.


    A longsword, a shield, a small bell, a wooden flying boat, over five thousand low-grade spirit stones, and more than five hundred mid-grade spirit stones, along with several bottles of Elixir Pills.


    There were no Jade Scrolls, nor any unnecessary clutter. It was evident that this Foundation Establishment Cultivator was a person with slight obsessive-compulsive disorder; all the items in the storage bag were neatly arranged, and no useless items were stored.


    Li Shiming took out the longsword. He practiced the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique,¡± had a strong interest in longswords, and was also a novice Sword Cultivator.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a Magic Artifact, could it be a Spiritual Artifact?¡± Holding the longsword in hand, he felt something was off.


    Being educated in imbuing techniques, he deeply understood Magic Artifacts; this longsword exceeded the category of Magic Artifact in terms of material, spiritual power fluctuation, and the imbuing techniques upon it.


    A Spiritual Artifact, a kind of Magic Artifact that only Foundation Establishment Cultivators could use, is an upgraded version of Magic Artifacts, driven by Spiritual Thought, thus named Spiritual Artifact.


    Of course, another interpretation of a Spiritual Artifact was that a Magic Artifact has a spirit, capable of resonating with the Cultivator¡¯s spiritual thought, thereby possessing greater power.


    At this moment, Li Shiming didn¡¯t feel any spirit in the Spiritual Artifact longsword he held, although he was capable of Spiritual Thought.


    The few Foundation Establishment Cultivators he had encountered didn¡¯t use Spiritual Artifacts; this signified that only a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators owned such items.


    Wei Yun was a direct disciple of the Golden Core Elder Baili. Although Elder Baili didn¡¯t regard this disciple as highly as his own son, Wei Yun¡¯s treatment still surpassed that of most Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    This was also why Foundation Establishment Cultivators yearned to become Golden Core Elder¡¯s disciples. Even the casual rewards from a Golden Core Elder were the resources most Foundation Establishment Cultivators dreamed of.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t know the level of Spiritual Artifacts; this knowledge was beyond the scope of Qi Refining Cultivators.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly take the Spiritual Artifact to inquire about it, as producing such a treasure would only invite big trouble.


    He attempted to transmit a bit of Spiritual Power into the Spiritual Artifact and immediately stopped, as his slight Spiritual Power vanished into the artifact without causing the slightest ripple.


    It seemed one would need to reach Foundation Establishment to qualify to wield a Spiritual Artifact.


    At that moment, his interest in Spiritual Artifacts diminished significantly. Forget reaching Foundation Establishment; he did not even know how much longer it would take to advance beyond late-stage Qi Refining.


    Elixir Pills wouldn¡¯t expose anything, but could he, a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, dare to use such pills?


    A single pill could blow him up; what a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could endure, he could not.


    The only usable items were the Spirit Stones. He took out the Spirit Stones and set them aside, then stored the storage bag in the machine room space to serve as a warehouse.


    By now, he understood what the storage bag was all about¡ªit was probably a Spiritual Artifact, hence it did not react to Spiritual Power Pattern but could be easily opened with Spiritual Thought.


    He dared not use the spoils from the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but the spoils from the two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators from the Holy Ice Sect were of no concern.


    From the intelligence he gathered, Elder Baili and the Foundation Establishment Cultivator suspected that the two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators had been sent to assassinate him, so it would be normal for him to possess their items.


    As for retaliation from the Holy Ice Sect, as long as it wasn¡¯t from Golden Core or Foundation Establishment stages, he could still withstand it.


    Li Shiming took out two storage bags, these functioned normally; Spiritual Power Pattern was all that was needed to open them.


    The insides matched a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s style: few items, two top-grade magic tool longswords, unfortunately of the water attribute and ice series. He had no trace of a Water Spirit Root, using a water attribute top-grade magic tool longsword would reduce its power, and the required Spiritual Power Pattern to drive it would increase.


    Two similarly water attribute ice series top-grade magic tool shields, amounting to about two thousand low-grade Spirit Stones in total.


    Fortunately, there was a glittering Jade Flying Boat, which made Li Shiming feel his efforts were not in vain.


    Holding the Jade Flying Boat in his hands, he saw the mark of the Holy Ice Sect on it, probably meaning it belonged to the sect rather than the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    This was normal; the same was true within the Heavenly Sea Sect. When cultivators needed to travel far for missions, they could apply for a Flying Boat from the sect.


    To apply for a Flying Boat, the sect needed to assess the risks; Flying Boats were expensive and not just available upon request.


    For the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Holy Ice Sect, who were on a mission assigned by Elder Baili, applying for a Flying Boat from the Holy Ice Sect was no problem at all.


    Holding the Jade Flying Boat in hand, a cold icy feeling spread in the air.


    This time, Li Shiming had no complaints; he used the ¡®Dragon Drawing Technique¡¯ to start refining the Jade Flying Boat.


    Although the Black Sparrow Wing aided in flight, there was no convenience like that of a Flying Boat. After all, he always had a dream, like Yin Shilan, to travel across the cloud seas in a boat.


    Of course, having Yin Shilan by his side to drink tea while boating would also be a delightful affair.


    The refinement of the Jade Flying Boat was not very difficult; sect Flying Boats were generally easy to refine.


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 Chapter 163: 128 Holding Hands (Please Recommend, Asking for Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 163: Chapter 128 Holding Hands (Please Recommend, Asking for Monthly Votes)


    ¡°Right, there¡¯s also that piece of scrap metal!¡± Li Shiming said in jest, for although the sword-shaped metal looked battered, the terrifying aura it contained made his heart involuntarily shudder.


    He was certain that the piece of sword-shaped metal was Third Grade material.


    Compared to the Third Grade Sword Base used by his clone to cultivate the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ the aura of this sword-shaped metal was even more intense.


    Of course, the sword-shaped metal was of exceptional quality, it was after all Elder Baili¡¯s main offensive Magic Artifact. If not for Elder Baili¡¯s misjudgment, how would he have allowed his main offensive Magic Artifact to withstand the close-range explosion of two tons of solid explosives.


    The consequences were dire, with the internal structure of the Magic Artifact thoroughly destroyed, severing even the connection between the Magic Artifact and Elder Baili.


    Now, what Li Shiming held in his hand was merely the basic Third Grade metallic material.


    With his knowledge, he of course could not identify which Third Grade material it was.


    Normally, in addition to a primary Third Grade material, a Magic Artifact would also contain some auxiliary materials of high grades to endow it with more features.


    The current state of the sword-shaped metal was such that even an Artifact Maker capable of forging Magic Artifacts would not be able to accurately determine its material.


    The unimaginable explosion had affected the material, inducing subtle changes in it.


    Li Shiming was somewhat hesitant; originally, he had lost interest in the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ since he had a clone cultivating it anyhow.


    It wasn¡¯t that he had no thoughts about the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡¯ The Body Refinement effect of his cultivated ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and that of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ were similar¡ª¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ used Buddhist Vajra Power for Body Refinement, whereas the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ relied on external objects.


    Although the name ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ contains the word ¡®demon,¡¯ it has no connection to Devil Cultivators. The meaning of ¡®demon¡¯ here represents the distinction of this technique from the orthodox Sword Cultivators.


    The ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ refines the body with the sword, and the sword with the body, incorporating high-grade metal within the body and using this to strengthen the physique.


    The high-grade metal will grow alongside the Cultivator, and their connection will deepen over time. After reaching the Golden Core Stage, it can directly become a powerful Magic Artifact of the Golden Core Stage.


    Of course, it is called ¡®demon¡¯ also because its philosophy differs from that of Sword Cultivators.


    The sword base cultivated in the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ no matter how high its quality, cannot be used as a flying sword like true Sword Cultivators.


    This is a technique for wielding a sword by hand; the sword base of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ only exhibits its maximum power when held, and once separated from the Cultivator, the sword base is merely high-grade material, losing the mutual enhancement with the Cultivator.


    Li Shiming was interested in the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ solely for the enhancement of his physique. Using Third Grade metal for the enhancement, in theory, could strengthen his body to the level of Third Grade metal.


    The Vajra Power circulated within his body, continuously strengthening every part. The sounds of Buddhism created by the IBMz15 due to the ¡®Devil Sound Lotus¡¯ were many times more intense.


    This forced him to transfer part of his consciousness into the server room space, to prevent being affected by the Buddhist sounds.


    The ¡®Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡¯ provided him with a defensive power against mental influences, and together with the ¡®Transfer Method,¡¯ he was still able to remain unaffected by the Buddhist sounds.


    More intense Buddhist sounds generated stronger Vajra Power, with pure Vajra Power continuously flooding into his body from the relic; his physique was improving ceaselessly.


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 Chapter 164: 128 Holding Hands (Please Recommend, Asking for Monthly Votes)_2

    Chapter 164: Chapter 128 Holding Hands (Please Recommend, Asking for Monthly Votes)_2


    There wasn¡¯t the slightest impact, the materials absorbed into his body from the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± didn¡¯t conflict with the Vajra power at all, on the contrary, it seemed to hasten the Body Refinement process.@@@@


    This time his cultivation was more effective than any other before; he couldn¡¯t determine whether this was by chance, or the result of the mutual influence between the two Body Refining Techniques.


    Li Shiming stood up, his bones making a crackling sound like frying beans, and he could clearly feel he had grown taller; with the precise calculation of the IBMz15, his height had increased by 1.13 centimeters.


    The last practice was the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡± and ever since he had Spiritual Thought, the Spiritual Energy Vortex within his body had grown tremendously, already reaching the mid-phase of the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.


    Ordinarily, such results would have taken years of bitter cultivation.


    He began to practice the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± and noticed something was amiss; not that something bad was happening, but his cultivation speed had increased again.


    He had researched cultivation speeds before, and his divided being with Heavenly Spirit Root had a cultivation speed of 100, which was a base benchmark of cultivation.


    Then his own three spirit roots coupled with the Metal Spirit Root valued at 81, when focusing exclusively on refining metal Spiritual Power, theoretically could reach the ultimate speed of 27 points.


    In previous studies, all he needed to do was to get as close as possible to this theoretical value of 27; it was impossible to surpass this number.


    During this cultivation session, Li Shiming found that his cultivation speed had reached 27.01.


    Due to the enhancement from Spiritual Thought on cultivation, his recent practice of the main technique, ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡± had almost achieved the theoretical value of 27.


    But today was different, the theoretical limit he thought he could never surpass was easily breached by him.


    Had this number not been calculated by IBMz15, which never makes mistakes in calculations, he would have thought it was false.


    After all, this theoretical value represents the limit of a Cultivator¡¯s cultivation. Even if a Cultivator were to consume assistance elixir pills, it¡¯s merely approaching this limit.


    Otherwise, the Cultivation World wouldn¡¯t place so much importance on Heavenly Spirit Roots. If resources could compensate for the gap in spirit roots, the massive resources needed for the Qi Refinement Realm would not be considered very valuable by sects, and they would have no problem fully supporting the cultivation of a few disciples.


    Yet the issue is that a Cultivator¡¯s spirit root seeds dictate the limits of perception and absorption. Take Li Shiming, for instance; he hasn¡¯t consumed any auxiliary cultivation Elixir Pills since he started cultivating because his own cultivation speed was fast enough, and he hasn¡¯t considered this aspect of cultivation.


    Even with a plethora of Elixir Pills, and even the very top-grade First Grade Elixirs, without worrying about the residue of pill toxins, they could at most push his cultivation speed to the theoretical value of 27.


    Plus, considering other influences, aside from those with Heavenly Spirit Roots, the vast majority of Cultivators can never reach their theoretical maximum cultivation speed.


    Yet, this research that Li Shiming considered definitive was broken by him today.


    At this moment, Yin Shilan was no longer the lofty fairy, but her eyes softened with tenderness and a fragility akin to a mortal¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯ve worried you, I should have informed you ahead of time,¡± Li Shiming said with some remorse, then he continued, ¡°This time I went to...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± Yin Shilan interrupted him, stopping his next words with a hand gesture.


    Yin Shilan handed him a talisman, not a talisman with rune patterns, but one depicting the image of a bow.


    This talisman gave Li Shiming an immense sense of pressure, even more intense than that of Third Grade Metal.


    It felt as if he were facing a Golden Core cultivator; although Li Shiming was only at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, he had the experience of sensing a Golden Core cultivator up close.


    He had a similar talisman, one that depicted a White Jade Cup, equally strong in aura and pressure.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t take the talisman, knowing it must be exceedingly precious, precious beyond imagination.


    He knew this talisman must be something Yin Shilan used to save her own life. Although he had never asked about Yin Shilan¡¯s background, he guessed from the Flying Boat and Baili Jin Yan¡¯s pursuit that her status must be comparable to that of Baili Jin Yan.


    ¡°This is a talisman treasure, created from a part of a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s power. Carry it with you, and you¡¯ll be able to ward off any danger!¡± Yin Shilan saw through Li Shiming¡¯s thoughts and put the talisman in front of him, insisting in a soft voice.


    ¡°I have my own ways to protect myself. Keep it with you, and I¡¯ll rest easier!¡± Li Shiming shook his head.


    ¡°I have many ways to save my life, I won¡¯t miss this one. Please don¡¯t make me worry, okay?¡± Yin Shilan pleaded with tears glistening in her eyes, her voice laden with beseeching tenderness that unsettled Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming picked up the talisman, feeling Yin Shilan¡¯s determination.


    Seeing him take the talisman, Yin Shilan¡¯s eyes still brimmed with tears, but she laughed softly.


    In an instant, Li Shiming was dazzled as if seeing the fairy maiden from the rain for the first time. The smile that blossomed for him now shone like flowers, making everything else lose its color.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Li Shiming reached out and gently touched Yin Shilan¡¯s hand, a touch he wouldn¡¯t normally dare, but at that moment, the celestial maiden had descended to the mortal realm, and her smile intoxicated him, compelling him to reach out.


    Their touching hands quivered slightly. Yin Shilan did not withdraw hers, the blush on her face betraying her shy heart.


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 Chapter 165: 129: Three Heads

    Chapter 165: Chapter 129: Three Heads


    The warm atmosphere lasted for a long time, no words were needed, no other actions either, just the sound of two beating hearts letting each person feel the proximity of the other.


    ¡°Oh, the Spiritual Tea has gone cold!¡± Li Shiming suddenly remarked, after quite a while.


    His words broke the mood, Yin Shilan chuckled softly and gave him a light glare. Although it was left unsaid, their relationship had just become a bit closer.


    ¡°How do I use this?¡± Li Shiming refilled Yin Shilan¡¯s cup with more Spiritual Tea, then picked up the talisman and asked.


    He wasn¡¯t being formal at this moment, considering it a heartfelt gesture from Yin Shilan. When he had the strength, he would prepare something for Yin Shilan in return.


    ¡°Activate it with Spiritual Power Pattern. This talisman can still be used three times. Take note though, each activation requires three breaths¡¯ time!¡± Yin Shilan explained.


    Li Shiming nodded, the usage of the talisman was quite simple, although the three-breaths¡¯ preparation time was a bit long.


    ¡°What about its power?¡± he asked, knowing that the talisman carried some of the power of a magical artifact, but needed more details from Yin Shilan.


    ¡°The power of the talisman depends on the magical artifact it draws from. A single strike from this Sky-Tearing Bow Talisman can hardly be withstood by early and mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and it poses a certain threat even to late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators!¡± Yin Shilan patiently explained.


    Li Shiming gasped in surprise. Despite having guessed the power of the talisman, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so formidable.


    Such a talisman in hand was enough to kill three cultivators at either the early or mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.


    If there were many such talismans, then what purpose would Foundation Establishment Cultivators even serve?


    ¡°The process of extracting part of an artifact¡¯s power to create a talisman permanently decreases its power, and the owner¡¯s Golden Core is similarly damaged. The talismans of our sect are all created by senior Golden Core cultivators before their death to pass on to the next generation. This Sky-Tearing Bow Talisman was exchanged from a descendant of a Golden Core cultivator!¡± With a gentle laugh, the elegant Yin Shilan noticed Li Shiming¡¯s thoughts and continued her explanation.


    Li Shiming considered that he had been too busy recently, with too much planned that needed to be addressed before he could take the assessment for Intermediate Array Master.


    Additionally, he did not want to stand out too much, considering his low cultivation level.


    After a fond farewell to Yin Shilan, both enjoyed their time together; yet, they both knew cultivators must manage their own time.


    Li Shiming sent a message to Yun Ze and ordered a batch of goods.


    ¡°Junior Li, ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ sales are good, but once the market is saturated, you won¡¯t have the same revenue from spirit stones. You should consider your future!¡± Yun Ze¡¯s customary advice soon followed.


    This did not affect Li Shiming¡¯s order; Yun Ze knew such advice wouldn¡¯t help, but as his friend, Yun Ze still felt compelled to advise him.


    Li Shiming smiled upon reading the message on his Identity Jade Disc. Little did this Yun Ze know about the perils of the business world in his past life; Li Shiming had plenty of methods to earn spirit stones.


    However, what was most important now was to proceed immediately with the plan.


    He returned to an underground space where three dead bodies and a copper corpse were inside the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array.¡¯


    The three bodies belonged to Foundation Establishment cultivator Wei Yun, a Qi Refining Seventh Level cultivator, and a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator.


    The corpse of Foundation Establishment Wei Yun was severely damaged, with only the skeleton intact.


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 Chapter 166: 129: Three Heads_2

    Chapter 166: Chapter 129: Three Heads_2


    At this moment, three corpses were completely covered with alchemical liquid, nourishing in the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± under the influence of Yin Cold Spiritual Power.


    Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness connected to the IBMz15. Having tested the power of the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling, he became even more resolved about his previous plans.


    The power of the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling was indeed impressive, but it had not met his expectations.


    A single Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling used up as many as ten thousand Spirit Stones, and even though he considered himself quite wealthy, this was a significant sum.


    These ten thousand Spirit Stones did not even account for the additional Formations and enchantments.


    Yet a Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling couldn¡¯t even deal with a Qi Refining Eighth Level Cultivator quickly, which left him somewhat disappointed.


    The solution was simple: increase the firepower output.


    If one Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling wasn¡¯t enough, then two; if two weren¡¯t enough, then even more.


    Of course, controlling a Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling required manipulation, and even with a copper corpse¡¯s multiple arms, at most it could control two.


    He had seen a thesis from a young medical student in the IBMz15¡¯s database that was somewhat unorthodox, yet provided him with great inspiration.


    ¡°A Study on the Medical Feasibility of Three Heads and Six Arms¡± ¡ª just from the title, it was clear that this young researcher was no ordinary student.


    The young medical student had the inspiration after seeing a conjoined twin with two heads and four arms, who had survived into adulthood.


    The medical student speculated whether the legendary ability of three heads and six arms might also originate from conjoined twin deformities and conducted theoretical research on the subject.


    ¡°A Study on the Medical Feasibility of Three Heads and Six Arms¡± was the result of that research. Although the title seemed akin to a legend, the content was extremely meticulous.


    It was after reading this paper that Li Shiming found his direction for modifying the copper corpse.


    His phobia of insufficient firepower¡ªif he had as many as six Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatlings¡ªwould the rate of 180 ice crystal bullets per second be able to withstand an encounter with a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator?


    Modifying the copper corpse into one with three heads and six arms had a high theoretical chance of success, according to IBMz15¡¯s analysis.


    The trickiest part of body modification was the rejection reaction. Different bodies, even if they were compatible in all aspects, could still experience unpredictable rejection.


    Not to mention surgery involving the skull, which amounted to a head transplant. In his previous world, such surgeries had at most resulted in brief survival before death.


    It was only possible to conduct such micro-level surgery thanks to the machine room space; otherwise, the failure rate of such an operation would be terrifyingly high if conducted in the outside world.


    Even for a copper corpse, the location of its brain is where the refining spirit resides; one slight mishap could damage the refining spirit, directly destroying the soul of the copper corpse, resulting in a high risk of failure for surgery on the cranium.


    A look at what the transformation secret technique states could confirm this.


    The transformation secret technique strongly advises against transforming the copper corpse¡¯s head, as that caution stems from predecessors experiencing too high a rate of failure, which serves as a warning for future generations.


    Li Shiming might appear bold, but each step he took was based on meticulous calculations; for each bone exchange, he would place the copper corpse within the Ghost Domain of the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± to apply the transformation secret technique.


    Once the copper corpse completed the first step of transformation, it still bore the aura of a Qi Refining Eighth Level, but inside it hid a skeleton that was at the peak of Qi Refinement and approaching that of an iron corpse.


    This skeleton would accelerate the copper corpse¡¯s advancement within the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡±, becoming an iron corpse faster.


    However, Li Shiming certainly would not allow the copper corpse to advance to an iron corpse too swiftly; as the copper corpse was not his life-bound corpse, the controllable range of power difference was within the Qi Refinement Realm. Surpassing that realm could lead the refining corpse to resist or even forcefully break free from the blood covenant and backlash against the master.


    Advancing to the second step of transformation, the copper corpse was once again brought into the machine room space, this time along with two late-stage Qi Refining corpses.


    The triple-headed transformation began with separating two additional neck vertebrae from the seventh cervical vertebra, sharing the lower spine; at the same time, the pelvic bones from the two corpses were transformed to create stronger scapulae to support more arms.


    Although the copper corpse was a refined corpse with extremely strong regenerative abilities and had the presence of the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡±, the defects in the transformation did not greatly affect the copper corpse.


    Still, he insisted on connecting every single nerve, every vein, even the tiniest capillaries, carefully anastomosing them.


    The three heads of the copper corpse, each controlling their respective two arms, did not present much of an issue for the original head, but the complexity involved with the two additional heads was beyond imagination.


    Fortunately, Li Shiming conducted the surgery in the machine room space using his consciousness, and with micro-level precision, only complexity remained; there was no difficulty.


    The two additional heads, together with four arms, from bone to nerve to muscle, were all connected; that medical graduate student probably could have never imagined that his fanciful, rambling thesis would be realized in another world by Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming stitched up the skin with cosmetic suturing techniques, treating it as a practice to hone his surgical skills.


    Of course, this was mostly showing off his expertise; despite the absence of an audience, his previous life as a surgeon was a profession he greatly envied. Now, not only did he possess surgical abilities, but he had also achieved a standard unattainable in his former life.


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 Chapter 167: 130: Six Arms (Added for Book Friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 167: Chapter 130: Six Arms (Added for Book Friend 171021102948988)


    The three-headed, six-armed copper corpse was sent into the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡¯; the surgery was merely the premise for transformation, and now it was time to see the effects of the combination of the transformation Secret Technique with the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡¯.


    Li Shiming continually cast runes imbued with Yin Cold Power, landing on the parts of the copper corpse that were being transformed.@@@@


    Within the Ghost Domain of the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡¯ the Yin Cold Spiritual Power surged into the body of the copper corpse, rallying towards the spot marked by the transformation Secret Technique runes.


    The eyes of the copper corpse¡¯s main head blazed with ghostly blue flames, which grew even more vigorous as a vast amount of Yin Cold Power flooded in.


    Right then, two wisps of the ghostly blue flames split off and flew towards the two side heads.


    The eyes of the side heads simultaneously opened soon after, with the same ghostly blue flames flickering within; this was the light of the Corpse Refining Spirit¡¯s flames.


    Li Shiming did not interfere with the copper corpse¡¯s self-transformation process, as it was an instinctive ability of the copper corpse. Although the transformation Secret Technique was available to aid in the process, it was merely a supplementary method; the true transformation was autonomously completed by the copper corpse itself.


    To assist in the transformation of the copper corpse, Li Shiming had provided a third-grade spiritual item, the Ghost Domain environment created by the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡¯ and had connected even the most delicate nerves and blood vessels of the three heads and six arms.


    This served as guidance for the copper corpse, just waiting for it to autonomously carry out its final transformation following that guidance.


    As the light of the Corpse Refining Spirit appeared in the side heads¡¯ eyes, Li Shiming¡¯s greatest concern dissipated, and his tightly furrowed brows involuntarily relaxed.


    The copper corpse would need to stay within the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡¯ for quite some time. By evening, Li Shiming felt he had forgotten something.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t send a message to Fei¡¯er!¡± He only just remembered this important matter.


    He took out his communication token, which had several messages from Ren Fei¡¯er.


    ¡°Big brother, where¡¯s my new story?¡±


    ¡°Big brother, not even a word when you leave, I¡¯m angry!¡±


    His consciousness entered the copper corpse¡¯s body to inspect its current state.


    The main head dominated the three-headed, six-armed copper corpse, with the intelligence of the added heads being notably less than that of the main head.


    What Li Shiming was most worried about was whether the addition of the two new heads would affect the copper corpse¡¯s quality.


    The raw material for the copper corpse was a single spirit root seeds genius corpse; looking at Baili Jin Yan with single spirit root seeds he encountered, while Baili Jin Yan can¡¯t represent all with single spirit root seeds, it¡¯s clear from him just how shocking the talent of single spirit root seeds can be.


    A corpse refining made from the body of a single spirit root seeds genius ensures an absorption rate of Spiritual Power that can maintain the growth speed of the corpse refining.


    To know there are natural corpse refinings in the wild, but such corporeal refiners might not become a copper corpse in a hundred years, nor an Iron Corpse in a millennium, unless the original body was also a Cultivator with single spirit root seeds.


    For a Cultivator, a corpse refining without the single spirit root seeds¡¯ talent for absorbing Spiritual Power is not worth cultivating, as its growth speed is far too slow compared to that of Cultivators.


    Perhaps, after Cultivators have passed through three generations, the corpse refining would only then reach the copper corpse stage of the Qi Refinement Realm. What use is such a corpse refining?


    However, Li Shiming¡¯s worries did not become reality. Although the skeleton was replaced, the main body of the copper corpse was still that Heavenly Spirit Root, and this had not changed.


    The newly added heads, although obviously slower at absorbing Spiritual Power compared to the main head, did not constitute a significant issue as the burden of the two heads and two arms was still bearable for the copper corpse.


    The addition of the two heads and two arms would slow down the growth rate of the copper corpse.


    The copper corpse needed a long time to assimilate the new heads and arms slowly, eventually matching the absorption rate of a Heavenly Spirit Root¡¯s Spiritual Power.


    Until then, the growth of the copper corpse would decelerate, but with the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡¯ in place, and Li Shiming only at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, he had plenty of time to allow the copper corpse to grow.


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 Chapter 168: 130: Six Arms (Added for Book Friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 168: Chapter 130: Six Arms (Added for Book Friend 171021102948988)_2


    The addition of two new heads, though not very smart, was also a good thing, they completely obeyed the commands of the main head without any trace of resistance.


    This was understandable, as the spirits in the new heads were derived from the main head, creating a natural master-servant relationship.


    He then made the copper corpse move its arms, and initially, the six arms seemed somewhat awkward for it to handle.


    Fortunately, the four new arms were controlled by the two new heads, and after some time getting used to them, the copper corpse could now manipulate all six arms with ease.


    Here it must be mentioned that the copper corpse¡¯s innate combat instinct made it born for battle, whether naturally occurring or refined by cultivators, fighting was their purpose for existence.


    Not to mention having three heads and six arms, even if given a more bizarre body, it could quickly utilize it and turn it into a weapon for combat.


    Li Shiming left the copper corpse within the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± to let it continuously adapt its body.


    The order of fifty thousand spirit stones from Yun¡¯s Trading House, even with their full capacity, would take five days to deliver, and that was only because he was an important partner allowing him to jump the queue.


    He was just waiting for the goods to return so he could begin fully arming the newly created copper corpse.


    At dusk, Li Shiming once again took out the communication device and sent a message to Ren Fei¡¯er, but Ren Fei¡¯er still did not reply.


    In the days that followed, he was unable to contact Ren Fei¡¯er.


    He became somewhat worried about Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s safety, but he found that apart from worrying, there was nothing he could do.


    He didn¡¯t know where Ren Fei¡¯er lived, or even which sect Ren Fei¡¯er belonged to, the only method of contact was the communication device.


    With the communication device unable to connect, he could only suppress his worries, believing in Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s intelligence and background to get through any trouble.


    On the fourth day after Ren Fei¡¯er lost contact, Yin Shilan left a message informing him she had urgent matters to attend to and would be out of contact for a while, and would inform him upon her return.


    Soon after, the five sets of Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling he ordered from Yun¡¯s Trading House arrived, and Li Shiming was once again immersed in being busy.


    Thanks to his prior experience, the production speed of the five Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatlings significantly increased, and his enhanced mastery of formations led to improvements in the existing formations of the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling.


    In three days, the five Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatlings were successfully manufactured, and even the original one had been improved.


    The power of a Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling was enhanced to the late stages of Qi Refining Seventh Level, approaching the power of Qi Refining Eighth Layer.


    The body of the copper corpse stabilized, and tests showed that even without employing the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatlings, the combat strength of the three-headed, six-armed copper corpse increased by at least thirty percent.


    This increase in combat capability was not solely due to having three heads and six arms, but also the enhancement from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s bones.


    She had calculated the speed of Li Shiming using the Black Sparrow Wing. If the speed of the Black Sparrow Wing was fully utilized, it would take about twenty two-hour periods to fly here.


    She wanted to set up a dangerous scene before Li Shiming¡¯s arrival.


    Ren Fei¡¯er was skilled at such things. Qingyi Island was a small sea island noted on the map because it was one of the many bases for hunting sea beasts.


    Recently, sea beasts in the Heavenly Sea Sea Line had been somewhat active. Most cultivators had already gone to participate in the defense there, so there were no other cultivators present here.


    Ren Fei¡¯er took out an Array Plate and installed four Spirit Stones on it, activating the Array Plate.


    A small Formation spread out, protecting a ten-meter radius around her.


    Then, she took out a porcelain bottle containing Spirit Summoning Liquid, a concoction that could attract sea beasts, which she had stolen from her mother.


    She poured a drop of the Spirit Summoning Liquid from the bottle, watching as it turned into a fragrant mist.


    ¡°Is that a bit too little?¡± she muttered, frowning slightly.


    She poured more Spirit Summoning Liquid from the bottle, but this time she was not careful enough and poured out almost half the bottle at once.


    Suddenly, the fragrant mist spread out, enveloping all of Qingyi Island.


    This fragrant mist was quite peculiar, not moving with the wind but spreading perfectly centered around Ren Fei¡¯er.


    As the scent of the Spirit Summoning Liquid reached the sea surface, schools of fish poked their heads out of the water and swam towards Qingyi Island.


    The schools of fish reached the vicinity of Qingyi Island and, oblivious to danger, leaped ashore, striving to get closer to the source of the smell even if that meant leaving the water.


    The sea beasts arrived a bit later but five showed up at once.


    ¡°Too much?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er, observing the frenzy of the fish and the approaching five sea beasts, realized she might have made a mistake.


    It took only a moment to attract five sea beasts, and given the craziness of the fish, it was clear that more sea beasts would be arriving.


    She was not concerned; as a Qi Refining Seventh Level cultivator, her Magic Artifacts were not to be underestimated.


    With the protection of the Formation, she felt no need to worry about her safety.


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 Chapter 169: 131 Rescue

    Chapter 169: Chapter 131 Rescue


    ¡°Go die!¡± On Qingyi Island, Ren Fei¡¯er ran into huge trouble.


    Although she had means to protect her life, their effectiveness was greatly reduced in this environment.


    That was because the entire area around Qingyi Island was densely packed with sea beasts, numbering in the thousands, among which were a large number of high-level first-stage sea beasts.


    Even if Ren Fei¡¯er had the means to instantaneously kill swathes of sea beasts, she could not clear out the sea beasts in this area entirely.


    As long as the scent of the Spirit Summoning Liquid on Qingyi Island wasn¡¯t removed, there would be a continuous stream of sea beasts arriving.@@@@


    Ren Fei¡¯er was very unlucky; her well-laid plans would have been effective under normal circumstances, but she had chosen the exact moment when a medium-sized sea beast tide was happening along the Heavenly Sea line.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators and late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators, relying on formations, could clear out second-order beasts in the tide, but they were powerless against the more numerous first-order sea beasts.


    But first-order sea beasts didn¡¯t need to be taken too seriously, because, without the second-order sea beasts, even if the first-order sea beasts breached the Heavenly Sea line, they would stop within a thousand miles behind it.


    The thousand-mile sea area behind would become a place for Qi Refining cultivators to hunt sea beasts, which not only trained the combat strength of Qi Refining cultivators but also increased their income.


    The sea beast tide at the front, passing through the Heavenly Sea line, should quiet down quickly without the presence of second-order sea beasts.


    But who could have predicted this special moment? Ren Fei¡¯er took out the Spirit Summoning Liquid, instantly attracting all the first-order sea beasts.


    A bottle flew from Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s hands and shattered on the ground, causing a large number of sea beasts to collapse from poisoning.


    However, such an attack was practically insignificant against the seemingly endless sea beasts.


    She no longer dared to use Spiritual Power to drive her magic artifact, for her inner spiritual power was running low.


    The formation was proving effective, but under the onslaught of so many sea beasts, it was also in a precarious state.


    Wrapped in black, the six late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in this sea area didn¡¯t follow any sect rules; they didn¡¯t want to expose their identities.


    Perhaps their next hunting target would be cultivators from their own sect; any unfamiliar cultivator could become their target.


    Such teams of cultivators weren¡¯t numerous in this sea area; they consisted of cultivators who would stoop to anything for resources.


    Clearly, Ren Fei¡¯er was incredibly unlucky to have encountered such a team of cultivators.


    ¡°Twenty-six times!¡± another cultivator replied.


    They were like seasoned hunters, waiting for the prey to fall powerless.


    The sea beasts on Qingyi Island were too numerous, not worth the risk, but the endless Spiritual Objects unleashed by Ren Fei¡¯er had them incredibly envious.


    For such a wealthy cultivator appearing in this area, if they successfully killed her, their wealth would skyrocket overnight, gaining an immense amount of cultivation resources, and perhaps even changing their fate.


    ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer, if we let this cultivator keep going, even if we killed her, we wouldn¡¯t get anything good!¡± the team leader decided with a fierce look in his eyes.


    He felt pity for Ren Fei¡¯er; so many powerful Spiritual Objects, powerful talismans, self-destructive magic artifacts, various rare poisons, and even puppets, each one capable of annihilating a cultivator of the same rank.


    But Ren Fei¡¯er was throwing them all into the relentless sea beasts, causing significant damage, but ultimately it didn¡¯t seem to matter much.


    ¡°Do it, stake it all on this one. We could buy a Foundation Establishment Pill!¡± said a cultivator, clenching his fists with strength.


    His words invigorated the other cultivators, as the Foundation Establishment Pill was their ultimate effort and goal.


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 Chapter 170: 131 Rescue_2

    Chapter 170: Chapter 131 Rescue_2


    Once the pill was swallowed, success would greatly elevate one¡¯s status, turning one into a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. They hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility of failure because they couldn¡¯t afford to fail.


    ¡°Big brother, why haven¡¯t you arrived yet? I can barely hold on much longer!... Maybe you shouldn¡¯t come, it¡¯s so dangerous here!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er, sensing the scarce spiritual power within her body, regretted her impulsive decision this time.


    She hoped for Li Shiming to arrive quickly but also feared that he would encounter danger. These conflicting thoughts brought tears to her eyes.


    At that moment, a slew of talismans flew out from one side, falling among the sea beast horde.


    Although these talismans were not of high grade, they produced a huge amount of fog that obscured the sea beasts¡¯ vision.


    The sea beasts, already muddled in their minds, became somewhat disordered under the sudden appearance of the fog.


    ¡°Is it big brother who has arrived?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er stood up, looking outside the Formation with joy. She saw a small squad of six cultivators approaching.


    When she noticed the masks on the six cultivators¡¯ faces and the unmarked robes, a shock went through her heart.


    She had heard rumors about this region of the sea, where some cultivators hunted fellow cultivators to obtain resources.


    She gritted her teeth and took out a talisman, ready to activate it with the little spiritual power she had at any moment.


    Even if she was to die by the mouths of sea beasts, she couldn¡¯t fall into these cultivators¡¯ hands. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to die; she would cast a distress talisman after using the talisman.@@@@


    Li Shiming¡¯s Jade Flying Boat was flying at full speed. To achieve greater velocity, he even channeled his spiritual power into the Flying Boat to increase the speed.


    The Jade Flying Boat was equipped with a scanning Array that could detect the presence of spiritual power fluctuations in advance.


    This made travel especially convenient, eliminating the need to constantly keep a vigilant eye on one¡¯s surroundings like in the past when venturing out.


    Perhaps it was due to the reputation of the Holy Ice Sect or maybe because the Jade Flying Boat was fast enough, but after leaving the domain of the sect for a thousand miles, he encountered several groups of cultivators who posed no difficulty.


    After entering within a thousand miles of the Heavenly Sea route, Li Shiming took out a telescope he hadn¡¯t used in a long time. Unlike the initial version, this telescope utilized image enhancement technology and was equipped with his latest creation, the ¡°Dragon Heart II¡± chip.


    The ¡°Dragon Heart II¡± chip had reached 90 nanometers. It was a successful product of his attempt at nanoscale chip manufacturing after stabilizing the wafer technology.


    This was the limit of his chip manufacturing abilities for the time being. It wasn¡¯t that he lacked the technology for smaller nanometer lithography machines; rather, some of the technology was difficult to implement, and he was still researching.


    Standing on the deck of the Flying Boat, with nothing obstructing the view on the open sea, the telescope served its purpose to the fullest.


    He could detect any danger early and react preemptively, allowing the Jade Flying Boat to maintain its speed.


    When still some distance from Qingyi Island, he felt the rolling waves of spiritual power and a violent aura.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er woke up; she had underestimated her own mother.


    After she used the talisman, a cultivator launched a deadly attack on her and the formation had been broken as well.


    Just as she was on the brink of life and death, a protective spiritual power shielded her; the seemingly fatal attack from a late-stage Qi refining cultivator could not even shake the shield.


    This was the protection left inside her by her mother, activated at the most critical moment.


    ¡°Big brother, did you die too? To be able to see you after death, I¡¯m so happy!¡± Although awake, Ren Fei¡¯er was still in a daze, and seeing Li Shiming standing not far from her, she said in a woozy voice.


    Li Shiming watched Ren Fei¡¯er at this moment with a mix of laughter and helplessness, feeling both annoyed and soft-hearted.


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive, but how did you cause such a huge commotion?¡± he said in an annoyed tone.


    Yes, the trouble here was indeed too great, far exceeding the capabilities of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    If he hadn¡¯t modified the copper corpse and added firepower, he might not have been able to rescue Ren Fei¡¯er even if he had arrived.


    ¡°It really is big brother, I knew you would come to save me!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er fully awoke, jumped up, and hurled herself toward Li Shiming, exclaiming excitedly.


    Once she got up and began moving again, the protective spiritual power disappeared from her body.


    Li Shiming did not dodge; the area was surrounded by sea beasts, merely relying on the copper corpse¡¯s firepower to maintain safety, and Fei¡¯er immediately threw herself onto him.


    His body stiffened; even though he and Yin Shilan were somewhat closer, at most they had only held hands.


    Though smaller, Ren Fei¡¯er was only a year younger than him, a female of a similar age.


    ¡°Alright, get down quickly, the fight¡¯s not over yet!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t dare to make any moves, stiffly saying.


    Ren Fei¡¯er also realized her action was a bit over the line, her face blushing as she jumped down from Li Shiming, her eyes darting around nervously.


    ¡°How is this copper corpse different? Three heads, six arms, no dead angles in combat, and these magic artifacts, so impressive, big brother is so smart!¡± She noticed the copper corpse and mid-grade magic weapon Gatling, her eyes full of admiration.


    After Ren Fei¡¯er used the talisman, the lingering scent of the Spirit Summoning Liquid on the island was completely destroyed.


    Now, under the slaughter of the six mid-grade magic weapon Gatlings, the number of sea beasts surging up was less than those already downed, and the number of sea beasts in the surrounding area rapidly decreased.


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 Chapter 171: 132: Meeting

    Chapter 171: Chapter 132: Meeting


    While Li Shiming was controlling the copper corpse, clearing sea beasts on Qingyi Island, his Spiritual Thought sensed a terrifying presence approaching from afar.


    The speed was so terrifying that he had never experienced anything like it before.


    Soon after, an illusory shadow appeared up close, reaching out a hand toward Ren Fei¡¯er.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t have time to control the copper corpse to block the shadow; it was too fast. He could only use his fastest ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique,¡± transforming the Qingyuan Wood Sword into a beam of sword light to meet the shadow.


    The shadow¡¯s hand effortlessly grasped the sword light, turning it back into the Qingyuan Wood Sword, which twisted in the grip of the shadow and was then crushed.


    Li Shiming felt as if his brain had been struck by a heavy hammer. As the shadow crushed the Qingyuan Wood Sword, the spiritual connection he had with the sword was forcibly severed, causing backlash from the destruction of the magic artifact to impact his spirit.


    He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, but still stood in front of Ren Fei¡¯er.


    By then, the shadow had revealed its form, a beautiful woman dressed in black.


    The woman in black looked at Li Shiming with an extremely sharp gaze. Her hand reached out toward him, and the motion made his entire body uncontrollably stiffen, allowing the hand to approach him.


    That hand carried a terrifying energy, and Li Shiming believed that if it touched him, he would instantly perish.


    Although he was reluctant, at this moment, he had no regrets because Ren Fei¡¯er had again positioned herself in front of him.


    However, what Ren Fei¡¯er said next made him startled.


    It was because of this bad guy that she had to be confined for a year.


    Li Shiming was somewhat baffled by the kick. He assumed Ren Fei¡¯er was just venting randomly due to being punished and had accidentally kicked him.


    Elder Ren¡¯s gaze flickered. She knew exactly what kind of person her daughter was.


    ¡°Young man, you saved Fei¡¯er, and I destroyed your magic artifact. However, that artifact wasn¡¯t compatible with your attributes. I¡¯ll compensate you with this golden attribute magic artifact!¡± Elder Ren dismissed the pieces of the Qingyuan Wood Sword from her hand, then took out a small sword artifact and tossed it to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming caught the small sword artifact. Although he hadn¡¯t refined it, he already felt a strong compatibility with it, and the quality was superior to that of the Qingyuan Wood Sword.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re being too stingy. Big Brother saved Fei¡¯er, and you¡¯re just making it up to him with a top-grade magic tool!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er pouted a bit dissatisfied at the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re generous. How many life-saving items do you still have? I¡¯ll check thoroughly when we get back!¡± Elder Ren glared at her sharply, then turned back to Li Shiming, ¡°Your strength is too weak. Having too powerful a magic tool would only cause you trouble.¡±


    Elder Ren considered that Li Shiming did indeed save Ren Fei¡¯er, gifting him a high-grade sword artifact merely compensated for the one she had destroyed.


    Her gaze swept over Li Shiming, making him feel as if he had no protection at all, and even suspected that she could see through his bones with just that look.


    ¡°Your spirit root seeds are ordinary, so don¡¯t get distracted by cultivating so many messy Cultivation Techniques. Laying a strong foundation in Spiritual Power is most crucial. Don¡¯t aim too high without sufficient support. A well-rounded and strong foundation is definitely correct, but those are pursuits for someone with a Heavenly Spirit Root. With your spirit root, even advancing to Foundation Establishment is difficult.


    However, your cultivation of Spiritual Thought was unexpected. Your retaining of Primordial Yang is an advantage; it could enhance your success rate in advancing to Foundation Establishment Stage by ten percent and even offers certain benefits in progressing to Golden Core.¡± Elder Ren took another look at the copper corpse and the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling it held, and spoke indifferently.


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 Chapter 172: 132: Meeting_2

    Chapter 172: Chapter 132: Meeting_2


    As a Golden Core Elder guiding Li Shiming, it was an extremely rare opportunity for a Qi Refining cultivator, and it also served as repayment for Li Shiming¡¯s protection of Ren Fei¡¯er.


    Additionally, what she didn¡¯t mention was that she had discovered a Buddhist relic on Li Shiming¡¯s chest.


    She somewhat spitefully concluded that some great Buddhists must have taken a liking to Li Shiming, and it probably wouldn¡¯t be long before Li Shiming would become a monk.


    As for her daughter taking a liking to Li Shiming, all of that would pass once he became a monk.


    Elder Ren had Ren Fei¡¯er enter closed-door cultivation for a year, also as a means of protecting her.


    During this year, she needed to regather the protective spiritual power within Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s body and also prepare a large amount of life-saving items for her.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Xie, for your guidance!¡± Li Shiming bowed and thanked him.


    However, regarding Elder Ren¡¯s lesson not to aim too high, he held an opposing opinion on that matter.


    The reason why those with Heavenly Spirit Roots could practice Body Refining Techniques in addition to cultivation was that their cultivation speed was 100, the maximum speed, leaving them with a lot of spare time.


    Li Shiming¡¯s own situation was somewhat special; his cultivation speed was just over 27 but still at the maximum cultivation speed.


    Besides, he had the conditions to cultivate ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ and if he didn¡¯t practice them, he feared his determination would waver.


    As he bowed to express his thanks, Elder Ren didn¡¯t bother with his thoughts, scooping up Ren Fei¡¯er and disappearing in an instant.


    Li Shiming looked over Qingyi Island strewn with corpses. He summoned the main spirit of the ¡®Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡¯ to devour the souls present here.


    He then began to gather up the sea beast corpses on the ground, which were all valuable.


    Though he had many spirit stones, who would ever complain about having too many?


    There were simply too many sea beasts. As his spiritual thought swept over, he collected the corpses of sea beasts from a whole area.


    Soon all his storage bags were filled with sea beast corpses. He thought for a moment and then stowed the corpses in the storage bracelet inside the engine room space.


    It was alright to use the storage bracelet without taking it out of the engine room space.


    After cleaning up all the sea beast corpses, he even picked up the few storage bags left on the scene. As for the corpses of the cultivators, only the body of the one who survived the talisman treasure was left.


    The bodies were likewise collected to serve as repair materials for the copper corpse.


    In normal times, it wasn¡¯t easy to obtain the body of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, he looked regretfully at the destroyed Qingyuan Wood Sword on the ground.


    However, Li Shiming was clear in his heart that Elder Baili had been injured and had gone back to recover.


    He had experienced the agony of a Magic Artifact being destroyed ¡ª and that was just a standard Qi Refinement-level artifact. It was said that as one¡¯s realm increased, the bond between the cultivator and their Magic Artifacts became stronger, and the impact of their destruction greater.


    If he hadn¡¯t practiced the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡±, and if his spirit hadn¡¯t been so formidable, it wouldn¡¯t have been as simple as spitting out a mouthful of blood. Just resting his spirit would have taken a considerable amount of time.


    Elder Baili¡¯s immediate retreat upon his return suggested how greatly the destruction of his Magic Artifact had affected him.


    No wonder there had been no Holy Ice Sect cultivators causing trouble lately; this news meant he didn¡¯t have to worry every day.


    A Golden Core Elder¡¯s retreat was never short ¡ª at least he had some time to develop.


    The day after his return, Yin Shilan also returned to the sect and sent a message to Li Shiming.


    Equally without news was Ren Fei¡¯er, who had not been in contact through the communication badge since they parted on Qingyi Island.


    Li Shiming was no longer worried, as this time Ren Fei¡¯er had been grabbed by her mother for a retreat and likely couldn¡¯t use her communication badge.


    He settled down and began a normal cultivator¡¯s life of cultivation.


    Although he had some disagreements with Elder Ren¡¯s guidance, he still followed part of it.


    He began to diminish his research into the profession of a spirit plant husbandry, and cut off all plans to dabble in other professions. Indeed, he realized he had been investing his energies too broadly.


    A single Formation was enough to demand his full attention, and before reaching Foundation Establishment, he needed to concentrate more on cultivation.


    Days passed by, and Yun¡¯s Trading House secured a large market share and attracted a great number of high-quality customers with ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡±.


    As the stock of ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡± held by high-quality customers neared its limit, sales began to decrease.


    Six months had passed, and for two consecutive months, Yun¡¯s Trading House had not purchased ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡± from Li Shiming.


    Furthermore, Li Shiming distinctly felt a shift in Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s attitude toward him. This was not to say Yun Ze was unfriendly; Yun Ze couldn¡¯t completely represent Yun¡¯s Trading House.


    In the past, when he bought various materials, Yun¡¯s Trading House would always go all out to assist, especially with items that were of low value, high volume, and bulk. Yun¡¯s Trading House would always utilize secular connections to provide him with everything he wanted.


    But recently, Yun¡¯s Trading House refused some of his material orders, precisely those related to mundane items.


    Moreover, the prices of other materials had also significantly increased.


    Every time Yun Ze made a delivery, he would apologize to Li Shiming with a sense of helplessness, but a rift in the relationship between Li Shiming and Yun¡¯s Trading House was unavoidable.


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 Chapter 173: 133 Intermediate

    Chapter 173: Chapter 133 Intermediate


    In his third year in the sect, Li Shiming¡¯s total amount of Spiritual Power had doubled. He had reached the Qi Refining Fifth Level, marking him as an intermediate existence within the Qi Refinement Realm.


    The Third Grade Metal that had accompanied his half-year cultivation of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± was now completely absorbed by his body.


    Of course, although the Third Grade Metal was absorbed, there was still a long distance from the first stage of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±, which is the strongest stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    However, his cultivation speed had reached 38.79. The circulation of the Third Grade Metal inside his body not only strengthened his physical body but also significantly enhanced his speed of absorbing and converting Spiritual Power.


    His cultivation speed was now no weaker than that of an ordinary Dual Spirit Roots, which was the reason he could advance to the Qi Refining Fifth Level within half a year.


    The ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± had advanced to the maximum limit of his current realm, and he felt that relying solely on his body, he could compare with a copper corpse at the Qi Refining Seventh Level.


    It was difficult for a Mid-grade Attack Magic Tool to break through his body¡¯s defense.


    Offensively, starting with the copper corpse, in addition to the attack power of six Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatlings, the copper corpse itself also raised its realm to the pinnacle of copper corpses.


    The copper corpse possessed the strength of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, thanks mainly to the ghostly environment formed by the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array.¡±


    Even with the burden of two additional heads and four arms, the copper corpse¡¯s speed of advancement wasn¡¯t significantly affected. The Third Grade Spiritual Object used to create the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± provided too many benefits to the copper corpse.


    Next was the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique¡±, upgraded with a gold element High Grade Sword Artifact named ¡°Broken Jade Sword.¡± The quality of the ¡°Broken Jade Sword¡± was absolutely top-tier among high-grade magic tools.


    With even a slight further enhancement, this ¡°Broken Jade Sword¡± could become a Super-grade Magical Artifact.


    With the ¡°Broken Jade Sword¡± and the cultivation of the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique¡± over half a year, his understanding and thus the power of the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique¡± had greatly increased.


    Of course, Super-grade Magical Artifacts were extremely rare in the Qi Refinement Realm, mainly because the Spiritual Power needed to operate such artifacts was enormous. It was difficult for Qi Refining cultivators to handle unless they had reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    Equal strength allowed for fair cooperation.


    Of course, Yun¡¯s Trading House wasn¡¯t so blatant in targeting him; though, there were some minor actions in the trading with the House, knowing that Li Shiming held nearly 200,000 Spirit Stones.


    This kind of cultivator holding huge sums of Spirit Stones without corresponding power is indeed an attractive target for exploitation!


    In the underground space over this half-year, not many devices were added. He had devoted a large amount of energy to cultivation and not much to technological replication.


    This was partly due to Yun¡¯s Trading House; procuring materials became increasingly troublesome, which annoyed him.


    He needed a new talisman to protect himself from any backlash from Yun¡¯s Trading House, so he decided to undertake the Intermediate Array Master assessment that Yin Shilan had mentioned several times.


    Within the sect, an Intermediate Array Master was already a core component of the array masters, like Yin Shilan.


    Even without considering her father¡¯s influence, her status within the sect was not low.


    Moreover, Li Shiming needed a new business partner for ordering a large amount of materials.


    Li Shiming took a new model of ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡± out of the machine, which he named ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation.¡±


    He stored the ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡± in his storage bag and left Eagle Beak Island, flying toward the Nine Peaks with wings fluttering behind him.


    His first target was Dui Peak. Before setting off, he had sent out an application for the Intermediate Array Master assessment to the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion.


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 Chapter 174: 133 Intermediate_2

    Chapter 174: Chapter 133 Intermediate_2


    Entering the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, he saw two Foundation Establishment Masters, including Junior Master Zhuge whom he recognized, as well as five late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.@@@@


    Those who could be in the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion were naturally Array Masters.


    ¡°Greetings to the two Masters and fellow Senior Brothers!¡± Li Shiming stepped forward and bowed deeply in respect.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally come to certify?¡± Junior Master Zhuge asked with a smile.


    His words had an underlying meaning which made Li Shiming think that perhaps Yin Shilan had told Junior Master Zhuge something.


    Moreover, certification was different from an assessment; an assessment required answering the questions set by the sect to a satisfactory level to pass.


    Certification, on the other hand, was merely a formality that did not require an examination.


    In fact, the presence of two Foundation Establishment cultivators who were also high-level Array Masters was because they had learned from Yin Shilan that Li Shiming had condensed the Array Formation Starlight Sea.


    This was indeed the seedling of a true high-level Array Master; as long as Li Shiming was given enough time to grow, becoming a high-level Array Master was inevitable.


    The qualification of an Intermediate Array Master obtained through assessment was for those without the Array Formation Starlight Sea. For an Array Master who possessed the Starlight Sea, an assessment was utterly meaningless.


    ¡°Junior Master Zhuge, I am here for the assessment!¡± Li Shiming explained gently.


    ¡°Show us the Starlight Sea. Master Chang is very busy, yet he took the time to come!¡± Without giving Li Shiming an opportunity to explain further, Junior Master Zhuge waved his hand and instructed.


    Great, Li Shiming knew that Yin Shilan had spoken of his achievement in condensing the Array Formation Starlight Sea. He did not blame Yin Shilan.


    Yin Shilan had more than once urged him to apply for the Intermediate Array Master title, hoping that he could undertake missions with her.


    Moreover, telling a few Masters at Dui Peak about the Starlight Sea had only benefits and no drawbacks; Dui Peak would increase their protection for Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind merged with the Starlight Sea within his brain, and above his head, a brilliant galaxy of stars appeared.


    The two Masters and five Senior Brothers present did not speak; they quietly admired the radiant starlight of the formation.


    Each Array Master¡¯s Starlight Sea was unique, related to the system of formation knowledge they learned and their own understanding of formations.


    The five Senior Brothers had less experience; they were all Intermediate Array Masters certified by the sect, the kind who had not condensed their own Starlight Sea.


    Unlike an average Intermediate Array Master at the Qi Refinement Stage, with his Spiritual Thought and an IBMz15, he could almost perfectly replicate the design of any formation he sensed with his Spiritual Thought.


    Junior Master Zhuge shook his head; were it not for the scarcity of high-level Array Master prospects within the sect, Li Shiming¡¯s attitude might have led to him being discarded outright.


    Li Shiming took for granted that such cultivation was to be expected. But in reality, someone had vouched for him, and indeed, he was a bona fide disciple of the Heavenly Sea Sect.


    He was from Great Xia, which fell within the control of the Heavenly Sea Sect and joined the sect formally through the Ascension Conference.


    Although he started cultivating before joining the sect, all of this had been investigated; he had never even come into contact with a Loose Cultivator and it was purely personal fortune.


    This sort of personal fortune was of utmost importance to a cultivator, as every Foundation Establishment Cultivator had their own serendipity, without which it would be difficult to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Also, you now have the authority to use some functions of the Sect Formation. Don¡¯t misuse this privilege!¡± Junior Master Zhuge gave a final admonition before waving his hand, signaling that Li Shiming could leave.


    Li Shiming bowed and exited the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion. As soon as he left, he eagerly took out his Identity Jade Disc to check the functions of the Sect Formation he could now access.


    In the Sect Formation inside the Nine Peaks, his permissions had not changed much. The addition was a temporary formation permission that allowed him access to the interior of a formation after accepting maintenance tasks.


    But outside the Sect Formation, within a range of thousands of miles, his permissions were very useful.


    The Sect Formation extended over hundreds of nodes outside. These nodes, which underlay the Sect Formation¡¯s control over thousands of miles, were fundamental.


    When necessary, he could manipulate these nodes for his protection. They stored massive amounts of energy and in the event of an enemy invasion, each node could become a formidable bulwark, resisting and slowing down the enemy¡¯s advance.


    In normal times, the energy-powered formations of the nodes could shield Li Shiming from the attacks of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator for a short time, affording the sect time to mount a rescue.


    From this, one could see how highly the sect regarded Li Shiming after he became an Intermediate Array Master.


    Not to mention the monthly allowance of two thousand Spirit Stones and equivalent value in formation resources, as well as free access to formation knowledge; all these were in the hopes that he could grow and prosper.


    The sect¡¯s philosophy in cultivating Array Masters differed from that of cultivating ordinary cultivators; the sect would not place great importance on a cultivator until they reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Even if Li Shiming¡¯s power never exceeded the Qi Refinement Realm, as long as he became a High-level Array Master, he could serve the sect for over a hundred years, affording the sect time to wait for new high-level Array Masters to emerge.


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 Chapter 175: 134 Cooperation

    Chapter 175: Chapter 134 Cooperation


    With the identity of an Intermediate Array Master, Li Shiming no longer had to worry about Yun¡¯s Trading House.


    He arrived at Central Peak and, checking the time, was almost right, he walked toward a pavilion at the foot of the mountain.


    There, a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator was waiting for him, who stood up with a smile upon seeing him come.


    ¡°Congratulations on becoming an Intermediate Array Master!¡± Yu Yong¡¯an said with a smile.


    With just this one sentence, Yu Yong¡¯an¡¯s capability was evident. No sooner had Li Shiming become an Intermediate Array Master than Yu Yong¡¯an had already known.@@@@


    ¡°Brother Yu, you really keep well-informed!¡± Li Shiming wasn¡¯t surprised and responded with a smile.


    He had dealt with Yu Yong¡¯an when handling the sea beast carcasses.


    Yu Yong¡¯an had provided him much convenience; he had bought most of the sea beast carcasses, offering a very fair price that did not depress the price due to the large quantity.


    Moreover, the most critical point was that the Yu in Yu Yong¡¯an and the Yu in Yu Gu, the Sect Leader of Sky Sea Hall, was the same Yu.


    The trading house behind Yu Yong¡¯an was Hidden Dragon Trading House, which Li Shiming understood to be a rather high-ranking trading house within the sect, backed by the Sect Leader¡¯s faction.


    Of course, Yu Sect Leader wouldn¡¯t interfere with the operations of Hidden Dragon Trading House, not even greeting when issues arose.


    But having such a title made many matters easy to settle. When Yu Sect Leader remained silent, other Cultivators from the Sect Leader¡¯s faction would step forward.


    Li Shiming took out tea utensils and brewed some Spiritual Tea from his storage bag, then poured a cup for Yu Yong¡¯an.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was not astute or unaware of the implications, but Li Shiming¡¯s concept was too advanced, and he was somewhat hard-pressed to accept it immediately.


    ¡°You could say that. Each group chat is like an auction, with the host acting as the auctioneer!¡± Li Shiming elaborated with a smile.


    ¡°Then could we have the rights to establish a group chat rather than having it done arbitrarily?¡± Yu Yong¡¯an pursued eagerly, his eyes almost gleaming with fervor.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem; I can add access rights to your designated ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generations.''¡± Li Shiming noted his ambition.


    ¡°Junior Li, Hidden Dragon Commerce isn¡¯t like Yun¡¯s Trading House. Given your status in the sect, you needn¡¯t worry about us. I¡¯ll draft a contract once I get back, and then we can start formal cooperation!¡± Yu Yong¡¯an earnestly stated.


    His words were sincere, for from his father Yu Sect Leader, he had learnt about Li Shiming¡¯s background.


    Who would have thought that this simply backgrounded Li Shiming had a deep connection with Yin Shilan?


    If Yun¡¯s Trading House knew of Li Shiming¡¯s connections, no matter how courageous they were, they wouldn¡¯t dare offend him.


    Let alone the connections through Yin Shilan, just the revelation of Li Shiming¡¯s status as an Intermediate Array Master alone would lead Yun¡¯s Trading House to remorse deeply.


    One day later, Li Shiming and Yu Yong¡¯an signed a detailed contract which, even after analysis by an IBM z15, revealed no flaws.


    The contract was highly considerate of him, ensuring his benefits while minimizing any possible trouble.


    Two hundred units of ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡± were sent out, the price Yu Yong¡¯an offered to Li Shiming being three hundred Spirit Stones each. As to how much Hidden Dragon Trading House could sell them for, that was no longer a concern of Li Shiming.


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 Chapter 176: 134 Cooperation_2

    Chapter 176: Chapter 134 Cooperation_2


    Ten days later, the Hidden Dragon Trading House announced they would hold an auction.


    The auction items included several top-grade magic tools, medicinal concoctions to assist cultivation, and even a super-grade magical artifact and a Foundation Establishment Pill for sale. The rest of the auction items were a diverse array, truly indicative of a large-scale auction.


    However, what was strange was that the location of the auction had not been disclosed; instead, they had simply asked interested cultivators to contact the Hidden Dragon Trading House to register.


    Not to mention ordinary cultivators, even Li Shiming was interested, for there was a Foundation Establishment Pill at stake.


    Every five years, the sect would refine a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills, ranging from ten to fifteen pills per batch, depending on luck.


    In such a large sect, ten to fifteen Foundation Establishment Pills every five years was far from sufficient; nevertheless, two pills would still be auctioned off publicly each year to quell the ordinary cultivators¡¯ expectations for the pills.


    The spirit stones needed to bid on the Foundation Establishment Pills were not something ordinary cultivators could obtain, but it gave them a sliver of hope, thus reducing dissatisfaction among the cultivators.


    Such auction opportunities were conducted by trading houses supported by the sect. With only two Foundation Establishment Pills every five years, it was unknown what cost the Hidden Dragon Trading House had paid to acquire one.


    But clearly, the cost was worth it, as all the Qi Refining cultivators in the entire sect went mad, even the various powers set their sights on the pill.


    Two days before the auction, the Hidden Dragon Trading House still had not informed the participants of the exact location; had it not been for the Trading House¡¯s credibility, perhaps the participants would have suspected they were being deceived.


    On the day before the auction, each person who had signed up for the auction, upon depositing five hundred spirit stones, received a ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡¯ device.


    The Hidden Dragon Trading House also promised that all ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡¯ devices could be returned after the auction through a deposit refund, as it was not a compulsory sale.


    The new auction method of the Hidden Dragon Trading House filled all the participants with novelty.


    A completely new auction model, while untested in practice, heightened the enthusiasm of the participants.


    When the auction started, in the group of two hundred and two people, the video of the Hidden Dragon Trading House¡¯s auctioneer appeared.


    The reason there were two hundred and two people was because, apart from the auctioneer, there was one other person, and that was Li Shiming. Naturally, he did not need to purchase ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡¯; he had merely notified the Hidden Dragon Trading House of his attendance.


    ¡°Fellow daoists, this is the most unique auction I¡¯ve ever hosted,¡± the auctioneer started, performing a conventional cultivator¡¯s salute as he delivered his opening remarks.@@@@


    One after another, the auction items were sold at high prices, causing excitement among the members of Hidden Dragon Trading House. Compared to the first-generation ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡± which was one-on-one promotion and display, this was one-to-many, which, in terms of efficiency and effect, was incomparable to before.


    Li Shiming did not participate in the auction of ordinary goods; his sole target was the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Having no shortage of magic artifacts and cultivation resources, there were truly few things at the auction that could attract him.


    The Foundation Establishment Pill was placed in the latter half of the auction, just before the super-grade magical artifact, clearly indicating Hidden Dragon Trading House regarded its importance as less compared to the super-grade magical artifact.


    ¡°The next item up for auction is consigned by our Trading House. Every five years the sect refines Foundation Establishment Pills. This year, the refinement process was very smooth, and a total of fourteen Foundation Establishment Pills were produced. Our Hidden Dragon Trading House, commissioned by the sect, will auction off one of them,¡± the auctioneer said with a smile, placing a jade bottle in front of the camera for introduction.


    Behind each ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation,¡± the cultivators watched the jade bottle with greedy eyes.


    Those who managed to get along well in the sect and were eligible to attend the auction were mostly cultivators with the ambition to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The auctioning of the Foundation Establishment Pill was also the only chance outside of exchanging good deeds with the sect, and as most know, good deeds are hard to come by, typically requiring a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator to complete decades of tasks for the sect before possibly earning enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    For cultivators without a Heavenly Spirit Root, just one Foundation Establishment Pill was risky enough, as statistics showed that those with three spirit root seeds needed at least three Foundation Establishment Pills to have a decent chance of success in advancing.


    Although the chance of advancing with three Foundation Establishment Pills was still low, it was much higher than the slim hope of advancing with only one.


    Li Shiming, as an Intermediate Array Master, knew he could rack up good deeds quickly in the future, but he wanted to be prepared and secure a Foundation Establishment Pill in advance.


    If he had one Foundation Establishment Pill in hand and managed to win another at the auction, he would only need to accumulate enough good deeds to meet the theoretical minimum requirement for someone with three spirit root seeds.


    ¡°One Foundation Establishment Pill, no reserve price!¡± the auctioneer announced, and bids started appearing continuously in the group chat.


    Li Shiming did not rush to bid; he quietly watched the prices offered by the participants.


    He had plenty of Spirit Stones in hand, and in his view, securing a Foundation Establishment Pill was not a difficult task¡ªit was merely a matter of how many Spirit Stones would be required.


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 Chapter 177: 135: Scheming (Extra 1 for Chen Pengyu at)

    Chapter 177: Chapter 135: Scheming (Extra 1 for Chen Pengyu at)@@@@


    ¡°Junior Li, congratulations!¡± Yu Yong¡¯an said as he handed a jade bottle over to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming did not participate in the final auction of the super-grade magical artifact, as it was a defensive item. In his view, it wasn¡¯t as practical as the Spirit Turtle Shield.


    With his strength, if he were to infuse it with spiritual power, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he fell due to a lack of spiritual energy.


    The item Yu Yong¡¯an had acquired for him was the Foundation Establishment Pill he had bid for, which cost 123,100 spirit stones.


    To be honest, that price was not expensive, at least Li Shiming thought so.


    But in reality, that price had already far exceeded the normal auction value. Every five years, two Foundation Establishment Pills would be auctioned off, and each cultivator was acutely aware of the value of the pills in terms of spirit stones.


    If the bidding price exceeded the cultivators¡¯ psychological limit, even if they still had spirit stones, they wouldn¡¯t bid.


    Another reason was that Li Shiming¡¯s bids were too aggressive; he simply did not treat spirit stones as currency, adding ten thousand at a time.


    If it wasn¡¯t for a force continually driving up the price, perhaps it could have been won for within one hundred thousand spirit stones.


    Li Shiming knew the identity of the cultivator who drove up the bids, simply by looking at his surname; the cultivator¡¯s surname was Yun.


    Li Shiming scanned the interior of the jade bottle with his spiritual thought. The bottle was specially made by the sect for storing important elixir pills, capable of preserving them for a long time, and the Foundation Establishment Pill was safely stored inside.


    ¡°Brother Yu, I¡¯ll give you the spirit stones!¡± he said, reaching for the spirit stones.


    ¡°Junior Li, no rush on the spirit stones, just deduct it from later transactions. We need you to provide five hundred ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡¯ for the trading house!¡± Yu Yong¡¯an said with a smile, stopping him.


    The Hidden Dragon Trading House¡¯s event this time was an overwhelming success, with all participants extremely satisfied; all two hundred ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡¯ devices were kept by the cultivators.


    Additionally, after observing for so long, the drop of essence blood at the clone¡¯s heart had shrunk by more than half.


    The clone¡¯s spiritual thought and physique had also greatly increased, reminding Li Shiming of the vast gulf that existed between second-generation cultivators and ordinary ones.


    The good news was, in a few more months, the clone would be able to fully absorb and assimilate that drop of essence blood, and then it would be able to leave the machine room space.


    Elsewhere, in the main hall of Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s headquarters, five elders from the Yun Family were seated according to their status.


    Yun Ze had no seat, so he had to stand at the lower end.


    ¡°Clan leader, I told you to agree to the Holy Ice Sect¡¯s proposal¡ªto hand over Li Shiming to them!¡± the elder seated at the upper left spoke gravely to the Yun Family Patriarch sitting in the center.


    The change in Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s attitude towards Li Shiming was due to two differing voices within the family.


    It was because the Holy Ice Sect had contacted Yun¡¯s Trading House, hoping to lure out Li Shiming through them and hand him over to the Holy Ice Sect, for which the sect had offered significant benefits.


    The matter of Li Shiming trading a large volume of goods with Yun¡¯s Trading House was not a big secret, so naturally, the Holy Ice Sect¡¯s intelligence network had also noticed it.


    The benefits of handing over Li Shiming were so substantial that some of the upper echelons of Yun¡¯s Trading House agreed to the Holy Ice Sect¡¯s proposal.


    However, the Yun Family Patriarch did not wish to do so, as once the matter was exposed, it would spell disaster for the Yun Family.


    It was precisely this indecisiveness among the higher-ups that resulted in the changed behavior towards Li Shiming by Yun¡¯s Trading House¡¯s subordinates; they no longer wanted to fulfill orders that did not earn spirit stones.


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 Chapter 178: 135: Scheming (Extra 1 for Chen Pengyu at)_2

    Chapter 178: Chapter 135: Scheming (Extra 1 for Chen Pengyu at)_2


    Yun Ze had limited influence in Yun¡¯s Trading House. He wanted to speak up for Li Shiming but lacked the authority.


    ¡°I have gathered intelligence that Li Shiming will soon provide the Hidden Dragon Trading House with a batch of ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation,¡¯ which will greatly impact our current business!¡± another elder added forcefully.


    The Yun Family Patriarch looked at the four elders and sighed helplessly in his heart, realizing that the matter had to be resolved.


    ¡°Yun Ze, you¡¯ve always been in contact with Li Shiming. This time, use the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡¯ as an opportunity to arrange a meeting with him!¡± the Yun Family Patriarch said indifferently, looking at the standing Yun Ze.


    Once a decision was made, the Yun Family Patriarch was a person of resolute action.


    Which force doesn¡¯t have its dirty secrets? Though it¡¯s almost impossible to take action within the Sect¡¯s boundaries.


    But that¡¯s almost, not absolutely. Cultivators need privacy, and the Sect Formation¡¯s monitoring is only for public places; its effect is very limited inside buildings.


    ¡°Clan leader, Li Shiming is still worth fighting for!¡± Yun Ze made one last effort.


    ¡°Yun Ze, your job is to follow orders!¡± an elder beside him chided sharply.


    ¡°Yes, Yun Ze obeys!¡± Yun Ze no longer objected and bowed in compliance, then continued, ¡°Based on my understanding of Li Shiming, it won¡¯t be easy to arrange a meeting with him. He is extremely cautious and sensitive!¡±


    This was something Yun Ze experienced deeply. Li Shiming hardly ever left the Sect too far, either undertaking tasks within the Sect Formation or staying in his own cave dwelling.


    At that moment, Li Shiming was happily completing a task with Yin Shilan, which she had taken on and shared with him, to be accomplished by them both.


    During a peak moment of the Sect, Li Shiming used his privileges to open a phantasmal passage, revealing the hidden interior.


    He glanced back at Yin Shilan, who smiled lightly and nodded; he entered the passage first.


    This was a scene within the Sect that no Cultivator but authorized Array Masters were permitted to see.


    Dense Spiritual Power Patterns were drawn upon the mountain body, these lines were protected by the Sect Formation, hidden deep within the formation.


    Their task was to check whether these Spiritual Power lines were clear, identify any issues, and repair them promptly.


    The two entered inside the formation, and Li Shiming, without any reservations, used his Spiritual Thought to probe the surrounding Spiritual Power lines.


    Yin Shilan also sent forth a strand of Spiritual Thought. Their thoughts intertwined, stirring both their spirits simultaneously.


    Spiritual Thought is a combination of tactile, auditory, and visual senses, and also carries mental energy. When not used as an attacking force, it is nearly indistinguishable from the person¡¯s own body.


    The two Spiritual Thoughts quickly separated, but the feeling of mental connection lingered in their hearts for a long time.


    She glanced at Li Shiming, who was equally in awe, and her lips curved in a slight smile; now, there was an additional concern in her heart.


    Li Shiming did not dare to approach the array flag with his spiritual thoughts, the scenes observed from afar were recorded by IBM z15, the complexity of the array flag, with its densely packed pattern lines, contained too much unfamiliar formation knowledge.


    This was indeed the true core system of Heavenly Sea Sect¡¯s formations, accessible only to high-level Array Masters.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know how it was made!¡± the more Li Shiming observed, the more amazed he became.


    ¡°No one in the sect can make them now; only Golden Core Stage Array Masters are capable of crafting such array flags!¡± Yin Shilan transmitted her voice.


    This was a secret of the sect¡¯s formation, and even though they were in the safest, least likely place inside the great formation to leak secrets, she still informed Li Shiming through voice transmission.


    Having the permission to enter this place, Li Shiming naturally had the right to learn about this information.


    Li Shiming smiled bitterly and shook his head, it seemed that these were still too far out of reach for him, but he also hoped to learn something from the array flag.


    The Shaking Summit¡¯s formation was associated with thunder, and if special formation runes related to the thunder attribute could be researched from it, it could completely replace the current electricity generation.


    Just looking at the array flag of the node in front of him, the electric power contained was terrifying, almost comparable to the large power plants of his previous world.


    As they passed by the array flag, the two continued to inspect other spiritual power lines.


    During which, they discovered a segment of spiritual power lines that had been damaged due to being overly ancient.


    Yin Shilan took out the materials she had prepared in advance, with Li Shiming taking the lead in the operation, a rare opportunity to participate in the repair of the Sect Formation, even if it was just fixing this small segment of spiritual power lines, it would also bring understanding of the formation.


    Li Shiming did not hesitate, his spiritual thoughts extended to the disordered spiritual power, driving it apart.


    The ink, mixed with various Spiritual Objects, flowed evenly under the spirit pen, repairing the original Spiritual Power Pattern lines.


    This seemingly simple task in fact required a great deal of calculation, otherwise, just the disordered spiritual power would have kept an Array Master busy for a long time.


    The damaged Spiritual Power Pattern lines also needed to conform to the operation of the Sect Formation, it was only because Yin Shilan was watching beside him that he, on his first mission, was given the opportunity to perform the repair work.


    When he released the disordered spiritual power, it seemed to find its right path, rushing along the new Spiritual Power Pattern lines.


    Yin Shilan was not surprised that he was able to complete it easily on his first attempt, she knew how formidable his calculation abilities were, that was even before the addition of Array Formation Starlight Sea, now with its help, addressing such minor issues was even easier.


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 Chapter 179: 136: Invitation

    Chapter 179: Chapter 136: Invitation


    ¡°It¡¯s easier for an Intermediate Array Master to earn good deeds!¡± Having completed the inspection task, Li Shiming remarked.


    Previously, when he was a Spirit Plant Tender, only several hundred good deeds could be earned in a season, which was considered a lot among the sect disciples.


    But compared to an Intermediate Array Master, there was simply no comparison.


    In just the inspection task he had completed, he and Yin Shilan had split the good deeds equally, each receiving five hundred.


    Of course, this job was not something any cultivator could do. Only a few Intermediate Array Masters could take on such tasks.


    Moreover, he and Yin Shilan both had Spiritual Thoughts, which allowed them to complete the task quickly. Normally, it would take two Intermediate Array Masters four to five days to complete this workload.


    ¡°What are you planning to exchange your good deeds for?¡± Yin Shilan¡¯s clear eyes looked at Li Shiming with a light smile and asked.


    ¡°Of course I plan to exchange them for Foundation Establishment Pills!¡± Li Shiming replied without intending to conceal it.


    This was what most sect cultivators were doing as well, accumulating for the batch of Foundation Establishment Pills that were distributed every five years, which represented the hope of all sect cultivators.


    ¡°Actually, if you become a High-level Array Master, the sect will provide you with at least four Foundation Establishment Pills!¡± Yin Shilan knew more than him and pointed out the direction in which he needed to strive.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes widened; this was the first time he had heard this news.


    If he knew how many High-level Array Masters there were in the sect, he would understand the extent of importance the sect placed on High-level Array Masters.


    In the vast Heavenly Sea Sect, there were only three High-level Array Masters, and yet, many areas needed maintenance by them.


    A sect¡¯s primary Formation always needed one High-level Array Master on standby to handle sudden situations, which was why there was normally one High-level Array Master stationed at the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion on Dui Peak.


    This meant that, presently, only two High-level Array Masters were maintaining the vast primary Formation in the Heavenly Sea Sect.


    Like the node flags he saw earlier, only a High-level Array Master could repair them.


    ¡°I will become a High-level Array Master!¡± Li Shiming clenched his fist tightly; he must get those four Foundation Establishment Pills.


    The main reason cultivators favored mountain dwellings was their enhanced secrecy and safety. A mountain protected by Formations could block other cultivators¡¯ prying eyes and greatly reduce the spiritual power fluctuations inside the dwelling.


    The security and privacy provided by the Formations set up inside these mountain dwellings were exceptionally strong.


    A courtyard-style dwelling, on the other hand, was usually opted for the convenience of tending to Spirit Plant, and less for secrecy, as rarely any normal cultivator would choose such a publicly exposed dwelling.


    It was evident that Yun Ze had chosen this place to put Li Shiming at ease.


    However, the more it was so, the more uneasy Li Shiming felt.


    But looking at the courtyard¡¯s Formation, it was merely a typical Defensive Array that could block the spiritual power fluctuations inside; breaking through it was fairly easy.


    He had many contingencies in place and thus did not overthink it.


    ¡°Junior Li is here, please come in!¡± Yun Ze still wore a sincere smile, eagerly calling out as he saw Li Shiming arrive.


    Despite the incident with ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation,¡¯ it seemed not to affect him, but the more Li Shiming observed, the more suspicious he became.


    Li Shiming pressed a device at his waist to activate its function, a seemingly ordinary ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View.¡¯


    ¡°Senior Yun, you¡¯re too kind!¡±


    Li Shiming entered the courtyard, cautiously deciding not to enter the house but to stand in the courtyard.


    ¡°Senior Yun seems to be living quite comfortably within the sect!¡± he remarked as he surveyed the situation inside the courtyard, his tone a mix of sarcasm and envy.


    Four maidservants were standing in the courtyard. They had no spiritual power fluctuations within them, but they were most definitely maidservants.


    However, under Li Shiming¡¯s scrutiny, he could distinctly sense the vigorous blood flow within the bodies of the maidservants, a prowess ordinary maids could not achieve.


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 Chapter 180: 136: Invitation_2

    Chapter 180: Chapter 136: Invitation_2


    Having achieved some competence in Body Refinement, he immediately determined that all four maidservants had practiced Body Refining Techniques.


    Four maidservants with spirit root seeds, instead of cultivating Spiritual Power Patterns, chose to practice the even more difficult Body Refining Techniques, which was to neglect the essentials for the less important.


    Even if the maidservants had poor spirit root seeds, once they cultivated Spiritual Power Patterns and formed a Spiritual Energy Vortex, their lifespans could be significantly extended.


    By not cultivating the primary Spiritual Power Patterns and forcibly practicing Body Refining Techniques, the consequence was a shorter lifespan, and without the enhancement of spiritual energy, practicing Body Refining Techniques meant overdrawing their lives as the price.


    Li Shiming could even surmise that the Body Refining Techniques practiced by the maidservants were of poor quality, which was related to his discerning eye.


    He himself had cultivated the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ as well as the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯, both top-tier Body Refining Techniques.


    ¡°Junior Li jests, I¡¯ve prepared good tea, not a bit inferior to the Spiritual Tea you served me before!¡± Yun Ze said with an unchanged expression as he pointed at the stone table beside them.


    On the stone table, there was a jade pot and two Jade Cups, from which the fragrance of Spiritual Tea wafted.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought swept over the yard, and apart from the four maidservants, he did not sense anything unusual.


    Li Shiming sat down on the stone bench opposite Yun Ze, curious to see what Yun Ze was up to.


    Such a private conversation should not involve four unrelated maidservants if there were any matters at hand.


    One maidservant came over and poured him a cup of Spiritual Tea.


    ¡°Pure Spirit Suppressing Powder indeed, had the quality of this Spirit Tea been any higher, it would truly be undetectable!¡± Li Shiming hadn¡¯t even touched the Jade Cup when he noticed the issue with the tea, speaking indifferently.


    With all five senses and Spiritual Thought fully extended, IBMz15 was analyzing the situation at all times, and he detected the presence of Spirit Suppressing Powder immediately.


    Spirit Suppressing Powder, a kind of drug that can suppress the spiritual energy in a cultivator¡¯s body, is usually used to detain offending cultivators.


    ¡°Junior Li has sharp eyes, why must you be an enemy to Yun¡¯s Trading House? Otherwise, we truly could have been friends!¡± Yun Ze didn¡¯t get angry at the discovery of the poisoning, instead speaking with an air of helplessness.@@@@


    Seeing Yun Ze¡¯s demeanor, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but grow solemn. Given the current situation, Yun Ze must have been absolutely confident that he could capture him, otherwise, just the act of poisoning a fellow sect member was enough to land Yun Ze in the sect¡¯s prison.


    ¡°Yun¡¯s Trading House is really something, charging me eight thousand spirit stones for goods worth five thousand, and refusing orders that earn fewer spirit stones. I am indeed curious, what kind of power has given Yun¡¯s such benefits to behave this way?¡± Li Shiming was genuinely curious, trying to coax more words out of Yun Ze.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking by asking this question, and since you¡¯re about to die, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. Holy Ice Sect wants your head, and the price they offered was too high for the trading house to refuse. Initially, if you hadn¡¯t actively severed ties with the trading house, we could have postponed this matter a little longer!¡± Yun Ze shook his head, speaking regretfully.


    In his eyes, Li Shiming was already a dead man, and since Li Shiming had had dealings with him before, allowing Li Shiming to die with understanding was also a way to conclude their past association.


    If they had struck his heart or lower back, maybe it could be assumed that Li Shiming had a piece of defensive armor inside.


    But the sword that struck Li Shiming¡¯s forehead made it abundantly clear how terrifying his body was.


    ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ enhanced by the blessing of the Buddhist relic gifted by Old Monk Du Yuan and cultivated with the strength of a high monk, allowed his ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ to reach the pinnacle of his current realm.


    ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ with Third Grade Metal as the sword base. Such a costly strengthening process was only possible with the full support of a Golden Core Elder; otherwise, one would never have the chance to practice it.


    And for a Golden Core Elder to part with Third Grade Metal, even for a direct disciple, such a significant sacrifice would be unheard of.


    Third Grade Metal was the material used by Golden Core Elders to forge their magic artifacts, which were the foundation of their strength.


    Simultaneously cultivating two top-tier body refinement techniques was something even Baili Jin Yan had not achieved.


    Li Shiming slowly stood up, his icy gaze turned towards Yun Ze; then he revealed a chilling smile, like a bloodthirsty beast awakening.


    The four maids swiftly changed their moves, their short swords stabbing at him once again. Trained as death soldiers, these assassins would not give up after just one failure.


    Either the target would die, or they would.


    Merely in terms of physique, Li Shiming was far stronger than them, and close combat was purely about skill, ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ containing countless techniques surpassing those of the mundane world.


    Since he was still a beginner in the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t summon the Third Grade Sword Base for battle, but his hands surpassed the power of an ordinary Mid Grade Magical Artifact.


    Unlike the high-grade sword material in the hands of the maids, his hand¡¯s power was standard against an ordinary Mid Grade Magical Artifact, surpassing the sharpness of an un-imbued high-grade sword material.


    His figure was like a specter, his fingers-turned-swords slashing past the necks of the four maids, who fell with a lost gaze in their eyes.


    ¡°So your body refinement techniques have reached such a level!¡± Yun Ze said in horror, looking at Li Shiming.


    You see, unlike cultivators who need to practice other techniques, these maids focused solely on body refinement techniques and swordsmanship. In theory, without spiritual power, cultivators couldn¡¯t withstand their assault.


    But what was unfolding before Yun Ze was a testament to the formidable nature of Li Shiming¡¯s body refinement techniques.


    The four maids had been practicing body refinement techniques far longer than Li Shiming¡ªwho could have imagined such a disparity that they stood no chance against him?


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 Chapter 181: 137 Confrontation

    Chapter 181: Chapter 137 Confrontation


    After killing four maidservants, Li Shiming¡¯s palms were devoid of blood, save for his robe being pierced; he looked calmly at Yun Ze, just as he had when he first arrived.


    ¡°Kill me!¡± Yun Ze slumped onto a stone stool, rendered weaker than a maidservant due to the seal on his Spiritual Power, and had given up resisting completely in his late-stage Qi Refining condition.


    Li Shiming walked up to him and lightly patted his chest.


    The seal couldn¡¯t restrain Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought; in this situation, Li Shiming still had many cards up his sleeve.


    Spiritual Thought entered Yun Ze¡¯s body¡ªwhat appeared to be a simple strike became a medium to deploy a Jade Sword made of Spiritual Thought into Yun Ze¡¯s Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    The Spiritual Energy Vortex, restrained and unable to resist, was struck directly at its core, causing it to collapse immediately.


    This blow did not take Yun Ze¡¯s life but made him spit out blood; however, his injuries were many times more severe than they appeared.


    Because Li Shiming¡¯s strike had completely destroyed his foundation as a cultivator, the collapse of the Spiritual Energy Vortex, especially under the state of restrained Spiritual Energy, left him totally powerless to resist, affecting his spirit root seeds.


    With damaged spirit root seeds, only the most superior Spiritual Medicine could heal his injury.


    But not only was Yun Ze unable to get such a medicine, even a Golden Core Elder would find it difficult to obtain it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve destroyed my path!¡± Yun Ze screamed at Li Shiming, shaking his finger tremulously, unable to accept the situation.


    A cultivator can die, can be killed, but cannot become incapacitated.


    A being powerful enough to traverse the world reduced to someone who needs help even for eating¡ªhow could a cultivator accept this?


    ¡°You¡¯re a sect cultivator, I¡¯ll hand you over to the sect for punishment!¡± Li Shiming said coldly.


    He grabbed the storage bag from Yun Ze¡¯s waist and hung it on his own without any hesitation.


    Yun Ze, with a dead-grey complexion, did not respond to his question.


    Li Shiming shook his head, took out the Identity Jade Disc, and contacted Junior Master Xu at the Law Enforcement Hall, explaining the situation here.


    He didn¡¯t leave immediately but chose to wait for the arrival of the Law Enforcement Hall at this spot.


    Far outside the courtyard, two pairs of eyes were fixed in the direction of the courtyard.


    These two were spies from the Yun Family, tasked with monitoring Yun Ze.


    Owing to Yun Ze¡¯s prior behavior, the higher-ups of Yun¡¯s Trading House did not place much trust in him, reflecting the operational style of Yun¡¯s Trading House.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Law Enforcement Monk, something¡¯s wrong¡ªreport it quickly!¡± one Yun Family cultivator whispered in alarm.


    From Central Peak to Gen Peak was but a moment; upon receiving Li Shiming¡¯s report, Steward Xu immediately brought twelve Law Enforcement Monks with him.


    On the Yun Family¡¯s side, realizing that an unexpected situation had arisen, they too started making contact with their own supporters.


    Among the sect, the Yun Family had two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the one available at the moment was Junior Master Yun Gang.


    Outside the courtyard, Steward Xu was preparing to exercise his authority, planning to forcefully break through the defensive Formation at the courtyard¡¯s entrance.


    The Law Enforcement Hall had significant powers¡ªunder reasonable suspicion, forceful actions could be taken.


    Such as now, with an Intermediate Array Master in trouble, the sect authorized the Law Enforcement Hall to employ strong measures to resolve the issue.


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 Chapter 182: 137 Confrontation_2

    Chapter 182: Chapter 137 Confrontation_2


    If it were outside the Sect¡¯s Nine Peaks, breaking through the defensive formation of a cave dwelling might pose a challenge, but within the Sect Formation, the Law Enforcement Hall could request the deployment of the Sect Formation¡¯s power.


    With consent from a high-level array master stationed at Dui Peak, the Sect Formation could be activated to forcibly tear open such defensive formations.


    However, before Deacon Xu could utilize his authority, the formation of the courtyard in front of them had activated on its own, revealing the situation inside.


    Deacon Xu did not walk through the courtyard gate; all the law enforcement monks followed him as they flew down into the courtyard.


    The scene inside the courtyard made Deacon Xu¡¯s gaze sharpen; finding four corpses outside was one thing, but this was Gen Peak within the Sect¡¯s Nine Peaks¡ªa place where such a violent major incident had not occurred in many years.


    He spotted Yun Ze. Yun Ze had a small reputation in the business world, but he was a stranger in the eyes of Deacon Xu, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Yun Ze was a mess, clearly indicating his spirit root seeds had been destroyed¡ªonly profound hatred could drive someone to such extremes.


    Deacon Xu¡¯s gaze finally rested on Li Shiming. Others present understood even more how powerful Li Shiming¡¯s background was. To be honest, his knowledge about Li Shiming was limited.


    Yet it was Li Shiming who had sent another steward, Deacon Xu, to Heavenly Sea to remain there for twenty years, and the case had concluded with Deacon Xu¡¯s involvement, leaving an indelible impression.


    ¡°Nephew Li, we meet again!¡± Deacon Xu nodded in greeting toward Li Shiming.


    This gesture puzzled the twelve accompanying law enforcement monks. This was not Deacon Xu¡¯s usual style¡ªwhy would he take the initiative to greet a minor Qi Refinement Fifth Level cultivator?


    Although Yun Ze was in a despondent state, having become disabled, he grasped the implication behind Deacon Xu¡¯s words.


    Li Shiming was not as the Yun¡¯s Trading House had assessed¡ªa cultivator without any significant background but some talent in formations. Otherwise, how could a distinguished Law Enforcement Foundation Establishment Steward show such an attitude toward Li Shiming?


    ¡°Li Shiming pays respect to Junior Master Xu!¡± Li Shiming stepped forward respectfully to salute.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve encountered trouble. Tell me, what happened?¡± Deacon Xu¡¯s words, revealing his stance, were related to his interest in Li Shiming and his extensive experience in handling cases.


    Gen Peak did not have Li Shiming¡¯s cave dwelling, so this courtyard was not owned by Li Shiming.


    It is difficult for a guest to gain the upper hand in a conflict inside another¡¯s dwelling, where various formations and defensive measures give the owner significant advantages.


    A flicker of doubt flashed through his eyes; his last palm strike should have been enough to kill Li Shiming, yet it was somehow blocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide whether it¡¯s slander. This matter should be handled by the Law Enforcement Hall!¡± Deacon Xu, seeing Li Shiming was unharmed, broke out in a cold sweat. If Li Shiming had been killed in front of him, he could almost imagine how much trouble there would be.


    Just now, Yun Gang had the intent to kill, and moved so fast that even Deacon Xu couldn¡¯t stop him in time.


    During their conversation, several cultivators appeared around them. Qi Refining cultivators, seeing two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and even a monk from the Law Enforcement Hall, quickly retreated to an even further distance.


    However, the arriving Foundation Establishment Cultivators didn¡¯t care. They flew around the courtyard, hovering in the sky and watching the unfolding events from above.


    This was all summoned by Li Shiming¡¯s shout. The situation involving a traitor within the sect was of concern to any cultivator, not to mention that the Yun Family held some influence within the sect.


    Among them were friends of the Yun Family, enemies of the Yun Family, and also cultivators who were uninvolved. They all remained silent, waiting for the situation to develop.


    Li Shiming, observing the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the sky, also displayed a look of astonishment. Having spent a substantial amount of time at Nine Peaks, he truly understood the sect¡¯s strength.


    Just in this location, there were over twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivators who arrived immediately because they were free, showing that the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the sect was much higher than he had imagined.


    ¡°Please, Senior Uncles, take charge. The Yun Family is lawless, setting up murderous traps within the sect. Their proficiency in such methods isn¡¯t developed in a day. I believe the Yun Family has used Prohibition Spirit Gold and their trained Body Refinement Female Assassin to slaughter fellow disciples more than once!¡± Li Shiming knew he needed to put in an effort now, so he bowed to the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the sky and spoke loudly.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators weren¡¯t blind. Seeing the four maids¡¯ corpses and the gilded box on the stone table, how could they not understand what was going on?


    Those Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had poor relations with the Yun Family already began showing schadenfreude. Those with closer ties to the Yun Family had their gazes wandering, as if weighing their relationship with the Yun Family.


    ¡°Kid, you use these tricks to target the Yun Family. Who knows if this Prohibition Spirit Gold was brought by yourself? You killed four maids and seriously injured Yun Ze, just to slander the Yun Family!¡± Yun Gang, seeing the tide turning against him, immediately retorted.


    In fact, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present understood that Li Shiming could not have accessed Prohibition Spirit Gold on his own.


    Prohibition Spirit Gold, a special metal controlled by the major sects, used to restrict serious offenders within the sect. Objects made from Prohibition Spirit Gold, when implanted in a cultivator¡¯s body, can prevent them from mobilizing Spiritual Power, reducing them to ordinary humans.


    Regarding the Yun Family Trading House¡¯s usage, it could only target Qi Refinement cultivators. When Spiritual Power reached a certain strength, the effect of Prohibition Spirit Gold¡¯s restraint would cease to function.


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 Chapter 183: 138 Disappointment (Added more 2)

    Chapter 183: Chapter 138 Disappointment (Added more 2)


    For the major sects, privately hoarding Prohibition Spirit Gold is a serious crime.


    The Heavenly Sea Sect¡¯s rewards for turning in Prohibition Spirit Gold are very generous, and although they forcefully requisition it, the compensation they provide is likewise ample.


    After Yun Gang finished his statement, Li Shiming gave him a faint look, then took something out from his waist.


    ¡°Your name is Yun Gang, isn¡¯t it? How many benefits have you received from the Holy Ice Sect to attempt murder in front of Deacon Xu of the Law Enforcement Hall, killing on the nine peaks of our sect? If I weren¡¯t an Intermediate Array Master and had not relied on the Sect Formation to protect myself, I would have been killed by you on the spot!¡± Li Shiming accused angrily.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators who came later were not aware of the previous events and only understood what had just happened when they heard his recounting of them.


    Especially after hearing Li Shiming¡¯s clear accusations, they all looked at Li Shiming and Yun Gang with scrutinizing eyes.


    Now it all depended on who was lying. Once such a grave crime was confirmed, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would not be tolerated by the sect.


    ¡°I was just acting in a moment of anger, aren¡¯t you still alive?¡± Yun Gang¡¯s complexion changed at this moment, as he regretted his earlier impulsiveness, fearful of Li Shiming¡¯s status as an Intermediate Array Master.


    Li Shiming was still waiting; he was waiting for his own backup.


    The Sect Formation emitted a surge of Spiritual Power Pattern, and Junior Master Zhuge appeared from the void.


    His strength was not considered powerful amongst the group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but as a High-level Array Master, he did not rely on combat power. Within the Sect Formation, he could easily trap and kill any Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    ¡°Yun Gang, have you no shame, attacking a Qi Refinement Realm disciple? If you don¡¯t give an explanation for this matter, my Dui Peak and your Gen Peak have an unsettled score!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said as he looked behind Yun Gang.


    Junior Master Zhuge had received the message a step late; he was dealing with sect affairs just before.


    Although he hadn¡¯t heard the entire story, Yun Gang¡¯s attempt to kill Li Shiming had already enraged him.


    Especially for Yun Gang, with Yun¡¯s Trading House doing great business, providing him and another Foundation Establishment Cultivator with an abundance of Spirit Stone resources, he was well aware of ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡¯ which brought profits to Yun¡¯s Trading House.


    ¡°¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ is a little gadget I made. What I have here is a test version of ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    Fortunately for him, this device he crafted was a bit different from the normal ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View.¡¯ Because it was for personal use, he barely used Spiritual Power Pattern and Array Runes in its features.


    Thus, when Yun Ze activated the effects of Prohibition Spirit Gold, his device could still be used smoothly, only the contact functionality with the outside world had been cut off, as that part required interaction with Array Runes.


    Peak Master Zhao felt helplessly conflicted inside. He initially intended to protect Yun Gang and the Yun Family; the Yun Family was a part of Gen Peak, and its interests were largely tied to Gen Peak¡¯s.


    But everything that was happening before him meant he could no longer protect the Yun Family.


    ¡°Damn it! To dare conspire with an external sect and murder fellow sect members within Gen Peak!¡± Peak Master Zhao¡¯s eyes flashed with killing intent, and a sword light appeared in his hand, slashing towards Yun Ze.


    If Yun Ze, as the person involved, was killed, then all the blame could be shifted to the dead man.


    That way, Gen Peak¡¯s loss would be significantly reduced.


    With a sword strike by a late-stage Foundation Establishment, even Steward Xu of the Law Enforcement Hall wouldn¡¯t be able to block it. Moreover, the attack was so sudden that Yun Ze was about to be killed on the spot.


    ¡°Killing in front of me, it seems the whole of Gen Peak is cut from the same cloth!¡± Junior Master Zhuge shouted loudly in anger.


    The unstoppable sword strike, however, didn¡¯t land. Even though Peak Master Zhao was the master of Gen Peak, the highest authority of the Sect Formation was in the hands of Junior Master Zhuge.


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 Chapter 184: 138 Disappointment (Extra 2)_2

    Chapter 184: Chapter 138 Disappointment (Extra 2)_2


    Peak Master Zhao¡¯s sword strike was blocked by the Sect Formation, and Yun Ze, who had closed his eyes awaiting death, did not die.


    Li Shiming inwardly sighed at the complexity within the Heavenly Sea Sect.@@@@


    The Peak Master of Gen Peak, such a high-ranking sect official, was still siding with the Yun Family even with clear evidence, leaving him feeling utterly disillusioned.


    Truthfully, ever since he had joined the sect, although the nurturing he received was limited, he had held great recognition for the sect, considering himself a proud member of the Heavenly Sea Sect.


    However, today¡¯s scene greatly diminished his recognition of the sect.


    ¡°Junior Master Xu, this is Yun Ze¡¯s storage bag, and this is my own ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡¯ inside which there is evidence of the Yun Family colluding with the Holy Ice Sect to harm fellow disciples. I hope the Heavenly Sea Sect can handle this justly!¡± Li Shiming said as he handed over the storage bag he had previously taken off his waist along with the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ to Steward Xu.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators present could hear the disappointment in Li Shiming¡¯s words, the reason for a cultivator¡¯s disappointment naturally being disillusionment with the sect.


    ¡°Junior Master Zhuge, thank you for your protection. I will return to Eagle Beak Island immediately and await the sect¡¯s investigation!¡± Li Shiming bowed deeply to Junior Master Zhuge.


    After speaking, he did not linger or glance at any of the cultivators present, sprouting wings from his back and soaring into the sky.


    ¡°Peak Master Zhao, from now on, for all formations apart from the main one at Gen Peak, do not involve Dui Peak anymore!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said coldly as his figure lifted off and vanished from the cultivators¡¯ sight.


    Peak Master Zhao felt extremely surprised by Junior Master Zhuge¡¯s attitude.


    Before this, he had forcefully suppressed his anger toward Li Shiming¡¯s attitude, wondering when a mid-stage Qi Refining disciple had the audacity to act superior in front of him.


    But the subsequent attitude of Junior Master Zhuge indicated the importance Dui Peak placed on Li Shiming.


    ¡°Peak Master Zhao, would you like to strike again and kill us all to suppress this matter?¡± Steward Xu then coldly asked.


    He was holding Yun Ze, fire also burning in his eyes.


    This trip to Gen Peak to handle the case had started with Yun Gang attempting to kill Li Shiming right in front of him, followed by Peak Master Zhao attempting to kill Yun Ze, completely disregarding the Law Enforcement Hall.


    Peak Master Zhao was silent, not expecting such a significant reaction from Dui Peak and the Law Enforcement Hall to his earlier actions.


    ¡°Peak Master Zhao, Gen Peak truly is not a good place; we dare not stay long, and I also dare not take Yun Gang without an elder¡¯s presence. I will report everything truthfully to the Sect Leader!¡± After speaking, Steward Xu did not wait for Peak Master Zhao¡¯s response, turned around with Yun Ze, and took his people and the evidence, leaving the place.


    When Li Shiming returned to Eagle Beak Island, he received a message on his Identity Jade Disc.


    Seeing who sent the message eased some of his anguish and dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± the message from Yin Shilan was one of concern.


    By this time, a month had passed since the attack on Li Shiming, and he once again arrived at Yu Sect Leader¡¯s vast room.


    ¡°Li Shiming, have a seat!¡± Yu Sect Leader, without any delay, gestured for him to sit down as soon as he entered.


    Li Shiming bowed and performed the cultivator¡¯s salute to Yu Sect Leader, then sat down next to him.


    ¡°I have called you here to discuss the Yun Family¡¯s compensation to you,¡± Yu Sect Leader said, moving from behind the vast desk to sit opposite Li Shiming.


    While he was aware of the relationship between Li Shiming and Yin Shilan, he was unclear about Elder Yin¡¯s stance, and moreover, Elder Yin was currently in seclusion and absolutely unable to intervene in this matter.


    Yu Sect Leader, in terms of power, might rank slightly higher than Gen Peak¡¯s Peak Master Zhao, but Peak Master Zhao was cultivated by all the Elders. Although the Elders hadn¡¯t intervened, it was extremely difficult for Yu Sect Leader to impose severe penalties on Gen Peak¡¯s cultivators on this side.


    He could at most obtain more compensation from the Yun Family for Li Shiming, hoping to thereby secure Li Shiming¡¯s loyalty.


    ¡°No need for compensation. How the sect handles this is none of my concern, just please return the still-in-testing ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ to me,¡± Li Shiming said very respectfully.


    Yu Sect Leader was slightly taken aback, as he hadn¡¯t expected Li Shiming to say this.


    ¡°Are you going to give up on the Yun Family¡¯s compensation of one hundred fifty thousand spirit stones?¡± he hinted.


    He also knew that Li Shiming had made a good amount of spirit stones from ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯, but the Yun Family¡¯s compensation of one hundred fifty thousand spirit stones was no small figure.


    Normally, it was equivalent to nearly the value of two Foundation Establishment Pills.


    If Li Shiming were a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the compensation from the Yun Family would be much higher, but for a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, a compensation of one hundred fifty thousand spirit stones was an astronomical figure in the eyes of all cultivators.


    But what Yu Sect Leader could not have imagined was that Li Shiming alone has amassed a fortune of two point four million spirit stones from selling the Spirit Sea Beast.


    ¡°How dare I take the Yun Family¡¯s spirit stones? They have two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and over twenty late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. I dare not even leave the sect now,¡± Li Shiming said quietly.


    Yu Sect Leader wanted to tell Li Shiming that the sect¡¯s decision to station Yun Gang on the Heavenly Sea frontline for twenty years was already a severe punishment.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators are the sect¡¯s bedrock, and unless there is evidence of defection, there¡¯s always an escape route left for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    But it was not proper to say that out aloud since, as Li Shiming said, any Foundation Establishment Cultivator who wanted to kill Li Shiming on the spot would just end up at the Heavenly Sea frontline.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s current state, any cultivation of late-stage Qi Refining would suffice to have Li Shiming killed for the Yun Family.


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 Chapter 185: 139: Leaving the Pass

    Chapter 185: Chapter 139: Leaving the Pass


    ¡°Cultivating a Foundation Establishment Cultivator isn¡¯t easy, I know you harbor resentment, but the sect has already done its best to be fair,¡± Yu Sect Leader patiently advised.


    The Sect Leader of Heavenly Sea, being able to persuade Li Shiming like this, was partly because of the relationship with Yin Shilan and also because of Li Shiming¡¯s innate talent in formation.


    In such a short time, Li Shiming had become an Intermediate Array Master with the Array Formation Starlight Sea, a promotion speed even faster than Yin Shilan¡¯s. From this perspective, Li Shiming¡¯s talent for formations was stronger than Yin Shilan¡¯s.


    ¡°I bear no resentment, I only wish to retrieve ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View.¡¯ I will not accept the Yun Family¡¯s compensation!¡± Li Shiming obstinately said.


    Yu Sect Leader felt a headache brewing, as Li Shiming¡¯s attitude brought a sense of estrangement.


    He took out the Identity Jade Disc and contacted Deacon Xu.


    Before long, Deacon Xu arrived, but his expression was somewhat poor.


    ¡°The case has concluded, return Li Shiming¡¯s ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ to him!¡± Yu Sect Leader waved his hand and instructed.


    ¡°Yu Sect Leader, the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ was taken by Peak Master Zhao, stating it needed to be verified for authenticity and hasn¡¯t been returned yet!¡± Deacon Xu didn¡¯t produce the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡¯ but explained instead.


    ¡°Then have Peak Master Zhao return it!¡± Yu Sect Leader said irritably, then turned to Li Shiming and added, ¡°Stay here for a while!¡±


    Li Shiming nodded and quietly waited.


    The ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡¯ was bound to his Identity Jade Disc, rendering it useless to others who took it.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Deacon Xu returned, and Yu Sect Leader, observing his countenance, knew that there were some complications.


    An Intermediate Array Master with knowledge of the Sect Formation was not someone who could be easily let go from the sect; if such an intention existed, the only possibility would be execution by the sect.


    Thus, Yu Sect Leader hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that; a talent like Li Shiming should not be affected by internal strife within the sect.


    He didn¡¯t understand Li Shiming; even growing up in a mundane family in this world, Li Shiming¡¯s sense of belonging wasn¡¯t strong.


    He had joined the Heavenly Sea Sect, trying to accept becoming its cultivator. Yet at this moment, he encountered the filthy aspects of Heavenly Sea Sect.


    Especially since Peak Master Zhao, a senior within Heavenly Sea Sect, had deeply disappointed Li Shiming and even spurred mistrust towards the sect.


    Of course, his current realm and power meant that only his talent in formations was essential to the sect; he had no influence in other areas yet.


    Even his talent in formations was still considered potential; only when he became a High-level Array Master would he truly be a crucial figure in the sect.


    Yun¡¯s did not pay out a hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones; they would only deem Li Shiming foolish, yet in his mind, this grudge would become his rationale to act against Yun¡¯s.


    As for Peak Master Zhao, Li Shiming just had to endure, enduring until he had the power to confront Peak Master Zhao personally, such is the Cultivation World.


    Due to the sect attack incident, and being the creator of ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡¯ six months later, Li Shiming had completely vanished from the sect¡¯s view.


    The collaboration with Hidden Dragon Trading House continued, and a large amount of materials were transported through Hidden Dragon Trading House to Eagle Beak Island.


    No one knew what he was researching, but with the identity of the creator of ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View,¡¯ no one questioned his need for vast resources.


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 Chapter 186: 139: Leaving the Pass_2

    Chapter 186: Chapter 139: Leaving the Pass_2


    On this day, at the summit of Central Peak within the sect, a terrifying pressure erupted from a cave abode.


    Every cultivator of the nine peaks perceived this pressure. Fortunately, it flashed by and did not affect the sect cultivators.


    Yu Sect Leader and several other ruling cultivators in the sect flew together towards the summit of Central Peak.


    The cave abode at the summit of Central Peak is the best in the entire sect. It is where Spiritual Energy from the main spiritual vein of the sect emerges and is also the central location of the Sect Formation, receiving the most comprehensive protection.


    As the Formation of the cave abode activated, a handsome man in his thirties, with a long beard under his jaw, slowly walked out.


    ¡°Greetings to the Second Elder!¡± Yu Sect Leader and the cultivators bowed in unison.


    Simultaneously, two figures appeared next to the handsome man.


    ¡°Congratulations to Brother Yin for advancing to the Golden Core Middle Stage!¡± It was Elder Quan and Elder Sheng from the sect who, sensing the aura of Elder Yin, congratulated him together.


    Do not underestimate this step. From the Golden Core Early Stage to the Middle Stage, the vast majority of Golden Core cultivators in the great sects are stuck at the early stage, unable to advance further.


    From then on, the power of the sect increased significantly, and so did its influence.


    ¡°Junior Brother Quan, Junior Sister Sheng, it was purely a stroke of luck!¡± Elder Yin smiled and returned the gesture.


    Yu Sect Leader and other high-ranking members of the sect were overjoyed. With Elder Yin¡¯s advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage, the strength of the sect had grown stronger, giving these actual administrators more confidence in dealing with external sect affairs.


    ¡°Congratulations to the Second Elder on his promotion to the Golden Core Middle Stage!¡± They bowed and congratulated in unison.


    Elder Yin waved his hand, and an invisible force lifted them up.


    ¡°Father!¡± A graceful figure stepped out from the side. Yin Shilan, seeing her father whom she had not seen in nearly three years, called out softly.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er has grown up and become a big girl now!¡± A fatherly warmth spread across Elder Yin¡¯s handsome face as he smiled at Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er has missed you so much!¡± As Yin Shilan spoke, tears of grievance welled up in her eyes for some reason.


    Elder Yin, being highly perceptive, sensed his daughter Yin Shilan¡¯s grievance. Although his face still wore a smile, his eyes swept towards Yu Sect Leader at his side.


    That look clearly demanded an explanation from Yu Sect Leader.


    ¡°Second Elder, a while back, the newly promoted Intermediate Array Master Li Shiming was assassinated at Gen Peak. Perhaps the junior sister felt that my handling of it was unfair, and that caused her some distress!¡± Yu Sect Leader hesitated for a moment before bowing and speaking.


    Elder Yin himself was somewhat baffled, was his wife that fierce?


    Although his wife was powerful and had many methods, she was still not very confident against a Golden Core cultivator of Elder Baili¡¯s strength.


    But Elder Baili wouldn¡¯t likely lie about losing a magical artifact, which was a severe blow to any Golden Core cultivator.


    As for the direct disciple, compared to this, it hardly counted as anything at all.


    If Li Shiming was here, he would understand why trapping a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Holy Ice Sect had instead drawn Elder Baili, a Golden Core cultivator, resulting in Elder Baili¡¯s hasty retreat.


    Even though a magical artifact was destroyed, Elder Baili still had the strength to fight at that time.


    But Elder Baili had judged the situation as a trap set by Evil Elder Ren for him, and after the destruction of the artifact and the backlash to his body, he immediately decided to flee.


    No one could blame Elder Baili, besides a Golden Core cultivator, who else could cause such a massive disturbance.


    Most crucially, this kind of method was very much in line with Evil Elder Ren¡¯s habits; it was a strange, sudden, and effective attack.


    At that time, if Elder Baili had stayed, Evil Elder Ren could have engaged him, potentially leading to his death on the spot.


    Thus, he used Blood Escape, a technique severely taxing on his body, and fled thousands of miles back to the sect, causing his injuries to worsen from simple backlash to severe wounds.


    As Elder Baili had said, having suffered so much loss, what was so wrong about seeking a bit of revenge?


    ¡°Son-in-law?¡± Elder Yin snapped out of the matter of the attack on Elder Baili; he thought about another issue that Elder Baili had mentioned and involuntarily turned his head towards Yin Shilan.


    Yin Shilan naturally heard the term ¡®son-in-law,¡¯ and her face flushed red with embarrassment as she lowered her head even further.


    A pang of pain hit Elder Yin¡¯s heart; his most well-behaved daughter already had someone in her heart.


    However, remembering that he was still communicating with Elder Baili, he suppressed his feelings.


    ¡°By the way, I contacted you to inform you that I have advanced to the Golden Core Middle Stage, and I¡¯ll find time to discuss the matter of your revenge with you!¡± Elder Yin told Elder Baili in a deep voice.


    The water screen did not pause for even a moment before it was disconnected.


    Elder Yin still caught a glimpse of Elder Baili¡¯s displeased face as the water screen disappeared.


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 Chapter 187: 140 Turnaround

    Chapter 187: Chapter 140 Turnaround


    Peak Master Zhao¡¯s mood was complex; he had always believed he did nothing wrong, for defending the cultivators of his peak was his duty as the Peak Master.@@@@


    Yet, upon hearing Elder Baili refer to Li Shiming as ¡°son-in-law¡± and seeing Yin Shilan¡¯s bashful reaction, he seemed to understand.


    He turned his head to look at Yu Sect Leader and, on his squarely-set face, he spotted a hint of slyness and cunning.


    Yu Sect Leader obviously knew about the relationship between Li Shiming and Yin Shilan yet hadn¡¯t informed him, seemingly waiting for him to fall into this pit.


    ¡°Xiao Zhao, I am very dissatisfied with you. You will handle this matter again. If even the act of betraying the Sect can be forgiven, then what has the Sky Sea Sect become?¡± Elder Yin looked at Peak Master Zhao and instructed calmly.


    ¡°Yes, I dealt with this matter incorrectly and will certainly rectify it!¡± Peak Master Zhao promised repeatedly, without any objection.


    ¡°That will be all, Junior Quan, Junior Sister Sheng, let¡¯s get together properly tomorrow!¡± Elder Yin didn¡¯t say anything else and saw the guests out.


    The two Golden Core cultivators and various high-ranking Foundation Establishment cultivators understood that Elder Yin wanted to speak with his daughter, so they left with smiles.


    Only Elder Yin and Yin Shilan remained in front of the cave residence. Yin Shilan also wanted to leave, but catching her father¡¯s gaze, she knew she couldn¡¯t escape today.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, what Old Monster Baili said is true, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s natural for someone your age to have a sweetheart. I only wish to see for myself what sort of character this young man has, whether he¡¯s worthy of my precious daughter!¡± Elder Yin said gently.


    Yin Shilan felt something was off listening to this; it was different from when her mother tricked her about Li Shiming¡ªdifferent words, but the tone was strikingly similar.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just friends!¡± she said softly.


    To Elder Yin¡¯s ears, that was as good as saying, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re deeply in love,¡± effectively the same thing.


    Although he had just left seclusion, how could he not understand his daughter who had been with him since childhood?


    Combining today¡¯s major event of Elder Yin leaving seclusion, how could Yun Song not understand that there was a connection between Li Shiming and Elder Yin?


    ¡°I will follow the Peak Master¡¯s command and handle this!¡± Yun Song bowed and replied, then turned to leave immediately.


    ¡°Wait, like this, you probably won¡¯t be able to meet Li Shiming. Find the Sect Leader so he can arrange for someone to bring you to Li Shiming!¡± Peak Master Zhao seemed to recall something and added the instruction while waving his hand.


    Li Shiming on Eagle Beak Island was unaware of the major events occurring in the sect.


    He spent most of his days uploading knowledge of formations into the IBMz15; an Intermediate Array Master could gain knowledge of formations below the intermediate level for free.


    This was an enormous knowledge system, where normally an array master would choose a speciality while merely touching on other areas.


    Thus, array masters would select useful knowledge from this vast system for study, but Li Shiming was different¡ªhis aim was to upload this knowledge into the IBMz15.


    Once the IBMz15 analyzed this knowledge thoroughly, it would share the learning results with him.


    He skipped the longest part. What took other array masters ten years to learn, he could master in mere minutes.


    Although he had lost some sense of belonging to the sect, and he didn¡¯t even proactively claim the two thousand spirit stones and formation resources, he wouldn¡¯t pass up on the knowledge of formations.


    Not claiming the two thousand spirit stones and formation resources was his way of showing his stance to the sect.


    If he was nearly assassinated and the sect¡¯s handling of the situation wasn¡¯t fair, it would seem rather false if he didn¡¯t show some temper.


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 Chapter 188: 140 Turning Point_2

    Chapter 188: Chapter 140 Turning Point_2


    It was an excellent opportunity to reduce his activities within the sect and devote his energy to cultivation and learning.@@@@


    He deeply realized that strength was everything. Whether he became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or a high-level Array Master, he would not be subjected to unfair treatment.


    ¡°This is quite interesting!¡± While he was integrating knowledge of formations, he stumbled upon a passage within the knowledge that made him speak to himself.


    Formations and stars are deeply interconnected; many formations are arranged according to the stars.


    This particular passage contained descriptions about the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    Above 3000 zhang is considered One Layer Heaven; thereafter, each interval marks the next layer, with fierce winds separating each.


    These winds pose danger to cultivators¡¯ bodies, and Spiritual Power can easily be scattered by these winds.


    The text¡¯s description of the Thirty-Three Heavens was scant, only mentioning the concept and the fierce winds.


    This fundamentally contradicted Li Shiming¡¯s theories about the sky from his previous life and was tied to another significant plan of his.


    ¡°It seems I need to find some information about the Thirty-Three Heavens!¡± said Li Shiming, shaking his head reluctantly.


    He didn¡¯t want to ask for help, but the information about the Thirty-Three Heavens was crucial, so he needed to consult Junior Master Zhuge.


    IBMz15 issued a warning, and through monitoring, Li Shiming saw two cultivators outside Eagle Beak Island.


    One of them was Deacon Xu from the Law Enforcement Hall, and the other was a stranger.


    Just as Li Shiming was puzzled, Deacon Xu sent a ray of light into the Array.


    Li Shiming¡¯s figure returned to his cave dwelling. He casually grabbed the invitation card sent by Deacon Xu through the Array, indicating a very formal visit.


    He activated the small Mountain Protection Array, allowing the two cultivators to enter Eagle Beak Island, and then came out in front of his cave dwelling.


    ¡°Mr. Li, by the command of the Sect Leader, I have brought Yun Song to see you!¡± Deacon Xu, upon seeing Li Shiming, hesitated momentarily on how to address him, eventually using a term from the Cultivation World that didn¡¯t necessitate consideration of status.


    Being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator himself, it was normal for him to call Li Shiming by his name or as a junior nephew.


    But the issue was that he had learned from the Sect Leader about today¡¯s matters; if Li Shiming was indeed Elder Yin¡¯s son-in-law, even the Sect Leader would have to start calling Li Shiming a junior brother.


    Li Shiming did not pay attention to Deacon Xu¡¯s address. What concerned him was the accompanying Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Yun Song.


    ¡°Does Yun cultivator belong to that Yun Family?¡± he asked coldly, a rejecting look on his face.


    ¡°Mr. Li, please allow me to speak first, I come with the utmost sincerity!¡± Yun Song hurriedly said.


    ¡°Mr. Li, the Sect Leader has left the decision up to you!¡± Deacon Xu added from the side.


    With such resources, he would dare to attempt the breakthrough even if he reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    For a cultivator of Qi Refining Fifth Level strength to have gathered all the resources needed for advancement into the Foundation Establishment Stage¡ªplus coming from a humble background¡ªit was probably only him.


    It¡¯s estimated that even for those top-tier cultivators with influential backgrounds, their elders wouldn¡¯t hand over something like a Foundation Establishment Pill when they were at the Qi Refining Fifth Level.


    Feeling great, he thought about seeking guidance from Junior Master Zhuge and so he took out the Jade Flying Boat and headed towards the sect.


    Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, Li Shiming didn¡¯t know how the three high-level Array Masters were assigned, but every time he visited over the past two years, it was Junior Master Zhuge who was present.


    ¡°Li Shiming, what brings you here? Did Gen Peak look for you?¡± Junior Master Zhuge asked with a smile.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly, realizing that nothing could really be kept secret within the sect; Junior Master Zhuge already knew about the incident that had just happened.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Junior Master!¡± He thanked earnestly.


    He was very clear about how Junior Master Zhuge treated him, going so far as to fall out with Gen Peak to support him.


    ¡°Alright then, go ahead and collect your spirit stones and other formation resources later, the sect is large and issues are inevitable. Once you become strong enough in the future, you can change whatever you want!¡± Junior Master Zhuge waved his hand as he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your advice, Junior Master!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t say anything more on this matter and answered with a bow of his head.


    But his heart wasn¡¯t easily mended from the rift with the sect due to previous issues.


    He also extinguished the thought of involving himself too much in sect affairs, just as Junior Master Zhuge said¡ªthe sect was large, and he was someone who disliked trouble.


    He preferred to retaliate directly after being wronged.


    Within the sect, when faced with attempted assassinations, he couldn¡¯t act on his own and had to wait for the sect to handle it.


    Look at his conflict with the Holy Ice Sect¡ªthey had troubled him several times, and he always responded in the most resolute way.


    ¡°Junior Master, I¡¯ve come to ask for your guidance this time!¡± Li Shiming said with a bow.


    ¡°You, ever since you started learning formations, you haven¡¯t come to me. Formation studies require exchange. Although my guidance to you won¡¯t be much, it will still benefit you!¡± Junior Master Zhuge pointed at Li Shiming and said with a big laugh.


    He was in a very good mood, first because Elder Yin had come out of retreat and resolved the incident that happened a month ago, unveiling Li Shiming¡¯s concerns.


    Secondly, the fact that Li Shiming came to seek guidance was, in his eyes, a kind of expression, showing his attitude towards the sect.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 189: 141: Heavy Skies (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 189: Chapter 141: Heavy Skies (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)


    Li Shiming felt somewhat awkward; he realized that Junior Master Zhuge had misunderstood. He was not there to ask about Formation problems.@@@@


    However, upon further thought, the Thirty-Three Heavens did have some connection to Formations.


    ¡°Junior Master, in the explanation of the Tiangang Beidou Formation, I came across a description of the Thirty-Three Heavens. I want to know more about the Thirty-Three Heavens,¡± Li Shiming asked.


    ¡°The Thirty-Three Heavens? Why do you ask about that?¡± Junior Master Zhuge was slightly taken aback, then after a moment he said, ¡°The Thirty-Three Heavens are located three thousand zhang above the heavens. Normal Flying Boats can¡¯t approach that height. There exists a fierce wind capable of annihilating all life, capable of extinguishing souls.¡±


    ¡°So, no cultivator can go up there?¡± Li Shiming still didn¡¯t understand and asked.


    ¡°Of course, there are cultivators who can ascend. Golden Core cultivators can reach the first few layers of the Thirty-Three Heavens; how many specifically depends on the individual strength of the Golden Core Cultivator.


    It is said that powerful beings, with each strike, can cause destruction of the heavens and the earth. To engage freely in battle without causing too much destruction to the land, such powerful beings choose to enter the Thirty-Three Heavens for battle.


    The fierce wind of the Thirty-Three Heavens can dissipate overflowing Spiritual Power. It is precisely because of the Thirty-Three Heavens that the land is protected from complete devastation!¡± Junior Master Zhuge explained this and spread his hands to indicate that was all.


    Li Shiming still had many doubts in his heart, but Junior Master Zhuge did not wish to discuss further, and he had no choice but to let it go.


    ¡°The Thirty-Three Heavens are still too distant for you. You need only consider these matters after reaching the Golden Core stage!¡± Junior Master Zhuge cautioned, worrying that he might focus too much on this aspect, not forgetting to advise him at the end.


    Upon returning to Eagle Beak Island from the sect, Li Shiming started preparing for the experiment.


    Yin Shilan sent a message saying she wouldn¡¯t be able to contact him for a few days, which suited his own preparations.


    Several days later, Li Shiming boarded the Jade Flying Boat and flew towards the sky.


    As a Flying Artifact, he had never considered the altitude of the Jade Flying Boat before.


    Once the balloon reached a certain altitude, the chip would automatically deflate the balloon, causing it to descend so that Li Shiming could retrieve it.


    He let the balloon fly, carrying the basket upwards.


    He patiently waited. At this altitude, no cultivators would approach, nor was there any cultivator to disturb his experiment.


    Moreover, he had chosen a location far from the sect¡¯s Nine Peaks, in a rather desolate area.


    ¡°It¡¯s back!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s device received a signal, and he swiftly followed it.


    The balloon was about a kilometer from where he had released it, fortunately still within the signal¡¯s range, or else he would have lost the balloon.


    While the balloon was still slowly descending in the air, his Spiritual Thought already scanned the interior of the basket.


    The small mouse was intact but had lost its life. There was still some oxygen left, so it hadn¡¯t died from lack of oxygen.


    The Golden Winged Beetle was in worse condition.


    Its body looked as if it had been sliced by a sharp knife, with cuts almost completely severing the body, only sticky tissues holding it together.


    When Li Shiming applied a slight force with his Spiritual Thought, the Golden Winged Beetle¡¯s body turned into countless pieces.


    This made him take a sharp intake of breath. The skies of this world were indeed different from those of his previous life.


    He also felt a bit of trepidation. If he had designed his grand plan according to the skies of his previous life, perhaps it would have been a suicide mission.


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 Chapter 190: 141: Heavy Sky (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 190: Chapter 141: Heavy Sky (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2


    The sky poses a greater threat to beings with Spiritual Power, yet that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s kindly disposed towards ordinary life.


    The little mouse¡¯s condition seemed to match what Junior Master Zhuge described as soul dispersal, and with the Golden Winged Beetle, not only its soul but even its body had dispersed.


    One can imagine how terrifying the strong winds are, and this world is covered by them.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but look downward; the earth was still the same, but he now had his doubts about the physical laws of this world.


    Having confirmed the existence and dangers of the Thirty-Three Heavens, he no longer lingered and flew downward.


    When he reached a certain altitude, he switched to the Jade Flying Boat and returned in the direction of Eagle Beak Island.


    Approaching Eagle Beak Island, Li Shiming saw a petite figure waiting outside the island, standing atop a paper crane.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er?¡± Li Shiming recognized her as Ren Fei¡¯er, whom he had not seen for a year.


    Upon seeing him, Ren Fei¡¯er burst into tears with a ¡°waah¡±.


    Confined by her mother for a year, her daily routine was cultivation, with her only living spaces being a cave dwelling, its encompassing garden, and the mountain peak where the garden was located.


    Besides her mother and a few maidservants, she hadn¡¯t seen anyone else for a year.


    Forced every day by her mother to cultivate and to study various secret techniques, she felt that this year had been particularly difficult.


    Especially with Li Shiming on her mind, yet unable to contact him, she felt him drifting further and further away from her.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, don¡¯t cry, you¡¯ve already reached the Qi Refining Eighth Layer; your cultivation speed is really impressive!¡± Li Shiming, familiar with Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s temperament, consoled and praised her.


    ¡°I have been diligently cultivating every day!¡± Hearing the praise, Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s tears lessened considerably, and glancing at Li Shiming, who was only at the Qi Refining Fifth Level, she spoke with a hint of pride.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t sneak out this time, did you?¡± Li Shiming asked, somewhat concerned.@@@@


    He remembered well that Ren Fei¡¯er had a record of sneaking out several times, and it was because of her last escapade that she had been caught by her mother and locked away for a year.


    ¡°Of course not, I came to the Sky Sea Sect to see my father, and I also wanted to see how you were doing!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er said proudly, raising her head.


    As she spoke, her gaze fixed on the Jade Flying Boat. She compared her paper crane with the Jade Flying Boat.


    Li Shiming might not have a good impression of the Holy Ice Sect, but he had to admit that the Jade Flying Boat they crafted was truly beautiful.


    Although sometimes willful, Ren Fei¡¯er wouldn¡¯t directly ask for such a valuable Flying Boat.


    However, he couldn¡¯t understand why the cultivators from Xuanming Sect could freely enter the territory of the Sky Sea Sect.


    He didn¡¯t think much of it, though. His sense of belonging to the Sky Sea Sect was limited, and while he didn¡¯t have a good impression of the Xuanming Sect either, it didn¡¯t affect his friendship with Ren Fei¡¯er.


    In the depths of a cave dwelling at the peak of Central Peak, Elder Yin was brewing tea for Elder Ren.


    ¡°Qian Qian, Old Monster Baili took a big loss this time; you need to be more cautious!¡± Elder Yin slightly adjusted his tone and whispered softly.


    ¡°What kind of loss did Old Monster Baili suffer? Wasn¡¯t he just threatened a bit? Is he really that petty?¡± Ren Qianqian, enjoying the service of Elder Yin, lifted her head and spoke with some confusion.


    The gazes of the two Golden Core cultivators met, sensing that something was amiss.


    ¡°Old Monster Baili was trapped near the waters of the Sky Sea Sect; not only did he lose a treasure, but he was also severely injured. He went back to Holy Ice Sect and entered seclusion. It took him over three months just to barely be able to leave his dwelling, and a full recovery will take much longer.


    He said he fell into a trap you set up. Is there anyone else besides you with such capabilities?¡± Elder Yin said with confusion.


    ¡°So now I can only ambush and sneak attack? How about we find a place and have a battle now to see if you, in your Golden Core Middle Stage, can get the better of me!¡± Ren Qianqian heard another meaning in his words and said with bulging eyes.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you?¡± Elder Yin¡¯s handsome face broke into a smile while he poured Spiritual Tea for Ren Qianqian, carefully confirming.


    ¡°I just found out when you told me. If it was a trap I set up, letting Old Monster Baili suffer such a huge loss, how could I possibly let him leave alive!¡± Ren Qianqian shook her head.


    ¡°Then we need to clarify things with Old Monster Baili and make sure he doesn¡¯t target the wrong enemy!¡± Elder Yin said with a frown.


    He didn¡¯t want to make a deadly enemy of Elder Baili over something he hadn¡¯t done.


    A treasure was the foundation of a sect.


    To create a treasure, many different grade three materials are needed, and some even include a small amount of even more precious materials to increase its power.


    Golden Core cultivators generally possess one to two treasures, the most vital being the life-bound treasure.


    Considering that Elder Baili was active after only three months, what he lost couldn¡¯t have been his life-bound treasure.


    ¡°Old Monster Baili¡¯s Resentment Sword has been destroyed!¡± Ren Qianqian made a quick judgment, the smile that appeared on the corner of her mouth was definitely not out of sympathy for Elder Baili.


    Elder Baili had two treasures in total, and his life-bound treasure wasn¡¯t an offensive one, so Elder Baili¡¯s combat power was greatly reduced. This was indeed good news.


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 Chapter 191: 142: Dual Purpose

    Chapter 191: Chapter 142: Dual Purpose


    Days passed in the stability of cultivation, and Li Shiming resumed his duty of maintaining the Sect Array at Jiufeng every few days. His understanding of formations was also improving through the continuous sharing of knowledge within the IBMz15.


    After some time, he had accumulated a substantial amount of good deeds, which gave him the confidence to once again visit the Hidden Technique Pavilion.


    The inside of the Hidden Technique Pavilion was very quiet, with several cultivators searching for the cultivation techniques they needed.


    Li Shiming walked lightly, spotting the familiar figure of Senior Brother Liu.


    This was normal, of course, considering the lifespan of cultivators and such a favorable task as working in the Hidden Technique Pavilion. Unless one was promoted to Foundation Establishment or chose to retire and stop progressing, most would continue to stay in the Hidden Technique Pavilion.


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu!¡± Li Shiming greeted with a smile at Liu, who seemed lost in thought.


    ¡°Your Identity Jade Disc, what cultivation technique do you wish to obtain?¡± The same words, uttered with casualness as always.


    Yet when Liu looked at Li Shiming, he clearly recognized him.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Li, it¡¯s been a long time!¡± Senior Brother Liu said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu, I must trouble you again!¡± Li Shiming said as he handed over ten Spirit Stones.


    This time, Liu didn¡¯t extend his hand to display his familiar skill of receiving items but quickly withdrew his hand as if afraid he might carelessly accept them.


    ¡°Mr. Li, aren¡¯t you slapping my face? Just say the word; if it¡¯s within my power, I¡¯ll see it done without hesitation!¡± Senior Brother Liu said, patting his chest in assurance.


    His stable position in the Hidden Technique Pavilion certainly indicated that he had some backing.


    ¡°Wait a moment, Mr. Li!¡± Just as Li Shiming was about to step out of the Hidden Technique Pavilion, Liu called out to him.


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu?¡± Li Shiming turned his head in surprise.


    ¡°The multitasking technique Mr. Li is seeking may not be among the Qi Refinement techniques, but there is indeed one there¡ªa mortal technique from the Martial World. It is said that very few have mastered it. However, because it touches slightly on the spirit, it has been included in the Hidden Technique Pavilion!¡± Senior Brother Liu pointed to a spot and explained.


    After speaking, Liu already walked in that direction, and Li Shiming quickly followed.


    Unlike the cultivator techniques stored as Jade Scrolls, the volume he was looking for was preserved in the form of a book.


    Senior Brother Liu accurately arrived at the desired location, confidently picking up a book, revealing how familiar he was with the first floor of the Hidden Technique Pavilion.


    He handed the book to Li Shiming, who reached out to take it.


    ¡°Ambidextrous Combat!¡± Li Shiming read the name of the technique softly to himself.


    If he didn¡¯t know he was in a Cultivation World, he might think he had traversed to the world of martial arts crafted by Mr. Jin; the name of this technique was just too much of a coincidence.


    As he flipped through the pages, a large portion of text mixed with Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian scriptures caught his eye. It was clear that the author aimed to display literary talent, but honestly, in the eyes of someone like Li Shiming, who had achieved third place in the imperial examinations, it came across as somewhat pretentious.


    Obviously, ¡®Ambidextrous Combat¡¯ was indeed a technique for multitasking, but the person who wrote about the technique made it sound more mysterious than it was. Without a familiarity with the knowledge of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, one would likely struggle to understand the technique at all.


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 Chapter 192: 142 Dual Use_2

    Chapter 192: Chapter 142 Dual Use_2


    No need to mention that many of the allusions and word usages contained within are incorrect, leading to misunderstandings.


    In fact, Li Shiming simply flipped through the document as if inputting the ¡°Dual-Brain Combat¡± technique entirely into the IBMz15.


    This mundane cultivation technique was not highly valued by the sect; what was placed here was merely the complete version.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this ¡®Dual-Brain Combat¡¯ manual!¡± Li Shiming was not at all stingy with the good deeds, as he spoke to Senior Brother Liu.


    ¡°Two good deeds for this manual, Mr. Li. Just take it, and I¡¯ll make a copy later!¡± Senior Brother Liu was very pleased to be able to help him, saying with a smile.


    Li Shiming examined the book in his hand, noting the style and era of the book; it appeared to be the original version.


    ¡°Then I thank you, Senior Brother Liu!¡± It was indeed a favor given by Senior Brother Liu, he said as he took out his Identity Jade Disc.


    Holding the ¡®Dual-Brain Combat,¡¯ he left the Hidden Technique Pavilion, recalling the contents of the ¡®Dual-Brain Combat.¡¯


    Although ¡®Dual-Brain Combat¡¯ was a mundane cultivation technique, it still involved the spiritual level. Disregarding the use of inner Qi and such, just the ingenious spiritual concepts alone had sparked many inspirations for him.


    The inventor of ¡®Dual-Brain Combat¡¯ was very bold, utilizing martial artist¡¯s inner Qi in the head, separating the left and right brains. On this basis, using spiritual techniques, they achieved two independently thinking brains.


    In medical research from his previous life, the middle part of the left and right brain was called the corpus callosum.


    And there was a surgery called corpus callosum section, a treatment for epileptic disorders.


    This surgery was extremely dangerous and was widely used in the early stages of medical development, producing a lot of surgical data.


    Li Shiming would not consider severing his corpus callosum to learn ¡®Dual-Brain Combat,¡¯ no wonder so few people could successfully cultivate it. This technique had a somewhat similar effect to the ¡®Sunflower Manual¡¯ in some respects.


    However, the principle of ¡®Dual-Brain Combat¡¯ could be referenced as an approach to solving problems before obtaining the cultivator¡¯s Divine Separation Technique.


    He did not have much time left because the drop of essence blood in his clone would be completely absorbed in a few days, at which point he could summon the clone out of the machine room space.


    The clone was very significant for him; as a clone cultivated through Life-bound Corpse Refinement, it could advance to the Foundation Establishment stage first, thus he would have the combat power of the Foundation Establishment stage with him.


    Besides, if he could do dual-tasking, he would have more time to study and research.


    Separating the left and right brains did not require cutting the corpus callosum to such an extreme, he could use Spiritual Thought to directly block the connection between the left and right brains.


    Afterwards, using the spiritual techniques of ¡®Dual-Brain Combat,¡¯ he would enable the left and right brains to think independently. Once accomplished, it would then be fine to restore the connection between the left and right brains.


    He was within the Qi-sealing formation, his consciousness entering the machine room space.


    Suddenly, a figure appeared beside him; Li Shiming, now eighteen and a third place laureate, had cultivated the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ and ¡®Devil Sound Lotus,¡¯ among other techniques, giving him a unique aura and an exceedingly handsome face.


    But as soon as his clone appeared, it surpassed his original self.


    The clone¡¯s perfect face, determined by IBM z15 analysis and calculations, needed no aura enhancement to be recognized as the most exquisite treasure in the world.


    Not to mention, the clone had also cultivated the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ and possessed a spirit far superior to Li Shiming¡¯s, giving it a unique allure.


    ¡°Did I go a bit overboard?¡± Li Shiming muttered to himself as he looked at his clone.


    ¡°Fellow, am I not just you? What is too much?¡± the clone replied with a smile.


    ¡°Right, who wouldn¡¯t want such a face!¡± Li Shiming laughed and said.


    The scene of him talking to himself seemed somewhat eerie, but through such interactions, he was also getting used to the feeling of having two bodies together.


    The clone threw a punch at him, Li Shiming¡¯s figure flashed, but he was a step slow and got hit in the shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ve held back some power, yet you are at the Qi Refining Peak, and I¡¯m only at Qi Refining Fifth Level!¡± Li Shiming rubbed his sore shoulder and complained.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll also tone down to Qi Refining Fifth Level,¡± the clone replied with a laugh.


    Even when suppressed to the Qi Refining Fifth Level strength, the clone still had the upper hand against Li Shiming.


    Since Li Shiming and his clone practiced the same cultivation techniques, theoretically, their strength should be completely identical when at the same level.


    However, considering that the clone¡¯s ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ was much more profound than Li Shiming¡¯s, and with a disparity in physical strength, the speed and power during combat were very different.


    It could be said that the clone¡¯s combat power at that moment equaled Li Shiming¡¯s potential combat power at Qi Refining Peak, assuming, of course, Li Shiming did not learn any new techniques.


    The sparring between the clone and Li Shiming not only increased Li Shiming¡¯s combat experience but also fine-tuned the multitasking, giving him more insights into controlling two bodies in combat.


    The only drawback was the issue with the clone¡¯s Magic Artifact. The clone had not been able to use the previous Magic Artifact, but any issue solvable with Spirit Stones was not a real problem.


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 Chapter 193: 143: Doppelganger

    Chapter 193: Chapter 143: Doppelganger


    Li Shiming and his doppelganger fought each other while using various methods to observe if the doppelganger was revealing any other external auras.


    Apart from the formations, both the main body and the doppelganger kept their spiritual thoughts open continuously.


    After spending the whole night, he did not discover any abnormal situation with the doppelganger.


    He left the doppelganger in the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡± where the doppelganger transformed into the state of Corpse Refining.


    The doppelganger could no longer cultivate the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± as the spiritual energy vortex had already reached saturation, and continuing cultivation would risk a breakthrough.


    He still needed to wait a bit longer to verify some ideas before considering letting the doppelganger attempt a breakthrough.


    Moreover, the doppelganger¡¯s breakthrough also needed to reach its limit before attempting one; the doppelganger¡¯s state of life had indeed reached its limit ¡ª in physique, spiritual power pattern, and spiritual thoughts ¡ª far surpassing an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    However, the doppelganger¡¯s state of Corpse Refining had not reached its extreme yet.


    Li Shiming was not well-versed in the Living Corpse state of his doppelganger, but he followed his own judgment to wait until the Corpse Refining body also reached its peak before considering its promotion.


    And with the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡± reaching the extremity of the copper corpse state in Corpse Refining was not a difficult task, and it wouldn¡¯t take too long.


    Just as his own copper corpse was, it could not stay in the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± but was always inside the corpse bag.


    Li Shiming had obtained the copper corpse less than three years ago, and it had reached the epitome of a copper corpse under the influence of the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array.¡±


    He sent a message to Yu Yong¡¯an from the Hidden Dragon Trading House to order a High Grade Sword Artifact of the gold attribute, not considering defensive magic tools and the like.


    The doppelganger could use it for now, though its effectiveness was minimal because the doppelganger¡¯s defense was so robust that Li Shiming deeply doubted whether the defense of the Super-grade ¡°Vajra Armor¡± could match that of the doppelganger.


    Li Shiming had another pressing issue to address, which was the problem with the Foundation Establishment Technique.


    He was accustomed to preparing for a rainy day. He himself was still a long way from advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, but the doppelganger was close.


    Given the doppelganger¡¯s capabilities, he wouldn¡¯t consider ordinary Foundation Establishment techniques, but currently, he couldn¡¯t even access basic techniques for that stage.


    He prioritized resolving this issue; otherwise, even if the doppelganger advanced to Foundation Establishment, it wouldn¡¯t have a primary cultivation technique to pursue.


    He contemplated soliciting a Foundation Establishment Technique from his sect once he became a high-level Array Master, as he was learning array knowledge swiftly. Nowadays, his Array Formation Starlight Sea had expanded more than double; he felt achieving the high-level Array Master status might be faster than trying to break through at the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    When cultivating the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡± a flash of insight struck him as he looked toward the doppelganger in the state of Corpse Refining within the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array.¡±


    Upon exiting the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡± the doppelganger transformed into a human upon leaving the Ghost Domain environment.


    ¡°Much obliged, fellow!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    ¡°Helping you is helping myself!¡± The doppelganger¡¯s handsome smile was too dazzling to behold directly.


    Li Shiming had just had a flash of insight, realizing that both he and the doppelganger were cultivating the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± and both belonged to the Qi Refinement Realm.


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 Chapter 194: 143 Avatar_2

    Chapter 194: Chapter 143 Avatar_2


    The avatar was of a Heavenly Spirit Root, with a cultivation speed of 100, while the main body¡¯s cultivation speed was only 38.79.


    Since the avatar could no longer increase the Spiritual Energy Vortex¡¯s Spiritual Power, it was better to channel the Spiritual Power generated from cultivating the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ into the main body¡¯s Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    Spiritual Power recognizes its master, and under normal circumstances, the feasibility of this idea was almost zero.


    While Spiritual Power is extremely obedient within a cultivator¡¯s body, that¡¯s because it is cultivated by the cultivator themselves, bearing the cultivator¡¯s own soul imprint.


    The same Spiritual Power, once it enters another cultivator¡¯s body, becomes a highly destructive attack.


    Li Shiming¡¯s glimmer of hope came from the fact that he and his avatar shared the same soul, with the avatar¡¯s Corpse Refining Spirit being essentially separated from his own blood, plus the avatar¡¯s special characteristics. Now, the avatar and the main body truly shared one soul.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t start experimenting with cultivation right away, the avatar extended a finger, a flicker of Spiritual Power playing on the fingertip.


    With a light tap from the avatar on the main body, that bit of Spiritual Power followed the skin and entered the body.


    If anything was off, the avatar could withdraw that bit of Spiritual Power at any time, but obviously, there was no need for that.


    Once inside the main body, this bit of Spiritual Power did not cause any destruction. Although it did not blend particularly well with the main body¡¯s Spiritual Power, that was also because the avatar¡¯s Spiritual Power was far more intense than the main body¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m really stupid, why did I only think of this now!¡± Li Shiming reprimanded himself by tapping his head.


    He seemed to have forgotten that before, he wouldn¡¯t dare summon the avatar out of the chamber room space, and the main body couldn¡¯t enter the chamber room either.@@@@


    Even though his current cultivation speed was quite fast, looking at Ren Fei¡¯er, who was only a year younger than him yet already at Qi Refining Eighth Layer, showed the disparity in talent.


    If he could use his avatar to bridge this gap, then the avatar¡¯s role would be tremendously significant.


    The Gathering Spirit Array gathered the Spiritual Energy from the Low Grade Spirit Vein within the array, the main body and the avatar sat back-to-back.


    Cultivating the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ simultaneously, Li Shiming quickly realized how vast the difference between his and his avatar¡¯s cultivation speed was.


    He and his avatar both channeled one hundred points of metal-type Spiritual Energy into their bodies, with the main body converting it into 38 points of Spiritual Power that could be channeled into the Spiritual Energy Vortex. In contrast, the avatar turned all 100 points of Spiritual Energy into Spiritual Power that could be fed into the Vortex.


    This was the difference, a colossal difference.


    It looks like just over twice the gap, but the main body had reached its current level by using various methods, even breaking through its absorption limit.


    While the avatar stabilized at this level due to having an absorption limit of 100.


    ¡°Junior Master, I heard that Intermediate Array Masters have some benefits when applying for spirit veins, I wonder if I could get a cave mansion with a stronger spirit vein?¡± Li Shiming asked somewhat sheepishly.


    ¡°You came for this, didn¡¯t you? Intermediate Array Masters indeed have such benefits. Are you asking for a low-grade spirit vein?¡± Junior Master Zhuge asked, pointing and shaking his head in laughter.


    ¡°Could I go for something higher? A low-grade spirit vein is somewhat insufficient!¡± Li Shiming knew this was not the time to be modest and quickly negotiated.


    ¡°I understand what you mean. Intermediate Array Masters can apply for up to a mid-grade spirit vein; I¡¯ll use research on formations as the reason!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said as he operated on the Identity Jade Disc.


    The sect¡¯s benefits for Intermediate Array Masters were considerable, to some extent akin to those of Foundation Establishment Cultivators. However, Li Shiming hadn¡¯t been an Intermediate Array Master for long and had made few contributions to the sect.


    If it weren¡¯t for Junior Master Zhuge¡¯s help, Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t have been able to apply for a Mid-grade Spirit Vein Cave Mansion on his own.


    Li Shiming then turned and went straight to the Affairs Pavilion, where he met a Qi Refining Cultivator whom he didn¡¯t recognize.


    He still opened the way with spirit stones, taking out ten spirit stones and handing them to the cultivator in charge.


    ¡°Since you haven¡¯t officially joined any of the Nine Peaks within the sect, the cave mansion you can choose is only within this range. Make your choice!¡± The cultivator in charge accepted the spirit stones and displayed a holographic map showing the area.


    Because it was set to be within the range of the Nine Peaks, and as a mid-grade spirit vein cave mansion, there weren¡¯t many options to choose from.


    On the holographic map, there were only about thirty cave mansions, sparse like stars in the sky.


    ¡°Does senior brother have any recommendations?¡± Li Shiming looked at the thirty-some cave mansions. He initially wanted to choose one on Dui Peak, but seeing that the vacant ones on Dui Peak were very close to the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, he didn¡¯t want to choose them anymore.


    Being so close to High-Level Array Masters, even with formations for separation, he didn¡¯t feel safe.


    It wasn¡¯t that he worried about Junior Master Zhuge spying. It was more about his many secrets. If any High-Level Array Master accidentally discovered anything unusual, it would be a major problem.


    ¡°This cave mansion on Xun Peak has just become vacant. It was previously occupied by a Qi Refining Ninth Level senior brother who unfortunately perished outside. His death has been confirmed. The cave mansion is near a mid-grade spirit field and has an excellent environment. Also, within a large nearby area, there is no second cave mansion,¡± the cultivator in charge pointed out lightly.


    Spirit stones were never spent in vain, a fact that had been proven many times over.


    Cultivators did not have any superstitions about the inauspiciousness of deceased people¡¯s cave mansions. In any case, in a millennium-old sect, almost every cave mansion¡¯s previous owner had died at some point.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with this cave mansion!¡± Li Shiming was decisive, his finger lightly tapping on the spot of that cave mansion as he spoke.


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 Chapter 195: 144: New Mansion

    Chapter 195: Chapter 144: New Mansion


    Xun Peak, Li Shiming came here once again, and surprisingly, not in the capacity of a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator this time.


    The cave dwelling was located on a sub-peak of Xun Peak, a mountain shorter than the main peak, with the cave dwelling situated in the middle.


    This environment was quite special; the side of the mountain where the cave-dwelling sat was relatively gentle, except for a small cliff right where the dwelling was located.


    Thus, except for this single cave dwelling, the surrounding area was all spirit fields.


    Fortunately, cultivators did not need to walk, otherwise entering and exiting the cave dwelling would have been quite troublesome.


    The spirit fields of Xun Peak were not to be entered lightly by others; the spirit plants grown in these mid-grade fields were already quite valuable.


    The spiritual medicine produced from mid-grade fields could even be used as raw materials for early-stage Foundation Establishment Elixir Pills.


    Flying above the mid-grade spirit fields, one could feel the freshness of the Spiritual Energy here.


    Occasionally, one could see a dark cloud rising; it was Junior Spirit Plant Cultivators using spells to water the fields.


    It was indeed those cultivators continually invoking spirit rain that kept the environment of Xun Peak in the best condition among all nine peaks.


    Upon reaching the cave dwelling, Li Shiming took out his Identity Jade Disc, and the defensive formation of the cave dwelling automatically activated.


    As he entered inside, he immediately felt the dense Spiritual Energy.


    Compared to a low-grade spirit vein, the concentration of Spiritual Energy here had increased more than twofold.


    He had not expected that, during his Qi Refinement Realm, he would need to change to a better spirit vein due to a lack of Spiritual Energy.


    Back when he discovered the low-grade spirit vein in the underground space of Eagle Beak Island, he had thought that vein would be enough for him until he reached the peak of Qi Refinement.


    And it was also because of his status as a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator that he chose to leave the cave dwelling of the sect¡¯s Nine Peaks.


    ¡°This is the Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator, Brother Cheng! This is Brother Zhang!¡± Jin Fengzhi hastily introduced the two men to Li Shiming, and then curiously asked, ¡°Brother Li, have you also joined Xun Peak?¡±


    Seeing Li Shiming here made her very curious.


    Ever since the training period for new disciples ended and they had parted ways, she had not heard any news from Li Shiming.


    Seeing Li Shiming now, with an aura entirely different from before, especially the way he flew with the pair of wings on his back indicated he was doing quite well, which made her quite envious.


    Moreover, among the disciples who had joined the sect with them, all were faring poorly, and without a leader, they suffered bullying without anyone to turn to.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t joined Xun Peak; I just reapplied for a new cave dwelling over there,¡± Li Shiming responded openly, pointing toward the direction of the cliff.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brother Li¡¯s dwelling to be so close to ours; we must look after each other more in the future!¡± The Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator, Brother Cheng, who had been silent, then spoke up.


    When he first met Li Shiming, he sensed that Li was at the Qi Refining Fifth Level, the same realm as his own.


    That¡¯s why when Jin Fengzhi took the initiative to greet him, he hadn¡¯t shown any particular emotion.


    Jin Fengzhi had joined the sect only three years ago and was at the Qi Refining Second Level. If it weren¡¯t for her learning the ¡®Earth Spirit Technique,¡¯ which was somewhat useful, she might still be busy with menial tasks.


    Considering how much stronger Li Shiming appeared compared to his peers, either his talent was exceptionally strong, or he had powerful support behind him, either of which meant he was not to be offended lightly.


    Upon hearing that Li Shiming¡¯s dwelling was by the cliff, he understood that Li Shiming¡¯s identity was not simple.


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 Chapter 196: 144: New Mansion_2

    Chapter 196: Chapter 144: New Mansion_2


    The cave dwelling was located at a Mid-grade Spirit Vein, which was only eligible for Qi Refining Ninth Level geniuses who hoped to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage or for Foundation Establishment Cultivators themselves.


    Yet Li Shiming, who was merely at the Qi Refining Fifth Level, had occupied a cave dwelling at the Mid-grade Spirit Vein, compelling Brother Cheng to break his silence, fearing he might offend Shiming.


    ¡°Brother Cheng is too kind. Jin, who comes from Great Xia along with me, I hope you can look after her!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Brother Cheng, feeling extremely delighted, promptly agreed upon hearing this.


    This was how they got to know Li Shiming, and perhaps in the future, they might even become friends.


    Jin Fengzhi, however, felt complicated. When she heard Brother Cheng addressing Li Shiming as a senior, she knew that Shiming¡¯s strength must be at least comparable to Cheng¡¯s.


    And for Brother Cheng, an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator, to be so polite showed that there was something extraordinary about the cave dwelling.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Li. I hope that when time allows, you can join us for a gathering!¡± Jin Fengzhi thanked him with a bow.


    ¡°Sure, send a message to my cave dwelling when it¡¯s time. Although this is a temporary residence, I visit daily.¡± Li Shiming agreed with a smile.


    Although the cultivators of the same period weren¡¯t particularly outstanding, there was still some camaraderie.


    Moreover, as these cultivators came from the secular world, there was a high likelihood they might return to it if they couldn¡¯t continue in the Cultivation World.


    While they were the weakest in the Cultivation World, they held significant influence back in the secular world.


    Although practicing the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ required going to the Xun Peak cave dwelling, adjusting the main cultivation time didn¡¯t much affect it.


    Every afternoon, Li Shiming would go to the cave dwelling at Xun Peak to cultivate, supported by the Spiritual Energy provided by the Mid-grade Spirit Vein; he believed the cultivation effect would meet his expectations.


    He and his clone sat in the cultivation room of the cave dwelling, right behind the Spiritual Energy outlet of the Mid-grade Spirit Vein, with a Gathering Spirit Array set up around them.


    A Mid-grade Spirit Vein could support the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator; thus it was more than sufficient for two Qi Refining cultivators.


    The clone cultivated the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ at a steady rate equivalent to a Heavenly Spirit Root¡¯s 100x cultivation speed, while Li Shiming¡¯s own body maintained the highest speed rate of 38.79.


    However, after each session, Li Shiming found his cultivation effect had exceeded theoretical expectations.


    According to theory, his body¡¯s cultivation speed should have been 138.79, but the actual effect far surpassed this value.


    It was then that he realized an issue he hadn¡¯t noticed before¡ª the cultivation speed of a peak Qi Refining cultivator couldn¡¯t be evaluated by the same standard as that of a Qi Refining Fifth Level cultivator.


    Thus, after hearing that Li Shiming had taken the lead, they gathered resources led by Jin Fengzhi to reach out to him, the meaning behind their actions going without saying.


    ¡°Everyone, please have a seat!¡± Li Shiming noticed their unease and, smiling, gestured for them to sit.


    On a stone table in the courtyard, there were several types of Spirit Fruit and a pot of Spiritual Tea, which was the best these seven could afford to offer.


    Jin Fengzhi took the initiative to pour a cup of Spiritual Tea for Li Shiming. The quality of the tea was not high, but for them, being low-ranking members of the sect, having access to Spiritual Tea was already quite thoughtful.


    ¡°Brother, at which peak are you currently residing?¡± Jin Fengzhi asked with a cute smile.


    The others looked towards him, hope filling their eyes. The better Li Shiming¡¯s circumstances were, the greater the help he could provide them.


    They were all low-ranking disciples; otherwise, they would have already been able to find out about Li Shiming¡¯s situation.


    It was well-known that Li Shiming had been targeted for assassination by the Yun Family, which had caused quite a stir within the sect. The impact he had made using the Sect Formation at that time was indeed tremendous.


    ¡°I am at Dui Peak as an Intermediate Array Master. And you?¡± Li Shiming said without any intention of concealing it, then asked in return.


    The seven individually reported their situations. Four of them had chosen to be Spirit Plant Cultivators, mainly under the influence of Li Shiming, while the other three were at different peaks.


    Whether as Spirit Plant Cultivators or other professions, they were all still at the beginner stage.


    It wasn¡¯t that they were inept; there was no easy secondary Cultivation profession. Moreover, their own spirit roots were inherently poor and they were young when they joined the sect, so these three years were primarily focused on learning.


    ¡°We are fellow disciples from the same period, and now that I understand your situations, I have two options for you. One, I can give you twenty Elixir Pills to assist in cultivation, enough to get you to the Qi Refining Fourth Level. The second option is I could try to help you master the spells of a secondary profession, but of course, I can only help those engaged as Spirit Plant Cultivators. The three of you will have to select the elixir pills!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    His words were directed at the four Spirit Plant Cultivators led by Jin Fengzhi; the secondary professions of the other three were not something he had dealt with before, and because the techniques obtained within the sect are not to be shared among others, he could only help the Spirit Plant Cultivators.


    All seven were pleased; regardless, the fact that Li Shiming was willing to help was a good thing in itself.


    The three who did not need to think too much about their options might find that Elixir Pills, while perhaps not appealing to cultivators with good spirit roots, could significantly enhance their cultivation speed given their poor spirit roots.


    Li Shiming reached into his storage bag and took out three porcelain bottles, handing them over to the three cultivators.


    The elixirs were all acquired from slain cultivators. Stored in the storage bag, they merely served as a disguise, as the real treasures were kept in the cultivation room¡¯s space.


    He never used elixirs himself; partly because his cultivation speed had reached its limit and the pills had no effect, and partly because he was concerned that developing a resistance to these elixirs might affect the effectiveness of the Foundation Establishment Pill.


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 Chapter 197: 145: Help

    Chapter 197: Chapter 145: Help


    Li Shiming gave the Elixir Pills to his fellow disciples, not worrying that their consumption would affect the efficacy of the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    In his judgment, among the seven people here, it was very unlikely for anyone to break through to the late-stage Qi Refining, let alone attempt to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The other four people looked at the porcelain bottle with eyes shining, knowing that although such cultivation resources could be obtained with good deeds, it would take them at least ten years to accumulate twenty Elixir Pills.


    Li Shiming¡¯s generosity had effectively spared them a decade of hard toil.


    ¡°Senior brother, how confident are you in helping us master the ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡¯?¡± Jin Fengzhi asked with a hint of hesitation.


    ¡°There¡¯s no certainty, it mainly depends on you yourselves. What I offer is merely a possibility!¡± Li Shiming replied indifferently.


    ¡°I choose the Elixir Pills!¡± Upon hearing his response, the other three made their decision in unison.


    Jin Fengzhi still hesitated, very aware that the Elixir Pills could save ten years of arduous cultivation, but mastering the spells of a Spirit Plant Cultivator could bring benefits far greater than the pills.


    After all, a Spirit Plant Cultivator could accumulate enough income to purchase these Elixir Pills within three to four years.


    But the uncertainty made her hesitant. This was a unique opportunity, and she understood that Li Shiming would not unconditionally assist them forever.


    ¡°Please, senior brother, help me grasp the ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡¯!¡± Jin Fengzhi decided firmly, despite the risk.


    Becoming a Spirit Plant Cultivator might change her fate, otherwise, even with the Elixir Pills, she would just continue the cycle of struggle at the bottom.


    Without a skill to rely on, one could not expect to last long in the Cultivation World, and she was no cultivator skilled in combat to battle sea beasts.


    ¡°Step back, I need to borrow the courtyard!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile to the other six.


    Never underestimate a Spirit Plant Cultivator. Even a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator could generate far more benefits than an ordinary cultivator of the same rank, not to mention the potential to advance to Intermediate level.


    Jin Fengzhi felt her mind merge with her surroundings, sensing the preciousness of the spring rain ¨C the nourishment of the earth, the vitality of plants.


    The genuine meaning emerged from this enlightenment, and the ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡¯ rune in her hand, imbued with genuine meaning, turned into a beam of spiritual light.


    Clouds formed in the sky thereafter, and although they weren¡¯t extensive, this was genuinely caused by the ¡®Spring Breeze and Rain Skill,¡¯ and spirit rain ensued.


    As the clouds appeared, Li Shiming waved his hand, gathering up the Array.


    In the courtyard, Jin Fengzhi stood soaking wet but enthralled, not minding her damp robe or the tears streaming down her cheeks.


    She had waited for this day constantly over three years, and at last, she had become a Spirit Plant Cultivator.


    ¡°Senior brother, thank you!¡± It took a while for her to come back to her senses after the spirit rain ceased, and she bowed deeply in gratitude to Li Shiming.


    At this moment, the other three disciples who had given up the chance for realization revealed looks of envy, regret, and frustration.


    Who could have anticipated that with Li Shiming¡¯s intervention, Jin Fengzhi would master the basic spells of a Spirit Plant Cultivator and become a Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator?


    If they had known this would be the outcome, they would not have chosen the Elixir Pills in their hands at any cost.


    Watching Jin Fengzhi¡¯s excitement, the Elixir Pills they held suddenly lost their appeal.


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 Chapter 198: 145: Help_2

    Chapter 198: Chapter 145: Help_2


    ¡°Remember the feeling just now, it will be equally useful to you as you advance to be an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator,¡± Li Shiming helped Jin Fengzhi up and instructed.


    Indeed, he was an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator. The true meaning displayed by his illusion array contained elements of the true intent typical of an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator.


    As for how much Jin Fengzhi could comprehend, that depended on Jin Fengzhi¡¯s own fate.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t stay long. He stood up, nodded to everyone, and then left the cave dwelling.


    The seven watched as Li Shiming disappeared, knowing that from now on, the likelihood of seeking Li Shiming¡¯s help again was very low.


    This time Li Shiming¡¯s assistance had nearly exhausted the camaraderie among them; unless they had something that could entice Li Shiming, they could not ask for his help again.


    They understood this, the exchanges between cultivators couldn¡¯t be one-sided. Cultivators needed equally strong companions, not useless individuals who constantly needed help.


    Jin Fengzhi told herself in her heart that she must inform her family of Li Shiming¡¯s status in the sect and ensure her family did not offend Li Shiming¡¯s secular relatives.


    As a person from Great Xia, this was both her advantage and a source of danger. Being from the Royal Family of Great Xia, if the Royal Family offended Li Shiming¡¯s secular relatives, the hatred would be attributed to her.@@@@


    The days of cultivation passed in relative peace. It had been a year since the clone left the mechanical room space, and Li Shiming worried constantly that the Holy Ice Sect had not discovered the matter of the clone.


    Apart from the drop of essence blood consumed by the clone, all marks belonging to Baili Jin Yan had been altered.


    Having a clone allowed him more time to do the things he wanted to do.


    His interactions with Yin Shilan had long become a one-sided affair where he solely answered Yin Shilan¡¯s questions, rather than a mutual exchange.


    In the way of formations, he had far surpassed Yin Shilan.


    He hadn¡¯t told anyone, but over the year, his Array Formation Starlight Sea had formed a spinning galaxy.


    Whenever he introspected the Starlight Sea, he could see each starlight connecting with others around it, a connection carrying the profound principle of heaven and earth, operating in the manner of the actual celestial space.


    Li Shiming understood the concept of the universe better than the Array Masters of this world. Regardless of whether the scientific views of the universe from his previous life were accurate, the mode of the universe¡¯s existence had been researched by scientists for many years, resulting in a cosmic star map.


    His Starlight Sea resembled the cosmic star map from his previous life.


    Now, apart from the Sect Formation, he could easily analyze the operating principles of almost all other formations.


    Of course, this was also related to his limited exposure; he wondered if the sect was deliberately protecting him.


    As they sat down inside the flying boat, Junior Master Zhuge began to close his eyes and control the flying boat, which helped increase its speed.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, weren¡¯t you preparing to go into seclusion?¡± Li Shiming asked quietly.


    Over the years, they had shared many matters with each other.


    A few days earlier, he had heard Yin Shilan mention that she was adjusting her mindset to enter the special seclusion chamber set up by the sect for advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The sect¡¯s seclusion chamber was not meant for ordinary seclusion but was prepared for cultivators attempting to break through barriers.


    Inside, there were many arrangements made to protect those attempting breakthroughs, which could even enhance the success rate to some extent.


    Li Shiming had thought he would not be able to see Yin Shilan for a long time and was surprised to end up on the same mission as her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡± Yin Shilan, hearing Li Shiming call her by her nickname, blushed and stealthily glanced at Junior Master Zhuge. Seeing that he had no reaction, she relaxed a bit and shook her head as she spoke softly.


    They had always addressed each other in a very intimate manner, and it was only a few years ago that she mentioned her nickname ¡®Lan¡¯er,¡¯ causing Li Shiming to change how he addressed her.


    Although Yin Shilan was somewhat shy, she did not object; only the person she was closest to in her heart could call her that, and Li Shiming had indeed become such a person.


    ¡°Will this mission be dangerous? You must be careful!¡± Li Shiming slightly frowned as he spoke.


    Having faced many dangers, he was not too worried about danger itself, but he was concerned about Yin Shilan.


    Regardless of how many life-saving techniques Yin Shilan had, her lack of practical combat experience made her approach to handling danger quite different from his.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Junior Master Zhuge coughed lightly as a reminder, then he said, ¡°You won¡¯t be in danger as long as you stay close to me!¡±


    At Junior Master Zhuge¡¯s sudden interjection, Yin Shilan bashfully turned her head, and Li Shiming smiled, feeling somewhat relieved.


    ¡°Where are we headed? Below us is the Heavenly Sea line¡ªwhat lies beyond?¡± As the flying boat sped very fast, it soon flew past a series of islands, prompting Li Shiming to ask eagerly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to recognize this place. We are headed to Seven Star Island!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said with a hint of curiosity as he glanced at Li Shiming, then answered.


    Li Shiming recognizing the Heavenly Sea line was a bit odd to Junior Master Zhuge, as it was very dangerous to enter this sea area before reaching the Late-Stage Qi Refinement, and even the current Li Shiming could not survive here.


    Of course, this was Junior Master Zhuge¡¯s assessment of Li Shiming¡¯s Qi Refining Sixth Layer strength; he was not aware of Li Shiming¡¯s true combat abilities.


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 Chapter 199: 146 The Big Dipper

    Chapter 199: Chapter 146 The Big Dipper


    Seven Star Island, Li Shiming was one hundred percent sure that he had never heard of this island from any materials or from the lips of cultivators.


    He looked towards Yin Shilan and saw the color of astonishment and doubt in her eyes, knowing that she might have some understanding of this island.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, what place is Seven Star Island?¡± he asked softly.


    Yin Shilan glanced at Junior Master Zhuge with a questioning look in her eyes.


    ¡°No worries, since we are bringing him there, naturally there¡¯s no need to keep it a secret from him!¡± Junior Master Zhuge said with a smile.@@@@


    ¡°Seven Star Island is the first line of defense jointly set up by the seven great sects in the sea, intended to prevent sea beasts with Golden Core strength from approaching the seven great sects!¡± Yin Shilan explained to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming had not anticipated that the seven great sects would actually be in a cooperative relationship.


    According to what he knew, Sky Sea Sect and Xuanming Sect were sworn enemies, and the relations between Sky Sea Sect and Holy Ice Sect were similarly not that great, while the other sects were beyond his reach due to his status.


    But it seemed that the seven great sects, which appeared unrelated, had formed a defense line on Seven Star Island. Was it solely to prevent Golden Core sea beasts?


    Of course, these matters were still too far removed from him. As a minor Qi Refining cultivator, if it weren¡¯t for his decent ability in formations, he likely wouldn¡¯t be able to become involved in such matters at all.


    The Flying Boat slowed down and Li Shiming saw Seven Star Island, which was composed of seven connected small islands.


    From the sky, the seven connected small islands formed the Beidou Seven Stars Formation, although it was unclear whether this formation was natural or deliberately created.


    He also came to understand his task. The seven connected small islands had been slashed by some powerful existence, leaving five deep sword scars.


    The five sword scars, visible from the sky, would be shockingly evident from the ground.


    Li Shiming and Yin Shilan arrived beside a sword scar, three meters deep, over five meters wide, with a length impossible to gauge as the sword scar went straight through the island.


    Using his Spiritual Thought, Li Shiming sensed that the energy inside the sword scar must have been cleared, otherwise just the residual energy within the scar would be a massively troublesome matter.


    With the aid of Spiritual Thought, he began the repair work.


    The arrangement here was based on the Beidou Seven Stars Formation as the main body, combined with a variety of other formations to form an extremely strong defensive array.


    Since he was seated at one of the nodes and the Beidou Seven Stars Formation was damaged, he could only make preliminary judgments; the actual power of the formation was unknown.


    However, for him, no matter how complex a formation was, it was composed of many smaller nodes, and his task was to repair these smaller nodes.


    The Array Formation materials from the storage bag were taken out. According to Li Shiming¡¯s instructions, Yin Shilan crafted the necessary Array Formation Objects.


    Li Shiming had a deeper understanding of formations than Yin Shilan, and their cooperation had formed a pattern of one leading and the other following in countless tasks before.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s Spiritual Power was more profound; assisting Li Shiming and swiftly crafting the required Array Formation Objects for repairs. Li Shiming was responsible for drawing the missing or damaged Formation patterns, supplementing the Formation nodes.


    Their repair work progressed steadily, and they encountered none of the troubles Zhuge Xuan mentioned.


    Perhaps the Formation here was extremely complex, but as long as Li Shiming was not asked to re-arrange it and only to perform repairs, his analytical and calculation abilities, coupled with the assistance of IBMz15, were incredibly efficient.


    As Li Shiming and Yin Shilan worked together on the Formation repair, other Array Masters also began similar work on the remaining small islands.


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 Chapter 200: 146 The Big Dipper_2

    Chapter 200: Chapter 146 The Big Dipper_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°Take a break!¡± Zhuge Xuan came up to the pair and reminded them.


    His Spiritual Thought swept over the repaired area, his face showing a look of surprise.


    The work Li Shiming and Yin Shilan had done in repairing the formation, in cooperation, was even faster than his as a High-level Array Master, and not only was the progress fast, the completion level was also high, almost negating the need for him to intervene again.


    After working for twenty hours, Li Shiming and Yin Shilan were also tired; although they had Spiritual Thought, they were not Foundation Establishment Cultivators after all, and their early development of Spiritual Thought meant that long-term use would greatly fatigue their spirits.


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t finish the work here in ten days!¡± Li Shiming stopped his work and said helplessly.


    ¡°Ten days would actually be quick; Tianquan and Kaiyang islands have suffered the most serious damage. Our Tianji Island is relatively less damaged!¡± Zhuge Xuan shook his head bitterly.


    The Beidou Seven Stars are divided into Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Shaking Light; the seven small islands are named after the seven stars.


    ¡°Uncle, who is behind this?¡± Li Shiming asked in a low voice.


    He did not ask if it was the work of sea beasts, for anyone with eyes could see that it was caused by sword light.


    Only Cultivators could use sword light, and he wondered what kind of powerful Sword Cultivator it would take to slash the formations like this in front of seven Golden Core Elders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask so much, your task is to repair the formation!¡± Zhuge Xuan waved his hand, indicating that Li Shiming should not ask any further, his voice low and serious in reply.


    Seeing this, Li Shiming could only suppress his curiosity and sat down to rest.


    He took out stir-fried bamboo shoots, sweet and sour spareribs, steamed pork with rice flour, double-cooked pork, and braised pork, all Spirit Food, and placed them on a temporary small table. He then took out two bowls of Spirit Rice and set them aside.


    ¡°Uh, Uncle, would you like to join us for a meal?¡± Only then did he remember Zhuge Xuan, and he took out another jade bowl and asked.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly eat!¡± Zhuge Xuan looked at Yin Shilan, who was standing gently beside Li Shiming, and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    Li Shiming did not persist further; he asked Yin Shilan to sit down. The previous repair work had consumed quite a bit of their energy, and they needed good food to recover.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s previous range of Spirit Food was mostly vegetarian, but since Li Shiming acquired the bodies of tens of thousands of sea beasts, although he had processed the sea beast bodies, he had also kept many edible parts.


    All the Spirit Plants that Li Shiming planted on Eagle Beak Island were just the right seasonings.


    For a long time, spirit meat from these sea beasts had been the main food for Yin Shilan and Li Shiming.


    Even to make the spirit meat tastier, Li Shiming had learned cooking from the materials inside the IBMz15 and mastered many famous dishes from his previous life.


    Li Shiming¡¯s already nervous heart nearly stopped beating because the figures descending gave him an immense sense of pressure.


    All of these people were Golden Cores; he had seen more Golden Cores in this short period than he had heard of his entire life before.


    Yin Shilan started to secretly introduce the identities of the Golden Cores to Li Shiming using voice transmission, which wasn¡¯t very effective in front of Golden Cores, but given Elder Yin¡¯s face, no one would mind such small actions.


    Li Shiming came to understand that these Golden Cores were elders from the seven major sects.


    ¡°No, with such severe injuries, he might already be dead somewhere!¡± Elder Yin shook his head.


    ¡°It may not be that easy. Despite his serious injuries, a Sword Cultivator¡¯s physique can sustain life for a while!¡± Elder Lu of the Shuiyun Sect, a woman, objected.


    Elder Yin had not participated in the battle; he was notified after the battle¡¯s end to inform the sect elders to come and search for the enemy. It was normal for him not to be clear about the enemy¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if the other fellow sect members can find him. We must find out why he appeared here. I always feel like big trouble is looming!¡± Elder Jie of the Holy Ice Sect said gravely.


    All the sects had dispatched their Golden Core Elders, and together with the seven Golden Core Elders of Seven Star Island, fourteeen Golden Core Elders had gathered, which showed how seriously the seven sects took this matter.


    Li Shiming listened on the side and picked up on some clues.


    An unidentified Golden Core Sword Cultivator had appeared near Seven Star Island, leading to a major battle. With the combined effort of Seven Star Island¡¯s seven Golden Cores and the advantage of formations, they had only managed to severely injure the unidentified Golden Core Sword Cultivator and caused him to flee.


    It was hard to imagine how formidable the Golden Core Sword Cultivator must have been for Li Shiming to begin doubting the strength of the sect¡¯s Golden Cores for the first time.


    Being Golden Cores themselves, could there really be such a vast gap between them?


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait then. In the meantime, we should find out what happened on the sea side. We need to understand what occurred. Otherwise, why would a Golden Core Sword Cultivator risk his life to cross the sea to fight us?¡± Elder Gong of Jinghong Sect sighed with resignation.


    Only then did Li Shiming learn the identity of the Golden Core Sword Cultivator: a cultivator from across the sea. He just didn¡¯t know where across the sea referred to, as this was news he had never heard in the sect before.


    ¡°Master Du Hai, I must trouble you with this. Would you help inquire through Buddhist channels?¡± Elder Yin said, looking at Master Du Hai of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect.


    ¡°The Ten Thousand Buddha Sect will handle this matter. It will take some time before we receive a reply,¡± Master Du Hai replied, accepting the task without demur.


    As Elder Yin had said, other sects had less contact with the outside world. Only the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect had channels to communicate with the outside, and the cooperative agreement among the seven sects was clear.


    Now faced with trouble, it was only right for the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect to exert effort.


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 Chapter 201: 147: True Intentions

    Chapter 201: Chapter 147: True Intentions


    ¡°Shilan has grown up so much!¡± After discussing official matters, Elder Lu from the Shuiyun Sect said with a light laugh to Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Aunt Lu!¡± Yin Shilan stepped forward to salute, then greeted the other Golden Core Elders one by one.


    Li Shiming stood to the side, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Shilan, who is this young man?¡± Elder Lu asked, looking at Li Shiming.


    Actually, these Golden Core Elders had a very wide range of perception, and having always been on Seven Star Island, they had long noticed the close relationship between Yin Shilan and Li Shiming.


    ¡°Aunt Lu, this is Li Shiming, who is also an Intermediate Array Master like me!¡± Yin Shilan couldn¡¯t bear Elder Lu¡¯s gaze and introduced him in a low voice, then stood behind her father, Elder Yin.


    ¡°Stop staring at the kids!¡± Elder Yin waved his hand and said.


    ¡°This child has the aura of Vajra Relics about him, Li Shiming, did you compose the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯ and ¡®Buddhist Light Appears¡¯?¡± Master Du Hai¡¯s eyes brightened as he suddenly interjected.


    He had actually already confirmed that the Vajra Relics were personal belongings of Old Monk Du Yuan. News from within the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect said that Old Monk Du Yuan had given the Vajra Relics to the composer of ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯ and ¡®Buddhist Light Appears¡¯.


    ¡°Respected Master, indeed, it was me!¡± Li Shiming bowed in response.


    ¡°This child is indeed fated with Buddha!¡± Master Du Hai said with a smile.


    Yin Shilan, somewhat worried, grabbed the corner of Li Shiming¡¯s clothes, fearing that he might be taken away by Master Du Hai.


    He understood Elder Yin¡¯s intentions, yet he also had his own ideas.


    Whether it was the ¡®Life-taking Buddhist Chant¡¯ and ¡®Buddhist Light Appears¡¯ which showcased Li Shiming¡¯s understanding of Buddhist teachings, or the pure power of Vajra that enveloped him, all made him believe that Li Shiming had a profound Buddhist fate.


    With just a little guidance, Li Shiming would one day become a member of the Buddhist Sect.


    The act of Old Monk Du Yuan presenting the Vajra Relics showed that Du Yuan shared this opinion, and he likewise could make an effort to push Li Shiming along.


    When Master Du Hai mentioned that relying solely on the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ would suffice in the Golden Core Stage, Li Shiming thought it was an exaggeration, but seeing that the other Golden Core cultivators showed no displeasure, this confirmed the truth of the statement.


    Li Shiming became very interested in the complete version of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and looked eagerly towards Master Du Hai.


    ¡°This ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ is a secret version, not to be divulged, and violators will be hunted down by the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect!¡± Master Du Hai said as he lightly tapped Li Shiming¡¯s forehead with a finger.


    The forehead being a critical spot, Li Shiming instinctively wanted to dodge, but Master Du Hai¡¯s tap was deceptively swift and unavoidable.


    Shortly after, a cultivation technique entered through the forehead. Li Shiming hastily absorbed it attentively, with the IBMz15 also recording.


    Unknown to him what method Master Du Hai used, Li Shiming could only see the Qi Refinement stage part of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯, with the rest remaining a blur, unobservable.


    Even the IBMz15 could not record it, marking the first time he had encountered such a situation.


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 Chapter 202: 147: True Intentions_2

    Chapter 202: Chapter 147: True Intentions_2


    However, he was soon captivated by the article on ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ for the Qi Refinement Realm. Compared to the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ he had learned, the secret transmission of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect¡¯s ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ included only one additional True Intent Visualization.


    On the True Intent Visualization, there was the figure of an Angry-eyed Vajra. It was unknown who had drawn it, but although only the figure of the Angry-eyed Vajra was depicted, one could feel the entire world¡¯s restraint on the Vajra, as it used all its strength to emit anger, resisting the world.


    The True Intent Visualization of the Angry-eyed Vajra acted like a key. Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation in the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ was profound, yet the True Intent Visualization opened another door for him.


    He experienced an epiphany, understanding completely what he had previously failed to grasp.


    He involuntarily began to cultivate the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ as IBMz15 in his mind chanted ¡®The Scripture of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses¡¯.


    Simultaneously, IBMz15 matched the details of the Angry-eyed Vajra True Intent Visualization to his body, instinctively adjusting his movements according to IBMz15¡¯s guidance.


    In front of the gathered Golden Core cultivators, Li Shiming, with a restrained gaze, struck a peculiar pose; every muscle in his body made subtle adjustments.


    As his body posture and each part were adjusted, the Vajra force within him flowed smoother, and a faint glow flickered on his body.


    The Golden Core cultivators, rarely coming together, watched Master Du Hai guide the juniors with joy.


    ¡°Excellent comprehension!¡± Elder Lu, upon seeing Li Shiming¡¯s performance, couldn¡¯t help but smile and praise.


    Although Li Shiming¡¯s movements looked awkward, they stimulated the Vajra force inside his body; everyone could see that he had attained a new understanding of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯.


    Especially with Li Shiming¡¯s expression, he seemed to have entered a state of sudden enlightenment.


    Just as the Golden Core cultivators nodded in approval, Li Shiming suddenly roared, his robe billowing, muscles bulging underneath.


    The fierce anger released in that roar made his previously awkward stance suddenly display a strange sense of alignment, a perfect match with the fierce anger.


    Master Du Hai narrowed his eyes; how could he not recognize that this was the Angry-eyed Vajra from the True Intent Visualization? Li Shiming¡¯s movements were a perfect replica.


    If Li Shiming had done this deliberately, it would not have been remarkable, but his unconscious actions during the epiphany were terrifying.


    Deliberate actions mean imitation, while unconscious actions mean he was transforming into the Angry-eyed Vajra.


    At that moment, the smiles of the Golden Core cultivators faded, and their gaze towards Li Shiming intensified.


    As Li Shiming transformed into the Angry-eyed Vajra, the Vajra force within him wildly strengthened his body, constantly enhancing his previously stagnant physique.


    The Buddhist Sect mentions it as one of the many manifestations of Buddha, the Taoist as a transformation of rules, and the Demon Sect believes it to be the convergence of millions of beliefs.


    As for what is true, opinions vary and no one can convince another.


    Regardless, true intent manifestation should not be something Li Shiming at the Qi Refinement Realm could have accessed.


    Among the Golden Core cultivators here, at least half had never achieved true intent manifestation.


    The reason Li Shiming could achieve true intent manifestation was partly because Master Du Hai had given him the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± inheritance as a secret technique, beautifully transferring the divine intent of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± True Intent Visualization to him.


    On the other hand, IBMz15 could perform an utterly emotionless objective analysis of the True Intent Visualization, something no other cultivator could do. Only after such an analysis could it guide Li Shiming to perfectly achieve the details of the True Intent Visualization.


    Cultivators viewing the True Intent Visualization are more strongly influenced the stronger the true intent it contains, making it harder to discern the details fully.


    The slightest variance and any bit of deliberateness would fail to induce true intent manifestation.


    Li Shiming awoke from his cultivation of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and felt a change in his body.


    The first was an enhancement in physical constitution. He felt his physical constitution was somewhat closer to that of his incarnation, though still quite far apart. However, given his current state, when reaching the realm of his incarnation, there was a high probability he could match the physical constitution of his incarnation.


    He had underestimated this opportunity. The true intent manifestation of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± combined with the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± based on a Third Grade Sword Base, the combined effect would definitely surpass the incarnation who solely practiced the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡±


    Were it not for that drop of blood from a Golden Core cultivator in his incarnation¡¯s body, Li Shiming¡¯s physical constitution might have matched his incarnation¡¯s already.


    ¡°How did my realm reach the Qi Refining Seventh Layer Middle Stage?¡± he also noticed the elevation of his realm.


    However, this was not what surprised him. He realized he was being watched and saw Master Du Hai¡¯s intensely fervent gaze almost burning him.


    A chill ran through his heart, being stared at by this old monk made his scalp tingle.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Du Hai!¡± Fortunately, he remembered that the changes in his body stemmed from Master Du Hai, and he bowed deeply to thank Master Du Hai.


    ¡°The young monk indeed has a connection with the Buddhist Sect. When you have time, visit the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect as a guest. Here is my Buddha¡¯s Talisman!¡± Master Du Hai smiled and handed him a Buddha¡¯s Talisman.


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 Chapter 203: 148 Electromagnetism

    Chapter 203: Chapter 148 Electromagnetism


    Li Shiming sat on the reefs of Tianji Island, with Yin Shilan closing her eyes to rest beside him.


    Not long after his breakthrough to the Qi Refining Seventh Level, more Golden Core cultivators returned to Seven Star Island, where they all gathered to discuss matters, leaving him and Yin Shilan behind.


    He felt the Spiritual Energy Vortex within his body, noticing a huge increase in the total amount of Spiritual Power, making him feel that if he were to use the top-tier ¡®Vajra Armor,¡¯ he would be able to sustain it for over a minute.


    The change in the amount of Spiritual Power was one aspect, but the increase in the quality of his Spiritual Power made it more potent. With his current Spiritual Power, without relying on other methods and simply using Spiritual Power to fight, he could defeat five or six of his former selves.


    No wonder only those who were Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators began to have the rights to enter dangerous seas.


    Only with such combat power could one have a certain ability to protect oneself in hazardous waters.


    This unexpected promotion had saved him a lot of time.


    It¡¯s important to note that when he was stuck at the bottleneck of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer Peak, even his clone couldn¡¯t offer any help, and he had to rely entirely on himself to break through the bottleneck.


    And from the Qi Refining Middle Stage to the Qi Refining Late Stage was the most difficult bottleneck to overcome in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    With his tri-spirit root seeds talent, it was possible to be stuck for several months or even years.


    Li Shiming then assessed his body¡¯s condition; the increase in strength and speed was extremely obvious, and his robust physique allowed him to truly withstand attacks from High Grade Attack Magic Items solely with his body.


    In the current sect, where most Qi Refining cultivators don¡¯t possess top-grade magic tools, he could totally compete with Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators solely with the might of Body Refinement.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had created a Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling for the copper corpse, he felt that he might not need the copper corpse at all, since his current defensive power, strength, and speed all surpassed those of a copper corpse at the Qi Refining Peak.


    ¡°Manifestation of True Intent!¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    Fortunately, Zhuge Xuan did not propose to help those Array Masters, which likely meant that the competition in Formation repair was also a form of competition among the sects.


    In these seven days, Golden Core cultivators had been constantly leaving and returning, but from their expressions, that Golden Core Sword Cultivator had not been found.


    ¡°We still need to stay on the island for a few more days, you all may rest freely if there is nothing pressing!¡± Zhuge Xuan commanded.


    ¡°Uncle-Master, here are the remaining materials for you!¡± Li Shiming handed over the storage bag containing the materials.


    ¡°Keep the extra materials for yourself, these were calculated based on the damage to the Formation; since you managed to save some, it¡¯s naturally yours!¡± Zhuge Xuan said with a smile, waving his hand.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes lit up; the storage bag contained many fine materials.


    Given that Seven Star Island was the dwelling place of Golden Core cultivators, the materials used for the Formations might not be third-grade Formation materials, but there were quite a few of the second grade.


    Most crucially, these Formation materials were indeed useful to him, as he was in the midst of researching a weapon that could become more powerful with these materials.


    What Zhuge referred to as savings were the result of Li Shiming¡¯s precise calculations and minimal waste, resulting in the surplus of Formation materials.


    ¡°This is for you, too!¡± Yin Shilan, quick-witted, noticed Li Shiming¡¯s joy at being able to keep the Formation materials, and handed over her share of the surplus Formation material storage bag to him.


    Li Shiming quietly received it; there was no need for courtesy.


    In those seven days, he had built a small Formation for himself within the great Formation of Tianji Island and had brought in some Spiritual Energy.


    He didn¡¯t know about the Spirit Veins of Seven Star Island, but the Spiritual Energy he had drawn was no weaker than a Mid-grade Spirit Vein.


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 Chapter 204: 148 Electromagnetism_2

    Chapter 204: Chapter 148 Electromagnetism_2


    Having returned to the small formation, the isolation effect provided him with a private space.


    Of course, if a Golden Core cultivator truly wished to probe, they could forcibly break through the formation. However, doing so would naturally disrupt the formation, and it would openly invade the privacy of juniors.


    At least, with Yin Shilan¡¯s influence, the Golden Cores here wouldn¡¯t engage in such behavior.


    Li Shiming found it inadvisable to summon his avatar here to assist with his cultivation since the action of summoning an avatar was rather conspicuous and could easily be discovered.


    His consciousness entered the engine room space, where there lay a long tube. One end of the tube resembled a square, looking from afar like a long sledgehammer.


    The tube was a high-grade artifact, for which he had spent eight thousand spirit stones for a custom order from the Hidden Dragon Trading House. Including the other components, all were high-grade artifacts. The total value of the tube and the square alone exceeded thirty thousand spirit stones.


    This price was offered by the Hidden Dragon Trading House as a favor, relinquishing most of their profit.


    The IBMz15 had constantly been computing and analyzing the energy system of this weapon. Li Shiming had planned to order more materials for the formation after returning. He had not anticipated obtaining so many formation materials on this mission.@@@@


    The formation materials he obtained were all strategic resources of his sect. Even if ordered from the Hidden Dragon Trading House, the quantity and quality would be substantially inferior.


    Li Shiming¡¯s gaze shifted from the high-grade artifact to an unfinished formation nearby.


    The reason this formation remained incomplete was not only due to the lack of materials but more importantly, because the knowledge of formations had reached an advanced level. He didn¡¯t have the clearance to learn advanced formation knowledge from the sect.


    That he had this semi-finished formation was thanks to multiple visits to the peak to check the nodes, effectively sneaking a learning of some of the peak¡¯s main node knowledge.


    The formation on Seven Star Island also included aspects of the thunder system and, as it needed repairing, was almost completely exposed to him without any concealment.


    It could be said that his greatest gains this time, besides unexpectedly advancing to the latter stage of Qi Refinement and acquiring true form transformation, included substantial knowledge about thunder formations.


    By this time, the IBMz15 had redrawn a new formation design diagram based on his obtained formation materials and the knowledge he possessed.


    Li Shiming only needed to follow the formation design diagram to complete this formation.


    One by one, formation materials were taken out, transformed into usable objects by various methods, and installed into the unfinished formation.


    The formation slowly took shape from a semi-finished product. A formation that occupied nearly half of the engine room space was successfully arranged.


    The nine Second Grade Array Flags were somewhat small, an unavoidable situation given the scarcity of second-grade materials. That he could produce nine Second Grade Array Flags under such constraints was largely thanks to IBMz15¡¯s precise calculations.


    However, Li Shiming had thought deeply about this and had it verified by the IBM z15. Through his encounters and all the accessible data about Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he had a certain standard for judging their strength.


    To break through the defense of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, aside from a faster bullet speed, it was the material of the bullets that mattered.


    In his former world, bullets for electromagnetic guns were made of solid, high-quality steel, but such bullets were clearly insufficient against the defense of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Li Shiming was unable to acquire sufficiently strong materials, which would at least require Second Grade metal, the primary material for making Spiritual Artifacts.


    It was impossible for him to bear the cost of consuming a Spiritual Artifact every time the electromagnetic gun was fired; even with his wealth, he could not afford it.


    Not to mention, Second Grade metal was unattainable even for the Hidden Dragon Trading House, and within the sect, the exchange price for a piece of Second Grade metal the size of one tael was several times more expensive than a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Li Shiming thought of the Third Grade Sword Base, which he used in his cultivation of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±. It had a peculiar feature; separated from the body, it could be retrieved by transforming the Third Grade Sword Base into countless tiny particles and returning them to the body.


    To an extent, the Third Grade Sword Base was part of his body, as it was infused with his Spirit.


    Using the Third Grade Sword Base as bullets and firing them with the electromagnetic gun would mean he did not need to retrieve the bullets after killing the enemy; he just needed to activate the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±, and the bullets would disperse and return to his body on their own.


    Most crucially, the Third Grade Sword Base could adjust its shape at will, making it more suitable as bullets for the electromagnetic gun.


    The electricity from the Shock Thunder Array could be accumulated, and the electricity bound by the array would increase as time passed.


    To ensure that the High Grade Artifact could withstand the impact of lightning forces, Li Shiming meticulously controlled it on a micrometer level, using the Third Grade Sword Base along with Formation materials to inscribe a micro Formation.


    This task had been conducted on the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling; although the Formations differed, the processes were essentially routine.


    With electricity support, the complexity of the electromagnetic gun significantly reduced, and the remainder of the structure was much simpler.


    What he needed to produce were a magnetic flux compressor and an accelerator, with the magnetic flux compressor converting electric power into magnetic energy, and the accelerator converting the electromagnetic energy into projectile kinetic energy.


    The Formation designed by the IBM z15 utilized the Formation knowledge of the Cultivation World, enhancing the production of magnetic energy and the conversion of electromagnetic energy into kinetic energy of the bullets more effectively, as well as reinforcing the entire body of the electromagnetic gun.


    If Li Shiming could obtain metal from a Super-grade Magical Artifact, he would have used it to manufacture the body of the electromagnetic gun; regrettably, the best metal he currently had access to was from a High Grade Magical Artifact.


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 Chapter 205: 149 Sword Cultivator

    Chapter 205: Chapter 149 Sword Cultivator


    Five days had passed, and the formation of Seven Star Island had been completely repaired.


    Accompanied by a burst of energy fluctuations, seven spots of starlight lit up on Seven Star Island. The seven starlights connected with each other, enveloping the entire island in a protective shield.


    Li Shiming and Yin Shilan were left behind, waiting for this moment. It was only after they had confirmed that the formation of the entire Seven Star Island had no issues that they could return.@@@@


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Lan¡¯er back first,¡± Elder Yin appeared beside Yin Shilan and solemnly instructed Zhuge Xuan.


    Zhuge Xuan bowed in agreement, and Li Shiming reluctantly made a hand gesture to Yin Shilan: it was a secret signal they had agreed upon for using the Identity Jade Disc to make contact.


    Once they returned within the sect¡¯s range, they would be able to use the Identity Jade Disc to communicate.


    Elder Yin pretended not to see the young ones¡¯ gesture and, taking Yin Shilan with him, soared into the sky and disappeared.


    ¡°Li Shiming, let¡¯s go too,¡± Zhuge Xuan said with a smile, patting Li Shiming¡¯s shoulder.


    Their relationship had grown closer during this mission, especially Zhuge Xuan¡¯s attitude, which had shifted from seeing himself as an elder to treating Li Shiming as an equal.


    The main reason was that Elder Yin had allowed Li Shiming to call him uncle, and Zhuge Xuan was not foolish enough to take advantage of Elder Yin, for there was nothing good in doing so.


    ¡°Shiming, have you reached a high level now?¡± Zhuge Xuan asked with a relaxed demeanor aboard the Flying Boat since they no longer had a mission to focus on, and he let the Flying Boat fly on its own.


    While on Seven Star Island, he had noticed something unusual about the speed at which Li Shiming could repair formations.


    Parts that involved high-level formations didn¡¯t require his intervention; just by allowing Li Shiming to observe and study them for a while, Li Shiming could solve them on his own.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself,¡± Li Shiming responded, still somewhat unclear about the concept of a High-level Array Master, mainly because the three high-level Array Masters in the sect had never brought up the standards for becoming one.


    As these thoughts filled his mind and the sword light was upon him, at the moment he thought he would surely die, the sword light carried him into the sea.


    The sword light became a barrier, separating the sea water and plunging straight to the seabed.


    They were more than a hundred meters from the surface when the sword light cut through the seabed sediment and entered a space.


    Li Shiming saw clearly that this was a temporary cave abode of a cultivator. It was common for cultivators to have this habit, and carving out rocks with Magic Artifacts was quite effortless. Having storage bags for collecting the excavated dirt and stone was especially convenient.


    But carving out a cave abode in the seabed¡¯s sediment posed some challenges.


    Li Shiming had done this kind of work at the bottom of the sea before, but the depths varied considerably, and those cave abodes were dug into coral reefs.


    This cave abode had been carved out of silt entirely, and it was unclear what method was used to make the silt as hard as rock and able to withstand the pressure of over a hundred meters of water.


    In the face of danger, he still found himself considering these matters.


    The sword light vanished, and Li Shiming fell to the ground. He saw a person seated cross-legged in front of him.


    Even seated, this individual made him feel as though he was facing a sharp sword; he sensed that the person was a sword, a terrifying blade made for killing.


    The first thing that came to Li Shiming¡¯s mind was the Golden Core Sword Cultivator who had caused five massive sword scars on Seven Star Island. The only possibility was a Golden Core Sword Cultivator who could kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator near the Sky Sea Sect territory¡ªand even a High-level Array Master at that.


    Moreover, considering the unimaginable sword light that killed Zhuge Xuan without giving him even a chance to react, it could only be the work of a Golden Core Sword Cultivator.


    It then made sense. Their Flying Boat had the misfortune of flying right over the cave abode of the Golden Core Sword Cultivator, who had easily taken them down in passing.


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 Chapter 206: 149 Sword Cultivator_2

    Chapter 206: Chapter 149 Sword Cultivator_2


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t understand why he was captured and brought into the cave dwelling.


    Yun Xingyi did not bother with the newly captured Qi Refining Cultivator; the use of his sword light had aggravated his internal injuries, preventing him from dealing with the Qi Refining Cultivator right away.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t worried about the Qi Refining Cultivator either. Although he was injured, he could kill the Qi Refining Cultivator with just a thought.


    Yun Xingyi was extremely unlucky; he had crossed the perilous ocean only to crash into a Formation.


    What was more helpless was that within the Formation, there were as many as seven Golden Core cultivators. These seven Golden Core cultivators, cooperating with each other and using the Formation¡¯s advantages, besieged him together.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t consider any of these seven Golden Core cultivators worth his attention.


    If there hadn¡¯t been a Formation, even if seven Golden Core cultivators teamed up against him, he wouldn¡¯t have been afraid at all.


    Golden Cores differed from one another, the Golden Cores who survived on the remote continent, whether in lineage or combat experience, were extremely lacking.


    This probably had something to do with the rarity of Golden Cores. The scarcity made them top combat forces and opportunities for a Golden Core to take action were much fewer; without opportunities to fight, how could they gain more battle experience?


    Yet those seven mediocre Golden Core cultivators, together with the Formation, still caused Yun Xingyi a major setback.


    Yun Xingyi took some time to recover, eventually managing to suppress the impact that using the sword light had on his body.


    Just as the Golden Core cultivators of Seven Star Island had speculated, his injuries were in a state of barely clinging to life.


    He did not want to die, to disappear from this world. His only choice was Body Seizing.


    Body Seizing was a Secret Technique with the greatest restrictions in the world; successful or not, a cultivator could only attempt it once in their lifetime.


    After a single Body Seizing attempt, even if they successfully merged their soul into another body, the flaws in their soul would prevent them from attempting it again.


    The Body Seizing Secret Techniques of each sect were different, and cultivators who learned and used such techniques were extremely rare.@@@@


    The main reason lay in the consequences of failing the Body Seizing technique; failure would cause the cultivator¡¯s soul to be completely extinguished, their life imprint vanishing from this world.


    Yun Xingyi¡¯s body was on the verge of collapse, and he was nearly ready to give up.


    Realizing that Yun Xingyi intended to snatch his body, he almost couldn¡¯t help but strike, but the extremely low success rate given by IBMz15 stopped this thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you managed to refine a Qi Refinement Realm body to be stronger than a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s body, but this is far from enough!¡± Yun Xingyi continued without paying heed to Li Shiming¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Before the body seizing, I need to modify this body a bit, make it more perfect!¡± As he spoke, his hand gently caressed Li Shiming¡¯s body, making Li Shiming feel extremely disgusted.


    Li Shiming felt like a piece of succulent meat, a piece that Yun Xingyi was eyeing greedily, ready to bite at any moment.


    ¡°First, let the body get to know the Guiyi Sword. The Guiyi Sword is my life-bound magical artifact, and the only magical artifact for a sword cultivator!¡± When Yun Xingyi placed his hand on Li Shiming, Li Shiming felt a heavy pressure in his chest, judging by the touch, it was a short sword.


    It was only because Li Shiming¡¯s body refinement had achieved some minor success that the weight of this short sword alone didn¡¯t break his breastbone.


    He then felt the magical artifact known as the Guiyi Sword in his chest, as if emitting countless fine threads, penetrating his body.


    Of course, this was just his sensation. In reality, the Guiyi Sword remained motionless. It was Yun Xingyi who was making the Guiyi Sword recognize the body.


    A standard sword cultivator would not consider a second magical artifact, focusing all of their effort on strengthening their own life-bound sword.


    Sword cultivators need not worry about defense, for they believe that any enemy will be vanquished with a single stroke of their sword.


    The most effective defense is the attack, and sword cultivators possess the most terrifying destructive power among their peers, an advantage gained by dedicating themselves solely to their life-bound swords.


    Of course, this does not mean that sword cultivators lack defense. Their physique is enhanced by their life-bound sword, usually only slightly weaker than those specializing in body refinement, but stronger than ordinary cultivators at the same level.


    Yun Xingyi suffered on Seven Star Island due to his lack of defense. The most severe injury to his body came from the lingering damage left by the Xuanming Sect, Demon Spirit Sect, and Ten Thousand Buddha Sect.


    The poison of Xuanming Sect, the curse of Demon Spirit Sect, plus the purification from Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, inflicted long-lasting damage on him.


    When seven Golden Core cultivators struck Yun Xingyi at the same time, he broke the Beidou Seven Stars Formation of Seven Star Island with his powerful sword light. Without the protection of the Beidou Seven Stars Formation, several of the Golden Core cultivators would have fallen on the spot.


    The injured Yun Xingyi used Sword Escape to flee the battlefield, intending to return for revenge after recovering his injuries. However, he never expected the impeccable cooperation of the seven Golden Cores to be so nauseatingly effective, causing his injuries not to heal but to worsen instead.


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 Chapter 207: 150 Counterattack (Added for book friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 207: Chapter 150 Counterattack (Added for book friend 171021102948988)


    The Ten Thousand Buddha Sect¡¯s purification, the Xuanming Sect¡¯s poison, and the Demon Spirit Sect¡¯s curse were inherently incompatible attributes, yet the Golden Cores of the seven major sects had guarded Seven Star Island for many years and were extremely familiar with each other¡¯s capabilities.


    To reduce losses as much as possible, based on their different characteristics, they had devised a combined technique.


    This combined technique was originally meant to combat Golden Core sea beasts; when a sea beast reached the Golden Core stage, its destructive power was extremely terrifying, not something any Golden Core cultivator could face alone.


    At the same time, the defensive power of the Golden Core sea beasts was astonishing; spirit beasts naturally exceed cultivators in defensive power, and the Golden Core sea beasts were no exception.


    In the combined technique of the seven great sects, besides the Sky Sea Sect, Jinghong Sect, Shuiyun Sect, and Holy Ice Sect launching their strongest attacks with various attributes, the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect¡¯s purification would first resolve the enemy¡¯s resistance to poison and curse.


    Afterward, the Xuanming Sect¡¯s poison and the Demon Spirit Sect¡¯s curse would cause even greater destruction, and the continued effect of purification from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect would dissolve the enemy¡¯s resistance, enhancing the effect of the poison and curse.


    Yun Xingyi was very unlucky to be struck by this combined technique, meant for Golden Core sea beasts, and his body was continuously tormented by the poison and curse after his escape.


    If he weren¡¯t at his wit¡¯s end, he would not have considered the matter of body seizing.


    The Guiyi Sword lay in front of Li Shiming¡¯s chest; as the energy from the Guiyi Sword continuously entered his body, he felt less and less estranged from it.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that this was a kind of transference secret technique, transferring the recognition of one¡¯s lifebound treasure to another body.


    A lifebound treasure has much more power than an ordinary treasure, but it also has a characteristic: once the lifebound treasure leaves its original owner, its power will greatly diminish, losing almost half of its force.


    For someone like Yun Xingyi engaging in body seizing, although his soul hadn¡¯t changed, he still allowed his lifebound treasure to accept control of this new body to reduce the time needed for the body to adapt and for self-preservation immediately after the seizing.


    ¡°With the Golden Core suppressing you, let¡¯s see what you can do!¡± Yun Xingyi continued talking to himself.


    From the moment he captured Li Shiming, Yun Xingyi had noticed something special about him.


    Even after learning he was going to be subjected to body seizing, Li Shiming¡¯s reaction was very placid.


    The only possibility was that Li Shiming had some sort of countermeasure, capable of striking back when his guard was down.


    And when would his guard be down? It would be during the process of body seizing, when his soul needed to transition, and there would be a moment when he would let go of his control over Li Shiming.


    Of course, Yun Xingyi had other methods of controlling Li Shiming, such as Formations, but when examining Li Shiming, he discovered Li Shiming¡¯s Formation Array Starlight Sea.


    Using a Formation to bind a High-level Array Master was extremely dangerous. Yun Xingyi still regretted the already perfected and smoothly operating Array Formation Starlight Sea; after the seizing, there was basically no hope of keeping the Starlight Sea intact.


    To control Li Shiming with absolute certainty, Yun Xingyi chose the Golden Core, his most reliable tool.


    The presence of the Golden Core, let alone a Qi Refining cultivator like Li Shiming, could completely suppress even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, leaving them unable to resist.


    Yun Xingyi took off all the clothes from his body, then stripped Li Shiming as well. He took out a pen made from some unknown material, dipped it in his own blood, and began to draw numerous runes on his body.


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 Chapter 208: 150 Counterattack (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 208: Chapter 150 Counterattack (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2


    Subsequently, patterns were drawn on Li Shiming¡¯s body, but he resisted the impulse to act and told himself to wait a little longer.


    ¡°Carry the soul and embrace unity, can there be no separation? Concentrate energy to soften, can one be like an infant? Cleanse the obscure mirror, can there be no flaw?¡±... Yun Xingyi, seated cross-legged in front of Li Shiming, began to chant Taoist scriptures.


    Even as a Golden Core cultivator, when facing a possession with a great chance of failure, he still needed to adjust his spirit in order to achieve perfection.


    At that moment, Li Shiming recited the entirety of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ in his mind, trying to recall the feeling when he had comprehended its true essence that day.


    He knew he had only one chance¡ªif he failed, he would die.


    Even though the success rate given by IBMz15 was increasing with Yun Xingyi¡¯s actions, he still wanted to secure more guarantees.


    This was a Golden Core cultivator, after all¡ªit was only right to take it seriously.


    And in this cave, he couldn¡¯t even use his most reliable bomb. Of course, he would only use it when all other efforts had failed and he was about to perish alongside Yun Xingyi.


    In the cave, Yun Xingyi¡¯s expression became more and more indifferent. His spirit, affected by physical damage, had fully recovered, and he was now in his calmest state.


    Li Shiming could not move, but his state also changed.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t know what Yun Xingyi would do next, but both his senses and IBMz15¡¯s analysis of the situation let him know that the opportunity he had been waiting for had arrived.


    For this moment, he had endured a long time and prepared extensively.


    In an instant, he did several things.


    The Guiyi Sword and Yun Xingyi¡¯s Golden Core, which were in contact with his body, were absorbed into his spatial chamber.


    Since Yun Xingyi had placed both the Guiyi Sword and the Golden Core on his body, as long as an object was in contact with his body, he could transfer it into his spatial chamber through his consciousness.


    The existence of the spatial chamber was extremely special. Even such a Lifebound Magic Artifact, as well as a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s Golden Core, without the owner¡¯s control, were taken into the spatial chamber effortlessly.


    Without the Golden Core and the Guiyi Sword, Yun Xingyi only felt a tearing sensation in his spirit.


    The spiritual connection he had with the Guiyi Sword, and the essence spirit within the Golden Core, were forcefully interrupted.


    This was not supposed to happen, because the spiritual imprint within a Lifebound Magic Artifact and a Golden Core cannot be eradicated in an instant.


    The avatar¡¯s body instantly transformed into a copper corpse.


    Reacting quickly, Yun Xingyi swung his hand powerfully, sending the avatar flying. The sound of breaking bones could still be heard while it flew through the air.


    It was hard to imagine the immense power of that strike, especially considering that the avatar, transformed into a Refining Corpse, had its defensive power several times stronger than that in its human state.


    Yet, such defense was heavily damaged by a casual blow from Yun Xingyi, who had been gravely injured and deprived of his Golden Core.


    And inside Yun Xingyi, there was a surge of inexplicable horror. The cultivator who had suddenly appeared had a better constitution than Li Shiming.


    Gold Attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root, body refined with Third Grade Metal, and at the peak of Qi Refinement Realm.


    If he could seize that body, it would take him just a few days to recover to the Foundation Establishment Stage strength.


    It wasn¡¯t Yun Xingyi¡¯s fault that he was distracted at such a time; his life was nearing its end, and his only chance was to seize the body immediately.


    Unfortunately for him, Li Shiming didn¡¯t give him another opportunity. In Li Shiming¡¯s hands, a strange top-grade magic tool had appeared out of nowhere.


    This top-grade magic tool theoretically should be used by Body Refining Cultivators over two meters tall, as it resembled a hammer that was four meters long.


    Li Shiming cradled the hammer part in his arms, aiming the other end directly at the exposed area of Yun Xingyi¡¯s chest.


    This hammer was none other than the new weapon he had named the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun, which he had taken from the server room space just as the avatar lunged.


    At the rear of the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun, six thick cables connected to space, where the other end linked to the ¡°Shock Thunder Array¡± in the server room space.


    After several days of charging, the ¡°Shock Thunder Array¡± had accumulated a substantial amount of electricity.


    These six thick cables connected the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun to the energy source, with fine arrays densely covering them and confining the devastating electricity within the cables.


    Now, the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun had completed loading the power, all preparations were done, and Li Shiming¡¯s Third Grade Sword Base had been loaded into the electromagnetic gun, transformed into a bullet.


    Upon seeing the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun, Yun Xingyi was somewhat puzzled; could Li Shiming really expect to breach his defenses with this device?


    The Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun fired, the indescribable speed propelling the Third Grade Sword Base bullet, which shot out from the barrel.


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 Chapter 209: 151: Exterminate the Pill

    Chapter 209: Chapter 151: Exterminate the Pill


    ¡°What is this?¡± Yun Xingyi asked, his voice ethereal and weak.


    At the location of his chest, where the Third Grade Sword Base bullet had previously pierced through, a hole had appeared.


    The bullet from the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun, which had pierced his heart, then got stuck in his back.


    Such an injury became the final blow that overwhelmed Yun Xingyi¡¯s life, as the breath of life dissipated from him.


    In his eyes, there was reluctance and even more so, an incomprehensible astonishment.


    ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness stirred slightly, and a copper corpse with three heads and six arms blocked in front of him as he replied.


    He didn¡¯t mind dragging out the time, as he could feel how dire Yun Xingyi¡¯s condition was; perhaps he would perish in the next second.


    And to deal with Yun Xingyi, he had almost exhausted all means, and at this point, he could no longer launch an attack that could breach Yun Xingyi¡¯s defenses.


    The charging time for the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun was too long, and even if charging was successful, it could not achieve the same power as before in a short time.


    It should be known that the previous strike had depleted all the accumulated energy within the ¡®Shock Thunder Array¡¯ over several days.


    ¡°What kind of monster did I provoke...¡± Yun Xingyi uttered his last words feebly, as his life abruptly came to an end.


    Li Shiming¡¯s primary spirit, controlled by the Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique, flew out; he did not know if Yun Xingyi was truly dead, as the primary spirit could consume souls.


    If Yun Xingyi was truly dead, then the primary spirit could definitely consume his soul, which would confirm the authenticity of his death.


    The primary spirit pounced on Yun Xingyi¡¯s body, sucked in a phantom image into itself, and then seemed slightly dizzy as it fell over.@@@@


    Li Shiming was startled and quickly sensed the condition of the primary spirit, only to find that it was overstuffed, with no significant harm, and just needed some time to digest.


    The Nascent Soul Stage was a realm higher than the Golden Core Stage. Whether the sect had Nascent Soul Stage techniques, he was unsure, but one thing was certain, even if such high-level techniques existed, they were not accessible to Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    In the sect, reaching the Golden Core Stage with the cultivation techniques was already extremely precious.


    Moreover, most crucially, this was a sword cultivation technique. In the sect, ¡®Sword Control Technique¡¯ was also a sword cultivation technique, and it was also the most expensive technique in the sect.


    But ¡®Sword Control Technique¡¯ was different from ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯; ¡®Sword Control Technique¡¯ was just a technique of using the sword, driving the magic sword to attack opponents with intent.


    In some sense, the ¡®Sword Control Technique¡¯ could be said to be a part of ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique,¡¯ and even a negligible part at that.


    Because ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯ wasn¡¯t just a technique of using a sword, but also a set of primary cultivation techniques, with the sword technique being only a part of the combat portion of the primary techniques.


    Even with Li Shiming¡¯s experience, he could see the difference between the two.


    ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡¯ this technique was in the second golden Jade Scroll, ranging from the Foundation Establishment Stage to the Nascent Soul Stage as well.


    ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ was also a primary cultivation technique, producing the most special Thunder Spirit Power.


    Of course, given the realm issues, Li Shiming¡¯s viewing of ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯ and ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ was just the basic parts; the more detailed contents seemed dreamlike to him.


    Fortunately, the IBMz15 was powerful and copied all the content.


    The last one, ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡¯ was a technique for cultivating divine thought, and divine thought is an upgraded version of spiritual thought. Naturally, it was not accessible at the Qi Refinement Realm; even being able to cultivate it during the Foundation Establishment Stage indicated a cultivator¡¯s exceptional talent.


    ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡¯ was just a set of Golden Core techniques for cultivating the spirit, transforming spiritual thought into more miraculous divine thought.


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 Chapter 210: 151: Exterminate the Pill_2

    Chapter 210: Chapter 151: Exterminate the Pill_2


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t look any further, for even if this spirit-class cultivation technique was formidable, it was beyond his current reach.


    In the last purple jade space he entered, his Spiritual Thought found it to contain a map.


    The map depicted completely unfamiliar mountains and ocean currents, with all the labeled place names unheard of, and a marked sea route after entering the ocean, leading all the way to Seven Star Island.


    It dawned on Li Shiming that this was not a map of this continent, but rather one of the lands beyond the sea.


    Beyond the sea lay a place known as Ten Thousand Great Mountains. According to the map, Yun Xingyi had set sail from there, crossing expansive seas before finally reaching Seven Star Island.


    The other items in the ring were some Spirit Food and such, whose value he couldn¡¯t quite determine.


    A random Spiritual Object from a Golden Core might be far more valuable than he could imagine.


    However, the dearth of items in Yun Xingyi¡¯s ring still took him by surprise.


    What Li Shiming didn¡¯t know was that Sword Cultivators rarely amassed wealth; their entire lives were dedicated to reinforcing their Lifebound Flying Swords, investing all their wealth into them.


    He gathered up the clothes and shoes next to the corpse; all these Spiritual Objects were at least of Spiritual Artifact quality. As for the quality of the Spiritual Artifacts, he could not determine it yet and would have to wait until his realm improved to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Li Shiming had emerged from the sea, collected Yun Xingyi¡¯s corpse, and preserved it with ice-based arrays.


    He was skilled in Corpse Refining, and Yun Xingyi¡¯s corpse was definitely top-tier material for that purpose.


    Likewise, due to the issue of his own realm, he dared not attempt refining a corpse of a Golden Core cultivator while lacking sufficient power.


    He opted to preserve it for now, keeping it for future use.


    As for this encounter, he had thought it through clearly.


    The killing of Yun Xingyi could not be reported; it was not just about the ring, the three cultivation techniques within, or the Lifebound Flying Sword and Golden Core in the mechanical room space.


    More importantly, he had no plausible explanation for how he could have killed a Golden Core cultivator.


    No one should think the higher-ups of his sect were fools, for as Yun Xingyi had said before, no cultivator who lived for hundreds of years was simple.


    Li Shiming brought out a wooden Flying Boat and let it fly on its own, his consciousness entering the mechanical room space, observing the condition of his avatar.@@@@


    The avatar had been severely injured and taken into the mechanical room space.


    He did not want to delay, so he chose to return to the territory of his sect immediately.


    The avatar was in a terrible state; to prevent the injuries from worsening, it remained in Corpse Refining status.


    Standing on the Flying Boat, Li Shiming felt a sense of relief upon seeing it was Elder Yin.


    ¡°Uncle Yin, Junior Master Zhuge has been murdered. A sword light shot out from the sea, and Junior Master Zhuge disintegrated into pieces before me. After that, I fainted and fell into the sea. When I woke up, I rushed back and sent out the signal within range of the Sect Formation!¡± Li Shiming said, repeating the story he had already prepared.


    Elder Yin¡¯s gaze flashed faintly. He didn¡¯t doubt Li Shiming¡¯s words but was assessing who might have killed Zhuge Xuan.


    As for the loss of a high-level Array Master from the sect, although he felt regret, there wasn¡¯t much emotion of sadness in him.


    He had become accustomed to life and death; since beginning his cultivation, he¡¯d seen many acquaintances die, and his attitude toward death had grown somewhat numb.


    ¡°Can you still find the place where you were attacked?¡± Elder Yin asked gravely.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Shiming replied affirmatively.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you; you guide the way!¡± Elder Yin continued.


    Li Shiming put away the Flying Boat, and Elder Yin enveloped him with his Spiritual Power, shielding him as he pointed in a direction, and they sped off at high speed.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Li Shiming to signal that they were approaching the area.


    ¡°You wait here!¡± Elder Yin said cautiously as he looked ahead and let go of Li Shiming, instructing him.


    The one likely to have killed Zhuge Xuan was that Golden Core Sword Cultivator.


    As a cultivator at the Golden Core Middle Stage, and with the Golden Core Sword Cultivator severely injured, he was confident he could resolve the situation alone.


    He arrived above the sea and, from the faint traces in the atmosphere, sensed the presence of the Sword Cultivator.


    His figure dove into the water and began searching the sea bottom.


    Soon, he found an underwater cave dwelling, but, unfortunately, it was empty.


    ¡°A step too late!¡± Elder Yin concluded from the state of the cave dwelling that it was indeed created by that Golden Core Sword Cultivator.


    Judging by the smell of blood in the cave dwelling, it was evident that the Golden Core Sword Cultivator had sustained severe injuries, to the point where he hadn¡¯t been able to keep his blood within his body.


    Golden Core cultivators possess a high degree of control over their bodies; it¡¯s normal to bleed when injured in an attack, but to continue bleeding after leaving the battlefield indicates a loss of bodily control.


    Elder Yin didn¡¯t consider that the traces of blood were from the Golden Core Sword Cultivator slain by Li Shiming.


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 Chapter 211: 152: Emerging from Seclusion

    Chapter 211: Chapter 152: Emerging from Seclusion


    ¡°Shiming, do not tell Lan¡¯er about Zhuge Xuan¡¯s death, lest it affect her breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage. I¡¯ll have her go into seclusion to charge at the Foundation Establishment Stage as soon as I get back!¡± On the way back, Elder Yin hesitated for a moment but still spoke up.


    ¡°I understand, Uncle Yin!¡± Li Shiming nodded in agreement.


    Yin Shilan didn¡¯t have many close people in the sect, and Zhuge Xuan was definitely one of them.


    Zhuge Xuan had given Yin Shilan no small amount of guidance on formations, and if she knew about Zhuge Xuan¡¯s bad news while charging at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it would certainly not be good for Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Good child!¡± A fatherly smile flashed in Elder Yin¡¯s eyes, and then he said sternly, ¡°Your Body Refinement has improved too much, which will have some impact on your breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. You had better stop studying formations and other areas and take on more sect missions to exchange for more Foundation Establishment Pills, making thorough preparations for Foundation Establishment!¡±


    Li Shiming was startled; he had always thought that Body Refinement could increase the chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment, not realizing that being too strong could also be a problem.


    ¡°Too much is as bad as not enough. You have cultivated your body to a level beyond the Qi Refinement Realm. You are currently at the Qi Refining Seventh Level, and when you reach the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, your physical strength will further increase. Being too strong creates a bigger bottleneck for your breakthrough... But of course, with your situation, once you break through, your strength will increase much more than a usual cultivator!¡± Elder Yin pondered for a moment and then instructed.


    He was doing this for his daughter, and because Li Shiming was quite obedient, he gave such pointed advice.


    As for why that Golden Core Sword Cultivator had spared Li Shiming, he didn¡¯t think much about it at all.


    For himself, even if he encountered cultivators from hostile forces, at most, he would kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and that would be an action taken in extreme anger.


    To a Golden Core cultivator, a Qi Refinement cultivator is like an ant, not worth the effort to deal with.


    Elder Yin fully accepted the explanation for Li Shiming¡¯s narrow escape from death at sea without the slightest doubt.


    These preparations ultimately benefited Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was currently considering his future plans. He had contemplated this matter many times before, but due to the inability to obtain the cultivation techniques, even with IBM z15¡¯s help in analysis, he had not been able to come to a useful conclusion.


    Now it was different. He had two top-notch techniques that could be cultivated up to the Nascent Soul Stage, which was enough for him to make a choice.


    He needed to decide whether to become a Sword Cultivator or a Magic Cultivator. The ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± was a pure Sword Cultivator path, while the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± was a path of Magic Cultivators.


    Probably Yun Xingyi also prepared the other cultivation path in case the body after Body Seizing could not cultivate as a Sword Cultivator, making provisions for the unforeseen.


    Sometimes Body Seizing does not offer a choice, and for an extremely ordinary cultivator, the difficulty of cultivating the path of a Sword Cultivator is too great.


    Li Shiming was also aware that relative to Sword Cultivators, the path of Magic Cultivation was much easier.


    This could be judged from the number of Sword Cultivators versus Magic Cultivators; within the sect, only those cultivators with supreme talents would choose Sword Cultivation, whereas ordinary cultivators were nearly uniformly Magic Cultivators.


    Of course, this does not mean the combat power of Magic Cultivators is inferior. The Magic Cultivation technique valued by Yun Xingyi, a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, also inherited the characteristics of Sword Cultivation, which is the ultimate attacking power, hence he brought the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡±.


    Thunder Cultivation is the strongest in attack power among Magic Cultivation. If a Thunder Cultivator has a Thunder Spirit Root, then, of course, it is the best choice.


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 Chapter 212: 152 Leaving the Pass_2

    Chapter 212: Chapter 152 Leaving the Pass_2


    Without the Thunder Spirit Root, the Metal Spirit Root would be the second choice.


    The words of Yun Xingyi made Li Shiming realize his own potential.


    Li Shiming was no longer the novice who had entered the sect thinking about cost-effectiveness, taking advantage of the free opportunity to choose the most expensive Cultivation Technique, ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique.¡±


    Although the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique¡± did indeed make his combat power extremely strong, this didn¡¯t mean a Sword Cultivator was suited to him.


    In the absence of sufficient talent and potential, if he aimed to cultivate as a Sword Cultivator, he worried that his innate abilities wouldn¡¯t support his ambitions.


    Of course, cultivating the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± through his avatar was, to some extent, the same as if he were cultivating it himself.


    The magic artifacts of his avatar were usable by him, and cultivating through the avatar was essentially using a part of his consciousness; on a spiritual level, they were one and the same.


    Perhaps his body couldn¡¯t unleash the full power of the avatar using the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique,¡± but this kind of shortfall could definitely be compensated for by the power of Thunder Cultivation.


    Additionally, Li Shiming felt a peculiar affinity with the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± as though he was born to fit this Cultivation Technique.


    Therefore, he made a decision in his heart that after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, his main Cultivation Technique would be the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± while the avatar would cultivate the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique.¡±


    It was hard to imagine that a cultivator with no background, upon entering the late-stage Qi Refining, had already set a direction for his cultivation after Foundation Establishment¡ªa privilege usually reserved for second-generation cultivators or those with amazing talents.


    ¡°I am going to attempt Foundation Establishment and will need to go into closed-door cultivation for three to six months!¡± Yin Shilan sent the message, and by the time Li Shiming replied, she had already entered the meditation chamber.


    Li Shiming wished her success in his heart, hoping that when she emerged successful, she wouldn¡¯t be too saddened by Junior Master Zhuge¡¯s death.


    The avatar, in the state of Corpse Refining, rested for half a day within the Ghost Domain of the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡± and its injuries healed.


    The avatar reverted to human form, and the injuries disappeared completely.


    ¡°Fellow, you have worked hard!¡± Li Shiming bowed to the avatar and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard, just a strike from a mere Golden Core!¡± the avatar said, waving its hand nonchalantly.


    After saying this, both the original body and the avatar laughed out loud.@@@@


    Only when the avatar was unharmed did Li Shiming finally feel at ease; if the avatar¡¯s injuries had persisted for a long time, it would have affected his cultivation plans.


    He also checked the condition of his right thumb. It wasn¡¯t clear if it was his low level of cultivation or if the Sword Bone was of a high-end nature, but no matter how he examined it, using Spiritual Thought or an IBM z15, he found nothing special about his right thumb.


    If there was any difference, it was that the hardness of his right thumb was extremely high, but since he couldn¡¯t measure the hardness, he could only come to this conclusion.


    He had no intention of using magic artifacts to cut his right thumb; as long as it wasn¡¯t causing any problems, he chose to ignore it as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Has Lan¡¯er succeeded in her breakthrough?¡± Li Shiming asked, looking at the door of the closed-room, the question slipping out.


    He was worried out of concern, for with Yin Shilan¡¯s talent, plus Elder Yin¡¯s preparation, the small hurdle of the Foundation Establishment Stage wasn¡¯t too difficult to overcome.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Elder Yin replied with displeasure in his cold voice.


    Since when had this young man started calling his daughter by her nickname, Lan¡¯er? It was the exclusive right of he and his wife to use that name.


    Li Shiming was taken aback, looking at Elder Yin¡¯s suddenly changed face, he worried that there might have been trouble with Yin Shilan¡¯s breakthrough, which intensified his anxieties.


    His eyes fixed on the door of the cultivation chamber, he imagined how despondently Yin Shilan might emerge, whether she might be hurt, whether she might cry.


    Neither Elder Yin nor Li Shiming spoke again; Elder Yin was angry while Li Shiming was anxious.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the heavy atmosphere shifted with the opening of the chamber¡¯s door.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er!¡± The voices of Li Shiming and Elder Yin sounded simultaneously.


    Yin Shilan stepped out of the door, seeing the worry-filled Li Shiming and her proud father.


    ¡°Shiming!¡± Feeling the overwhelming care, Yin Shilan softly responded.


    Li Shiming sensed the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator on Yin Shilan, a unique pressure that came with the territory.


    He inexplicably turned his head towards Elder Yin, not understanding the meaning behind his earlier words. Was he intentionally trying to frighten him?


    ¡°Father!¡± Unaware of the awkwardness between the two men, Yin Shilan also looked towards Elder Yin.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve left seclusion, focus on consolidating your realm. I will go and share this good news with your mother!¡± Elder Yin was inwardly annoyed that his daughter had called for Li Shiming before him, but he wouldn¡¯t vent this frustration on her and instead blamed Li Shiming.


    He had no desire to stay here any longer; Li Shiming¡¯s presence made him feel uncomfortable.


    After giving this piece of advice, he flew up and quickly disappeared from view.


    ¡°Shiming, I have good news for you, look at this, what do you think it is?¡± Yin Shilan, slightly puzzled by her father¡¯s departure, remembered something important and, with a hint of pride, pulled out a porcelain bottle.


    Li Shiming immediately recognized it as a bottle for Foundation Establishment Pills, a standardized design used by the sect.


    ¡°You broke through without using a Foundation Establishment Pill?¡± Li Shiming felt he had underestimated Yin Shilan¡¯s talent.


    ¡°An extra month of closed-door cultivation saved me this Foundation Establishment Pill. You need it more than I do!¡± Yin Shilan handed the porcelain bottle to Li Shiming, her face beaming with a happy smile.


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 Chapter 213: 153 Borrowing a Path

    Chapter 213: Chapter 153 Borrowing a Path


    Li Shiming and Yin Shilan walked on the mountain trail of Central Peak, undaunted by the steep path.


    Even the cultivators of the sect very astutely made way for them, leaving the two some quiet space to be alone.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, you are being too risky!¡± Li Shiming said, looking at Yin Shilan beside him with a mix of distress and helplessness.


    He didn¡¯t want Yin Shilan to affect her breakthrough just to save a single Foundation Establishment Pill, no matter how talented she was. The transition from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Stage was an extremely important and crucial process.


    Hadn¡¯t she seen how someone as gifted as Baili Jin Yan, with such accumulation, still prepared a Foundation Establishment Pill for himself?


    A cultivator has very few opportunities to undergo Foundation Establishment in their lifetime, and the chances are highest on the first attempt. Afterward, the likelihood of a breakthrough drops significantly, not even one-tenth of the original chances remain.


    Thinking of this, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit fearful; if Yin Shilan were to fail in her advancement, that would be quite problematic.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that dangerous, and if I really need to, I will use this Foundation Establishment Pill!¡± Yin Shilan said with a charming and delightful smile.


    She knew that Li Shiming had a triple spirit root, and due to the special nature of the Foundation Establishment Pill, even with enough good deeds, it would still take time to exchange for one.


    The sect¡¯s supply was about ten or so every five years; each Foundation Establishment Pill was extremely precious.


    Even though she was the direct descendant of a Sect Elder, she had only exchanged for a Foundation Establishment Pill with good deeds when in need.


    Of course, if her aptitude had been poor, Elder Yin would have prepared it for her.


    Yin Shilan would not ask her father for extra Foundation Establishment Pills; the only thing she could do was to save the one she had for Li Shiming, giving him a slightly better chance for a breakthrough.


    Compared to the Qi Refinement Realm, a cultivator¡¯s lifespan in the Foundation Establishment Stage was almost fifty years longer.


    But in reality, what differed was not only the lifespan, but also the hopes for the future.


    Unlike Yin Shilan, Li Shiming had already experienced numerous life-and-death situations in his brief cultivation career.


    He felt Yin Shilan¡¯s affection, and he did not wish for a day when she would lose hope because of news about him.


    He felt Yin Shilan tremble gently in his arms, her tears warmed as they fell from her eyes onto him, trickling down his skin.


    The wind blew over Yin Shilan¡¯s dress and Li Shiming¡¯s robe, gently caressing their hair, entangling their strands together before scattering them in the breeze.


    In the distance, Elder Yin struggled to suppress the urge to slap Li Shiming to death.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated that the bad news he sent would not affect the two adversely; instead, it seemed to bring them even closer.


    Before Seven Star Island, a vast Flying Boat hovered in the sky.


    The seven Golden Core cultivators of Seven Star Island unleashed a terrifying aura, magnified by the Beidou Seven Stars Formation, to deter the Flying Boat.


    On the Flying Boat, three powerful Golden Core auras also rose up, with neither side making the first move.


    ¡°Who are you, and why are you entering the territory of the Seven Sects?¡± Elder Gu of the Sky Sea Sect called out.


    ¡°Beishu Mingxin Sect requests passage!¡± A Golden Core cultivator flew out of the Flying Boat, his voice deep.


    ¡°Requesting passage? There are no roads ahead, we, the Seven Sects, are the northernmost boundary. Are you perhaps planning to enter the Sea of Death?¡± Elder Gu¡¯s expression turned cold as he countered.


    Elder Gu and the other six Golden Core Elders understood that matters had become complicated. With Beishu cultivators appearing here and considering the previous Golden Core Sword Cultivator, could it be that something major had occurred in Beishu?


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 Chapter 214: 153: Borrowing a Path_2

    Chapter 214: Chapter 153: Borrowing a Path_2


    As for asking to pass through, where to pass through, the area ahead belongs to the seven major sects, which would never allow a large number of cultivators to approach.


    This immense Flying Boat is an ultra-large type, accommodating over a thousand cultivators inside. Not to mention, just these three Golden Core cultivators are enough to pose a significant threat.


    If these three Golden Core cultivators have the combat power of that previous Golden Core Sword Cultivator, even Seven Star Island might not be able to withstand the three Golden Core cultivators.


    Seven Golden Core cultivators sent out signals for reinforcements to their respective sects. Just hold them off for a while, and the Golden Core cultivators from their sects will arrive.


    On the giant Flying Boat, two Golden Core cultivators looked at the boat full of cultivators seated cross-legged. They, too, could not make up their minds to go out and fight.


    The cultivators on the boat are the hope of their sects. Should they be affected by the battle and suffer losses, their fault would be great.


    In order to pass through the dangerous Beihai, they followed the marks left by Yun Xingyi all the way. Near Seven Star Island, Yun Xingyi¡¯s marks no longer appeared.


    They harbored ominous thoughts in their hearts, perhaps Yun Xingyi had an accident, which made them even more wary of the combat power of the Golden Core cultivators ahead.


    Yun Xingyi is the number one Golden Core strength of their sect. They need to reassess the danger of this sea area.


    The three Golden Core cultivators on the giant Flying Boat did not want to engage in battle. They, too, were waiting for reinforcements, with more Flying Boats following behind them.


    In front of Seven Star Island, the three Beishu Golden Core cultivators confronted the seven Golden Core cultivators from the seven sects, each with their own thoughts.


    ¡°Master Du Hai, do we have any specific news from Beishu?¡± Elder Gu asked Master Du Hai on Seven Star Island.


    Because the seven sects are secluded here, it is impossible to know what is happening across the sea.


    Even for Golden Core cultivators, there is a great risk to cross Beihai, and sending messages becomes a big problem.


    ¡°The news from Beishu a few days ago indicated that Senluo Sect is expanding rapidly within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, and many sects have been forced to flee Beishu!¡± Master Du Hai replied with a serious tone.


    As Master Du Hai spoke, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.


    This place¡¯s Ten Thousand Buddha Sect is only a branch of the main sect. Each continent has branches of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. Normally, branches of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect seldom communicate with each other but are still connected.


    This time, they used a special method of contact within the sect. The message from Beishu¡¯s Ten Thousand Buddha Sect was not limited to these details, but also suggested that this branch should prepare for evacuation as soon as possible.


    After receiving this message, the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect began to discuss how to convey the matter to the other six sects.


    To speak frankly, despite minor conflicts between them, the seven sects have formed a common understanding through countless crises over thousands of years and have become a robust alliance.


    But to ask each sect to prepare to leave based on just one message, it¡¯s unthinkable for the other sects, and most within the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect intend to stay and defend.


    Elder Yin was in the Golden Core Middle Stage, his strength placing him towards the front among this group of Golden Core cultivators.


    The vast majority of the Golden Core cultivators from the Seven Sects were at the Golden Core Early Stage, which related to their cultivation techniques, resources, and cultivation environment.


    It was the unity of the Seven Sects and their location in the extreme north that had allowed them to remain stable for ten thousand years.


    Almost no powerful forces coveted this relatively barren area, but this time if there really was a displaced sect in need of resettlement, it might vie for the Seven Sect¡¯s territories.


    After many years of development, the Seven Sects had continually enhanced their cultivation environment, making significant improvements to their sects.


    Especially in terms of spiritual veins, the main spiritual veins of each sect were now not inferior to the medium-sized sects¡¯ in Beishu.


    This was also the reason why the Seven Sects had fostered so many Golden Core cultivators. Ten thousand years of development had given the Seven Sects ample time to achieve their current accomplishments.


    ¡°Elder Yin, our sect will do its best to communicate with them. Actually, I suspect that this time a Nascent Soul Great Power might be involved!¡± Master Du Hai expressed his judgment.


    ¡°Impossible, isn¡¯t a sect with a Nascent Soul Great Power able to defend its territory?¡± Even Elder Yin was somewhat incredulous this time.


    Nascent Soul was the dream of cultivators, the truly powerful beings.


    Each Nascent Soul had a lifespan exceeding a thousand years and could even allow themselves to reincarnate and cultivate anew when their lifespan reached its end.


    To a certain extent, Nascent Souls truly monopolized control over the Heaven and Earth Rules; it was by leveraging these rules that they could achieve a lifespan of a thousand years and reincarnate.


    Such beings, let alone being enemies, even the thought of them was enough to send chills down one¡¯s spine.


    ¡°All sects should also try to find ways to establish connections, to see if we can find more information about Beishu. This is the biggest trouble the Seven Sects have faced, but isn¡¯t it also an opportunity? The cultivators who come here carry the accumulation of their sects with them, there must be plenty of cultivation techniques and resources!¡± Elder Yin rallied the other Golden Core cultivators with his words.


    Perhaps the sects didn¡¯t have direct means of contacting Beishu like the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect did, but they would surely have certain channels to indirectly obtain some intelligence.


    What was currently lacking was the support of intelligence, to enable the Seven Sects to make accurate judgments.


    At the very least, they needed to know the strength and numbers of the enemy in order to deal with the situation appropriately and without suffering huge losses.


    All the Golden Core cultivators were thinking about their sects¡¯ connections, and there were also some whose eyes filled with a fighting spirit at the thought of facing the enemy.


    More powerful cultivation techniques and more resources were the opportunities for these Golden Core cultivators to advance.


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 Chapter 215: 154 Task

    Chapter 215: Chapter 154 Task@@@@


    Li Shiming did not know why, but recently the tasks involving formations had greatly increased, all brought upon by the final two high-level Array Masters of the sect, with several enhanced Formation plans being put into actual operation.


    You see, such plans were usually just for research in the past, and the sect would not approve the use of a large amount of precious Formation materials just to increase the power of a great formation slightly.


    But now it was different, a vast amount of Formation resources seemed to be taken out of the sect¡¯s storeroom as if they were free.


    Li Shiming had originally thought that it would take a long time to complete the fifty thousand good deeds task, yet based on the current trend, he estimated that he could reach it within this year.


    His cultivation speed still maintained a rapid progression, and he did not delve into why the sect was increasing its investment in formations.


    Unless he revealed his strength as a high-level Array Master, but after observing for a while, if he were to expose his ability now, he feared he would hardly have any rest, and it might even affect his cultivation.


    Since that one incident, his sense of belonging to the sect had diminished a great deal, which made him indifferent to considering things from the sect¡¯s perspective.


    Of course, as a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, the sect¡¯s affairs were too far removed from him, and he was too lazy to inquire about them.


    Every day, he was completing one sect Formation task after another, exchanging them for substantial good deeds.


    Today, Li Shiming was invited to the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion by Junior Master Song.


    Li Shiming entered the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion and saw that in Junior Master Zhuge¡¯s favorite spot, there sat a middle-aged beautiful woman¡ªnone other than Junior Master Song, another high-level Array Master of the sect.


    ¡°Greetings, Junior Master Song!¡± He suppressed the nostalgia he felt for Junior Master Zhuge and bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Li Shiming, you rarely visit the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion!¡± Junior Master Song said indifferently.


    ¡°Go and collect the Formation materials. Once you have established a formation, link them all together!¡± Junior Master Song waved her hand and instructed.


    Li Shiming left the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion and went to the storeroom to collect the materials needed for ten formations.


    Perhaps due to a shortage of hands, these Formation materials had not even been processed roughly.


    He sent a message to Yin Shilan explaining the situation, then flew off towards the outskirts of the sect.


    Yin Shilan was also quite busy at the moment. She had just entered Foundation Establishment and was cultivating her main Cultivation Technique and some spells typical of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    This was Elder Yin¡¯s requirement. Until Yin Shilan had reached a certain self-protective strength, she couldn¡¯t be involved in any other activities.


    Elder Yin was especially strict on this point, and Yin Shilan had no choice but to obey her father¡¯s orders, not even having time to accompany Li Shiming on missions alone.


    As for Ren Fei¡¯er, she too was locked up.


    According to Ren Fei¡¯er, her mother demanded that she reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and had prepared precious resources for her to accelerate her advancement to Foundation Establishment.


    Li Shiming found it odd; he had met Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s mother, a Golden Core cultivator.


    A Golden Core cultivator would not be short-sighted. Hastening advancement to Foundation Establishment actually didn¡¯t offer much benefit to a cultivator.


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 Chapter 216: 154 Task_2

    Chapter 216: Chapter 154 Task_2


    It was simply a waste of resources, especially given Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s age; reaching her current level so quickly was already extraordinary.


    These irregular circumstances, combined with the sect¡¯s sudden increased investment in formations, made everything seem out of the ordinary.


    Li Shiming hadn¡¯t heard any news from Yin Shilan and Ren Fei¡¯er; it seemed they also didn¡¯t know the specifics.


    But he felt an increasing urgency, which made him speed up the construction of his formations.


    With his proficiency as a high-level Array Master, aided by Spiritual Thought, it only took five two-hour periods to construct a formation at sea, and he delegated the task of processing formation materials to his clone.


    Aside from returning to his sect¡¯s cave to cultivate every day, he spent the rest of his time, day and night, building formations outside.


    For his own safety, when constructing formations, he would disperse several soul splits from the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡± around the area to stay alert to the conditions of the nearby seas.


    It was precisely because of the existence of the primary spirit that he dared to undertake this task.


    Ever since the primary spirit of the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡± absorbed the soul of the deceased Golden Core Yun Xingyi, it had undergone tremendous changes, becoming almost indistinguishable from a physical entity.


    It could now create up to ten soul splits without any impact on the primary spirit, exceeding even the descriptions of the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique.¡±


    A transparent Flying Boat flew through the sky, carrying six Qi Refining cultivators in the late stages; especially one whose aura surpassed the five companions beside him.


    ¡°Brother Du, the rewards for this mission are substantial. If you manage to catch Elder Baili¡¯s eye, don¡¯t forget about us!¡± a cultivator said to the leading Brother Du with a flattering tone.


    Every sect has its prodigious cultivators that receive special attention. Normally, these talents don¡¯t act alongside ordinary cultivators.


    Even ordinary cultivators rarely get to meet these talented individuals. Prodigies are presented with carefully prepared missions and resources by the sect, and even the cultivation techniques provided to them are optimal for their conditions.


    Only a very few ordinary cultivators chosen by prodigious ones get the chance to cooperate in missions, receiving rewards that, though mostly claimed by the prodigies, far exceed those of standard tasks.


    More importantly, such opportunities are rare chances for ordinary cultivators to form connections with the talents.


    At the very least, prodigious cultivators within a sect have the strength of the middle to late stages of Foundation Establishment. If they¡¯re lucky, they might even progress to become Golden Core cultivators.


    Of course, prodigies becoming Golden Core is something that happens many years later, and ordinary cultivators who haven¡¯t reached Foundation Establishment will find it difficult to benefit from them.


    The six cultivators here were led by Brother Du of the Holy Ice Sect, a prodigy with a Heavenly Spirit Root. Many cultivators in the late stages of Foundation Establishment would be willing to accept him as a disciple.


    He had done this many times in the past days, with no need for the assistance of IBMz15.


    With the Array Formation Starlight Sea providing automatic cross-references, he could obtain accurate data, a reason why array masters, with relatively ordinary minds, can perform vast calculations.


    Array masters are a profession of high experiential learning. The one who created the Array Formation Starlight Sea could effortlessly retrieve corresponding data from within the Sea for any formation within his area of study through accumulated experience.


    Sometimes, Li Shiming wondered if the Array Formation Starlight Sea was some type of biological computer.


    ¡°Disciples of the Holy Ice Sect!¡± he stopped his work as one of the souls from the ¡®Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡¯ sent him a warning.


    He shared the vision of that soul with his prime spirit and saw the familiar transparent Flying Boat, a standard model from within the Holy Ice Sect.


    From the flight path of the transparent Flying Boat, it was easy to deduce that he was the target.


    As he watched, the transparent Flying Boat came to a stop, and five cultivators spread out, encircling him.


    It was clear that the cultivators of the Holy Ice Sect who had come held strong confidence¡ªthey did not intend to give him a chance to escape.


    Li Shiming sensed the aura of these cultivators through his split soul and felt at ease; including the one on the Flying Boat, they were all Qi Refining cultivators.


    He had already reached the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, a powerful contender in the late-stage Qi Refining realm.


    Not to mention his physique, which could easily overpower a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator. His robust body and defensive power meant he did not fear being attacked by multiple peers.


    Of course, that was his own confidence. The Holy Ice Sect, not knowing enough about him, had sent fighters he believed to be far from requiring his full strength.


    In fact, if Elder Baili knew about Li Shiming¡¯s performance on Seven Star Island, he would have assigned this mission to talented disciples with Heavenly Spirit Roots.


    Although Brother Du had not formally become a disciple, the sect spared no effort in providing resources and cultivation techniques for those with Heavenly Spirit Roots.


    Brother Du¡¯s combat power stood at the pinnacle of the Qi Refinement realm; dealing with Li Shiming, who had a slight accomplishment in Body Refinement, was not an issue. This was especially true considering the help from other Qi Refining disciples, leaving no chance for Li Shiming to survive.


    Li Shiming neither hid nor evaded but faced the enemy head-on. He soared into the air, spreading his wings, and waited mid-air for the arrival of his opponents.


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 Chapter 217: 155: Showdown

    Chapter 217: Chapter 155: Showdown


    Brother Du stood atop the Flying Boat, gazing solemnly at Li Shiming, with eyes filled with an aura of fatal determination, as though he was looking at an object devoid of life.


    As Qi Refining cultivators, those with Heavenly Spirit Roots had a formidable advantage.


    The best main cultivation technique, the strongest body refining technique, and a copious supply of resources were all to ensure that disciples with Heavenly Spirit Roots could establish the most solid foundation during their Qi Refinement stage.


    Another advantage of such talent was an abundance of time.


    Since they did not need to consider a secondary cultivator profession while in the Qi Refinement stage, they had more time to practice powerful magical techniques and could even gain both cultivation experience and real combat experience from instructors sent by their sect.


    At least within the Holy Ice Sect, cultivators with Heavenly Spirit Roots and other cultivators were on two entirely different levels.


    Brother Du held all the information about Li Shiming in his hands. His cultivation of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ had taken on a truly substantial form, which was even stronger than his body refinement.


    Li Shiming had also learned the strongest ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯ and had a deep understanding of formations.


    Looking at the profile, Brother Du could imagine this was an incredibly hardworking cultivator, but with a talent of Triple Spirit Roots, if one had a talent for body refinement, they should devote all their energy to strengthening it.


    However, the Li Shiming in the files seemed to want to meddle in everything: ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯, formations, and even dabbled in spirit plant cultivation in the early stages.


    Li Shiming had been in the sect for just four years, and in such a brief span of time, attempting to develop comprehensively, did he really think himself to possess a Heavenly Spirit Root?


    The only thing Brother Du needed to be cautious of was Li Shiming¡¯s body refinement; as for the ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯, he did not take it seriously at all.


    Li Shiming¡¯s body refinement, when battling at sea, naturally lost half of its potency.


    Qi Refining cultivators were not Foundation Establishment cultivators; they could not fly as they wished and had to rely completely on magic artifacts, which were not flexible enough, hence they couldn¡¯t utilize the advantages of body refinement to the fullest.


    Genius cultivators were the treasures of the sect, the Golden Core seeds of the sect¡¯s next generation.


    The first genius cultivator Li Shiming had ever met was Baili Jin Yan, whose strength was such that even now, he would not dare to boast about being able to defeat him.


    Although Yin Shilan had a Heavenly Spirit Root, she was not considered a genius cultivator of the sect, mainly because she had a greater passion for formations, and her cultivation was solely for the purpose of forms.


    The sect nurtured genius cultivators for the purpose of bolstering their combat strength.


    Of course, Yin Shilan¡¯s situation was more unique. She didn¡¯t need the quota of the sect¡¯s genius cultivators; she still received the best resources from Elder Yin.


    These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and Li Shiming¡¯s right hand brandished the Broken Jade Sword while light radiated from the Spirit Turtle Shield in his left hand, enveloping his body in a protective glow.


    Knowing his adversary was a genius cultivator, he dared not to show the slightest negligence.


    At the same moment, a layer of ice armor appeared on Du Bingyan¡¯s body, and a super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact fluttered by his side.


    The reason it was referred to as a super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact, not a Flying Boat, was because ever since Li Shiming acquired the ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯, although he had not begun having his clone study it, he had gained a deeper understanding of sword cultivators.


    He would no longer consider a sword capable of flight simply a flying sword, nor were sword cultivators merely those who could control flying swords.


    A true sword cultivator honed their main cultivation technique and used flying swords, all adhering to the notion of serving the sword.


    Neither he nor Du Bingyan were sword cultivators; they were just wielding magical artifacts in battle.


    ¡°Slash!¡± Du Bingyan made the first move, launching the super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact towards Li Shiming with a swift chant, aiming to slash him down.


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 Chapter 218: 155: Showdown_2

    Chapter 218: Chapter 155: Showdown_2


    Li Shiming¡¯s Broken Jade Sword flew out, significantly inferior in quality to the super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact, so he chose not to clash directly.


    Like a leaping sprite, the Broken Jade Sword repeatedly and gently touched Du Bingyan¡¯s super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact.


    Every gentle touch of the Broken Jade Sword landed on the spine of the super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact, a control over the sword that secretly alarmed Du Bingyan.


    Especially the speed at which Li Shiming controlled the sword, which was visibly faster than Du Bingyan.


    ¡°How could he possibly cultivate the ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯ to such an extent?¡± Du Bingyan thought in shock.


    In fact, with Li Shiming¡¯s current level of the ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯, even with the analysis supplement of an IBMz15, it was only comparable to Du Bingyan¡¯s level of sword control.


    For a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm to achieve domination over other top cultivators of the same realm in sword control was almost impossible, as Li Shiming had the help of IBMz15, and Du Bingyan also had guidance from his mentors.


    The primary reason Li Shiming was able to take the initiative was due to Spiritual Thought; the enhancement of Spiritual Thought on the Broken Jade Sword made it far more agile than Du Bingyan¡¯s super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact.


    Although Du Bingyan had been specially trained by the Holy Ice Sect, he had not obtained the cultivation method for Spiritual Thought, nor had he received any high-quality Elixir Pills that could generate Spiritual Thought.


    That was also why Du Bingyan wanted to join a Golden Core Elder, who likely had such precious resources.


    The super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact, constantly attacked by the Broken Jade Sword, had its rhythm disrupted and could no longer achieve its highest speed.


    With wings flapping behind him, Li Shiming¡¯s figure was always slightly faster than the super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact.


    Although he had abandoned the idea of becoming a Sword Cultivator, the combat style of a Sword Cultivator was truly exhilarating.


    Without even using the Spirit Turtle Shield for defense, merely with the Broken Jade Sword, even though it was of a lower quality than the super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact, he managed to suppress Du Bingyan¡¯s super-grade sword-shaped magical artifact.


    Seeing that his magical artifact could not much affect Li Shiming, Du Bingyan patted his waist and acquired a talisman.


    Li Shiming had been watching his actions closely; seeing the Spiritual Power Pattern emanating from the activated talisman, he immediately increased his flying speed and made a dodging maneuver.


    The talisman was sealed with a spell from the late-stage Qi Refining realm, and because his study of spells was minimal, not to mention those of the Holy Ice Sect.


    But by sensing the Spiritual Power Pattern released by the talisman, he could judge its power.


    With the activation of the talisman, the air around him suddenly began to flow violently, creating a fierce wind.


    Within the wind, ice crystals appeared and then turned into a blizzard.


    Due to the blizzard, a layer of ice crystals rapidly formed on Li Shiming¡¯s body.


    Especially the pair of wings at his back, which, due to the impact of the blizzard, even had their flapping speed greatly reduced.


    For this, he even refrained from using the Broken Jade Sword to strike aggressively and instead exchanged moves with Du Bingyan, which helped him understand combat against late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, but Du Bingyan did not wish to engage properly.


    The five Qi Refining cultivators held array flags in their hands. Their task was to stand in five directions and use the array flags to trap Li Shiming inside.


    Originally, they thought it would just be a spectacle, seeing how Du Bingyan would easily beat Li Shiming.


    But after only a few rounds, Du Bingyan called them to join in, which was entirely against his usual style.


    However, they did not hesitate and each took out their magic artifacts, moving towards the center of the battle.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s end the fight!¡± Li Shiming said with a helpless expression, speaking softly.


    He did not want to face an assault from six late-stage Qi Refining cultivators at the same time, nor did he hold back his strength anymore.


    Du Bingyan also heard his words, and at first, he was stunned, but then anger rose in his heart.


    Although the fight with Li Shiming was somewhat suppressed by Li Shiming, it was not to an overwhelmingly large extent.


    As he thought this, he was about to retort, but then he felt a piercing pain in his brain, his spirit taking a heavy blow.


    Li Shiming¡¯s sword light instantly reached him, and with one thrust, pierced through his heart.


    Until his death, Du Bingyan could not react. For a Qi Refining cultivator who had not mastered Spiritual Thought, possessing a spiritual attack method was a blow of a different magnitude entirely, something the Qi Refining cultivators could not even detect.


    Li Shiming used the ¡®Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡¯ to transform into a Spiritual Jade Sword, which pierced into Du Bingyan¡¯s brain and destroyed his spirit.


    Actually, Li Shiming did not even need to strike with his sword again; the damage to the spirit was already fatal for Du Bingyan.


    After killing Du Bingyan, Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought swept over Du Bingyan¡¯s body and collected both his corpse and magical artifacts.


    Afterward, Li Shiming¡¯s flying speed increased, his wings granting him more agile flight. Although he might not have much of an advantage in speed compared to a talented cultivator like Du Bingyan, it was far superior to that of five relatively ordinary Qi Refining cultivators.


    Before the five Qi Refining cultivators could get close to the center of the battle, he used his increased speed to counterattack one of them.


    The sword light flashed, and the mid-grade defense magic tool of one Qi Refining Cultivator was directly breached, the Broken Jade Sword almost effortlessly thrust through his throat.


    His figure moved again toward the nearest Qi Refining cultivator. The sword light flashed again, and another Qi Refining cultivator was slain.


    ¡°Run quickly!¡± Upon seeing Du Bingyan slain by Li Shiming, the fighting spirit of the five Qi Refining cultivators diminished tremendously, and with Li Shiming killing two people in quick succession, the remaining three had no intention of continuing the fight.


    Unfortunately for them, with Li Shiming¡¯s speed advantage, there was no way he would let them escape.


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 Chapter 219: 156: Return to the Sect

    Chapter 219: Chapter 156: Return to the Sect


    Li Shiming placed the six corpses in a storage bag. Had he not lost the ability to continue refining Corpse Refining, he would have considered refining Du Bingyan¡¯s corpse into a zombie.


    This was the body of a talented cultivator, and further, one at the Qi Refining Peak. Once successfully refined, it would essentially be a high-quality copper corpse.


    However, he had no current plans to cultivate new zombies, mainly because zombies were no longer as urgent a need for his cultivation as they were before.


    Moreover, he needed to report this matter. It was Elder Song from the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion who had assured him that the Holy Ice Sect would not make a move against him, and these six corpses were the evidence.


    He first completed the Formation, and today he had no interest in constructing others. He took out the Flying Boat and returned to the sect.


    On the Flying Boat, he began to inspect the loot from this battle.


    The storage bags of the five ordinary cultivators contained nothing unexpected.


    For such cultivators, possessing one or two top-grade magic tools of ordinary quality was quite good, but Li Shiming, with his current resources, had long ceased to regard ordinary-quality top-grade magic tools as valuable.


    However, in Du Bingyan¡¯s storage bag, he made an unexpected discovery.


    ¡°Another Foundation Establishment Pill!¡± Li Shiming took out a porcelain bottle, opened it, and confirmed it while muttering to himself.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why one would bring such precious Foundation Establishment Pills on a mission.


    In fact, it was understandable. To a Qi Refining cultivator, Foundation Establishment Pills were extremely precious, and such important treasures were naturally safest when carried on one¡¯s person.


    Additionally, Du Bingyan, who was very self-confident, believed he could protect himself, and nowhere would be safer than his own storage bag.


    ¡°The fifth one!¡± He stored the Foundation Establishment Pill and joyfully said to himself.


    The sect¡¯s talented cultivators were cultivated with great care.


    Their combat abilities were amongst the strongest in their rank, so defeating them might be possible, but killing them was a different story unless a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would act.


    Clearly, Li Shiming had killed Du Bingyan without the aid of any cultivator from the sect at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Junior Master Song, after the corpse has served as evidence, please return it to me, as I plan to refine it into a zombie!¡± Although Li Shiming had no plans for Corpse Refining, he didn¡¯t want to hand over the body for nothing.


    ¡°Du Bingyan was a highly regarded cultivator of the Holy Ice Sect. It¡¯s not a problem that you killed him in self-defense, but they will absolutely not agree to you using his body for Corpse Refining!¡± Junior Master Song glanced at Li Shiming and said coldly.


    Li Shiming inexplicably felt that Junior Master Song seemed to hold some animosity towards him.


    This feeling took shape after long conversations with Junior Master Song, who, as a High-level Array Master, possessed strong spirit and Spiritual Thought, making it difficult for him to discern her emotions.


    Yet, the bit of information he could sense made him doubt whether Junior Master Song was intentionally targeting him.


    The task to set up one hundred Formations seemed beneficial to him, helping him quickly obtain Foundation Establishment Pills, but it also exposed him to danger by taking him far from the sect¡¯s protection.


    Junior Master Song wouldn¡¯t know that he had soul-splitting surveillance around him, allowing him to detect distant dangers while he worked on the Formations.


    ¡°Please, state my request when reporting to the sect, Junior Master Song!¡± Li Shiming persisted.


    Junior Master Song¡¯s explanation had not convinced him. What did she mean by ¡°the Holy Ice Sect will absolutely not agree¡±? The Holy Ice Sect had attempted to kill him several times¡ªwas he not entitled to use the corpses he had slain to enhance his own power?


    ¡°I will report for you. Don¡¯t continue with the task for now. In no more than two days, cultivators will take on the protection mission!¡± Junior Master Song instructed indifferently, gesturing.


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 Chapter 220: 156 Return to the Clan_2

    Chapter 220: Chapter 156 Return to the Clan_2


    Li Shiming bowed and exited the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, where Junior Master Song¡¯s expression was as dark as water.


    Indeed, Junior Master Song did not like Li Shiming. It wasn¡¯t much about Li Shiming himself, but because of Zhuge Xuan.


    Zhuge Xuan and Li Shiming had been attacked while traveling together; Zhuge Xuan had perished, whereas Li Shiming had survived.


    Although Junior Master Song and Zhuge Xuan were not married, they had already formed an alliance. Upon learning of Zhuge Xuan¡¯s demise, she volunteered to guard the grand formation.


    Using the sect¡¯s preparation to deal with major troubles as an excuse, she initiated a series of reform plans for the sect¡¯s formations.


    These included genuine suggestions for the sect and also a bit of personal agenda.


    Li Shiming, tasked with setting a hundred formations, had moved far from sect boundaries, and Junior Master Song was well aware of the inherent dangers.


    Although the Holy Ice Sect would not likely use Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators against Li Shiming, battles among Qi Refining Realm cultivators were accepted by all sects. Being killed only meant one¡¯s cultivation was insufficient.


    Junior Master Song suppressed certain thoughts, she was not planning on taking action herself, in fact, she didn¡¯t even think of intervening.


    Li Shiming¡¯s combat strength was unimaginably formidable; before this sect crisis was resolved, the Holy Ice Sect could not risk internal conflict by sending Foundation Establishment Cultivators to assassinate Li Shiming.


    ¡°Zhuge Xuan, why should you be the one who could live while he died, without even a body left!¡± Junior Master Song, unable to let go of her fixation, clutched the storage bag tightly and said somberly.


    Exactly how the Heavenly Sea Sect and the Holy Ice Sect communicated was unclear to Li Shiming.


    He only knew that two days later, Elder Yin found him.


    ¡°Shiming, this is for you!¡± Elder Yin said, tossing him a box as soon as they met.


    Li Shiming curiously accepted the box. Upon opening it, a burst of cold air made him shiver involuntarily. Luckily, his physique was robust enough to withstand the chill.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he hesitated and then asked.


    Even without knowing the specifics of the spiritual object in the box, he understood that its quality was exceptional and its value considerable.


    ¡°Stop thinking about Du Bingyan¡¯s corpse. This is compensation from Holy Ice Sect to you, a second-rank thousand-year-old cold crystal, enough for you to forge a spiritual artifact!¡± Elder Yin declared impatiently.


    To defend Li Shiming¡¯s honor, he had personally visited the Holy Ice Sect.


    After receiving a clear assurance and compensation from the Holy Ice Sect, and considering they still needed to face a common enemy, he had let the matter rest.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Yin!¡± Li Shiming knew Elder Yin had exerted a great deal of effort. Otherwise, how could the material of a mere body manifest into a second-rank spiritual artifact material? This was definitely Uncle Yin pulling some strings for him.


    ¡°Junior Li, the one who gifted you the Flying Boat must be a woman. You¡¯re done for, I¡¯ll tell Senior Sister Yin when we get back!¡± He Chuan teased, winking.


    Li Shiming felt inexplicably nervous, but he quickly collected himself. Why was he feeling nervous?


    ¡°We are almost there, get ready!¡± Li Shiming changed the subject.


    ¡°Junior Brother, you set up the Formation here, I¡¯ll lay down some small tricks around!¡± The truly working He Chuan turned out to be very serious and responsible.


    Of course, Li Shiming would not entrust his safety solely to He Chuan. Through the ¡°Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique,¡± the main spirit split into eight soul fragments that scattered into the distance to serve as sentinels.


    During the period of setting up the formation, He Chuan never spoke, occasionally flying around in the air, always vigilant of the surroundings.


    Only when Li Shiming had finished setting up one Formation and moved to the next position did He Chuan return to his former self.


    ¡°Junior Brother, I heard you slaughtered Du Bingyan?¡± As the Flying Boat started, He Chuan leaned in and asked softly.


    He had inquired about Li Shiming¡¯s strength through his elders when he was assigned the mission. He was highly skeptical that Li Shiming, an Intermediate Array Master, could have killed Du Bingyan.


    ¡°Yes, Du Bingyan¡¯s strength was quite impressive!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t avoid the question and nodded in acknowledgment.


    He was telling the truth. If Du Bingyan had not tried to besiege him, without using attacks like the ¡°Spiritual Jade Sword,¡± it might have taken some time to deal with Du Bingyan.


    ¡°If you have the strength to slaughter Du Bingyan, why did the Sect still assign me the protection mission?¡± Hearing Li Shiming¡¯s acknowledgment, He Chuan spoke somewhat gloomily.


    He had fought Du Bingyan before. The genius cultivators among the seven major sects sometimes had overlapping missions, which gave these genius cultivators opportunities to encounter each other.


    His battle with Du Bingyan, although not decisive, should overall be considered a draw.


    The difference between top-ranking Qi Refining cultivators is minimal, and killing an opponent is much harder unless one possesses a sure-kill technique.


    ¡°I¡¯m an Array Master, I need to set up formations, and besides, isn¡¯t it good to earn some merits from taking missions?¡± Li Shiming replied casually.


    ¡°By the way, have you heard? There¡¯s an external invasion at Seven Star Island, and the Sect¡¯s recent reinforcement of its formations is related to this!¡± He Chuan switched topics, showing off his knowledge.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about Sect secrets being revealed to outsiders. What kind of person was Li Shiming? He was Elder Yin¡¯s son-in-law, and it was said that Elder Yin had used this relationship to harshly demand a sum from Elder Baili of Holy Ice Sect.


    Cultivation is boring, He Chuan loved these gossip stories. Usually, the information he knew was also known by the other few genius cultivators, making it hard to find someone to boast to.


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 Chapter 221: 157: News

    Chapter 221: Chapter 157: News


    Li Shiming heard He Chuan¡¯s words and combined them with the matter of going to Seven Star Island to repair the formation. It seemed that the sect¡¯s actions were not groundless, but rather that something had indeed happened.


    ¡°Junior Master, with the might of the seven sects, are you still worried about foreign enemies?¡± he probed intentionally.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics, but seeing the sect continuously recall cultivators from the outside, one can determine that the foreign enemies must be extremely troublesome!¡± He Chuan shook his head as he replied.


    At this point, he also showed a look of concern.


    To these cultivators, the sect was their backbone, their home, a place to dwell, and the foundation of their security and existence.


    Even though He Chuan was extremely talented, without the sect, he too would not be able to progress smoothly on the path of cultivation.


    Li Shiming was actually unaware that the sect was recalling cultivators from the outside, which related to his circle of acquaintances.


    He Chuan was preoccupied and lost interest in chatting.


    In the following twenty days, the two acted together, and Li Shiming also sped up the pace of setting up arrays, finally completing the task of a hundred formations.


    Of course, during this time, Li Shiming still returned to the sect like going to a day job, which He Chuan did not object to.


    He Chuan¡¯s task was to protect Li Shiming, and as for what Li Shiming did, he would not interfere.


    ¡°Junior Brother, once I reach Foundation Establishment, I will definitely ask you to help set up the formations for my cave dwelling!¡± Despite not being well-versed in formations, He Chuan could see clearly that Li Shiming was profoundly skilled in this field, and he made an early invitation when returning to the sect after completing their mission.


    He had a clear view of the situation within the sect.


    Currently, the sect had a critical shortage of Array Masters, and even if he became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it would be impossible to engage a High-level Array Master to set up formations for his cave dwelling.


    Li Shiming and He Chuan parted ways; He Chuan went to report back on their mission while Li Shiming proceeded to Spirit Mechanism Pavilion to collect his reward.


    Upon entering Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, that uncomfortable sensation rose again, quickly dissipating.


    Junior Master Song was present and nodded slightly upon seeing him enter.


    Junior Master Song was currently operating the grand formation and did not speak to Li Shiming, who stood quietly to the side.


    Spirit Mechanism Pavilion appeared like any other Pavilion within the sect, but it was actually one of the core nodes of the Sect Formation, which Junior Master Song could control.


    Li Shiming¡¯s understanding of formations was not inferior to Junior Master Song¡¯s, and he could see through some of his operations clearly.


    He was not the only Array Master out setting up formations; other Intermediate Array Masters had also accepted tasks, though he had taken on the most.


    Junior Master Song was now integrating the formations Li Shiming had completed and inspecting their performance casually.


    ¡°Li Shiming, you have performed your tasks very well. I will deduct all your good deeds, and you can go and collect the Foundation Establishment Pill!¡± Finding no issues, Junior Master Song was not surprised and nodded faintly.


    ¡°Yes, Junior Master Song!¡± Li Shiming bowed in response.


    ¡°I hope this time too your life will be as fortunate!¡± Junior Master Song watched as the silhouette of Li Shiming disappeared, muttering expressionlessly to himself.


    Li Shiming went to collect the Foundation Establishment Pill without encountering any trouble. Good deeds exchanged for a Foundation Establishment Pill, the formation lineage securing a quota, even with only three pills left, no power within the sect would make a fuss about it.


    In this aspect, Junior Master Song did not interfere.


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 Chapter 222: 157: News_2

    Chapter 222: Chapter 157: News_2


    Li Shiming also obtained the sixth Foundation Establishment Pill, a quantity that was already twice the minimum standard for those with three spirit root seeds.


    Just as he was about to return to his cave dwelling, a message arrived from his Identity Jade Disc; it was a notification from the sect, instructing him to go to the Central Peak Sky Sea Hall.


    As a disciple of the sect, he had to go immediately.


    Upon arriving at the Sky Sea Hall, a disciple of the hall led him to the Sect Leader¡¯s office.


    Li Shiming entered the room and saw Yu Sect Leader, who normally sat behind the large desk, standing to the side while a female cultivator sat behind the desk.


    In the middle of the room stood two cultivators, one of whom was He Chuan, whom he had just parted ways with not long ago.


    ¡°Shiming is here! Come over and meet Elder Sheng!¡± Yu Sect Leader said with a smile, waving Li Shiming over.


    Li Shiming was slightly surprised and hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects.


    Elder Sheng was the only female among the Golden Core Elders of the sect and the third Golden Core Elder that Li Shiming had ever met.


    ¡°Li Shiming, stand with those two!¡± Elder Sheng said with a slight smile, pointing to the two cultivators in the middle and instructing.@@@@


    Li Shiming stood next to He Chuan and gave him an inquiring look. He Chuan shook his head to indicate that he too was unaware of the reason.


    However, Li Shiming noticed that the Qi Refining Cultivator standing with He Chuan had a strength similar to He Chuan¡¯s; he was likely another genius cultivator nurtured by the sect.


    Li Shiming did not quite understand why the sect wanted him to stand with two genius cultivators, as he was an Array Master and belonged to the Formation lineage within the sect.


    ¡°There will be a Qi Refinement Realm battle at Seven Star Island, involving Qi Refining cultivators from seven sects against foreign Qi Refining cultivators. Although this battle is at the Qi Refinement Realm, it is a battle of honor and we must win to quell the arrogance of the foreign cultivators!


    Shang Haoquan and He Chuan are assigned to the mission by the sect, as for Li Shiming...¡± Elder Sheng paused, looked at Li Shiming with a helpless expression, and then slowly continued, ¡°you killed Du Bingyan of the Holy Ice Sect, prompting them and other sects to jointly demand your participation in the battle, so you also need to partake in this mission!¡±


    Li Shiming was unaware of the current situation on Seven Star Island, but he suspected that a dispute was about to officially begin.


    He wanted no part in the vortex there, which was a battlefield for Golden Core cultivators, far beyond what mattered to him as a mere Qi Refining cultivator.


    With his slight stature, he indeed had some advantages in the Qi Refinement Realm, but placed in conflicts at the Golden Core level, he was absolutely not even cannon fodder; any minor ripple was enough for him to die a hundred times over.


    ¡°Li Shiming, you need not worry, this battle allows any means necessary, and you can completely set up formations in advance for your protection. With the help of your formations, the combat effectiveness of Shang Haoquan and He Chuan can also be increased!¡± Elder Sheng reassured him.


    However, these words from Elder Sheng made Li Shiming even more worried.


    What did it mean that any means were allowed? Didn¡¯t that imply that the opponents could also use any means necessary?


    How difficult it was for those with Four Spirit Roots to break through the Qi Refinement Realm¡ªlooking at the vast sect, even the luckiest Foundation Establishment Cultivators, given what favours and opportunities they had, needed at least Four Spirit Roots talent for a slight chance of reaching Foundation Establishment, and even that hope was very slim.


    It was pointless to even consider Five Spirit Roots; it was like having defective spirit roots. Forget about reaching Foundation Establishment; there wasn¡¯t much hope of achieving the Qi Refining Middle Stage either.


    Originally, Li Shiming only paid brief attention to this part of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡¯ letting IBMz15 analyze and study it. But when Elder Sheng suggested making requests from the sect, wasn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity?


    ¡°Second-grade Iron Spirit Wood, Green Crystal, Flame Crystal, Binding Soil Stone, and Wood-Iron, I¡¯ll count it as an exchange for your good deeds!¡± Yu Sect Leader said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Well, I just used up all my good deeds, not one left. Maybe we can keep it on credit?¡± Li Shiming said as he shook his Identity Jade Disc.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it on credit then. You can repay it by completing missions in the future!¡± Yu Sect Leader said reluctantly, waving his hand.


    ¡°Since it can be on credit, I would like to credit one more thing¡ªthe ¡®Hundred Revolutions Spirit Thought Method¡¯!¡± Li Shiming boldly took the opportunity to ask for more.


    An opening by Yu Sect Leader like this was rare; second-grade materials weren¡¯t something an Intermediate Array Master could exchange for, not even with good deeds.


    For materials of the second grade, one had to be either at the Foundation Establishment Stage or a High-level Array Master, otherwise it was out of the question.


    Now, if he didn¡¯t seize this opportunity, it might never come again.


    He Chuan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, and his gaze towards Li Shiming changed.


    Yu Sect Leader still knew some information¡ªonly a few people in the sect knew that Li Shiming had Spiritual Thought, and he was one of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re clearly robbing us!¡± Yu Sect Leader pointed at Li Shiming, his expression becoming somewhat excited. Then he raised his voice, ¡°¡®Hundred Revolutions Spirit Thought Method¡¯ costs 20,000 good deeds, and you must repay it within three years!¡±


    Yu Sect Leader seemed very dissatisfied with Li Shiming, but whether it was Li Shiming, He Chuan, or Shang Haoquan all could tell he was not really upset; he was completely helping Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming made demands recklessly, and Yu Sect Leader, under the name of Elder Sheng, fulfilled them one by one.


    If Elder Yin had been in charge of this matter, then Yu Sect Leader would have had to consider Elder Yin¡¯s relationship with Li Shiming to avoid causing a negative impact on Elder Yin.


    But it was different with Elder Sheng being responsible; Elder Sheng had no relations with Li Shiming.


    ¡°Do you two have any requests?¡± Yu Sect Leader turned to He Chuan and Shang Haoquan and asked in a deep voice.


    His tone almost suggested that if they dared make any excessive requests, he might just kill them with one slap.


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 Chapter 223: 158 Battlefield

    Chapter 223: Chapter 158 Battlefield


    Elder Sheng¡¯s Flying Boat was extraordinarily fast, the fastest Flying Boat Li Shiming had ever ridden.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but think maliciously, was it possible that Elder Sheng made the Flying Boat so fast in order to escape more quickly?


    No sooner had this thought arisen in his mind than he quashed it.


    He was still on Elder Sheng¡¯s Flying Boat, and if Elder Sheng knew he was thinking this way, he would probably be thrown off the Flying Boat directly.


    As they approached Seven Star Island, Li Shiming felt the tension in the atmosphere.


    The formation on Seven Star Island was radiating brightly; fully activating the formation like this required a massive amount of Spiritual Energy, far beyond what could be supported by spirit veins alone.


    This meant that the formation was currently being powered by the consumption of Spirit Stones.@@@@


    And on the sea opposite Seven Star Island, four gigantic Flying Boats hovered in midair, with the energies of ten Golden Core cultivators soaring into the sky.


    Both sides were clearly in a standoff, yet there was no immediate intention to engage in combat.


    The arrival of Elder Sheng did not provoke any action from the other side, as if the addition of another Golden Core to this side was not a significant event.


    The Flying Boat Li Shiming was on descended onto Tianji Island of Seven Star Island, and once he disembarked, he sensed the powerful auras on Seven Star Island.


    ¡°One, two, three...¡± he counted, the Golden Core auras that he could sense alone numbered more than twenty, making it a ratio of two to one compared to the opposing Golden Cores.


    But judging by the level of vigilance on Seven Star Island, the Golden Cores of the Seven Sects did not wish to leave Seven Star Island to fight the ten Golden Cores on the opposite side.


    ¡°All cultivators prepared for combat from the sects, come forward!¡± an elderly voice called out.


    ¡°The three of you, pay attention to cooperation and take care of each other!¡± Elder Sheng instructed Li Shiming and his two companions before waving her hand to direct them towards the gathering point.


    In fact, the Golden Core Elders of the Seven Sects were not very confident about their own strength.


    Especially those Golden Core Elders who had fought against Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi; they had a profound feeling about it.


    Even though they had severely injured Yun Xingyi, in reality, Yun Xingyi had directly entered the grand formation of Seven Star Island and was struck a fatal blow by seven Golden Core cultivators using the formation.


    Despite this, Yun Xingyi still escaped the grand formation of Seven Star Island with his formidable strength.


    The combat power displayed by Yun Xingyi was something even Elder Yin, who is at the Golden Core Middle Stage, could not withstand.


    If all ten Golden Core cultivators from the opposing side possessed this level of strength, then the outcome of this battle did not even need to be considered.


    The Golden Core cultivators on the opposing side also held the intention of gauging strength; their strongest combatant in the Golden Core Stage mysteriously lost contact on Seven Star Island, forcing them to reconsider the hidden strength of the Seven Sects.


    Moreover, such large-scale battles usually don¡¯t begin with top-tier combatants fighting to the death.


    Usually, they start with Qi Refiners, gradually increasing the intensity of the battle, allowing the stronger side to possibly crush the confidence of the weaker side.


    Many times, battles do not even need to reach the level of top-tier combatants; just by the crushing advantage during the fight, the weaker side might concede voluntarily to avoid battle and suffer defeat.


    One must know that a full-scale battle between Golden Core cultivators would leave both sides significantly depleted.


    The cultivators from Beishu had fled to this place; they certainly did not desire further losses in their strength.


    The same was true for the Seven Sects; cultivating any Golden Core cultivator was not easy, considering the accumulation over hundreds of years, each sect on the surface had only about three Golden Core cultivators.


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 Chapter 224: 158 Battlefield_2

    Chapter 224: Chapter 158 Battlefield_2


    ¡°This battle is of great importance, you all need to give it your all. The Seven Sects will reward the cultivators who perform outstandingly!¡± Master Du Hai continued solemnly.


    As for the significance of the battle, one only needed to sense the presence of so many Golden Core auras around to judge.


    None of the Qi Refining cultivators here was a fool; they all understood the importance of this battle.


    ¡°Do not hold back in the fight. The enemy you face is unimaginably strong; you are the strongest Qi Refining cultivators of your respective sects. Unleash your greatest battle power and kill all the enemies!¡± It was somewhat discordant to hear such words coming from a kindly-looking old monk, but all of the Qi Refining cultivators looked serious.


    Even the Golden Core cultivators said as much, so there was no doubt about the enemy¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Children, come back alive!¡± Master Du Hai said gently, his expression softening.


    With a wave of his hand, the formation¡¯s light lifted up fourteen Qi Refining cultivators and flew them towards the sea in front of them.


    ¡°Mr. Jie!¡± Master Du Hai turned his head and gestured to Elder Jie of the Holy Ice Sect.


    Complicated magic runes appeared in front of Elder Jie, and it took five full breaths for him to complete the preparation of the spell.


    With the strength of a Golden Core Elder, a spell that took five breaths to prepare could be incredibly powerful.


    Li Shiming felt a chill, and then he saw that the sea surface beneath the light of the formation was solidifying.


    Li Shiming could hardly believe his eyes; the sea surface below, at least a radius of three thousand meters, was being frozen.


    On the four giant flying boats opposite, fourteen Qi Refining cultivators were being sent towards this side.


    At the same time, on top of the frozen sea surface, Earth Spiritual Power was wildly gathering.


    Elder Jie froze the sea surface, while the Golden Core cultivators from Beishu actually condensed a thick layer of soil on top of the ice.


    Compared to Elder Jie, who used seawater to form ice, the difficulty for the Beishu Golden Core cultivators was somewhat greater.


    Elder Jie¡¯s face darkened, feeling that he had been outplayed.


    Of course, both sides were engaging in psychological warfare. Whether it was Elder Jie¡¯s spell or the spell from the Beishu side, such spells were very difficult to use in real combat.


    Who would give you a quiet space and time to slowly prepare your spells?


    The preparation of a spell cannot be disturbed; even a single attack could interrupt the pre-casting preparations, causing the caster to suffer backlash.


    Hence, unless it¡¯s an instant-cast spell, most cultivators in combat use talismans to fight, rather than casting spells directly.


    ¡°Elder Sheng, the Sky Sea Sect truly squanders natural gifts by letting such a genius in formations enter the battlefield. Even if his level in formations is not High-level, it would not be far off. His proficiency in setting up formations is indeed remarkable!¡± Elder Liu said, shaking his head in wonder.


    Elder Sheng¡¯s expression tightened; she had not expected Li Shiming¡¯s skill in formation arts to be so high.


    If she had known about Li Shiming¡¯s level in formations, she would never have allowed him to join this battle. But now it was too late, and all she could do was hope that Li Shiming would survive the combat.


    Just then, a figure flew in from a distance, its terrifying presence felt by both factions of Golden Core cultivators.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Yin who has come!¡± someone exclaimed with joy.


    Elder Yin, having been away for some time, finally returned in time to add a significant force for the Seven Sects.


    The figure of Elder Yin flashed and arrived on Seven Star Island, and his gaze quickly identified Li Shiming among the others.


    ¡°Why would Li Shiming participate in this contest?¡± he asked in a deep voice, full of anger.


    In his words, there was a clear sense of anger, no matter whether he approved of Li Shiming or not. In public, he had acknowledged his relationship with Li Shiming.


    That is to say, he stood behind Li Shiming. Yet during the time he was away, Li Shiming had been arranged to participate in such a contest.


    ¡°Mr. Yin, Li Shiming¡¯s combat strength is not weak. He killed Du Bingyan and his five sect members. Since Du Bingyan is dead, there is no issue with Li Shiming taking his place!¡± Elder Jie from the Holy Ice Sect said indifferently.


    It was Elder Baili who had exerted effort, using some old connections to exert a bit of pressure on several sects towards the Sky Sea Sect.


    Because Elder Yin was not within the sect and the time for the contest was pressing, in order not to affect the overall situation, both Elder Sheng and Elder Gu made concessions and allowed Li Shiming to fight.


    To make it safer for Li Shiming, the sect provided him with quite a few conveniences.


    Five pieces of Second Grade Five Elements Array Materials, and the Foundation Establishment Stage¡¯s Secret Technique ¡®Hundred Revolutions Spirit Thought Method,¡¯ were all provided by the sect.


    ¡°If anything happens to Li Shiming, I will make that old Baili keep him company in death!¡± said Elder Yin, not blaming his fellow Elders but stating his displeasure in no uncertain terms.


    His statement was heavy, equivalent to a public declaration, and given his status, he would undoubtedly keep his word.


    At this moment, Elder Jie was silent. He had not expected Elder Yin to place such importance on Li Shiming, but he was also helpless, as Elder Baili¡¯s actions were his own and not discussed with the sect, entirely a personal act.


    During a time when unity was needed to stand against external forces, Elder Baili¡¯s actions had caused some fractures within the Seven Sects.


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 Chapter 225: 159 Formation Setup

    Chapter 225: Chapter 159 Formation Setup


    Li Shiming was unaware of the events unfolding on Seven Star Island, for during his descent, he had already thrown out all thirty-six array flags.


    By the time his feet touched the ground, he found himself at the center of a formation.


    With a flick of his fingers, six mid-grade spirit stones were sent into the formation¡¯s nodes.


    Since no spiritual veins existed here, the battle formation he was about to employ couldn¡¯t be sustained by the spiritual energy in the void.


    As the six mid-grade spirit stones were placed into the formation, the thirty-six array flags disappeared with a flash of light, and a grand formation emerged beside him.


    This was the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation,¡¯ a defensive formation of astounding power.


    Cultivators who recognized the formation were all momentarily taken aback; this was not an array done with an array plate, but a true arrangement using array flags that required calculating environmental variables on one¡¯s own.


    And the complex spiritual power environment created by the two Golden Core cultivators was not something the Array Formation Starlight Sea could compute the data for in a short time; without the data, it was impossible to arrange the formation.


    Even a high-level Array Master would struggle to rapidly establish the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯ in such an environment as Li Shiming did.


    Once the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯ was up, Li Shiming felt much more at ease, at least placing himself in an invincible position.


    Upon hearing that formations could be employed in this operation, he had prepared suitable formations for battle.


    As he was not lacking in spirit stones, he had made many array flags, which could be combined at will when needed, allowing him to arrange most formations.


    Of course, all these array flags were made of first-grade formation materials, which had their limitations in terms of effect.


    But the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯ laid out by thirty-six array flags was definitely not something a Qi Refining cultivator could break through, unless they used talismans.


    ¡°Brother He, why don¡¯t you join the formation!¡± Li Shiming invited He Chuan after setting up the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯.


    In the perception of others, the land held by the seven sects was known as Sky Sea Island; indeed, it was just a rather large island.


    Therefore, other than the higher-ups of the seven sects, neither books nor maps referred to the name Sky Sea Island.


    This self-aggrandizement seemed somewhat pretentious, yet it was born of necessity; Sky Sea Island was separated from the mainland by a perilous sea, making contacts extremely scarce.


    Even if one became aware of the outside world, escaping Sky Sea Island was virtually impossible.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the fact that Beishu cultivators had made it to Sky Sea Island; if Beishu hadn¡¯t become unlivable, who would have braved the dangers to leave a land of plenty and come to this impoverished place known as Sky Sea Island.


    Moreover, the price paid by the Beishu cultivators was not small; merely for scouting the path, they lost a Golden Core Sword Cultivator who was their strongest in the Golden Core Realm.


    And along the way, even with Yun Xingyi paving a relatively safe route, they still suffered considerable losses.


    ¡°Brother Yin, we should let the Qi Refining cultivators join the formation together; otherwise, they¡¯ll stand no chance against the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators!¡± Elder Gong told Elder Yin.


    ¡°Brother Yin, the overall situation takes precedence. Besides, if our other Qi Refining Cultivators fall, even Li Shiming¡¯s formation will have a hard time holding up,¡± Elder Sheng also reminded softly.


    Elder Yin fell silent for a moment, then nodded.


    Li Shiming operated the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯ with ease, keeping the three attacking Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators at bay.


    ¡°Brothers, this formation is capable of outward attacks; feel free to use your spells or magic artifacts!¡± he said to the two brothers who were apparently just watching by his side.


    ¡°This good, huh?¡± exclaimed He Chuan as his eyes brightened, and immediately, a small hammer appeared beside him and flew out.


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 Chapter 226: 159 Formation Setup_2

    Chapter 226: Chapter 159 Formation Setup_2


    The small hammer flew out of the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡± and transformed into a gigantic, ethereal hammer as it heavily smashed down towards a Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator.


    The Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator hastily dodged, understanding that if He Chuan was nearby, he had various methods to deal with He Chuan, but with He Chuan situated within the formation, it made it very difficult for him to counterattack.


    Moreover, this small hammer was also a top-grade magic tool of excellent quality that emphasized power, each strike possessing the explosive force of a peak cultivator¡¯s single blow.


    Shang Haoquan also employed his own magic artifact, which was a long whip, an unusual choice for cultivators wielding such a weapon, yet in his hands, it was as lively as a spirit snake, entangling two other Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators.


    ¡°Shiming, let the cultivators of each sect enter the formation and defend together,¡± Elder Yin¡¯s deep voice transmitted to Li Shiming¡¯s ears.


    Li Shiming glanced over the battlefield, noting that some Qi Refining Cultivators from the Seven Sects had already fallen behind in such a short time; the rest were struggling, with not a single cultivator from the Seven Sects having the upper hand.


    ¡°Fellow seniors, enter the formation, we will resist the enemy together!¡± Li Shiming also understood the strength of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators and shouted loudly.


    At the same time, a sword light flew from his hand, blocking the attack of a Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator who was fighting a young monk from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, thus giving the monk a chance to break free.@@@@


    The monk from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, given the chance to disengage from the fight, shouted loudly, and his copper bowl flew out towards the closest pair on another battlefield.


    Although the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators were formidable, they still could not face two top-tier cultivators of the same realm at the same time.


    The Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator made a tactical retreat, dodging the heavy strike from the monk of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect.


    The battlefield was suddenly abuzz; these Seven Sects cultivators were experienced in combat. They didn¡¯t choose to immediately enter the formation; instead, by helping each other, they allowed all the cultivators from the Seven Sects to catch a brief respite.


    While holding off the attacks of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, they retreated into the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    The only one with reservations was a cultivator from the Holy Ice Sect, who was very aware of the conflict between Li Shiming and the Holy Ice Sect, and also knew that Li Shiming was participating in this competition in place of Du Bingyan, whom he had killed.


    Hesitation in battle led to the consequence of missing the chance to enter the formation.


    The Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, caught off guard by the sudden actions of the Seven Sects cultivators, found themselves scrambling. Once they recovered, they vented all their fury on the solitary Holy Ice Sect cultivator who failed to enter the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    The Holy Ice Sect cultivator¡¯s ice armor, along with his high-grade defense magic tool, couldn¡¯t withstand even a moment before being shattered by the combined strike of several Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, his body pierced and he fell dead on the spot.


    The magic artifacts and the storage bag of the Holy Ice Sect cultivator were taken by a Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator, who flaunted them in hand, displaying a provocative stance.


    The Golden Core Elder of the Holy Ice Sect, watching the battle, was shamed, not only grieved by the loss of a talented cultivator but also angered by the cultivator¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Li!¡± At this moment, with the battle temporarily halted, the Seven Sects cultivators finally had the opportunity to express their gratitude to Li Shiming.


    The benefits of a solid formation in large-scale Qi Refinement battles were obvious to all.


    After expressing their thanks, the Seven Sects cultivators began discussing how to deal with the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators.


    ¡°The individual strength of Beishu¡¯s cultivators is very strong; in a one-on-one match, I could at most hold out for thirty minutes before I would be defeated!¡± a monk from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect said with a heavy tone.


    He spoke the truth without any intention of concealment.


    ¡°The formation can only protect us from attacks, but it cannot secure our victory!¡± He Chuan frowned slightly as he spoke.


    ¡°If anyone has any techniques up their sleeve, don¡¯t hide them now. This battle is a matter of life and death!¡± another Qi Refining Cultivator added.


    At this time, Li Shiming was observing two cultivators from the Xuanming Sect, both accompanied by copper corpses, and not just any, but top-grade copper corpses.


    In a confrontation with the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, those likely to last the longest were probably the two Xuanming Sect cultivators.


    They were essentially two against one, holding a numerical advantage.


    The two Xuanming Sect cultivators, upon seeing Li Shiming¡¯s gaze, thought he was reminding them.


    ¡°We could let the copper corpses self-destruct, with the power roughly equal to one hit from a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. However, after self-destructing, we would suffer significant recoil and retain, at most, about fifty percent of our combat strength!¡± The Xuanming Sect cultivator didn¡¯t hide anything and straightforwardly revealed their trump card.


    Two copper corpses self-destructing would almost certainly eliminate several opposing Qi Refining Cultivators.


    ¡°However, after we win the battle, we need to obtain their relatively intact bodies!¡± the other Xuanming Sect cultivator stated directly.


    Everyone could understand that point; the Xuanming Sect¡¯s copper corpses were an important combat force for the Xuanming Sect cultivators, and obtaining the raw material, the corpses, was extremely difficult.


    The requirement of Heavenly Spirit Root alone was almost like competing with other sects for the top cultivator prospects.


    Li Shiming was taken aback, as he had not expected his casual observation to lead to a misunderstanding by the Xuanming Sect cultivators.


    He had underestimated his own influence; at this moment on the battlefield, the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯ was essentially what had saved all the Qi Refining Cultivators of the Seven Sects. At least at this time, the Seven Sects Qi Refining cultivators would be willing to heed his suggestions.


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 Chapter 227: 160: Talisman Treasures

    Chapter 227: Chapter 160: Talisman Treasures


    ¡°I possess a talisman of great power, capable even of a strike equivalent to an early-stage Foundation Establishment!¡± a Qi Refining Cultivator said.


    Afterward, several Qi Refining Cultivators each revealed their trump cards, all of them sect geniuses, and each held abilities that exceeded their current levels.


    Of course, these trump cards were not easily usable, similar to making a copper corpse self-destruct. Without the protection of the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯, letting the copper corpse self-destruct would backlash against its master, a tactic on the battlefield that nearly amounted to mutual destruction.@@@@


    And the activation of powerful talismans by Qi Refining cultivators also required time.


    Instantaneous casting wasn¡¯t possible, and even a slight delay could mean the difference between life and death.


    Li Shiming was also considering whether he should reveal his hand, as he had previously wanted to keep his Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse and Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling a secret.


    Because both the Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse and the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling were unprecedented in this world.


    But ever since he met Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s mother, the Golden Core Expert, and noticed how she looked at the Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse and Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling, he knew he had been arrogant.


    For a powerful cultivator, his actions were minor; a Qi Refining copper corpse, no matter how it was modified, still had Qi Refinement combat power.


    As for the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling, its true power lay in continuous attacks at the level of the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, but beyond a certain point, such attacks wouldn¡¯t even breach defenses.


    Even if the attacks of the Eighth Layer Qi Refining accumulated to a terrifying amount, they couldn¡¯t inflict damage if they didn¡¯t penetrate the defenses.


    Of course, that was what the Golden Core Expert thought, from the perspective of the Qi Refinement Realm. The Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse was somewhat better, merely offering more directions for attack and more weapons.


    The appearance of the Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse was indeed too dazzling, regrettably, each arm of the Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse held a Mid-grade Magic Artifact, which somewhat diminished its impressive entrance.


    The two Xuanming Sect cultivators harbored a thought: who exactly were the real disciples of Xuanming Sect? This Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse was genuinely crafted using the ¡®Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter¡¯.¡±


    About this, how could they possibly err, as they themselves were studying the ¡®Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter¡¯.


    ¡°Um, Junior Li, did you say you want to move the ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯?¡± He Chuan seized another key point in Li Shiming¡¯s words at this time.


    The cultivators, roused from their shock over the Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse, heard He Chuan¡¯s question and turned to Li Shiming for confirmation.


    Moving a formation was extraordinarily complicated, as keeping the formation operational while moving it required massive amounts of calculations to achieve.


    Few Array Masters were willing to do so, mainly because it was too prone to errors, and a minor mistake could lead to loss of face as the formation collapsed on the spot.


    ¡°Yes, this ¡®Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡¯ can reduce its defensive power by thirty percent in order to move. The movement won¡¯t be very fast. Everyone should firstly discuss and agree on a joint target, then surprise them with a sudden strike!¡± Li Shiming nodded and said.


    Although the battle had paused, the distance between the two sides was not far, only a hundred meters.


    At this distance, the long-range spells of both sides could still reach each other, and even some magic artifacts could threaten at their maximum range.


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 Chapter 228: 160: Talisman Treasures_2

    Chapter 228: Chapter 160: Talisman Treasures_2


    But at a distance of one hundred meters, even if an attack was launched, the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators had ample time to respond.


    The Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators were also discussing combat methods, considering how to break through the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    ¡°We three will strike at the third one on the left!¡± one of the Seven Sects cultivators said in a deep voice.


    ¡°We three will strike the one holding the whisk!¡± another Seven Sects cultivator said.


    Having clashed with the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators before, they understood that at least three Seven Sects cultivators would need to collaborate, and among them, there must be at least one powerful attack, to harm the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators.


    They grouped into teams of three; one team had only two cultivators, leaving Li Shiming alone in the end.@@@@


    They didn¡¯t ask anything of Li Shiming, as his task was also arduous, requiring the movement of the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    The Seven Sects cultivators began adjusting their positions and took out the methods that needed a long time to prepare.


    In fact, moving the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡± was not as difficult as they imagined. IBMz15 had already analyzed the surroundings. With the data generated from these analyses, moving the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡± simply involved repositioning the extracted array flags logically.


    Li Shiming mobilized his Spiritual Thought and also activated the Object Driving Skill; he needed to move eighteen array flags at once.


    The ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡± trembled slightly, then the Seven Sects cultivators inside sensed the range of the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡± expand forward by several tens of meters.


    After placing the eighteen array flags, Li Shiming formed two connected sub-formations of the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    The prepared Seven Sects cultivators all struck together, and the sudden forward movement of the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡± caught the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators off guard.


    Outnumbered, among the targeted four Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, two fell on the spot, while the remaining two were injured before they could avoid the Seven Sects cultivators¡¯ attack.


    Seeing this, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but sigh internally. Even in such circumstances, two of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators managed to escape, indicating that their protective items were very strong in defense.


    However, he wasn¡¯t worried that the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators would have many such protective defensive items, as the defensive items that Qi Refinement Realm cultivators could use were mostly one-time use.


    The defensive items of the Qi Refinement Realm, especially those that could withstand a hit from someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage, were almost always one-time use items formed by powerful cultivators channeling their own defensive spells into the items.


    To continually withstand attacks beyond one¡¯s own realm, without a cost, was impossible.


    This brief encounter ended with the Seven Sects gaining the upper hand, instantly reversing the numerical advantage between the two sides.


    They could not afford to leave the battlefield, as leaving would mean surrender.


    Neither the Seven Sects cultivators nor the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators had the authority to surrender on their own. This was a struggle between two major powers, either victory or death.


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, protect me!¡± called a cultivator among the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators in a grave voice.


    The other Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators were momentarily stunned, quickly understanding that this cultivator held the highest status and was backed by a Golden Core Elder.


    The other cultivators could not compare with such a cultivator, and each of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators put forth their utmost effort, unleashing a barrage of powerful maneuvers toward the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    The burst of activity from the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, especially the mist techniques released by several cultivators, obscured the vision of the Seven Sects cultivators.


    But Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought penetrated the fog, discovering that the cultivator behind several Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators was taking out a Talisman Treasure and sitting cross-legged on the ground.


    He recognized the power of the Talisman Treasure; the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation¡± absolutely couldn¡¯t withstand a strike from it.


    What was a Talisman Treasure? It was a terrifying entity, not even a Late-stage Foundation Establishing cultivator could withstand its power, and it was the strongest tool passed down by a Golden Core cultivator to their descendants.


    Almost without hesitation, Li Shiming¡¯s figure was enveloped in a beam of Sword Light, which flew out of the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    Sword Escape was his currently quickest short-range movement method. In such circumstances, he solely relied on speed to protect himself; the use of defense magic tools and the like was completely impossible.


    Normally, no cultivator would use it in a battle, especially in such large-scale combat.


    Because if hit by a mass covering spell, one would fully suffer the enemy¡¯s attack.


    Therefore, when Li Shiming used Sword Escape to fly out of the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation,¡± it was unexpected not only by the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators but also by the Seven Sects cultivators.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± exclaimed a Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator.


    Not only did the fog block the vision of the Seven Sects cultivators, but it also affected the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators¡¯ sight.


    They struggled to track the Sword Light transformed by Li Shiming and could only cast mass covering spells ahead in the direction of Li Shiming¡¯s movement to intercept him.


    Anxious not to injure their own cultivators, their ability to cast mass covering spells was extremely limited.


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 Chapter 229: 161 Sword Intent

    Chapter 229: Chapter 161 Sword Intent


    Li Shiming looked at the flames and frost before him, merging into one, and since the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators had little time to prepare, the Spells they released only had the power of the Qi Refining Peak at their most.


    He didn¡¯t even try to dodge and charged headlong into the destructive Spiritual Power Pattern formed by the flames and frost.@@@@


    The flames and frost forcefully breached the Spiritual Power Pattern defending him, reducing his robe to tatters instantly, but when these powerful attacks of the Qi Refinement Realm hit his skin, they hardly had any effect.


    At least for a short period, these attacks could not cause much harm to Li Shiming.


    He crossed the area covered by the Spells and rushed into the defensive circle of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators.


    He didn¡¯t make any attacks, as he was well aware that once he left Sword Escape and lost the advantage of speed, he would be surrounded and trapped by the many Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators on the spot.


    Even with his strong defensive power, he didn¡¯t dare let these strongest cultivators of the Qi Refinement Realm surround him.


    Sword light passed by a Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator who was sitting cross-legged, energizing a talisman, and the cultivator only felt a void in his hand, followed by a backlash originating from his abdomen, causing him to spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    Li Shiming captured the talisman with his Spiritual Thought without even looking, and stashed it into his storage bag.


    After the sword light rushed through the area of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, it quickly turned and sped back into the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation.¡±


    From leaving to re-entering the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation,¡± the whole process took merely two moments, and when he returned, his robe was in tatters, yet he bore a smile on his face.


    Even the Golden Core Elders on Seven Star Island were surprised by his actions. Li Shiming¡¯s exceptional defensive power was well known to the Golden Core elders and was not a secret.


    When Li Shiming was at the Qi Refining Sixth Level, he had relied on the manifestation of the true intent of the Angry-eyed Vajra to advance to the Qi Refining Seventh Level, and now already at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, the enhancement from the true intent forming the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was short-term blockade of the covering Spell attacks, which did not surprise the Golden Core elders much.


    With the newly taken talisman, he already had three.


    Consider the cultivators who owned talismans: Yin Shilan¡¯s father was a Golden Core Elder of Sky Sea Sect, and Baili Jin Yan¡¯s father was a Golden Core Elder of Holy Ice Sect.


    Seeing the Seven Sects cultivators charging out, the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators did not shrink back and met them head-on.


    The Beishu cultivator targeted by Li Shiming also set his sights on Li Shiming. Even with a Golden Core supporting him, talismans were extremely precious.


    Creating a talisman consumes the Origin Power of a Golden Core Elder¡¯s Magic Artifact and also harms the Golden Core Elder himself; even the most indulgent wouldn¡¯t provide a second talisman to a Qi Refining Disciple.


    Thus, the Beishu cultivator was intent on killing Li Shiming and reclaiming his own talisman.


    Both cultivators, interested in each other¡¯s storage bags, coincidentally chose to leave the chaotic battle zone.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t use the ¡°Ice Heart Jade Thought Technique¡± Spiritual Thought attack here; otherwise, even if he defeated his opponent, Elder Baili of Holy Ice Sect would confirm that it was he who killed Baili Jin Yan.


    Yet he had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. The Broken Jade Sword transformed into a beam of sword light and shot towards the Beishu cultivator.


    The Beishu cultivator, worried about Li Shiming¡¯s Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse, wanted to quickly resolve the fight with Li Shiming, not giving Li Shiming a chance to summon the copper corpse.


    A Jade Seal appeared in the Beishu cultivator¡¯s hand, and with a flip of his wrist, the Jade Seal flew above Li Shiming¡¯s head, transforming into a Jade Mountain crashing downwards.


    Under the Jade Seal, Li Shiming felt a binding force emanating from it, targeting not just his body but also his spirit.


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 Chapter 230: 161 Sword Intent_2

    Chapter 230: Chapter 161 Sword Intent_2


    He didn¡¯t hesitate at all; his feet powered him forward, and he rushed out of the range of the Jade Seal¡¯s control in several steps.


    Behind him, the Jade Seal heavily smashed onto the ground with a loud ¡®bang¡¯.


    The Beishu cultivator was startled. His Jade Seal was a super-grade magical artifact that could store a vast amount of Spiritual Power to lock onto and strike its target.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Li Shiming¡¯s physique would resist the physical constraints of the Jade Seal, and Li Shiming¡¯s powerful spirit had resisted its spiritual constraints.


    Li Shiming had no time to worry about the Jade Seal behind him. His Broken Jade Sword had already reached the front of the Beishu cultivator.


    There was a super-grade magical artifact shield in front of the Beishu cultivator, emitting a Spiritual Power shield that protected his whole body.


    The Broken Jade Sword struck the shield without any effect at first, then the second and third strikes followed.


    The Beishu cultivator was in the process of retrieving the Jade Seal but his expression quickly changed. The connection between him and his super-grade magical artifact shield was rapidly weakening.


    ¡°Chop, chop, chop!¡± Li Shiming had previous experience fighting with cultivators of the same realm using the ¡®Sword Manipulation Technique¡¯. When he exerted his full strength, under the effect of the Sword Bone, his sword light carried a strange energy.


    This odd energy was aggressive towards magical artifacts and could destroy the loyal spirit connections within them.


    The Beishu cultivator wanted to retrieve his super-grade magical artifact shield to swap it for another defensive magical artifact.


    But it was already too late. He felt the sword light strike the magical artifact shield again, severing his connection with it completely.


    The connection between the super-grade magical artifact shield and the Beishu cultivator was lost, and his spirit suffered backlash once again.


    Feeling dizzy, his combat instincts made him fall backward. Meanwhile, a talisman activated automatically, wrapping him in a beam of light and carrying him off into the distance.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought swept over the super-grade magical artifact shield, taking it into his possession, then another slash fell on the Jade Seal which the Beishu cultivator had not managed to retrieve yet.


    The ownerless Jade Seal, under this strike, had its loyal spirit imprint directly erased.


    He retrieved the Jade Seal and then pursued the escaping Beishu cultivator.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about the Beishu cultivator escaping because the battlefield was only so large. When the cultivator¡¯s fleeing light reached the edge of the battlefield, it was blocked and only then did it change direction to continue the escape.


    Li Shiming knew that Golden Core cultivators had restricted entry and exit to this place. At least Qi Refining cultivators couldn¡¯t hope to leave before the battle ended.


    The Beishu cultivator, running ahead and having lost connection with the Jade Seal, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his spirit suffering considerable trauma from consecutive breaks in his connections to magical artifacts.


    Also, because he switched directions, his speed of escape was delayed, leaving a mere thirty meters between him and Li Shiming.


    Of course, Li Shiming was still far from real Sword Intent, but based on the fight just now, his sword light contained a trace of Sword Intent.


    It was this trace of Sword Intent that caused the Qi Refining Ninth Level Beishu cultivator to lose control of the super-grade magical artifact in a short time.


    Sword cultivators¡¯ ability to break myriad laws with one sword wasn¡¯t a baseless claim; it was a prestigious reputation earned through countless battles in the Cultivation World.


    Sword cultivators are known as the most powerful attackers, needing no other magical artifacts, only a sword in hand, relying solely on their terrifying Sword Intent.


    Being able to erase the spirit recognition imprint within a magical artifact is just the lowest expression of Sword Intent.


    But the issue is, in battles at the Qi Refinement level, even a trace of Sword Intent can give Li Shiming a significant advantage.


    ¡°It is Sword Intent!¡± Elder Yin said with a calm expression, slowly nodding.


    He tried to maintain a calm exterior, but his mind was racing with thoughts.


    Li Shiming¡¯s spirit root seeds talent was poor, but his talent in the Sword Dao was top-notch.


    Unfortunately, there was no Sword Cultivation Technique within the sect, preventing such a talent in the Sword Dao from truly being developed.


    The expressions on the other Golden Core Elders¡¯ faces varied. Li Shiming¡¯s talent evoked jealousy, but his realm was too low, and they knew about Li Shiming¡¯s spirit root seeds, so he posed no threat to other sects.


    Yet, this talent in sword cultivation made the Golden Core Elders feel envious, lamenting that such excellent sword cultivation talent ended up with Li Shiming.


    On the other side, atop four giant Flying Boats, ten Golden Core Elders looked grim.


    The fallen Beishu cultivator was a direct descendant of one of the Golden Core Elders, and also the most outstanding one, yet he had perished right before him.


    This Golden Core Elder couldn¡¯t intervene. Rules were rules, and the agreement between the two parties was not to be broken by any side.


    Otherwise, it would escalate immediately into a Golden Core battle, and this Golden Core Elder certainly had no right to make such a decision.


    ¡°Sword Intent, this child must not be left alive!¡± a Golden Core Elder said gravely.


    Unlike the Golden Core Elders of the Seven Sects, they were not familiar with Li Shiming¡¯s background and only assumed that Li Shiming was a prodigious cultivator nurtured by the Seven Sects.


    Virtually all genius cultivators were Heavenly Spirit Root bearers. Coupled with mastering Sword Intent at the Qi Refinement stage, his growth would pose a significant concern.


    Of course, they didn¡¯t mean to eliminate Li Shiming immediately but marked him, delegating the task to their disciples in later actions.


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 Chapter 231: 162 Victory

    Chapter 231: Chapter 162 Victory


    Li Shiming opened his mouth and used ¡°Oral Lotus,¡± the ¡°Buddhist Light Manifests¡± melody emanated from his lips.


    Like a brilliant Buddhist light, the intent shone from his singing, and under the control of his spiritual thought, it entered the ears of nine Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators.


    For the Seven Sects cultivators who also heard ¡°Buddhist Light Manifests,¡± because it was not directed at them, they were minimally affected.


    On the other hand, the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, who were fully engaged in battle, heard this mind-affecting Buddhist melody. Even those with a firm consciousness were somewhat disturbed despite their resolve.


    The Seven Sects cultivators had the advantage of numbers, and even this slight disturbance could be fatal.


    Li Shiming then released the Three-headed Six-armed Copper Corpse, and the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling was fully activated, targeting six Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators.


    He himself did not advance and even withdrew the Broken Jade Sword to his side.


    He had exhibited enough strength today, and if he didn¡¯t recognize this as a life or death battle, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to reveal so much of his combat power.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was being overly cautious, but many aspects of his combat power were related to Golden Core cultivators. One misstep could lead to his death and the destruction of his Dao.


    The battle had reached its final phase.


    The first to be killed were the six Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators targeted by the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling. Their defensive magic artifacts didn¡¯t last long before being penetrated, and then they were either shot dead by the Gatling or killed opportunistically by the Seven Sects cultivators.


    With six fewer Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators, the resistance of the few remaining seemed very feeble.


    The fight ended within a few breaths; the bodies of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators lay scattered on the ground.


    However, none of the Seven Sects cultivators took the spoils of war, but instead, they all turned their gaze to Li Shiming.


    How could he be comfortable? If the Golden Core cultivators present hadn¡¯t intentionally restrained their auras, just the casual release of a Golden Core¡¯s aura would be enough to immobilize a Qi Refining Cultivator.


    ¡°All Qi Refining Cultivators participating in the battle will receive a Spirit Artifact. Li Shiming, due to your outstanding achievements, you will receive two Spirit Artifacts!¡± Just then, Master Du Hai strode over and announced with a smile.


    This announcement was directed at the Qi Refining Cultivators; the Golden Core elders were already in the know.


    These rewards were put forward jointly by the Seven Sects, and choosing Spirit Artifacts as the prize had its reasons.


    All the participating Qi Refining Cultivators, except for Li Shiming, were genius cultivators, and their own sects had already prepared Foundation Establishment Pills for them; this was a given.


    As for Super-grade Magical Artifacts, among the spoils of this battle, there were already quite a few of them.


    Moreover, Super-grade Magical Artifacts were not enough to honor the achievements of the participating Qi Refining Cultivators. Despite only one Qi Refining Cultivator perishing in the battle and the complete annihilation of the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators,


    the reality was that if it wasn¡¯t for Li Shiming¡¯s sudden burst of power, it is likely none of the cultivators involved in the battle would have survived.


    From the outset of the battle, it was evident that the Seven Sects cultivators were being suppressed by the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators upon first engagement.


    These talented cultivators would soon ascend to the Foundation Establishment Stage, so the Seven Sects had to ensure the rewards were fitting, and only Spirit Artifacts met the criteria.


    No Qi Refining Cultivators objected to Li Shiming being awarded two Spirit Artifacts; instead, they felt that his reward was somewhat insufficient.


    The rewards were given out on the spot: one Metal-property offensive Spirit Artifact and one defensive Spirit Artifact Shield. Especially the Metal-property offensive Spirit Artifact was evidently chosen with his specific circumstances in mind.


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 Chapter 232: 162 Victory_2

    Chapter 232: Chapter 162 Victory_2


    Without the slightest delay, after receiving their rewards, this batch of Qi Refining Cultivators were sent away from Seven Star Island by people from various sects.


    This was not a place for Qi Refining Cultivators to stay for long, no matter what, these talented cultivators were all important talent reserves for their respective sects.


    Li Shiming, He Chuan, and Shang Haoquan left with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator uncle who almost fully powered the flying boat, pushing its speed to the limit.


    Li Shiming also understood his uncle¡¯s thoughts; in a place where Golden Cores convened, Qi Refining Cultivators amounted to nothing, but even Foundation Establishment Cultivators could at best be considered cannon fodder.


    Thus, given the opportunity to leave Seven Star Island, the uncle flew as fast as possible.


    Li Shiming and his two senior brothers sat in the cabin, each beginning to examine their spoils from this occasion.


    Perhaps due to having joined the battle, aside from Elixir Pills for cultivating spiritual power, the five storage bags contained only a few magical artifacts, indicating that the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice when they joined the fight.


    There were no mid-grade magical artifacts; each storage bag contained one super-grade magical artifact, with the rest being top-grade magical artifacts, and even the top-grade ones were of exceedingly high quality.


    Now, Li Shiming had more than enough magical artifacts for his Qi Refining Ninth Level, he could even prepare some for the copper corpse.


    However, the bulk of the spoils of war were inside that storage bracelet; he channeled spiritual power into the storage bracelet, and its internal size was exactly the same as the one he got from Baili Jin Yan.


    Perhaps Baili Jin Yan¡¯s storage bracelet was acquired from Beishu, or else it was unlikely for two storage bracelets to not only have the same internal space but also to have nine parts of similarity in their external patterns.


    There was a lot of stuff in the vast space, nothing like the scantiness of the storage bags of other Beishu Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Of course, as a descendant of a Golden Core Elder, with protective talismans and life-saving items, and where even the power of the magical artifacts was astonishing, such strength would typically mean extremely high safety in such a competition.


    Just the talismans alone, had Li Shiming not reacted quickly and moved fast enough, once activated, neither the ¡°Inverted Nine Palace Trigram Formation,¡± nor any Qi Refining Cultivator present, including Li Shiming himself, could withstand a strike from a talisman.


    Thinking of the talisman, he immediately checked it, and it bore the image of a flying sword on it.


    Flying Sword Talisman ¨C he suspected this talisman was made by a Sword Cultivator; of course, whether it was made by a Sword Cultivator or not, the effect was the same for him.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t powerful enough to deal with a Golden Core, but it was more than enough to handle Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Having encountered several talismans before, he had a certain understanding of them. He sensed the Flying Sword Talisman and found that it seemed to have never been used, with the full potential for four uses remaining.


    Through observation, he realized that altering the numbers inside the jade plaque was not simple; it required extremely complex calculations, and that was just at first glance.


    He believed that inside this small jade plaque, there must be other methods to ensure that the number of spirit stones would not be tampered with.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t attempt it; he guessed that in order to withdraw the spirit stones, the jade plaque would probably need to be authenticated with a certain magic artifact inside the Beishu Trading Company.


    He didn¡¯t even know where the Beishu Trading Company was or what kind of power it was, so why would he bother with such a futile effort?


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t lacking in spirit stones; he was not crazy enough to offend a trading company that could provide spirit stones storage and withdrawal services for cultivators just for the sake of a few spirit stones.


    He didn¡¯t find any identity information on the jade plaque from the Beishu Trading Company; it seemed to be the equivalent of an anonymous bank card, which was good. If he encountered the Beishu Trading Company in the future, he could try using this jade plaque.


    Li Shiming skipped over the spirit stone area and looked at some magic artifacts placed next to it.


    With his discernment, ordinary top-grade magic tools could no longer catch his eye, although he was only able to use top-grade magic tools at present.


    There were many magic artifacts in the magic artifact area, dozens of them; he surmised that the Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator must have had a collecting habit, otherwise a normal Qi Refining Cultivator would only need one set for battle, one set for backup¡ªtwo sets of magic artifacts would be plenty.


    One set of magic artifacts at the Qi Refinement Realm consists of two to three items, which depends on the cultivator¡¯s total amount of spiritual power and spirit strength.


    Li Shiming set aside the top-grade magic tools, and there was one each of super-grade full body armor, super-grade shield, and super-grade sword artifact, which, combined with the Shu Mountain Seal, made up two sets of magic artifacts.


    What surprised him was there were nine more flying swords, all spiritual artifacts, and a matching set at that.


    The reason why he recognized the nine flying sword spiritual artifacts as a set was that it was blatantly obvious.


    The nine flying sword spiritual artifacts were each engraved with the symbols of Qian Palace, Kan Palace, Gen Palace, Zhen Palace, Central Palace, Xun Palace, Li Palace, Kun Palace, and Dui Palace, and an Array Master had created Formation patterns on them.


    Although they couldn¡¯t compare to Li Shiming¡¯s miniature array in terms of operation, they surpassed his own level in other aspects, which is why he judged them to be the works of an Array Master.


    The nine flying sword spiritual artifacts could be considered weapons or array flags, their effects varying with the user, but the value of this set of spiritual artifacts was definitely far beyond that of nine ordinary spiritual artifacts.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 233: 163 Inventory (Added for book friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 233: Chapter 163 Inventory (Added for book friend 171021102948988)


    Li Shiming rifled through the storage bracelet of a Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator, moving from the magic artifact section to the adjacent Jade Scroll section.


    This Beishu Qi Refining Cultivator had stored numerous Jade Scrolls, most of which were ordinary.


    He casually picked up an ordinary Jade Scroll and entered it with his Spiritual Thought to examine it, only to find that it was actually the cultivator¡¯s diary.


    The diary detailed the conflicts this Qi Refining Cultivator had with a talented cultivator within his sect, noting his grievances against the talented cultivator in a chilling tone that made even Li Shiming, an outsider, sense the abnormality in the cultivator¡¯s psyche.


    Indeed, it confirmed the saying: Who keeps a diary if they¡¯re of sound mind?


    Li Shiming set aside all the Jade Scrolls containing diaries. He had no time to delve into these, fearing they might disturb his own mental state if he read too many.


    Of all the useful Jade Scrolls, there were only two, one purple and one golden.


    He first inspected the purple Jade Scroll with his Spiritual Thought and discovered that it contained a Cultivation Technique called ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡±, whose principle was to absorb the purple qi bred within the first rays of morning sunlight into one¡¯s body.


    This first wisp of purple qi was significantly beneficial to a cultivator, capable of enhancing the Taoist Body, purifying the Spiritual Power Pattern, and fortifying the spirit.


    Of course, the more comprehensive a Cultivation Technique, the milder its effects tend to be.


    But ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± was an auxiliary Cultivation Technique that, even if it only slightly enhanced a cultivator every day, would accumulate over time to formidable levels, substantially aiding the cultivator¡¯s progress.


    Li Shiming was very pleased; he had acquired another useful Cultivation Technique for himself, the greatest benefit of which was its gradual and steady growth without having to worry about realm limitations affecting its utility.


    As for the gold-attributed Spiritual Artifact won this time, it would be more effective if used directly by an avatar.


    The other contents of the storage bracelet were a vast array of various materials, including only a few array materials of low quality, with the majority being Alchemy materials, likely reflecting the original owner¡¯s personal interests.


    Upon seeing these Alchemy materials, he remembered a furnace among the top-grade magic tools; that turned out to be a Pill Furnace.


    Li Shiming had no current plans to learn Alchemy, as his daily Cultivation schedules were already very tight, requiring substantial time for his own research.


    However, he hadn¡¯t considered disposing of these Alchemy materials either. With such an abundance, should he ever impulsively decide to learn Alchemy, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the materials needed to start practicing.


    Unbeknownst to him, the reason for the abundance of Alchemy materials in the storage bracelet was because the Mingxin Sect had relocated entirely, and the original owner, a Junior Alchemist with an extraordinary background, had obtained a portion of the Qi Refinement Realm¡¯s Alchemy materials from the sect for this bracelet.


    Li Shiming had no intent to sell these Alchemy materials; otherwise, he would have discovered that their value was not inferior to the cumulative worth of the other Spiritual Objects in the storage bracelet.


    After tallying his loot, he casually fastened the storage bracelet onto his wrist.


    This storage bracelet, which he had snatched from an opposing force in front of a group of Golden Core Elders, had a clear origin, and he faced no problems using it himself.


    The elder flying the Flying Boat glanced at the storage bracelet on Li Shiming¡¯s wrist, his eyes revealing a hint of envy. As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he still used a storage bag, far from attaining a bracelet of such caliber.


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 Chapter 234: 163 Inventory (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 234: Chapter 163 Inventory (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2


    ¡°Uncle Master, up ahead is my cave dwelling!¡± Li Shiming could hardly stand the glances that Uncle Master occasionally shot his way, and seeing that they were nearing Eagle Beak Island, he quickly spoke up.


    ¡°Li Shiming, make sure to hide your storage bracelet. Don¡¯t let other cultivators see it!¡± Uncle Master used voice transmission to remind him as Li Shiming was bidding farewell to his two fellow disciples and leaving the boat.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Uncle Master!¡± Li Shiming was initially taken aback, then bowed with a smile and replied.


    Back in his cave dwelling, Li Shiming sped up his crafting process. With ample electrical power, he and his clone worked simultaneously.@@@@


    The next day before dawn, while it was still dark, he left the underground cave dwelling and went to the top of a small hill on Eagle Beak Island.


    The benefit of solitude was here; he didn¡¯t have to consider other cultivators and could choose the most suitable place for cultivation.


    If he were at Jiufeng, his cave dwelling there couldn¡¯t receive the first rays of morning sunlight.


    As for the summit of Jiufeng, the best location, it was not his turn; every section of Jiufeng had a designated function, and one must have the corresponding permissions to enter.


    Sitting at the top of the hill, he was above the sea. Although the hill was not high, there were no obstructions around, so nothing hindered the arrival of the first sunlight.


    He repeated the contents of the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± cultivation technique in his mind. The sea horizon was still enveloped in darkness, the dark before dawn.


    Time slowly passed, and first, a hint of fish-belly white appeared across the horizon.


    The fish-belly white persisted for a while, and the sea horizon turned into a red line before the sun suddenly leaped from the sea surface.


    In that instant, Li Shiming felt a burst of purple qi light sweep across heaven and earth.


    Using ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± he absorbed all his might, albeit just a fraction, but even this small amount made him feel an impact on his physique, spiritual power, and spirit.


    Given his current physique, without advancing in realm, it was nearly impossible to further improve his physique.


    The ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± were top-notch body refining techniques. Their combination, along with the true intent of Angry-eyed Vajra and the Third Grade Sword Base which far surpassed his own realm, made his body refinement reach the zenith of his current realm.


    This was why, with the body of a Qi Refining Eighth Layer, he could withstand extensive spell attacks with ease on a battlefield of the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    Yet, this bit of purple qi was letting his physique, which could not improve any further, gain a slight enhancement. Even though the enhancement was minor, it was a breakthrough, underlining the significant impact of purple qi on the physique.


    In terms of spiritual power, the influence of purple qi was insignificant; it didn¡¯t enhance the spiritual power but solidified it slightly.


    Perhaps for this reason, or maybe because his cultivation had entered a rapid phase, his ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± had improved very swiftly, bringing him close to the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    Had he not sensed the spiritual power within his body was tangible, he would have thought there were issues with his cultivation.


    Actually, this was related to his body having undergone modifications by the Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi from Beishu, who had integrated a sword bone into his right thumb and also influenced his body with a Golden Core and lifebound flying sword during the process.


    These impacts had not been particularly prominent at the time, but after a while, they greatly enhanced his body¡¯s sensitivity and absorption of spiritual power.


    He had to frequently update his cultivation speed calculation every few days.


    The theoretical value of his cultivation speed was originally 138.79, helped by the zenith of his Qi Refining cloned self and considering the difference in realms, this value was supposed to increase beyond this theoretical number.


    Yet, his current cultivation speed had reached close to 200, nearly twice the speed of someone with a Heavenly Spirit Root.


    The increase in Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation speed was achieved by a Golden Core Sword Cultivator who had sacrificed his own lifebound flying sword and Golden Core for the modification, a change that did not relate to spirit roots and would gradually decrease as his cultivation realm increased.


    Indeed, excluding the aid of his clone, his modified cultivation speed had become similar to that of a Heavenly Spirit Root.


    Four months later, on one day, an unexpected visitor arrived.


    Upon sensing the transmission outside the Mountain Protection Array, Li Shiming immediately activated the array.


    The Mountain Protection Array of Eagle Beak Island had long since evolved from its initial small-scale version. He had utilized the island¡¯s terrain and connected it with the ocean, transforming the small Mountain Protection Array into one that integrated with the seabed formation.


    Its defensive power had increased several times, with tens of thousands of spirit stone worth of formation materials invested.


    He was not the least bit stingy when it came to his own safety, having layered three tiers of spiritual power defense, which was the utmost extent allowed by the formation materials and the geophysical limits of Eagle Beak Island.


    With the present Eagle Beak Island¡¯s defenses, not to mention Qi Refining cultivators, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would find it difficult to break through the Mountain Protection Array, especially those at the early or mid stages of Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°Uncle Yin, please come in!¡± Li Shiming bowed and said to the visitor.


    The visitor was none other than Elder Yin, and Li Shiming had not anticipated that Elder Yin would personally make his way to Eagle Beak Island as they usually summoned him for discussions.


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 Chapter 235: 164 Inspection

    Chapter 235: Chapter 164 Inspection


    Elder Yin walked into Li Shiming¡¯s cave dwelling with a faint smile on his face.


    Li Shiming placed a cup of Spiritual Tea in front of Elder Yin. Since he did not cultivate Spirit Fruits, he could only serve Spiritual Tea to his guests.


    ¡°Shiming, please sit down,¡± Elder Yin said, waving his hand.


    Li Shiming sat opposite Elder Yin, his demeanor very respectful.


    ¡°The last time I sent you to participate in the contest with Beishu, I was unaware. Otherwise, I would never have let you join such a duel. Those old fellows didn¡¯t send their own descendants; why should you participate!¡± Elder Yin began by explaining.


    His words warmed Li Shiming¡¯s heart. No matter what, Elder Yin was a Golden Core Elder, and explaining himself was an attitude that regarded Li Shiming as a true junior.


    Li Shiming sensed a feeling of inclusiveness from Elder Yin, unlike the slight repulsion during their previous meetings. In this regard, Li Shiming was extremely sensitive.


    ¡°Before you participated in the Beishu contest, I had left the sect to find Lan¡¯er¡¯s teacher. I recently got in touch with Lan¡¯er¡¯s teacher, and there are some matters I need to clarify with you!¡± Elder Yin said solemnly.


    Li Shiming straightened up, his eyes fixed on Elder Yin, understanding that this must be of great importance, or else Elder Yin would not have come in person.


    ¡°I have received more intelligence about Beishu from Lan¡¯er¡¯s teacher. To be honest with you, all the cultivators that came from Beishu are waiting; the Beishu Mingxin Sect has a False Infant presence. Currently, the False Infant Ancestor is still in Beishu fighting against the Senluo Sect, buying time for the sect to safely withdraw.@@@@


    If the False Infant Ancestor falls, the Beishu Mingxin Sect¡¯s invasion of the Seven Sects will be interrupted, and Mingxin Sect will definitely not initiate a war they cannot win.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the strength you demonstrated in the previous contest, I would have considered including you in the relocation plan. Now, I am giving you another option!¡± Elder Yin said with a helpless smile.


    He knew that Li Shiming had issues with some factions within the sect, the internal power struggle in the sect diminished Li Shiming¡¯s sense of belonging to the sect.


    Li Shiming¡¯s choice did not surprise him; even as a Golden Core Elder of the sect, he was powerless against the internal factions¡¯ struggles.


    But all this became irrelevant. Once they really had to evacuate, those factions would immediately crumble, not worth mentioning.


    ¡°Please speak, Uncle Yin!¡± Li Shiming said, knowing that Elder Yin was about to reveal the main focus of this meeting.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er¡¯s teacher is a Golden Core Array Master from the Thousand Illusion Sect of Beishu. She came here for a treasure in Beihai. Due to the invasion by the Mingxin Sect, she does not wish to get involved in the conflicts, so her intention is to take Lan¡¯er to join the Thousand Illusion Sect...¡± Elder Yin paused upon seeing Li Shiming¡¯s expression change.


    Li Shiming felt a deep conflict within. It was good news that Shilan had a better future ahead.


    However, if Shilan went to Beishu, he might never see her again, and that was something he could not accept.


    ¡°With your three Spirit Roots, even as an Intermediate Array Master, you cannot meet the conditions to join the Thousand Illusion Sect. However, your understanding of Sword Intent has given you a chance. As long as Lan¡¯er¡¯s teacher agrees, you can become an ordinary disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect!¡± Elder Yin continued.


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 Chapter 236: 164 Inspection_2

    Chapter 236: Chapter 164 Inspection_2


    Li Shiming had not expected such an opportunity, but he still had concerns. He knew that Beishu was embroiled in conflict, with even Nascent Souls joining the fray, making the intensity of the battle far beyond his imagination.


    ¡°Uncle Yin, what kind of sect is the Thousand Illusion Sect?¡± Li Shiming asked.


    Elder Yin smiled, pleased that Li Shiming did not accept unconditionally. To make further progress in the Cultivation World, careful consideration was needed to make the right choices.


    ¡°The Thousand Illusion Sect is a major sect with a Nascent Soul Ancestor, ranked quite highly in Beishu. As for the chaos in Beishu, I have made inquiries. It¡¯s only in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains area that the discord has occurred. The Senluo Sect would not dare to extend the battle line beyond the area of Ten Thousand Great Mountains!¡± Elder Yin patiently replied.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Yin!¡± Li Shiming made his decision, finding it acceptable to join the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    This way, he need not part with Yin Shilan and could enjoy the conveniences of a large sect.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. I will take you to meet Lan¡¯er¡¯s teacher right away. It¡¯s up to her to decide if you qualify for admission!¡± Elder Yin gestured.


    Elder Yin stood up, and taking Li Shiming, left Eagle Beak Island and flew toward the Nine Peaks.


    Li Shiming, led by Elder Yin, landed directly outside a cave abode atop one of the Nine Peaks.


    Elder Yin released a burst of light onto the cave¡¯s formation. After a moment, the cave formation opened.


    ¡°Mr. Yin, please come in!¡± a pleasant female voice called, resonating in Li Shiming¡¯s ears.


    Elder Yin nodded at Li Shiming, motioning for him to follow, then they entered the cave.


    As Li Shiming walked into the cave, his first sensation was the extremely dense spiritual energy; it was so rich that it seemed spiritual energy entered his body with every breath through his pores.


    The concentration of spiritual energy here was beyond his ability to describe. Perhaps here, without even practicing, just by sleeping every day, one could advance from the early stages of Qi Refining to the peak of Qi Refining.


    In the living room of the cave abode, a charming woman in her thirties was smiling as she greeted Elder Yin.


    ¡°Mr. Luo, I have brought Li Shiming here. Please have a look!¡± Elder Yin¡¯s posture was very low. Although both were Golden Core cultivators, clearly the female Golden Core cultivator with the surname Luo, her sect backing, and her status as an Array Master, commanded Elder Yin¡¯s respect.


    Not to mention, Elder Yin¡¯s daughter would rely on this female Golden Core cultivator for care in the future. For Elder Yin, a father lowering his stance was not a matter of disgrace.


    ¡°Shiming, come here and greet her!¡± he turned to remind Li Shiming.


    ¡°Li Shiming pays his respects to Senior Luo!¡± Li Shiming bowed deeply.


    Master Luo turned her gaze to Li Shiming. After he looked up following his bow, their eyes met. Master Luo then activated the Array Formation Starlight Sea.


    Although Li Shiming¡¯s Array Formation Starlight Sea was peculiar, it had essentially reached the level of a high-level Array Master.


    Master Luo re-evaluated Li Shiming, a hint of regret showing in her eyes.


    Li Shiming¡¯s talents were simply too poor; three spirit root seeds were just ordinary, making his chances of breaking through to the Golden Core Stage very low.


    Even if Li Shiming¡¯s talent for formations was excellent, reaching the Foundation Establishment would just grant him a lifespan of two hundred years.


    ¡°Li Shiming, your talent for formations is impressive. This is the entry token of the Thousand Illusion Sect; with this token, you can enter and become an official disciple!¡± Master Luo took out a jade token with a special insignia and handed it to Li Shiming.


    Elder Yin showed a look of happiness on the side, considering it a perfect outcome that Li Shiming could join the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Otherwise, Yin Shilan would never have agreed to leave; if Yin Shilan did not leave with Master Luo now, he would be truly worried about her future safety.


    ¡°Alright, take the token and go out!¡± Master Luo waved her hand and spoke.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Luo!¡± Li Shiming bowed in gratitude and then left the cave dwelling.


    ¡°Mr. Luo, when will you return to the sect?¡± Elder Yin signaled Li Shiming to wait outside and spoke up to ask Master Luo.


    ¡°In the next few days. Lan¡¯er is too stubborn!¡± Master Luo mentioned Yin Shilan with a mix of helplessness and doting.


    If it weren¡¯t for Yin Shilan¡¯s stubbornness, constantly thinking of Li Shiming, she would have taken Yin Shilan and left already.


    ¡°Then how will Li Shiming travel to Beishu?¡± Hearing that Master Luo did not mention Li Shiming, Elder Yin inquired again.


    ¡°If he can¡¯t even manage this little task, what right does he have to join the Thousand Illusion Sect?¡± Master Luo showed no intention of taking Li Shiming with her.


    She wouldn¡¯t allow Li Shiming to leave with Yin Shilan, as she was taking Yin Shilan as a direct disciple, whose primary task for a long time would be learning.


    Though she had agreed to Li Shiming joining the Thousand Illusion Sect, if Li Shiming could join a bit later, it would give Yin Shilan more quiet time to study.


    Elder Yin didn¡¯t say anything further, realizing Master Luo¡¯s determination; Li Shiming¡¯s journey to Beishu would still be feasible, albeit very troublesome.


    The most difficult qualification for joining the sect was already met; any additional troubles were tolerable.


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 Chapter 237: 165: Parting

    Chapter 237: Chapter 165: Parting@@@@


    ¡°Shiming, come sit with me!¡± Elder Yin called out as he exited his cave abode, gesturing to Li Shiming.


    His cave abode was not far from Elder Luo¡¯s, both situated at the summit of Central Peak.


    Master Luo¡¯s ability to own a temporary cave abode at the summit of Central Peak in the Nine Peaks was partly due to the importance the Sky Sea Sect placed on him, and partly as a reward for the vital intelligence he had provided to the sect.


    It was Master Luo who had provided accurate intelligence about the Beishu Mingxin Sect, allowing the Sky Sea Sect to make preparations in advance.


    Li Shiming entered another cave abode, which resembled that of Master Luo¡¯s but had more personal touches.


    After all, this was a cave abode where Elder Yin had lived for many years, and some less important items were placed inside as decorations.


    ¡°Shiming, although you have Mr. Luo¡¯s consent, you must still go to the Thousand Illusion Sect in Beishu by yourself,¡± Elder Yin slowly said after having Li Shiming sit down.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Li Shiming exclaimed in surprise.


    He was well aware of the perils of Beihai; even Golden Core cultivators could not guarantee a safe passage across it.


    The sea of Beihai was home to numerous Golden Core level sea beasts, and there were even rumors of Nascent Soul level sea beasts.


    Even if he did not encounter Golden Core level sea beasts, dealing with lower-level sea beasts was no easy task.


    In the oceans, some lower-level sea beasts were incredibly numerous and highly aggressive, to the extent that even much stronger sea beasts would avoid them.


    For Li Shiming, a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, crossing Beihai was almost tantamount to suicide.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to forcefully breach Beihai. Every three years, Beishu Trading Company facilitates a resource exchange with the seven sects. It¡¯s been about half a year, so Beishu Trading Company should be arriving soon. You can take their Flying Boat to Beishu, I will arrange it,¡± Elder Yin explained with a smile.


    In fact, Sky Sea Island, home to the seven sects, was geographically part of Beishu as well, though quite distant from Beishu Continent.


    A painting that was completely different from this world¡¯s style appeared before her, making her eyes widen in disbelief as she gazed at the scene depicted on the scroll.


    On the scroll was the scene of their first meeting: she stood on the Flying Boat as a ray of light pierced through the dark clouds and shone down on her.


    This beautiful moment, a precious memory in Li Shiming¡¯s mind, was captured on the scroll.


    What most astonished Yin Shilan was the style of the painting because the image was so realistic, as if the view Li Shiming had seen that day had been solidified.


    The moment of their encounter was recorded by Li Shiming on an IBMz15, and he had created a color printer to print the scene in the highest clarity possible from the data stored on the IBMz15.


    ¡±


    The emerald boat drives through misty rain, a crane cries as the young man controls his sword under an umbrella.


    Reflected light from Jade Peaks illuminates her radiant face, envying only the paired mandarin ducks, not the immortals.¡± a poem in the bottom right corner depicted the scene on the scroll, causing Yin Shilan to blush, recalling the embarrassing moments of that day.


    Back at Eagle Beak Island, Li Shiming opened the scroll given by Yin Shilan. It was in the typical ink wash painting style, depicting a scene of a youth dancing with his sword in the rain, also from the day they first met.


    However, this was how Yin Shilan had seen Li Shiming at that time, a young man swinging his sword across the sky, blocking the endless rain.


    Li Shiming treasured the scroll, storing it in his mechanical room space, in a box containing important items.


    Two days later, Master Luo took Yin Shilan and left the Sky Sea Sect, and Li Shiming had no chance to say goodbye.


    He opened the map he had received from Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi. The map only showed the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of Beishu, but he knew very well that beyond those mountains lay the Thousand Illusion Sect.


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 Chapter 238: 165 Separation_2

    Chapter 238: Chapter 165 Separation_2


    He didn¡¯t know when the False Infant Ancestor from the Beishu Mingxin Sect would arrive; he couldn¡¯t place all his hopes on dealing with the Beihai Trading Company.


    He hastened his plans, shipping large quantities of materials from the Hidden Dragon Trading House to Eagle Beak Island.


    Within the Xuanming Sect, given the recent tense situation, Elder Ren forced Ren Fei¡¯er to remain in seclusion.


    Additionally, since Master Luo had some aversions to Elder Ren¡¯s identity as a Golden Core from the demonic path, Elder Ren didn¡¯t go to see Master Luo, leaving Ren Fei¡¯er without the opportunity to enter the Sky Sea Sect.


    Unexpectedly, Master Luo¡¯s departure was so swift that, although they had planned for the two sisters to meet, they were still a step too late. By the time Elder Ren heard the news, Master Luo had already left with Yin Shilan.


    Elder Ren walked into the seclusion chamber, where Ren Fei¡¯er was slowly opening her eyes.


    Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s aura had reached the middle stage of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, a result of using precious Spiritual Medicines and consuming considerable resources.


    With her pace of cultivation, it wouldn¡¯t take long for her to meet the conditions to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.@@@@


    Elder Ren placed great importance on her younger daughter, hoping that she could have some ability to protect herself before the full-scale invasion by the Heavenly Sea cultivators.


    That way, even if Elder Ren and Elder Yin couldn¡¯t look after Ren Fei¡¯er, she would be able to ensure her own safety.


    ¡°Mother, why have you come? Is it time for me to leave?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er, seeing Elder Ren, showed a look of joy and repeatedly asked.


    Elder Ren couldn¡¯t help shaking her head; Ren Fei¡¯er was too playful, and her worries for Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s future safety increased.


    They knew that once they lost the protection of the Seven Sects, any further willfulness on Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s part might lead to lethal consequences.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, your sister was taken away by her teacher!¡± Elder Ren did not offer any lectures but instead whispered softly.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she say goodbye to me?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er had already known about Yin Shilan¡¯s departure and had hoped to use meeting her sister as a chance to get outside for some fresh air.


    She never expected her sister to leave like this, without even saying goodbye.


    ¡°Is Sister angry with me? Did she find out I also like her little brother?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er murmured to herself.


    In her mind, Yin Shilan¡¯s departure without saying goodbye had to be because she was angry.


    Moreover, because she had concealed meeting Li Shiming from everyone, her heart had always been uneasy.


    Ren Fei¡¯er could never keep secrets for long, and hiding such a significant secret for so long was just because she was afraid her sister or her mother would discover it.


    So upon hearing of Yin Shilan¡¯s secretive departure, she blurted out all her secrets in an outburst.


    If Li Shiming knew about the relationship between Elder Yin and Elder Ren, then he would guess the relationship between Yin Shilan and Ren Fei¡¯er.


    ¡°Kid, we meet again!¡± Elder Ren looked at Li Shiming, thinking about her two daughters. She wanted to burst out but restrained herself, speaking indifferently.


    Li Shiming was quite straightforward, and after offering Elder Ren a cup of Spiritual Tea, he stood upright with his hands clasped, waiting for Elder Ren¡¯s commands.


    Knowing the relationships among the Seven Sects, he naturally understood that even if Elder Ren wasn¡¯t a Golden Core Elder of the Sky Sea Sect, she still wielded considerable influence.


    Especially given his understanding of the Sect Formation¡¯s effectiveness, he was sure that the Sect must be aware of Elder Ren¡¯s visit.


    If a Golden Core cultivator had entered within two hundred miles of the Sect Formation without being detected, then the Sky Sea Sect should no longer exist; moreover, the Sect Protection Array set up by countless Array Masters over thousands of years would be nothing but a facade.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you, when are you going to marry Fei¡¯er?¡± Elder Ren, true to her title as a devil, rendered Li Shiming speechless with a single sentence.


    What did she mean by that, marry Fei¡¯er?


    Although Li Shiming felt some affection towards Ren Fei¡¯er, it was only due to some nostalgia from his past life and had nothing to do with love.


    He never hinted at anything more to Ren Fei¡¯er, merely keeping her company in conversation and storytelling, treating it like a long-distance chat from his previous life¡ªsimilar to having a QQ or WeChat friend.


    Besides, although he appeared only a year older than Ren Fei¡¯er, if his previous life was included, his mental age was far beyond her¡¯s.


    Yet, in his interactions with Yin Shilan, neither side ever felt an issue of age.


    ¡°Elder, there must be a misunderstanding. I have a lover already!¡± Li Shiming finally regained his composure and immediately replied.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Fei¡¯er? If you marry her, you can have my help, and assisting you with Foundation Establishment will be no problem!¡± Elder Ren continued, her expression unchanged.


    ¡°Elder, Fei¡¯er and I are just friends. Please forgive me, but I cannot accept your offer!¡± Li Shiming responded with a firm tone, bowing.


    ¡°Are you truly not agreeing?¡± Elder Ren¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and her aura bore down on him like a mountain.


    Li Shiming was pressed so forcefully that his bones thundered, and his stature shrank several inches.


    The terrifying pressure drove his feet into the ground. Elder Ren had intended to make him kneel, but since his Body Refinement was exceptionally strong and Elder Ren didn¡¯t really want to harm him, this was the outcome.


    ¡°You¡¯re very good!¡± Unsure whether to feel happy or sad about Li Shiming¡¯s stance, Elder Ren, as powerful as she was, could only helplessly utter three stern words.


    Afterward, Elder Ren disappeared, leaving a perplexed Li Shiming without a clue.


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 Chapter 239: 166 False Infant

    Chapter 239: Chapter 166 False Infant


    Elder Ren¡¯s visit was sudden, and his departure was just as abrupt; afterwards, there was no further news.


    Li Shiming was also unable to contact Ren Fei¡¯er through the contact tile; he felt a sense of regret for not having said goodbye to Ren Fei¡¯er.


    He was headed to Beishu, and, considering the distance from his current location, it was likely they would never meet again.


    Six months had passed without any word from the Beihai Trading Company, but Li Shiming had successfully broken through to the Qi Refinement Ninth Level.


    At this time, the Sky Sea Sect was no longer tranquil. After such a long time, many powers within the sect had learned of the Beishu cultivators¡¯ plans to invade.


    If it weren¡¯t for the few Golden Core Elders within the sect holding their ground, they wouldn¡¯t even need the Northern Sea cultivators to attack; the sect would have collapsed on its own.


    Li Shiming had also witnessed the handling methods of the Cultivation Sect, which differed from his initial expectation of purely defending their homeland with all their might.


    When facing an enemy far stronger than themselves, the Cultivation Sect¡¯s first choice was to leave, even if they had been established in their territory for ten thousand years.


    Almost no forces wanted to defect to the Beishu cultivators, which related to some unspoken rules within the Cultivation World.


    Cultivation Sects would not accept cultivators of unknown identities or those who harbored enmities. Even if the secular territories of the Seven Sects were occupied, only after several generations would they consider cultivating disciples from that region.


    For a sect, the notion of time differed significantly from that of mortals.


    While a mortal¡¯s life spanned merely a few decades, even a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s life could reach five hundred years. To them, thirty years in the mortal realm constituted an era; four eras equated to only a hundred and twenty years.


    A hundred and twenty years was enough to completely erase the influence of the original Seven Sects among the mortal realms, leaving only the imprint of the Mingxin Sect.


    Offshore of Seven Star Island, now opposite the island, there were already as many as ten enormous Flying Boats, and the number of Golden Core cultivators had reached eighteen.


    Although many records mentioned descriptions about Nascent Soul, the actual oppressive feeling when facing a Nascent Soul cultivator, as well as the sense of powerlessness as if fighting against the very world itself, left the Golden Core Elders with no illusions of luck.


    Without any need for communication, all the cultivators on Seven Star Island flew towards the rear, each returning to their respective sects.


    There was no need for further discussion; this had been previously agreed upon, and having truly experienced the terror of Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation, even those cultivators who had held onto a sliver of determination completely extinguished their thoughts.


    Elder Zang withdrew the Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation, watching as the cultivators from the Seven Sects departed; his demeanor was extremely indifferent, as if he had casually dismissed a swarm of ants.


    However, he knew in his heart that despite his relaxed exterior, he had sustained significant injuries in his confrontation with the Senluo Sect.


    He had no intentions of fighting to the death with the cultivators of the Seven Sects; the cultivators who had transferred to the Mingxin Sect were carefully selected, and he did not want them to suffer any losses.


    By not taking action, he could protect the Mingxin Sect for some time; if he were to fight with all his might, what remained of his already limited lifespan would be further reduced.


    Outsiders often saw Elder Zang as a False Infant, not much different from a Nascent Soul, but in his own perception, a False Infant merely elevated his combat ability to that of Nascent Soul Level, with his essence remaining not much different from that of a Golden Core Peak.


    This was precisely why his lifespan was the same as that of a Golden Core Peak, and he no longer had any hope for further advancements.


    This was the cost of forcibly entering the state of a False Infant through a special secret technique ¡ª cutting off all future prospects in exchange for his current strength.


    There was no objection within the Mingxin Sect to Elder Zang¡¯s decision; Elder Zang was the pillar of the Mingxin Sect.


    Li Shiming was conducting research when he suddenly noticed that the ¡®Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡¯ control switch was showing multiple alerts.


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 Chapter 240: 166 False Infant_2

    Chapter 240: Chapter 166 False Infant_2


    He seemed unconcerned with worldly affairs within the sect, but unknown to the cultivators, he was well aware of many things.


    Since he had been affected by the conspiracy between the Holy Ice Sect and the internal powers of his own sect to act against him, he had taken the opportunity to launch ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡± and ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡± to eavesdrop on all conversations through ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t interested in normal communications, only paying attention when messages triggered certain keywords that would send an alert.


    He approached the program-controlled switch and started checking the triggered messages within.


    His expression soon changed dramatically, as all he saw were messages of evacuation. The entire Heavenly Sea Sect was evacuating, and all cultivators had received notices from the sect.


    Yet, he had not received any message, as if he had been forgotten.


    He took out his Identity Jade Disc, and quickly discovered the problem.


    The Identity Jade Disc was unable to connect to the Sect Formation, which had never happened before.


    It should be noted that his Identity Jade Disc, as he was an Array Master, held special privileges and had greater authority than those of ordinary cultivators.


    To ban his Identity Jade Disc would require the action of a Golden Core Elder.


    ¡°Could it be that some Golden Core Elder wants to harm me?¡± he speculated, but he quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought.


    Even if the Golden Core Elders of the sect did not regard his status as a disciple and an Array Master, they should consider Elder Yin¡¯s face. Moreover, if a Golden Core Elder truly wanted to harm him, they wouldn¡¯t need to resort to such tactics; they could easily kill him whenever they found an opportunity.


    ¡°If not a Golden Core Elder, then who could it be? Or which power?¡± His mind raced, and he soon thought of a possibility.


    In terms of authority over the Sect Formation, it was not the Golden Core Elders who had the most, but rather the remaining two high-level Array Masters in the sect.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind involuntarily conjured up the image of Junior Master Song, whose inadvertent malice had led him to a definite conclusion about his blocked Identity Jade Disc.


    He did not understand why Junior Master Song would do this, but this action had placed him in a deadly situation.


    He had been researching earlier, and he hadn¡¯t initially paid much attention to the alerts from the program-controlled switch, usually checking it when he had spare time.


    Given his status in the Heavenly Sea Sect, there was usually no urgent matter, and if there was, the sect would notify him.


    This delay caused him to miss the chance to meet with the sect at the earliest moment.


    It had been some time since Elder Cang issued the final ultimatum for Elder Yin and other Golden Core cultivators to return to the sect.


    The massive sect needed to evacuate, and even with prior preparations, a few hours seemed too short.


    This equipment had been the result of several years of work, and he had relaunched some technologies from his past life with it.


    It was with the help of the Sky Sea Sect and resources gained from ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View¡± and ¡°Thousand-Mile Mutual View Second Generation¡± through dealings with the sect¡¯s trading companies that these equipment had come to be.


    After leaving the sect, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to gain massive resources anymore.


    Although he had millions of spirit stones, without the sect¡¯s protection, daring to procure massive resources would immediately make him a target of major powers.


    A mere Qi Refining Ninth Level, being targeted by a major power meant annihilation.


    He also took as many spirit fish as he could from the Spiritual Spring, knowing there would be no opportunity to get them after leaving.


    After preparing everything, he returned to the surface of the island and began to set up.


    Meanwhile, Elder Cang led the cultivators of the Mingxin Sect towards the Sky Sea Sect first.


    The geographical position of the Sky Sea Sect was exactly at the center of the seven sects; taking control of the Sky Sea Sect first and then using it as a base, his subordinates were sent to take over other sects.


    Should any problems arise, the centrally positioned Elder Cang could also take action at any moment to resolve any potential troubles.


    The Mingxin Sect had been confronting the seven sects at Seven Star Island for a long time, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t active; they had collected quite a lot of information about the seven sects through various means.


    The giant flying boat slowly flew, Elder Cang watching the time, he needed to keep to the agreement, only entering the nine peaks of the Sky Sea Sect after exceeding the agreed time.


    Regarding the islands along the way, the Mingxin Sect did not bother to clear them.


    There was no need; the Sky Sea Sect had already evacuated, and the remaining mortals on the island were also a resource.


    As for the possibility that some cultivators might have stayed on the islands, such matters would be dealt with after taking over the nine peaks.


    Because of this, although Li Shiming¡¯s Eagle Beak Island was not far off the route the gigantic flying boat took to the nine peaks of the Sky Sea Sect, and despite its Mountain Protection Array being active, it did not attract much attention.


    With the possession of the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s spiritual pulse map, the Mingxin Sect was only interested in islands rich in spiritual energy.


    An island like Eagle Beak Island, which only had an inferior spiritual vein, would only draw Qi Refining Cultivators for investigation in the future, and it really wasn¡¯t worth deploying Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    This provided Li Shiming with some time, allowing him to finalize his plans and creating favorable conditions for his departure.


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 Chapter 241: 167: Soul Dance

    Chapter 241: Chapter 167: Soul Dance


    ¡°`


    The Nine Peaks, even without the protection of the Sect Formation, remained majestic. Their natural Formation that pierced the heavens, with clouds and mist twining among the peaks, endowed the place with an innate aura of an immortal family.


    Elder Zang looked at the Nine Peaks with satisfaction. It was evident that even though the Sky Sea Sect wasn¡¯t much to speak of, they had managed their abode very well.


    ¡°This place will serve as the main peak of the sect, and the other Eight Peaks will be distributed among you¡ªsend a group to clean them up!¡± Elder Zang¡¯s aged voice emanated as he pointed towards the Central Peak.


    Following Elder Zang¡¯s orders, array masters and Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Mingxin Sect entered the Nine Peaks to start clearing out the remaining facilities.


    Of course, the focus was the Central Peak¡ªto clean it up first to accommodate Elder Zang.


    The cultivators of the Mingxin Sect, especially the array masters, were very excited, as the Sky Sea Sect had left in such a hurry that the Sect Formation was almost untouched.


    This was normal, for without an Array Master, the Sky Sea Sect couldn¡¯t simply dismantle their Sect Formation. Without the aid of an Array Master, this task could not be completed swiftly.


    Elder Zang had only given six hours and did not afford the Sky Sea Sect the same amount of time.


    ¡°Elder, it seems the Sky Sea Sect knew their place, leaving the entire Formation intact. It will be much easier for our sect to rebuild the Formation here in the future!¡± a Golden Core cultivator said to Elder Zang, laughing.


    ¡°Your vision is too narrow. Even if we take over the entire territory of the Sky Sea Island, the output obtained would not be equal to a third of our original resources in Beishu. I am on my last legs¡ªit is my hope that one of you can advance to the Nascent Soul stage and lead our sect back to Beishu,¡± Elder Zang said indifferently, not all that joyful.


    Out of the seven sects on Sky Sea Island, none had produced a Nascent Soul cultivator in ten thousand years¡ªone could imagine the quality of the resources here.


    If the Mingxin Sect were indeed to find a safe haven here, it wouldn¡¯t be long before its demise.


    He himself had less than a hundred years of life left. No matter how he clung to life, he couldn¡¯t protect the sect for more than a century. If no Golden Core cultivator advanced to Nascent Soul within this century, then they would completely lose hope of returning to Beishu.


    She was even more enraged by the Beishu Mingxin Sect, which had killed Zhuge Xuan. With her strength, she could not seek revenge directly, so she chose to stay behind.


    Junior Master Song was a High-level Array Master, and in the last year of the sect, she had managed the Sect Formation. The sect also made a significant amount of Formation resources available for her to strengthen.


    During this time, she had tampered with numerous things, such as adding special Formations to the nodes of the Nine Peaks¡¯ Formation.


    As a High-level Array Master with the support of the Sect Formation, she wondered if, with such conditions and leveraging what she had learned in her lifetime, she could take revenge for Zhuge Xuan and maybe even kill more cultivators from the Mingxin Sect.


    Junior Master Song continued to laugh. Since learning of Zhuge Xuan¡¯s death, she hadn¡¯t laughed once, but today she laughed heartily.


    Above her head, Array Formation Starlight Sea surged forth, and then the previously closed Sect Formation suddenly lit up.


    At the main spiritual vein of the sect, a guiding Formation channeled all the internal Spiritual Energy toward the Sect Formation, allowing it to activate so rapidly.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± a Golden Core cultivator, waiting in the air, exclaimed in surprise as he looked down towards the Nine Peaks and shouted out loud.


    Elder Zang¡¯s terrifying Divine Thought swept over the Nine Peaks. He had not anticipated that there was still a cultivator hidden within them.


    Seeing the Sect Formation of the Nine Peaks close, he had not paid much attention at the time, merely scanning it casually without much scrutiny.


    Indeed, even if all the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators of the Sky Sea Sect had stayed, combined with the Sect Formation, they could not have stopped Elder Zang from seizing this place. It would just have meant that any remaining cultivators of the Sky Sea Sect would have been executed.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 242: 167 Soul Dance_2

    Chapter 242: Chapter 167 Soul Dance_2


    ¡°So there are still cultivators who have chosen to stay behind, a mere Foundation Establishment seeking death!¡± Elder Zang said coldly.


    His divine thought raced towards Junior Master Song¡¯s body. The divine thought of a False Infant strength, as long as it worked on Junior Master Song¡¯s body, was a certain death sentence.


    However, Junior Master Song had already forsaken her body in advance. Her entire soul merged with the Array Formation Starlight Sea, integrating into the Sect Formation.


    With Junior Master Song¡¯s Foundation Establishment Stage realm, she could only support herself for Five Breath Time. After that, her soul would dissipate, and her consciousness would be lost forever.


    She resolutely gave up her body, which was then torn to shreds by Elder Zang¡¯s divine thought and turned into a mist of blood.


    Elder Zang¡¯s face turned grim; although he killed that woman¡¯s body, he did not truly annihilate her soul. He could feel that she was still present.


    At that moment, a gorgeous figure materialized amidst the radiant light of the Nine Peaks Sect Formation. At this time, Junior Master Song¡¯s illusory figure donned a blood-red bridal gown, dancing gracefully within the Formation.


    Each of her movements caused the spiritual power of the Nine Peaks Sect Formation to surge wildly.


    All the cultivators of the Beishu Mingxin Sect trapped within the Sect Formation were immobilized.


    Especially the Array Masters, who all watched the materialized woman with faces ashen.


    ¡°I give up my soul for eternal oblivion to avenge my husband, Zhuge Xuan, I am coming for you!¡± Junior Master Song murmured softly as she danced.


    Her melding with the Sect Formation meant that even her softest voice clearly reached every cultivator within the Formation.


    In her perception, it seemed as if a man was by her side, also smiling, dressed in red wedding attire.


    She grew increasingly joyous, laughing out loud, dancing merrily.


    Five Breath Time might be a fleeting moment for most, but for some, it was a lifetime.


    During these five breaths, Elder Zang attempted to extinguish Junior Master Song¡¯s body, but unless he struck with all his might, he could not immediately break through the Sect Formation.


    After all, this Sect Formation had been strengthened by countless Array Masters over ten thousand years and was much more powerful than the Formation at Seven Star Island.


    Elder Zang did not wish to launch a full-powered strike, as it would greatly diminish his lifespan. It was not worth it for these trapped cultivators.


    As long as he was alive, the sect would remain; if he were to die, the sect would fall to intermediate sect strength, and at that time it might not even withstand the counterattack of the Seven Sects.


    In Five Breath Time, the Sect Formation became a blinding white radiance, with terrifying spiritual power sweeping wildly through everything within the Formation.


    If someone from a former era had seen that strange object, they would certainly have recognized it: it was a rocket.


    This was the escape device that Li Shiming had been preparing for quite some time; after all, the fastest mode of travel in his previous life was by rocket.


    The principle behind a rocket is not complicated; the main difficulty lies in the materials used.


    The fuel used in the rocket¡¯s thrusters is liquid hydrogen, which can be obtained through chemical processes from gaseous hydrogen. By storing the hydrogen gas at -252.8 degrees Celsius, one can obtain liquid hydrogen.


    Li Shiming used arrays to create an environment of -252.8 degrees Celsius, enabling him to mass-produce liquid hydrogen.


    The body of the rocket was made from ordinary steel enhanced with runes. Due to the mundane nature of the material, only the simplest reinforcing runes could be applied, but this proved to be sufficient.


    A rocket body reinforced with such runes had a strength and corrosion resistance far surpassing the highest standards of rockets from his former world.


    The rocket¡¯s engines posed the greatest challenge; the materials for rocket engines were the biggest hurdle in his previous world. In this world of cultivators, the solution was extremely simple: substitute with spirit metal.


    The entire rocket engine was composed of an assembly of Low Grade Magical Artifacts, each fine-tuned in the millimeter space of his workshop with arrays and enchantments applied by Li Shiming.


    The head of the rocket was a Flying Boat, which normally had arrays that repelled air, meaning the Flying Boat encountered virtually no air resistance.


    The Hidden Dragon Trading House had provided a great deal of assistance with the rocket¡ªof course, they had no idea what the multitude of Low Grade Magical Artifacts that Li Shiming had custom-ordered were for.


    One could say that the rocket embodied his research style, using his knowledge of formations and enchantments combined with technology from his former world to create a rocket that merged the expertise of two worlds.


    It was a colossal project; for an extended period, his clone¡¯s primary task was to continuously produce liquid hydrogen.


    Li Shiming¡¯s research wasn¡¯t solely focused on this; aside from manned escape rockets, he also wanted to develop rockets capable of long-range strikes.


    However, with his current production capabilities, while he could manufacture the bodies of rockets¡ªmerely at the expense of more Spirit Stones¡ªhe could not mass-produce the liquid hydrogen required for long-range strike rockets without better assistance.


    After learning that he had been abandoned by his sect, he set up a launch device on Eagle Beak Island.


    As the rocket ignited, flames completely enveloped the area in front of the mountain dwelling on Eagle Beak Island. The Spirit Bamboo and Spirit Plants in the spirit field turned to ash within the inferno.


    A gap opened up in the Mountain Protection Array above, and as the rocket departed, the Mountain Protection Array shuddered violently; both the hill and the hill¡¯s cave dwelling collapsed. Eagle Beak Island submerged beneath the sea, and the Mountain Protection Array sank with it.


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 Chapter 243: 168 Arrow Path

    Chapter 243: Chapter 168 Arrow Path


    Two hundred li, for a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, is an extremely short distance that, with the use of Secret Techniques, could be covered in just a dozen breaths.


    Sitting in the Flying Boat, Li Shiming saw a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator from Beishu, transformed into a rainbow light rushing towards him.


    He also saw the enormous illusory figure formed by Junior Master Song at the last moment just a short while ago. Although Junior Master Song had wronged him, dead men carry no quarrels, and watching Junior Master Song dissolve into nothingness, Shiming felt a sense of release.


    Towards the approaching Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, he simply smiled faintly.


    He had great confidence in the rocket he had created. If it were the rockets from his previous world, it might have been possible for a Golden Core cultivator to catch up at the moment of launch.


    But this rocket was different; it greatly reduced air resistance and didn¡¯t need to worry about material limitations due to temperature. It just needed to maximize the combustion effect of liquid hydrogen to reach the maximum thrust theoretical in his previous world.


    In the beginning, the rocket¡¯s speed was not too fast, but after a few moments, under the influence of the powerful thrust, it sped up increasingly.


    While still ascending, the rocket¡¯s speed had already surpassed that of the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator.


    When the rocket reached an altitude of ten thousand meters and switched to horizontal flight, its speed had already reached Mach 7.


    Standing a hundred li from Eagle Beak Island, the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator stared dumbfounded at the speck of light in the sky, moving away at a speed that was hard for him to imagine.


    It was not to say he was trying to chase anymore; now he didn¡¯t even have the courage to try.


    If someone had told him that he was chasing a Nascent Soul Ancestor, he would have believed it.


    Because even Elder Cang could not achieve such speed, he found it hard to imagine that a cultivator with strength less than a Nascent Soul could reach such speed.


    After more than five hours of navigation, just as he thought he wouldn¡¯t encounter any trouble at this height, he sensed a terrifying presence.


    In the sea ahead, a huge shadowy figure appeared, cloaked in black fur with a body structure similar to humans, but he was sure it was not a human.


    The aura it revealed carried a unique ferocity of sea beasts.


    Li Shiming was unaware of the Nascent Soul Dharma Form, otherwise, he would have immediately recognized what the shadow was.


    It was his misfortune; if his speed had not been so high or if he had flown at ten thousand meters, he wouldn¡¯t have caught the attention of the Nascent Soul strength sea beast.


    But given the rocket¡¯s speed and the noise it made were extremely conspicuous, it made the Nascent Soul strength sea beast feel threatened.


    Strong sea beasts have a sense of territory, and when another powerful entity passes through, it is considered an invasion, a provocation to the strong sea beast.


    Since it was a provocation, the Nascent Soul strength sea beast naturally had to respond; the Nascent Soul Dharma Form transformed into a gigantic figure standing between heaven and earth.


    The giant forcefully slapped towards the rocket, and no matter how fast the rocket was, it could not escape an interception attack from a Nascent Soul strength opponent.


    Fortunately, since the Nascent Soul strength sea beast treated the rocket as an equal, it did not use the Divine Thought attack reserved for weaker foes; otherwise, a single wave of Divine Thought would have been enough to completely annihilate the rocket without needing the Nascent Soul Dharma Form¡¯s physical attack.


    Li Shiming¡¯s scalp tingled, and as soon as he sensed the terrifying aura, his body was entirely suppressed by the difference in their realms.


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 Chapter 244: 168 Arrow Action_2

    Chapter 244: Chapter 168 Arrow Action_2


    The only thing that could move was his Spiritual Thought. Knowing it was a matter of life and death, he immediately activated a formation on the Flying Boat.


    Once the formation was activated, a light from the formation enveloped the rocket. The function of this formation was to make the connected material become weightless.


    With the rocket¡¯s body becoming weightless and the thrust remaining powerful, it inevitably gained a higher speed.


    It was this slight difference in speed that caused the giant hand to sweep past the rocket from behind without hitting it.


    Given the speed of the rocket, once the Nascent Soul sea beast realized it had missed its target, it would have to physically pursue to attack again, as another attack from its Nascent Soul Dharma Form would exceed its range of attack.


    Li Shiming silently counted down ¡°3,2,1,¡± and at one, he stopped the Flying Boat¡¯s weightlessness formation.


    Though the rocket¡¯s speed had increased, even after regaining its weight, it still needed a distance before it could slow down again. With that distance, he had already escaped the attack range of the Nascent Soul strength sea beast.


    The Nascent Soul sea beast did not pursue. It was clear that this enemy did not want to stay in its territory. Moreover, seeing the direction of the rocket¡¯s flight, which was toward human land, the Nascent Soul sea beast did not want to get too close.


    Land is a restricted area for sea beasts, even for a Nascent Soul sea beast.


    In this world, humans are the most powerful species. Other life forms, even those with intelligence and great strength, are merely strong individuals.@@@@


    Li Shiming watched the dashboard, saw that all the data for the rocket were still normal, and he couldn¡¯t help but relax.


    The body of the rocket was made of ordinary metal. Although it was enhanced with magic, the effect of the firmness runes could not turn ordinary metal into Spiritual Objects, it only strengthened the metal¡¯s resistances and hardness.


    The Flying Boat¡¯s weightlessness formation, however, required spiritual materials to be sustained. He had experimented with ordinary metals, and they could only last for a maximum of three seconds before they would collapse.


    He had considered using spiritual materials, such as the metal used in the lowest grade magical artifacts to make the rocket¡¯s body.


    But the amount of metal needed to make the rocket¡¯s body was simply too much, so much so that even if he had enough Spirit Stones to buy, he could not find a seller who had that much spiritual metal available.


    It is known that most of the spirit ore mining rights are held by the seven major sects, and the annual output is very limited.


    During his time in the Sky Sea Sect, although he had some small privileges, he still relied on Yin Shilan¡¯s connection, and he was powerless to obtain a large amount of spiritual metal crucial to the sect.


    Looking apprehensively into the distance, he then had the IBMz15 mark the location, and once he had enough strength, he would come back to settle the score with that Nascent Soul sea beast.


    Of course, he did not yet know the true strength of this sea beast. Whether he would still remember to seek revenge if he knew it was a Nascent Soul strength beast was uncertain.


    Aside from having ties with Shilan, the reason he wished to come to the Beishu Continent was his desire to become stronger.


    After seeing Seven Star Island and how Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi, a Golden Core of Beishu, easily broke the island¡¯s grand formation and considering it a major threat by the seven sects, he began to question the strength of the sects.


    Being a Golden Core like Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi of Beishu, who was powerful particularly after combining his insights from the battle at the Seven Star Island, confirmed Li Shiming¡¯s doubts about the disparity between the sects and Beishu.


    As for who Yun Xingyi was, he was a disowned dog forced out of Beishu, yet such a Golden Core cultivator was considered an overwhelming force by the Golden Cores of the seven sects.


    Moreover, within the vast sect of the Sky Sea Sect, none of the cultivation techniques Li Shiming saw or heard could compare to the two techniques he had acquired from Yun Xingyi.


    This further clarified for Li Shiming that remaining in the seven sects was hopeless, and even without the invasion of Beishu cultivators, his strength could only reach that of Elder Yin at best within the Sky Sea Sect.


    This limitation was dictated by the resources of Sky Sea Island and the insufficient foundation of the seven sects, which couldn¡¯t cultivate Nascent Soul cultivators, and even Late-stage Golden Core cultivators were rare.


    To Li Shiming¡¯s surprise, he approached the shores without any trouble; Beishu Continent did not seem to have any defenses against the sea, seemingly unconcerned about the existence of sea beasts.


    This required a level of confidence that was beyond comprehension.


    It is known that on Sky Sea Island, the seven sects went to great lengths to set up two lines of defense against the sea beasts.


    Seven Star Island was the first line of defense, designed to prevent Golden Core stage sea beasts from approaching.


    Following that, each of the seven sects was responsible for their respective sea areas to stop Foundation Establishment stage beasts and those in excessive numbers while the remaining Qi Refinement realm sea beasts were left for the sect¡¯s Qi Refining Cultivators to practice on.


    Such layers of defenses prevented the threat of sea beasts to Sky Sea Island and became the main source of low-level resources for each sect.


    The flying boat emerged from the water and reached the sandy shore.


    Li Shiming jumped out of the flying boat, his feet pressing down on the ground, feeling the world become tangible once more.


    The days spent at sea had made him miss the land immensely.


    He casually put away the Jade Flying Boat, and after thinking, he changed all his clothes to a Low Grade Magic Robe; even his storage bracelet was put into the machine room space.


    He wanted to make himself appear as a poor Qi Refining Cultivator, a Loose Cultivator.


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 Chapter 245: 169: Meeting the Immortal

    Chapter 245: Chapter 169: Meeting the Immortal


    Li Shiming had applied a ¡°Basic Light Body Talisman¡± to himself, which was merely for show. With his body refinement strength, his speed was already superior to the effects of the ¡°Basic Light Body Talisman.¡±@@@@


    This was for others to see, for he had no knowledge whatsoever about this place and might encounter a cultivator. The blue glow on his legs could mislead any cultivator¡¯s judgement.


    Concerning the Beishu Continent, Li Shiming was extremely cautious. Until he became truly familiar with Beishu, he planned to keep a low profile.


    About a hundred miles after leaving the seaside, he could clearly see the landscape ahead. The direction he had adhered to for many days was correct, and he had indeed reached the Beishu Continent.


    Using several visible mountains in the distance, he located his position on the map provided by Yun Xingyi.


    His spiritual thought lightly moved over the map inside the jade scroll, searching ahead from this point.


    Yun Xingyi¡¯s map only contained information about the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and the North Sea. Moving further ahead, Li Shiming would officially enter the area of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    The situation in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was likely very chaotic at the moment; the Senluo Sect was unifying the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and clearing all hostile cultivators.


    As just a Qi refining cultivator, Li Shiming didn¡¯t have to worry too much about being affected.


    However, the most important thing now was to first integrate into the cultivators¡¯ society of Beishu.


    His language and some habits, under the scrutiny of the observant, would reveal differences from those of Beishu.


    Li Shiming had interacted with Beishu Qi refining cultivators, and their speech always carried a distinctive accent.


    With his learning abilities, he just needed more contact with the people of Beishu¡ªhe believed he could quickly resolve the language issue.


    He decided to first interact with ordinary people, and even temporarily live as a commoner, mingling among the people of Beishu.


    Nearby was a city marked on the map, and his first choice was to head to this place called Shimen City.


    The new identity still bore the name Li Shiming; he was registered as a scholar from Shanshi Village. Unfortunately, not long ago, Shanshi Village had been attacked and razed to the ground, except for him, a scholar who had been studying in the city; no other survivors left, which incidentally solidified his identity.


    With the chief clerk taking action, all documents were completed, and he obtained a legitimate proof of identity.


    The reason he chose the identity of a ¡°scholar¡± was because of the convenience it offered for study travels.


    His desire to blend in with the common people didn¡¯t necessarily mean he had to stay in one city.


    In three days, the chief clerk had taken care of everything flawlessly.


    Afterwards, Li Shiming erased the chief clerk¡¯s memory and then moved into the inn under his new identity.


    ¡°Mr. Li, the caravan heading to Guanquan City departs tomorrow. The shopkeeper has already handled the procedures for you. You just need to wait at the door for Captain Zhao at sunrise tomorrow!¡± an attendant knocked and reported to Li Shiming.


    ¡°This is for you,¡± Li Shiming casually threw a few copper coins and waved his hand.


    The attendant happily left the room.


    Li Shiming had gathered some information about the situation in Beishu over the past three days.


    The reason it was only partial was that even the chief clerk of Shimen City couldn¡¯t know too much about the more distant areas.


    What Li Shiming knew so far was just a small part of the situation in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. He was in Northern Border Country, and going deeper into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, there were many kingdoms.


    But recently, there were constant wars, and since Shimen City was on the edge, it was less affected.


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 Chapter 246: 169 Encountering a Fairy_2

    Chapter 246: Chapter 169 Encountering a Fairy_2


    Wars raged between nations, and power struggles ensued within them, plunging everything into chaos.


    According to the information he gathered, there were legends of immortals in Guanquan City. It was said that people had spotted immortals on Guanquan Mountain nearby, which made the Taoist temples there prosper with the burning of incense.


    He didn¡¯t need the help of spiritual energy for now, as his cultivation practice involved condensing the spiritual power within his body each time. The lack of spiritual energy wouldn¡¯t affect his cultivation in the short term.


    Li Shiming decided to live among mortals for a while as planned, to completely transform himself into a person from Beishu.


    Visiting Guanquan Mountain was to prepare for making contact with Beishu¡¯s cultivation world.


    Up till now, he had not found any Beishu cultivators. The region of Beishu was much larger than he had imagined, and without a specific target, he dare not wander around recklessly.


    The next morning, Li Shiming waited at the inn¡¯s entrance for the merchant convoy, which was comprised of forty cargo wagons, five horse-drawn carriages, and forty strong men serving as guards.


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Captain Zhao!¡± Li Shiming greeted Captain Zhao with a Confucian bow.


    ¡°Mr. Li, rest assured, we¡¯ve been traveling this trade route for many years without the slightest problem in safety!¡± Captain Zhao assured him with a smile.


    Li Shiming was arranged to sit in the third carriage. His generous payment guaranteed him the safest spot among the middle carriages.


    Seated in the carriage, he had the whole vehicle to himself, as he had rented it exclusively.


    In terms of silver coins, gold and silver were still the common currency in Beishu. Such things were useless for cultivators, and his storage bag was filled with a large amount of gold, silver, and jewelry, spoils from previous battles.


    He only needed to take out a little, and that would be more than enough for him to squander among the common folk.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± he murmured with a faint smile.


    He was still thinking about making contact with cultivators; little did he expect to find three of them within the convoy.


    It seemed the trip wouldn¡¯t be peaceful. In Beishu, he wasn¡¯t sure, but on Sky Sea Island, cultivators seldom interacted with mortals.


    The three cultivators were clearly hiding from something. Sensing their strength, Li Shiming found the strongest was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, while the other two were at the third level, so he wasn¡¯t too worried.


    With his spiritual thought, Li Shiming seldom had opponents in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    The convoy continued down the road, and he leisurely used his spiritual thought to observe the three cultivators while enjoying the landscape outside the carriage window with his eyes.


    Their path was enveloped by mountains, with the road winding through them.


    In areas near cities, the mountains had been conquered by humans, transformed into terraced fields, with patches of farmhouses occasionally visible at the foot of the mountains.


    The Cultivators in the standoff didn¡¯t pay any attention to the commoners. Whether the commoners stayed nearby or fled made no difference to them.


    They also didn¡¯t notice anything special about Li Shiming, mainly because his strength was far beyond theirs. Additionally, Li Shiming possessed Spiritual Thought, which could isolate the fluctuations of Spiritual Power on his body. At least Cultivators at the same late-stage Qi Refining Realm wouldn¡¯t be able to sense his strength.


    Li Shiming moved back with the caravan, watching the increasingly tense atmosphere amongst the Cultivators with the detached interest of an onlooker at a play.


    The battle commenced in an instant, with talismans and Magic Artifacts flying in all directions.


    Captain Zhao, retreating alongside, glanced over and nearly collapsed to the ground, his legs going weak.


    The rest of the people all knelt, bowing continuously and incessantly pleading for the Immortals to spare their lives.


    Li Shiming paid no heed to these commoners. Saving them once was enough; if they didn¡¯t appreciate their lives and kept near the battlefield, they were responsible for the consequences.


    His attention was on the Cultivators¡¯ fight. After a while, it was clear that the four mid-stage Qi Refiners were overwhelmingly suppressing the three Guan brothers.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before the Guan brothers would be defeated.


    What Li Shiming didn¡¯t expect was that the Loose Cultivators of Beishu were likewise very poor.


    Looking at the talismans and Magic Artifacts they used, the talismans were low-grade, with very few intermediate ones. The best Magic Artifacts were only Mid Grade, and among five mid-stage Qi Refiners, there were only three Mid Grade Magical Artifacts.


    Two of the four mid-stage Qi Refiners that had come together were using Low Grade Magical Artifacts despite being at mid-stage Qi Refining. This showed how impoverished they were, at least in Li Shiming¡¯s view.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, please lend a hand. I am willing to offer the Luo Sen Order as a reward!¡± Suddenly, Guan the Elder called out loudly towards Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was slightly taken aback, but he quickly realized that Guan the Elder had noticed something when he had rescued Captain Zhao.


    ¡°The four of you can leave. I¡¯ll protect these three!¡± Li Shiming wasn¡¯t worried that Guan the Elder would dare to lie. His aura suddenly surged, and the aura of a ninth level Qi Refining Realm burst forth, causing the four mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivators¡¯ expressions to change drastically.


    Guan the Elder, however, let out a sigh of relief. He hadn¡¯t been able to determine Li Shiming¡¯s background, but he had made some guesses.


    He knew very well that if the four opposing Cultivators succeeded, not only would the Luo Sen Order be lost, but the lives of the three brothers would also be at stake.


    Therefore, he would rather take a gamble; if he won, they would survive, and if he lost, it was fate.


    Li Shiming¡¯s reaction let him know he¡¯d won half the bet; the other half depended on Li Shiming¡¯s attitude towards the three brothers.


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 Chapter 247: 170 Combat

    Chapter 247: Chapter 170 Combat


    Four Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators were very sensible, and it could be said that almost all cultivators were extremely sensible when they encountered someone with significantly greater power.


    Although there were cultivators who fought beyond their levels, this absolutely did not occur among Loose Cultivators.


    Were they relying on the mediocre magic artifacts in their hands, or were they relying on talismans whose power was inferior to the spells they cast themselves?


    ¡°Thank you, fellow, for saving my life!¡± Guan the Elder bowed to Li Shiming and said.


    Li Shiming did not speak, but just silently watched him.


    ¡°This is the Senluo Order, please keep it safe!¡± Guan the Elder hastily pretended to realize, and took out a plaque from his storage bag and handed it over.


    Although Li Shiming had never seen the Senluo Order before, as soon as his spiritual thought swept over the plaque, he discovered the trickery involved.


    Since the Senluo Order was issued by the Senluo Sect and was also a symbol of trust, it naturally would not be too ordinary.


    However, the plaque that Guan the Elder took out was carved from spirit wood, and indeed, it had ¡®Senluo Order¡¯ written on it, but the craftsmanship and enchantments used were probably made by an Artifact Maker of Low Grade Magical Artifacts.


    Li Shiming was not a Loose Cultivator; he was also a sect cultivator. If this Senluo Order was real, then on what basis would the Senluo Sect distinguish its authenticity?


    Not to mention other Artifact Makers if even Li Shiming himself, provided he had the materials of spirit wood, could make countless Senluo Orders indistinguishable from the real ones.


    ¡°Why do this? What¡¯s wrong with handing over the real thing? Since you brought out a fake one, then your lives are mine!¡± Li Shiming said indifferently.


    A streak of sword light flashed past, and the head of Guan the Elder soared into the sky, while the still unshocked Guan the Second¡¯s head flew up almost at the same time.


    Only Guan Laosan was left wanting to scream in horror, but found himself unable to move.


    Li Shiming¡¯s spiritual thought swept over, and their storage bags were taken.


    This was the Soul-binding Rope he had acquired from Baili Jin Yan, unfortunately, during his time on Sky Sea Island, he dared not use it.


    Seeing that he was already at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, and would soon be able to attempt Foundation Establishment, if not for the Guan brothers, maybe the set of Soul-binding Rope and Soul Piercing Needle used for coercion would have remained buried in his hands.


    After Foundation Establishment, the use of magical artifacts becomes very minimal.


    Just like the two Top-grade Magical Artifacts, one offensive and one defensive, in the storage bracelet of Baili Jin Yan. When he first acquired them, they were extremely powerful artifacts for Li Shiming but now, Li Shiming could already use Super-grade Magical Artifacts.


    Thus, those two high-end Top-grade Magical Artifacts had lost their value and had become collections commemorating past experiences.


    ¡°What are you going to do? I won¡¯t say anything,¡± Guan Laosan cried out in fear, looking at Li Shiming.


    He was very aware that falling into the hands of a cultivator, some torment was inevitable; he just hoped that Li Shiming¡¯s methods would be somewhat gentler.


    However, when he saw Li Shiming skillfully take out the professional Soul-binding Rope and then another needle-shaped magical artifact, he could no longer feign calm.


    After using the Soul Piercing Needle once, Li Shiming learned all the information he wanted to know, the things he should and shouldn¡¯t have said, and Guan Laosan spilled everything involuntarily.


    Li Shiming finally understood what the Senluo Order was ¡ª in the end, it was just a method by the Senluo Sect to incite chaos among the various cultivator forces.


    The Senluo Sect, being from the Devil¡¯s Path, naturally acted in inexplicably sinister ways, releasing a batch of Senluo Orders and inciting numerous forces in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to scramble over them.


    Although these Cultivation World forces were far weaker in power than the Senluo Sect, their numbers were extremely vast and had ambiguous relationships with the major sects.


    The appearance of the Senluo Order led to continuous conflicts among the forces in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


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 Chapter 248: 170 Combat_2

    Chapter 248: Chapter 170 Combat_2


    Every power wanted the cultivators from their own forces to join the Senluo Sect, so they could establish a connection with the Senluo Sect.


    Under such circumstances, the continuous great battles among the cultivation factions actually accelerated the Senluo Sect¡¯s plan to unify the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    At the same time, the Senluo Order could win over a group of cultivators. Those who could survive and bring the Senluo Order to the Senluo Sect were undoubtedly extremely resourceful, which fit perfectly with the style of the Senluo Sect.


    Li Shiming also obtained the common method of entry and exit to the Beishu Market, as well as the locations of some of the marketplaces.


    When he asked these questions, even Guan Laosan, thick as he was, realized that he wasn¡¯t a cultivator from Beishu.


    As a cultivator from Beishu, how could one not know the common method of entry and exit to the market, especially a cultivator who had reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level? It was even less likely.


    However, Li Shiming didn¡¯t care whether Guan Laosan had guessed anything, because Guan Laosan¡¯s fate was sealed.


    After dealing with Guan Laosan, Li Shiming collected the three storage pouches and put them in the machinery space to use as a storehouse.


    As for the items of the Guan family¡¯s three brothers, he selected a low-grade magic robe and a low-grade sword and collected a few hundred spirit stones. The rest of the junk he buried inside the cave.


    Perhaps many years later, some fortunate youth would dig out these items from the cave. Although these items were useless to Li Shiming, they were still treasures for early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, such as elixir pills and magic artifacts.


    He continued to rest in the cave, pondering over a new plan of action.


    He was no longer completely in the dark, as he now understood the basic situation of the Cultivation World of Beishu.


    The Cultivation World of Beishu was in one word, ¡®chaotic¡¯. The appearance of the Senluo Order was just one small aspect; the main reason was the Senluo Sect continuously eroding the interests of other sects.@@@@


    This had led to small powers within the area originally controlled by various sects scrambling for resources.


    The Senluo Sect, being large and powerful, did not care about these minor resources, but they were great temptations for the smaller powers.


    Moreover, with ambitious powers seeking to grow and some wanting to cut down others and snatch away their goods, the already chaotic situation became even more severe.


    The Senluo Sect¡¯s own style of managing its domain during expansion was also different from conventional sects, plus being in the midst of expanding, it had no time to govern the various powers within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and allowed them to engage in chaos.


    Li Shiming shook his head helplessly; entering the Ten Thousand Great Mountains now was not a good choice. Even if he acted as a Loose Cultivator, he was at constant risk of being mistaken by some power as a spy from another force and killed.


    As he was considering this, his gaze sharpened as he looked outside the cave.


    The oppressive might transformed from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Thought was unsolvable for Qi Refining Cultivators who lacked Spiritual Thought, enough to suppress them both mentally and physically, and in severe cases, even rob them of the ability to move.


    But this time, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator had clearly misjudged his opponents, as both Li Shiming and his clone possessed Spiritual Thoughts, and had even cultivated methods to attack with it.


    In terms of the strength of Spiritual Thought, they were even stronger than the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, so the latter¡¯s oppressive might had no effect whatsoever.


    The clone charged forward, having stood behind his original body all this while. As he burst out, he immediately allowed the Foundation Establishment Cultivator to see his face clearly.


    Having lived for over a century, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still involuntarily taken aback upon seeing the clone¡¯s visage.


    He could hardly imagine that the world contained such a flawless person.


    Yes, flawless. With his century-old perspective, he saw no imperfections in the clone¡¯s visage; it was as if all the beauty of the world was concentrated upon his face.


    Due to the Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s momentary stun, the clone closed in on him, his top-grade magic tool, the Golden Strike Sword, now being used as a close combat weapon, thrust at him.


    This top-grade magic tool was originally a top-grade metal-attribute magic tool refined by Baili Jin Yan; it was just that they had not used the Golden Strike Sword on Sky Sea Island before, so as not to alert Elder Baili.


    Although the Golden Strike Sword was a top-grade magic tool, it could be used as Baili Jin Yan¡¯s primary attack weapon; apart from being among the top in the category of top-grade magic tools, it was also a perfect fit for Baili Jin Yan.


    On the other side, Li Shiming¡¯s original body activated the Shu Mountain Seal, which flew out and immediately enveloped four Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators.


    The four Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators, under the Shu Mountain Seal, couldn¡¯t even twitch, let alone escape.


    With just one strike, the four Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators were completely squashed.


    ¡°You deserve to die!¡± the Foundation Establishment Cultivator roared furiously.


    But this was a feeble rage. With the clone engaging him at close quarters, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator had lost much of his advantage.


    The clone cultivated the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± absolutely overwhelming any cultivator who hadn¡¯t practiced Body Refinement in close combat.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s body had been strengthened during Foundation Establishment, but it still could not compare to the clone who had cultivated the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡± Not to mention that the clone had also absorbed a drop of Golden Core Essence Blood, which made his refinement surpass the strength that should have been present at the Qi Refining level according to the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡±


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivator, entangled by the clone, could only continuously unleash spiritual energy attacks, trying to shake off the clone¡¯s assault, but the clone moved even faster than him, circling around him with the Golden Strike Sword persistently thrusting.


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 Chapter 249: 171: Strength

    Chapter 249: Chapter 171: Strength


    The clone¡¯s every close-range attack carried a massive force, that even if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator used a high-grade defense magic tool to block it, they would still be impacted by the tremendous force.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn¡¯t help but feel panicked in his heart, realizing that he must have encountered a genius cultivator nurtured by a great sect, otherwise how could there be a situation where a Qi Refining cultivator was suppressing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Li Shiming was quietly observing the battle, without any intention of revealing too much unless he was certain he could kill the Foundation Establishment Cultivator in one strike.


    This was the weakest of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, just suitable for practice.


    When he was on Sky Sea Island, he was always extremely cautious, fearful of catching the attention of the sect, and dared not reveal too much.


    But this was Beishu, within the bounds of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains; he had no sect, no friends, no family here, and this left him without any concerns.


    In the battle, the clone seemed to be suppressing the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but the clone didn¡¯t have many ways to deal with the Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    The main issue was that it lacked the ability to kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator; defeating one could be done with faster speed and stronger force, but to kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, one needed to break through their defense.


    Of course, this was under the circumstance where the clone had not used the Third Grade Sword Base, which could only be used when it was absolutely certain it could silence the enemy.


    Li Shiming saw the situation he wanted to grasp; both he and the clone could handle an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, at least in close combat.


    He no longer hesitated, a beam of sword light flew out from his hand and joined the battle.


    His sword light was now much more solid than it was half a year ago, and the Sword Intent within it, much denser.


    As the Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s control over the high-grade defense magic tool became weaker and weaker, its resistance to the clone¡¯s heavy strikes also lowered, and with every heavy hit from the clone, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s body would jolt violently.


    Knowing it couldn¡¯t go on like this or he might die at the hands of two Qi Refining cultivators today, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator gritted his teeth and took out a talisman from his storage bag, having paid a hefty price for this talisman, which could block a strike from a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and just needed a bit of time for him to take out and use his superior attack magic artifact.


    The instant his high-grade defense magic tool was struck down, the talisman was activated, and a ruthless expression crossed his face. The cost had been great this time; he intended to kill the two Qi Refining cultivators and use the contents of their storage bags to compensate for his loss.


    He no longer dodged or defended, trusting the talisman on his body to ward off the two Qi Refining cultivators for a while.


    In this period, he could attack the two Qi Refining cultivators without any reservations, demonstrating the true might of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Upon noticing that the talisman had transformed into a defensive spell, the clone knew the best moment had arrived.


    The Golden Strike Sword in his hand disappeared, replaced by the Third Grade Sword Base, which transformed into a longsword.


    With an extremely standard double-handed thrust, he delivered the most powerful strike since the fight began.


    Although the Third Grade Sword Base wasn¡¯t a genuine Golden Core Magical Treasure, it had breached the skin of a Golden Core Sword Cultivator in actual combat.


    Facing the defense of late-stage Foundation Establishment, the clone¡¯s all-out thrust, aided by the inherent power of the Third Grade Sword Base, pierced through the defense in one strike.


    The Third Grade Sword Base continued to penetrate the Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s body, the tremendous force pushing his body horizontally backward.


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 Chapter 250: 171: Strength_2

    Chapter 250: Chapter 171: Strength_2


    Li Shiming¡¯s true form controlled the sword light that pierced through the brow of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, creating a hole in his head.


    The battle ended, and Li Shiming, watching the life force of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator extinguish, couldn¡¯t help but burst into loud laughter, with his clone joining in, like a pair of madmen.


    All the frustrations he had bottled up for so long were vented out in this one battle.


    In the Sky Sea Sect, he had not received any notice of withdrawal from the sect, only managing to escape Sky Sea Island on a rocket, and nearly became a snack for a sea beast mid-flight.


    He had a lot of resentment suppressed in his heart, which was one of the reasons why he decided to confront the Foundation Establishment Cultivator head-on.


    He needed a thoroughly exhilarating fight; he needed to rid himself of the pent-up grievances.


    As it turned out, this was extremely effective.


    He and his clone were essentially one entity, and killing this Foundation Establishment Cultivator signified that he possessed the combat strength to kill those in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.


    This confidence was very important, and it would lead to a shift in his mindset.


    Both he and his clone felt the Spiritual Power in their bodies becoming more active, with the clone almost unable to suppress the urge to break through.


    His clone had long since reached the moment for breakthrough, but of course, one had to consider not only the possibility of the clone aiding the true form¡¯s cultivation but also the environment for the breakthrough.


    The clone needed an environment with at least standard levels of Spiritual Energy for cultivation before even considering a breakthrough.


    Not just the clone¡ªafter a while, when the Spiritual Energy Vortex within Li Shiming¡¯s true form compressed to a certain extent, he too would need to consider the cultivation environment essential for Spiritual Energy.


    No longer was he someone who could satisfy his cultivation demands with a simple ¡°Spirit Gathering Array¡± even in the mortal world; both he at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement and his clone needed a considerable level of Spiritual Energy environment.


    Li Shiming collected all the storage bags; the Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s storage bag was pretty good, a thirty cubic meters storage bag activated by Spiritual Thought.


    As for the storage bags of the four Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators, he just glanced over them quickly before chucking the four bags into the mechanical room¡¯s space to serve as a warehouse.


    In the Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s storage bag, he found a compass, which showed a shining spot on it.


    After some experimentation, he discovered that this compass was designed specifically for tracking the Senluo Order, and he even found the mark of the Senluo Sect on one corner of the compass.


    This must have been intentionally released by the Senluo Sect to make it more difficult for those returning the Senluo Order, generating more chaos.


    This was the sensing ability of a high-level Array Master towards the Array Formation Starlight Sea. He took out a hooded cloak with a veil, which hid his features; found within the storage bag of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it was likely for convenient entry and exit into markets.


    Although the hooded cloak was not a magical artifact, the veil was made from some kind of spiritual material and could block the prying of Spiritual Thoughts.


    Li Shiming arrived at the mouth of the valley and channeled spiritual power to cast a spell at the formation there, revealing a passageway.


    In fact, the formation was not complicated, and even without the spell, he could have entered, but being discovered by a cultivator would have attracted trouble.


    Stepping into the passageway, his Spiritual Thought swept over the valley¡¯s formation, perceiving every spiritual power line within the formation very clearly.


    This formation was not recorded in his Array Formation Starlight Sea, but with the computing power of an IBM z15, exploring a not too complex formation was not difficult.


    He was being cautious in case something unexpected happened in the market; if so, he would be able to leave the valley easily and without being affected by the formation.


    Walking into the market, which was more akin to a settlement of Wei¡¯s Immortal Family that had carved out an area to serve as the market.


    The benefit of this was that the safety of the market could be ensured, knowing that Wei¡¯s Immortal Family, which had considerable strength in this area, had Foundation Establishment Cultivators stationed here all year round.


    Of course, Wei¡¯s Immortal Family¡¯s settlement was naturally not a place they would allow outsiders to approach, but one could see the buildings of Wei¡¯s Immortal Family from the market.


    This market was no different from the one on Sky Sea Island, also consisting of two parts: a section for itinerant stalls and another for fixed shops.


    Today was clearly not a special event day, so there weren¡¯t many itinerant stalls or visitors in the market.


    ¡°Not many¡± was relative to the size of the market, with seemingly twenty to thirty customers, fewer than the number of stalls and shops.


    But one must realize that the vast majority of cultivators who come here have the intention to buy, and cultivators with no such intention would have no reason to visit the market.


    Li Shiming walked among the itinerant stalls, observing the Spiritual Objects for sale.


    The Spiritual Objects for sale here were all necessary for Qi Refining cultivators, but comparing just the itinerant stalls, one could deduce the richness of Beishu compared to the market on Sky Sea Island.


    In the market of Sky Sea Island, resources for late-stage Qi Refinement were rarely seen, as mostly early-stage and middle-stage resources were sold. Resources for late-stage Qi Refinement had to be either obtained from the sect or personally acquired by slaying sea beasts in the sea.


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 Chapter 251: 172 Market District

    Chapter 251: Chapter 172 Market District


    Li Shiming saw several stalls selling elixir pills, which was also a rare sight on Sky Sea Island.


    On Sky Sea Island, alchemy rarely occurred among Loose Cultivators; even if some delved into alchemy, they could only produce the most basic elixir pills.


    The real elixirs for Qi Refining Mid and Later Stage Cultivators often required sea beast inner cores as ingredients, which were beyond Loose Cultivators¡¯ reach.


    Yet here, he had seen elixirs for sale that Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivators could consume, openly displayed on the stalls.


    Li Shiming passed the first fixed shop, which sold magic artifacts; he did not enter but used his Spiritual Thought to scan the interior and saw everything clearly.


    The artifacts in the shop were complete, ranging from low-grade to top-grade, all clearly priced on the first floor.


    Every artifact was accompanied by a scroll depicting the artifact¡¯s shape and size and providing descriptions below; nothing was hidden, and the selling price in spirit stones was also marked.


    Clearly laid out, this also deterred Cultivators who didn¡¯t have enough spirit stones from attempting to haggle.


    Upon assessing the value of the artifacts, he had only one thought: ¡®expensive¡¯. The prices for all artifacts were 30% higher than on Sky Sea Island, especially top-grade magic tools, which were more than double.


    Having passed several shops, Li Shiming¡¯s understanding of the Cultivation World of Beishu deepened.


    Perhaps due to the greater resources and larger number of cultivators in Beishu, resources here were more abundant than on Sky Sea Island, but it was precisely because of the large number of cultivators that competition for resources was fiercer.


    This caused the value of magic artifacts to be inflated, as having more powerful artifacts could give one a voice in the competition.


    On the other hand, resources for cultivation like elixir pills were relatively cheaper, allowing cultivators an easier path to cultivation.


    On Sky Sea Island, only those with sufficient talent were permitted to join major sects, while minor sects had slightly lower requirements for talent. However, those with spirit root seeds like the five elements were only recruited by minor sects on Sky Sea Island to perform menial tasks, with virtually no opportunity for cultivation.


    ¡°This is a map perfected by our clan¡¯s travelling cultivators, covering up to ten thousand miles,¡± the old cultivator said, conveying a look that said ¡®you know your stuff,¡¯ as he handed over the booklet.


    After paying the spirit stones, Li Shiming received the booklet.


    The map was comprehensive, detailing not only geographical features but also the power distribution of various forces and the locations of marketplaces.


    Crucially, this map was geared towards Qi Refining cultivators, with dangerous areas beyond their realm clearly marked with warnings.


    Li Shiming nodded, storing the map away.


    Just as he was about to leave the bookstore, he suddenly heard a thunderous roar outside; it seemed even the marketplace¡¯s ground began to shake and tremble.


    His expression changed as the Array Formation Starlight Sea picked up intense fluctuations in the formation; this was caused by an attack on the market¡¯s external formation.


    Some cultivators were forcefully attacking the marketplace¡¯s formation, and their strength had to be beyond the Qi Refinement Realm to cause such a disturbance.


    ¡°Do not act rashly, the Wei Family cultivators will take care of everything!¡± The old cultivator was also startled, and he watched Li Shiming warily as he issued his warning.


    It seemed the old cultivator was worried Li Shiming might take advantage of the chaos, given that Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation was much stronger than his.


    Li Shiming did not say more and left the shop, which the old cultivator quickly shut behind him.


    The marketplace had descended into chaos, with shops closing, and patrons and stallholders running; some headed towards the exits, others towards the Wei Family¡¯s residence, hoping to find safety there.


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 Chapter 252: 172 Fang Market_2

    Chapter 252: Chapter 172 Fang Market_2


    Li Shiming was very clear in his heart that it was best not to go to either side at this time.


    In the face of unclear circumstances, the best choice was to find a place to hide first.


    His figure arrived at the valley wall, which was enveloped by a formation, preventing any cultivator from approaching.@@@@


    Yet, he stepped out in a strange sequence, entering the formation by following the direction of the Spiritual Power Pattern.


    Afterward, he took out several formation flags and planted them on the valley wall, forming a small isolation formation around himself.


    With the Wei family¡¯s formation as a cover, it wasn¡¯t so easy to discover this small isolation formation.


    ¡°Does this count as watching from the wall?¡± Li Shiming said, chuckling to himself.


    He wasn¡¯t too worried. He had seen Foundation Establishment cultivators before, and even in the worst-case scenario, he could rely on Sword Escape and his control over formations to escape.


    At this moment, the formation at the valley entrance was broken, and three Foundation Establishment cultivators led more than thirty Qi Refining cultivators into the market.


    ¡°The Tie Family is on official business; no cultivator is to move, violators will be killed!¡± A group of Qi Refining cultivators shouted at the panicked cultivators at the valley entrance.


    There were only about a dozen cultivators at the valley entrance, and not even a single Foundation Establishment cultivator among them. Faced with the formidable Tie Family, they were all scared stiff, not daring to resist.


    A group of Qi Refining cultivators from the Tie Family easily subdued these cultivators without a fight occurring.


    The doors of permanent shops were tightly shut but, after a warning from the group of Qi Refining cultivators from the Tie Family, one by one, they reopened the doors, and the cultivators inside came out, obediently allowing themselves to be tied up.


    The Wei family encampment was very quiet; even the dozen or so cultivators who had fled there were blocked outside the encampment, with no Wei family cultivators coming out to meet them.


    The Tie Family cultivators acted quickly, subduing all the cultivators, and as long as there was no resistance, there was no killing.


    This reassured the cultivators who had been drawn into the dispute somewhat, but the loss of their belongings this time was inevitable.


    The storage bags and personal items of each cultivator were confiscated, leaving them with nothing but their clothes.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the Tie Family cultivators arrived outside the Wei family encampment, with three Foundation Establishment cultivators standing at three different positions.


    ¡°Wei Lin, don¡¯t think about waiting for other Wei family cultivators anymore. Before coming here, the Hu family had already started encircling and attacking them!¡± said the Foundation Establishment cultivator in the center, amplifying his Spiritual Energy.


    ¡°The Tie and Hu families have teamed up, huh? This formation of the Wei family was built by a high-level Array Master. If you have the energy, keep attacking!¡± Wei Lin suppressed his anger and responded from within the encampment.


    Li Shiming was unaware of how the Wei family had managed to enlist such a High-level Array Master to work on these formations, which he found to be astonishing.


    The cultivators of the Wei family¡¯s residence were all gathered at one spot, right at the entrance of the residence, where a defensive layer of the formation stood against the cultivators from the Tie Clan.


    This gave Li Shiming more opportunities and spared him the worry of detection.


    The Spiritual Energy within the residence was incredibly dense, which meant there would be no ordinary people present.


    His figure flickered between buildings, his Spiritual Thought carefully stretching out, sweeping over each area.


    The Defensive Array of the Wei family¡¯s residence had already been sketched in a general blueprint within the IBMz15 and was continuously being refined as he extended his Spiritual Thought throughout the residence.


    Li Shiming now had a clear target, unlike his previous random search.


    He moved closer to the mountain at the rear of the Wei family¡¯s residence, becoming more cautious the closer he got.


    His Spiritual Thought sensed a fluctuation of breath near the spirit vein within the Wei family¡¯s residence¡ªthere were cultivators stationed there.


    After a brief hesitation, he immediately made up his mind.


    He threw out seventy-two array flags from his hands, each flag merging into the Defensive Array of the residence upon touching the ground and disappearing from sight.


    Soon, all seventy-two array flags vanished, the formation at the mountain position was completely under his control, and he also severed the connection with the operator of the formation, as the seventy-two array flags continuously sent out fabricated information to the operator.


    After doing all this, he approached the back mountain wall where a concealed door, hidden by the formation, offered no resistance, allowing him passage.


    This was a cave mansion; the spirit vein was right at the center of the main hall, where a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the early-stage Foundation Establishment sat cross-legged.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The cultivator, startled, raised his head and looked toward Li Shiming, who wore a hooded cloak and a veil to mask his face, and asked in a deep voice.


    He recognized Li Shiming as a Qi Refining Cultivator, someone within his control, which is why he didn¡¯t attack immediately, choosing instead to question him.


    But Li Shiming saw that this early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator appeared aged. Under normal circumstances, a cultivator¡¯s facial aging process is very slow, and generally, cultivators don¡¯t place too much importance on appearances, so they rarely practice techniques to preserve their looks, which would waste their own Spiritual Energy.


    The aging of this early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was not just in appearance but in vitality, heading towards the end of his life span.


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 Chapter 253: 173 Fisherman

    Chapter 253: Chapter 173 Fisherman


    The early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator¡¯s body did not move, but he was already prepared to take action.


    He still harbored doubts, thinking that apart from the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of his own clan, even the younger generation was not aware of this place¡ªit was the greatest secret of the clan.


    The appearance of a Qi Refining Cultivator here was so peculiar that he couldn¡¯t make sense of it.


    He wanted to use the Formation to contact Wei Lin outside, to ask about the Qi Refining Cultivator before making a decision.


    Li Shiming, however, did not hesitate in the slightest; a Spiritual Thought Jade Sword shot out and struck the early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator.


    If it had been a normal early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he would not have dared to attack with a Spiritual Thought Jade Sword.


    Spiritual Thought attacks are a double-edged sword; when one¡¯s Spiritual Thought is stronger than the opponent¡¯s, the attack becomes the most powerful means of offense, but if it¡¯s weaker, initiating such an attack could backfire on the attacker¡¯s spirit.


    The early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator in front of him was already in a state of decline, probably seldom moving his body in an attempt to live longer.


    Such an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, despite his more refined Spiritual Power, was at the lowest ebb of both body and spirit.


    Indeed, as soon as Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought Jade Sword flew out, the early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator sensed his Spiritual Thought attack, but he could not react in time due to long disuse of his body.


    Besides, the speed of the Spiritual Thought Jade Sword was even faster than a real flying sword; even if he had been prepared, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge it in the not-so-large hall.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator let out a miserable scream.


    However, he was after all an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator; even weakened by old age, he was not someone who could be injured by a single Spiritual Thought Jade Sword.


    This method was extremely effective; from the beginning of the battle, the early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator was in constant pain, unable to counterattack at all.


    After dozens of attacks, the defense Spiritual Artifact finally lost its effectiveness and fell to the ground. The true form¡¯s sword swept across the early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator¡¯s neck, decapitating him.


    The clone¡¯s Spiritual Thought swept over, moving the blood and corpse aside.


    With the early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator¡¯s body moved, Li Shiming saw a jade floor where the Elderly Cultivator had sat, with complex patterns on it, made from Formation material¡ªthe core control of the Formation.


    The High-level Array Master who designed the Wei family¡¯s Formation had truly put in a lot of effort, presumably also considering that there were no Cultivators skilled in Formations in the Wei family, and had specially created this foolproof Formation control core.


    No wonder Li Shiming had used seventy-two Formation flags to seal the cave dwelling from the outside and had not been discovered; it turned out that the controller of the Formation core was this early-stage Foundation Establishment Elderly Cultivator who knew nothing about Formations.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought penetrated the Formation control core, immediately understanding the entire Formation like the back of his hand.


    In the Formation of the Wei family¡¯s residence, every node, every Spiritual Power circuit, all access was now under his control.


    He saw that the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Tie Clan were still attacking, but the frequency of their attacks was no longer as intense.


    It made sense; with the prolonged expenditure of energy, even without a battle, the continuous casting of attacks would lead to excessive consumption of Spiritual Power, leaving no room to talk about killing the Cultivators of the Wei family¡¯s residence.


    With a thought, Li Shiming manipulated the Formation and opened a passageway in front of one of the early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Tie Clan.


    This early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Tie Clan sent his Magic Artifact charging into the Formation, thinking he had broken through, and instinctually dashed into the Wei family¡¯s residence.


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 Chapter 254: 173 Fisherman_2

    Chapter 254: Chapter 173 Fisherman_2


    Just as he passed through the defensive layer of the formation, the Defensive Array recovered itself.


    The other two Tie Clan Foundation Establishment Cultivators, seeing this situation, couldn¡¯t help but be stunned; the formation in front of them had not been broken.


    They hurriedly went to check the spot where the early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Tie Clan had been, but the Defensive Array still blocked them.


    ¡°This is bad, Laosan has fallen into a trap!¡± exclaimed the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Tie Clan as he turned to loudly instruct the more than thirty cultivators who followed, ¡°Come over here, attack all at once!¡±


    By now, they could only give their all to break through the formation; otherwise, the early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Tie Clan might very well perish within.


    Although the offensive power of the thirty-some Qi Refining Cultivators was limited, every bit of strength contributed to draining some energy from the formation.


    It was an act of desperation, as they couldn¡¯t simply afford to lose a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Tie Clan without consequence; that would be a severe blow to the Tie Clan.


    The Cultivation World was now rife with chaos; with one less Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the Tie Clan would lose all offensive capability and only be able to defend itself.


    After a period of time, once other families grew stronger, the Tie Clan would perish at the hands of other immortal forces, just like the Wei family.


    The early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Tie Clan who had dashed into the residence locked eyes with Wei Lin, who had no idea how the Tie Clan¡¯s early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator had gotten in.


    Now, talk was useless; they could only fight.


    Both sides wielded Super-grade Magical Artifacts, and the collision of two Super-grade Sword Artifacts produced a clang of metal.


    Both being early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators and very familiar with each other, the fight was intense from the start.


    A Wei Family¡¯s Qi Refining Cultivator got caught in the aftershocks of the battle, was thrown straight out, hit a wall, and heavily fell to the ground, spitting blood and scattering in breath.


    ¡°You all, retreat to the back!¡± Wei Lin ordered loudly.


    The cultivators originally stationed at Wei¡¯s residence were few, mostly including juniors from the family and several cultivators from outside the family brought up from childhood.


    But whether they were family juniors or from outside, all were cultivators of Wei¡¯s, and he was reluctant to lose any of them.


    Regretting in his heart, he thought, if not for most of the family¡¯s cultivators having gone to fight for spirit ore, how could they have ended up relying entirely on formations.


    Wei Family¡¯s Qi Refining Cultivators, desperately trying to distance themselves from the battlefield of the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, suddenly found that the surrounding formations had sealed off the area, leaving them no escape.


    This was naturally the doing of Li Shiming, who had trapped the Tie Clan¡¯s early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Wei Lin, and a group of Wei Family¡¯s Qi Refining Cultivators together; a spectacle was guaranteed in this fight.


    How could the Tie Clan¡¯s early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator just watch the Wei Family¡¯s Qi Refining Cultivators flee; being able to kill more of Wei¡¯s Qi Refining Cultivators could definitely affect Wei Lin¡¯s state of mind.


    He was well aware that another early-stage elderly cultivator was in control of the formation. Though the old cultivator was decrepit, dealing with a severely injured Tie Laosan here would be no problem.


    Both sides were full of confidence, glaring angrily at each other.


    At that moment, a figure approached from behind, prompting Tie Laosan and Wei Lin to quickly look over.


    Wei Lin thought it was a clan cultivator, and Tie Laosan thought the same. However, upon seeing the person¡¯s face, Wei Lin was first stunned and then hesitant.


    The newcomer was an incarnation, and Tie Laosan, sensing the incarnation¡¯s Qi Refining Ninth Level strength, grew despondent.


    ¡°To think I¡¯d die by the hand of a pretty boy, what an indignity!¡± Tie Laosan, unable to mount any attack, had only his defiant words left.


    Even facing death, he still mocked the incarnation¡¯s appearance.


    The response to his mockery was a flash of sword light. The Golden Strike Sword flew out, piercing through his skull.


    The Golden Strike Sword emerged from the back of Tie Laosan¡¯s head and turned towards Wei Lin, piercing his skull under his resentful and bewildered gaze.


    The incarnation began collecting the storage bags left on the ground in an unhurried manner, gathering all the bags, and then he took out thirty-six array flags, which were his last.


    He placed the thirty-six array flags in various locations around the Wei residence.


    With the integration of the thirty-six array flags, the formation¡¯s overall controllability and defensive power were further enhanced.


    In the cave dwelling, Li Shiming smiled. A high-level array master, along with a carefully arranged high-level formation and top-grade spirit veins, were sufficient to ward off attacks from Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    He was not like the previous Wei family cultivators, ignorant of formation knowledge.


    In his hands, the effectiveness of this formation would be brought out to two hundred percent.


    That is to say, at least in the absence of a Golden Core cultivator, this Wei residence belonged to him.


    As for what to do if a Golden Core cultivator appeared, if one came, he would naturally use the formation to block the Golden Core cultivator for a while, then flee far away and abandon this place.


    Besides, if there really was a Golden Core cultivator among the loose cultivators, they wouldn¡¯t covet such minor properties of the Wei¡¯s Immortal Family, as the cost of hiring a Golden Core cultivator would likely exceed the value of taking over the Wei family¡¯s properties.


    Li Shiming had not expected to gain the upper hand so easily; he had only intended to take advantage of certain troubles in the Wei family to extract some benefits from them.


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 Chapter 255: 174 Profit

    Chapter 255: Chapter 174 Profit


    ¡°`


    ¡°I should cultivate here for a while; the ideal outcome would be for me to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage,¡± Li Shiming thought to himself.@@@@


    The unexpected acquisition of the Wei family¡¯s residence, protected by such a powerful formation, gave him the idea to stay and cultivate.


    If he were to join the Thousand Illusion Sect, he would have to go there first. Given the current circumstances, passing through the Ten Thousand Great Mountains would be extremely troublesome.


    If he became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he might have some self-preservation abilities along the way.


    Besides, he had already reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level. If it weren¡¯t for the Beishu Mingxin Sect¡¯s invasion, he might have already applied for a cultivation room in the Sky Sea Sect.


    Just like Yin Shilan, he could have cultivated in a cultivation room for several months before attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The allure of the Foundation Establishment Stage for Qi Refining Cultivators was immense, and it was no different for Li Shiming.


    The lifespan of a Qi Refining Cultivator was one hundred and fifty years, whereas a Foundation Establishment Cultivator had a lifespan of two hundred years. In terms of life form, Foundation Establishment Cultivators were more advanced than Qi Refining Cultivators and represented the necessary path to the Golden Core.


    Why had Li Shiming forsaken a life of worldly glory and riches to pursue the path of cultivation? It was the hope for a prolonged, superior life. Having transmigrated only once, he ought to have some different dreams.


    He called out the main spirit of the ¡®Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique,¡¯ split it into ten soul fragments, and sent them flying toward the mountain peaks next to the valley, taking high positions to monitor the surroundings.


    As for the Tie Clan cultivators attacking the formation in the valley, he didn¡¯t bother with them.


    Because there was no need to bother. Now that he was in control of the formation, if he, a High-level Array Master, with such favorable conditions, still allowed Foundation Establishment Cultivators to breach it, he would truly disgrace his knowledge of formations.


    The only thing he worried about were formidable Golden Core cultivators. Releasing the soul fragments was a precaution against the slim possibility of such a threat.


    Li Shiming shook his head. He didn¡¯t know if this was the warehouse of the Wei family or that of an early-stage Foundation Establishment elderly cultivator. If it was the Wei family¡¯s warehouse, then the Wei family¡¯s wealth seemed a little meager.


    Little did he know, the Wei¡¯s Immortal Family needed to support several Foundation Establishment Cultivators in their cultivation, and the expenses were significant. Being able to save some spirit stones was already quite commendable.


    The library he didn¡¯t value much was the fruit of the Wei family¡¯s generations of collection.


    The second-grade spiritual medicines had been collected in the past year, and once they reached a certain amount, they would be used to concoct elixirs for the family¡¯s Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    As for other spiritual objects, they were all held by the various Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the family; they weren¡¯t things to be left in a warehouse gathering dust.


    Li Shiming took the storage bag of the early-stage Foundation Establishment elderly cultivator. There were no spirit stones in the bag, nor were there many spiritual objects.


    Other than a self-defense spiritual artifact previously known as the ¡®Red Copper Fire Refining Bell,¡¯ the elderly cultivator also owned an offensive spiritual artifact dubbed the ¡®Red Copper Heaven and Earth Stick.¡¯


    What Li Shiming did not know was that this elderly cultivator was the most senior and respected within the Wei family and was also a Talisman Maker capable of crafting Foundation Establishment Talismans. Naturally, his personal wealth was the richest in the clan.


    As he aged, he had passed on the majority of his assets to the clan, leaving behind just two spiritual artifacts for offense and defense.


    Even these two artifacts would be inherited by a clan cultivator after his demise.


    Besides these, the storage bag contained a talisman pen whose brilliance far surpassed any that Li Shiming had used in the past.


    There was also an ordinary jade scroll, which he placed on his forehead. It contained a legacy of talisman making, the personal heritage of the early-stage Foundation Establishment elderly cultivator.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 256: 174 Profit_2

    Chapter 256: Chapter 174 Profit_2


    Unfortunately, Li Shiming was not at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and had not learned the Foundation Establishment Stage Techniques, so he would have to wait until he advanced to Foundation Establishment to learn this inheritance.


    The rest of the storage bag contained some second-grade talisman materials, which were still somewhat valuable.


    Li Shiming thought about the various buildings at the residence, and his external incarnation had already entered one of the buildings, beginning to search through it.


    As he searched through one building after another, his disappointment grew; there were storehouses within the other buildings, but they all contained only Qi Refinement Realm materials, which were not very valuable.


    There were no Spiritual Artifacts in the storage bags of Wei Lin and Tie Laosan, especially Tie Laosan, who, after having detonated a Super-grade Magical Artifact, no longer possessed any.


    Wei Lin was not much better than Tie Laosan; the only Super-grade Magical Artifact he had was damaged by the explosion of Tie Laosan¡¯s during combat and was considered beyond repair in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes.


    However, inside Tie Laosan¡¯s storage bag, Li Shiming found a Secret Technique, which piqued his interest¡ªit was the very Secret Technique Tie Laosan used to detonate his Super-grade Magical Artifact.


    This Secret Technique was not overly complicated. Tie Laosan enjoyed Artifact Refining and, despite his modest skill, had a flexible mind, discovering a way to render a Magic Artifact internally unstable during the refining process.


    The technique did significant harm to the Artifact¡¯s owner, but the explosive power of the Artifact¡¯s self-destruction was also formidable, dependent on the quality of the Artifact and the blood essence its owner sacrificed.


    In a desperate act, Tie Laosan spat out three mouthfuls of blood essence, causing his Super-grade Magical Artifact to self-destruct and severely injure Wei Lin, a cultivator of the same rank.


    Even Li Shiming, who had a considerable fortune, couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the sight of this technique¡ªit was like using Spirit Stones to strike at someone.


    However, in a moment of grave danger, it could serve as an excellent lifesaving method.


    What interested him was not the technique itself, but the thought process behind it. Given time to study Artifact Refining, Li Shiming might be able to perfect the technique, reducing self-harm and increasing the power of the explosion.


    After turning the entire Wei family¡¯s residence upside down, the useful Spiritual Objects he found included a huge Pill Furnace.


    This Pill Furnace was fueled by a type of spirit carbon, which was stored next to the furnace in a fifty-cubic-meter storage bag, filled to the brim.


    Li Shiming collected all the Spiritual Objects he could, and even gathered the gold and silver. With plenty of storage bags at his disposal, he didn¡¯t mind the trouble.


    ¡°Fellow, go check over there!¡± Li Shiming, seated at the Formation¡¯s control core, while examining a complete Formation diagram provided by IBMz15, spotted an anomaly at one location.


    His external incarnation, with a handsome smile, rose and walked toward the spot.


    It was not far from the cave dwelling, just thirty meters away, but the existence of a blank space within the Formation was odd.


    His external incarnation¡¯s Spiritual Thought swept over the area, detecting no abnormalities.


    But the absence of any peculiarities was the greatest oddity; given that he intentionally used Spiritual Thought to search the area, this section of the wall being within the Formation should have elicited some reaction from the Formation¡¯s energy.


    He still didn¡¯t choose to attack the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, as that would have been useless. Instead, he targeted the group of Qi Refining Cultivators who were sitting together.


    Suddenly appearing, the Shu Mountain Seal transformed into a mountain and heavily smashed down towards the group of Qi Refining Cultivators who were resting.


    The resting group of Qi Refining Cultivators hadn¡¯t anticipated being attacked at all, as there were two Foundation Establishment Cultivators from their clan not far away; they were almost in a completely relaxed state.


    As the Shu Mountain Seal transformed into a mountain, a binding force restrained the Qi Refining Cultivators within its range.


    With a ¡°boom,¡± twelve Qi Refining Cultivators from the Tie Clan were crushed by the mountain, turning into meat patties.


    The Shu Mountain Seal that smashed down quickly shrank and turned into a beam of spiritual light that flew back into the formation.


    Everything happened so quickly. The longest preparatory period for the Shu Mountain Seal took place inside the formation, and the actual attack and the Seal¡¯s return took less than a moment.


    By the time Tie Laoda and Tie Laoer thought to rescue their junior clansmen, they were already a step too late.


    ¡°Quick, move back further!¡± Tie Laoda shouted angrily.


    The loss of the twelve Qi Refining Cultivators from the Tie Clan cut him like a knife.


    Although Cultivation Families searched for children with spirit root seeds not only from their own lineage but also from everywhere to bring back and raise in the clan, to truly raise them into Qi Refining Cultivators with substantial combat power in the mid to late stages requires a tremendous amount of resources and effort.


    This strike reduced the Tie Clan¡¯s upcoming talents by a third.


    He stared hatefully towards the formation, unable to see who the attacking Cultivator was, but his hatred for the Wei family reached its peak.


    Li Shiming smiled as he put away the Shu Mountain Seal; indeed, the Shu Mountain Seal was very useful, giving its best performance both times he used it.


    Regrettably, recharging the Shu Mountain Seal was quite troublesome; an uncharged Seal would be much weaker.


    Needless to say, among those killed by his attack were four late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators; he had chosen the spot where the largest number of late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators were gathered.


    He didn¡¯t use Sword Intent, nor did he use any unconventional methods; it was purely the Spiritual Power of a Qi Refining Ninth Level combined with the power of the Shu Mountain Seal.


    If he had used other super-grade Magical Artifacts, he would have been able to kill at most one or two late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators instantly, which would have been an excellent feat.


    ¡°Another group of Cultivators is coming!¡± His soul-sharing clone, who was monitoring from the top of the mountain, sent a warning, and he saw a group of Cultivators flying towards them through the clone¡¯s vision.


    Li Shiming paid close attention for a while and didn¡¯t find anyone with strength exceeding that of a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, let alone the Golden Core Cultivator he was most worried about.


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 Chapter 257: 175: Foundation Establishment

    Chapter 257: Chapter 175: Foundation Establishment


    Three months had passed since Li Shiming took up residence in the Wei Family¡¯s stronghold, and during this period, the Tie Clan and the Hu immortal family had used every trick in the book, yet they still hadn¡¯t managed to breach the stronghold¡¯s formation.


    In a fit of rage, they set fire to the marketplaces outside.


    After leaving behind a number of Qi Refining Cultivators, the two families left; however, once they were out of the valley, Li Shiming, through his divided soul, saw that they were lying in ambush just outside the valley, ready to launch an attack as soon as any cultivator from the Wei Family stronghold emerged to attack the Qi Refining Cultivators left behind.


    Unfortunately for them, their plan was entirely ineffective. Li Shiming couldn¡¯t be bothered with them and let the few Qi Refining Cultivators stay in the valley.


    He cultivated daily using the top-grade spirit veins, and with the help of his clone, he had raised his Spiritual Power to the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer in three months.


    However, reaching the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer did not mean he could break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage; he still needed to regulate the spiritual power within his body.


    Of course, if he didn¡¯t care about having good prospects within the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could choose to break through directly. He believed that with the guarantee of seven Foundation Establishment Pills, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage shouldn¡¯t pose too much of a problem.


    But he wouldn¡¯t dare to do so. He needed to establish a very solid foundation before attempting the breakthrough.


    In the main hall of the cave dwelling, Li Shiming sat with his eyes tightly closed, his consciousness connected to the IBMz15.


    As soon as he had moved in three months ago, he assigned a new research topic to the IBMz15.


    That was to use the resources at hand to set up an array that, in conjunction with the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡¯ would balance the Five Elements Spiritual Power.


    This method, recorded in the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡¯ was said to increase the success rate of breakthroughs and also purify spiritual power during the conversion process.


    During his time on Sky Sea Island, Li Shiming had been cautioned by numerous cultivators, including Golden Core cultivators, that his physique was too strong; it far exceeded his spiritual cultivation level, which paradoxically decreased his chances of breakthrough.


    On the ground of the stronghold, a web of rudimentary formation lines linked various nodes throughout the stronghold together.


    This was the state of the stronghold without the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ activated. Once activated, these formation lines would merge into the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ and would no longer be visible.


    This had been a massive undertaking which he and his clone had busied themselves with for many days to complete.


    Today was the most critical moment, the final part of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡¯


    Carefully, he placed the Second Grade Iron Spirit Wood, green crystals, Flame Crystals, Binding Soil Stones, and wood-iron at the five converging points of Spiritual Power lines in the main hall.


    ¡°Activate!¡± He uttered softly, and the entire Wei Family stronghold shook briefly.


    The few Qi Refining Cultivators in the valley felt it too, but after merely watching the entrance of the stronghold for a while and noticing nothing else, they paid it no further attention.


    The few Qi Refining Cultivators left in the valley were no longer from the Tie Clan and the Hu immortal family, but were Loose Cultivators tasked with a mission.


    For these Qi Refining Cultivators, their only job was to report when someone entered or left the stronghold; they were unconcerned with anything else.


    Li Shiming released his Spiritual Thought, sensing the operation of the formations around him.


    Since the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ had only been simulated by the IBMz15 and not actually implemented, everything still needed to be verified through practice.


    All around the Wei Family stronghold, the formation lines glowed, drawing the Five Elements Power from the formations, channeling it towards the main hall along the Spiritual Power lines.


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 Chapter 258: 175: Foundation Establishment_2

    Chapter 258: Chapter 175: Foundation Establishment_2


    The ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± was activated, and the array spirit objects created from five second-grade Five Elements Array materials emitted five different glows.


    Gold, green, blue, red, and yellow, these five colors respectively represented the attributes of the five second-grade Five Elements Array spirit objects.


    Li Shiming¡¯s true form sat at the center of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± where the most core element wasn¡¯t the five array spirit objects, but himself.@@@@


    As his true form began to practice the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡± the five kinds of light passed through his body and the Spiritual Energy Vortex simultaneously.


    He felt his Spiritual Energy Vortex become one with the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± and he could almost sense the entire residence¡¯s formation operating in unison with him.


    Under the spinning of his Spiritual Energy Vortex, the Five Elements Power from the residence¡¯s formation was gathered atop the five second-grade Five Elements spiritual objects, connecting to his Spiritual Energy Vortex through these five nodes.


    Originally, the spiritual power within his Spiritual Energy Vortex was of a single attribute, the Gold Attribute, but now, with the operation of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± part of the Gold Attribute was transformed into the Wood Attribute.


    A portion of the Wood Attribute Spiritual Power then changed into the Water Attribute, and when the Water Attribute Spiritual Power reached a certain amount, a part of it transformed into the Fire Attribute, followed by the Earth Attribute.


    Finally, Earth Attribute turned back into Gold Attribute, forming a closed loop, and the Five Elements were completed within his Spiritual Energy Vortex for the first time.


    Li Shiming was astonished to discover that with each conversion of spiritual power¡¯s attribute, it became even more pure.


    And during this transformation process, a ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± was also forming inside his body.


    He wasn¡¯t particularly worried because, in his view, the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in his Spiritual Energy Vortex was merely the result of the external influence of the five array spirit objects and the Wei family¡¯s residence formation working together.


    He believed that once he halted the external ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± the one within his Spiritual Energy Vortex would disappear.


    Experiencing a formation inside his body was a novel sensation.


    He deliberately adjusted the position of the internal ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± to better align it with the flow of spiritual energy within him.


    Not knowing how much time had passed, Li Shiming felt extremely hungry. He sent a sliver of consciousness to his avatar, which provided his true form with spirit food and spirit water to relieve the hunger.


    After taking care of this, he regained his full focus on the task at hand, knowing that such a crucial moment was not the time to let his concentration waver.


    Time lost its significance at that moment, and he couldn¡¯t sense it slipping by.


    In any case, whenever he felt hunger, he would send out a thread of consciousness to allow his avatar to replenish food for both his true form and the avatar.


    No matter what type of Spiritual Energy entered his body, once it passed through the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ and was transformed into attributed Spiritual Power and delivered into the Spiritual Energy Vortex, it would join the cycle of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡¯ turning into pure Five Elements Spiritual Power.


    This process was beyond Li Shiming¡¯s control to stop¡ªnot that he didn¡¯t want to, but now it was the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ that was driving the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique.¡¯


    The Spiritual Energy Vortex within him had long since reached its maximum capacity. Every time he funneled Spiritual Power into the Vortex, he thought his Spiritual Energy Vortex would burst.


    When he was at a loss, the Spiritual Energy Vortex inside him had exploded, and in tandem, each node of the entire Wei family¡¯s residence formation dimmed.


    If, at this moment, any cultivator were to attack the Wei family¡¯s residence Defensive Array, even an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator could break through it with a single strike.


    Three months of continuous extraction of the Five Elements Power had long since caused an imbalance in the various energies within this formation.


    Li Shiming only felt as if he was immersed in warm water, with even his soul enjoying this warm sensation.


    A wondrous energy emanated from the site of the Spiritual Energy Vortex, nourishing every part of his body and his soul, strengthening both.


    And inside his body, where there was once the Spiritual Energy Vortex, a lake of Spiritual Power formed. In the center of this lake was a luminous liquid Spiritual Power.


    Around the lake of Spiritual Power, five glowing points were still maintaining the operation of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡¯


    Li Shiming awoke from his enjoyment, sensing the changes within him, and a look of indescribable color appeared on his face.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± he muttered to himself.


    He had prepared seven Foundation Establishment Pills and had harbored immense worry all along. He had often thought about how difficult Foundation Establishment would be, never imagining that without even using a single Foundation Establishment Pill, he had truly broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Yes, he had become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, with the liquid Spiritual Power within his body serving as proof. Moreover, his soul had been transformed, naturally emitting Spiritual Thought.


    Of course, his ability to wield Spiritual Thought during the Qi Refinement Realm had significantly enhanced its efficacy.


    Advancing to Foundation Establishment without using Foundation Establishment Pills was a privilege only Heavenly Spirit Root possessors had, yet even with a Heavenly Spirit Root, there was no guarantee of completing Foundation Establishment without a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    This was also why cultivators with a Heavenly Spirit Root still carried a Foundation Establishment Pill with them during Foundation Establishment.


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 Chapter 259: 176: Rebuild

    Chapter 259: Chapter 176: Rebuild


    ¡°Is this situation normal?¡± Li Shiming mumbled to himself after sensing the state of the Spirit Lake within him.


    He felt neither joy nor pride at advancing to Foundation Establishment without using a Foundation Establishment Pill. Was he the sort of person who lacked just that pill?


    The biggest issue now was whether the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ in the Spirit Lake would affect the future cultivation of the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡¯


    The ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ was no longer driving the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique.¡¯ After all, the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡¯ was only a Qi Refinement Realm cultivation technique. At the stage of the Foundation Establishment, the technique¡¯s ability to absorb spiritual energy simply couldn¡¯t meet the demands of the Spirit Lake.@@@@


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind entered the Spirit Lake, and he finally sensed the situation of the five nodes of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡¯


    These five nodes possessed the familiar essences he recognized, specifically from the second-grade Iron Spirit Wood, green crystal, Flame Crystal, Binding Soil Stone, and wood-iron, embodying the Five Elements Energy.


    Through the external ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡¯ he had surprisingly transferred the Five Elements Energy of the external array into his body, forming an internal ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡¯


    Fortunately, with the IBMz15, all the experiences of his cultivation since his seclusion had been recorded, which he could later study in detail for their interconnections.


    The amount of liquid spiritual power in his Spirit Lake was somewhat low, but when he harnessed this liquid spiritual power, he could be a hundred percent sure that this was not the spiritual power an ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could achieve.


    He had dealt with many early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and even sparred with them, giving him a solid ability to judge the spiritual power at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.


    His liquid spiritual power, although scant in quantity, could reach the quality of spiritual power when breaking from early to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but think again about the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡¯ Could this be the effect of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯?


    As this Metal Attribute liquid Thunder Spiritual Power entered the Spirit Lake, it first passed through the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡¯ resulting in the purest Five Elements Thunder Spiritual Power attainable at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Only then did Li Shiming finally relax. It seemed the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ could indeed transform Thunder Spirit Power without altering its properties, simply acting upon the Five Elements Power.


    Although the quantity of Five Elements Spiritual Thunder Power produced in one cultivation session was relatively small, its quality nevertheless reached the pinnacle of early-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Li Shiming extended a finger, on which a strand of Metal Attribute Thunder Spirit Power danced. Then, the Metal Attribute Thunder Spirit Power was retracted into the Spirit Lake and replaced by Wood Attribute Thunder Spirit Power, and the Five Elements Thunder Spiritual Power successively appeared on his finger.


    According to the records of the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ and his own sensations, the Metal Attribute Thunder Spirit Power possessed the strongest aggressiveness, especially showing extreme invasiveness toward metal spiritual objects.


    Wood Attribute Thunder Spirit Power was somewhat unique, most effective against Yin Cold Energy attacks and unusually capable of producing healing effects as well, switching between attack and healing at will.


    Water Attribute Thunder Spirit Power was the most sinister, capable of lying hidden in the external environment for extended periods, waiting for an instant outbreak.


    Fire Attribute Thunder Spirit Power was the most explosive, equipped with splash and explosion effects during attacks.


    Earth Attribute Thunder Spirit Power was the most robust. Through extended storage, it could unleash a supremely powerful strike.


    The specific use of the Five Elements Thunder Spiritual Power still needed to be adapted according to the battle environment. Typically, a Thunder Magic Practitioner would only cultivate one or two kinds at most, which was already sufficient for many battles. However, his simultaneous cultivation of all Five Elements Thunder Spiritual Power should be enough to counter any environment.


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 Chapter 260: 176: Rebuild 2

    Chapter 260: Chapter 176: Rebuild 2


    At this moment, IBMz15 presented an analysis report, which was an evaluation of his use of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in his cultivation.


    Based on all the knowledge of cultivation he had acquired, including the texts from the Wei¡¯s Book Collection Room he had accessed this time, a report was formulated.


    The ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± would greatly assist him during the Foundation Establishment Stage, allowing his spiritual power to possess the attributes of the Five Elements, while maintaining it in the purest state possible at the same level.


    These benefits would enable him to break through to the next realm as soon as he accumulated enough spiritual power within his body, without having to spend a large amount of time compressing and purifying spiritual power like other cultivators.@@@@


    However, there were drawbacks as well; the current ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± with its second grade Five Elements Array energy, could only support his use during the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    According to IBMz15¡¯s analysis, if he wanted to advance to the Golden Core Stage, besides possessing the necessary spiritual power and sufficient resources for the breakthrough, he would also require a set of third grade Five Elements Array materials.


    Li Shiming¡¯s head began to ache at this point.


    The second-grade Five Elements Array materials were already requested from the Sky Sea Sect, where Yu Sect Leader had almost been angered to death by him. If it hadn¡¯t been for their desire to have him participate in the most perilous life-or-death battle, he would never have obtained the second-grade materials.


    The difficulties involved in acquiring second-grade materials were already troublesome enough, and he dared not even dream of obtaining the third-grade Five Elements Array materials.


    Third grade, that was a level that only Golden Core cultivators could touch.


    If he had a Golden Core Stage elder, perhaps it would be possible!


    ¡°Wait, I actually do have one, but alas, Elder Yin probably can¡¯t produce the third-grade Five Elements Array materials anymore!¡± Li Shiming thought of something and then helplessly shook his head as he talked to himself.


    It seems his best option was to join a major sect as soon as possible, then leverage his status as a high-level Array Master to gain access to the array materials.


    When the time came, whether by stealing, borrowing, or deceiving, he would have to obtain a set of third-grade Five Elements Array materials¡ªas this matter pertained to his path to forming a Golden Core.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. Will I even need fourth-grade Five Elements Array materials in the future?¡± Li Shiming continued to consider another significant matter, his complexion growing even grimmer.


    He felt like he had dug himself a massive pit and foolishly jumped into it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that when we come to it!¡± He gave up thinking for now. Everything would have to wait until he reached that stage!


    Li Shiming took out nine flying spirit swords. Now that he had become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he was finally able to use a Spiritual Artifact.


    Though the spiritual power inside his body was minimal, he could still manage to refine a Spiritual Artifact.


    Normally, newly Foundation Establishment Cultivators would prioritize refining a defensive Spiritual Artifact, provided they had the means.


    Li Shiming, being a high-level Array Master, had long coveted the nine flying spirit swords, which were not only weapons but also functioned like array flags.


    Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness first got accustomed to the sensation, and then he controlled the clone to flick out the Golden Strike Sword.


    As the Golden Strike Sword flew out, he transferred his insight into Sword Intent into the Sword Control, resulting in a ray of sword light that contained a hint of Sword Intent. Although it was not as strong as that of his main body, he expected that after Foundation Establishment and some practice, the Sword Intent would develop further.


    ¡°Fellow, it¡¯s all on you now!¡± The main body stood up, took out seven Foundation Establishment Pills, and handed them over, saying.


    ¡°Fellow, there shouldn¡¯t be a need for so many!¡± The clone replied with a smile, taking the seven Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Li Shiming did not intend for the clone to use the Five Elements Qi Absorption Array; on one hand, he couldn¡¯t find a set of Second Grade Five Elements Array Materials in Beishu in a short period. The Top-grade Spirit Veins he had in this place were forcefully seized by him.


    On the other hand, he didn¡¯t know if the Five Elements Qi Absorption Array in the main body¡¯s Spirit Lake was a trap; trapping just one was enough, there was no need to drag the clone into it as well.


    It was best for the clone to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage through the most standard progression.


    The clone sat on the outlet of the Top-grade Spirit Veins in the hall and started operating the Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique, absorbing the Spiritual Energy into his body and then forcibly injecting it into the Spiritual Energy Vortex.


    The clone had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Stage a long time ago; if not for assisting the main body, it could have broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage much earlier.


    There probably aren¡¯t many with Heavenly Spirit Root who, after reaching the limit in Spiritual Power, Spiritual Thought, and Body Refinement, would still delay the attempt to advance for so long.


    A surge of Spiritual Power was invested into the Spiritual Energy Vortex. Given the Vortex had previously reached its limit, this new surge of Spiritual Power immediately initiated a chain reaction.


    The Spiritual Energy Vortex abruptly shuddered. Without any overly violent reactions, the vortex shrank into a Spirit Lake.


    An energy surged through the process of the vortex transforming into a Spirit Lake, flowing towards every part of the clone¡¯s body, enhancing both the physique and soul, completely transforming into a Foundation Establishment Stage body and soul.


    Li Shiming, observing from the side, checked the time. IBMz15 provided the precise timing: thirty-one seconds was all it took for the clone to break through successfully.


    Perhaps it was because the pressure had been too great; the clone¡¯s Spiritual Energy Vortex took in a surge of Spiritual Power and advanced.


    No Foundation Establishment Pills were used, and no lengthy wait was needed.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, acknowledging the disparity in spirit root talent.


    Even without using Foundation Establishment Pills, the main body had spent a full three months to break through, leaving himself with a trouble that he did not know was a curse or a blessing.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 261: 177 Cultivation

    Chapter 261: Chapter 177 Cultivation


    After his split consciousness achieved Foundation Establishment, Li Shiming had a feeling as if his soul had been strengthened during the Foundation Establishment Stage, and the consciousness he left in his split consciousness underwent some strange changes.


    This consciousness seemed to be completely separated from his original body, yet there was a thread of connection that allowed the original body and the split consciousness to influence each other at any time.


    The original body could control the actions of the split consciousness through this thread of connection.


    However, the original body was no longer able to completely retract that consciousness; it was as if this consciousness had been solidified within the soul of the split consciousness and had become its spiritual intelligence.


    Li Shiming was slightly stunned; he did not understand whether this situation was normal, as his knowledge of cultivation was severely lacking.


    Of course, even after he had joined a major sect, it was still difficult to access knowledge about split consciousness, a high-end cultivation concept.


    ...


    Split consciousness was not something Qi Refining Cultivators could access, and yet it allowed the split consciousness to breakthrough and become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator just like a normal cultivator.


    Moreover, the method Li Shiming used, simulating two actions with one mind, was not a regular cultivation technique but a martial world tactic.


    The ¡®fighting with both hands¡¯ produced two separate consciousnesses; after his modifications, his prolonged separation of consciousness made using both aspects of the mind a common practice.@@@@


    This time, the soul enhancement during Foundation Establishment caused the consciousness that had separated out to be irretrievable, becoming a true case of using both aspects of the mind simultaneously.


    Li Shiming could only have IBMz15 record this down for later research, as his current abilities were incapable of explaining everything that had happened.


    ¡°Fellow, it seems that from now on, we really need to become two different people,¡± the original body said to the split consciousness, resignedly.


    ¡°Fellow, it¡¯s two people, but I am also you, and you are also me,¡± the split consciousness said with a laugh.


    Although an accident had occurred, its impact on him was minimal.


    This was likely the consequence of forcing the use of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ to extract from the Wei family¡¯s station¡¯s formation; he couldn¡¯t help but think that before his breakthrough to Golden Core, it was essential to set up a formation that was a major tier stronger than this place. Perhaps then, like here, the extracted formation¡¯s spiritual energy would be greatly lost.


    This was another major expense; the Tier Two Formational materials used to set up this place weren¡¯t few, and he didn¡¯t know if his Spirit Stones would be enough to set up a much stronger formation.


    It seemed he needed to find a way to earn more Spirit Stones; otherwise, he really might be stuck at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    He knew that if his original body couldn¡¯t break through to Golden Core, it would only live to be two hundred years old, and he was uncertain whether the split consciousness could survive. He did not want to gamble with his fate.


    Thinking this, he rose into the air and left the formation to reach the mountain peak.


    He sat cross-legged at the peak, facing east, running ¡®Purple Qi Eastward,¡¯ waiting for the first wisp of purple qi to appear in the east.


    Now at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he at least had a certain ability to protect himself in this region; he was not willing to miss any opportunity to absorb purple qi.


    As the sun rose, he once again captured a wisp of purple qi; even at the Foundation Establishment Stage, this wisp of purple qi still brought him a subtle overall enhancement.


    ¡°Set a new research direction, how to capture more purple qi!¡± Li Shiming entered into IBMz15 after digesting the purple qi, still longing for more.


    In the time afterwards, he began cultivating the ¡®Hundred Thoughts Thousand Reversions,¡¯ attempting to split his Spiritual Thought into even more parts, which greatly benefited his control of the Nine Palace Sword Formation.


    As for the ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡¯ he tried to cultivate it, but unfortunately, his Spiritual Thought couldn¡¯t yet meet the cultivation standards.


    He spent a day continuously refining his numerous techniques for the Foundation Establishment Stage, learning the knowledge associated with this stage.


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 Chapter 262: 177 Cultivation_2

    Chapter 262: Chapter 177 Cultivation_2


    The foundation in the Qi Refinement Realm does not equate to the strength in the Foundation Establishment Stage, he merely had a stronger physique and Spiritual Thought compared to an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and could match an experienced Foundation Establishment Cultivator in terms of Spiritual Power quality. However, he absolutely could not compare in terms of total Spiritual Power and combat techniques.


    The combat method of the ¡°Sword Manipulation Technique¡± was outdated. If he wanted stronger sword control capabilities, he must master the flying sword skills of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    At the same time, he needed to start cultivating the Foundation Establishment chapters of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡±. Fortunately, both the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± were complete, which spared him the trouble of considering issues related to Body Refinement.


    The various application methods in the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± also needed to be learned and practiced.


    All in all, he barely managed to review all the necessary Foundation Establishment Stage knowledge in one tightly packed day.


    He found that reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage did not give him any leisure; instead, he became busier.


    ...


    At night, he did not rest and continued to cultivate the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± at the outlet of the Top-grade Spirit Veins. After the Foundation Establishment Stage, there was no time limit to cultivation; as long as he felt his body could endure, he could keep cultivating.


    But the main cultivation technique was only a part of his strength, and the place where he resided was not safe; he needed to quickly master the combat capabilities of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The next morning, at the same spot on the mountaintop, he sat cross-legged in the usual posture; however, unlike yesterday morning, there was an extra two-person tall concave mirror beside him.


    The placement of the concave mirror was calculated strictly using the IBMz15, and when the first ray of sunlight appeared below the horizon, Li Shiming¡¯s body actively absorbed a wisp of purple aura that shone upon him. The concave mirror next to him reflected the first ray of sunlight onto his body.


    The concave mirror was no ordinary mirror, but a special mirror that Li Shiming created based on the principles of the Fresnel lens.


    The Fresnel lens collected the reflected sunlight and focused it onto Li Shiming¡¯s body, allowing him to fully receive the sunlight reflected from the two-person high concave mirror.


    A slight smile appeared on Li Shiming¡¯s face; he felt his body absorb a wisp of purple aura from the reflected sunlight.


    This meant his idea was correct; next, he needed to design a large-scale concave mirror array to gather more purple aura for him.


    Of course, this idea was currently just in the design stage, and to actually create it, he needed a large amount of materials on one hand, and on the other hand, a proper place that he could fully control without disturbances.


    Another ten days passed, and Li Shiming¡¯s intensive and enriched cultivation life continued. His clone and the Three-headed Six-armed Iron Corpse finally completed their promotions.


    The clone in Iron Corpse State and the Three-headed Six-armed Iron Corpse stood together, almost identical in their ferocious teeth and blood-red eyes, but the Three-headed Six-armed Iron Armor was three times larger than the clone¡¯s.


    For a long time afterward, both the Three-headed Six-armed Iron Corpse and the clone in Iron Corpse State frequently entered the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± to strengthen.


    As a top-tier cultivation technique, the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± also had stringent cultivation requirements, demanding mastery of Sword Intent to learn this technique.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t understand how one could master Sword Intent at the Foundation Establishment Stage. If it weren¡¯t for his acquisition of the Sword Bone, he might not have even heard of Sword Intent until now, let alone learned it.


    His perspective was limited; being on Sky Sea Island, the seven sects had no Sword Cultivator inheritance, so there was no means to cultivate Sword Intent.


    However, within a true great sect, the inheritance of Sword Cultivators included both materials and knowledge accumulated.


    Just like Sword Intent, one could gain it by observing the sword marks left by predecessors or cultivating a certain lower-level Sword Cultivation Technique.


    All these required the heritage of a sect, which also meant that Sword Cultivators were almost monopolized by the great sects.


    Even if a Loose Cultivator with an extraordinary talent appeared and cultivated Sword Intent, without the inheritance of Sword Cultivators, they were merely a fleeting phenomenon.


    After thoroughly reading the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± Foundation Establishment chapter, Li Shiming knew he was right not to let Li Yuanba use the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± to break through.


    To cultivate the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique,¡± aside from Sword Intent, one must also possess a Metal Spirit Root and cultivate Metal Spiritual Power.


    Li Yuanba began cultivating the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡±; Spiritual Energy entered his body, traveled through specific meridians influenced by Sword Intent, and finally entered the Spirit Lake.


    In the Spirit Lake, the Metal Spiritual Power, which was much sharper than normal Metal Spiritual Power, now carried a trace of Sword Intent-related properties.


    The Spirit Lake was as if it hid countless Spirit Swords, this sharpness permeating through the lake to all parts of his body, affecting his physique.


    Li Yuanba finished a round of cultivation and slowly opened his eyes, streaks of sword light flashing within them.


    Although it was his first time cultivating the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique,¡± he already possessed the aura of a Sword Cultivator, and one could feel that he was like a sword upon seeing him.


    The ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± also had a unique method for refining Spiritual Artifacts. The Metal Spiritual Power carrying Sword Intent entered the Metal Flying Sword Spiritual Artifact, aggressively inscribing the imprint of Sword Intent within the Spiritual Artifact.


    The ¡°Gale Golden Light Sword¡± was the name of this Spiritual Artifact, and given its quality, there was no need to consider changing swords at least during the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Naturally, the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± also wouldn¡¯t allow a Sword Cultivator to change swords casually; each sword change required a long period of seclusion to consecrate the new sword.


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 Chapter 263: 178 Disaster

    Chapter 263: Chapter 178 Disaster


    Li Shiming stayed at the Wei family¡¯s residence for another twenty days, and it wasn¡¯t until he could fully summon the complete Nine Palace Sword Formation with the spiritual power within his body that he ended his secluded cultivation.


    During this period, he made a decision, which was to set a path for Li Yuanba¡¯s future.


    Yes, he needed to part ways with Li Yuanba. He had tested and found out that no matter how far apart his main body was from Li Yuanba, it wouldn¡¯t affect the connection between their two souls, and they could exchange thoughts at any time and place.


    This also ruled out the incidents he had seen in some annals, where avatars turned against and devoured their main body.


    He had truly achieved a state where he and Li Yuanba were one entity, the same whether together or apart.


    Li Yuanba had no background, and he did not intend to fabricate one for him. Perhaps, for small powers or minor sects, a fabricated background might be of some use.


    ...


    But for major sects, it wouldn¡¯t withstand scrutiny.


    Therefore, he decided to use the Senluo Order to let Li Yuanba join the Senluo Sect. For a cultivator like Li Yuanba, who had no background, this path might be his only chance to join a major sect.


    Besides, although the Senluo Sect belonged to the demonic path, it was still a major sect that was planning to unify the vast region of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Li Yuanba had his main cultivation technique and didn¡¯t need to practice the demonic techniques. Li Shiming was mainly interested in the resources of the Senluo Sect, which joining would bring him more ways to obtain resources.


    This was a necessity; his main body now had to consider the materials for the Third Grade Five Elements Formation.


    After all, Li Yuanba would need a lot of resources for rapid advancement.


    It couldn¡¯t all depend on Li Shiming alone to collect them, as that would affect his main body¡¯s cultivation speed. His own cultivation was already slow; he really couldn¡¯t afford delays.


    The main reason was the abundance of cultivation resources. Besides the seven major sects on Sky Sea Island, it was difficult for the rest of the cultivators to obtain sufficient resources, and strategic Elixir Pills like the Foundation Establishment Pill were controlled by the seven major sects.


    But Beishu was different. Due to the rich cultivation resources, anyone with a spirit root had the chance to cultivate.


    Even those with Four Spirit Roots, if willing to make an effort, could be nurtured by minor powers, not to mention those with Four Spirit Roots.


    With the supply of vast resources and the support of more complete cultivation methods, even those with Five Spirit Roots could continuously advance their stages.


    Especially Foundation Establishment Pills, there were many ways to obtain them in Beishu.


    One could directly buy them with spirit stones, participate in competitions with rewards, or join certain powers to acquire Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Foundation Establishment Pills were not monopolized in Beishu, and many powers had the capability to produce their own, even profiting from their sale.


    The seven Foundation Establishment Pills Li Shiming had significantly depreciated in value upon reaching Beishu, but he no longer needed them.


    The more Foundation Establishment Pills were produced, the more Foundation Establishment Cultivators were born.


    This was the situation for the lower tiers of the Cultivation World, while Golden Core cultivators remained rare. Of course, this rarity was relative to the Beishu continent, and in terms of numbers, it was incomparable to Sky Sea Island.


    Just the Mingxin Sect from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains had nearly twenty Golden Core cultivators, plus a False Infant Cultivator, which was enough to outweigh the combined forces of the seven major sects on Sky Sea Island.


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 Chapter 264: 178 Calamity_2

    Chapter 264: Chapter 178 Calamity_2


    The Flying Boat had been flying at a low altitude for several hours, and during this journey, Li Shiming witnessed numerous battles.


    There were battles involving Qi Refining Cultivators, battles involving Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and even battles involving dozens of cultivators.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly chaotic!¡± Li Shiming shook his head and sighed.


    ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t concern us, it¡¯s good,¡± Li Yuanba also shook his head and said.


    They did not conceal the aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage on them, so no cultivator foolish enough sought trouble with them.


    After Li Yuanba finished speaking, he closed his eyes again, beginning to comprehend Sword Intent.


    ...


    Li Shiming also discovered that by transmitting the Sword Intent he had comprehended from the Sword Bone to Li Yuanba, and then having Li Yuanba reorganize it through ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡±, the resulting Sword Intent was even more in tune with them.


    ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± is fundamentally a primary cultivation technique for sword cultivators; its core is Sword Intent.


    The Sword Intent he comprehended from ordinary swords was merely the Sword Intent comprehended by the Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi; at most, he could simulate it through the Sword Bone¡¯s Sword Intent.


    But after Li Yuanba¡¯s reinterpretation, the Sword Intent became Li Yuanba¡¯s own.


    And since he and Li Yuanba were one, he could also use the Sword Intent Li Yuanba had comprehended.


    Although the process was somewhat complicated, he distinctly felt an enhancement in the power of the Sword Intent.


    ¡°Trouble ahead!¡± There was a chase up front, with a female cultivator in the lead and five cultivators pursuing her.


    The female cultivator was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, using Sword Escape, and she was quite fast, but the five cultivators following her were also at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and the Flying Boat they rode was a bit special, somehow keeping up with the speed of Sword Escape.


    Li Shiming did not hesitate in the slightest; he immediately directed the Flying Boat to turn away, attempting to keep a distance.


    He had no interest in meddling in such troubles. He might not have wanted to find trouble, but trouble had indeed found him.


    When the female cultivator spotted Li Shiming and Li Yuanba, she immediately headed toward them.


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, I offer this treasure to you!¡± The female cultivator was very fast, surpassing Li Shiming¡¯s Flying Boat, and as she came closer, she tossed a box their way, shouting loudly.


    Li Shiming frowned; he understood all too well that the female cultivator was trying to divert disaster towards them.


    It was even questionable whether there were any treasures in the box. She merely wanted him to intervene and hold off the pursuers behind her, giving her a chance to escape.


    He waved his hand, and a wave of Spiritual Power shot out, sending the box back.


    The nine flying swords hovered in the air, electricity flickering between them, linking the swords and forming a Formation.


    This was the Shock Thunder Array he had devised based on the major node studies of the Zhen Peak¡¯s large formation, arranged in the Nine Palace method.


    The greatest purpose of the Shock Thunder Array was to invoke the Power of thunder and lightning. As the nine flying swords formed the Shock Thunder Array, more and more thunder and lightning accumulated within the formation.


    ¡°We are cultivators from Baoze Mountain, it¡¯s best you retreat now, or bear the consequences!¡± At this moment, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment old man behind the young man spoke up.


    His expression was solemn as he watched the Formation surrounding them, the thunderous aura on Li Shiming, and combined with the fact that Li Yuanba was a Sword Cultivator.


    Thunder Cultivators in Magic Cultivation are extremely rare, just inheriting it. He was also an Array Master, and Sword Cultivators were infamously battle crazed; he had no wish to fight such enemies.


    ¡°I had no intention to get involved, but it¡¯s too late now!¡± Li Shiming glanced coolly with eyes that bore no malice at the young man whose eyes were full of murderous intent and replied.


    The young man opposite was clearly a cultivator who had a strong backing and was long pampered, forming a haughty character, which was why he readily showed murderous intent over trivial matters, provoked by Li Yuanba¡¯s appearance.


    Li Shiming understood such cultivators; if he really retreated, perhaps after the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators dealt with the female cultivator, their next target would be to chase and kill him.


    Perhaps the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators could not defeat him, but the power behind them was definitely big trouble.


    Hearing the mid-stage Foundation Establishment old man declaring their identity, it seemed that Baoze Mountain was not a simple power.


    So, Li Shiming decided to resolve the trouble once and for all.


    ¡°Protect the young master, kill him!¡± The mid-stage Foundation Establishment old cultivator looked helplessly at his young master, realizing there was no peaceful solution, and with no time to ponder further, he shouted loudly.


    By now, the Shock Thunder Array had taken shape, with numerous lightning snakes dancing within the formation.


    It not only blocked the retreat of the female cultivator and the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators but also interfered with their sight.


    The female cultivator was entangled by Li Yuanba¡¯s sword light, unable to retreat, and with every strike of the Sword Intent carried within the sword light, her face would pale as if it were striking her spirit directly.


    The sword light was too fast, and it continued to increase in speed.


    Li Shiming¡¯s learning ability was exceptionally strong; he had quickly mastered the ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡±s Sword Control Skill using his IBMz15, and his mastering it meant Li Yuanba had mastered it as well.


    But there¡¯s a difference between mastering it for learning and applying it in actual combat. It was Li Yuanba¡¯s first time using a Sword Cultivator¡¯s battle method against a cultivator of the same level, and he was quickly assimilating and absorbing the learned Sword Control Skill.


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 Chapter 265: 179 Trouble

    Chapter 265: Chapter 179 Trouble


    The battle between Li Yuanba and the female cultivator ended first, with the female completely overpowered by the Gale Golden Light Sword.


    The sword light produced by the Gale Golden Light Sword caused disturbances in the female cultivator¡¯s spirit each time it struck, preventing her from using any other techniques to defend herself and forcing her into a passive state of resistance.


    After the sword light hit the female cultivator¡¯s spiritual artifact shield five times, the spirit imprint inside the shield was completely erased.


    The female cultivator spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and, stricken with fear, dared not move, as the Gale Golden Light Sword hovered in front of her brow, ready to kill her with one strike if she made a move.


    Li Shiming waved his hand and the Soul-binding Rope flew out, tightly binding the female cultivator.


    On another front, five Foundation Establishment Cultivators attempted to attack Li Shiming, but they found the scenery around them changing and Li Shiming¡¯s Flying Boat was nowhere to be seen.


    ...


    The Nine Palace Sword Formation in Li Shiming¡¯s hands was not so simple; Illusion Array, Thunder Array, and Trapping Formation were instantly laid out.


    The massive calculations required were all processed by the IBMz15.


    It should be noted that these were nine Spiritual Weapon Flying Swords, which required constant adjustment while relatively static in the air to maintain the integrity of the formation.


    Although it was Li Shiming¡¯s first time using the Nine Palace Sword Formation, with the help of IBMz15, he had already analyzed and prepared many tactics countless times.


    Clearly, the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators did not take Li Shiming and Li Yuanba seriously at first as they were five in number, with the strongest among them being a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    By the time Li Shiming had set up the Nine Palace Sword Formation, they had never encountered an Array Master who could set up a formation like this and were unclear what they were up against.


    Li Shiming was also summarizing his experience. He felt that the time it took to deploy the Nine Palace Sword Formation was still too long. If the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators had chosen to leave immediately, the formation might not have been fully established, allowing them to truly escape.


    Just as they rejoiced, a golden lightning bolt, along with countless other lightning bolts, struck on a defense spiritual artifact of an Early-stage Cultivator.


    The Early-stage Cultivator, accustomed to these thunder attacks, thought it would be just like before, easily blocked by his defense spiritual artifact.


    He did not even focus his main attention on the defense spiritual artifact, still giving his all to support his companions¡¯ attack.


    The moment the golden lightning touched the Early-stage Cultivator¡¯s defense spiritual artifact, the terror of the golden lightning truly revealed itself.


    With a ¡°bang¡±, the defense spiritual artifact was blown away, and the golden lightning seemed to bounce off the defense spiritual artifact and then leap back onto the Early-stage Cultivator¡¯s body.


    The Early-stage Cultivator didn¡¯t even have time to scream before the terrifying golden thunder power permeated his body, demonstrating its powerful destructive force for the first time against an Early-stage Cultivator.


    When the nearby Foundation Establishment Cultivators noticed and prepared to intervene, the life force of the Early-stage Cultivator had already been extinguished.


    ¡°Uncle Liu, protect me!¡± the young cultivator, seeing the fall of the Early-stage Cultivator, realized he could not hesitate any longer; he had to use his trump card.


    Called Uncle Liu, the Mid-stage Cultivator retracted his attacking spiritual artifact and controlled two defense spiritual artifacts to tightly protect the young cultivator.


    The other two Early-stage Cultivators also used their defense spiritual artifacts to protect the outer perimeter, forming the first line of defense.


    The young cultivator took out a rune treasure, sat cross-legged on the Flying Boat, and began to mobilize the spiritual power in his body to activate the rune treasure.


    Li Shiming had not expected such a scenario; he had thought of enjoying a good fight, but his opponents started using their powerful moves right away, leaving him no chance to battle.


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 Chapter 266: 179 Trouble Part 2

    Chapter 266: Chapter 179 Trouble Part 2


    He knew how terrifying talismans could be; even though he had reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment, he wouldn¡¯t dare to withstand the attack of a talisman, not even if he had reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.


    A talisman¡¯s power was roughly one-tenth that of a Golden Core Stage magic artifact, representing a certain kill against any cultivator below Golden Core.


    In Li Shiming¡¯s hand appeared a four-meter-long ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡¯ with six thick cables connected to the void at the rear of the electromagnetic gun.


    The ¡®Shock Thunder Array¡¯ in the engine room space had already accumulated its limit of electricity and, in just a brief moment, it was channeled into the interior of the top-grade magic device electromagnetic gun.


    The Third Grade Sword Base transformed into a projectile, loaded into the top-grade magic device electromagnetic gun.


    Li Shiming was waiting for the top-grade magic device electromagnetic gun to be fully charged; electricity from the ¡®Shock Thunder Array¡¯ was fed through the six thick cables into the magnetic flux compression device.


    ...


    Within two breaths of time, the top-grade magic device electromagnetic gun was ready earlier than expected, something even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn¡¯t achieve with a talisman within four breaths of time.


    For a Golden Core, there wasn¡¯t much difference between the early stage of Foundation Establishment and the late-stage of Qi Refinement.


    Propelled by an indescribable force, the Third Grade Sword Base projectile traveled through the accelerator-wrapped barrel at unimaginable speeds, reaching an extreme velocity in an instant.


    All the lightning within the Nine Palace Sword Formation twisted, and after the firing of the Third Grade Sword Base bomb, the shockwave of the projectile pushed the lightning aside, forming a beautiful corridor made of flashes.


    The mid-stage Foundation Establishment old cultivator suddenly felt a chill from his soul, fear flashed in his eyes; his numerous near-death experiences let him know that this tremor stemmed from a premonition of death.


    He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to retreat immediately or continue to protect the young master.


    If he retreated, perhaps he could survive, but if the young master died, the lord would never let him off, and he would die anyway.


    Staying might mean instant death; the dilemma flashed through his mind.


    Unfortunately, he was overthinking it; the Third Grade Sword Base projectile shot from the top-grade magic device electromagnetic gun didn¡¯t give him time to think.


    With a ¡°crack¡± sound, a hole appeared on one of his defensive spiritual artifacts, followed by his body being penetrated; and that wasn¡¯t the end.


    The Third Grade Sword Base projectile then entered the body of the young cultivator, passing through his heart.


    A talisman, halfway activated, slid from his hands.


    The light in his eyes dimmed; unwilling to accept his fate, he desperately tried to look towards Li Shiming, and through the corridor formed by the Third Grade Sword Base projectile, he got his last glimpse of Li Shiming.


    ¡°Young master, Elder Liu!¡± Two Foundation Establishment cultivators could never have imagined such a turn of events, with the young master dead and the mid-stage Foundation Establishment old cultivator seriously injured.


    Under Nezha¡¯s claw, the early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was directly ripped in two.


    The remaining early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was greatly shocked and turned to flee, but with no sense of direction in the surging lightning, where could he possibly run?


    Nezha¡¯s speed was not slow. The reason why cultivators from the demonic sects focused on nurturing Corpse Refining was that corpses, at the same realm, could withstand attacks from cultivators of the same level, possessing speed and attack power beyond that of average cultivators of the same rank.


    Of course, Corpse Refining was not invincible; if the distance was widened, spells could drag the corpse to its demise.


    But Corpse Refining was never used alone; under the owner¡¯s command in battle, the advantages of Corpse Refining could be fully leveraged.


    Nezha was even more special, as its three heads and six arms made its close-combat advantage even more pronounced.


    Li Shiming did not use the ¡®Thunder Strike Skill¡¯ again, as his Spiritual Power was not plentiful, and he couldn¡¯t afford to use it all up.


    With a wave of his hand, the nine flying swords of the Nine Palace Sword Formation split into two groups. One set of three flying swords targeted the early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, while the remaining six flying swords attacked the mid-stage Foundation Establishment elder.


    This was the final strike before the end of the fight.


    The early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, seeing the three flying swords coming at him, hurriedly defended with his Spiritual Artifact.


    But each flying sword that struck the Spiritual Artifact caused part of its spirit imprint to be lost.


    Before Li Shiming needed to control the swords for a second attack, Nezha swept away the largely-depleted spirit-imprinted Spiritual Artifact with a single claw, killing the Foundation Establishment cultivator instantly.


    On the other side, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment elder was hit by a barrage of six flying swords on his defending Spiritual Artifact. Coupled with Li Yuanba¡¯s previous attacks, his Spiritual Artifact completely lost its spirit imprint.


    ¡°My master Yi Zhen will avenge me; I¡¯ll be waiting for you in hell!¡± The mid-stage Foundation Establishment elder shouted miserably.


    Then he was pierced through the heart by Li Yuanba¡¯s sword, extinguishing his life.


    Li Shiming silently collected all the corpses and gathered the storage bags, finding a storage bracelet on the young cultivator.


    Despite these gains, he felt not the slightest bit of joy, his gaze filled with resentment towards the female cultivator under his control.


    He was unaware of Baoze Mountain, unaware of Yi Zhen, but anyone that a mid-stage Foundation Establishment elder would recognize as a master must be far superior in strength. He reasoned that Yi Zhen was certainly a Golden Core cultivator, and he had now thoroughly offended one.


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 Chapter 267: 180: The Diagram Appears (Extra for Tom2017)

    Chapter 267: Chapter 180: The Diagram Appears (Extra for Tom2017)


    Yi Lingling felt a chill run through her body. Due to the formation, she couldn¡¯t see the battle between Li Shiming and Li Yuanba clearly, but the aftermath of the Nine Palace Sword Formation left her stunned.


    Five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, as well as Yi Yichen¡¯s child, a Golden Core cultivator, were all killed on the spot.


    In fact, the most wronged death among them could be said to be that of Yi Yichen¡¯s child. Because Li Shiming had deployed a formation right from the start, Yi Yichen had powerful methods that he couldn¡¯t utilize.


    In the end, when he decided to use a magic amulet, he was struck soul-deep by Li Shiming¡¯s top-grade magic device electromagnetic gun.


    All of Yi Yichen¡¯s various life-saving measures were rendered useless by this instant kill.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t pay any attention to Yi Lingling. He collected all the corpses into a storage bag and threw them into the engine room space along with all the spoils of war.


    ...


    As for offending a Golden Core, he had experience with that.


    Battle traces needed to be cleaned. All spoils of war couldn¡¯t be taken out before he had a strong backing and joined a great sect.


    His spiritual thought swept over the battlefield repeatedly. After ensuring there were no oversights, he grabbed Yi Lingling and switched to a different flying boat to head into the distance.


    Under the effect of the Soul-binding Rope, Yi Lingling wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t control her own body.


    Li Shiming¡¯s spiritual thought swept over her entire body. Soon her storage bag was taken down, along with the jade hairpin on her head, the jade ornament on her chest, and a pair of jade bracelets on her wrists.


    Yi Lingling was quite beautiful, but Li Shiming was not the least bit moved.


    Female cultivators of the Cultivation World, who knew how old they actually were, especially Foundation Establishment beauties, could be anywhere from thirty to a hundred years old.


    Besides, Yi Lingling was the enemy, especially involved with a Golden Core cultivator, and would be silenced no matter what.


    Yi Lingling looked extremely surprised. She had not expected that there were cultivators in this region who didn¡¯t know about Baoze Mountain or recognize Yi Zhen.


    ¡°Baoze Mountain is the largest power within tens of thousands of miles. Yi Zhen is the master of Baoze Mountain, in the Golden Core Middle Stage!¡± Out of fear of Li Shiming using the Soul Piercing Needle, Yi Lingling¡¯s answer was both succinct and to the point.


    ¡°Who is the young leader from earlier?¡± Li Shiming asked with a frown.


    ¡°Yi Yifa is Yi Zhen¡¯s only son!¡± After answering this question, Yi Lingling covertly glanced at Li Shiming and saw that his expression was extremely grim.


    Li Shiming shook his head. This had been an unexpected disaster. Could it be that he was fated to clash with Golden Core cultivators? He had only been in Beishu for a short time, and now he had killed the son of a Golden Core cultivator.


    However, what was done was done, and he just had to be more careful in the future.


    He believed that he had cleaned the battlefield very thoroughly, and it would be difficult for Yi Zhen to trace him.


    ¡°What did you obtain to make Yi Yifa chase you?¡± Li Shiming continued to ask.


    He didn¡¯t check Yi Lingling¡¯s storage bag first; after all, the items were still there. It made no difference to ask first and check afterwards.


    ¡°I acquired a Spiritual Zither at an auction on Tianhua Mountain. Some cultivator recognized it as an artifact used by the Six-Fingered Sound Demon in his early days. As things got blown out of proportion, the zither was said to be the key to the demon¡¯s legacy cave, marking the location and the way to get in and out!¡± Yi Lingling confessed honestly.


    Li Shiming was completely unaware of the Six-Fingered Sound Demon, but assumed he must have been a powerful cultivator from history.


    His knowledge in this area was extremely limited, and it couldn¡¯t be supplemented in a short time.


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 Chapter 268: 180: The Diagram Appears (Extra for Tom2017)_2

    Chapter 268: Chapter 180: The Diagram Appears (Extra for Tom2017)_2


    His spiritual thought swept across Yi Lingling¡¯s storage bag, retrieving two identical boxes¡ªevidently, one of which was meant to deceive him.


    Both boxes were opened, revealing two ancient zithers within.


    One zither had obvious spiritual artifact fluctuations, but under the scrutiny of spiritual thought, it felt like a facade; instead, the other zither, which had no such fluctuations, felt rather special to him.


    Li Shiming had never seen this kind of spiritual artifact before, and, although there were numerous sound wave techniques on Sky Sea Island and he had mastered both the Buddhist ¡°Oral Lotus¡± and the devilish ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear,¡± combining them into the ¡°Devil Sound Lotus,¡± he had never encountered a sound wave technique-reliant spiritual zither.


    His spiritual thought passed over the ancient zither without finding any noticeable markings.


    ¡°Since you suspect this zither has no connection to the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s legacy, why not hand over the zither?¡± Li Shiming looked puzzledly at Yi Lingling and asked.


    ...


    ¡°Because Yi Yichen sent someone to find me, offering double the auction price to buy this zither. At the time, I was on Tianhua Mountain where he did not dare to snatch it forcibly. Given his status, he wouldn¡¯t have made the offer without knowing something. The power of Baoze Mountain is strong, and their information on the cultivation world far surpasses that of people like us!¡± Yi Lingling knew she could not hide it and replied honestly.


    Li Shiming nodded slowly as a bolt of lightning appeared on his finger, traveling along the surface of the ancient zither.


    Refining the ancient zither took little time¡ªit only took ten breaths for him to refine one-tenth of the zither.


    As he refined the zither, information flowed into his brain.


    The zither was named ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡¯ and even from its name, it was clear the Demon nature of the Six-fingered Sound Demon.


    Apart from Buddhist practitioners, nearly all cultivators referred to their practice as ¡°Dao,¡± with Taoists even placing the progenitors of the Dao on the same level of reverence.


    The Six-fingered Sound Demon gave the ancient zither the name ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡¯ denoting disregard for the Dao, and Li Shiming couldn¡¯t understand why he would do so.


    Along with the name ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡¯ an Annihilation Dao Piece also entered his mind.


    Li Shiming had never studied the zither, so he gently plucked the strings of the ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡¯ connecting his consciousness to the IBMz15, and began learning the ancient zither playing techniques.


    Yi Lingling listened to the meaningless jumble of notes, unsure of Li Shiming¡¯s intentions, as it was clear that Li Shiming didn¡¯t know how to play.


    As she was pondering, Li Shiming had already learned the ancient zither¡¯s playing techniques, and through the random plucking of strings just now, he had also grasped the unique sound characteristics of the ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither.¡¯


    He sat down cross-legged, the ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡¯ resting on his legs, recalling the Annihilation Dao Piece in his mind, as a trace of Wood Thunder Spiritual Power appeared on his fingertips.


    He had become somewhat interested in the legacy of the Six-fingered Sound Demon, although he had not been very interested in legacies before.


    On Sky Sea Island, there were few legends about legacy sites. For a long time, Sky Sea Island had been controlled jointly by seven sects, and all powerful cultivators were sect cultivators from these sects.


    Even if these cultivators left behind any cave dwellings, they would not be their main ones, and the spiritual objects left inside would be limited.


    The main cave dwellings of sect cultivators would be within the sects, and only those would be safe and more abundant in Spiritual Energy.


    Although he had some interest in the legacy of the Six-fingered Sound Demon, he still needed to inquire clearly about the news of the Six-fingered Sound Demon to make the most accurate judgment.


    To be honest, had it not been for the formidable power of the ¡°Annihilation Melody¡±, he might not have bothered with the legacy of the Six-fingered Sound Demon.


    At least before joining a great sect, he would not go exploring; he now had abundant cultivation techniques and resources and did not urgently need other techniques and resources.


    But the ¡°Annihilation Melody¡± had piqued his curiosity. Compared with the ¡°Annihilation Melody¡±, his ¡°Devil Sound Lotus¡± seemed like child¡¯s play.


    Li Shiming operated the IBMz15 in his mind, comparing the map obtained from the ¡°Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡± with known maps of Beishu.


    He was not very familiar with Beishu, but fortunately, he had obtained maps from Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi as well as from the Wei¡¯s Book Collection Room.


    Data comparison of landforms, which might take cultivators in the Cultivation World years to accomplish, was completed by the IBMz15 in just a few seconds.


    Li Shiming¡¯s vision now included a map of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, marking out locations, while the IBMz15, based on previously obtained maps, provided him with the safest route.


    The paths he had previously taken seemed to be through deep forests and rarely traveled places, but in fact, these routes had been explored by cultivators and confirmed to be safe.


    The Ten Thousand Great Mountains were not just inhabited by humans; many other creatures also lived there, including powerful spirit beasts.


    Areas marked as dangerous on several maps were confirmed to be regions with powerful spirit beasts, and passing through these areas was very risky.


    Of course, in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, humans were still the dominant force, with cultivators suppressing the spirit beasts and coexisting with them.


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 Chapter 269: 181: Preparation

    Chapter 269: Chapter 181: Preparation


    Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness entered the mechanical room space, and he opened the five storage bags he had gathered today. Yi Lingling¡¯s spiritual artifacts had all had their spirit marks erased by Li Yuanba¡¯s sword intent during the battle.


    In Yi Lingling¡¯s storage bag, there were no more spiritual artifacts, just a pile of miscellaneous items mostly consisting of women¡¯s essentials, some spirit stones, and elixir pills, and there was only a Jade Scroll from the Beishu Trading Company indicating a credit of 350,000 low-grade spirit stones.


    Regarding elixir pills, he remained cautious; he estimated he was among the minority of cultivators with three spirit root seeds who had never consumed elixir pills from the start of his cultivation.


    During the Qi Refinement Realm, since his cultivation speed was still considered ideal¡ªat least much faster than his peers¡ª, he naturally discarded the idea of using elixir pills to aid his cultivation.


    Later, he found an even better way to cultivate than consuming elixir pills, where Li Yuanba utilized the heavenly spirit root for his services.


    Even during Foundation Establishment, he did not use Foundation Establishment Pills.


    ...


    But into the Foundation Establishment Stage, he distinctly felt a slowdown in his cultivation pace, which made him very uncomfortable.


    Even so, he still had no intention of consuming elixir pills, at least until he joined a sect and received relevant knowledge from them, only then he might be able to determine which elixir pills he should consume.


    Only a sect could provide high-quality elixir pills, as low-quality ones had too strong a resistance.


    In the other four storage bags, only the one belonging to an old Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was rich in spiritual objects.


    Unfortunately, none caught Li Shiming¡¯s eye. Although the resources of Sky Sea Island couldn¡¯t match those of Beishu and adding together the resources of its seven sects only equaled those of a mid-size sect in Beishu, Sky Sea Island had controlled its resources for ten thousand years, which still far surpassed those of ordinary powers in Beishu.


    The spiritual artifacts Li Shiming obtained on Sky Sea Island were either top-tier rewards from the seven sects or seized from the genius cultivators of the Mingxin Sect.


    Beyond the longswords and robes, there were three defensive spiritual artifacts: shield-type, bell-type, and bead-type, each brimming with spirit, and absolute treasures among defensive spiritual artifacts.


    Li Shiming regretfully looked at the three defensive spiritual artifacts; were it not for the fear of being recognized by those from Baoze Mountain, he would have considered using them.


    Additionally, there was a huge Spirit Furnace; he could be certain this was not a Pill Furnace, as its style differed completely from that of a pill furnace.


    Li Shiming skipped the Spirit Furnace when he saw the Jade Scroll, which was purple.


    With slight disappointment, he probed the purple Jade Scroll with his spiritual thought, ¡°Baoze Mountain Refining Record,¡± it was a technique of artifact refining.


    He also discovered what the Spirit Furnace was; it was an Artifact-making Furnace for artifact makers, a heritage object for artifact refiners.


    Those materials he didn¡¯t recognize piled to one side also had their mystery solved; ¡°Baoze Mountain Refining Record¡± recorded the names and characteristics of these artifact-refining materials.


    ¡°Baoze Mountain Refining Record¡± represented the artifact-refining heritage of Baoze Mountain, and Yi Yichen must have intended to become an artifact refiner, or perhaps already was one.


    ¡°What an unexpected delight!¡± Receiving the ¡°Baoze Mountain Refining Record¡± made Li Shiming happier than acquiring a powerful cultivation technique.


    The science of his previous life needed to be combined with the cultivation knowledge of this world to be effective.


    Previously, he had studied formations, which indeed provided many solutions for the science of his former world.


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 Chapter 270: 181: Preparation_2

    Chapter 270: Chapter 181: Preparation_2


    ¡°`


    But in his heart, many of his ideas were related to weapon crafting, especially when it came to weaponry, which necessitated magic artifacts that matched his own cultivation level.


    Take the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling for analysis, when Li Shiming first crafted the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling, he was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, and at that time, the weapon had greatly enhanced his combat power.


    Even genius cultivators at the peak of Qi Refinement found it extremely difficult to withstand the assault of the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling.


    However, after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, the power of the Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling could no longer meet the demands of his own realm, as his enemies were at least at the Foundation Establishment level.


    Even the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun, if it could be upgraded to the level of a Spiritual Artifact, its power could be greatly increased.


    ...


    It is known that a lot of research in his previous life was limited by material issues, but this world had a unique advantage in terms of materials.


    Spiritual materials were naturally superior to the best synthetic materials from his previous life, but the refining methods of the former could not be used to process spiritual materials, and in the Cultivation World, only Artifact Makers were capable of refining spiritual materials.


    Li Shiming looked at the Spirit Furnace, thinking that he would refine it later; if he could obtain a Spirit Furnace from somewhere else, then there would be no need to use this one.


    Besides, he had not yet settled down, and even if he wanted to become an Artifact Maker, he lacked the necessary environment.


    ¡°Fellow, although Sword Cultivators do not require many magic artifacts, from the battles we have fought, when faced with a multitude of enemies, one still needs assistance!¡± Li Shiming withdrew his consciousness from the mechanic room space, addressing Li Yuanba beside him.


    ¡°Your thought is good, I indeed have some difficulty dealing with multiple enemies!¡± Li Yuanba nodded in agreement.


    This kind of conversation between the dual consciousness of Li Shiming allowed him not to feel lonely.


    Perhaps in the future, even separated by thousands of miles, such a connection would still continue uninterrupted.


    A day later, Li Shiming entered a large market, this time fortunately without any unlucky encounters.


    The identity of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still very useful; after he entered a shop exuding a cold and eerie aura, he was invited to the second floor.


    Normally, only the second floor was where Foundation Establishment Cultivators were received; the consumption power and status of Foundation Establishment Cultivators did not allow them to shop in the same place as Qi Refining Cultivators.


    This was a shop that sold items for Devil Cultivators, and even Li Shiming found it somewhat unbearable after entering the first floor.


    Within the first floor, even the bodies of cultivators were for sale, along with incomplete body parts, which were materials for Corpse Refining.


    The rest of the various eerie materials, given that they were from the Devil Sects, had a special odor and an ugly, bizarre appearance.


    The air was filled with these mixed odors, which probably only Devil Cultivators could disregard, perhaps even finding some enjoyment in them.


    The second floor was much better, with no materials displayed; one simply had to make a request to the attending cultivator.


    ¡°Our store also purchases corpses; we give spirit stones according to the quality of Foundation Establishment Stage corpses!¡± the old cultivator went on to say.


    Li Shiming did not join the conversation; he had collected many corpses and chose not to deal with them because he might use them later as material for corpse repair in his Refining.


    He would not consider selling corpses as a means to earn spirit stones; they weren¡¯t worth many spirit stones and could easily cause trouble.


    At that moment, the attendant came over with a storage bag and handed it to the old cultivator.


    After inspecting it, he handed the storage bag to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought entered the storage bag, checking all the materials, especially the second-grade materials, very carefully.


    He had to be cautious, for the Corpse Refining work that followed could not afford to fail, as the loss would be too great.


    ¡°Fellow, the total is fifteen thousand spirit stones!¡± the old cultivator reminded him with a smile.


    Li Shiming passed over the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s Storing Jade Token; he was curious to see how it was used.


    The old cultivator took out an Array Plate and activated it with a light touch.


    Although Li Shiming did not use Spiritual Thought to inspect it, as a High-level Array Master, his perception of formations was extremely strong; he could clearly sense the Array Plate connecting externally.


    It seemed to activate the formation on the Array Plate, and it was also connecting to a larger Formation outside.


    The old cultivator placed the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s Storing Jade Token on the Array Plate, operated it with Spiritual Thought, and then returned the Storing Jade Token to Li Shiming.


    Upon inspection, Li Shiming saw that fifteen thousand spirit stones had been deducted from the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s Storing Jade Token.


    By his estimation, the Beishu Trading Company likely established a formation communication network throughout the entire Beishu region, which would at least cover large marketplaces within the range of the communication network.


    This was actually quite similar to the Sect Formation of the Sky Sea Sect, but currently, he could not comprehend the composition of this communication network.


    He also didn¡¯t think it wise to inquire, for given the old cultivator¡¯s wisdom, any questions might lead him to suspect Li Shiming¡¯s origins.


    Without using spirit stones directly and having spent fifteen thousand at once, which seemed insignificant, he knew many Foundation Establishment Cultivators did not possess much wealth.


    If he spent more, he worried he might attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.


    After leaving the large marketplace, he deliberately observed his surroundings, even releasing a drone and using infrared thermal imaging to confirm that no one was following him before he could finally relax.


    It wasn¡¯t paranoia; after all, since entering the Cultivation World, the number of troubles he had encountered and cultivators he had killed was significant!


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 Chapter 271: 182 Jiang Chen

    Chapter 271: Chapter 182 Jiang Chen


    With the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± based on the third-grade spiritual item ¡°Netherworld Crystal¡± in place, Li Shiming didn¡¯t need to seek a suitable location for Corpse Refining.


    In the Ghost Domain, Refining the corpse required fewer materials.


    Even so, he still purchased second-grade main materials for Corpse Refining, preparing them for Li Yuanba, using the corpse of the Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi as the material.


    He even had Li Yuanba turn the corpse of Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi into a Life-bound Corpse Refining, an idea he had long harbored.


    Had Li Shiming not granted the sole slot for Life-bound Corpse Refinement to Li Yuanba, he would have wanted to refine Yun Xingyi¡¯s corpse into his own Life-bound Corpse Refining.


    The corpse of Yun Xingyi, even in death, possessed astonishing defensive power. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator, drawing on the power of a Third-Grade Sword Base, could barely cut through its skin, and even then, the cutting was extremely slow.


    ...


    This was even without Spiritual Power in his body postmortem.


    Once his corpse was refined, its defensive power would undoubtedly be among the top in the Iron Corpse category.


    That was just the skin. The defensive power of Yun Xingyi¡¯s muscles was even stronger, not to mention his bones. The bones of a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, almost as hard as those who focused on Body Refinement, were influenced by long-term exposure to Sword Intent.


    Even though Yun Xingyi had only managed to refine the Sword Bone of his right thumb, Sword Intent had permeated all his bones, constantly enhancing their strength during cultivation.


    Even in death, the Sword Intent in his bones couldn¡¯t completely dissipate.


    This time, Li Shiming personally dug out a cave dwelling while Li Yuanba set up a Formation with flags outside.


    In the cave, Li Shiming prepared for Corpse Refining. His ¡°Xuanming Corpse Refining Chapter¡± only advanced Corpse Refining to the Foundation Establishment stage, and the subsequent techniques were missing, but it was sufficient.


    The spirit of Corpse Refining was complete within four hours, but the transformation of the Corpse Refining was not yet complete.


    The bronze color of the skin surface deepened, gradually turning into the color of black iron.


    This was due to the quality of the second-grade Life-bound Corpse Refining Fluid and the quality of the corpse itself, skipping the copper corpse stage and directly entering the Iron Corpse State within the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array.¡±


    Corpse Refining might seem extremely simple, able to grant a cultivator an Iron Corpse with Foundation Establishment combat capabilities in a short time.


    But one must consider the source of the corpse for Corpse Refining; not to mention corpses at the Golden Core Stage, even those at the Foundation Establishment stage are hard to obtain.


    Moreover, the previous spirit root seeds of the corpse must also be considered, otherwise, this corpse wouldn¡¯t have much potential. It¡¯s likely that by the time the cultivator himself advances to Foundation Establishment, the Corpse Refining would still be lingering in the copper corpse stage.


    Corpse Refining also has a success rate; all the preparation in the world can still carry the risk of failure.


    The reason Li Shiming succeeded this time was due to his purchasing of high-quality second-grade materials for Corpse Refining, and the Ghost Domain environment created by the ¡°Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡± also contributed significantly to enhancing the Corpse Refining.


    After staying there for three days, continuing until the Life-bound Corpse¡¯s body reached a limit, with faint white lights flowing on its skin, the Corpse Refining process was finally complete.


    Li Shiming wondered if he had the complete Golden Core Stage Corpse Refining technique in hand, whether he could directly refine Yun Xingyi¡¯s corpse into a Silver Corpse.


    Of course, this possibility was extremely low; the potential of Yun Xingyi¡¯s corpse was almost completely depleted. Any further enhancement would require a massive stack of Corpse Refining materials.


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 Chapter 272: 182 Jiang Chen_2

    Chapter 272: Chapter 182 Jiang Chen_2


    Moreover, while in the state of Life-bound Corpse Refinement, the materials needed for Corpse Refining must be at least second grade, and even those might not be sufficient.


    The Life-bound Corpse had a faint white glow about it, a layer of silver light, a phenomenon that only occurred when an Iron Corpse reached its zenith.


    Moving upward from the Iron Corpse required advancement to Silver Corpse, a transformation not so easily achieved, with even the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array¡¯ providing much less aid.


    Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi was the mightiest Golden Core in Mingxin Sect, and using his body to create a Corpse Refinement meant Mingxin Sect must have long since departed Beishu, otherwise Li Yuanba would immediately become Mingxin Sect¡¯s most wanted.


    To avoid getting Li Yuanba in major trouble, Li Shiming put the Life-bound Refinement Corpse into the space of the mechanical room and performed plastic surgery to alter its features.


    However, this time he was unable to cut the bones of the Life-bound Refinement Corpse, even with a Third Grade Sword Base proving inadequate for the task.


    ...


    The process of Corpse Refining is to transform a corpse into a zombie; during this process, the body is strengthened, and when the refining is successful, Yin Cold Spiritual Power naturally emerges within the body.


    This Yin Cold Power was continuously enhancing the entire body of the corpse, and during its transformation, it absorbed three days¡¯ worth of Yin Cold Power from the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡¯ all the while constantly remolding and strengthening itself.


    A Third Grade Sword Base is made with third-grade materials, but in reality, he had only recently begun the Foundation Establishment part of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ and it was essentially still a Spiritual Artifact made from third-grade materials.


    Unless he advanced to Golden Core and cultivated the Golden Core portion of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ there was no way to make the Third Grade Sword Base into an artifact-like existence.


    Having no choice, Li Shiming opted to fill it, fortunate that the Iron Corpse had developed aberrant fangs and its eyes turned blood red in the process.


    To prevent Yun Xingyi¡¯s acquaintances from recognizing him, Li Shiming added more bones to his facial structure to alter his original appearance.


    These bones, sourced from other corpses, might have been of slightly lesser quality, but when it came to simply altering the face, their impact on the Life-bound Refinement Corpse was virtually none.


    Once everything was prepared, Li Shiming looked at the Life-bound Refinement Corpse in front of him and felt a sense of oppression rising from within.


    Its terrifying exterior and the aura of a Peak Iron Corpse revealed it to be nothing short of a fierce beast.


    What was even more dreadful was when Li Shiming took out a Spirit Artifact Shield to test the Life-bound Refinement Corpse¡¯s attack, he was shocked to find sword intent swirling around its claw.


    With a single strike, the Spirit imprint within the Spirit Artifact Shield instantly dissipated, causing him to involuntarily spew out blood and suffer a splitting headache.


    Fortunately, the Life-bound Refinement Corpse was under control and did not continue with successive attacks.


    Li Shiming thought of his own Nezha and then looked at Li Yuanba¡¯s Life-bound Refinement Corpse in front of him, sighing at the vast difference between them.


    Of course, Nezha¡¯s potential was not small either, being a Life-bound Corpse with a Heavenly Spirit Root, and even though it was still in the early stages of Iron Corpse, given its form with thirty-six arms and the rate of growth, its future strength would likely not be inferior to Li Yuanba¡¯s Life-bound Refinement Corpse.


    It was only now that Li Shiming realized his ignorance; the Cultivation World harbored too much knowledge that he did not know, and only by constantly improving his strength would he have a chance to access such high-end knowledge.


    After thinking for a moment, he took out a drone, which was quite special with an extra package attached to its bottom.


    He projected a method into the Formation at the low shrubs, making them appear ethereal, revealing an inward stone entrance.


    The drone flew towards the entrance, and Li Shiming also put on an eye mask to synchronize with the drone¡¯s vision.


    The cave was very austere, and the stone surfaces bore the marks of years gone by.


    Just about ten meters inside the entrance, they reached the great hall of the cave abode.


    Within the hall stood a set of table and chairs, which glinted with spiritual light. Despite many years, it was still discernible that they were made from Spiritual Objects of fine quality, assessed to be second-grade.


    Meaning, just the Spiritual Objects used for the table and chairs in the great hall could be used to make multiple Spiritual Artifacts.


    One could imagine the level of luxury of the cave abode¡¯s owner; second-grade Spiritual Objects used to make furniture ¨C even the mere sight stirred Li Shiming¡¯s heart.


    Placed on the table was a chessboard and two boxes of black and white pieces, their spiritual light restrained, an indication they were even higher-quality Spiritual Objects.


    ¡°Could it be a magical treasure?¡± The tremble in Li Shiming¡¯s heart turned into a leap; he almost wanted to rush into the mansion to see the chessboard and the pieces with his own eyes, to confirm their quality.


    But he managed to suppress the impulse well; if such treasures were placed just in the great hall, what then, could be inside?


    These past days, he had also uncovered some information about the Six-fingered Sound Demon, who had vanished without a trace over four hundred years ago with strength at the late-stage Golden Core, and his influence in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was not to be underestimated.


    The Six-fingered Sound Demon was murderous and cruel, delighting in sweeping away lives with his zither music, a true Devil Cultivator.


    Because the Six-fingered Sound Demon had killed a true disciple of the Senluo Sect, the sect dispatched cultivators to hunt him down. After severely injuring him once, he disappeared without a trace.


    Rumors had it that the Six-fingered Sound Demon foresaw his own end and left a number of clues during his exile, hoping that a person with destiny could inherit his legacy.


    In the Cultivation World, such rumors were abundant, and almost every missing cultivator had similar tales associated with them, so very few cultivators truly believed in the legends.


    It was probably only those cultivators who had personally seen clues left by the Six-fingered Sound Demon who would believe in the existence of his mansion.


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 Chapter 273: 183 The Ancestral Mansion

    Chapter 273: Chapter 183 The Ancestral Mansion


    The unmanned drone flew over the hall, and Li Shiming thought he would see a room, but to his surprise, a garden appeared before his eyes.


    The garden wasn¡¯t very large, roughly a few hundred square meters, and within it, a pond had been excavated with several lotuses blooming in the water.


    The lotuses shimmered with a spiritual light, even the pond water flickered with this radiance; all of these were Spiritual Objects.


    The ground of the garden was planted with a variety of Spirit Plants, which seemed quite disordered, presumably due to a lack of maintenance.


    Above them was sunlight created by a Formation, casting its rays upon the Spirit Plants and the pond water.


    This was a garden built inside an advanced cultivator¡¯s cave. Li Shiming had never seen the cave of a high-level Beishu cultivator before; today he had truly witnessed it.


    ...


    The far end of the garden had several rooms carved out. The drone surveyed them and found that only one room could be entered; the entrances to the others were blocked by light curtains.


    The more Li Shiming watched, the more hesitant he became; from the Magic Artifacts in the hall to the Spirit Plants in the garden, to the only accessible room, everything seemed to be drawing the entering cultivators deeper.


    He took out a signal relay and placed it at the entrance to the legacy mansion, and he continued to retreat with Li Yuan Ba. Every so often, they placed down a signal relay to maintain control over the drone and receive its signal.


    After withdrawing ten miles, he set up a concealed Formation to mask their presence before commanding the drone to enter that room.


    As the drone entered, through its camera he saw a withered body sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, looking like nothing more than a corpse.


    The withered body had snow-white hair and wrinkled skin, and in front of it was a black ancient zither.


    Li Shiming controlled the drone to switch to infrared thermal imaging mode. Though the withered body didn¡¯t exhibit the normal human temperature of 37 degrees, it was nonetheless warmer than what a corpse should be.


    Since the Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither was merely a Spiritual Artifact, it did not attract the attention of Golden Core cultivators, and so it passed through the hands of many in the Cultivation World, leading to the downfall of countless cultivators.


    Eventually, Yi Lingling acquired it at an auction and it ended up in the hands of Li Shiming.


    The Six-fingered Sound Demon had finally waited for a cultivator to arrive, but under his Divine Thought, he realized it was an odd flying object, not the cultivator he had imagined.


    He refrained from using his Divine Thought and merely observed the drone with it.


    Li Shiming, too, was observing the Six-fingered Sound Demon, with the drone scanning his body up and down, eventually noticing the ring on the demon¡¯s finger.


    He had seen similar rings; it was only after arriving in Beishu that he learned they were called Space Rings, storage devices that only powerful Golden Core cultivators were qualified to use, essentially having the quality of a Magic Artifact.


    Li Shiming pondered the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s situation; if the Sound Demon had been able to move, why then hadn¡¯t he left the cave in hundreds of years?


    He deduced this from the outside Formation, judging by the traces of Spiritual Power in the Formation, a capability of a High-level Array Master.


    If the Six-fingered Sound Demon was alive and not leaving the cave, instead using the Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither to lure cultivators here, there must be some reason for this.


    Almost immediately, he thought of Body Seizing.


    He himself had narrowly avoided being seized by the Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi, so he was particularly vivid about the Golden Core cultivators attempting Body Seizing.


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 Chapter 274: 183 The Ancestral Mansion_2

    Chapter 274: Chapter 183 The Ancestral Mansion_2


    To determine whether the Six-fingered Sound Demon was truly immobilized, it was necessary to provoke a reaction from him and thereby confirm that he was alive.


    As Li Shiming thought this, the drone flew towards the fingers of the Six-fingered Sound Demon, its undercarriage moving closer to the Space Ring as if trying to use the mount to lift the ring off.


    How could the Six-fingered Sound Demon pretend to be dead again? His life¡¯s accumulation and legacy were all contained within that Space Ring.


    His Divine Thought swept across the guqin before him. One of the strings on the instrument vibrated, emitting a low sound.


    The drone exploded instantly, and during the disintegration, a small charge of explosives inside it was ignited.


    This small charge was not intended for the Six-fingered Sound Demon; after all, even with a hundred times more explosives, it might not be enough to kill someone of his power.


    ...


    The purpose of the small charge was to destroy an unstable fifty-cubic storage bag, which was the device attached under the drone.


    This was a gift prepared by Li Shiming, especially for the possibly immobile Six-fingered Sound Demon¡ªa carefully crafted present.


    With a targeted blast, the already damaged fifty-cubic storage bag exploded due to its instability, and the substance stored inside surged out.@@@@


    C130 concrete rained down from the void, burying the Six-fingered Sound Demon, the guqin, and even the entire room.


    This C130 concrete was a byproduct of Li Shiming¡¯s research into reviving technology from his past life. After grinding repellent water rock, a First-grade Material of this world, into a powder and adding it to the C130 concrete, he had created a new type of C130 concrete that could solidify rapidly upon contact with air.


    The sudden appearance of C130 concrete took the Six-fingered Sound Demon by surprise, and he tried to use Divine Thought to fend it off.


    But the problem was that the entire room was filled with the new C130 concrete. Its rapid-solidification property meant it did not flow out of the room, solidifying instead at the doorway, sealing the door shut.


    Although the new fifty-cubic C130 concrete hadn¡¯t submerged the whole room, submerging the Six-fingered Sound Demon was definitely not an issue.


    As his Divine Thought pushed away the concrete on one side, more poured down on the other, quickly submerging him in the new C130 concrete.


    He wanted to use the guqin, a treasured item, but it too was buried under the new C130 concrete, leaving no space to produce sound.


    The new C130 concrete on the outside solidified upon contact with air, but the concrete inside did so much slower.


    The Six-fingered Sound Demon faced concrete like mud. His Divine Thought could easily scatter it, but dispersing the concrete merely stirred it more, which had no effect on the concrete anyway.


    After struggling to survive for hundreds of years, his Divine Thought was already overtaxed. He fought hard for a while, only to feel its exhaustion.


    While formations varied greatly, the fundamentals remained the same. With the computing power of the IBM z15 as the foundation, what he needed was to continuously supply it with a vast amount of data.


    Li Shiming was extremely cautious as he extended his Spiritual Thought, and he minimized its intensity to the weakest degree, so that even if it was intercepted, the impact on him would not be too significant.


    The Spiritual Thought entered the garden and began to collect data on the Spiritual Power Patterns within it.


    Within his Array Formation Starlight Sea, new stars emerged as he communicated with the IBM z15, each new star shining exceptionally bright, representing a higher level of formation knowledge.


    This was the longest he had ever spent analyzing a formation. He spent ten days collecting data through his Spiritual Thought and participating in the analysis with the IBM z15, before they managed to construct a rough design of the formation.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Li Shiming said with a joyous expression.


    To completely analyze this formation would take an unknown length of time, mainly because he dared not get too close to the room where the Six-fingered Sound Demon was located.


    This made the formation data he collected somewhat incomplete, but his goal was not to completely control the formation but to find the energy nodes of the formation.


    If this formation had lasted for hundreds or even thousands of years, there must be a Spirit Vein present.


    Through his analysis, he located the position of the Spirit Vein, right below the pond in the garden.


    In the days that followed, he repeatedly attempted to modify the formation, and after five days, he managed to redirect the Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Vein into the hall.


    He remodeled the formation, adding a special feature that continuously drew Spiritual Energy from all areas except the hall into the hall itself.


    As the Spiritual Energy was guided into the hall, not only did it support the formation of the hall, but the rest of the formations began to collapse.


    With no supply of Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Vein, relatively impure air from the outside entered every part of the dwelling, first causing a massive die-off of Spirit Plants in the garden.


    Li Shiming had no time to regret the loss of those Spirit Plants, even though he recognized that they were all second-grade plants, their loss was negligible compared to the threat to his life.


    The Six-fingered Sound Demon continued to persevere, but its heart grew cold, for without Spiritual Energy, its already depleted body could not last long, let alone the absence of air which made it impossible to breathe. This forced it to continuously consume its internal Spiritual Energy to sustain life.


    And that cunning cultivator showed no sign of haste, actually starting to cultivate in retreat within the hall, treating it entirely as his own dwelling.


    Of course, Li Shiming was not in a hurry. He was certain that the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s cultivation level had severely declined. Unable to move its body, how much fighting strength could just its Divine Thought maintain?


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 Chapter 275: 184 Solution

    Chapter 275: Chapter 184 Solution


    Li Shiming toyed with a black chess piece in his hand, made of a certain third-grade material, together with the other 180 black pieces, 180 white pieces, and the chessboard, they formed a set of magical artifacts.


    ¡°What a pity!¡± he sighed softly.


    This was not the formation artifact he had imagined, but a mere dark weapon artifact; the chessboard served for defense, and the 361 black and white pieces were for remote attacks, controlled by the chessboard.


    He even doubted that the creator of this artifact had considered combat at all, instead using precious third-grade materials to craft this set of chess equipment.


    He could sense that this Go artifact set had an owner, and until its owner was deceased, this Go artifact set couldn¡¯t truly be considered his own.


    Moreover, even if Six-fingered Sound Demon was indeed dead, with his current early-stage Foundation Establishment strength, he was far from being able to use such a Go artifact set, let alone refining it to recognize him as its master.


    ...


    Li Shiming smiled. He didn¡¯t know whether the Six-fingered Sound Demon was overconfident, assuming that the cultivators who entered the ancestral mansion couldn¡¯t erase the spirit imprint of the master inside the artifact, or if he thought that at such a close distance, he could retrieve the artifact at any time.


    With a sweep of his Spiritual Thought, he stored the whole Go artifact set into the machine room space and then nodded at Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba took out the corpse-collecting bag from his waist and threw it to Li Shiming, who also stored it in the machine room space.


    This set of Go artifacts was a trap set by the Six-fingered Sound Demon, carrying this set of Go artifacts on him, once he got close enough to his body, his Divine Thought could control the Go artifacts to initiate an attack.


    The attack from the Go artifacts was not very formidable, but it was definitely unstoppable for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, coupled with a surprise attack, controlling the cultivators who came in was not a problem.


    To prevent the cultivators from probing, a material that blocked Divine Thoughts was used within the cave dwelling; otherwise, separated by the distance they were at now, he could also control the Go artifacts with his Divine Thought.


    At this point, his only way out was to make an all-out strike, capturing the cultivators in the hall to forcibly seize their bodies, perhaps preserving a sliver of hope.


    No longer hesitating, his soul was entrusted to the Golden Core, he wished to take his space ring and his personal artifacts with him, but having lost most of his strength, he lacked the power to retrieve the space ring and personal artifacts buried under the concrete.


    The Golden Core as his boat, flew out of his mouth, and the new type of C130 concrete, harder than granite, seemed as easily penetrable as tofu when faced with the Golden Core.


    The Golden Core did not linger, with every moment the soul traveled outside the body aboard the Golden Core, it consumed the little remaining life force.


    The Golden Core broke through the concrete, flew into the garden, and sensed the condition of the garden; most of his cultivated plants had withered due to the loss of Spiritual Energy.


    This intensified his hatred for Li Shiming, as the Golden Core flew towards the hall.


    The walls filled with sturdy and reinforced runes were easily penetrated by the Golden Core, which then entered the inside of the hall.


    Li Shiming saw the Golden Core, extremely familiar with such Golden Cores.


    He stepped back, activating the Formation in front of him, calculating all possibilities, yet he had not anticipated that a Golden Core cultivator could launch a remote attack by means of an external Golden Core.


    This was due to his insufficient understanding of Golden Core cultivators, primarily because the capabilities of Golden Core cultivators exceeded his understanding of the world.


    The Golden Core smashed into the Formation, but the Six-fingered Sound Demon, an experienced Golden Core cultivator, had learned various miscellaneous knowledge over the long years.


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 Chapter 276: 184 Solution_2

    Chapter 276: Chapter 184 Solution_2


    ¡°`


    At the level that the Six-Fingered Sound Demon could access, he had learned some knowledge of formations, but the depth was far beyond what Li Shiming could reach.


    The Golden Core flew through the formations like a fish in water, constantly passing through layer upon layer of defense, drawing closer to Li Shiming.


    The Six-Fingered Sound Demon didn¡¯t use his divine thought, since it was too weak. He needed to suppress Li Shiming and Li Yuanba with his Golden Core before he could use his divine thought for the soul snatching.


    Although he did not use divine thought, the Six-Fingered Sound Demon still sensed the situation with Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s aptitude was clearly much better than Li Shiming¡¯s, and his obvious sword cultivator attributes made the Six-Fingered Sound Demon almost instantly switch his target to Li Yuanba.


    ...


    At the same time, the Six-Fingered Sound Demon¡¯s control over Li Shiming turned into an urge to kill; since Li Shiming was no longer of value, he decided to kill him to vent the hatred in his heart.


    The Golden Core was drawing ever closer to Li Shiming, who sensed a strong killing intent.


    The formation in front of Li Shiming only bought him a moment¡¯s time, the terrifying presence of the Golden Core almost caused him to lose control of his mind.


    When the Golden Core was merely fifty centimeters away, a figure suddenly appeared¡ªit was Jiang Chen, whom he had summoned from the engine room space.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s sharp claws grasped the Golden Core and with a ¡®boom,¡¯ Jiang Chen was sent flying backwards, crashing heavily into a wall ten meters away, leaving a deep indentation.


    The power disparity between the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment was truly too great.


    Jiang Chen possessed the peak strength of the Foundation Establishment Stage and even had a touch of Golden Core majesty in certain respects.


    But when directly confronting a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s Golden Core, he was repelled and flung away like a baby.


    Of course, the Six-Fingered Sound Demon didn¡¯t have it easy either. The trace of Sword Intent that entered the Golden Core, though quickly expelled by the core itself, still had some impact on his soul.


    The piercing pain of the Sword Intent acted directly upon the soul, causing a temporary loss of control over the Golden Core.


    And it was at this moment that Li Shiming reached out his hand, pressing it on the Golden Core. He didn¡¯t use any spiritual power, merely touching it with his hand.


    Before his hand even touched the Golden Core, just being near it caused his fingers to break under its formidable aura, with only his thumb succeeding in making contact.


    This thumb was the Sword Bone that Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi had replaced for him. The moment his thumb touched the Golden Core, his mind stirred and the Golden Core vanished into thin air.


    With the Golden Core gone, only the soul of the Six-Fingered Sound Demon remained in the void.


    When Li Shiming retrieved the Golden Core, he didn¡¯t intend to take the soul within as well; the engine room space received his thoughts and only took the Golden Core.


    The ¡°Diamond Sutra¡± chanting from Li Shiming¡¯s mouth stopped, and he exchanged a glance with Li Yuanba, both revealing a look of shock.


    So many measures were employed, yet they nearly capsized.


    Hindsight being perfect, they might as well have used a large amount of explosives to thoroughly blow up the mansion.


    However, in that case, there wouldn¡¯t have been much left.


    ¡°Greed really can lead to one¡¯s own demise,¡± murmured Li Shiming with a light sigh.


    But knowing that the treasures and legacy of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator were here, if they didn¡¯t compete for them, what was the point of cultivating? They may as well return to a peaceful life.


    His entire journey had been about growing stronger amidst continuous struggles.


    The injuries on his body were mainly broken bones; he set the bones back in place and slowly recovered from the internal damage. Such injuries, for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, especially a Body Refining Cultivator, would naturally heal within a few days.


    Most importantly, these were injuries caused by a Divine Thought strike and did not leave behind a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern; otherwise, the difficulty of recovery would have multiplied many times over.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s condition was similar to Li Shiming¡¯s, also needing a few days to recover.


    Li Shiming commanded the uninjured Jiang Chen to repair the mansion¡¯s Formation and to restore the original Formation.


    Both he and Li Yuanba were injured and unable to fight in the short term.


    The Formation of the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s Mansion was re-established, covering the entire mansion once again, and everything seemed to return to the beginning.


    Two days later, Li Shiming had recovered the ability to move. He went with Jiang Chen to the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s room.


    Jiang Chen extended his sharp claws, beginning to clear away the concrete; the solid concrete was easily torn apart by him.


    Li Yuanba stood to the side, watching Jiang Chen¡¯s actions, mainly to prevent the destruction of important items.


    Li Shiming, on the other hand, went into the adjacent room to inspect the situation in the mansion.


    This room was a bedroom, arranged just like a mortal¡¯s, with a bed made of spirit wood, a quilt from Spirit Silk to make robes, a pillow of Spiritual Jade.


    Everything in the room was made of second-grade materials, a level of luxury probably only a Golden Core cultivator could afford.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought swept through, and all the items were taken into his storage bracelet. Whether used later for decoration, converted to Spiritual Artifacts, or sold, their value was significant.


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 Chapter 277: 185: Harvest (Additional update for Ba Chao 4488)

    Chapter 277: Chapter 185: Harvest (Additional update for Ba Chao 4488)


    Li Shiming was unaware how rare the opportunity to clean a Golden Core Mansion on his own was.


    Normally, hardly any cultivators would explore a mansion alone, as it was much safer to do so in coordination with others.


    It was Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s intention, to lure individual cultivators here.


    A true mansion would not be so easily accessible, nor would methods to unlock the formations be provided.


    The first barrier was formation breaking; the formations of a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s cave dwelling were not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator could easily break.


    After that, one had to face the self-defense mechanisms left in the dwelling by the Golden Core cultivator. The fact that Six-fingered Sound Demon had not left any defenses was indicative of other schemes.


    ...


    Even if one managed to get through these challenges, the treasures left in a mansion after years of erosion were extremely limited.


    Cultivators were not known for their generosity, and a mansion was often the grave of a cultivator. One could hardly expect to have their grave dug up and still be expected to present gifts.


    Therefore, exploring a mansion was a task fraught with danger, and Li Shiming¡¯s exploration this time was indeed very perilous.


    The second room was a study where Li Shiming obtained a set of second-grade desks and chairs, along with a large number of jade scrolls, of which Cultivation Technique Jade Scrolls were very rare; they were mainly various travel and knowledge jade scrolls.


    The third room was a storeroom filled with Spiritual Materials, sadly without any sight of Third Grade Spiritual Materials; they were all second-grade.


    The storeroom did not resemble that of a Golden Core cultivator at all, leaving him extremely disappointed.


    The second-grade Spiritual Materials were very disordered, not systematic at all, leading him to suspect they were just spoils of war haphazardly thrown in there.


    Moreover, some Spiritual Materials were not stored properly, their spiritual essence greatly diminished, further devaluing them.@@@@


    The Space Ring, having lost its master, offered no resistance at all, and his Spiritual Thought invaded it.


    The inside of the Space Ring was vast, a hundred meters in length, width, and height, the same size as his other Space Ring.


    However, the contents were pitifully scarce, with jade scrolls naturally being Li Shiming¡¯s first concern.


    Two lonely golden jade scrolls lay in one corner, the only jade scrolls in the space.


    Fortunately, the quality of the golden jade scrolls was the highest he had ever seen, compensating for the lack of quantity.


    ¡®Immortal Turtle Breathing Technique¡¯, it was a life-maintaining technique meant to allow cultivators to live longer in a stationary state, even potentially exceeding the constraints of their original lifespan.


    This Cultivation Technique had no benefit to combat strength, and its attractiveness to ordinary cultivators wasn¡¯t great either.


    In a stationary state, it meant not eating or drinking and being unable to cultivate other techniques, only maintaining a state of being by cultivating ¡®Immortal Turtle Breathing Technique¡¯.


    Practicing ¡®Immortal Turtle Breathing Technique¡¯, one¡¯s strength would not increase at all, with lifespan being the only thing to grow during the stillness.


    Thinking of Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s condition, Li Shiming guessed that he likely survived by cultivating the ¡®Immortal Turtle Breathing Technique¡¯.


    The second golden jade scroll did not disappoint him; ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡¯ was exactly Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s legacy.


    He could only read the Foundation Establishment section of the ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡¯, which detailed how to cultivate Heavenly Sound Spiritual Power and execute the Secret Technique called ¡®Stealing Heaven¡¯s Sound¡¯, along with over a dozen different musical scores with varying effects.


    After reading the Foundation Establishment section, he could be one hundred percent certain that the ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡¯ was not a Demon Cultivation Technique, but a genuine Taoist Sound Cultivation Technique.


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 Chapter 278: 185: Harvest (Additional update for Ba Chao 4488)_2

    Chapter 278: Chapter 185: Harvest (Additional update for Ba Chao 4488)_2


    Furthermore, ¡°Stealing Heaven¡¯s Sound¡± is not only used for the sound of the zither, but can be applied to any musical instrument, and can still unleash the power of ¡°Stealing Heaven¡¯s Sound.¡±


    Of course, the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡± recorded the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s insights into playing the zither. If one uses the guqin to exhibit the power of ¡°Stealing Heaven¡¯s Sound,¡± there is no need to explore it on one¡¯s own, but to directly learn from it.


    Li Shiming frowned slightly, his talent wasn¡¯t great, and having three spirit root seeds meant his cultivation speed was slow.


    If he took up another Sound Cultivation Technique, his cultivation speed would become even slower, which would be highly detrimental to his progress.


    At first, he thought the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s legacy was just a Secret Technique that used sound waves¡ªwho could have imagined that it was actually a Sound Cultivation Technique.


    At least for the short term, he wouldn¡¯t learn from the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual,¡± not to mention Li Yuanba. For a Sword Cultivator who had already tamed a corpse for refining, adding Sound Cultivation would only take him further away from swordsmanship.@@@@


    ...


    Setting aside the two golden Jade Scrolls, he turned his attention to a pile of jade boxes.


    With his experience, he knew that Spiritual Objects housed within jade boxes were extremely valuable.


    And if they were valuable to the Six-fingered Sound Demon, they were even more unimaginable to Li Shiming.


    What followed was somewhat embarrassing: as he opened each jade box, he only felt an overflow of Spiritual Energy but couldn¡¯t recognize any of the contents.


    From the quality of the Spiritual Energy, he deduced that these were all Third-grade Spiritual Medicines, and the jade boxes themselves were Spiritual Artifacts that could preserve the medicines for a long time.


    Even though he didn¡¯t recognize the medicines, he still felt wealthy, the wealth of a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator truly was substantial.


    Next to the pile of jade boxes were two pieces of spirit ore, Third-grade spirit ore, unprocessed, the basic material for making Magic Artifacts.


    Li Shiming still couldn¡¯t recognize the two pieces of spirit ore, which made him realize how much knowledge he still lacked.


    This was despite having access to all the collections within Wei¡¯s Book Collection Room. Of course, once he studied the Jade Scrolls from the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s study, his accumulation of knowledge would increase substantially.


    The last item was a golden coffin that he couldn¡¯t even open, and when his Spiritual Thought approached, he instinctively felt fear, as if something terrifying was sealed within.


    This was all of the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s collection, and Li Shiming realized there were no Elixir Pills or Spirit Stones, not even a single low-grade spirit stone.


    In fact, after so many years, the Six-fingered Sound Demon had long since exhausted all his Elixir Pills and Spirit Stones. If the Spiritual Medicines didn¡¯t need to be processed before consumption, he would have used all of these Third-grade Spiritual Medicines too.


    Storing the Space Ring in the dimensional space, his Spiritual Thought scanned over the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s body.


    But even though the youth and Li Yuan Ba were only a short distance away from them, they made no move to attack.


    No cultivator dared to break the rules of the Senluo Sect, at least not in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    The youth also heard what the pursuers said and couldn¡¯t help but look at Li Yuan Ba. After seeing the copper mask on Li Yuan Ba¡¯s face and that his body was clean and undamaged, a look of jealousy flashed in the youth¡¯s eyes.


    He had obtained the Senluo Order, all his relatives had died protecting him, and he had escaped here at the cost of his life. The price he paid was too great.


    Li Yuan Ba also obtained the Senluo Order, yet why was he unharmed, leisurely arriving at the Senluo Sect as if walking in a courtyard? This was so unfair.


    Li Yuan Ba was unaware of the youth¡¯s thoughts. After observing the stele, he saw that the pursuers behind him had stopped, understanding that past the stele was safe territory.


    He also felt relieved, no need to worry about other cultivators causing him trouble anymore.


    At this thought, his Gale Golden Light Sword flew out from his body, turning him into a sword light as he swiftly fled forward.


    Seeing him leave, the youth, fearing that he would steal his opportunity, cast an angry glance at his pursuers, his eyes filled with venomous resentment, akin to a bloodthirsty snake.


    He memorized the faces of his enemies and turned to sprint at full strength towards the entrance of the Senluo Sect.


    Some of the dozen or so cultivators shivered secretly, some clenched their magic artifacts tightly, suppressing the thought of silencing the youth, while others looked at the youth with disdain.


    The Senluo Sect, a great sect of devil cultivators, had an entrance that was not the gloomy one might imagine.


    The gateway to the Senluo Sect was formed by twelve peaks, lush and green, with white clouds floating among them and flocks of birds flitting through the mountains at times.


    Li Yuan Ba stood outside the entrance, in front of him a huge stone tablet inscribed with two blood-red characters ¡®Stop¡¯. Within the strokes of these characters, it seemed as though countless figures were howling and tumbling, narrating the taboos of this place.


    The meaning of the two characters was self-evident: those who dared not stop, their blood and souls would join the characters on the stone tablet.


    He held the Senluo Order in his hand, waiting for the reaction of the Senluo Sect.


    Not long after, the youth also arrived. His complexion was pale, his injuries aggravated in his pursuit to catch up with Li Yuan Ba, and the look of hatred in his eyes towards Li Yuan Ba was even deeper and more intense.


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 Chapter 279: 186: Self-examination

    Chapter 279: Chapter 186: Self-examination


    ¡°You two, follow me!¡± Li Yuan Ba had waited for about two hours before a Foundation Establishment Cultivator emerged, glanced at both of them, and spoke in a deep voice.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivator didn¡¯t use any spells or magic artifacts but simply walked ahead, which forced Li Yuan Ba and the youth to follow closely behind.


    ¡°Before you are officially inducted, you cannot use any spells or magic artifacts within the mountain gate, leave the designated area, or engage in fights. Those who dare to violate this command will die!¡± the Senluo Sect¡¯s Foundation Establishment Cultivator stated indifferently.


    They walked for roughly four hours before finally arriving at a simple house that they hadn¡¯t even reached the twelve peaks, being just at the foot of the mountain.


    ¡°This is where you will stay. Handle the sect induction matters in ten days!¡± After issuing this instruction, the Senluo Sect¡¯s Foundation Establishment Cultivator left.


    Li Yuan Ba approached the house, which was a large single room of about three hundred square meters and seemed rather spacious.


    ...


    But inside, there were quite a few cultivators seated. He counted, including himself, there were as many as thirty-eight cultivators.


    The majority of them were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and even the youth from before was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with only a very few Qi Refining Cultivators among them.


    Li Yuan Ba felt that the Senluo Order might not be as precious as he had thought, as each cultivator here had one in their possession.


    ¡°Oh, new faces have arrived!¡± A thin-faced Foundation Establishment Cultivator said with a smile.


    Li Yuan Ba did not pay him any attention and found a spot to sit down.


    There was no furniture in the room; thanks to the robust constitution of cultivators and their ability to substitute sleep with meditation, they could endure such conditions.


    His bronze mask and the sharp aura he emanated kept the thin-faced Foundation Establishment Cultivator from saying much else to him and instead turned his attention to the youth with the severed arm.


    For cultivators, a severed limb was not considered a severe injury, as limb regenerating pills could restore the lost limb, provided they were of the same grade.


    The Golden Core cultivator waved his hand grandly, and a medium-sized Flying Boat landed in front of the cultivators.


    Since they were forbidden to use any spells or magic artifacts, all the cultivators had to leap onto the Flying Boat using their physical abilities.


    The Golden Core cultivator steered the medium-sized Flying Boat towards a mountain peak. With the Flying Boat transporting them, they quickly reached their destination.


    This place was a palace, and hanging above it was a signboard that read ¡°Sky Demon Hall.¡±


    The Golden Core cultivator waved his hand with a frosty expression, causing the medium-sized Flying Boat to disappear, and the forty-eight cultivators landed on the open space before the Sky Demon Hall.


    ¡°Follow me into the Sky Demon Hall!¡± the Golden Core cultivator instructed as he headed towards the entrance of the Sky Demon Hall.


    Li Yuan Ba and the other cultivators entered the Sky Demon Hall. Inside the entrance was a large hall adorned with hundreds of stone tablets, creating an incredibly eerie atmosphere.


    Li Yuan Ba, looking up at the ceiling of the hall, saw countless vague figures drifting amongst the clouds, and occasionally, a probing face appeared. Other than its eyes, the face had no other features, and those dark eyes were so eerie they made one¡¯s scalp tingle and influenced the mind, making one feel the urge to explore the darkness within them.


    He quickly averted his gaze, realizing that if he wasn¡¯t vigilant, he might have been pulled in by the darkness.


    He reacted swiftly, just like several other cultivators who also observed the ceiling of the hall but were not quick enough to look away.


    You couldn¡¯t fault these cultivators; they tend to be extremely vigilant about their surroundings, always monitoring everything around them.


    This is a good habit, but sometimes it could also be detrimental to a cultivator.


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 Chapter 280: 186: Self-examination_2

    Chapter 280: Chapter 186: Self-examination_2


    ¡°That is the Heavenly Demon Map, if you wish to die, keep looking!¡± the Golden Core cultivator said at this moment.


    His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it woke all the cultivators who had been drawn to the darkness, bringing them back to their senses.


    However, there were three cultivators who, perhaps due to insufficient spiritual resilience, did not make it until the Golden Core cultivator¡¯s warning. With the sound of the Golden Core cultivator¡¯s voice, their bodies heavily fell to the ground, life already departed.


    ¡°This is the first and last time I remind you, everyone find a stone stele and stand in front of it!¡± the Golden Core cultivator said solemnly without even a glance at the three corpses.


    The cultivators each found a stele to stand in front of. Li Yuan Ba carefully examined the stele before him, wary because of what had happened before, always ready to avert his gaze.


    The stele was engraved with a faceless humanoid creature with only eyes, looking at it sent chills down one¡¯s spine.


    ...


    ¡°Ask your heart if you are sincere!¡± the voice of the Golden Core cultivator sounded.


    The stele before Li Yuan Ba began to glow, the faceless humanoid creature seemed to come to life, dancing upon the stele.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think of his original reason for joining the Senluo Sect¡ªto obtain more resources, more knowledge. Even if he had personal motives, it was merely to obtain materials for the Third Grade Five Elements Formation.


    In his heart, he held no ill will towards Senluo Sect, nor did he join for some unspeakable purpose.


    Thus, the glow on the stele before him slowly faded, and the faceless humanoid creature turned back into a statue.


    His situation was normal, but the hall was filled with continuous screams of agony.


    In front of him, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was being grasped by the faceless humanoid from the stele. His spirit was being pulled into the stele amidst cries of despair.


    ¡°Ask your heart for strength!¡± the Golden Core cultivator continued with a trace of a smile.


    Upon these words, the stele lit up again.


    Li Yuan Ba felt as if he had been transported into an Imperial Palace, surrounded by countless beautiful women, with fine wines and delicacies being offered.


    Generals reported to him their victories, extensive lands conquered by his armies, reaching the pinnacle of worldly success.


    The illusion not only affected his senses but his spirit as well, almost convincing him that everything before him was real and occurring in the moment.


    But he was different, he had another consciousness connected to Li Shiming, and to him, these illusions were more like a movie, a play.


    He easily broke free from the illusion, and the stele before him dimmed once again.


    This time, several more cultivators with foolish smiles on their faces had their spirits dragged into the stele by the faceless creature.


    The sect was expanding and needed a large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators, which was why the sect had issued so many Senluo Orders.


    The Senluo Sect didn¡¯t care about the chaos in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. As long as no major sects were involved, such chaos could easily be suppressed.


    The Senluo Sect was in dire need of Foundation Establishment cultivators, having occupied vast territories and everywhere demanding manpower.


    Every cultivator holding a Senluo Order who reached the Senluo Sect had survived extensive killings and countless interceptions; they were either incredibly powerful or extremely lucky.


    Whether one or the other, they were the talents urgently needed by the sect.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any particular expertise. The only thing I¡¯m good at is combat; I am a Sword Cultivator!¡± Yuan Ba replied respectfully.


    ¡°I need to examine you. You may refuse, but then your score will be very low,¡± Elder Lv¡¯s eyes shone as he spoke.


    The sect took the cultivators¡¯ privacy very seriously; otherwise, the sect would have been in disorder long ago with Devil Cultivators spying on each other¡¯s secrets.


    ¡°That¡¯s acceptable!¡± Yuan Ba nodded his agreement.


    Elder Lv¡¯s Divine Thought swept over his body. Armed with Secret Techniques, Elder Lv quickly grasped his situation.


    ¡°Gold Attribute Heavenly Spirit Root, complemented with powerful Body Refinement techniques and mastery of Sword Intent, having studied the legacy of Sword Cultivators. Had you not passed the inner questioning, I might have suspected you were sent by a major sect!¡± Elder Lv was slightly taken aback, then shook his head with a sigh.


    Although Heavenly Spirit Roots were not rare among the major sects, they were definitely not as common as cabbages.


    Even with the vast Ten Thousand Great Mountains, the Ascension Conference would reveal at most single-digit Heavenly Spirit Roots, and it was common to have none at all.


    The competition for Heavenly Spirit Roots was intense. Not to mention smaller sects and factions, Cultivation Families were desperate for high-spirit root descendants and used various means to intercept them before the Senluo Sect¡¯s Ascension Conference.


    Even within the Senluo Sect itself, cultivators would target these Heavenly Spirit Root descendants, turning them into Corpse Refining to become powerful combat assets.


    As the Senluo Sect was itself a Demon Sect, Corpse Refining was one of the important sources of combat power for the Demon Sect, and the sect could not completely ban such actions against Heavenly Spirit Roots.


    Only the Heavenly Spirit Roots discovered during the Ascension Conference and known to the sect itself were off-limits to any power.


    Even so, the number of Heavenly Spirit Roots the Senluo Sect acquired in the end was very few.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s situation was exactly what a major sect would cultivate based on a Heavenly Spirit Root, something a Loose Cultivator could not achieve.


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 Chapter 281: 187: Joining the Sect

    Chapter 281: Chapter 187: Joining the Sect


    ¡°The sect will not pry into your secrets, and indeed, being a sword cultivator is commendable,¡± Elder Lv said with a smile. ¡°Our sect also has several swordsmanship inheritances. You can exchange for them once you have enough contribution points. Of course, before you make the exchange, you should first inquire and compare it with the sword cultivation technique you¡¯ve been practicing, as the contribution points required for swordsmanship inheritances are extremely high!¡±


    Li Yuanba felt significantly reassured. At least the Senluo Sect, as he had imagined, didn¡¯t press him about his past, nor did they ask him to reveal secrets such as his main cultivation technique.


    This is the magnanimity of a great sect, believing that within the Senluo Sect, there must be many powerful cultivation techniques, which wouldn¡¯t consider Li Yuanba¡¯s abilities as anything significant.


    And if Li Yuanba truly integrated into the sect in the future, it was entirely possible that he would voluntarily submit his practiced techniques to the sect, in exchange for a large number of contribution points.


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Elder Lv!¡± Li Yuanba bowed and expressed his thanks.


    ¡°Foundation Establishment cultivators who join the sect receive five hundred contribution points, which give you the opportunity to switch cultivation techniques. The techniques of our sect are incomparable to those practiced by loose cultivators. Besides, this is your identity jade disc; it contains the location of your assigned place, just go directly there. This is a robe, a superior-quality offensive magic artifact, but seeing as you are a sword cultivator, it¡¯s likely unnecessary for you, so we¡¯ve exchanged it for fifty contribution points. Here is the nameplate for your cave dwelling!¡± Elder Lv took out a storage bag, then proceeded to put one spiritual object after another into the bag and introduced them to Li Yuanba.


    ...


    Li Yuanba took the storage bag, first changed into the black robe, bowed, and left the room. He saw the envious and resentful gaze of the young man once more.


    He was a bit puzzled, how had he become the object of resentment just by going in?


    What he didn¡¯t know was that he had spent a longer time inside than the previous two cultivators, which, in the young man¡¯s mind, meant he might have obtained even more resources.


    He took out the nameplate for his cave dwelling, which indicated the location.


    Eager to go to his cave dwelling, he paid no attention to the young man.


    The cave dwelling was located on the mountainside of Chaoyun Peak. Upon his arrival, he saw many cave dwellings scattered across the mountainside.


    These cave dwellings were not developed at random; they required alignment with the spirit veins, otherwise, the cave dwelling wouldn¡¯t be able to draw in spiritual energy, and cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to cultivate.


    The mission rating system was simple; a level-one mission involved combat against opponents of the same rank. For example, a mission to eradicate an early-stage Foundation Establishment foe would be a level-one mission. This rating wasn¡¯t for the sect but rather for each disciple.


    Combat missions against Qi Refining cultivators were only rated as level-zero, with minimal rewards, likely intended for Qi Refinement cultivators to complete.


    Through the rewards of the missions, Li Yuanba deduced the value of contribution points, approximately one hundred spirit stones per contribution point.


    ¡°Finally, I¡¯m settled!¡± Li Yuanba arrived in the cultivation room, sat in front of the spiritual energy outlet, and spoke in a relaxed manner.


    ¡°Just as you have settled down, fellow, I¡¯m still on the road!¡± Another voice sounded in his mind; it was Li Shiming¡¯s voice.


    These past days, Li Shiming had traveled through most of the expanse of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Given his speed, it shouldn¡¯t have taken this long, but the Ten Thousand Great Mountains were exceedingly chaotic, and one could be ambushed if not careful. From time to time, he would also encounter conflicts between various powers.


    To avoid trouble, he had been doing his best to steer clear of other cultivators.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s successful induction into the Senluo Sect gave him some peace of mind since it provided him with another avenue to access resources and knowledge from a great sect.


    He too needed to join a great sect soon. Only by settling down could he resume normal cultivation; the days on the road had nearly brought his cultivation to a standstill.


    Fortunately, it was after his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage that he had started to travel; otherwise, the troubles along the way would have been even greater.


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 Chapter 282: 187: Joining the Sect_2

    Chapter 282: Chapter 187: Joining the Sect_2


    He had not realized that the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of Beishu would be so complex and chaotic, where any cultivator could become embroiled in warfare.


    Of course, Li Shiming had not been idle lately. He had gathered all the jade scrolls from the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s study room through IBMz15 and had quickly read through all the contents.


    At the very least, he could now recognize many third-grade spiritual objects and knew their names and properties instead of merely watching them without any knowledge like before.


    He also learned the basics of alchemy and artifact refining, but since he didn¡¯t have a fixed cave dwelling, practical application was still some distance away.


    As he thought about this, his speed was maintained at a level where he could react at any time when suddenly IBMz15 issued a warning before him.


    Tiny sounds of combat reached his ears, which were the result of IBMz15 amplifying and restoring the sounds; otherwise, his ears would not have picked up these noises.


    ...


    IBMz15¡¯s judgment of sounds also relied on his ears, but it could collect sound waves far beyond his perception, which allowed IBMz15 to detect the sounds in advance.


    ¡°Is there no end to this? This is the fifth time today!¡± Li Shiming muttered helplessly to himself.


    His figure descended, and at the same time, his aura condensed, and the Nine Palace Sword Formation flew out, transforming into an isolating array that protected him in the middle.


    Inside the isolating array, unless the combatants specifically scanned with spiritual thoughts, it was impossible for them to detect him.


    ¡°It¡¯s cultivators from the Senluo Sect!¡± Li Shiming saw the combatants, one side was in black robes, marked with the external sect symbol of Senluo Sect.@@@@


    These were two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and they were battling with another early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    To Li Shiming¡¯s surprise, this early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was holding his own in a two-against-one fight without falling at a disadvantage.


    Although the two Senluo Sect cultivators were from the external sect, their combat power was not inferior, significantly stronger than the Loose Cultivators he had seen before.


    In their hands, one was attacking while the other defending, both using spiritual artifacts; the two cultivators coordinated well, advancing and retreating logically.


    The opposing cultivator, with a flying sword attacking like a fierce storm and a spiritual artifact shield by his side blocking the attacks of the Senluo Sect cultivators, managed the battle with ease.


    ¡°Xu Chuan, to intrude into our sect¡¯s territory alone, you really don¡¯t put our sect in your eyes. You won¡¯t be able to leave the Ten Thousand Great Mountains alive!¡± the Senluo Sect cultivators shouted loudly, trying to unsettle Xu Chuan with psychological tactics.


    ¡°Just you two? I don¡¯t want to kill you. Otherwise, do you really think you can stop me?¡± Xu Chuan responded while attacking.


    Li Shiming found this interesting. If Xu Chuan relied only on his current methods, killing the two Senluo Sect cultivators wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Among cultivators of the same rank, unless one has overpowering techniques, how could they easily kill cultivators of the same rank?


    What caught his attention was Xu Chuan¡¯s identity. According to the Senluo Sect cultivators, Xu Chuan was very likely a cultivator from outside the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Since he wanted to flee, Xu Chuan had lowered his defenses to the minimum. Once the Escape Technique was initiated, he could no longer use the Spirit Artifact Shield and had to rely solely on his own body¡¯s spiritual power for defense.


    The poison fog wielded by the hidden cultivator was extremely toxic, specifically targeting Foundation Establishment Cultivators, with severe penetrative and corrosive effects on spiritual power.


    As Xu Chuan dodged, his body had already been tainted by the poison fog.


    ¡°Haha, it looks like our battle group will become famous, a True Inheritor of the Shushan Sect has fallen at our hands!¡± the hidden cultivator said with a laugh.


    At this moment, the situation was extremely unfavorable for Xu Chuan, the terrifying poison caused his complexion to turn black, and a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was nearing.


    Never mind a Mid-stage Cultivator, even the three Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators in front of him were difficult to handle.


    The deadliest technique in his hands was only capable of contending with one or two Foundation Cultivators, attempting to kill all three Early-stage Foundation Cultivators was simply not feasible.


    His most powerful method required time to prepare, and looking at the present Senluo Sect cultivators, they would hardly give him the time needed.


    ¡°Be careful, he¡¯s going to fight with all he¡¯s got!¡± a cultivator nearby cautioned.


    ¡°Indeed, these True Inheritors always have some desperate measures in their hands. Let¡¯s back off a bit, and move in once the poison takes effect!¡± the poison-using cultivator nodded and moved away as he spoke.


    He was very confident in his poison, not worried at all about Xu Chuan escaping after being poisoned.


    Xu Chuan¡¯s heart sank; these cultivators clearly knew the methods of direct disciples. If he had known earlier, he would have used his full power from the start and killed two Early-stage Foundation Cultivators first.


    He was in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and didn¡¯t want to provoke the Senluo Sect to death.


    Normally, the True Inheritors of major sects wouldn¡¯t be killed via advantage exploitation by other major sects, because the consequence would be the other sect using the same tactics against the True Inheritors of one¡¯s own sect.


    Such actions would lead to great losses for both sides, inadvertently benefiting other sects waiting to capitalize on the situation.


    This was why Xu Chuan previously did not want to kill the two Senluo Sect cultivators, to avoid provoking the Senluo Sect into madness¡ªSenluo being a Demon Sect, who knew if once Xu Chuan killed a sect cultivator of Foundation Establishment, Senluo Sect wouldn¡¯t just send a Golden Core to kill Xu Chuan on the spot.


    This hesitation and his mindset of playing around in the fight had led to his current predicament.


    Just as Xu Chuan was about to use Blood Escape, a ray of sword light suddenly burst forth, carrying his body swiftly away towards the distance.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯m here to help you escape!¡± Xu Chuan was about to resist, but he heard Li Shiming¡¯s spiritual transmission, his heart lightening up; real or fake, it was much better than falling into the hands of the Senluo Sect cultivators.


    Besides, with the desperate technique in his hands, one-on-one he was confident he could handle Li Shiming.


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 Chapter 283: 188 Cooperation

    Chapter 283: Chapter 188 Cooperation


    Three early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Senluo Sect, along with a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who was about to arrive, had not anticipated that there was another cultivator nearby, who had rescued Xu Chuan.


    They hurriedly pursued him, but even though the sword light was carrying Xu Chuan, it was much faster than them.


    The mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator helplessly stopped, feeling that it was pointless to continue the chase. The difference in speed combined with the escapee¡¯s initiative in direction, made the distance between them grow even further.


    ¡°Could you see the cultivator¡¯s face?¡± the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator asked the others.


    ¡°No, that cultivator was wearing a hat that concealed his face. Even Spiritual Thought couldn¡¯t penetrate it!¡± another cultivator replied, shaking his head.


    Meanwhile, Li Shiming breathed a sigh of relief. Rescuing Xu Chuan was indeed a risk.


    ...


    Rescuing someone from the hands of three early-stage and one mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators was extremely difficult. Fortunately, before the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator arrived at the scene, the three early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators had distanced themselves from Xu Chuan, which had given him a chance.


    At that moment, the state of him and Xu Chuan was quite strange. Each was on one side of the sword light; this was deliberately done by him.


    He did not want Xu Chuan to resist during the Sword Escape, and this approach also gave Xu Chuan a sense of security.


    After escaping for several hundred miles and noticing no pursuers behind, Li Shiming finally stopped.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, how is the severe poison in your body?¡± he asked, noticing the black aura on Xu Chuan¡¯s face.


    He did not want the person he had risked rescuing to die from poisoning, as that would mean his plan had failed.


    ¡°This poison is not a big issue. Just find a safe place, and I can resolve it!¡± Xu Chuan replied, looking at Li Shiming.@@@@


    Upon hearing Li Shiming claim to be a Loose Cultivator, Xu Chuan looked astonished.


    Being extremely close to the Sword Escape light, Xu Chuan could sense the Sword Intent within it.


    It was precisely the presence of Sword Intent that allowed the Sword Escape to carry both him and Li Shiming faster than the cultivators from Senluo Sect.


    Although Sword Intent is not unique to Sword Cultivators, acquiring Sword Intent is notoriously difficult and represents a significant barrier for entry into sword cultivation.


    Besides Sword Intent, Li Shiming was also using nine flying Spiritual Artifacts, indicating that Li Shiming had a strong spirit, enabling him to control nine swords and, concurrently, he must have learned the Spiritual Thought Separation Secret Method, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be able to control nine swords simultaneously.


    After the nine flying Spiritual Artifacts landed, they quickly formed a formation. This ability to manipulate formations was convincing enough for Xu Chuan to conclude that Li Shiming was undoubtedly a high-level Array Master.


    The most crucial aspect was his background; possessing nine flying Spiritual Artifacts was not something a Loose Cultivator could achieve.


    ¡°Mr. Li, this doesn¡¯t seem like you are a Loose Cultivator. Whatever you need help with, I will assist without hesitation!¡± Xu Chuan, relieved from the poison, laughed and pointed at the formation.


    ¡°I originally belong to the Sky Sea Sect on Sky Sea Island. Our sect was invaded by Beishu Mingxin Sect. I also got accepted into Thousand Illusion Sect, so I came to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, aiming to reach Thousand Illusion Sect. But the current situation in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains is too chaotic. I have no idea how to leave. I would like to ask you, Mr. Xu, to guide me out!¡± Li Shiming answered without any concealment.


    He didn¡¯t need to hide anything. Given Xu Chuan¡¯s special identity, he did not want to jeopardize the newly formed friendship by lying.


    ¡°Leaving the Ten Thousand Great Mountains is not a problem; I can agree to that. The directions leading out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains might be sealed, but my sect has ways to pass. However, I was assigned a mission when I came here, so it might take some time!¡± Xu Chuan considered briefly before replying.


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 Chapter 284: 188 Cooperation_2

    Chapter 284: Chapter 188 Cooperation_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°As long as I can leave the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, waiting a bit longer doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    He had already considered that the Senluo Sect would have certain measures at the juncture of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and the territories of the major sects, but he hadn¡¯t expected a blockade, which was unimaginable in terms of the manpower and resources required.


    However, considering the current power of the Senluo Sect, it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to accomplish such a feat.


    He had already spent so much time; waiting a little longer was no big deal.


    Leaving with Xu Chuan would be much safer than trying to find his way out on his own.


    ...


    If Xu Chuan had no way to leave the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, how could he have entered them?


    ¡°Mr. Xu, do you have the entry token of the Thousand Illusion Sect?¡± Xu Chuan hesitated briefly before asking.


    His mission was extremely important, and if Li Shiming were to accompany him, he had to confirm the truth of what Li Shiming had said.


    Although Li Shiming had saved him, which should have qualified him as trustworthy, given the importance of the mission, Xu Chuan had to be absolutely certain.


    ¡°This is it!¡± Without hesitation, Li Shiming took out the introductory Jade Dishware bearing the mark of the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Xu Chuan¡¯s Spiritual Thought swept over it and verified the authenticity of the Jade Dishware.


    ¡°Mr. Li, please don¡¯t take offense. Once we leave the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, I will apologize then!¡± Xu Chuan said apologetically with a bow.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities, Mr. Xu. If you have matters to attend to and cannot bring me along, I can wait for you somewhere. All I ask is for you to take me with you when you leave!¡± Li Shiming understood his intentions and said with a smile as he waved his hand.


    ¡°I am actually hoping for Mr. Li¡¯s assistance. Your skills in formations are high-level, are they not?¡± After confirming Li Shiming¡¯s identity, Xu Chuan¡¯s trust in him increased to a reliable level, and naturally, he wouldn¡¯t pass up such a valuable helper.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t assessed on that at the Heavenly Sea Sect!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t directly answer, but his response was almost an admission of being a High-level Array Master.


    ¡°Mr. Li, the introduction Jade Dishware you just took out is for ordinary outer sect disciples of the Thousand Illusion Sect. Joining the sect with such a token only affords one the status of an outer sect disciple, which in terms of resources and Cultivation Techniques, is vastly different from that of an inner sect disciple.


    If Mr. Li can help me complete my mission, I can secure you a status of Inner Sect Disciple within the Shushan Sect!¡± Xu Chuan proposed earnestly.


    Having seen the capabilities demonstrated by Li Shiming, Xu Chuan harbored the idea of recruiting him for assistance, not just in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, but also as an asset to his sect.@@@@


    Take the incident where he was intercepted by Senluo Sect cultivators; his movements were secret, and there weren¡¯t many cultivators who knew of them.


    Yet, the Senluo Sect cultivators were able to wait accurately on his inevitable route and even set traps in advance. He did not believe for a second that their encounter was coincidental.


    There must have been a traitor who exposed his movements, allowing the Senluo Sect cultivators the opportunity to set traps.


    Had it not been for Li Shiming¡¯s intervention, he might have ended up dead at the hands of Senluo Sect cultivators or grievously injured, struggling to survive somewhere.


    In any case, his mission would no doubt have failed, which would have suited the wishes of certain cultivators just fine.


    ¡°Mr. Li, if you can help me obtain the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, I can convince my master to accept you as a Registered Disciple, sufficient for you to become akin to a half True Inheritor of the sect!¡± Xu Chuan thought for a moment and increased his offer.


    Li Shiming¡¯s thoughts whirled. He now guessed that the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover might be linked to the life of a certain cultivator.


    The Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover is a Supreme Yang substance, and a Third-grade Supreme Yang article like this has a natural dispersing effect on the Yin poison energy during the Golden Core Stage. If made into Elixir Pills, the effect would be even more pronounced.


    To be honest, Li Shiming was tempted; the lure of becoming a half True Inheritor was significant.


    His talent for the spirit root seeds was relatively poor, meaning that even when he was in the Heavenly Sea Sect, no Golden Core had proposed to take him as a disciple.


    His position within the sect was entirely due to his abilities with formations and his relationship with Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Very well, Mr. Xu, since you put it that way, I will do my utmost!¡± Li Shiming responded solemnly.


    A smile appeared on Xu Chuan¡¯s face. Although he had a trump card for dealing with spirit beasts, who knew what kind of unexpected events might occur on this journey.


    Having a trustworthy companion, and one with not insignificant strength, brought more hope to his challenging quest for the herbs.


    In the days that followed, Xu Chuan led the way, and together with Li Shiming, they flew toward a location in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Although Li Shiming did not ask their final destination, he could tell from their direction that it should be an area marked as dangerous on the map, not within the realm of Senluo Sect¡¯s influence, but belonging to spirit beasts.


    Moreover, throughout these few days, through Li Yuanba¡¯s Identity Jade Disc, he checked the task concerning Xu Chuan.


    The task description had changed from dealing with one cultivator, Xu Chuan, to dealing with Xu Chuan and two other cultivators of similar strength. This task had been upgraded to a level three mission in Li Yuanba¡¯s Identity Jade Disc.


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 Chapter 285: 189 Mission

    Chapter 285: Chapter 189 Mission


    Xu Chuan had changed into a common robe, and his facial features now resembled those of a middle-aged man.


    Li Shiming had also changed his face, using a mask artifact provided by Xu Chuan that, though not highly ranked, had the ability to disguise.


    Having altered their clothing and appearances, they would not be discovered by Cultivators as long as they refrained from engaging in combat; however, should a fight break out, especially for Xu Chuan, the Spiritual Artifacts and Cultivation Techniques he used would definitely draw the attention of certain individuals.


    The Senluo Sect wielded tremendous influence in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains; nearly all factions acted as their informants.


    Therefore, Xu Chuan remained low-profile, frequently pulling out a Jade Scroll to check his path and often altering his direction to avoid various Cultivator forces.


    Li Shiming was very curious about that Jade Scroll, which most likely contained information about the Ten Thousand Great Mountains recorded by the Shushan Sect.


    ...


    After more than ten days of stealthy travel, Xu Chuan stopped.


    ¡°Brother Li, ahead is the territory of spirit beasts; we can¡¯t fly anymore and must walk on the ground!¡± Xu Chuan reminded Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming nodded to show he understood. For the past thousand li, he had hardly seen any sign of human habitation, whether from mundane people or Cultivators; it seemed no one approached this area.


    Xu Chuan restored his own attire, changing back into his robe, and his face returned to its original appearance.


    He also took out his Spiritual Artifact for inspection, seemingly a bit nervous.@@@@


    ¡°Brother Li, this is the location of the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover. If we run into trouble and get separated, wait for me here. If I don¡¯t make it...¡± He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I ask that you please help me deliver the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover to the Shushan Sect. This is a token; I¡¯ve left a message for my master within it!¡±


    Xu Chuan¡¯s voice was heavy; he was prepared for the worst upon entering the territory of the spirit beasts.


    Jiang Chen possessed the peak combat strength of late-stage Foundation Establishment and had even touched upon the fringes of Golden Core power.


    This meant that as long as he did not directly confront a Golden Core cultivator, Jiang Chen was nearly invincible below the Golden Core level.


    If talismanic treasures were the strongest means for ordinary Cultivators to fight against Foundation Establishment Cultivators, then Jiang Chen was akin to an inexhaustible talismanic treasure; hence, the reason Li Shiming did not allocate any talismanic treasures to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba took out a Jade Flying Boat which quickly soared through the air.


    The distinctive mark of the Senluo Sect was prominently displayed on the side of the Jade Flying Boat, making his identity known to all Cultivators.


    Therefore, even as the Jade Flying Boat passed over some Loose Cultivator¡¯s territories, it encountered no difficulties at all; such was the advantage of having a powerful sect.


    While Li Shiming and Xu Chuan had traveled a long distance, Li Yuanba had caught up in just four days.


    Li Yuanba reviewed the missions; this place was called the Golden Crow Mountain Range, and all three missions he took were first-level tasks to eliminate three early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators who dominated this region.


    Although the three early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators belonged to the same region, they were not together, hence the three separate missions.


    The reason these three early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators were marked for execution by the Senluo Sect was their own doing; they had attacked a Senluo Sect gathering team, and although no one was killed, they robbed all of the Spiritual Objects.


    The gathering team, composed of one Foundation Establishment Cultivator and more than a dozen Qi Refining Cultivators, could only be considered peripheral members of the sect, and the Senluo Sect had many such gathering teams.


    Many of the ordinary resources within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains were acquired through these gathering teams.


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 Chapter 286: 189 Task_2

    Chapter 286: Chapter 189 Task_2


    Perhaps they thought that this place was close to the spirit beast territory and, given that the Senluo Sect had a vast and great enterprise and was unifying the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, such a trivial matter was not worth their attention.


    However, they underestimated the determination of the Senluo Sect to deal with those who dared to provoke them. The three tasks were almost issued simultaneously, and it happened that Li Yuanba was targeting this region for investigation and took on these three tasks.


    This kind of task was the favorite of the outer sect combat cultivators. Three early-stage Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators had limited combat power, and although the task location was somewhat far, going there once could complete all three tasks simultaneously. Who wouldn¡¯t like such tasks?


    Li Yuanba looked at the task details and the locations of the three early-stage Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators were marked very clearly.


    He sighed at the formidable intelligence of the Senluo Sect while shaking his head at the reckless audacity of the three early-stage Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators.


    Based on the marked locations, he found the first cave dwelling. He discovered that the cave dwelling had no formation activated and its interior had been cleared out.


    ...


    ¡°Escaped?¡± Li Yuanba didn¡¯t expect to come up empty and quickly rushed to the second cave dwelling.@@@@


    This time he sensed that the formation of the cave dwelling was in operation, which suggested that the Loose Cultivator of Foundation Establishment within might still be present.


    ¡°Zhang Tiande, you¡¯ve committed a serious offense, come out and face your death!¡± Li Yuanba shouted sternly at the cave dwelling.


    It wasn¡¯t just Zhang Tiande, the master of the cave dwelling inside, but also four Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    ¡°Senior, you must save us!¡± Zhang Tiande looked at the late-stage Foundation Establishment old cultivator with pleading eyes.


    The other two early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had participated in the incident also bowed and earnestly pleaded with the late-stage old cultivator. When they had made their move, they indeed hadn¡¯t realized that the collection team belonged to the Senluo Sect; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to rob them even if they had multiple lives.


    By the time they realized that it was a collection team from the Senluo Sect, they were too reluctant to give up the Spiritual Objects they had acquired, and the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the collection team had fled immediately, never giving them a chance to silence them.


    What was done was done; they left behind the Spiritual Objects and spared the lives of the Qi Refining Cultivators of the collection team.


    In the following days, they lived in fear until they eventually sought help from Mao Bin in the Golden Crow Mountain Range, a strong late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Unexpectedly, Mao Bin agreed to have a look and even brought a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator with him for assistance.


    ¡°The matter I¡¯ve agreed to will naturally be handled, but after I save you, you must join us and never betray us!¡± Mao Bin said with a faint smile on his face as he sensed the level of Li Yuanba from outside.


    Although the Ten Thousand Great Mountains were under the control of the Senluo Sect, there were still many forces resisting the Senluo Sect. They didn¡¯t dare to openly challenge the sect, but they would continuously make moves in secret to cause losses to the Senluo Sect.


    Many of these cultivators were from sects that had been destroyed by the Senluo Sect, as well as cultivators who had sworn deadly enemies with the Senluo Sect.


    Even Mao Bin couldn¡¯t help but be stunned, unable to imagine that someone so handsome could exist in the world.


    And in that moment of Mao Bin¡¯s astonishment, Li Yuanba released Jiang Chen.


    Jiang Chen transformed into a shadowy figure, appearing right in front of Mao Bin.


    Mao Bin¡¯s spiritual power shimmered, and a Spirit Artifact Shield automatically protected him. As an experienced Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with incredibly condensed and vigorous spiritual power, he always maintained his Spirit Artifact in a defensive state, which was his guarantee for having survived so long.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s claws, imbued with Sword Intent, carried an unimaginable force and struck the Spirit Artifact Shield.


    Mao Bin only felt a simultaneous shock to his body and mind, his body involuntarily stepping back two paces, and the Spirit Artifact Shield before him wobbled, seemingly on the verge of breaking apart.


    He could no longer reinforce his defenses; the time for reaction was too short.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s tactic of using his appearance worked every time; Mao Bin was not the first, nor would he be the last victim.


    Mao Bin¡¯s only hope was the life-saving talisman. If the talisman could repel Jiang Chen, it would buy him time.


    Enduring the backlash from the spirit mark of his Spirit Artifact Shield due to the impact of the Sword Intent, he activated three powerful talismans at once, each strike possessing the power of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Seizing the opportunity as he used the talismans, he also discerned what Jiang Chen was.


    It was precisely because he saw what Jiang Chen looked like that his scalp tingled, the hairs on his body stood on end, and a chill settled in his heart.


    ¡°A top-tier Iron Corpse, not far from becoming a Silver Corpse... This is what an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator can have?¡± Mao Bin thought in horror. Right then, there was only one thing on his mind¡ªto flee the moment the three talismans repelled Jiang Chen.


    His blood ran cold, his mind extraordinarly clear.


    Being so close to a top-tier Iron Corpse and engaging in close combat with it meant not even two of him would stand a chance, let alone one.


    The three powerful talismans struck Jiang Chen, not just the talismans, but Ling Bin, seeing Mao Bin under attack, also launched a Spiritual Flying Axe with a swing of his hand, aiming it at Jiang Chen.


    ¡°Boom,¡± the assaults from the three powerful talismans merely resulted in a loud noise; all three talismans hit Jiang Chen simultaneously, and the flying axe also heavily struck Jiang Chen¡¯s head.


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 Chapter 287: 190 Encounter

    Chapter 287: Chapter 190 Encounter


    Three powerful talismans caused Jiang Chen¡¯s clothes to break apart, revealing a body that shimmered black with strands of silver light.


    Ling Bin¡¯s Spiritual Flying Axe struck Jiang Chen¡¯s head, emitting a sound of metal clashing against gold, and the Spiritual Flying Axe rebounded, leaving only a white mark where it struck Jiang Chen.


    This white mark quickly faded and vanished.


    Three powerful talismans and Ling Bin¡¯s attack with the Spiritual Flying Axe did not affect Jiang Chen¡¯s movement.@@@@


    Jiang Chen again clawed at Mao Bin¡¯s Spirit Artifact Shield, and this time the shield flickered briefly before dimming, falling from the sky like an object without a master.


    This happened because the spiritual imprint Mao Bin left in the Spirit Artifact Shield was forcefully scattered by the immense power and Sword Intent, causing a slight daze in Mao Bin¡¯s spirit.


    ...


    This Spirit Artifact Shield was one he had cultivated for a long time; to maximize its power, he had continuously cultivated it, so the breaking of the spirit imprint had a greater impact.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s movements were simply too fast, the third claw he unleashed was unstoppable even by the Late-stage Foundation Establishment body beneath his sharp claws.


    When Jiang Chen retracted his claw, it held a still-beating heart.


    The powerful Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator Mao Bin could not withstand even a few moments in front of Jiang Chen.


    Even among Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, there are gaps in combat power; Mao Bin was just entering this stage, whereas Jiang Chen was at peak strength.


    Let alone that this was close combat, which was Jiang Chen¡¯s absolute advantage.


    Ling Bin prepared to attack, only to see Jiang Chen toss something at him; he was horrified upon realizing what it was.


    It was a heart, and he could sense Mao Bin¡¯s life force rapidly declining.


    Ling Bin quickly pulled out a talisman, his body flashed with blue light as he tried to escape.


    From his perspective, whether it was the Cultivation Techniques or Spiritual Artifacts of these Loose Cultivators, none could attract him.


    However, he did find a special Token featuring the word ¡®Tai Chu,¡¯ notable for the anti-counterfeiting techniques used by major sects.


    With his knowledge of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, he had not heard of a Tai Chu sect.


    He kept the Tai Chu Token aside to investigate further upon returning to his sect.


    After dealing with these tasks, Jiang Chen had consumed enough blood; among the five bodies, only Mao Bin¡¯s interested him.


    Li Yuanba put Jiang Chen away, reasoning that if he joined the Devil Sect, he should be able to tolerate Jiang Chen sucking the blood of enemies, or else why join the Devil Sect!


    As long as he did not actively engage in horrifying deeds, even in the Devil Sect, he remained himself.


    He checked his direction, then transformed into a sword light that streaked toward the distance.


    Li Shiming finally spotted not one but a group of spirit beasts.


    As Xu Chuan and he were navigating through the mountains, a group of Spirit Monkeys appeared from the other side of the mountain, meeting them face to face.


    This encounter was completely unexpected; the two men and the group of Spirit Monkeys faced off.


    Li Shiming¡¯s gaze fell upon the Spirit Monkey King in the group, the Spirit Monkey King¡¯s entire body snow-white, its aura reaching Mid-stage Foundation Establishment; alongside it, there were four Early-stage Foundation Establishment White Monkeys.


    ¡°Brother Li, we need to make it quick. We can¡¯t drag this out!¡± Xu Chuan softly advised.


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 Chapter 288: 190 Encounter_2

    Chapter 288: Chapter 190 Encounter_2


    They had now entered the territory of spirit beasts where fleeing was not an option. Facing a troop of Spirit Monkeys, if one were to flee and reveal their presence, who knew what kind of spirit beast they might encounter next.


    Li Shiming also understood this reasoning. He nodded his head and with a wave of his hand, nine flying swords shot out, enveloping the Spirit Monkey King and the four early-stage Foundation Establishment White Monkeys within them.


    As for the other monkeys, he didn¡¯t take them seriously at all.


    The claws of a Spirit Monkey at the Qi Refinement Realm might not even be able to tear through his body¡¯s defenses, to say nothing of posing any threat.


    Xu Chuan¡¯s flying sword also flew out. He had not coordinated with Li Shiming before and did not know much about Li Shiming¡¯s strength, so he was still paying attention to Li Shiming¡¯s way of fighting.


    It¡¯s important to note that there would be many battles with spirit beasts later on, not to mention the powerful spirit beasts guarding the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover. It would be best to take the opportunity of first entering the Spiritual Beast Territory to understand and familiarize themselves with each other.


    ...


    The Spirit Monkey King and the four White Monkeys let out shrill cries simultaneously, their hands congealing ice and hurling it at Xu Chuan¡¯s flying sword.


    Li Shiming¡¯s nine flying swords, because they did not launch an attack immediately, were overlooked by the Spirit Monkey King and the four White Monkeys.


    Although the wisdom of spirit beasts is not inferior to that of humans, humans can enhance their own wisdom through learning a wealth of knowledge, which is something ordinary spirit beasts lack.


    Xu Chuan¡¯s flying sword was extremely nimble. At this moment, he had no intention of holding back his strength. It was a good chance to show Li Shiming his combat power, so he could win Li Shiming over in the future.


    The flying sword nimbly dodged the five ice attacks. Although the cold air from the ice had formed a layer of frost on the flying sword, its speed was not much affected.


    The flying sword shot towards the Spirit Monkey King, who tumbled its body, claws from both hands and feet reaching for the flying sword.


    Although most spirit beasts do not use weapons, some organs of their own bodies are natural weapons.


    The claws of the hands and feet of the Spirit Monkey King were no less powerful and hard than a cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Artifact.


    Sounds of collision rang out continuously as the flying sword clashed with the claws. When the flying sword returned, there was a new sword mark on the body of the Spirit Monkey King.


    ¡°Brother Li, be careful, this monkey king has strong defense!¡± Xu Chuan called out softly without any hint of joy but instead gave a gentle reminder.


    The encounter that just happened seemed advantageous for him, but the injuries inflicted on the Spirit Monkey King were truly insignificant. The Spirit Monkey King¡¯s constitution was extremely formidable, the flying sword had merely cut the skin and hadn¡¯t penetrated deeply.


    The injured Spirit Monkey King let out a piercing scream, causing all the other Spirit Monkeys to rush towards the two men with shrill cries.


    The ear-piercing screams were somewhat disorienting, but fortunately, both of them were no ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    ¡°Open!¡± Li Shiming shouted solemnly.


    Countless bolts of electricity rose from within the Nine Palace Sword Formation. Although few at first, they still had a significant killing effect on the Qi Refinement Realm Spirit Monkeys.


    In offense, their attacks were unparalleled; in retreat, they would leave no trace, moving freely between advance and retreat, achieving the Cultivators¡¯ greatest pursuit: ¡°carefree independence.¡±


    As Xu Chuan was pondering this, within the formation, a White Monkey was struck by a series of lightning bolts, and within them, an inconspicuous golden arc appeared.


    Once the golden arc touched the monkey, its body stiffened.


    Li Shiming appeared to be at the entry level of the early-stage Foundation Establishment, but his Spiritual Power was actually at the peak of early-stage Foundation Establishment, and what he triggered was the famously powerful Golden Thunder.


    The Golden Thunder penetrated the body of the White Monkey, wreaking havoc on its life force.


    The defensive ability of the spirit monkeys was strong; this defense was mainly against physical attacks, and their defense against the Five Elements Energy was also considerable. However, lightning was an exception.


    Lightning inherently had a restraining effect on spirit beasts, and this single strike made the White Monkey¡¯s life force begin to fade.


    As Li Shiming started to condense the second ¡°Thunder Strike Skill,¡± Xu Chuan also launched his attack.


    This time, Xu Chuan¡¯s flying sword moved slowly, but it seemed to be carrying a huge mountain with it as it flew.


    Watching the flying sword, Li Shiming¡¯s eyes flashed with a hint of wariness.


    The sword contained a terrifying force; without question, this stroke of the flying sword was stimulated by some secret technique.


    He had never underestimated any Cultivator, but amongst his peers, he had rarely encountered an opponent who could match his strength.


    Of course, that was during the Qi Refinement Realm when he, alone, altered the outcome of the battle between the seven sects and the Beishu Mingxin Sect¡ªat that time, those participating Mingxin Sect Qi Refining Cultivators were all talents of the Mingxin Sect.


    Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, even with the accumulation from the Qi Refinement Realm, possessing a powerful Spiritual Artifact, and having a main Cultivation Technique that led directly to the Nascent Soul, he still needed a powerful sect to enhance his means.


    It was somewhat pathetic that his emergency technique as an ordinary Cultivator was actually obtained from a Loose Cultivator, the secret technique allowing Magic Artifacts to self-destruct.


    What he was lacking was the type of small-scale burst secret technique like the one Xu Chuan was using, which could enhance an attack based on the combat environment.


    Xu Chuan also wanted to perform well and not be outdone by Li Shiming, so he used a secret technique of his sect.


    This secret technique allowed the accumulation of Spiritual Power to increase the compressed Spiritual Power inside the flying sword, greatly enhancing the sword¡¯s power.


    The use of secret techniques was greatly limited; in a normal battlefield, there would hardly be time to slowly compress and accumulate Spiritual Power within a flying sword.


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 Chapter 289: 191 Spiritual Wine

    Chapter 289: Chapter 191 Spiritual Wine


    The slowly flying sword, under the cover of the thunder and lightning sea, soon reached the front of the enraged Spirit Monkey King.


    Upon discovering that one of his white monkeys had fallen, the Spirit Monkey King became even more crazed.


    It didn¡¯t even notice the suddenly appearing flying sword, which struck its ribs.


    With a ¡®boom¡¯, amid flying blood and flesh, the Spirit Monkey King was sent reeling away.


    The Spirit Monkey King let out a piercing scream, as a large hole appeared in its ribs, where broken bones could be faintly seen.


    At this moment, the second white monkey was also struck down by ¡®Thunder Strike Skill¡¯.


    ...


    If the battle continued like this, killing the Spirit Monkey King and the white monkeys was just a matter of time.


    The screams of the Spirit Monkey King caused the two remaining live white monkeys to make responding calls, their voices filled with resolute intent.


    Li Shiming was shocked in his heart, but it was already too late, as the two early-stage Foundation Establishment white monkeys simultaneously self-destructed.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Nine Palace Sword Formation usually had no problem trapping a mid-stage Foundation Establishment who didn¡¯t understand formations, but it didn¡¯t include those mid-stage Cultivators who were adept in formations and could find the Formation¡¯s nodes.


    Once a node was found, it could be attacked directly, thereby breaking the Formation.


    And the power of the self-destruction of the two early-stage Foundation Establishment white monkeys was enough to affect the nodes of the Formation, their destructive power was even comparable to that of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


    The Nine Palace Sword Formation, affected by the explosion, had two of its sword handles shake, and this slight trembling disrupted the originally stable Formation.


    The Spirit Monkey King, severely injured, had prepared itself upon hearing the white monkeys¡¯ calls, and once the Formation was broken, its figure turned into a streak of white light and fled towards the distance.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let it escape, spirit beasts are very vengeful!¡± Xu Chuan urgently reminded.


    The cave was pitch-dark, his Spiritual Thought substituted for his eyes, allowing him to see in the darkness.


    He followed the cave inward, and not far in, he smelled a fragrance of wine.


    ¡°Monkey Wine!¡± he thought of the books he had read, which mentioned the innate ability of spirit monkeys to brew wine.


    This was similar to the process of Alchemy for Cultivators, except the quality of Monkey Wine varied greatly, the inferior ones being no better than mortal wines.


    Considering the situation with this group of spirit monkeys, with one mid-stage Foundation Establishment and four early-stage Foundation Establishment monkeys, the quality of this Monkey Wine would at least be effective for those at mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


    He quickened his pace, and a spacious cave appeared ahead, where the injured Spirit Monkey King was opening a rock and lifting Monkey Wine to its mouth with its paw.


    Upon seeing Li Shiming, the Spirit Monkey King let out a warning roar.


    Li Shiming sensed the fragrance of the Monkey Wine, and merely smelling it made his blood flow faster, and his eyes began to turn red.


    He had practiced both ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯, two Body Refining Techniques, giving him an incredibly tough physique.


    After entering the Foundation Establishment stage, even with the aid of the Angry-eyed Vajra true form and the Third Grade Sword Base, his Body Refinement speed remained extremely slow.


    Upon smelling the Monkey Wine, he felt its importance for his Body Refinement was profound.


    The effects of Monkey Wine had no standard measure; spirit monkeys possessed the skill to harmonize the energy within the wine, but the ingredients were not guaranteed, relying on whatever was available.


    The main ingredient for brewing Monkey Wine was Spirit Fruit. Spirit monkeys could delve into various hidden environments and, using their familiarity with those environments, gather Spirit Fruits that Cultivators could not find.


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 Chapter 290: 191: Spiritual Wine_2

    Chapter 290: Chapter 191: Spiritual Wine_2


    The efficacy of these Spirit Fruits was uncertain to the Spirit Monkey, but they could be used to brew the finest wine.


    Fearing that the Spirit Monkey King would destroy the Monkey Wine, Li Shiming adopted a most risky combat method designed to lead the Spirit Monkey King into making a misjudgment.


    He charged straight at the Spirit Monkey King, not using Thunder and Lightning Magic, not wielding his best flying swords.


    The Spirit Monkey King possessed wisdom, and it was no small measure of wisdom at that.


    It had witnessed Li Shiming¡¯s way of combat and knew what kind of fighting style Li Shiming excelled in.


    Seeing Li Shiming charging at it alone, it was confident that even with a severely injured body, it could still kill Li Shiming in close combat with its mid-stage Foundation Establishment strength.


    ...


    This was the self-assurance of a spirit beast in its own racial talent; spirit beasts naturally have a much stronger physique than humans, and the regular intake of spiritual objects meant they could fully overpower cultivators.


    The Spirit Monkey King stepped forward to meet Li Shiming, who, seeing the Monkey Wine left unguarded, let go of his biggest worry.


    ¡°Three meters, five meters, ten meters!¡± He calculated the distance between the Spirit Monkey King and the Monkey Wine, and once he believed it was safe enough, he made contact with the Spirit Monkey King.


    ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ close combat swordsmanship, combined with a Third Grade Sword Base, turned him into a sword cultivator specializing in close combat.


    When the Spirit Monkey King¡¯s claws touched the Third Grade Sword Base, Li Shiming stepped back twice, while the Spirit Monkey King¡¯s body also swayed.


    Upon first contact, Li Shiming took a slight disadvantage, but the gap between them wasn¡¯t so wide that he couldn¡¯t handle it, which eased his mind considerably.


    ¡°Slash, slash, slash!¡± He shouted, and his Third Grade Sword Base sliced through the air at high speed, sending out slashes in rapid succession.


    The Spirit Monkey King was gravely wounded, and its agility had significantly decreased, causing it to want to end the battle quickly.


    Its claws and feet turned into four shadows, ceaselessly striking at Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming rarely showed his prowess in close combat, not because he lacked the ability, but because ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ is among the most formidable close combat techniques for cultivators below the Golden Core stage.


    Wielding the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ built on a Third Grade Metal foundation was intended to unleash ferocious close-quarter sword techniques.


    The sounds of the sword clashing with claws, and the sword slicing skin, kept echoing through the cave.


    In Li Shiming¡¯s field of vision, besides what he could see, there were also constant prompts from the IBMz15, analyzing the Spirit Monkey King¡¯s movements, predicting where the next blow should land.


    This made his battle much easier, as he could inflict another wound on the Spirit Monkey King every time he parried its attacks.


    The sharpness of the Third Grade Sword Base, along with the infusion of spiritual energy, made its destructive power nearly as great as the finest sword-type spiritual artifacts.


    His Body Refinement relied solely on the autonomous advancement provided by his Cultivation Technique, without any external aid, which explained why his progression was extremely slow.


    It¡¯s well known in the Cultivation World that Body Refinement is the most resource-consuming technique. All Cultivators understand the benefits of Body Refinement, but the reality is genuine Body Refiners are extremely rare.


    It¡¯s not that Body Refining Techniques are scarce; for sect Cultivators, exchanging for a Body Refinement Technique within their sects isn¡¯t difficult.


    The main issue is the vast amount of resources required for Body Refinement, discouraging the vast majority of Cultivators from practicing it.


    Take for instance the two Body Refining Techniques Li Shiming practices. The ¡®Vajra Body Protection Technique¡¯ requires a wealth of Spiritual Medicine for cultivation, in addition to the blessings of Buddhist scriptures. He managed to bypass the latter requirement thanks to the spirit fish and later understood the real meaning of the Angry-eyed Vajra, which spared him from needing too many Spiritual Medicines.


    The requirements for the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ are even higher than the Spiritual Medicines, needing Third Grade Metal which, under normal circumstances, is not something a Qi Refining Cultivator could access.


    Forget Qi Refining Cultivators, even Foundation Establishment Cultivators can¡¯t obtain Third Grade Metal, as it is a material used to create magical treasures.


    Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, Li Shiming once again had to consider the matter of resources for his two Body Refinement Techniques.


    Without the appropriate resources, the progress of Body Refinement Techniques is simply too slow.


    He had planned to think about this after joining a major sect, but unexpectedly, he found the Monkey Wine, a Spiritual Object.


    Monkey Wine was extremely important to him, and he could not possibly share it with others.


    He flew out of the cave entrance and looked around but did not see Xu Chuan, probably having missed this place.


    Contacting Xu Chuan was easy. He activated the Thunder Spirit Power in his body and released it to the outside, spreading the early-stage Foundation Establishment thunder attribute aura in all directions.


    Since there was a group of Spirit Monkeys in the vicinity, there would be no other spirit beasts. The territorial instincts of spirit beasts are strong; he didn¡¯t need to worry about his aura attracting powerful spirit beasts.


    ¡°Brother Li!¡± As he was considering this, a figure quickly approached; it was Xu Chuan rushing over.


    Xu Chuan looked at the corpse of the Spirit Monkey King in Li Shiming¡¯s hands and couldn¡¯t help but show a look of shame on his face. Before the battle, they had assigned tasks.


    Li Shiming was to deal with the four early-stage Foundation Establishment White Monkeys, while Xu Chuan took on the Spirit Monkey King, with Li Shiming also trapping the Spirit Monkey King, essentially letting him attack at full force.


    Even so, he let the Spirit Monkey King escape, and in the end, it was still Li Shiming who took care of it.


    This made him feel utterly useless in the battle, even though he had severely wounded the Spirit Monkey King, he still had such a feeling.


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 Chapter 291: 192 Great Demon

    Chapter 291: Chapter 192 Great Demon


    The body of the Spirit Monkey King was not taken by Xu Chuan; he only claimed the bodies of two early-stage Foundation Establishment spirit monkeys. Had it not been for Li Shiming¡¯s request, he wouldn¡¯t have even dared to take those two.


    The body of a spirit beast has many uses; its hide is a material for making armor. Given the defensive power of the Foundation Establishment stage spirit monkeys, the armor made would at least be of medium quality or higher among defensive spiritual artifacts.


    Though both Li Shiming and Xu Chuan used top-tier spiritual artifacts, the actual number of such artifacts was not extensive.


    Not to mention Xu Chuan¡ª as a True Disciple of the Shushan Sect with an Elder as his master, his status within the sect was exceedingly high, so naturally, the spiritual artifact he used was exceptional.


    The spiritual artifact used by Li Shiming was obtained from a descendant of a Golden Core cultivator of the Mingxin Sect, also made by a Golden Core Elder.


    For regular sect cultivators, possessing a spiritual artifact was good enough; a medium-quality defensive spiritual artifact was definitely a sought-after item, and its value was quite substantial.


    ...


    The most valuable part of a spirit monkey wasn¡¯t its fur but its claws. These claws could be made into decent offensive spiritual artifacts even without adding any auxiliary materials. Not to mention in the hands of a skilled Artifact Maker; they could even create top-tier spiritual artifacts.


    Li Shiming was not shy about it; after distributing the spoils of war, they continued on their journey.


    After several days of travel, they delved deep into the Spiritual Beast Territory of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, significantly reducing their speed.


    ¡°We need to go around the mountain up ahead!¡± Xu Chuan, looking at the terrain, pulled out the Jade Scroll to confirm.


    This time, after hesitating for a moment, he still took out a blank Jade Scroll and copied the data from the Jade Scroll, handing a copy to Li Shiming.


    ¡°Brother Li, try to memorize this information. It must not be leaked. The sect paid a significant price for this data!¡± Xu Chuan whispered earnestly.


    Li Shiming took the Jade Scroll, placed it at his brow, and a flood of information entered his brain, recorded down by the IBM z15.


    ¡°Give me three days; I¡¯ll destroy it in three days!¡± Li Shiming said seriously after knowing the information inside the Jade Scroll.


    ¡°Should we go around?¡± Li Shiming asked aloud.


    ¡°Neither side is safe!¡± Xu Chuan said with a bitter smile and a shake of his head.


    Li Shiming pulled up the map, and he also noticed that both sides were marked with hazard warnings. It looked like this area had plenty of Great Demons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed carefully!¡± Xu Chuan calculated the time and risks of going back to choose another route and decided it was better to pass through here.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t object; he hadn¡¯t sensed any dangerous auras.


    The two used Sword Escape to fly over the lake. The lake was immensely large and eerily quiet.


    The quieter it was, the more worried they both became.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right; if we encounter a Great Demon, I¡¯ll lure it away and we¡¯ll meet up at the target location!¡± Xu Chuan gritted his teeth and said.


    Li Shiming looked at him, his eyes flashing with determination.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not planning on dying. I have ways to save myself!¡± Xu Chuan continued with a smile.


    Just as they were speaking, they both paused, sensing a terrifying aura.


    The presence of a Golden Core Demon¡ªLi Shiming even wondered if Xu Chuan¡¯s mouth had been ¡°blessed¡± as soon as he voiced the plan, they encountered a Golden Core Demon.


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 Chapter 292: 192 Great Demon_2

    Chapter 292: Chapter 192 Great Demon_2


    The light on Xu Chuan¡¯s body flickered, and his aura suddenly surged, making Li Shiming¡¯s aura seem insignificant by comparison.


    Amidst the churning waters, Li Shiming faintly saw a snake-like figure darting through the water.


    His scalp tingled and his body turned cold; that was not a snake at all but a dragon, at least, it was indistinguishable from the dragons of legend to him.


    ¡°Brother Li, take care. Damn it, how did we encounter a Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon!¡± Xu Chuan¡¯s telepathic message came through.


    Only then did Li Shiming realize that the demon, resembling a dragon, had unbranched horns on its head, a tail like a snake, and four toes on its claws.


    Though not a dragon of legend, this Flood Dragon was definitely among the most potent in terms of bloodline among the Golden Core Demons.


    ...


    Xu Chuan¡¯s character was still excellent; even when facing a Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon, he was still fully mobilizing his aura to draw its attention.


    His figure quickly flew toward the distance, and Li Shiming noticed an array of radiant talismans in his hand, which were not yet activated.@@@@


    The Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon let out a long chant, and Li Shiming felt nearly incapable of using Sword Escape. Though far away, that chant still affected him.


    The Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon did not take any notice of Li Shiming. By comparison, it was clear that Xu Chuan was far more enticing to it.


    Especially since Xu Chuan¡¯s deliberately provocative aura was completely intolerable to the Flood Dragon Demon.


    Just as the Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon flew out of the water, ready to pursue Xu Chuan, Xu Chuan activated the talisman in his hand. His figure almost turned into a phantom, escaping at an exaggerated speed toward the distance.


    How could the Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon let him go? With a twist in mid-air, it too turned into a faint afterimage and vanished from its original location.


    This was the first time Li Shiming felt the terror of the Spiritual Beast Territory of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Before encountering a Golden Core Demon, even if he had encountered a Late-stage Foundation Establishment spirit beast, he wasn¡¯t much worried¡ªescaping wasn¡¯t a problem if he couldn¡¯t win.


    He had many methods at his disposal, and at the very least, Nezha could hold for Five Breath Time, giving him enough time to use a magic item to resolve the battle.


    But when facing a Golden Core Demon, he didn¡¯t even have the courage to fight. The aura of the Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon was more terrifying than any Golden Core cultivator he had encountered.


    He took a deep breath, the Golden Thunder Spiritual Power from within his Spirit Lake surged forth, and he activated Thunder Escape, turning into a streak of golden lightning that flashed in another direction.


    As he neared the shore, he halted the Thunder Escape. Just in that moment, he had left the lake, but much of his Thunder Spiritual Power had been depleted.


    ¡°Five Breath Time!¡± Li Shiming whispered softly to himself.


    Li Shiming discarded the Spirit Stones devoid of Spiritual Energy, stood on the ground with both feet, took out a flask, and poured Monkey Wine into his mouth without swallowing.


    His expression gradually became fierce, anger arising from within his heart, while the chanting of the ¡®Diamond Sutra¡¯ resounded in his ears, and an image of the Angry-eyed Vajra appeared behind him.


    In the ¡®Foundation Establishment¡¯ section of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ the Spiritual Power was transformed into Vajra force through Buddhist intent, simultaneously strengthening the cultivator¡¯s entire body in both motion and stillness.


    He swallowed the Monkey Wine in his mouth, a scorching energy traveling directly from his mouth to his belly, and then this burning energy spread throughout his body.


    The Vajra force, created from Thunder Spirit Power, appeared even more violent under the influence of the true essence of the Angry-eyed Vajra, constantly assaulting his entire body.


    In previous practices, he always felt as if his body, under the impact of the Vajra force, had a kind of indefinable sensation, that was the Vajra force strengthening his body while the body¡¯s energy could not satisfy the emptiness.


    But this time was different; the Vajra force circulated throughout his body, and every part of his body felt a swelling sensation under these impacts.


    The swelling sensation seemed like an illusion but actually accelerated the body¡¯s absorption of the Monkey Wine, with the scorching energy being devoured by the body, seemingly solidifying the sensation of expansion.


    Li Shiming unconsciously let out a roar, and the true essence-form of the Angry-eyed Vajra seemed even more agile.


    The quality of the Vajra force that transformed again had clearly improved, providing an even more intense stimulation to the body, and the energy from the Monkey Wine replenished the emptiness caused by the stimulation.


    He felt as if he had transformed into the Angry-eyed Vajra, his muscles knotted, and his strength sufficient to uphold the heavens.


    Unknowingly, he completed the last movement of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ and the scorching energy generated by the Monkey Wine inside him was completely absorbed, the essence of the Angry-eyed Vajra gradually fading away.


    Opening his eyes, his consciousness restored.


    He felt that all his muscles were bulging as if there was a surging, endless strength within his body.


    His Spiritual Thought swept through his body, and the robes on his body vanished, revealing his physique.


    It was not an illusion; his muscles had clearly grown larger, what was once streamlined was now somewhat swollen.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t turned into a muscle-bound hunk, have I?¡± Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but murmur in astonishment.


    In this world, a muscular and knotted physique is not considered beautiful; most cultivators who do not practice transformation typically have a more well-fed appearance.


    A well-fed appearance means a slightly protruding stomach and a slightly overweight body, which is the most standard illustrative physique in various Cultivation Techniques.


    Although his muscles had enlarged, his physical constitution had indeed improved a lot. This practice session had greatly advanced his ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ reaching the middle stage of the early-stage Foundation Establishment level of ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡¯

 Chapter 293: 193: Arrival

    Chapter 293: Chapter 193: Arrival


    After practicing the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± Li Shiming then began to cultivate the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡±


    During the Foundation Establishment Stage, the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± focuses on cultivating Sword Intent, but he could skip this step, allowing him to cultivate the manual at a deeper level, bypassing the early phase of Foundation Establishment.


    The Third Grade Sword Base transformed into countless tiny short swords, merging into every part of his body.


    Threads of Sword Intent emanated from the countless tiny short swords, stimulating the integration of body and Sword Intent, deepening the fusion between the body and the Third Grade Sword Base.


    The ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± is about using the sword to nourish the body, and the body to nourish the sword, enhancing both simultaneously.


    Of course, the current focus is still on using the sword to nourish the body, as there is still a significant gap between his physical constitution and the quality of the Third Grade Sword Base.


    ...


    While cultivating the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± Li Shiming did not consume any more Monkey Wine, as his body was filled with a sense of swelling, teeming with energy.


    As the cultivation progressed, the feeling of swelling in his body dissipated, and upon ending the practice, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his previously bulked-up muscles had receded, no longer as knotted as before.


    Though his muscles had become smaller, his constitution had improved, and his body was transitioning toward the strength of a Second Grade Spiritual Artifact.


    Once he could cultivate the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± to the pinnacle strength of a Second Grade Spiritual Artifact, he could, even without using any spells or magic artifacts, rely solely on his body to fight against any Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Early the next morning, before the sky was fully bright, Li Shiming left his temporary cave abode.


    In the following three days, he traveled cautiously, and did not encounter any Great Demons. The journey was relatively smooth, and he successfully reached the predetermined destination.


    This place was where three large mountains connected. Li Shiming was on the waist of the leftmost mountain, a distance away from the location marked as the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover on the map, which made it unnecessary to worry about being detected by powerful spirit beasts.


    Xu Chuan was a decent person, trustworthy enough to be a friend. Not every cultivator would willingly lure away a Great Demon when faced with one.


    This is character, truly revealed in times of adversity.


    ¡°Brother Xu, I will do my best for the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, but if there¡¯s a Great Demon guarding it, I do not have the ability to contend. Please forgive me,¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself as he gazed in the direction he had come from.


    Over these days, he had wanted to observe the travel pattern of the powerful spirit beast through surveillance, but clearly, he had expected too much; the spirit beast had stayed put and had not moved.


    Without getting close, Li Shiming was unable to make an accurate judgment of the spirit beast¡¯s strength.


    ¡°I must first ascertain the strength of the Guardian Spirit Beast and draw it away to confirm whether the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover is still there,¡± he planned in his mind.


    To observe the strength of the Guardian Spirit Beast, the simplest method is to cause a significant disturbance. The Guardian Spirit Beast would surely be on alert and reveal its might, allowing him to gauge its strength.


    Creating a significant disturbance was Li Shiming¡¯s specialty.


    He took out a 500-gram small bomb, a standard military-grade explosive equipped with a complete detonation device, which he adjusted to a timer with Spiritual Thought.


    He then had the drone carry the small bomb toward the right side of the three mountains and controlled the drone to drop the bomb.


    After the drone returned, he retracted it and concealed his presence completely, covering himself with soil, leaving only a sliver of Spiritual Thought outside.


    ¡°3,2,1!¡± As he counted down in his mind, an explosion erupted.


    The moment the explosion resounded, the infrared thermal imaging in the surveillance picked up the solitary massive heat source from before; its temperature soared rapidly, followed by a thunderous roar.


    A colossal bear engulfed in flames soared into the sky, heading towards the direction of the explosion.

 Chapter 294: 193 Arrival_2

    Chapter 294: Chapter 193 Arrival_2


    The terrifyingly wild aura enveloped the entire area, as beasts on the ground were losing control of their bodily functions, with the timid ones scared to death and the rest lying flat, daring not to make the slightest move.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Great Demon, no, it¡¯s not quite there yet!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Thought, upon detecting the wild aura, swiftly retracted back into his body, not wanting to be discovered by the powerful spirit beast.


    Although the bear engulfed in flames was not a Great Demon, judging by the aura displayed, it was much stronger than the strength of someone at the Foundation Establishment Peak.


    This fire-bearing giant bear must have taken a crucial step toward becoming a Great Demon but had not yet fully completed the transformation.


    Li Shiming did not know whether his judgment was correct, but one thing was certain: he could not defeat this bear engulfed in flames.


    Not to mention him alone, even adding Li Yuanba and Jiang Chen, and even with the help of talismans and treasures, he still stood no chance of winning.


    ...


    He began to have second thoughts, feeling it was not worth risking his life for someone else.


    With this thought, he once again observed the giant bear through monitoring; at this time, the bear had reached the explosion area and saw no sign of life, just the remnants of the explosion on the ground.


    The bear let out an angry roar, madly pounding the ground and creating a large pit in the exploded area.


    ¡°Why is this bear so violent?¡± Li Shiming wondered inwardly with some surprise.


    Along the way, he had observed many spirit beasts and had conducted some research on them.


    Especially since IBMz15 had collected a lot of data on spirit beasts and performed systematic analyses of their behavior.


    This bear was somewhat abnormal, even among spirit beasts.


    With the wisdom of spirit beasts, upon discovering explosion traces, they would first choose to inspect the area, trying to find other related traces, rather than mindlessly destroying the scene like this bear.


    ¡°There seems to be something I can work with here!¡± A thought flashed through Li Shiming¡¯s mind, and he no longer hurried to leave.@@@@


    After seeing the bear return to its original place, he operated the UAV to carry another bomb of the same size and dropped it in a farther direction.


    This time, he retreated into a cave deep in the mountain, observing the outside world entirely through monitoring.


    After delivering the bomb, the UAV landed on the ground very close to where the bear was staying, yet without alerting it.


    The explosion sounded again, and the bear¡¯s response was just as fierce. It leaped into the air again, its violent aura igniting the flames on its body, and the trees nearby started burning.


    As the bear flew towards the explosion, the UAV moved, flying low to the ground toward the place the bear was guarding.


    The UAV¡¯s built-in chip calculated the terrain, continuously adjusting the flight angle, hugging the ground to minimize the possibility of being detected by the bear.


    Li Shiming personally set up a timed explosive on the right mountain peak, followed by the second, third, and fourth.


    After arranging everything, he returned to wait on the left mountain peak.


    With a ¡®boom,¡¯ another explosion caused the giant bear to leap into the air, its fury almost enveloping the entire mountain.


    The bear flew towards the right peak, during which, the rocks on the ground outside the nest¡¯s range were scorched and shattered by terrifying flames.


    It was here that it prepared to advance to Great Demon status, having already taken the most crucial step. It just needed to consume the third-grade Yang Spirit Medicine, and it could become a Great Demon.


    But something kept harassing it, and yet it was unable to pinpoint where the other was.


    Already a creature of solar energy, the giant bear found it impossible to suppress its fury under such provocation.


    Just as it flew towards the explosion site, another explosion sounded a bit further than the first.


    Without a second thought, it flew towards the new explosion site.


    Yet another explosion sounded, even further away.


    Li Shiming darted out, doing his utmost to suppress the spiritual power within his body, even using Sword Intent to minimize the visibility of his sword light to the extreme.


    His speed was not slow at all; this was not the time to hold back.


    After several days of data collection by IBMz15, the multiple explosions set up by Li Shiming were not random; IBMz15 had determined the bear¡¯s sensory range regarding its nest.


    As long as the explosion was a bit further away, the bear would hesitate for a moment while flying towards it, which was clearly visible from the surveillance footage.


    The reason for two days of constant explosions was to eliminate that hint of hesitation in the bear, and to unknowingly instill it with the idea that no matter where the explosion occurred, it wouldn¡¯t affect the nest.


    After all, the bear was not yet a true Great Demon; it had intelligence like a normal human and was influenced by its instincts after being provoked many times, entering a state of frenzy.


    Li Shiming flew to the bear¡¯s nest, a place extremely crude, designed only to hide the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover inside, unseen by other spirit beasts.


    The third-grade spiritual medicine was extremely important for any Great Demon, and the bear clearly knew this fact.


    Since he hadn¡¯t used much spiritual power, the temperature near the nest felt as hot as a furnace once he approached.


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 Chapter 295: 194: Success

    Chapter 295: Chapter 194: Success


    Li Shiming did not hesitate in the slightest; he had full confidence in his body¡¯s defensive power against high temperatures and believed that he wouldn¡¯t be harmed, at least not in the short term.


    To emit as little Spiritual Power fluctuations as possible, he didn¡¯t even activate his defensive Spiritual Artifact and just charged into the cavern of the great bear.


    Almost immediately, he set his sights on the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover. A jade box appeared in his hand, a container specifically prepared to preserve high-quality Spiritual Medicine.


    In his other hand appeared a jade-made shortsword, which was not a Magic Artifact but a harvesting tool given to him by Xu Chuan, specifically designed for collecting Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover.


    The jade sword gently lifted the roots of the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover which immediately detached from the rock upon the touch of the jade sword and fell into the jade box.


    Although the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover was not completely mature, Xu Chuan mentioned that the Shushan Sect had methods to hasten the maturation of the clover, so it was not necessary to wait for it to fully mature before harvesting this Spiritual Medicine.


    ...


    Of course, if the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover were still a long way from maturation, hurrying the process would not ensure that the Third-grade Spiritual Medicine matured.


    The advantage of this method was that there was no need to wait for the precise moment of harvest, which reduced the difficulty of collecting it.


    After securing the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, Li Shiming¡¯s attention turned to a small flame on the red stone.


    When he had observed the flames surrounding the red stone through the drone¡¯s camera earlier, he hadn¡¯t felt anything special about them.


    But at close range, he could feel that this small flame was entirely different from the others because it was full of spiritual nature; it was definitely some kind of Spiritual Object.


    He didn¡¯t have time to linger, so he used his Spiritual Thought to sweep over the flame, attempting to collect it.


    However, the moment his Spiritual Thought touched the small flame, the flame entered his body at an indescribable speed, or rather, it teleported via his Spiritual Thought.


    He didn¡¯t know whether the small rocket could fly that far, considering the number of powerful spirit beasts it might encounter along the way.


    The small rocket was undoubtedly very fast; the moment it ignited, it reached its maximum speed due to its own weight.


    Though small, the rocket¡¯s engine was scaled down to the same proportion, and the fuel used was the rocket¡¯s liquid hydrogen.


    Due to the small amount of material needed for the small rocket, he used spiritual materials for the entirety of the rocket, making it equivalent to a Low Grade Magical Artifact, custom-ordered from the Hidden Dragon Trading House during his time at the Sky Sea Sect.


    As the small rocket ignited, its Formation emitted a ripple of Spiritual Energy that was weak but glaringly obvious to the rage-blinded, near-Great Demon bear.


    The great bear turned into a red blur, pursuing the small rocket.


    After monitoring the bear¡¯s departure from the area, Li Shiming emerged from the ground.


    He was now enveloped in a layer of black; the outer layer of ¡®starlife¡¯ fireproof material had been carbonized, though the temperature inside was still bearable.


    Probably not even the great bear had anticipated that there was any creature which could hide under the magma right beneath its eyes.


    Even spirit beasts with an affinity for fire would have to use their Spiritual Energy to ensure they were not scorched by the magma.


    And the extreme temperature of the magma had covered up the carefully concealed aura of Li Shiming.


    After all, the great bear was not yet a true Great Demon, and its ability to judge was impaired by its rage.


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 Chapter 296: 194: Success_2

    Chapter 296: Chapter 194: Success_2


    This plan was jointly developed by IBM z15 and Li Shiming based on the personality analysis of the giant bear, and it could be said that its success rate had reached over eighty percent before Li Shiming would implement it.


    Li Shiming left the underground, put away the black ¡®starlife¡¯ fireproof material on his body, and turned into a sword light to escape in another direction.


    After escaping for hundreds of miles, he finally found a secluded cave to enter.


    After setting up a formation with several Spirit Stones for the cave, the first thing he did was to check his body.


    The small flame that entered his body shocked him, as his knowledge system did not contain such a Spiritual Object.


    He sat cross-legged on the ground, his consciousness sweeping through his body.


    ...


    When his consciousness entered the Spirit Lake, he saw the small flame right in the center of his Spirit Lake.


    Li Shiming sensed the small flame absorbing his Fire Thunder Spiritual Power. Fortunately, the small flame¡¯s appetite was small, absorbing only a little bit of Fire Thunder Spiritual Power each time.


    Since it was his own Spirit Lake, his consciousness easily captured the small flame and made contact with it.


    The small flame had a weak spiritual intelligence, and it showed a joyful response when his consciousness touched it.


    In an instant, an idea flashed in his mind, and he issued a command to the small flame.


    Immediately, the small flame left his Spirit Lake and appeared on his fingertip, gently hopping and twinkling there.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t feel any temperature from the small flame on his fingertip; it was as if it had the same temperature as his body.


    He searched in his storage bag and found a small piece of First-grade Ore, not even remembering whose unlucky Cultivator it had belonged to.


    He held the First-grade Ore above the small flame with his Spiritual Thought, but there was no change, which disappointed him. He had hoped that the small flame could melt the First-grade Ore.


    In that case, he could have used the small flame to help with Artifact Refining.


    Just as he was contemplating this, the small flame seemed to sense his thoughts too.


    A tiny yet terrifying aura emitted from the small flame, and subsequently, the First-grade Ore melted into a liquid, all its impurities refined away, leaving only pure First Grade Metal.


    Li Shiming was startled; he almost shook the small flame off his finger.


    Fortunately, the small flame had strong control over what it scorched, and it seemed to regard him as its master, so it did not harm his fingers.


    Li Shiming held the liquid First Grade Metal with his Spiritual Thought, and soon after the small flame¡¯s scorching ceased, it quickly solidified.@@@@


    Like the Spirit Monkey King of such strength, a single hand could easily crush others. The Spiritual Wine brewed by the Spirit Monkey King was probably just a luxury item, hardly a cultivation resource.


    He would not think to sell such treasures; it was better to share them with Li Yuanba to quickly enhance his Body Refinement Techniques.


    The stronger Li Yuanba became, the more it also meant an increase in his own strength, enabling him to obtain more resources.


    ¡°Thank you, fellow!¡± Li Yuanba said with a laugh, accepting the Monkey Wine.


    The two spent nearly ten days before finally exiting the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and returning to the territory of the Senluo Sect.


    After leaving the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Yuanba took out the Jade Flying Boat and controlled it to fly, carrying Li Shiming directly.


    Just as Li Shiming thought, the marks of the Senluo Sect on the Jade Flying Boat ensured that their flight encountered no hindrance. Even cultivators who saw them would actively avoid them.


    Even those cultivators who bore grudges against the Senluo Sect would not rashly provoke a cultivator of the Senluo Sect whose strength was unknown.


    Li Shiming finally had the opportunity to stand in the sky and thoroughly enjoy the scenery of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    The name Ten Thousand Great Mountains came from this being a continuous range of mountains, divided into many mountain ranges.


    Mundanes, under the protection of cultivators in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, managed to cultivate fields and build cities, not needing to worry about the threat of spirit beasts.


    Compared to the perilous territories of the spirit beasts, the human territories flourished, brimming with life and vigor.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s joining of the Senluo Sect indeed changed Li Shiming¡¯s views about the sect.


    Though it was a demonic sect, the order within the sect was strict, with clear rewards and punishments, a symbol of a sect thriving anew.


    At least within the sect, there were few traces of the demonic path to be seen.


    Of course, this might just be on the surface, as Li Yuanba¡¯s exposure was still too shallow.


    Having continuously completed three missions this time, plus the heads of two wanted cultivators, Li Yuanba wouldn¡¯t need to take on more missions for a year, which would allow him time to enhance his own strength.


    ¡°Fellow, I shall leave you here!¡± Li Yuanba lowered the Flying Boat and said to Li Shiming.


    Over a dozen days, they passed through the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and reached a city near the defensive line.


    ¡°Fellow, take care!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    Li Yuanba took the Jade Flying Boat and left. Only after Li Yuanba¡¯s Flying Boat had disappeared did Li Shiming walk towards the city.


    This parting would be for a long time, and they might not meet again. Ever since he learned about the thousands of miles long defensive line established by the Senluo Sect at the border of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and the outer world, he knew this.


    In the future, they might only meet when both had reached a certain high position in their respective sects, or perhaps when they had advanced to the Golden Core stage.

 Chapter 297: 195 Passing Through the Checkpoint

    Chapter 297: Chapter 195 Passing Through the Checkpoint


    Jieshan City, located approximately two hundred miles from the Senluo Sect¡¯s defensive formation, revealed its unique aspects to Li Shiming as soon as he entered.


    It wasn¡¯t a purely mortal city; upon entering, he sensed the fluctuations of Spiritual Power from many cultivators.@@@@


    This was probably a city where mortals and cultivators coexisted. He saw many cultivator shops bustling with mortals working inside.


    Such a situation was extremely rare, as mortals could not withstand the influence of too dense Spiritual Energy, making it almost impossible for them to stay long in cultivator shops.


    But the Spiritual Energy fluctuations in these cultivator shops were quite weak, indicating that the shops did not engage in deep processing of Spiritual Objects.


    Li Shiming walked while looking around, searching for Shengmao Shop, a shop belonging to the Shushan Sect.


    ...


    ¡°Found it!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for him to find the target.


    Mainly because the shop was too eye-catching, being one of the largest shops in Jieshan City.


    At Shengmao Shop, large carts were being unloaded, with boxes containing weakly fluctuating Spiritual Energy being moved from the carts into the shop.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m looking for your Shopkeeper!¡± Li Shiming approached and addressed a busy mortal worker.


    ¡°Please wait a moment, I will inform him for you!¡± The mortal worker glanced at Li Shiming, scanning over the robe on his body and the storage bag at his waist, and hastily bowed with a response.


    The mortals here had ways to recognize cultivators, albeit simple, they were extremely effective.


    To cultivate immortality, one still needed to find a stable place enabling prolonged cultivation.


    He began considering whether to join the Thousand Illusion Sect or the Shushan Sect. However, situated within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, he knew little about either sect, and decided to wait until he had left the mountains to plan further.


    The Thousand Illusion Sect had Yin Shilan; at least he could stabilize his position as an ordinary Disciple, but if he solely relied on Yin Shilan¡¯s protection, it wasn¡¯t just the sect cultivator who would look down on him, he would even despise himself.


    If he joined the Shushan Sect, with the favor he held for delivering the Third Grade Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, he would likely receive protection and kindness from Master Xu Chuan.


    However, Master Xu Chuan¡¯s adversaries would also consider him an enemy.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t foolish; when he saved Xu Chuan, he had detected something suspicious. Xu Chuan had been betrayed, or else how could it have been such a coincidence to be ambushed so precisely?


    With the combat prowess Xu Chuan and he exercised together, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem for Xu Chuan to kill two or three cultivators of the same rank in earnest battle, let alone with hidden methods making battling beyond one¡¯s rank manageable.


    Yet, Xu Chuan nearly fell to three cultivators of the same rank under a targeted ambush, at a time when the other Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator had not yet reached the battlefield, serving only to distract Xu Chuan.


    Joining Master Xu Chuan¡¯s lineage would mean enjoying the benefits while necessarily bearing the corresponding troubles.


    Of course, these were not the central issues; the specifics of the Thousand Illusion Sect and the Shushan Sect were his primary concern.


    He spent the three days in Body Refinement until a worker notified him.


    In the back yard, Li Shiming spotted twenty large carts pulled by pairs of strong, tall black oxen.


    The carts were almost the same size as modern trucks from his previous life, likely requiring such robust oxen for easy movement.

 Chapter 298: 195 Passing the Barrier_2

    Chapter 298: Chapter 195 Passing the Barrier_2


    In the body of the black ox, one could feel the faint fluctuations of Spiritual Power Pattern.


    This black ox possessed a spirit beast bloodline, though not substantially, but even so, its physical strength and power were incomparable to that of ordinary beasts.


    ¡°Fellow, follow me!¡± said the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Shopkeeper, gesturing to Li Shiming after spotting him.


    The two did not exchange names, as Xu Chuan had specifically mentioned this, expressing his concerns about the reliability of this channel.


    Of course, what Xu Chuan was worried about at the time was not whether Li Shiming could be sent out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, but that someone within the channel might leak his information to the Senluo Sect.


    Li Shiming was very cautious, he had even disguised his face.


    ...


    ¡°Fellow, sit inside here, make no sound. The truck will take you out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, it will take about fourteen hours, then you can come out,¡± said the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Shopkeeper, opening a side panel of the truck.


    Li Shiming discovered that at the bottom of this truck, there was a space big enough for one person, just enough for him to hide in.


    Although there were Spiritual Objects used here to isolate the aura, he did not believe that this method could take him out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Bcause such a means was too simple, it simply couldn¡¯t withstand an inspection, any slightly experienced cultivator could easily find the smuggled goods inside the truck.


    ¡°Fellow, rest assured, we have years of experience in transporting cultivators this way, and we¡¯ve never failed. Not just us, but other shops belonging to other sects also use the same method to enter and leave the Ten Thousand Great Mountains,¡± the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Shopkeeper explained softly, noticing Li Shiming¡¯s hesitation.


    After the explanation from the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Shopkeeper, Li Shiming understood the trick behind it all.


    First, the major sects needed to conduct some Spiritual Objects transactions with the Senluo Sect, which was not only a requirement for the major sects but also for the Senluo Sect.


    On this basis, the shops run by the major sects in Jieshan City came into existence.


    Secondly, the Senluo Sect could not completely prevent the other major sects from infiltrating the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Instead of letting each sect try every possible way to break through the Formation, it was better to open a loophole, allowing passage under the surveillance of the Senluo Sect.


    That was the reason for the current method, which was only used by Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment Cultivators to pass the checkpoint, as Golden Core cultivators could ill afford to lose face this way.


    Locked in the cramped space of the truck, the number of cultivators transported each time was limited, avoiding a massive influx and exodus of cultivators.


    In fact, that the major sects used this method for smuggling was not only known to the merchants involved but also to the guards at the Senluo Sect checkpoints.


    What everyone needed to do was make it look good superficially; smooth trading was a mutual need.


    The resources of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains needed to be exchanged with the resources within the territories of the major sects, which was a necessity for multiple parties, and sometimes the Senluo Sect too needed to send sect disciples out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains for missions, thus requiring the existence of such a channel.


    He left the city, using Sword Escape to reach the next city. This time, he didn¡¯t enter the city but used the ¡®Invisibility Technique¡¯ to fly over it. His Spiritual Thought still detected no presence of cultivators.


    He roughly guessed the situation here. It was somewhat similar to the management of mortals by the Sky Sea Sect.


    Mortals had no understanding of cultivators whatsoever. Inside the country, only a very few who were needed to assist in the search for spirit root seeds knew of the existence of cultivators.


    Moreover, the Spiritual Energy was significantly thinner in these mundane places, similar to during the time with the Sky Sea Sect.


    He was now no longer the ignorant cultivator he once was. He understood that the sparseness of Spiritual Power in mundane lands was partly due to the mortals¡¯ lifestyle, which reduced the quality of Spiritual Energy, and partly due to the formations set up by the sects, which had a Gathering Spirit effect. This was guided intentionally to draw away the already scarce Spiritual Energy from the mundane lands.


    This was a good thing, as living in an environment rich in Spiritual Energy long-term not only does not prolong life for mortals but rather leads them to age prematurely and die.


    The thinner the concentration of Spiritual Energy, the more beneficial it is for the survival of mortals.


    Among the Spiritual Energy, only a rare few types focused on nurturing life are beneficial for mortals.


    However, such Spiritual Energy is extremely rare in nature and mostly needs specialized cultivators to activate it.


    The maps for mortals contained no information about cultivators, making it somewhat troublesome for Li Shiming to find cultivators.


    Looking at Tiantang Country alone, which covered a vast area, he knew randomly searching for cultivators this way was too time-consuming.


    He shifted his focus to the Imperial City of Tiantang Country, where there definitely would be sect cultivators stationed. It would be a good opportunity to inquire about the local influences.


    ¡°Had I known, I would have asked Xu Chuan for a map!¡± Li Shiming thought to himself as he flew towards the Imperial City.


    Xu Chuan probably hadn¡¯t anticipated this either, thinking any cultivator could easily be asked for information, given how renowned the major sects were.


    But who would have known that upon leaving the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Shiming would plunge into the mundane world, unable to find a single cultivator?


    In fact, he had taken the wrong path. If he had known the correct route, he would naturally have taken a different direction, where the world of cultivators lay.


    Fortunately, his speed was fast enough; he reached the Imperial City in half a day.


    Using the ¡®Invisibility Technique¡¯ to enter the city, he smiled as he approached the center of the Imperial City. It seemed like the style of mundane administration by the major sects was consistent, whether it was on Sky Sea Island or in Beishu Continent.


    Probably only sects like the Senluo Sect from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains would mingle mortals and cultivators together.


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 Chapter 299: 196 News

    Chapter 299: Chapter 196 News


    ¡°Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s Chu Gang pays respects to the senior. May I ask what brings the senior to the Imperial Palace of Tiantang Country?¡± An elderly late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator flew over, controlling a magic artifact, bowed to Li Shiming, and asked with neither humility nor arrogance.


    That kind of bearing unique to a large sect was fully demonstrated by Chu Gang.


    Even though he was late-stage Qi Refining, he showed no concern or fear when facing Li Shiming, an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    ¡°Is this place under the influence of the Thousand Illusion Sect?¡± Li Shiming, slightly taken aback, murmured to himself.


    He had heard before that the Thousand Illusion Sect and the Senluo Sect were adjacent, but upon seeing that the defensive perimeter of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains stretched for tens of thousands of miles, he realized that the Thousand Illusion Sect was not the only sect neighboring the Senluo Sect.


    Hearing Li Shiming¡¯s murmur, Chu Gang¡¯s eyes flickered. He speculated about Li Shiming¡¯s identity, suspecting that he might be a Cultivator from afar, unfamiliar with the area.


    ...


    ¡°I would like to purchase a map, could you kindly assist?¡± Li Shiming asked with a smile.


    Chu Gang breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Li Shiming was not a Devil Cultivator, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be so polite to him, a Qi Refining Cultivator.


    ¡°Senior need not purchase one, I have a map here. However, it only covers the territories of the Thousand Illusion Sect, Shushan Sect, and Qianye Temple. I hope the senior will understand!¡± Chu Gang handed over a Jade Scroll as he spoke.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Li Shiming, not one to take undue advantage, took out four hundred Spirit Stones and handed them back.


    Chu Gang bowed and accepted the four hundred Spirit Stones. Four hundred was not a small amount and for a Qi Refining Cultivator, it was a considerable income.


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Chu, I have another request. I need this letter delivered back to your Sect, to the hands of Cultivator Yin Shilan!¡± Li Shiming continued.


    Under Chu Gang¡¯s lead, Li Shiming entered the Imperial Palace and came to a small courtyard in a corner of the palace.


    Upon entering, he immediately felt a significant increase in the concentration of Spiritual Energy, though it still fell short of supplying a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    If he really decided to cultivate here, Chu Gang would likely run out of Spiritual Energy for a long time.


    After bringing him to the courtyard, Chu Gang went to get busy.


    Chu Gang went to the backyard, summoned a spirit bird, and placed the Jade Scroll into the bamboo tube on the bird¡¯s leg.


    Before setting the spirit bird free, he needed to know Yin Shilan¡¯s status and dwelling within the Sect. He activated the remote Communication Array to inquire with the Sect.


    Soon, the Sect replied. Although Yin Shilan was a newly joined Disciple, her status as a Golden Core True Inheritor during the Foundation Establishment Stage, plus being an Array Master¡¯s disciple, was enough to astonish Chu Gang.


    Upon learning of Yin Shilan¡¯s status, he lightened his actions significantly and even took out the spirit bird¡¯s favorite snacks. He tempted and instructed the spirit bird to earnestly fulfill the delivery task.


    At the peak of the Thousand Illusion Sect, a figure with shoulders as though hewn from stone and a waist as though encompassed by a sash, gazed quietly into the distance toward the north, in the direction of the Heavenly Sea Sect.


    It had been over a year since Yin Shilan came to the Thousand Illusion Sect. Her yearning for Li Shiming was gentle, yet it had not faded at all, no different from her time at the Heavenly Sea Sect.


    In this year and more, her life had been very peaceful. To her, the Thousand Illusion Sect did not differ much from her time at the Heavenly Sea Sect.


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 Chapter 300: 196 News_2

    Chapter 300: Chapter 196 News_2


    Every day was consumed with cultivation and studying formations, taking up most of her time.


    What set this place apart from the Sky Sea Sect was that Yin Shilan¡¯s family wasn¡¯t here, Li Shiming wasn¡¯t here, and she lacked someone she could share her thoughts with.


    Thanks to Master Luo¡¯s presence, Yin Shilan didn¡¯t face much trouble in the Thousand Illusion Sect. Even the cultivators who were attracted to her beauty retreated in the face of her icy demeanor.


    ¡°Junior Sister Yin, Junior Sister Yin!¡± A series of calls from a woman disrupted Yin Shilan¡¯s thoughts. She turned her head towards a female cultivator in red, and her face brightened with a smile.


    The woman in red, named Liang Yexuan, was also a True Disciple, but her identity was more special; she was the daughter of a Golden Core Elder.


    She was younger than Yin Shilan, but since Yin Shilan was the later addition to the sect¡¯s True Disciples, she became the junior.


    ...


    Liang Yexuan was the happiest about Yin Shilan¡¯s arrival. Before that, she had been the youngest, with every Foundation Establishment Cultivator calling her ¡°junior sister.¡± At last, she also became a senior sister.


    Due to their similar ages and both being True Disciples, the two quickly became friends.


    ¡°Senior Sister Liang, what¡¯s all this hurry about?¡± asked Yin Shilan as she steadied Liang Yexuan.


    Though she addressed her as ¡°senior sister,¡± her tone resembled the way she spoke to her own younger sister, Ren Fei¡¯er.


    Liang Yexuan was used to this attitude; as long as she was indeed the senior sister, it was fine.


    ¡°That Zhang guy keeps pestering me. He followed me as soon as I went out, it¡¯s so annoying!¡± Liang Yexuan grumbled with a pout.


    Yin Shilan knew she was talking about Brother Zhang, who also wanted to entangle her. However, since Yin Shilan hardly ever left her residence, it was difficult for Brother Zhang to even catch a glimpse of her.


    ¡°You should just ignore Brother Zhang!¡± She didn¡¯t have any good solution and could only offer advice.


    ¡°How could I not know that Zhang just wants to use me to get close to my father? I¡¯m well aware of his intentions, and they make me sick. How can he be considered a cultivator!¡± Despite her extreme distaste for Brother Zhang, Liang Yexuan wasn¡¯t good at cursing others; this was the harshest language she could muster.


    Whatever Yin Shilan knew about the affairs of the Thousand Illusion Sect all came from Liang Yexuan running to tell her.


    At that moment, a message came through Yin Shilan¡¯s Identity Jade Disc. She took it out to check and found that it was a notification from the sect¡¯s messenger service, informing her that a spirit bird had delivered a letter for her.


    She lightly touched her finger to activate the area¡¯s Formation restrictions, allowing a spirit bird to fly in and land before her.


    Wondering who would contact her in such a manner, her eyes widened at the realization of a possibility. She quickly removed the bamboo tube from the spirit bird¡¯s leg, shaking out a Jade Scroll from within.


    ¡°Junior Sister, it¡¯s not safe for you to leave the sect alone. It¡¯s better if I accompany you!¡± Liang Yexuan took Yin Shilan¡¯s arm and said with a light laugh.


    Yin Shilan didn¡¯t want to waste time arguing with Liang Yexuan and urged the Flying Boat to fly towards the distant horizon.


    In fact, within the influence of the Thousand Illusion Sect, not to mention sect cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage, even Qi Refining Cultivators wouldn¡¯t be in any danger. If there was danger within the sphere of influence of the sect, then the reputation of the Thousand Illusion Sect would be in vain.


    On the Flying Boat, Yin Shilan mobilized her Spiritual Power and operated the Flying Boat with all her might, its speed as urgent as her emotions.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had almost depleted her Spiritual Power that she stopped this frenzied behavior.


    ¡°Junior Sister, is Li Shiming your lover?¡± Liang Yexuan suddenly asked after staying silent.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s face flushed at the question. Her relationship with Li Shiming had been almost public on Sky Sea Island, but after more than a year apart, she still felt shy when teased about it.


    ¡°Wow, did Li Shiming come all the way from Sky Sea Island? No, that¡¯s not right. Is he very strong? How could he have possibly crossed Beihai?¡± Liang Yexuan¡¯s curiosity peaked, and she bombarded Yin Shilan with questions.


    ¡°When I left, he had just reached the late-stage Qi Refining; I don¡¯t know how strong he is now! Father said he would arrange for him to travel here via the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s Flying Boat!¡± Yin Shilan murmured as if recalling memories.


    ¡°The Beishu Trading Company¡¯s plans to go to Sky Sea Island have been delayed. They haven¡¯t reached an agreement with the Mingxin Sect yet. They¡¯ll have to wait until the negotiations are over before they can resume business!¡± Liang Yexuan shook her head.


    She knew a lot about the Beishu Continent as she enjoyed inquiring about these matters in her spare time.


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t cross the Beihai on the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s Flying Boat, then how did a Qi Refining Cultivator pass over Beihai, and how did he get through the Ten Thousand Great Mountains? To reunite with a loved one, crossing the vast sea, leaping over high mountains, overcoming countless hardships¡ªit¡¯s so romantic!¡±


    Liang Yexuan grew more excited thinking about it; such a story was unfolding right next to her, and she was about to witness this man with her own eyes.


    Anxious herself, Liang Yexuan went to the control area of the Flying Boat and poured her Spiritual Power into it.


    The speed of the Flying Boat surged once again. With two Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators driving it at full strength, the Flying Boat arrived at the capital of Tiantang Country in less than thirty two-hour periods.


    Li Shiming, having been notified by Chu Gang, was also extremely excited. He almost lost interest in cultivating and sat on the roof of the Imperial Palace looking up at the sky.


    The emerald Flying Boat appeared in the sky. Though it employed the Invisibility Technique, that could only obstruct the view of mortals and low-level Qi Refining Cultivators. To a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the Invisibility Technique was utterly ineffective.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t wait for the Flying Boat to descend; his figure turned into a streak of sword light and rushed to meet it.


    He saw the fairy-like figure standing on the Flying Boat, an image that had appeared countless times in his memory.


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 Chapter 301: 197 Reunion

    Chapter 301: Chapter 197 Reunion


    Liang Yexuan felt extremely awkward, knowing what it was like, she should not have followed.


    Such a stunning beauty she was, standing by Yin Shilan¡¯s side, yet that male cultivator¡¯s eyes saw only Yin Shilan, completely overlooking her presence.


    Li Shiming landed on the deck, and as his eyes met Yin Shilan¡¯s, everything else was forgotten, leaving only the two of them in the world.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er!¡± he called out softly.


    Yin Shilan cast aside all restraints and threw herself into his arms, hugging him with all her might.


    Sunlight spilled over them, their figures seemingly glowing with a soft light.


    ...


    The radiance made Liang Yexuan squint uncomfortably, so she coughed loudly, reminding them that someone else was still there.


    The cough startled the lovers, and only then did Yin Shilan remember Liang Yexuan, her face flushing like peach blossoms as she looked down.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, and this fellow, let¡¯s rest inside the Imperial Palace!¡± proposed Li Shiming with a smile, standing beside Yin Shilan.


    ¡°My name is Liang Yexuan, I am Yin Shilan¡¯s senior sister!¡± Liang Yexuan emphasized her identity, making it clear she was not just some fellow.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Senior Sister Liang!¡± Li Shiming, perceiving Liang Yexuan¡¯s temperament, greeted with a smile and a bow.


    Liang Yexuan, quite pleased to be addressed as senior sister by Li Shiming, nodded her head in satisfaction and joined Yin Shilan in descending into the Imperial Palace.


    Within the Imperial Palace courtyard, Chu Gang had long since vanished. He, a mere late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, did not have the means to entertain two True Inheritors, so it was better for him to hide far away.


    And besides, he had witnessed the scene above the heavens; staying would have just been to invite trouble.


    The ocean was a forbidden territory for cultivators; entering it was extremely dangerous.


    Even for a Golden Core cultivator, the danger was still present, though relatively lower.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but recall the illusory giant he had encountered in the Beihai, the fear turning his complexion pale for a moment. Even after so much time, the terrifying memory of that giant was still fresh in his mind.


    Feeling his mood, Yin Shilan gently grasped his hand.


    Feeling the warmth and softness in his hand, the depressive emotions in Li Shiming¡¯s heart instantly vanished.


    ¡°One day, I will slay it!¡± he thought to himself resolutely.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Shiming replied laconically.


    Liang Yexuan could sense the shift in the atmosphere and wisely chose not to probe further.


    She was full of curiosity about Li Shiming ¨C a Qi Refining cultivator crossing the perilous Beihai with a homemade disposable Flying Artifact was hard for her to believe.


    But seeing Yin Shilan¡¯s expression of trust towards Li Shiming convinced her otherwise.


    ¡°Why did you mention in the Jade Scroll that you would reconsider joining the Thousand Illusion Sect?¡± Yin Shilan asked.


    Li Shiming glanced at Liang Yexuan, hesitating slightly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Senior Sister Liang here. She is more familiar with the various sects of Beishu than I am. If you have any thoughts, just speak up; she can provide some advice!¡± Yin Shilan assured Li Shiming with a wink.


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 Chapter 302: 197 Meeting_2

    Chapter 302: Chapter 197 Meeting_2


    ¡°Indeed, when it comes to understanding the various sects in Beishu, no one within our sect knows more than I do!¡± When it came to this topic, Liang Yexuan suddenly spoke with full confidence.


    She had a grasp of many insider tips, even quite a few secrets of the Golden Core Elders in her own sect.


    ¡°I currently have two options, one is to accept Master Luo¡¯s recommendation to become an outer sect disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect, and the other is an opportunity I encountered after coming to Beishu, which would allow me to enter the Shushan Sect as an inner sect disciple. I would appreciate it, Senior Sister Liang, if you could offer some insights on the pros and cons of each choice!¡± Li Shiming bowed and respectfully sought advice from Liang Yexuan.


    Liang Yexuan stood up, paced back and forth a few steps, and assumed a thoughtful demeanor.


    ¡°How are your spirit root seeds, Li Shiming?¡± She now seemed genuinely serious; this was about her good friend¡¯s future prospects.


    ¡°Triple spirit roots!¡± Li Shiming replied without concealment.


    ...


    ¡°As for the Thousand Illusion Sect, needless to say, your starting point would be low, merely as an outer sect disciple, but with me and Shilan here, at least no one in the sect would dare to bully you. However, with your triple spirit root talent, it would be difficult to advance to the inner sect. Besides, should your relationship with Shilan become known, it would cause you a lot of trouble within the sect, especially during external missions!¡± Liang Yexuan said, slowly breaking it down.


    Li Shiming nodded; he did not wish to rely on his relationship with Yin Shilan. He now had a considerable number of Spirit Stones and was a high-level Array Master. His strength during the Foundation Establishment Stage was also decent¡ªall of these were enough for him to survive without Yin Shilan¡¯s support.


    What Liang Yexuan said was true; a stunning female cultivator like Yin Shilan wouldn¡¯t pose any problems before she favored any Cultivator. But once she showed favor, that Cultivator would certainly become a public enemy.


    There would be plenty of trouble, both overt and covert, and he might even be targeted for assassination.


    While in the Sky Sea Sect, with Elder Yin¡¯s protection, no cultivator dared harbor such thoughts, but the situation in the Thousand Illusion Sect was different. Master Luo didn¡¯t seem to hold him in high regard, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given him just the status of an outer sect disciple.


    Regardless, Li Shiming was a high-level Array Master, and with his relationship with Yin Shilan, at the very least, the status of an inner sect disciple should not be a problem.


    ¡°What cultivation techniques do you excel in, Li Shiming?¡± Liang Yexuan asked, noticing Li Shiming closely following her analysis, her face momentarily proud before she quickly reined it in.


    ¡°I am proficient in the Thunder Skill and flying swords!¡± Li Shiming pondered and replied.


    ¡°The strength of the Thousand Illusion Sect lies in their techniques for creating illusions. Of course, the sect¡¯s collection is quite comprehensive, with all kinds of techniques available. But most of the techniques with complete inheritance are those related to creating illusions!¡± As she mentioned this, Liang Yexuan seemed to realize she had spoken too much, and involuntarily covered her mouth with her hand.


    It seemed like a simple statement from her, but it actually concerned the secrets of the sect.


    A complete inheritance is not something that can be compared to techniques acquired through conquest. Those conquered techniques might seem comprehensive, but compared to those HERITAGE Tekniques passed down through countless generations¡ªespecially those cultivated by cultivators to the Nascent Soul stage, leaving behind extensive experiences¡ªthe conquer techniques fell short by a lot.


    Unless a cultivator cultivates a conquered technique to the Nascent Soul Realm and leaves behind their insights, it would only then be considered to have completed its first cycle of inheritance.


    Liang Yexuan was quite dissatisfied with this atmosphere, feeling as if she was being completely overlooked.


    She was a senior sister and had to properly guide her junior brother in his cultivation.


    ¡°Li Shiming, you¡¯ve just broken through to Foundation Establishment, you probably haven¡¯t sparred much with other Foundation Establishment cultivators, have you? Today is the perfect opportunity for me to give you some guidance, and let¡¯s see your combat abilities!¡± Liang Yexuan interrupted the two¡¯s affectionate moment, speaking earnestly.


    ¡°Is that really okay?¡± Li Shiming looked at her, somewhat perplexed.


    ¡°If senior sister is interested, then have a bout with her!¡± Yin Shilan certainly knew Liang Yexuan¡¯s temperament; without a fight, who knows how much she might bother them later.


    Certainly, they couldn¡¯t battle within the city, so the three went to a secluded area outside Central Capital.


    Yin Shilan acted as the referee, glancing left and right, on one side was her beloved, and on the other, her best friend.


    ¡°Li Shiming, you make the first move!¡± Liang Yexuan said generously.


    She was a True Inheritor of the Thousand Illusion Sect. Although she had also reached the Foundation Establishment Stage not long ago, she was very confident.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold back!¡± Li Shiming responded with a deep voice.


    With a light flick of his finger, a sword light flew towards Liang Yexuan. He didn¡¯t use the Nine Palace Sword Formation, but merely one sword from the Central Palace Sword.


    Liang Yexuan waved her hand, and a handkerchief flew out, positioning itself in front of her.


    The pair of phoenixes embroidered on the handkerchief seemed to come to life as the handkerchief unfolded, flying out towards the sword light.


    Li Shiming¡¯s heart jolted, the spiritual artifact was so peculiar it made him all the more cautious. He invoked the Sword Intent within his Sword Bone, and the Sword Intent within the sword light doubled.


    The sword light swept past one of the phoenixes, which let out a pitiful cry. Its form turned from solid to ethereal, as if it could vanish at any moment.


    ¡°Sword Intent, my Phoenix Handkerchief!¡± Liang Yexuan cried out in alarm, hurriedly retracting the handkerchief and scrutinizing its condition.


    The Phoenix Handkerchief was a spiritual artifact designed specifically to complement the Thousand Illusion Technique. If faced with an ordinary cultivator, the two phoenixes would be enough to give them a headache, but this did not include sword cultivators possessing Sword Intent.


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 Chapter 303: 198 Conspiracy

    Chapter 303: Chapter 198 Conspiracy


    Li Shiming left Tiantang Country, and in his hand, he now held a Communication Plate that could be used across the Beishu Continent, enabling the use of long-distance communication arrays.


    With the Communication Plate, he could directly contact Yin Shilan within the range of the Thousand Illusion Sect and its allied sects.


    On the other side, Yin Shilan and Liang Yexuan rode the Flying Boat back to their sect, with Yin Shilan wearing a faint smile, lost in her thoughts.


    It took a while before Yin Shilan realized Liang Yexuan hadn¡¯t made a move and turned to look at her.


    ¡°Senior Sister, are you preoccupied with something?¡± she softly asked.


    ¡°Junior Sister, I urge you not to tell anyone about Li Shiming going to the Shushan Sect, not even Master Luo!¡± Liang Yexuan pleaded earnestly.


    ...


    ¡°But why?¡± Yin Shilan hadn¡¯t expected Liang Yexuan to be pondering over this matter all the way and asked curiously.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Li Shiming, though having three spirit root seeds, could comprehend Sword Intent during the Qi Refinement Realm. Had I known, I would have introduced him to join our sect. Joining the inner sect would not be an issue, and maybe he could even become a Sword Cultivator Golden Core for the sect!¡± Liang Yexuan explained somewhat regretfully.


    What worried her more she did not express; she didn¡¯t know if Master Luo was intentionally suppressing Li Shiming but actually had high hopes for him, which could be why he was only offered the qualifications of an outer sect disciple.


    Those elders most cherish such actions; this is called forging of a disciple.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡± Yin Shilan was in good spirits; she was aware that Li Shiming was safe and could keep in touch with him often, so whether Li Shiming joined the Thousand Illusion Sect or not didn¡¯t really matter to her.


    In her heart, she had considerations about which sect Li Shiming should join.


    As he walked and observed, he unwittingly arrived at a place in the town center marked by the Shushan Sect insignia.


    Xu Chuan had mentioned that showing a token here could connect him to Xu Chuan¡¯s master, Elder Su.


    Seeing the Shushan Sect insignia, Li Shiming took a deep breath, finally reaching his destination after braving the journey through the Ten Thousand Great Mountains¡¯ Spiritual Beast Territory to obtain the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover.


    ¡°At a friend¡¯s request, seeking an audience with Elder Su!¡± Li Shiming lightly pressed his hand on the large door which had a formation, using this method to alert the cultivators inside. He used his spiritual power to send a voice message inside.


    Concerning a Golden Core Elder, whether the invitation was real or not, the response from the inside Shushan Sect cultivators was extremely swift.


    ¡°Do you have a token?¡± The door opened, and a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator scanned Li Shiming with Spiritual Thought and asked with a grave voice.


    This manner of scanning with Spiritual Thought was extremely impolite, but given that the other party was a cultivator of the Shushan Sect and this place was at the foot of the Shushan Sect¡¯s mountain, it was tolerated.


    Li Shiming suppressed his dissatisfaction, took out the token but did not hand it over.


    The Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator glanced at the token, scanned it once more with Spiritual Thought to confirm its authenticity.


    ¡°Stay in the town and wait for news, I will pass the message!¡± The Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator spoke indifferently and then closed the door.


    A look of astonishment flashed across Li Shiming¡¯s eyes. Knowing Xu Chuan¡¯s identity as a True Disciple, carrying a token of a True Disciple, yet this Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still so discourteous. Could it be that all the cultivators of the Shushan Sect were so haughty?


    He shook his head and left the place, thinking of an inn he had noticed on the way here; he made his way towards that inn.


    ¡°Senior, what kind of room would you like?¡± A Qi Refinement Realm shopkeeper saw the incoming Foundation Establishment Cultivator and greeted him with a smile.

 Chapter 304: 198 Conspiracy_2

    Chapter 304: Chapter 198 Conspiracy_2


    ¡°¡±What kind of rooms do you have?¡± Li Shiming sensed that the spiritual energy in the inn was abundant, not at all as scarce as that within the town; unfamiliar with the inns tailored for cultivators in Beishu, he inquired directly.


    ¡°For a senior cultivator like you who requires spiritual energy for cultivation, only the individually arranged refined courtyards can meet your requirements, costing 50 spirit stones per day!¡± The shopkeeper did not introduce any other rooms, only the refined courtyard suitable for someone of Li Shiming¡¯s level.


    Li Shiming felt a sense of novelty again; even an inn here could provide spiritual energy suitable for the cultivation of Foundation Establishment cultivators¡ªit¡¯s no wonder that there were so many among the Loose Cultivators.


    From this, it was evident that the quantity and quality of spiritual energy on the Beishu Continent were far superior to that of Sky Sea Island; otherwise, such an inn would not exist.


    ¡°Give me a refined courtyard, I¡¯ll stay for three days!¡± Li Shiming took out one hundred and fifty spirit stones and handed them over.


    ¡°Follow me, please!¡± The shopkeeper took the spirit stones and led Li Shiming to the back of the inn.


    ...


    The back of the inn was a series of refined courtyards, each secured with formations.


    ¡°Senior, you may use this refined courtyard for three days; after three days, the jade card will expire!¡± The shopkeeper handed a jade card to Li Shiming, pointing to one of the courtyards.


    Li Shiming nodded, and he used the jade card to unlock the refined courtyard.


    As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was enveloped by the thick spiritual energy¡ªits level approximating that of top-grade spirit veins. Coupled with a long period of accumulation, it could easily sustain his cultivation for several days.


    Looking at the situation of the refined courtyard, it seemed that the inn must have controlled several spirit veins to operate such a place.


    In fact, inns like this were usually run by various sects and forces; they had the task of accommodating visiting cultivators, like this inn in Gushan Town.


    When the sects held external events, some cultivators would arrive early and stay here to wait.


    That¡¯s why spirit veins were relocated here to serve cultivators specifically.


    Naturally, it was also a good business; Loose Cultivators could save up spirit stones over time and then spend them to break through their cultivation using the spiritual energy provided by the inn.


    Li Shiming had not practiced the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ for a long time. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he threw out several spirit stones to reinforce the formation and began his cultivation.


    The ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ absorbed a massive amount of spiritual energy into his body, transforming it into Thunder Spirit Power and channeling it into the Spirit Lake. It was then converted by the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ into Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power and stored within the Spirit Lake; he continued cultivating without a moment¡¯s pause.


    After receiving Li Shiming, Yin Shaotao, the resident cultivator of Gushan Town, immediately activated the communication formation.


    Yin Shaotao, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was far from calm on the surface; he received Li Shiming quickly and hurriedly shut the door, fearing that any slip in his composure might betray his thoughts.


    He had only recently been assigned to Gushan Town, a plum position. Although it was an outpost, it was located at the foot of the sect¡¯s mountain, allowing him to return to the sect at any time.


    Despite their nickname, the Lie Mountain Four Tigers, it was really only known among other Loose Cultivators, and they were nothing in front of sect cultivators; they might as well have been called the Lie Mountain Four Cats.


    ¡°The target is in refined courtyard number seven, and the courtyard has a Defensive Formation!¡± the leader of the Lie Mountain Four Tigers said softly as they gathered together.


    Just then, an attendant from the inn hurried past them and appeared to accidentally drop something.


    Lao Si from the Lie Mountain Four Tigers stepped forward to pick it up and found it to be a jade token marked with the number seven for the refined courtyard, a token with higher authority than that of guests.


    The Lie Mountain Four Tigers glanced at each other, understanding that this was preparation by Ji Zhenchuan.


    They couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by how thorough Ji Zhenchuan¡¯s arrangements were.


    What they did not know was that, in the span of just thirty minutes, Ji Zhenchuan had not only located Li Shiming but also issued multiple orders.


    Assassinating a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in Gushan Town was no easy task, and it could not involve any sect cultivators. If a sect cultivator were to partake, the consequences would be unpredictable.


    The leader of the Lie Mountain Four Tigers approached refined courtyard number seven, took out an Array Plate, and placed it outside the courtyard¡¯s existing Formation, activating the Array Plate.


    The Formation quickly enveloped refined courtyard number seven, isolating it from the outside world.


    ¡°The battle must end within four hours!¡± the leader of the Lie Mountain Four Tigers stated solemnly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Leader. It¡¯s just an early-stage Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator; why would it take so long?¡± Lao Si said with a light laugh.


    After receiving information about the assassination target, they were quite at ease. The target was not a Shushan Sect cultivator but an early-stage Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator.


    This simplified their mission significantly and reduced the risk a great deal. Seeing Ji Zhenchuan¡¯s arrangements, it seemed joining the Shushan Sect would not be an issue for them.


    While they fantasized about the pleasant life within the sect, they took out the control jade token for refined courtyard number seven.


    As the control jade token was activated, the Defensive Formation of refined courtyard number seven shook, but it did not fully dissipate.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± the leader of the Lie Mountain Four Tigers asked aloud.


    ¡°It should be the cultivator inside who has reinforced the Formation, but it¡¯s not strong. We can break it if we work together!¡± spoke Lao San, who had some understanding of Formations.


    ¡°Act quickly, let¡¯s all strike together!¡± the leader of the Lie Mountain Four Tigers ordered in a heavy tone.


    The four mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators simultaneously launched their attacks, and with a resounding ¡®boom,¡¯ the Formation, which had been barely maintained by a few Spirit Stones, was instantly shattered.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 305: 199: Agreement Reached

    Chapter 305: Chapter 199: Agreement Reached


    Li Shiming knew as soon as the controlled jade token attempted to shut down the Defensive Array, he quickly converged the Spiritual Power Pattern within his body, slowly ending the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡±.


    It was only thanks to the measure he had reserved that he spared a few moments of time, otherwise, once an Array breakthrough had been activated and he was exposed outside while cultivating, he would not even have a chance to react.


    Rage flared in his heart. Had he not thought this place was extremely safe, he never would have practiced his main Cultivation Technique.


    To forcefully interrupt one¡¯s main Cultivation Technique carries the risk of cultivation disruption.


    By the time he ended cultivation, the outside Defensive Array was completely broken through.


    Li Shiming sensed the presence of four Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, along with an isolation Formation.


    ...


    ¡°This is a conspiracy against me!¡± he immediately realized.


    This was near the foot of Shushan Sect¡¯s mountain. Whoever dared to open an inn here must be assured of protecting cultivators.


    The first thing he thought of was the token he carried. He recalled how Xu Chuan was ambushed shortly after entering the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, it seemed there were cultivators who didn¡¯t wish for him to meet with Elder Su!


    ¡°Since you all want to stir up trouble, let¡¯s make it a big deal!¡± Li Shiming immediately had an idea in his heart.


    This was a special place. Even if he had the ability to kill Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he wouldn¡¯t forcibly take action here.


    Once he was accused of initiating an attack on cultivators here, his troubles would not be small.


    His thoughts occurred in an instant, his figure heavily colliding with the wall behind him. With the disappearance of the Array, the courtyard walls were like paper to the body of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    For sect cultivators, the appearance of Demon Sect cultivators here was a provocation to Shushan Sect. Even if it cost their lives, the Demon Sect cultivators would pay the price.


    Then came other cultivators who relied on Gushan Town for their livelihood. The safety of Gushan Town was also their concern.


    So, a strange scene appeared in the inn¡¯s backyard. The Lie Mountain Four Tigers mobilized their Spiritual Power Pattern to the fullest to break through the Defensive Array. Just as they were preparing to attack a second time, they hadn¡¯t expected the isolation Formation they had set up to lose effect.


    Before the Lie Mountain Four Tigers could strike, the loud shout from Li Shiming attracted a large number of cultivators.


    The situation on-site didn¡¯t need to be explained ¨C four Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators surrounding a refined courtyard, and next to them an Array Plate. Anyone seeing this could judge what was going on.


    Did they really think they could say it was the Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator staying here who had summoned the four Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators and even had them set up an Array Plate in advance?


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. These four seniors are guests at the inn, perhaps they went to the wrong place!¡± The Shopkeeper came out at this moment, bowing to the surrounding cultivators to explain.


    ¡°What a misunderstanding. The Defensive Array of my refined courtyard was opened for these four Demon Sect cultivators. It seems this inn is used for assassinating staying cultivators; who knows how many cultivators have died at your hands,¡± Li Shiming fabricated wildly, making as big a fuss as possible.


    But what he said about the Defensive Array was true. Without the slightest resistance, only the several Spirit Stones he had set up were able to resist the Array¡¯s power for a moment.


    As soon as Li Shiming spoke, all the cultivators present were shocked. This was not as simple as a matter of Demon Sect cultivators; there were sect cultivators involved.


    There were mages skilled in Formations in town. They came forward and checked the Formation of the refined courtyard for a moment. When they looked up again, their gaze towards the Shopkeeper had changed.


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 Chapter 306: 199: Agreement Reached_2

    Chapter 306: Chapter 199: Agreement Reached_2


    The Lie Mountain Four Tigers didn¡¯t even dare to move at this point, there were at least ten or more Foundation Establishment Cultivators present, and the situation here must have alerted the Shushan Sect, not to mention that they lacked the ability to carve a bloody path to escape.


    Even if they had such ability, where could they flee to? They simply couldn¡¯t escape the pursuit of the Shushan Sect.


    With a cultivator skilled in formation having checked, which of the cultivators present was a fool? They all understood that the shopkeeper must have been involved.


    Some cultivators sensed the scent of conspiracy, but the majority were still filled with righteous indignation, regardless of Li Shiming¡¯s identity, to assassinate a cultivator in Gushan Town was a matter that affected the interests of all cultivators.


    The reason why cultivators would come to Gushan Town was because it was safe and stable.


    Many cultivators worked hard to earn Spirit Stones, just so they could use the spiritual energy in inns for cultivation breakthroughs. But if the safety of the inns was in doubt, who would come here?


    ...


    ¡°I hold the token of Xu Chuan¡¯s true inheritance and have come to meet Elder Su. This has already been processed by the cultivators stationed in Gushan Town, and I am waiting for an audience with Elder Su!¡± Li Shiming, not satisfied that the matter was disruptive enough, held the token aloft over his head, activated it with spiritual power, and said loudly.


    This time, all cultivators¡¯ faces changed dramatically; there was a conspiracy to ambush a true inheritor¡¯s messenger in cahoots with an external cult atof the sect right here at the inn. The implications were enormous.


    The Lie Mountain Four Tigers were nearly scared to wet themselves; they had no idea this involved a Golden Core Elder of the Shushan Sect, an existence that could squash them like bugs.


    Their only hope now was Ji Zhenchuan, but at this moment they dared not say anything.


    ¡°I want to see Elder Su. Is there any cultivator who can help contact him? I believe Elder Su will be very grateful, of course, you can choose not to make contact, but then it would be difficult to say whether Elder Su might consider you a participant in all this!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s voice continued.


    His words made the sect cultivators freeze. Indeed, regardless of how, the attempt on the life of the true inheritor¡¯s messenger happened in Gushan Town and they were in the town as well. If they did nothing about it after learning of the incident and even after being reminded by Li Shiming, they truly would be casting themselves on the side of suspicion.


    The sect cultivators silently used their Identity Jade Discs to inform the sect; at this moment, whether or not they could notify Heavenly Eye Peak, it was crucial to let the sect know about the situation here.


    Just then, the presence of six Foundation Establishment Cultivators approached from afar, and a red Flying Boat zoomed closer from the distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s the sect¡¯s Law Enforcement Team!¡± a cultivator yelled out.


    ¡°Lie Mountain Four Tigers, you have some nerve, daring to attack the true inheritor¡¯s messenger. Surrender immediately!¡± the Law Enforcement Team¡¯s leader shouted at the Lie Mountain Four Tigers upon arrival at the scene.


    The leader gestured a covert signal, and upon seeing this, the eyes of the Lie Mountain Four Tigers lit up with joy, quickly reining in their spiritual power as if ready to be dealt with.


    Four sets of manacles flew out of the leader¡¯s hands, binding the Lie Mountain Four Tigers.


    The manacles were of Spiritual Artifact level, beyond the ability of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to break free from, and these types of restraints were designed with an effect that sealed Spirit Lake, leaving them powerless once put on.


    ¡°Young friend, you¡¯ve had a hard time. Come with me to the sect as a guest. This place indeed needs some restructuring!¡± Elder Su looked at Li Shiming with a slight smile on his face.


    With a wave of his hand, he disappeared with Li Shiming, leaving behind only the trembling shopkeeper.


    With just one sentence, Elder Su had determined the life and death of everyone in the inn.


    On the other side, Ji Hongbo listened to the latest intelligence from Gushan Town. Hearing about the capture of the Lie Mountain Four Tigers and Elder Su¡¯s appearance, his face turned slightly pale.


    With the appearance of Elder Su, the matter was no longer a conflict between true inheritors but had escalated to a clash between elders.


    The actions he took were not disclosed to his father, Elder Ji; they were decisions he made privately.


    Now, he had to inform his father and let him handle the situation.


    Ji Hongbo arrived outside Elder Ji¡¯s cave dwelling and cast a spell.


    ¡°Come in!¡± The formation parted to create an entrance, through which came Elder Ji¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Father!¡± Seeing Elder Ji, who was looking at something, Ji Hongbo stepped forward and greeted him.


    ¡°You must be worried, but there¡¯s no need. Four Foundation Establishment cultivators from the external sect won¡¯t be nailed down easily. Any actions you and Xu Chuan took are part of the competition between true inheritors, and this is allowed by the sect!¡± Elder Ji¡¯s gaze held a calmness that seemed to see through everything.


    ¡°Father knew all along?¡± Ji Hongbo relaxed his tense expression and spoke softly.


    ¡°How can one grow without weathering the storm? Your generation of true inheritors lacks experience. Your schemes, Xu Chuan¡¯s sincerity, they¡¯re all styles of handling matters, both needed by the sect. As far as the sect is concerned, this isn¡¯t about right or wrong. Elder Su¡¯s intervention actually breaks the rules, and he can¡¯t investigate too deeply!¡± Elder Ji instructed.


    Elder Ji¡¯s perspective was very high; the actions of the true inheritors were like child¡¯s play in his eyes.


    Of course, he also knew that concerning Elder Su¡¯s injury, some of Ji Hongbo¡¯s actions had crossed the line.


    But these oversteps had been made, and now he, as a father, needed to resolve them. Ji Hongbo was the son he had raised, taught to scheme from a young age, the path he had chosen for his son.


    ¡°You go back and seclude yourself for three months; think carefully about what I¡¯ve said!¡± Elder Ji waved his hand, instructing.


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 Chapter 307: 200 Recovery

    Chapter 307: Chapter 200 Recovery


    Li Shiming was brought by Elder Su into the Sect Formation. He did not use spiritual thought to explore; such a high-level formation could not be discerned with a brief probe.


    Most importantly, Elder Su was at his side, so he dared not make any unusual moves.


    Elder Su led him to the peak of a mountain, stopping at a bamboo pavilion.


    ¡°The junior, Li Shiming, greets Elder Su. I have been entrusted by Xu Chuan, and this is the trust token!¡± Li Shiming formally greeted, holding up the trust token.


    Elder Su gently lifted Li Shiming up with a light touch, taking the trust token from his hand.


    He tapped the trust token lightly, and then received a message that Xu Chuan had left within it.


    ...


    He was now truly certain of Li Shiming¡¯s identity; indeed, he was a friend Xu Chuan had made outside.


    ¡°This is the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover I¡¯ve obtained!¡± Li Shiming said, taking out a jade box and holding it in his hand.


    Upon hearing the name ¡°Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover,¡± Elder Su¡¯s expression changed, a flash of joy apparent in his eyes.


    He suppressed his exhilaration, took the jade box, opened it to inspect, and then quickly closed it.


    ¡°Stay in that cave dwelling for now, do not move around at will!¡± Elder Su did not elaborate further; after giving a brief order, he tossed a controlling jade tablet for the dwelling and turned to leave.


    Li Shiming understood Elder Su¡¯s mood. Despite Elder Su¡¯s efforts to suppress it, he still saw a hint of something amiss.


    Elder Su had a trace of black lines in his eyes. For a Golden Core cultivator, being unable to control even one¡¯s own eyes pointed to a grievous injury.


    While he did not know the specifics, Li Shiming surmised that Elder Su had been waiting for the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover all along.


    There was just one thing that puzzled him: Elder Su never asked about Xu Chuan.


    All this time, he thought the speed of cultivation depended on the external spiritual energy meeting the needs of practice, which was sufficient.


    But as he sat on the vent and cultivated the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡¯ he felt the spiritual energy being squeezed into his body, involuntarily raising his pace of cultivation.


    Moreover, the spiritual energy here was purer than any he had encountered before, which sped up the conversion process during cultivation.


    He was wholly engulfed in his practice, even shutting down his senses to quicken his pace, throwing all his mind and heart into the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡¯


    This rare opportunity was not to be wasted even for a moment.


    True Inheritor Ji Hongbo, Xu Chuan the stationed cultivator in Gushan Town, the six members of the enforcement team, and the Lie Mountain Four Tigers were all waiting for Elder Su¡¯s actions, yet the reactions they had envisioned did not occur.


    It was as if nothing had happened, with no further news from Elder Su after that day.


    Although Ji Hongbo should have been happy with no incidents, he couldn¡¯t find joy in it.


    The more Elder Su remained inactive, the more it indicated a major event of some sort.


    Even Elder Ji could no longer sit still; he was prepared for a candid discussion with Elder Su.


    ¡°It seems that the cultivator has brought back the spiritual medicine Elder Su needed,¡± Elder Ji sighed softly, murmuring to himself.


    In the sect, he was a competitor of Elder Su, but their competition was not trivial; it was for the Nascent Soul inheritance qualification of the sect.


    He and Elder Su had been competing since the Qi Refinement Realm, with Elder Su¡¯s faction valuing sincerity, treating friends with earnestness, which is why Elder Su had many friends.


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 Chapter 308: 200 Recovery_2

    Chapter 308: Chapter 200 Recovery_2


    Elder Ji was adept at strategy, binding many allies with benefits; his power was not a fraction less than Elder Su¡¯s.


    If Elder Su had not been injured, this competitive relationship would have continued indefinitely, each relying on their own abilities to vie for the Nascent Soul inheritance qualifications.


    But Elder Su¡¯s injury in the battle against the Golden Core cultivator from the Demon Sect presented Elder Ji with an opportunity.


    With Elder Su¡¯s backing ancestor in seclusion, Elder Ji disposed of the spiritual medicine Elder Su urgently needed in advance, preventing Elder Su¡¯s wounds from being healed.


    As long as it dragged on for another year, Elder Su¡¯s foundation would be damaged, and by then, even if the ancestor came out of seclusion, nothing could be changed.


    ¡°Man proposes, God disposes. The heavens do not favor me,¡± Elder Ji shook his head and said.


    ...


    He was not particularly annoyed; if it didn¡¯t work out this time, there would be future opportunities, and if it still didn¡¯t work out, a fair competition would ensue.


    He wouldn¡¯t give up on that Nascent Soul inheritance qualification¡ªit was his pathway to the heavens for becoming a Nascent Soul.


    The so-called Nascent Soul inheritance qualification is not just about inheriting techniques; for Golden Core cultivators like them, most sect inheritances would be open to them.


    The most important aspect of the Nascent Soul inheritance qualification is resources. When Nascent Soul ancestors from the sect travel abroad, they would obtain some fourth-grade resources. Besides those consumed by the Nascent Soul ancestors themselves, a portion would improve the chances of Golden Core advancement to Nascent Soul, and these resources would be provided to the qualified Golden Cores.


    In the cave mansion within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains¡¯ Senluo Sect, Li Yuanba was also in cultivation. Having completed his tasks for the year, he was in desperate need of quick progress, so he, too, entered the state of closed-door training.


    Both his main body and the clone were practicing top-tier primary cultivation techniques, but it was clear that Li Yuanba¡¯s Heavenly Spirit Root had a significant advantage.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation speed was nearly twice as fast as Li Shiming¡¯s, even though Li Shiming was in a Golden Core Cave Mansion while Li Yuanba was in a normal Foundation Establishment Cave Mansion.


    Li Shiming could imagine that Li Yuanba would enter the Golden Core Stage without any accidents, while he himself might still be lingering in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.


    This was also a good thing, as he would then have a Golden Core cultivator to help him find cultivation resources.


    Elder Su appeared on Heavenly Eye Peak two months later, his spirit seemingly completely transformed and his aura much stronger.


    In those two months, half the time was spent processing materials, and he had a good friend within the sect refine pills for him.


    After previous events, he dared not entrust his affairs to unreliable people¡ª who knew if any cultivator would risk destroying his life-saving spiritual medicine.


    The other half of the time, naturally, was spent taking the Three Yang Reviving Pill to heal. The third-grade Three Yang Reviving Pill, in addition to treating the negative energy within his body, also allowed his long-suppressed strength to clash.


    Furthermore, merely for the merit of bringing back the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, Elder Su was willing to shoulder any trouble for him, should any arise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Xu Chuan. Why hasn¡¯t he returned?¡± Elder Su asked Li Shiming.


    ¡°Brother Xu diverted a Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon to aid me on our journey to find the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover but has not been heard from since,¡± Li Shiming said with sorrow.


    ¡°Xu Chuan is not dead. His Soul Lamp is still lit within the sect; he must be hiding somewhere to heal!¡± Elder Su said with certainty, gesturing dismissively.


    Li Shiming then realized why Elder Su had not asked about Xu Chuan when they first met.


    It had been about two more months, and since Xu Chuan had not returned, Elder Su finally brought it up.


    ¡°I initially thought that you and Xu Chuan had found the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover together. I didn¡¯t expect that you had acquired it alone. Xu Chuan left a message in his token for me to take you as a Registered Disciple and introduce you to the inner door of the Shushan Sect,¡± Elder Su paused as he spoke.


    Li Shiming stood with his hands clasped and body bowed, uncertain whether Elder Su¡¯s words were good or bad.


    ¡°I need to understand your situation before making a decision,¡± Elder Su said slowly. His Divine Thought swept over Li Shiming, and a look of surprise crossed his face as he asked, ¡°Tell me about the cultivation techniques you¡¯ve practiced, both your main focus and Body Refinement, reveal them all.¡±


    From his Divine Thought exploration just now, he found out that Li Shiming possessed a triple spirit root, which indeed was not impressive in terms of talent.


    But Li Shiming¡¯s physical constitution was so robust that it far surpassed that of an average mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even among those specializing in Body Refinement, his physique stood out as exceptional.


    From the information Elder Su had, although Li Shiming hailed from the Sky Sea Sect, the sect hadn¡¯t offered significant help. Li Shiming was just an ordinary disciple of the Sky Sea Sect. The only thing special about him was a close and ambiguous relationship with a True Inheritor Female Cultivator, which earned him the care of a Golden Core Elder.


    Such relationships were far from sufficient for Li Shiming to develop his formidable Body Refinement ability.


    As for Li Shiming¡¯s participation in the Qi Refinement Realm contest with the Mingxin Sect, it held little value in Elder Su¡¯s eyes.


    Additionally, Li Shiming¡¯s body contained Thunder Spirit Power, indicating that he had practiced a Thunder-based main Cultivation Technique, which further surprised Elder Su.


    It could be said that Li Shiming, a cultivator with mediocre talent, had cultivated top-tier Body Refinement and main Cultivation Techniques, and most crucially, he had reached the stage of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at a young age without any residue from a Foundation Establishment Pill inside him.


    After consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill, the residues would remain for at least five years, and its unique medicinal properties couldn¡¯t escape Elder Su¡¯s Divine Thought.


    Of course, Elder Su¡¯s inquiry was well beyond normal circumstances. It was also a test for Li Shiming. The assistance Li Shiming had provided him was too significant to be compensated for by simply offering the position of Registered Disciple.


    He saw potential in Li Shiming, but his decision would still depend on whether Li Shiming was qualified.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 309: 201: Goodbye

    Chapter 309: Chapter 201: Goodbye


    ¡°Reporting to Elder Su, I have cultivated the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect and an accidentally acquired Sword Demon Secret Manual. My primary cultivation technique is the Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique!¡± Li Shiming answered without any concealment.


    He wasn¡¯t a fool. From Elder Su¡¯s attitude and inquiries, it was clear that Elder Su was investigating him, preparing to take him on as a Registered Disciple.


    Since he had always been groping his way alone in cultivation and now intended to recognize Elder Su as his master, even if it was just as a Registered Disciple, it was essential to let the master know the cultivation techniques he practiced. This was the most basic requirement.


    ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill!¡± Elder Su flicked his finger on Li Shiming¡¯s skin; this flick did not utilize spiritual power, yet the strength was not small at all.


    A Golden Core Elder, even without practicing Body Refining Techniques, had a body transformed by the heavens and earth, far surpassing any Foundation Establishment Stage Body Refining Cultivator.


    ¡°It seems you have quite a talent for body refinement. You¡¯ve only established your foundation recently, yet you have almost reached minor completion in the Foundation Establishment Stage Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill!¡± Elder Su smiled and after a moment of thought, he asked, ¡°Does the Sword Demon Secret Manual also have a Jade Scroll?¡±


    ...


    Asking this definitely treated Li Shiming as one of his own, for he was a Golden Core Elder of Shushan Sect, able to access even the most precious Body Refining Techniques.


    Li Shiming understood this and handed over the Jade Scroll of the Sword Demon Secret Manual.


    Elder Su without any courtesy took the Sword Demon Secret Manual to examine, and the room quieted down for a full thirty minutes.


    ¡°Some sword demon who has deviated through obsession with swordsmanship. However, this body refining technique is interesting. You are indeed fortunate, having obtained Third Grade Metal during your Qi Refinement Realm,¡± Elder Su said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Elder Su, is there any issue with the Sword Demon Secret Manual?¡± Li Shiming was startled, for he would never assume that Elder Su was speaking idly; Elder Su¡¯s status throughout the Beishu Continent was exceptionally high.


    There¡¯s only one possibility, that Li Shiming himself had encountered a great fortune, getting enough Third Grade Metal for cultivating.


    And the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡¯ one of the core legacies of Mingxin Sect, reportedly accessible to only a few core Golden Core Elders within the sect.


    Such a legacy, not just placed on Li Shiming but in Shushan Sect, is profoundly precious; indeed, the true teachings are accessible only after passing assessments.


    Critical to note is that top-tier techniques like the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ require compatible talents to cultivate.


    Li Shiming, having the talent of a Thunder Cultivator and acquiring the suitable ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡¯ represented a great opportunity.


    In the Cultivation World, there is a saying that opportunity matters more than talent.


    This belief has been forged through the blood and tears of countless cultivators, some of whom endured countless years of arduous cultivation and life-threatening ordeals to obtain spiritual medicine, seeking breakthroughs.


    Yet some cultivators, sitting at the top of a mountain admiring the scenery, have spiritual medicine fall from the sky, following which they easily achieve breakthroughs.


    These are the cultivators with opportunities, like the favored children of heaven and earth.


    ¡°Li Shiming, would you be willing to become my disciple?¡± Elder Su stood straight and solemnly asked Li Shiming.


    ¡°Elder Su, your disciple is willing!¡± Li Shiming was momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered and hurriedly knelt to the ground, loudly responding.


    ¡°Then why still call me Elder?¡± Elder Su¡¯s face showed a pleased smile, though he lightly chided.


    ¡°Master!¡± Li Shiming corrected his address.

 Chapter 310: 201: Goodbye_2

    Chapter 310: Chapter 201: Goodbye_2


    ¡°You will first become an Inner Sect Disciple after your initiation, and cultivate diligently before competing for the position of a True Disciple!¡± Elder Su helped Li Shiming up and said.


    Only then did Li Shiming clearly understand that Elder Su had accepted him as a disciple, not a Registered Disciple, which granted him the eligibility to compete for the status of a True Disciple.


    Although there is only a slight difference in name between a disciple and a Registered Disciple, their status is completely different.


    Being a Registered Disciple is merely an honor, and under the strict master-apprentice relationship in the Cultivation World, Registered Disciples cannot enjoy the meticulous instruction of a master, and they rarely even have the opportunity to see their master.


    A disciple, on the other hand, will receive their master¡¯s meticulous guidance and the best support in various aspects, such as resources, magic artifacts, and cultivation techniques.


    A disciple is also a representative of their master¡¯s identity to the outside world; the relationship benefits or harms both parties.


    ...


    ¡°You have three senior brothers and one senior sister; they are all outside right now. Your initiation requires some preparation. I will hold a discipleship ceremony, and at that time, I will invite a few friends to witness it,¡± Elder Su said with a smile.


    With his injuries fully healed and having taken on Li Shiming, a disciple with profound fortune, he felt as if he was influenced by Li Shiming¡¯s fortune, which left him especially joyful.


    Moreover, the discipleship ceremony was not just for Li Shiming; it was also to show the cultivators both inside and outside his sect his condition.


    Li Shiming returned to the same cave mansion he had been in before, where he could stay for a few more days before the official initiation.


    As Elder Su¡¯s health recovered, a series of events that had not been dealt with within the Shushan Sect began to unfold, including many cultivators related to Elder Ji¡¯s faction being expelled from the Enforcement Team.


    Participating in the assassination of a Golden Core Elder of the Shushan Sect was a crime serious enough to label those involved as traitors to the sect.


    In the sect, being a traitor is a grave sin, punishable by death.


    All this had nothing to do with Li Shiming, who spent his days in the cave mansion, cultivating the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡¯


    It was only after talking with his master, Elder Su, that he truly realized how high the grade of the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ was, being among the top-tier primary cultivation techniques for Magic Cultivation.


    Although the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ is comprehensive, the Shushan Sect did not have the corresponding Golden Core resources for it, so Elder Su hoped he would consider switching his cultivation focus.


    Taking advantage of the fact that Li Shiming was only at the early-stage Foundation Establishment, the cost of switching would not be too great.


    Of course, Elder Su did not force Li Shiming to choose but informed him of the pros and cons.


    If Li Shiming wanted to change his primary cultivation technique, Elder Su could use his own contribution points to exchange for a primary inheritance technique of the same level as ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ for him.


    He didn¡¯t know whether Li Shiming had successfully obtained the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, but he didn¡¯t have the strength left to search any other places.


    The injuries he suffered were not the kind that could heal in a short time. Without sufficient combat strength, he found it hard to even survive in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Xu Chuan didn¡¯t linger, deciding to discuss everything after returning to Shushan Sect, hoping his brothers and sisters had made some gains.


    When he got back to the sect and saw Elder Su, who had also recovered, and heard that Elder Su was preparing to take Li Shiming as a disciple, he didn¡¯t care about his exhaustion and immediately went to find Li Shiming, needing to thank him in person.


    ¡°Brother Xu, you are too polite, there¡¯s no need for such formalities between us!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile as he helped Xu Chuan up.


    Now that he and Xu Chuan were brothers in the Cultivation World, this was regarded as close as real brothers.


    ¡°Right, there¡¯s no need for thanks between us!¡± Xu Chuan also started to laugh.


    As the two men exchanged jokes and entered the cave mansion, Li Shiming thought it was extremely luxurious for a Golden Core Cave Mansion, but he didn¡¯t see any envy in Xu Chuan¡¯s eyes.


    It seemed that the Golden Core Cave Mansion wasn¡¯t anything special to Xu Chuan, which made Li Shiming very curious. What did Xu Chuan¡¯s cave mansion look like?


    ¡°Brother Xu, this cave mansion is my temporary residence. I wonder what the cave mansions are like once I officially join, can I choose one myself?¡± Li Shiming asked candidly.


    ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no choosing, you¡¯ll know when the time comes!¡± Xu Chuan laughed, not giving a direct answer.


    Xu Chuan remembered his own embarrassment when he had received his cave mansion upon entry, how could he just spill the information to Li Shiming in advance? He also wanted to see Li Shiming¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Junior brother, what spirit beast was guarding the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover?¡± Xu Chuan shifted the conversation back to the topic of snatching the Spiritual Medicine, extremely curious about how Li Shiming had managed to obtain the Spiritual Medicine from such a powerful spirit beast.


    ¡°I do not know much about spirit beasts, but it was a giant bear proficient in wielding flames!¡± Using Spiritual Power, Li Shiming sketched the image of the bear in the air, the impression was still vivid though days had passed.


    ¡°A Red Sun Bear Demon!¡± Xu Chuan exclaimed, almost jumping up, as even among the Third Grade Spiritual Beasts of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, a Red Sun Bear Demon stood at the pinnacle.


    ¡°Not a demon, just short of a demon, one might say a half-step demon. If it was a full-fledged demon, I¡¯m afraid I would have stayed there!¡± Li Shiming said with a wry smile.


    ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Xu Chuan asked, looking at Li Shiming as if he was seeing a monster.


    Indeed, for Li Shiming at the early-stage Foundation Establishment, even clutching a bunch of talismans, against a half-step demon, especially one like the Red Sun Bear that embodied the essence of Supreme Yang, would still be an existence that could be effortlessly crushed.


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 Chapter 311: 202 - Accepting a Disciple

    Chapter 311: Chapter 202 ¨C Accepting a Disciple


    Heavenly Eye Peak was having a big day today, Elder Su was taking in an official disciple, his fifth one.


    Li Shiming had been called to the Gathering Immortal Pavilion on Heavenly Eye Peak early in the morning, standing outside the door to receive guests.


    Standing with him was Xu Chuan.


    As for the other two senior brothers and one senior sister, they had all sent back word they would definitely return today, so it was just the two of them, the juniors, standing outside the pavilion receiving guests.


    ¡°Junior Master Wu, you have arrived! Master is preparing the Spiritual Tea and waiting for you!¡± Several figures descended in front of the Gathering Immortal Pavilion, Xu Chuan hurried forward, pulling Li Shiming along with him, both of them greeted the arrivals at the same time, Xu Chuan spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Xu Chuan, only you would say such things, that Spiritual Tea is from my place after all!¡± Elder Wu laughed and gave Xu Chuan a pat, then gave Li Shiming an up and down look, his eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity.


    ...


    No wonder he was like this, Elder Su was extremely strict in choosing disciples; out of so many Golden Core cultivators, those of Elder Su had always been few.


    Many old friends who wanted to send over their juniors had been rejected by Elder Su.


    ¡°Senior brothers, this is my junior brother Li Shiming, please look after him!¡± Xu Chuan was already introducing Li Shiming to the disciples who had come with Elder Wu.


    Li Shiming certainly understood this was about networking; those who had been invited were likely very good friends of Elder Su, they naturally formed an alliance within the sect.


    Five Golden Core Elders had arrived in succession, which elevated the status of today¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony greatly.


    With each Golden Core Elder¡¯s arrival, Xu Chuan conscientiously introduced them to Li Shiming, letting him get to know each of the Golden Core Elders and the Golden Core disciples.


    ¡°Uncle Ma!¡± Just when the time was almost up and Li Shiming thought that no more guests would arrive, Xu Chuan went out to greet another, bowing deeply and calling out with great respect.


    ¡°It¡¯s our eldest senior sister and the others who have returned!¡± Xu Chuan waved excitedly.


    The three Flying Boats stopped in front of the Gathering Immortal Pavilion, and three figures leaped down from the boats, withdrawing them as they landed.


    At the forefront was a great beauty, and by ¡®great¡¯ it wasn¡¯t just about her looks; the beauty stood over two meters tall, her physique in proportion to her height.


    This made any ordinary male cultivator feel utterly inferior standing before her.


    Furthermore, the aura of this great beauty was almost identical to that of a Red Sun Bear¡ªa formidable Golden Core aura, showing Li Shiming she was just one step away from the Golden Core.


    A cultivator of such strength was among the strongest in the Foundation Establishment tier of the Cultivation World, known as a Half-step Golden Core.


    ¡°I¡¯m your eldest senior sister, Ye Jingxian. You must be Junior Li that master newly took in, right?¡± Ye Jingxian pushed Xu Chuan aside, stepped up to Li Shiming, and gave him a forceful hug while speaking.


    This deep hug made Li Shiming feel embarrassed. Jingxian was so tall that even at one meter ninety, Li Shiming still seemed like a child in front of her.


    Paired with Li Shiming¡¯s youthful face, the image made the other three senior brothers unable to watch directly.


    ¡°Junior Li, thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, master would have suffered greatly this time!¡± Jingxian didn¡¯t laugh; she clapped Li Shiming on the back forcefully while speaking sincerely.


    All four of their disciples had been tirelessly searching for any possible clues just to find the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, a Third-grade Spiritual Medicine.


    But such a high-grade Spiritual Medicine could only be secured if the sect had conditions to transplant it, otherwise it involved contending with powerful cultivators or spirit beasts.


    Jingxian, along with the other two senior brothers, had used many favors and spent immense effort without success.


    Yet, they received news from their master that the new junior brother had already brought back the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover and that the master¡¯s injuries were healed.

 Chapter 312: 202 - Accepting a Disciple_2

    Chapter 312: Chapter 202 ¨C Accepting a Disciple_2


    ¡°In the future at Shushan Sect, no matter who bullies you, make sure to tell me. I¡¯ll stand up for you. Once I become a Golden Core, even a Golden Core Elder won¡¯t be beyond my reach!¡± Elder Sister Ye Jingxian declared proudly.


    ¡°Elder sister, can you let go of me first!¡± Li Shiming struggled as he replied.


    ¡°I forgot!¡± Ye Jingxian laughed and released her hold on Li Shiming.


    ¡°Little Chuanzi, have all the guests arrived?¡± she turned her head to ask Xu Chuan.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here!¡± Xu Chuan replied with a droopy head, feeling powerless at her nickname for him.


    He felt as if his dignity was lost, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to resist the elder sister; whatever she called him, he accepted.


    ...


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside!¡± Ye Jingxian gestured with a wave of her hand.


    ¡°Elder sister, the two of us haven¡¯t even gotten to know the little junior brother yet!¡± a burly man with a big beard complained from the side.


    ¡°Right, this is your second senior Brother Wan Zheng. Not very strong; I knocked him down with one punch. This is your third senior Brother Lu Shi, he couldn¡¯t even withstand half a punch. Seeing as you practice body refinement, let¡¯s spare some time to practice together!¡± Ye Jingxian introduced them both plainly and vividly.


    Ye Jingxian had noticed Li Shiming¡¯s high level of body refinement when she embraced him, even superior to that of the third senior brother, Lu Shi, when comparing physical constitutions of cultivators.


    Li Shiming had saved their master and also possessed a talent for body refinement, which perfectly suited Ye Jingxian¡¯s preferences, so she valued him highly.


    Since everyone gathered was usually in close contact, the atmosphere in the hall was very lively.


    As Li Shiming and the others entered, they saw several Golden Cores engaging in lively discussions and Golden Core disciples whispering among themselves.


    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve all seen Li Shiming, I plan to formally take him as a disciple today, please, my fellow cultivators, bear witness!¡± Elder Su pointed to Li Shiming with a smile, then saluted the Golden Core cultivators.


    ¡°Elder Su, I must say I disagree. What qualifies Li Shiming to be taken as your disciple, other than him bringing you Spiritual Medicine? What makes him worthy of becoming your disciple?¡± Elder Wang was the first to voice his objection.


    Being all old friends, Elder Wang spoke without any hesitation, stating his mind clearly.


    Of course, there was a reason for this, which Elder Sister Ye Jingxian conveyed to Li Shiming using sound transmission. It turned out that one of Elder Wang¡¯s juniors wanted to become a disciple of Elder Su but was rejected due to insufficient talent and fate.


    Elder Wang saw that Li Shiming, a cultivator with three spirit root seeds, was accepted as Elder Su¡¯s disciple, which naturally made him unhappy.


    But he had the discernment; the instant formation and its complexity were enough to pose a challenge to him, who was proficient in formations.


    Putting himself in shoes of someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage, if he were within the formation made of nine flying swords, would he be able to escape using the power of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The answer was definitively requiring the strength of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, relying on the powerful attacking force of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment to forcefully break the formation.


    And if one¡¯s strength were slightly weaker, the capability of the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment would allow self-protection within the formation, yet it was a state where one had to passively receive attacks.


    ¡°The disciple is a High-level Array Master!¡± Li Shiming replied without concealing.


    Elder Su¡¯s mouth twitched, as this was another strength he had not detected; he was already considering holding accountable those responsible for gathering intelligence.


    It really was not the fault of those cultivators gathering intelligence. Taking in a disciple mainly involved assessing character and background, etc. Shouldn¡¯t the master himself assess the strength face-to-face?


    Getting information about Li Shiming from the chaotic Heavenly Sea Island in over two months was already quite an accomplishment.


    ¡°Elder Su, you really shouldn¡¯t. Mastering Sword Intent as a Thunder Cultivator and being a High-level Array Master, I even wonder if you might ruin this kid. Why not let him follow me and study Sword Cultivation!¡± Elder Zhao voluntarily spoke this time.


    What Li Shiming had shown, turning Sword Intent into nine flying swords and using them to form a formation, all made Elder Zhao feel that he had taken the wrong path.


    In Elder Zhao¡¯s opinion, the correct way for a Sword Cultivator was to use a single flying sword, not multiple, let alone nine flying swords.


    And using flying swords to create a formation might look novel, but in the eyes of a true Sword Cultivator, it was just showy.


    Could this formation withstand a full-strength strike from a Sword Cultivator? A single sword breaks myriad methods, a formation would be instantly broken under the full-strength strike of a Sword Cultivator.


    ¡°Elder Zhao, I¡¯ve told you, he is not a Sword Cultivator. I¡¯ve talked with him, and he wants to pursue Magic Cultivation!¡± Elder Su explained helplessly.


    ¡°What a pity!¡± Elder Zhao shook his head and sighed reluctantly.


    Among the sect¡¯s newly recruited cultivators over the years, there were many potential Sword Cultivators, but none had shown Sword Intent at the early stage of Foundation Establishment like Li Shiming, at least not under his watch.


    Understanding Sword Intent was a talent that could not be learned if one was simply incapable, no amount of assistance would change that.


    With the end of Li Shiming¡¯s performance, except for Elder Zhao, the rest of the Golden Core elders kept on praising, congratulating Elder Su for acquiring an excellent disciple.


    At the same time, the gifts prepared were quietly enhanced a bit, as the treatment naturally differs for those with exceptional talent.


    As for having three spirit root seeds, as long as Elder Su was willing to spend resources, and coupled with Li Shiming¡¯s talent, Li Shiming¡¯s future was indeed bright.

 Chapter 313: 203: Cave Mansion

    Chapter 313: Chapter 203: Cave Mansion


    The most important part of the apprenticeship ceremony was paying respects to the ancestral masters, and after Li Shiming had performed the grand salute to the ancestral tablets, he did the same to Elder Su, thus concluding the core of the apprenticeship ritual.


    Next came the congratulations from various uncles and senior cultivators, as Elder Su collected one storage bag after another.


    Li Shiming did not know what the gifts were, but he imagined that the presents from his Golden Core uncles and seniors would not be trivial.


    The final item on the agenda was evaluating the cultivation of each brother and sister in the hall. One by one, they showcased their accomplishments, and they were either praised or criticized accordingly.


    Xu Chuan told Li Shiming that this was a customary event, and its purpose was specifically for the Golden Core disciples.


    Golden Core disciples who performed well would receive gifts from the Golden Core Elder, which was very important to them.


    ...


    Li Shiming also witnessed the strength of the Golden Core disciples, each of whom, being taken as disciples by a Golden Core, had extraordinary talents.


    The apprenticeship ceremony helped him understand his own standing.


    Without the assistance of IBMz15, he would be far behind these top geniuses in many areas.


    After all the guests had left, only Elder Su and his disciples remained in the hall.


    ¡°Shiming, I have arranged a cave dwelling for you. This is your Identity Jade Disc, which also serves as a control talisman for the cave. I will take you there now!¡± Elder Su handed over the prepared Identity Jade Disc with a smile to Li Shiming.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Li Shiming received the Identity Jade Disc. He was currently staying in his master¡¯s guest cave dwelling and of course, could not stay long.


    Li Shiming gasped in awe. The 100 acres of Low Grade Spirit Field were manageable, but the 20 acres of Mid-grade Spirit Field, used for cultivating Second Grade Spirit Medicines necessary for early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, were impressive. The Top-grade Spirit Field was particularly formidable, suitable for cultivating top tier Second Grade Spiritual Medicine.


    It was clear that the 100 acres of Low Grade Spirit Field alone could provide him with tens of thousands of Spirit Stones in annual income. The Mid-grade Spirit Field¡¯s output would support his current cultivation needs, and the produce of the Top-grade Spirit Field would contribute to his future cultivation reserves.


    ¡°This is your cave dwelling!¡± Elder Su was in high spirits today; previously, when he took in Xu Chuan, it was Elder Sister Ye Jingxian who had done all this work.


    Li Shiming¡¯s presence today had indeed flattered him, seeing the shocked envious expressions of his old friends lifted his mood tremendously.


    The cave dwelling was located at the summit, carved inside a large rock.


    Stepping into the cave dwelling, the space opened up considerably, a clear indication of a spatial formation¡¯s influence.


    The hall alone was a massive 500 square meters, a result of space being expanded tenfold.


    ¡°You will have friends over in the future, and a small space won¡¯t do. I had Master Hu, the Array Master, expand this area for you!¡± Elder Su explained with a laugh.


    And what occasionally transpired in his words was his affection for Li Shiming.


    ¡°Master, my cave dwelling doesn¡¯t have this spatial formation, and it¡¯s quite small!¡± Xu Chuan gently reminded from the side.


    ¡°You focus on your cultivation. Your junior brother has been in closed-door cultivation since arriving two months ago, without ever slacking off!¡± Elder Su retorted, glaring.


    Xu Chuan shrank his neck, not daring to say another word.


    ¡°You will handle the furnishings inside the cave dwelling. Here are gifts from your uncles and seniors. Later, you should check them and store them in the cave¡¯s storeroom. You¡¯re no longer a Loose Cultivator; you need to learn management starting with a mountain peak, which is an essential part of your learning content!¡± Elder Su finally reminded.

 Chapter 314: 203: Cave Mansion_2

    Chapter 314: Chapter 203: Cave Mansion_2


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Li Shiming now understood why Golden Core disciples could each possess a mountain peak.


    To become a disciple of a Golden Core Elder, each one was the hope of Shushan Sect, and what Shushan Sect demanded was not just powerful combat strength but also future management talent.


    Starting with a single mountain peak, the sect cultivated the management skills of these Golden Core Elders¡¯ disciples, making it easier for future sect management talents to emerge from among them.


    After Elder Su gave his instructions, his figure flashed, and he left Sword Holding Peak.


    ¡°Junior brother, this is my gift!¡± The eldest martial sister took out a jade box and handed it over.


    ¡°Thank you, elder martial sister!¡± Li Shiming took the jade box.


    ...


    He didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and opened the box, inside was a spirit tea tree with quality reaching the Second Grade.


    A slight change came over his face; this gift was no small matter.


    Spiritual tea was an extremely important item for cultivators when hosting guests; good spiritual tea could enable easier exchanges between cultivators.


    Therefore, the value of a spirit tea tree was usually higher than spiritual objects of the same grade; a Second Grade spirit tea tree could almost save Li Shiming from worrying about hosting tea for guests throughout his Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Junior brother, this is Second Brother Wan Zheng¡¯s gift!¡± The second senior brother also took out a jade box.


    Inside the box was a Second Grade spiritual flower. Although spirit flowers had neither the efficacy of spiritual medicine nor could they be used as spirit food, they could add a hint of fragrance to a cave abode, refreshing and invigorating the mind.


    The third senior brother, Lu Shi, also presented a Second Grade spiritual flower; when he brought it out, he glared annoyedly at second senior brother Wan Zheng.


    Due to time constraints, they had not been able to coordinate with each other, resulting in the similarity of the gifts from both.


    ¡°You two have gifted something that could let junior brother adorn both sides of his entrance!¡± The gifts from the second and third senior brothers were treated with disdain by the eldest martial sister.


    ¡°I really like flowers and plants. Thank you Second Brother and Third Brother!¡± Li Shiming hurriedly said with a smile.


    Seemingly used to being teased by their elder martial sister, neither the second nor the third senior brother showed any signs of anger and smiled as they placed the gifts in Li Shiming¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Junior brother, this is for you!¡± Xu Chuan took something out from his storage bracelet and put it on the ground.


    ¡°Brother Xu, did you actually lift a spirit pond from your cave abode?¡± Ye Jingxian said in astonishment, looking at the object on the ground.


    ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯re not some Loose Cultivator or a disciple without a small sect. The Shushan Sect in the Beishu Continent has never been afraid of any force. Who would dare to rob us within our sect? If anyone dares to entertain such thoughts, tell your Elder Sister, and I¡¯ll help you explode their dog head. Besides, no matter how precious the Second Grade Golden Lotus is, it is still just Second Grade!¡± Elder Sister laughed.


    Li Shiming was reassured. He was being overly cautious, afraid someone might scheme against him just because he had something valuable.


    ¡°Junior Brother, you should also consider the matter of followers. Since you¡¯re not yet a True Inheritor, you can have three followers!¡± Xu Chuan reminded at this time.


    ¡°Where do I recruit followers?¡± Li Shiming asked, confused.


    He had heard his master mention followers just a moment ago, but the master did not elaborate.


    ¡°Followers are not disciples of the sect but may live within it. The cultivation techniques they practice, you need to exchange for with contribution points, and you must provide the resources. Followers must recognize you as their master and serve you. All the spirit fields and spirit fruit trees on this mountain need care, so among your followers, it would be best to have a spirit plant cultivator!¡± Xu Chuan explained carefully.


    Li Shiming finally understood what followers were. Weren¡¯t they just servants?


    Perhaps ¡®servants¡¯ sounded unpleasant, so the term ¡®followers¡¯ was coined.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any familiar cultivators here; where would I find followers?¡± Li Shiming said, shaking his head.


    He planned to issue a task within the sect, asking the sect¡¯s spirit plant cultivators to manage the spirit fields and spirit fruit trees at Sword Holding Peak.


    ¡°If you trust me, Junior Brother, you can choose three followers from my family,¡± Wan Zheng, the second senior brother, suggested on the side.


    ¡°What do I have to distrust? It¡¯s just that your family¡¯s cultivators won¡¯t have any objections, right?¡± Li Shiming asked doubtfully.


    In his view, it wouldn¡¯t be something cultivators would be willing to do, to become his servants, and he didn¡¯t want to press the second senior brother, Wan Zheng, to enforce this.


    ¡°Second Senior Brother, you¡¯re really ruthless, planning to take all three spots for yourself!¡± Third Senior Brother Lu Shi exclaimed discontentedly.


    ¡°What way is this to speak to me? Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ve grown stronger recently!¡± Second Senior Brother Wan Zheng, who was at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, grabbed Lu Shi, who was in Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and manhandled him mercilessly.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Elder Sister Ye Jingxian stretched out her hands, grabbing both the second and third senior brothers and restraining them before saying to Li Shiming, ¡°This is one of the rare instances where cultivators can join the sect without meeting certain conditions. After all, serving us as followers can hardly be considered a loss for them.¡±


    Li Shiming was underestimating his current status. Being the disciple of a Golden Core Elder, while not a True Inheritor, merely having this status already afforded him considerable standing within the sect.


    ¡°Junior Brother, if you truly need followers, our three families will each provide one. You need not worry about their loyalty; they will all sign a contract with you and cannot betray you!¡± Elder Sister said after tossing the two senior brothers aside.


    ¡°Then thank you, Elder Sister, Second Senior Brother, and Third Senior Brother!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    He had arrays to conceal his true secrets from the followers. The followers would be responsible only for managing the spirit fields and spirit fruit trees of Sword Peak and some external affairs.

 Chapter 315: 204: Settling Down

    Chapter 315: Chapter 204: Settling Down


    Having bid farewell to his senior sect brothers and sisters, Li Shiming could finally take a good look at his own cave dwelling.


    He felt very good about his eldest sister and three senior brothers; the eldest sister was extremely bold, and although it was his first meeting with the second and third brothers, they didn¡¯t act distant at all, something evident from their playful bickering.


    You see, both the second and third brothers were Middle Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, who also managed many other sect cultivators outside, holding positions that wouldn¡¯t normally allow them to relax too much.


    It was only in front of their own sect brothers that they could let loose and be themselves.


    The same could be said for Xu Chuan, who treated Li Shiming like a close friend.


    Everything was too ideal, making Li Shiming feel that choosing the Shushan Sect was absolutely the right decision.


    ...


    He walked through the grand hall of the cave dwelling, which housed a storage room with shelves made of spirit wood, which were presently bare.


    After some thought, he took out some of the spoils of war he had obtained earlier and placed them on the shelves.


    Everything he brought out was of the level of Spiritual Artifacts.


    These treasures, either because they were not suitable or not of high enough quality, were still keepsakes worth commemorating his adventurous experiences.


    With these Spiritual Artifacts, the storage room no longer felt empty.


    He then took out furniture acquired from the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s cave dwelling and arranged it in the study and bedroom, placing all sorts of furnishings in their respective places throughout the cave dwelling.


    This furniture, all made from second-grade spirit wood, was far too luxurious for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s use.


    Their exchanges, unlike their regular meetings in the Qi Refinement Realm, had evolved to message exchanges, respecting their busy cultivation schedules as communications between Foundation Establishment Cultivators could span months due to intense solitary cultivation sessions.


    After informing her that he had become a disciple under Elder Su and now possessed his own Spirit Peak, he stored away the communication tablet.


    Stepping outside the cave dwelling, looking at the mountains full of spirit fields and spirit fruit trees, he thought about the fact that Sword Holding Peak was now his private property, hence the original appointed Spirit Plant caretaker had finished their task.


    Normally, a cultivator would need to spend Spirit Stones to hire a Spirit Plant caretaker to assist until they had a permanent caretaker in place.


    However, Li Shiming himself was a Spirit Plant-master. He activated the long-unused ¡°Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique,¡± causing dark clouds to gather in the sky.


    With much more substantial Spiritual Power inside him compared to during his days in the Qi Refinement Realm, his powerful Spiritual Thought allowed him to sustain the ¡°Spring Breeze Nourishing Technique¡±; before the first cloud formation had even fully gathered, a second was already forming.


    Dozens of ¡°Spring Breeze Nourishing Techniques¡± later, Sword Holding Peak was blanketed by dark clouds, and amidst their interaction, a life-giving spirit rain began, enriching every Spirit Plant on the peak.


    He could hear the sounds of the Spirit Plants growing in the spirit rain, their roots stretching through the spirit soil.


    True to her forthright nature, his eldest sister Ye Jingxian acted swiftly, bringing three late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators to Sword Holding Peak on the third day.


    During those three days, aside from cultivating, Li Shiming had been studying the Array of Sword Peak, with a preliminary plan in mind to enhance it.


    However, due to a lack of materials for the Formation, he had yet to begin.


    ¡°Little junior brother, I¡¯ve brought the people for you!¡± Ye Jingxian exclaimed, gesturing to the late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators at her side upon seeing Li Shiming.


    ¡°Eldest sister, why are they all female cultivators?¡± Li Shiming asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Little junior brother, do you have any issues with female cultivators?¡± Ye Jingxian¡¯s aura suddenly intensified, her slender hand looking ready to act.


    ¡°Eldest sister, female cultivators are excellent, I¡¯m very satisfied!¡± Li Shiming, remembering that his eldest sister was also a female cultivator, hurriedly changed his tune.

 Chapter 316: 204: Settling Down_2

    Chapter 316: Chapter 204: Settling Down_2


    To tell the truth, when you¡¯re with the eldest sister, you always forget that she¡¯s a female cultivator.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, they are all caretakers of the Spirit Plants, it¡¯s a contract, just sign it and I¡¯ll be on my way, I have other matters to attend to!¡± Ye Jingxian turned to leave.


    ¡°Eldest sister, I have another matter to ask about!¡± Li Shiming hurriedly called out, and seeing that Ye Jingxian stopped, he continued, ¡°I want to purchase some materials, do you know if there are any trading companies within the sect that I could work with?¡±


    ¡°Of course you should go to our lineage¡¯s trading companies for purchasing materials, let Ye Lingyun contact them for you!¡± the eldest sister said, pointing to one of the three attendants.


    Ye Jingxian left briskly, leaving behind the three female cultivators and the contract.


    Li Shiming looked at the three good-looking female cultivators with a headache, not expecting that the eldest sister and the two senior brothers had chosen women from their families to send over.


    ...


    Their intentions were clear without saying, but unfortunately, he was not interested in that regard.


    From the contract, he learned the names of the three attendants.


    ¡°Ye Lingyun, contact the trading company for me, I need to meet with them!¡± Li Shiming ordered Ye Lingyun.


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Ye Lingyun bowed in response.


    ¡°The three cave dwellings in the mountainside will be yours, you have to take care of the Spirit Plants in the mountain, the mountain top I will seal with a Formation, do not disturb me unless necessary!¡± Li Shiming instructed the three attendants.


    After these instructions, he did not bother with attendant affairs any further.


    Since they had been chosen, he trusted that they indeed had the ability to take care of the Spirit Plants in the mountain.


    As for the matter of treatment, it was still too early to talk about it, it would be addressed after some time passed.


    Being able to cultivate within the sect was already the best treatment for the three attendants, as the Spiritual Energy and environment within the sect were not something they could enjoy in their families.


    The representative from the trading company arrived quickly, and Li Shiming met with them at the top of the mountain.


    ¡°Zhuo Rui of Tianmu Trading Company pays respects to the Fifth Young Master!¡± Zhuo Rui, with his early-stage Foundation Establishment strength, bowed and saluted as soon as they met.


    With this greeting, Li Shiming fully realized that Tianmu Trading Company was his master¡¯s property.


    Bearing the Tianmu name, who would dare to do so without his master¡¯s permission, plus Zhuo Rui calling him the Fifth Young Master.


    Furthermore, based on his research on the spatial formation in the main hall of the cave dwelling, he constructed a separate space for himself.


    This space, connected to the cave dwelling, cost nearly five hundred thousand spirit stones to build, with the majority of the expense going towards materials for the spatial formation.


    Deeper into the mountain belly from the cave dwelling, he created an enormous space expanded by the spatial formation.


    The establishment of this space was to reconstruct the factory.


    All the heavy-duty equipment he had built before was now taken out and installed in this new space, becoming his new research and manufacturing facility.


    After reorganizing the research and manufacturing facility, the first task was to make Frenel reflection mirrors.


    The thirty-fifth day after joining the sect was an important one.


    At the mountaintop of Sword Holding Peak, one thousand five hundred improved Frenel reflection mirrors were distributed, covering all available space.


    Each of these Frenel reflection mirrors had an omnidirectional rotating base connected to it, which could be controlled by an electric motor to adjust the orientation.


    All Frenel reflection mirrors were connected to a data-processing device by data cables; this device held a month¡¯s worth of analyzed data regarding the time and position of sunrise each day.


    Moreover, these data would continue to accumulate. Through this analysis, the time and position of the next day¡¯s sunrise could be determined.


    When Li Shiming obtained the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± cultivation technique, he had this idea and conducted small-scale experiments that were successful.


    Today, he planned to maximize the results of the experiment. If it weren¡¯t for the limited space on the mountaintop, he would have built even more Frenel reflection mirrors.


    The mountaintop of Sword Holding Peak was sealed by a formation, making it impossible for the three attendants in the mountain or the cultivators outside to see what was happening on the mountaintop.


    Li Shiming sat at the highest point of the mountaintop, facing directly east with his eyes closed; he could sense the state of the distant sun without having to open his eyes.


    All of the Frenel reflection mirrors, under the control of the data-processing device, began to adjust the angle of the mirrors.


    This program was based on existing research from the IBM z15 database; solar power stations need to face the sun at all times, which necessitated a sun orientation management and analysis program.


    Li Shiming¡¯s task was to localize this program, filling the analysis management program with a month¡¯s worth of local sun data and generating a sun tracking program for this world.


    Of course, his requirement was just the precise orientation of the rising sun at dawn, and he also relied on previously collected data, even though it was from Sky Sea Island, it still had referential value.


    Before the start, he was somewhat anxious; this program hadn¡¯t been tested in practice, only simulated internally in the IBM z15.

 Chapter 317: 205: Purple Aura

    Chapter 317: Chapter 205: Purple Aura


    Although Sword Holding Peak was not the tallest among the mountains, its location was excellent, as no higher peaks blocked the line of sight to the distant heavens and earth.


    The red sun leaped from the ground, and in an instant, all 1,500 Frenel reflectors on the mountain peak reflected the red light, focusing it on Li Shiming¡¯s body.


    The violet aura, which could only be felt when the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± cultivation technique was activated within his body, now became visible around him due to the function of the 1,500 Frenel reflectors.


    While practicing ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± and absorbing the first strand of purple qi nurtured by heaven and earth, Li Shiming felt the qi rushing into every pore of his body.


    When the Frenel reflectors reflected sunlight towards him, they targeted his entire body rather than concentrating on a single point.


    The purple qi nurtured by heaven and earth would only appear at the moment of sunrise and could not be absorbed thereafter.


    ...


    Li Shiming absorbed a vast amount of purple qi into his body, which then permeated into every part of him.


    His spirit first invigorated; his mind grew much clearer, a sign of a certain improvement in his spiritual state.


    All aspects of his body, similar to when a breakthrough in body refinement occurred, experienced a rather significant enhancement.


    This was an all-around advancement and a successful experiment.


    The violet aura reflected by the 1,500 Frenel reflectors did not reach an exaggerated effect of 1,500 times, but in his perception, there was at least a hundredfold increase.


    The sounds coming from his body were indicators of its advancement to a certain level.


    After a long time of consuming Monkey Wine and continuous body refinement, combined with the benefits brought by today¡¯s practice of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± he finally brought his body refinement to the point of major achievement in the Foundation Establishment phase.


    This was nearly a year ahead of his initial projections, which shows just how great the benefits of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± were this time.


    The energy transformed from the violet aura within his body was not entirely absorbed during the practice of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± but was preserved as a special strengthening energy.


    While he was training the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± the special strengthening energy that would normally take a hundred days of violet aura to transform was consumed by the practice of the body refining techniques.


    This accelerated the rapid improvement of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± allowing him to reach major achievement in body refinement in a short period.


    Of course, this did not mean that his body refinement could no longer improve; rather, in the state of major achievement, he no longer needed other resources to continue practicing body refining techniques, and his body was growing stronger, surpassing the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Originally, during his Qi Refinement stage, because the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± had cultivated a true essence and the use of Third Grade Metal to practice the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± his physical constitution was almost equal to that of ordinary mid-stage Foundation Establishment body refining cultivators.


    Now that he had made another breakthrough, his physical constitution had reached that of late-stage Foundation Establishment body refining cultivators.


    Currently, in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, Li Shiming had plenty of time to enhance his constitution, constantly elevating his body through major achievement in body refinement.


    After completing the training of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± his body once again became that of a muscular and robust man.


    He had experience with this and continued to practice the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡± The knotted muscles underwent further contractions and enhancements under the impact of Third Grade Metal.


    Once the practice of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± was completed, he stood up and walked around, feeling the changes in his body.

 Chapter 318: 205: Purple Aura_2

    Chapter 318: Chapter 205: Purple Aura_2


    At this moment, he felt a wild power contained within his body. He extended his hand, and a Third Grade Sword Base transformed into a longsword in his grasp.


    The strength gained from Body Refinement made him feel that just by holding the Third Grade Sword Base, he had the confidence to fight a close combat battle with a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    When he returned to his cave dwelling, he began to cultivate the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± and discovered an even greater surprise.


    His cultivation speed had increased by about one percent, a one percent improvement in the speed of cultivation was truly nothing compared to the help he received from Li Yuanba during the Qi Refinement Realm, which nearly doubled his speed.


    With Li Yuanba¡¯s assistance during the Qi Refinement Realm, his cultivation speed had indeed increased by nearly twice.


    But that was at the cost of consuming the fruits of Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation. As his avatar, Li Yuanba¡¯s strength was also an important component of his combat ability.


    ...


    Not to mention, he was counting on Li Yuanba to advance to the Golden Core more quickly to secure more resources for cultivation.


    Even though the speed of cultivation had increased by only one percent, this indicated that his talent for cultivation was improving.


    ¡°Could it really be that the effects of absorbing the rising purple aura are so remarkable?¡± Li Shiming could hardly believe the effects of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward.¡±


    In fact, cultivation techniques like ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± were widely circulated among the Taoists, but the most important thing about absorbing purple qi was to persist.


    However, the problem is, once a cultivator reaches the Foundation Establishment Stage and primarily focuses on their cultivation technique, a single closed-door session can take a very long time. Not to mention timing the absorption of purple qi daily, they wouldn¡¯t even move their bodies at all.


    In such cases, cultivation techniques like ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± become less useful, as the intermittent absorption of purple qi does not offer significant improvement and also wastes a lot of time.


    Therefore, cultivation techniques like ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± are generally only practiced by Qi Refining cultivators, not because of the grade of the technique, but because of the cultivators¡¯ own habits of cultivation.


    The next morning, Li Shiming once again manipulated one thousand five hundred Fernald reflectors to absorb a hundred times the violet aura for the second time.


    This time, both his constitution and spirit saw a significant enhancement, and the speed at which he cultivated his primary cultivation technique increased by another one percent approximately.


    It seemed that the least conspicuous technique, ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± was opening a great door for him, giving him the chance to strive for higher realms.


    He forgot everything else, absorbing the violet aura each morning, then cultivating the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± spending the rest of his time on the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡±


    Until one day, more than two months later, he received a message from his master, Elder Su, asking him to go to Heavenly Eye Peak.


    Even among Elder Su¡¯s disciples, at most they would have one or two opportunities to choose, and you must understand that the choice of the main cultivation technique affects a cultivator¡¯s entire life; given the opportunity, most would choose the sect¡¯s Inheritance Techniques.


    Having chosen the sect¡¯s Inheritance Techniques, although they may not necessarily receive the supporting resources for the Inheritance Techniques, they do have the guidance of their predecessors¡¯ experiences, which at a minimum, can reduce troubles encountered along the path of cultivation.


    Of course, choosing Inheritance Techniques inevitably leads to competition since the supporting resources for these techniques are limited. When a large number of cultivators select Inheritance Techniques, the corresponding resources become scarce.


    This is less of an issue during the Qi Refinement Realm and early-stage Foundation Establishment since the cultivation resources at these two stages are relatively easier to cultivate and are more abundant in quantity.


    However, by the Middle Late Stage Foundation Establishment, the supporting resources for Inheritance Techniques become even scarcer, and the sect prioritizes these resources for disciples with higher talent and greater potential.


    Even in the Golden Core Stage, competition exists among Golden Core Elders for the supporting resources of Inheritance Techniques.


    Like Elder Su and Elder Ji, they both cultivate the same Inheritance Technique. The resources for advancing to Nascent Soul are the same for them, but the portion of the inheritance resources for advancing to Nascent Soul is only sufficient for one Golden Core Elder to use.


    That is the focal point of the conflict between Elder Su and Elder Ji, and it is irreconcilable. The sect can only choose between the two Golden Core Elders.


    Elder Ji targeting Elder Su relentlessly is just to force Elder Su out of the competition for the Nascent Soul advancement resources.


    Therefore, Li Shiming choosing the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ has its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is the lack of predecessors¡¯ cultivation experiences, making it harder for him to reach the Golden Core. But the advantage lies in resources; the sect¡¯s Thunder attribute resources are easier to apply for, and, assuming there are enough contribution points, they can be exchanged at any time.


    According to what Elder Su knows, none of the sect¡¯s key disciples are focusing on Thunder attribute techniques.


    ¡°Has your Body Refinement improved again?¡± Elder Su swept his Divine Thought over Li Shiming and asked with a hint of hesitation.


    ¡°Yes, disciple encountered a bit of fortune in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and recently made a great advance in Body Refinement!¡± Li Shiming did not hide the truth.


    Moreover, he took out the remaining Monkey Wine and handed it to Elder Su.


    After reaching a significant level in Body Refinement, the Monkey Wine no longer had much effect on him. The remaining wine could support a Qi Refining cultivator from the initial stage of Body Refinement to minor completion.


    ¡°Fortune indeed... your talent may be lacking, but your fortune is truly...¡± Elder Su swept his Divine Thought over the Monkey Wine and sighed once more.


    Resources like Monkey Wine are serendipitous and cannot be sought after; it¡¯s entirely a matter of luck.


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 Chapter 319: 206: Alchemy

    Chapter 319: Chapter 206: Alchemy


    ¡°`


    ¡°What good stuff?¡± Elder Sister Ye Jingxian was not the least bit courteous as she grabbed the Monkey Wine.


    She opened the jug and sniffed it, and after feeling the effects of the Monkey Wine, her expression changed slightly.


    ¡°Shiming, do you have any other use for this Monkey Wine?¡± Elder Su asked with a smile.


    ¡°Master, the Body Refinement has been fully achieved and Monkey Wine is of no use to me anymore, so I offer it to you!¡± Li Shiming replied with a laugh, thinking his Master had designs on the Monkey Wine.


    He naturally wouldn¡¯t be stingy with the Monkey Wine. The help his Master had provided was far from small ¨C the mere gift of Sword Holding Peak was a huge benefit, not to mention others.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s not for me. Your Elder Sister is stuck at the Half-step Golden Core stage. She needs to strengthen her Taoist Body in various ways, and this Monkey Wine is useful for her!¡± Elder Su said with a shake of his head and a smile.


    ¡°If it¡¯s useful for Elder Sister, take it!¡± Li Shiming heard that the Monkey Wine was useful for his Elder Sister to advance to the Golden Core stage and waved his hands in a dismissing gesture.


    ¡°Little brother, I won¡¯t take your generosity for granted. If you need anything, just come to me!¡± Ye Jingxian packed away the Monkey Wine.


    She did want to give him Spirit Stones, but she had heard from the Tianmu Trading Company that Li Shiming had ordered a large quantity of goods with a good amount of Spirit Stones, which indicated that Li Shiming was not short on Spirit Stones.


    She didn¡¯t know what Li Shiming was lacking; after all, he was a disciple of the same sect. She would fulfill his requests even if they were worth more than the wine, as long as he asked.


    ¡°Today is Shiming¡¯s first visit, so I will talk about my Tao,¡± Elder Su said, looking at his five disciples and giving Li Shiming a meaningful glance.


    Speaking on the Tao is the most important method of inheritance between master and disciple. The master¡¯s understanding of the Tao is conveyed through a combination of language, breath, Spiritual Power Pattern, and Divine Thought, creating a special environment of the Tao.


    Of course, Elder Su didn¡¯t want his disciples to replicate his Tao, but instead, he wanted to demonstrate it for them as a reference.


    What he lacked were Elixir Pills. Elixir Pills for the early Foundation Establishment stage required contribution points to exchange in the sect, or he could refine them himself.


    He was still confident in his learning ability and had more trust in Elixir Pills he refined himself.


    He did have one top-grade magic tool pill furnace, which would suffice for a beginner, and he also had an abundant supply of First-grade Spiritual Medicine, enough to be extravagantly used.


    This was also why he chose to learn the Alchemy inheritance first ¨C he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about materials in the beginning stages.


    For his first alchemy attempt, he chose to use spirit charcoal as the fire source, which according to the alchemy inheritance provided by Elder Ma, was commonly used for refining low-level Elixir Pills.


    The recipe he chose was for the High-level Grain Avoidance Pill, the simplest and lowest-level Elixir Recipe among all Elixir Pills.


    The ingredients for the High-level Grain Avoidance Pill were just Spirit Rice, which didn¡¯t even require a process to convert Spiritual Medicine; it could be refined simply by placing the Spirit Rice into the Pill Furnace.


    Li Shiming took three pieces of spirit charcoal, which was made from spirit wood charcoal and emitted a faint Spiritual Energy when lit.


    With the flames of the spirit charcoal rising, he invoked the ¡°Golden Sun Fire Control Technique¡± and felt the flames enlarge or shrink under his control.


    As the Pill Furnace heated up, he added the Spirit Rice, but before he could use the ¡°Green Willow Sensing Spirit Technique¡± to sense the condition of the Spirit Rice inside the Pill Furnace, a burnt smell wafted out.


    His face couldn¡¯t help but freeze; he hadn¡¯t expected his first attempt at alchemy to end before it even began.


    The IBMz15 collected data from this first attempt at alchemy, recording the changes in the Alchemy process, the condition of the Spirit Rice, the temperature of the spirit charcoal, all thanks to the involvement of Spiritual Thought.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 320: 206: Alchemy_2

    Chapter 320: Chapter 206: Alchemy_2


    Li Shiming cleaned the pill furnace with spirit water and reheated it using spirit charcoal, this time lowering the temperature.


    Alchemy inheritance is just an operational guide, and the Cultivation World¡¯s measurements of temperature are very vague, which makes alchemy without guidance merely a summary of repeated failures.


    However, as long as he found a rough reference temperature through the process of refining the High-level Grain Avoidance Pill, these failures would be greatly reduced.


    In fact, the alchemy inheritance jade scroll Elder Ma gave to Li Shiming was not meant for Li Shiming to figure out on his own, but rather a hint for him to seek guidance from Elder Ma.


    Since Elder Ma had offered the alchemy inheritance as a gift, it implied he could guide Li Shiming in the basics of alchemy.


    Li Shiming misunderstood, he really just took the alchemy inheritance jade scroll as a normal gift, wanting to become an alchemist with it.


    ...


    With the issue of temperature resolved, he encountered the problem of sensing the transformation of Spirit Rice. With the aide of the ¡°Green Willow Sensing Spirit Technique,¡± he could clearly detect the changes in the energy within the Spirit Rice, but again, the alchemy inheritance only provided vague guidelines, and practical applications still required solid data.


    Yet again, one failure after another, the alchemy database established by IBMz15 grew with more reference data, and Li Shiming gained insights into refining the High-level Grain Avoidance Pill.


    On his twenty-fifth attempt at alchemy, the ¡°Green Willow Sensing Spirit Technique¡± enabled him to sense the transformation of Spirit Rice into a dense liquid of balanced Spiritual Power.


    He tapped the pill furnace lightly seven times; this was the ¡°Seven Finger Refining Pill Technique.¡±


    Each tap on the pill furnace caused the dense liquid inside to tumble along the furnace walls, further concentrating the liquid.


    On the seventh light tap, five rounded Elixir Pills flew out of the pill furnace.


    Li Shiming captured the Elixir Pills with his Spiritual Thought; he picked up a High-level Grain Avoidance Pill to examine it.


    Based on the appearance of the High-level Grain Avoidance Pill, it was an Intermediate First-grade Elixir; he then checked the other five, and they were all Intermediate First-grade Elixirs.


    ¡°Not bad, but where exactly is the deficiency?¡± His first attempt at producing actual pills had yielded Intermediate High-level Grain Avoidance Pills, which was considered an excellent outcome.


    However, this was achieved with the support of the IBMz15 alchemy database, and even with this assistance, only Mid-grade Elixirs were produced, which left him unsatisfied.


    He knew that he wouldn¡¯t consume Mid-grade High-level Grain Avoidance Pills himself, as he hadn¡¯t removed the impurities during their creation; he would rather eat Spirit Rice directly than consume such High-level Grain Avoidance Pills.


    Once again, he repeated the refinement of the High-level Grain Avoidance Pill, this time smoothly with the support of the IBMz15 alchemy database.


    After using the ¡°Seven Finger Refining Pill Technique,¡± he obtained eight High-level Grain Avoidance Pills, one of which even achieved a High-level rating, the rest were Intermediate.


    He also realized why sword cultivators focused only on the sword and didn¡¯t learn any secondary disciplines¡ª the gains from slaughter were simply too substantial.


    Of course, slaughter tasks were extremely dangerous; every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Cultivation World had some tricks up their sleeve.


    However, Li Yuanba was different. He trained with the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± and had consumed Monkey Wine, which greatly accelerated the progress of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡±


    His body¡¯s defensive power alone was almost comparable to a spiritual artifact, not to mention Jiang Chen was his greatest support in times of danger.


    Back on Li Shiming¡¯s side, after he managed to produce a high-level ¡°Mingxin Nine Palace Pill,¡± he could no longer improve his level in alchemy.


    The reason was that he had no access to more advanced elixir recipes, which required contribution points to acquire, and the materials for the early-stage Foundation Establishment elixir recipes, especially the second-grade spiritual medicines, were also beyond his reach.


    He thought of Uncle Ma; it seemed he had to pay a visit to Uncle Ma.


    He picked some spiritual leaves from the spirit tea tree and roasted them in the mechanical space to make spiritual tea, which he then packaged in a jade box as a gift.


    The second-grade spirit tea tree given by his senior sister was one of the few gifts he had that were worth presenting.


    In addition, his ability to manipulate at the micron level in the mechanical space, coupled with his use of the ¡°Green Willow Sensing Spirit Technique¡± to sense the changes in the spiritual energy of the tea, and the ¡°Golden Sun Fire Control Technique¡± to manage the flames, resulted in a batch of spiritual tea of much higher quality than any of his previous attempts.


    The greatest benefit of learning alchemy was the understanding of spiritual energy blending, which could be applied in many areas.


    With the gift in hand, he flew on his sword from Sword Holding Peak towards Dan Ding Peak where Uncle Ma resided.


    Outside Dan Ding Peak, he sent out a spell and then waited patiently outside.


    ¡°This lad is finally coming, let him wait a bit!¡± Elder Ma in Dan Ding Peak received Li Shiming¡¯s spell and revealed a slight smile on his face.


    After giving out a portion of his alchemy inheritance last time, Elder Ma had been waiting for Li Shiming¡¯s visit.


    Who knew that he would end up waiting for several months, and now, at last, Li Shiming had come.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Li Shiming received the response from Elder Ma, thinking that Elder Ma was busy with alchemy, so he could only wait outside Dan Ding Peak.


    In Dan Ding Peak, Elder Ma held a book in his hands and leisurely read, not caring in the slightest if Li Shiming outside was anxious.


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 Chapter 321: 207: Seeking Advice

    Chapter 321: Chapter 207: Seeking Advice


    ¡°Come in!¡± Uncle Ma worried that he might scare Li Shiming away, so after making him wait for more than two hours, he allowed Li Shiming into Dan Ding Peak.


    At the summit of Dan Ding Peak stood the grand Dan Ding Hall, outside which Li Shiming landed.


    A Pill Boy guided him into Dan Ding Hall, where they met Uncle Ma.


    This was the first time Li Shiming had entered the alchemy domain of a Golden Core Elder; the hall was filled with the fragrant aroma of medicinal herbs. After his experience in alchemy, he had gained some knowledge about Spiritual Medicines and identified many of their scents.


    However, he was unfamiliar with most of the scents, which was normal, as the hall rarely handled First Grade Elixirs, leaving behind more of the scent of Second and Third Grade Spiritual Medicines.


    What caught his attention the most was a pill furnace that radiated an astonishing aura; it was the first thing he sensed as a treasured artifact.


    ...


    Li Shiming had not only seen treasured artifacts, but he possessed a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Lifebound Treasure and several other unique artifacts.


    He was able to recognize the aura of a treasured artifact, yet the pill furnace before him had the strongest aura he had ever sensed in any treasured artifact.


    Next to this treasured Pill Furnace, he saw neither spirit carbon nor any source of earth fire, which sparked his curiosity.


    ¡°Disciple Li Shiming greets Uncle Ma!¡± Li Shiming thought as he respectfully bowed to Uncle Ma and spoke while holding a jade box in his hands.


    ¡°Have you learned the alchemy heritage I gave you?¡± Uncle Ma asked indifferently, raising his eyes.


    He was prepared mentally; if Li Shiming had not yet learned it, he would teach him a lesson.


    In the entire Shushan Sect, as an Alchemy Master, whenever he offered to teach alchemy, anyone he pointed at would desperately kneel before him pleading for his guidance.


    And yet, look at Li Shiming, who had made him wait for so many days.


    ¡°Disciple has tried to produce some Elixir Pills, please have a look!¡± Li Shiming, unaware of Uncle Ma¡¯s thoughts, then took out a jade bottle and placed it on the jade box.


    ¡°Did you make this?¡± Uncle Ma looked at Li Shiming doubtfully.


    Mainly because the quality of this ¡®Mingxin Nine Palace Pill¡¯ was simply too high; high-level indicated the highest grade in a batch of Elixir Pills, with top-grade Elixir Pills being an exceptional occurrence during the alchemy process.


    ¡°Yes, disciple has been diligently studying alchemy recently and has already been able to craft First Grade Elixirs!¡± Li Shiming bowed slightly and answered honestly.


    Uncle Ma looked at the Elixir Pill in his hand and then at Li Shiming, feeling there was something amiss in his words.


    What does it mean by already being able to craft First Grade Elixirs? If that¡¯s considered able, what about his other Alchemy Disciples?


    ¡°Did you use Spiritual Fire?¡± Uncle Ma stared at Li Shiming as he asked.


    Li Shiming looked back at Uncle Ma, bewildered.


    If Spiritual Fire was spirit carbon, he indeed had used it, but judging by Uncle Ma¡¯s expression, it didn¡¯t seem to be about spirit carbon.


    Besides, as a novice alchemist, what other Spiritual Fire could he use if not spirit carbon?


    Seeing Li Shiming¡¯s expression, Uncle Ma realized that Li Shiming probably had no idea what Spiritual Fire was.


    ¡°Alchemists are divided into two types, those with Spiritual Fire and those without!¡± Uncle Ma explained in a grave tone.


    Li Shiming grew even more puzzled. He knew that alchemists were classified by their levels: novice, intermediate, advanced, and master; not the categories mentioned by Uncle Ma.


    ¡°Uncle, what is Spiritual Fire?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask.


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 Chapter 322: 207: Seeking Advice_2

    Chapter 322: Chapter 207: Seeking Advice_2


    Uncle Ma didn¡¯t answer, instead extending a finger with a small flame appearing on it.


    Seeing the flame on Uncle Ma¡¯s finger, Li Shiming immediately thought of the small flame in his Spirit Lake.


    ¡°This is my Spiritual Fire, known as the Earth Flame Spirit Fire, extracted from deep beneath the earth¡¯s surface. The first time I saw you, I sensed the aura of Spiritual Fire on you, which is why I left you the legacy of alchemy, hoping you could become an Alchemist and not waste this opportunity from the Spiritual Fire!¡± Uncle Ma explained with a smile.


    Li Shiming finally understood why Uncle Ma had looked upon him so favorably, it turned out the small flame he had acquired was a Spiritual Fire.


    However, he didn¡¯t know the name of his Spiritual Fire or what it was used for.


    ¡°Uncle, I was about to ask, I obtained this Spiritual Fire by accident in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, but I do not know its name or its use?¡± Li Shiming¡¯s thoughts stirred, the small flame from his Spirit Lake appeared on his finger as he spoke.


    ...


    ¡°Before you form a Golden Core, don¡¯t take your Spiritual Fire out in public; its value is beyond your imagination!¡± Uncle Ma cautioned after observing it with his eyes instead of using Divine Thought.


    ¡°Yes, Uncle!¡± Li Shiming retracted the Spiritual Fire back into his Spirit Lake, looking at Uncle Ma with eager anticipation, hoping to get an answer from him.


    ¡°Did you perhaps obtain this Spiritual Fire from the lair of a giant bear?¡± Uncle Ma pondered for a moment before asking.


    ¡°That is indeed the case, the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover was within that giant bear¡¯s lair, and I found this Spiritual Fire when I was retrieving the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover for Master!¡± Li Shiming answered without any hesitation.


    If Uncle Ma really had any ill intentions, he wouldn¡¯t have spoken so much to him. Taking his Spiritual Fire or even his life would have been effortless.


    Although the emotions of Golden Core cultivators are hard to detect, by observing Uncle Ma¡¯s facial expressions, IBMz15 concluded that Uncle Ma had no malice.


    ¡°Indeed, Xiao Su said you were very fortunate, and it¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t expect you to dare seek the Spiritual Medicine guarded by a Red Sun Bear all on your own!¡± Uncle Ma nodded slightly and smiled.


    His impression of Li Shiming improved once more; he also knew how powerful the spirit beast guarding the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover was, and that Li Shiming had risked a great danger for the sake of a promise.


    Who wouldn¡¯t like to be associated with such a cultivator? More importantly, Li Shiming also had great fortune.


    At least Elder Su certainly believed so, attributing his own recovery from his injuries and the acquisition of the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover to sharing in Li Shiming¡¯s good fortune.


    ¡°Among the Red Sun Bear Clan, there¡¯s a small chance that a Red Sun Bear with a native-born Spiritual Fire will appear; such bears are key protected members of their clan and are difficult for cultivators to come into contact with.


    The combat strength of the Red Sun Bear Clan is extremely formidable, with the strongest among them being equivalent to a late-stage third-order Great Demon, and sometimes even a fourth order might appear.


    ¡°Many thanks, Uncle Ma!¡± Li Shiming expressed his gratitude once more. He had thanked Uncle Ma many times that day, but each and every time it was with sincere thanks.


    ¡°With you possessing a Spiritual Fire, I also look forward to having another Alchemy Master in the sect to share my workload!¡± Uncle Ma said with a chuckle, then he continued, ¡°However, your Spiritual Fire is currently still weak. Today, you will use spirit carbon to concoct a batch of ¡®Mingxin Nine Palace Pills¡¯; consider it an alchemical assessment by the sect!¡±


    Although the bottle of ¡®Mingxin Nine Palace Pills¡¯ could prove Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy level, Uncle Ma still wanted to witness Li Shiming performing alchemy with his own eyes before he could fully trust him.


    It was really because the ¡®Mingxin Nine Palace Pills¡¯ that Li Shiming produced were all of high quality. Such a performance was too exceptional, making Uncle Ma somewhat hesitant to believe it.


    Had it been any other Pill Master, Uncle Ma would not have asked him to concoct pills in front of him due to the secrets involved in each Alchemist¡¯s lineage.


    But Li Shiming was different; everything he had learned was transmitted by Uncle Ma himself, hence the unusual request.


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Ma!¡± Li Shiming bowed and accepted the task.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t use the magic tool pill furnace; not only would Uncle Ma not allow it, but even if he did, Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to satisfy the needs of the magic tool pill furnace.


    For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the grade of a magic tool is simply too high and is not something that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can control.


    He took out his top-grade magic tool pill furnace and several pieces of spirit carbon.


    Then he began the process of concocting Elixir Pills in front of Uncle Ma, from heating the furnace to adding Spiritual Medicine, to controlling the fire; each step was conducted under the perception of Uncle Ma¡¯s Divine Thought.


    Uncle Ma was amazed to find that every step of Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy process was utterly precise; the temperature control, the fusion of Spiritual Medicine, were all as good as if he were doing it himself.


    The problem was that Li Shiming had only been studying for a short while and already achieved such a level.


    Alchemy is by no means an easy task, otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be so many Cultivators struggling to get into it.


    Even the same type of Spiritual Medicine, because of rainfall, the fertility of the spirit soil, the amount of sunlight, and even the timing of the harvest, can cause individual differences in the medicine.


    Such differences can result in extremely subtle variations in the medicinal properties; during alchemy, a slight variation can trigger changes in the spirituality of the Elixir Pills within the furnace, resulting in pills that are either of poor quality or of high quality.


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 Chapter 323: 208 Named

    Chapter 323: Chapter 208 Named


    To avoid the variability in spiritual properties caused by individual differences in Spiritual Medicine, a large amount of practice in refining is needed to accumulate experience, which can then be used to reduce the impact of these errors.


    If the person before him had been immersed in alchemy for decades, Uncle Ma would at most commend his decent talent.


    But Li Shiming had only received his alchemy inheritance for a few months, and already he achieved such a level; his potential for alchemy was unimaginable.


    Uncle Ma could tell that every step Li Shiming took was from the knowledge within his alchemy inheritance, yet Li Shiming had brought the alchemy legacy to its limit, crafting perfect Elixir Pills with a foundational alchemy inheritance.


    With the execution of the ¡°Seven Finger Refining Pill Technique,¡± ten ¡°Mingxin Nine Palace Pills¡± flew out of the Pill Furnace and into the jade bottle that had been prepared in advance.


    ¡°Please inspect, Uncle Ma!¡± Li Shiming said respectfully as he handed the jade bottle over to Uncle Ma.


    ...


    ¡°No need to look, it¡¯s a disservice to you to be called a Junior Alchemist. Besides, this Pill Furnace of yours really doesn¡¯t match your status. I have a Pill Furnace right here that I used during the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡± Uncle Ma waved his hand dismissively and took out a Pill Furnace.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes brightened; the Pill Furnace Uncle Ma took out was a Spirit Artifact Furnace. He felt the inadequacy of his top-grade magic tool pill furnace.


    As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, top-grade magic tools no longer met the demands of his realm.


    But the more he received from Uncle Ma, the greater his sense of indebtedness grew, and these favors would have to be repaid.


    ¡°Take it. With my many years of friendship with Xiao Su, his disciple is like my own. Besides, you have become an Alchemist through my inheritance, so why concern yourself with such external matters!¡± Uncle Ma said sternly, noticing Li Shiming¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Uncle Ma, I want to refine Foundation Establishment Stage elixirs. How should I start?¡± Li Shiming asked respectfully after accepting the Spirit Artifact Furnace.


    This was a good thing. Now that Li Shiming had become Uncle Ma¡¯s Registered Disciple, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Elixir Pills anymore.


    ¡°This kid got your Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover while also snatching the Red Sun Spirit Fire from the Red Sun Bear. Now look at the Spirit Medicine he just refined!¡± Uncle Ma, hearing Elder Su¡¯s agreement, took the jade bottle from Li Shiming and tossed it to him with a smile.


    Elder Su wasn¡¯t like Li Shiming, a cultivator ignorant of the wider world; he knew exactly what Red Sun Spirit Fire was.


    On hearing that it was snatched from a Red Sun Bear, his look toward Li Shiming softened further; he became even more satisfied with this disciple the more he saw.


    ¡°High-level First-grade Elixir, all in one furnace?¡± As he opened the jade bottle, he was only briefly inspecting it when he looked at Li Shiming in astonishment and asked.


    Li Shiming nodded to confirm it was indeed so.


    Elder Su then looked at Uncle Ma, who, wearing a proud smile, also nodded.


    ¡°On the day he became my disciple, I gave him an alchemy inheritance, and it¡¯s by learning from that inheritance alone that he¡¯s come to refine these himself, shocking me today!¡± Uncle Ma emphasized the inheritance he had given, marking it as a definite tradition.


    Even if Li Shiming had not become his Registered Disciple, this alchemy inheritance was something that couldn¡¯t be erased.


    ¡°Shiming, you must diligently learn alchemy from Uncle Ma!¡± Elder Su instructed Li Shiming, then gave him a look and transmitted a message, ¡°Hurry up and serve tea to your Uncle Ma!¡±


    Only then did Li Shiming realize that Elder Su had given him a cup filled with tea.


    ¡°Master, please enjoy the tea!¡± Since he was a Registered Disciple, the ceremony did not need to be publicly announced and was thus very simple.


    Uncle Ma took the tea cup with a laugh, sipped lightly, then helped Li Shiming to his feet.

 Chapter 324: 208 Named_2

    Chapter 324: Chapter 208 Named_2


    ¡°Shiming, you just asked me how to get started with Foundation Establishment elixir pills, and you have two choices,¡±


    ¡°One is to accept the sect¡¯s alchemy missions. Alchemy missions from the sect are mandatory for every alchemist, and each alchemist has a corresponding quota of pills they must produce.¡±


    ¡°With my consent, you can take on the task of refining early-stage Foundation Establishment Spirit Pills. For the sect¡¯s alchemy missions, what¡¯s needed is stability. The sect will take eight-tenths of the elixir pills regardless of whether the alchemist succeeds or not.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if your alchemy skills are not up to par and you don¡¯t even have an eighty percent success rate, then you¡¯ll be tasked with producing even lower-grade elixir pills. Therefore, what the sect¡¯s alchemy missions require is stability; you cannot afford to fail.¡±


    ¡°The second option is to accept private alchemy requests from cultivators, which can either be picked up from sect missions or carried out privately.¡±


    ¡°Generally, alchemists get to keep one third of the produced pills. This is the rule among alchemists, and even the best of friends cannot break it!¡± Master Ma looked at Elder Su as he said this.


    ...


    ¡°Old Ma charged me a ¡®Three Yang Reviving Pill¡¯ for making a batch of ¡®Three Yang Reviving Pills¡¯!¡± Elder Su said helplessly.


    ¡°For Golden Core Stage elixirs, the number produced in a batch depends on the amount of Spiritual Medicine used. No matter what, as long as there¡¯s more than one pill, a Spirit Pill must be taken as compensation. If there are four, then two must be taken as compensation!¡± Master Ma explained proudly.


    Li Shiming secretly clicked his tongue in amazement; these alchemists really knew how to make a profit.


    However, upon further thought, since he was now an alchemist himself, it would be other cultivators he¡¯d be making a profit from, so there was nothing to worry about.


    ¡°Master, what if there¡¯s a mishap and the alchemy fails during a private request?¡± Li Shiming asked.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a mishap, it¡¯s the cultivator¡¯s bad luck. As alchemists, we¡¯ve been busy for nothing; what else can be done?¡± Master Ma replied with a shrug.


    Li Shiming truly realized the exceptional status of alchemists; it was a profession that could only win and not lose.


    Of course, if his failure rate was really high, cultivators would likely hesitate to request his services.


    ¡°Shiming, come here every day starting from now and use my Second Grade Medicines to refine a batch of Second Grade Spirit Pills. Once you¡¯ve produced the final product, I¡¯ll let you become an Intermediate Alchemist. That way, you can take on missions for Foundation Establishment Stage elixirs. Consider this my gift to you for beginning your journey!¡± Master Ma thoughtfully planned.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Shiming knew this was Master Ma¡¯s way of looking out for him and he bowed in response.


    This would be his first time refining Second Grade Spirit Pills, and he had no idea how much Second Grade Medicine he would need to use. Master Ma, now to be called Master Ma, was certainly not sparing in his generosity.


    Master Ma had his own plans too. Based on his judgment of Li Shiming¡¯s current level of alchemy skill, only a bit of familiarity with Second Grade Medicines was needed and he would soon be able to produce Second Grade Spirit Pills.


    After all, investing in a disciple with potential was an opportunity that could never be a loss.


    Previously, Li Shiming had almost completely ignored them, causing them much private concern.


    Ye Lingyun distributed the jade bottles to Wan Qian and Lu Yingtong. Coming from fairly decent families, they weren¡¯t unfamiliar with Spirit Pills.


    However, when they each opened their jade bottles and saw the Spirit Pills inside, they all showed delighted surprise.


    ¡°These are all high-level First-grade Spirit Pills, a full ten of them, enough for a month of cultivation!¡± exclaimed Ye Lingyun, her eyes wide with excitement.


    The reason they wanted to enter Shushan Sect was for its Spiritual Energy and environment, which were their hopes for cultivation.


    If Li Shiming was willing to help them, they could also get Foundation Establishment Pills through his connection with the sect, fulfilling their dreams of reaching Foundation Establishment.


    They had not expected that Li Shiming would give them such valuable elixirs. High-level First-grade Elixirs were only given to cultivators who were key focuses of their families¡¯ training.


    They felt they had chosen the right master and committed themselves even more diligently to their work at Sword Holding Peak.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t thinking as much. After returning to his cave dwelling, he immediately began to check the Red Sun Spirit Fire in the Spirit Lake.


    In the past, he had never paid attention to the Red Sun Spirit Fire, which absorbed a bit of Fire Thunder Spiritual Power every day. Since it was a small amount, he had not been concerned.


    Only after hearing Master Ma¡¯s introduction did he realize that he needed to actively infuse Fire Spiritual Power into the Red Sun Spirit Fire to help it grow.


    The daily absorption of Fire Thunder Spiritual Power by the Red Sun Spirit Fire was to maintain its own energy.


    With a thought, Li Shiming sent a stream of Fire Thunder Spiritual Power to the Red Sun Spirit Fire and mentally commanded it to absorb.


    The Red Sun Spirit Fire engulfed the Fire Thunder Spiritual Power and, as the flames flickered, seemed to grow slightly larger.


    He beckoned another stream of Fire Thunder Spiritual Power for the Red Sun Spirit Fire to consume. After swallowing ten streams, the Red Sun Spirit Fire sent back feedback that it could not absorb any more.


    Li Shiming breathed a sigh of relief. This absorption had used up nearly one-tenth of the Spiritual Power inside him.


    It was because the Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power within him maintained a balanced state of mutual conversion under the influence of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± and he only needed time to replenish the Fire Thunder Spiritual Power¡¯s consumption with other types of Thunder Spiritual Power, so there was no need to worry about a lack of Fire Thunder Spiritual Power.


    Feeling the Red Sun Spirit Fire that had grown in size, he took out the Secret Technique given by Master Ma to conceal the spiritual fire¡¯s aura.


    The Secret Technique was not very difficult. It primarily involved using a Spiritual Power control technique to create a Spiritual Power barrier around the Red Sun Spirit Fire, sealing its aura within the barrier.


    In roughly two hours, he managed to run the Secret Technique within his Spirit Lake. The aura of the Red Sun Spirit Fire was now imperceptible, unless he used his mind to sense it, proving the effectiveness of the technique.

 Chapter 325: 209: Spinning Silk

    Chapter 325: Chapter 209: Spinning Silk


    Li Yuanba entered the Outer Sect Combat Assignment Hall, he approached the mission handover area and threw a corpse onto the ground.


    ¡°Mission completed!¡± he said coldly.


    The intense killing intent emanating from him was not concealed in the slightest, spreading out in all directions. Every Cultivator who felt this killing intent unconsciously moved further away from him.


    Although the Senluo Sect was a great sect, even the combat-loving Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Outer Sect did not undertake missions with such high intensity.


    In just over a month, five enemy early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators had died at his hands, their bodies delivered for mission completion.


    Add the previously delivered bodies of three early-stage, one mid-stage, and one late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and within the short time since his entry into the sect, he had already killed ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    ...


    Such slaughter was extremely conspicuous even within the Demon Sect¡¯s Senluo Sect.


    The Steward at the mission handover area flipped the body over, confirmed its identity, and then processed the completion of Li Yuanba¡¯s mission, transferring the earned contribution points into his Identity Jade Disc.


    Li Yuanba, seeing that his contribution points had reached 2050 in the Identity Jade Disc, nodded in satisfaction.


    Completing combat missions in succession, he had gathered quite a few resources.


    He collected the corpse; even such spoils of war had value.


    Among Devil Cultivators, the intact body of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator fetched a high price; it was an excellent material for Corpse Refining.


    On the second floor of the mission hall, an Elder watched Li Yuanba below with interest. A pure Sword Cultivator like Li Yuanba was exceedingly rare in the Senluo Sect.


    Devil Cultivators had too many methods to quickly enhance their own strength, and hardly any were willing to grind and polish their skills, spending a great deal of time to comprehend Sword Intent and become Sword Cultivators.


    ¡°Give this youngster assassination task number sixteen!¡± As Li Yuanba was about to take on another mission, the Steward before him heard an order.


    The Steward visibly started, then quickly understood.


    With a look of fear, he sneakily glanced upward, hastily averting his gaze, fearing to incur the Elder¡¯s displeasure.


    ¡°Fellow, seeing that you¡¯ve completed several assassination missions in a row, I have a well-rewarded mission here. Would you like to take it on?¡± asked the Steward, smiling at Li Yuanba.


    ¡°What mission is it?¡± Li Yuanba was interested. Such missions rarely appeared on the mission list, as the well-rewarded missions were usually taken by the Inner Sect or True Disciples.


    Here it should be mentioned that the Senluo Sect placed great importance on combat missions.


    If a mission to slay a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator paid a hundred contribution points, the points earned by Cultivators of different realms for completing the mission would vary.


    If a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator completed it, it would be a first-level mission, earning one hundred contribution points.


    If a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator completed the mission, it would upgrade to a second-level mission, with a fifty percent increase in contribution points.


    And if an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator completed the mission, it would be a third-level mission, doubling the contribution points.


    Of course, if a higher realm Cultivator completed a lower realm combat mission, the contribution points awarded would significantly decrease.


    This system led most Cultivators in the Senluo Sect to take on first-level missions, with few undertaking those of a lower realm; spending the same amount of time for only half the contribution points was simply not worth it.


    The Outer Sect Combat Department lacked powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivators; the truly strong ones had entered the Inner Sect, hence some Cultivators took initiative to undertake second and third-level missions.


    ¡°This is the mission!¡± The Steward handed over a handwritten mission briefing to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba received the mission briefing. It was a first-level task for his realm, but the reward was as high as 2000 contribution points. He had killed ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including one at the late-stage, to barely accumulate this amount of contribution points.


    This indicated that the difficulty of this task was extremely high; according to the sect¡¯s assessment, the danger level of this early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was comparable to that of a late-stage one.


    The mission target was a remnant of the Thick Earth Sect. The Thick Earth Sect, once a medium-to-large sect in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, was breached by the Senluo Sect and had since become history.


    Many Cultivators from the Thick Earth Sect had escaped, including this True Disciple named Ren Pengxiao.


    The Senluo Sect dealt with these enemy Cultivators by using their intelligence network spread throughout the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Once discovered, they would immediately report.


    The sect did not dispatch high-level Cultivators to deal with them but instead let Cultivators of the same realm take action. Such combat was greatly beneficial in improving the strength of the Senluo Sect¡¯s Cultivators. It also allowed talented sect Cultivators to access more resources, empowering the strong to become even stronger.


    Under normal circumstances, such tasks would never fall into the hands of the Outer Sect.


    The True Disciples of mid-to-large sects, coupled with the likelihood of possessing numerous life-saving treasures after their sect was destroyed, were the best prey for Inner Sect and True Disciples of the Senluo Sect.


    Keep in mind, the resources carried by such mission targets were not insignificant.


    Li Yuanba felt somewhat puzzled; he didn¡¯t understand why such a task had landed in his hands.


    However, since such an opportunity had presented itself, he certainly wouldn¡¯t let it pass.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take on this task!¡± Li Yuanba said in a deep voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll process it for you immediately!¡± The Steward¡¯s heart eased, happy to have accomplished what the Elder had entrusted to him.


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 Chapter 326: 209: Spinning Silk_2

    Chapter 326: Chapter 209: Spinning Silk_2


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t even return to his dwelling and took out his Jade Flying Boat to head towards the direction of his mission target.


    The intelligence system of Senluo Sect was incredibly terrifying. Ren Pengxiao, a True Disciple of Thick Earth Sect, had hidden himself within one of the Independent Practitioner Families, becoming the son-in-law of that household.


    After three days of travel, Li Yuanba arrived at the Independent Practitioner Family¡¯s location.


    The strongest cultivator of this Independent Practitioner Family was merely an early-stage Foundation Establishment family head, and the rest were Qi Refinement cultivators, which was equivalent to nothing compared to the target of the mission.


    Packing up the Flying Boat, the formation of this Cultivation Family seemed rather trivial in his eyes.


    Although he could not directly utilize the power of his own Array Formation Starlight Sea and the help of IBMz15, with the knowledge of a High-level Array Master, he could easily deal with some basic formations without assistance from his main body.


    ...


    This Independent Practitioner Family was quite poor; their formation could only be considered for alerting purposes, and its defensive effect was merely at the level of Qi Refinement realm. A late-stage Qi Refining cultivator could break the formation with several strong attacks.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t need to break the formation; he entered the formation through a corner, following the direction of the Spiritual Energy routes, dodging the formation¡¯s nodes in succession, and easily infiltrated without alarming the formation.


    Inside the formation were several courtyards with rather abundant Spiritual Energy, most likely powered by a Mid-grade Spirit Vein.


    He set his sights on one particular courtyard. On the surface, it looked no different from the other courtyards, but the formation it was equipped with was not of the same grade.


    The defensive formation of the courtyard was set up by an Array Master using an Array Plate, and Li Yuanba could not enter as easily as before relying solely on his own array knowledge.


    However, he didn¡¯t need to study the formation now. He took out thirty-six array flags and arranged them outside the courtyard.


    Once the formation was established, he flew up into the air outside the courtyard without any hesitation.


    ¡°Ren Pengxiao, come out and face your death!¡± Li Yuanba channeled his Spiritual Power and shouted loudly.


    At the same time, his Gale Golden Light Sword heavily struck the courtyard¡¯s defensive formation, causing the formation to shake. The sword light rose again and fell back down.


    In just two short moments, the Gale Golden Light Sword, carrying a terrifying Sword Intent, slashed down five times in quick succession. The Array Plate, after all, was not a real complete formation and without a cultivator proficient in formations to oversee it, it was soon forcibly breached under his full-strength assault.


    ¡°Mr. Ren, what has happened?¡± A female cultivator¡¯s voice called out, followed by a male cultivator flying up into the sky from within the courtyard.


    The formidable aura displayed by Li Yuanba prevented the cultivators of this weak Cultivation Family from showing their faces.


    When they realized that Ren Pengxiao actually went to meet the intruder, they then knew that Ren Pengxiao, who had always presented himself as a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, was actually a powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    ¡°Li Yuanba of Senluo Sect¡¯s outer sect obeys orders to take your life!¡± Li Yuanba declared loudly, sensing Ren Pengxiao¡¯s aura.


    He was declaring his identity to the Cultivation Family. If the family¡¯s cultivators took any action during the battle, it would mean they were making an enemy of Senluo Sect.


    ¡°I never imagined that I, Ren Pengxiao, would be hunted down by an outer sect disciple of Senluo Sect, hahaha!¡± Ren Pengxiao let out a burst of crazed laughter filled with humiliation.


    After all, he was a True Disciple of the Thick Earth Sect, yet Senluo Sect had only sent an outer sect disciple to kill him.


    As a sect cultivator himself, he obviously knew about the sect¡¯s mission arrangements.


    He thought that he might be found by a True Disciple or at the very least an Inner Sect Disciple from Senluo Sect. Senluo Sect had seriously underestimated him by sending an outer sect disciple.


    The feeling of humiliation combined with anger brought forth a fierce killing intent from him.


    ¡°Slash!¡± Li Yuanba didn¡¯t care about his thoughts and waved his sword, sending a slash flying towards him.


    A Spirit Artifact Shield flew out of Ren Pengxiao¡¯s hands, blocking the sword light. Just as he prepared to launch an attack with his attack-type Spirit Artifact, he found that his Spirit Artifact Shield had become somewhat unstable.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Sword Cultivator?!¡± Ren Pengxiao let out a sharp scream, his voice laced with a trace of horror.


    He finally understood why the Senluo Sect had sent this Outer Sect disciple to perform the task. How could such a pure Sword Cultivator appear within the Senluo Sect, and only be an Outer Sect Disciple?


    He made his decision in an instant, killing a Sword Cultivator from the Senluo Sect wasn¡¯t worse than killing an Inner Sect Disciple or a True Disciple.


    He took out a yellow sphere and, under the stimulation of Earth Attribute Spiritual Power, the yellow sphere emitted a yellow light screen that blocked the sword light.


    This was a special Spiritual Artifact from the Thick Earth Sect, capable of storing a certain amount of Earth Spiritual Power, which could be released as a thick Earth Attribute defense shield when needed.


    The strength of the thick Earth Attribute defense shield was enough to withstand several full-force strikes from a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, giving him more than enough time to kill Li Yuanba.


    The sword light from Li Yuanba landed on the Earth Attribute defense shield, and the result was not as significant as before.


    His gaze sharpened because he saw Ren Pengxiao taking out a talisman.


    Li Yuanba knew he couldn¡¯t give Ren Pengxiao a chance. He activated the secret technique of the Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique, speeding up his sword light by several times, and continuously attacked one point on the Earth Attribute defense shield.


    He no longer held back, his body lunging forward as the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ was fully triggered, displaying a Third Grade Sword Base in his hand.


    With the Third Grade Sword Base leading, his body fully propelled the Third Grade Sword Base. It was a charging combat method from the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯, concentrating all of his Spiritual Power and strength at the sword tip of the Third Grade Sword Base.


    The target of the Third Grade Sword Base attack was the position continuously hit by the sword light.


    After more than a month of continuous fighting, he had started to view himself as a true Sword Cultivator and had not summoned Jiang Chen at the first sign of danger.


    Until the moment of a life-and-death crisis, he would only trust his sword.


    Of course, there were some issues with him being a Sword Cultivator. A normal Sword Cultivator would have only one flying sword, but in addition to a flying sword, he also had a close-range longsword.


    But this did not change the fact that he was a Sword Cultivator. As he concentrated his mind on the tip of the Third Grade Sword Base, all his Sword Intent was gathered there, and even the flying sword that had been dancing around ceased its movements in that moment.


    ¡°Kill!¡± As the sword tip of the Third Grade Sword Base collided with the Earth Attribute defense shield, he let out a loud shout.


    A piercing sound of friction came from the sword tip, the noise of the Gold Element Spiritual Power within the Third Grade Sword Base forcefully piercing through the Earth Element Spiritual Power in the shield.


    It had been two breaths of time since Ren Pengxiao had taken the talisman, and the talisman already had jumping runes flickering on it.


    He was extremely confident in his defense. If it were a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, they might not be able to hold on for long, but an Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, even a True Disciple of the Senluo Sect, wouldn¡¯t be able to break through this defense in three breaths¡¯ time.


    His confidence in combating a True Disciple of the Senluo Sect lay in the combination of the Thick Earth Shield Pearl and the talisman.


    He believed that by taking the initiative to use it first, he could kill a True Disciple of the Senluo Sect.


    The Third Grade Sword Base was stuck on the Earth Shield generated by the Thick Earth Shield Pearl, which was the special defensive effect of this Earth Attribute defense treasure. It wouldn¡¯t be easily broken, and even if a breach occurred, the defensive shield wouldn¡¯t completely shatter.


    Only the tip of the Third Grade Sword Base penetrated the Earth Attribute defense shield, just thirty centimeters away from Ren Pengxiao, yet those thirty centimeters were like a deep chasm.


    As Ren Pengxiao¡¯s talisman was about to be fully activated, Sword Intent surged in Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes. The oppressive force from the talisman drove Li Yuanba to frantically propel his Sword Intent.


    A fine thread flew out from the Third Grade Sword Base¡¯s sword light, sweeping over Ren Pengxiao¡¯s talisman-holding arm like a gentle breeze over treetops.


    Silently, Ren Pengxiao¡¯s arm separated from his body along with the talisman, and the talisman, which had been activated almost completely, returned to calmness due to the interference.


    ¡°Sword Intent into thread!¡± Ren Pengxiao seemed to feel no pain from the severed part of his arm as he muttered to himself.


    Sword Intent can take many forms, and its universal effect is to damage the spiritual imprint within Magic Artifacts. The additional effects depend on the Sword Cultivator¡¯s own understanding of Sword Intent.


    Li Yuanba cultivated the ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯. Although he lacked the Sword Bone, meaning his Sword Intent was not as refined as that of his original self, Li Shiming, his understanding of Sword Intent was superior, with the Sword Cultivation Technique as his primary cultivation technique.


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 Chapter 327: 210: Becoming a Disciple (Extra for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)

    Chapter 327: Chapter 210: Becoming a Disciple (Extra chapter for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)


    Li Yuan Ba once again entered the Outer Sect Battle Division¡¯s task hall of the Senluo Sect and placed a corpse in front of the steward.


    ¡°Task completion,¡± he said indifferently.


    The steward, seeing him, couldn¡¯t forget although several days had passed; it was extremely rare for an elder to issue a task personally.


    ¡°Complete his task and let him go to the second floor,¡± he looked up towards the second floor as he heard an elder¡¯s voice in his ear.


    The steward swiftly processed Li Yuan Ba¡¯s procedure, and the contribution points on his Identity Jade Disc increased to 4050¡ªhe was already considering whether to purchase some Formation knowledge.


    Li Yuan Ba didn¡¯t need to worry about his personal cultivation resources. Li Shiming had left his doppelganger a million Spirit Stones, plus the spoils of continuously completed tasks and slaying Cultivators, which was a considerable fortune.


    ...


    His main task now was to constantly accumulate contribution points, to provide knowledge about the Senluo Sect for his original body, and to search for the Third Grade Five Elements Array Materials.


    ¡°Fellow, Elder Jian is waiting for you on the second floor,¡± the steward called out to Li Yuan Ba, who was preparing to leave to check his gains.


    A chill went through Li Yuan Ba¡¯s heart; of the Senluo Sect¡¯s elders he had met only one, and that Elder Lv didn¡¯t seem at all like a Golden Core Elder of the Demon Sect.


    He didn¡¯t know who this Elder Jian was that summoned him or why, but he knew he couldn¡¯t refuse.


    He nodded to the steward and went up the stairs to the second floor.


    The second-floor space was vast, but only one person was there, savoring tea.


    When Li Yuan Ba saw the person, he didn¡¯t notice what they looked like at all because to him, this person didn¡¯t feel like a Cultivator, but a Longsword sheathed in its scabbard.


    Perhaps other Cultivators wouldn¡¯t notice this, but the perception between Sword Cultivators was clear.


    A sheathed Longsword is all the more dangerous.


    ¡°This is a powerful Sword Cultivator, even more terrifying than Yun Xingyi!¡± Li Yuan Ba told himself in his heart.


    Of course, when he had encountered Yun Xingyi back then, Yun Xingyi¡¯s strength was but a fraction of his true power, making it difficult to judge whether this Elder Jian was stronger or weaker than Yun Xingyi. At least, Li Yuan Ba was not qualified to make that judgement.


    ¡°Outer Sect¡¯s Li Yuan Ba pays respect to Elder Jian!¡± He suppressed the pressure in his heart, walked up to Elder Jian, and bowed deeply.


    Elder Jian had been observing him since he walked up to the second floor.


    Regarding Li Yuan Ba, Elder Jian was quite satisfied.


    Being a Golden Core Elder, he certainly didn¡¯t issue a task to Li Yuan Ba out of boredom; it was Li Yuan Ba¡¯s Sword Intent that drew his attention, giving Li Yuan Ba an opportunity.


    Of course, if Li Yuan Ba, as a Sword Cultivator, had died at the hands of the True Disciple of the Thick Earth Sect, it would have meant that he was not destined for this opportunity.


    The way a Golden Core Elder of the Demon Sect tested disciples, Elder Jian¡¯s method was relatively normal.


    ¡°I¡¯ve called you here to tell you that you¡¯ve passed my disciple assessment, and I want to take you as an entry-level disciple,¡± Elder Jian said very directly.


    Li Yuan Ba was stunned; he did not expect Elder Jian to say so.


    He thought he would need more time¡ªat least until entering the Inner Sect¡ªbefore attracting the attention of an elder.


    The fact that he had continuously completed tasks was known only among a portion of Foundation Establishment Cultivators within the Sect due to the short span of time. If Elder Jian hadn¡¯t been free recently, Li Yuan Ba might indeed have had to wait until he was competing for entry into the Inner Sect to draw the attention of other Golden Core Elders.


    ¡°Disciple Li Yuan Ba pays respect to Master!¡± Li Yuan Ba soon came to his senses after momentarily freezing and greeted with a bow, changing the way he addressed the elder.


    Entering the Sect meant seeking a powerful backer, and the Elder Jian before him at least wasn¡¯t one of those Golden Core Elders who cultivated demonic techniques¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to worry about being used as a consumable for demonic cultivation one day.


    ¡°Li Yuan Ba, what cultivation technique are you practicing now?¡± Elder Jian reined in his aura and asked with a smile.


    Li Yuan Ba suddenly couldn¡¯t sense the oppressive aura anymore; the Elder Jian in front of him now seemed just like a regular mortal elder.


    He hadn¡¯t reached such a state of freely controlling his presence; having practiced the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ and ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯, even in normal times, his aura would brim with Sword Intent.


    ¡°Disciple practices the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ and ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯!¡± Having had his main body go through the process of acknowledging a master once, he was well-prepared for this and had no intention of hiding anything.


    ¡°The Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique is an inheritance technique of the Mingxin Sect, though given you¡¯ve passed the Heart Inquiry Hall¡¯s assessment, I presume you¡¯re not a cultivator from the Mingxin Sect. Where did you get the Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique?¡± Elder Jian slightly frowned and inquired.


    Elder Jian was aware of the ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯, one of his old rivals Yun Xingyi had cultivated this very technique.


    Had it been any other technique, Elder Jian certainly wouldn¡¯t have questioned its origins.


    He was prepared to accept Li Yuan Ba as a disciple, and it was his first time taking a disciple in the Senluo Sect¡ªhe didn¡¯t want any complications.


    ¡°Disciple found it in a storage bag after killing a cultivator on Sky Sea Island!¡± Li Yuan Ba answered with a mix of truth and falsehood.


    ¡°Sky Sea Island! Could it be that Yun Xingyi perished there? No wonder his technique was lost!¡± Elder Jian didn¡¯t suspect Li Yuan Ba¡¯s words and murmured to himself.


    Although Sky Sea Island was quite far away, it was possible to investigate whether Yun Xingyi had perished or not through various channels such as the Beishu Trading Company or powerful sects like the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect that could make contact with Sky Sea Island.


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 Chapter 328: 210: Becoming a Disciple (Extra for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)_2

    Chapter 328: Chapter 210: Becoming a Disciple (Extra chapter for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)_2


    ¡°What Body Refinement Technique did you cultivate? Why do I sense an aura of death within your body?¡± Elder Jian lightly patted Li Yuanba and then asked.


    ¡°I cultivated the Sword Cultivation Technique from the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯!¡± Li Yuanba let Elder Jian examine him, extremely worried inside that the secrets of this body might be discovered, yet he spoke calmly.


    Just like Elder Su, the master of his original body Li Shiming, Elder Jian had also never heard of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯.


    ¡°Show me the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯!¡± Elder Jian demanded aloud.


    Li Yuanba took out an empty Jade Scroll, imprinted the contents of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ onto the scroll on the spot, and presented it to Elder Jian.


    Although he hadn¡¯t formally become a disciple, in practice, Elder Jian was already his master.


    ...


    A mere ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ was nothing; he would have handed over the ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯ if Elder Jian had desired it.


    Elder Jian took the Jade Scroll, read through the content of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯, and fell silent for a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. This sword cultivator chose to walk a different path; his courage is something I myself cannot match!¡± Unlike Elder Su of Shushan Sect, Elder Jian held the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ in very high esteem.


    Seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s inquisitive gaze, Elder Jian showed a smile on his face.


    ¡°Long ago, sword cultivators were divided into two factions, one excelling in close combat and the other specializing in long-range sword control. As magic cultivation rose to prominence, close combat sword cultivators became shields for magic cultivators, which was against the sword cultivators¡¯ philosophy. Hence, close combat practitioners became rarer, and their legacies were mostly lost.


    The creator of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ was clearly a close combat sword cultivator, seeking to restore the former glory of such cultivators by toughening their bodies early on. It¡¯s just unfortunate that the technique only progresses to the Golden Core Stage, and for some reason, it was not developed further, ending abruptly at the Golden Core!¡± Elder Jian explained with a sigh.


    In fact, Elder Jian had also guessed the possible reason¡ªthe close combat sword cultivator likely perished during the Golden Core Stage, never becoming a Nascent Soul, let alone creating a Nascent Soul Stage ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯.


    Even the Golden Core Stage Technique of the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ had mostly become a method for creating and strengthening Spiritual Artifacts, lacking the previous brilliance.


    Elder Jian vaguely saw the process of a dazzlingly talented sword cultivator from his radiant prime to mediocrity, until his eventual extinction.


    ¡°But it¡¯s strange, how can cultivating the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ result in an aura of death in the body?¡± Elder Jian studied the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ repeatedly but couldn¡¯t find the source of the death Qi.


    He assumed it to be some issue that Li Yuanba encountered during his cultivation. However, after examining Li Yuanba¡¯s body and finding that the death Qi had no negative impact on Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation, he let it be.


    ¡°Follow me!¡± Elder Jian led Li Yuanba out of the mission hall, and soon after, the two transformed into two sword lights and departed.


    Elder Jian slowed down the sword light, causing Li Yuanba¡¯s hair to stand on end, for the mountain ahead was enveloped in numerous strands of Sword Intent, seeming to wound anyone who approached.


    ¡°That is the Ten Thousand Sword Peak of the sect, and it¡¯s also where my cave dwelling is located!¡± Elder Jian explained indifferently.


    As Elder Jian descended, a path opened within the Sword Intent, allowing the two to enter.


    Approaching the mountain covered in Sword Intent, Li Yuanba felt all the Sword Intent within him stirring, as if it was resonating with the Sword Intent outside.


    ¡°The Ten Thousand Sword Peak of Senluo Sect was taken by force; it originally belonged to a mid-sized sword cultivator sect¡¯s main peak, and was moved here by several of our ancestors!¡± Elder Jian shared the origin of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t imagine such a mountain being moved this way, and considering that a sect with such a peak was likely quite powerful, it seemed incredible that even their foundational peak had been taken¡ªa hallmark of devil cultivation.


    ¡°Master, are there few sword cultivators within the sect?¡± Li Shiming hadn¡¯t felt the presence of sword cultivators within the Ten Thousand Sword Peak and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s just us who are true sword cultivators now; the rest have all deviated from the path and will not come here!¡± Elder Jian shook his head.


    As the influence of the Senluo Sect grew, so too did the number and variety of its cultivation techniques and resources, especially with the abundant opportunities to obtain the corpses of cultivators, leading to widespread practice of Demon Cultivation Techniques.


    Cultivator corpses weren¡¯t only used for Corpse Refining; they were also utilized for extracting souls, refining essence blood, and many other methods that were taboo in other sects but common practice within the Demon Sect.


    Hence, the more troublesome it was to enter a cultivation technique, the fewer cultivators there were who practiced it.


    Of course, this was partially due to Elder Jian¡¯s reluctance to cultivate sword cultivators. As the master of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he almost never opened it to outsiders, making it difficult for sect cultivators to access and stimulate Sword Intent on the peak.


    When Li Yuanba finally had a clear view of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he understood the origin of its name.


    The mountain was filled with all kinds of broken swords, most of them magic artifacts, but among them occasionally could be seen some spiritual swords.


    Upon landing on the summit of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he also saw five flying swords with the aura of magic treasures embedded in the rocks at the very top.


    Even though he had preserved a flying sword treasure in his original form, upon seeing the five flying sword treasures, he still felt the urge to step forward and take one for himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother looking, all the swords on Ten Thousand Sword Peak have fused with the mountain itself, none of the swords here can be drawn out, let alone taken away from Ten Thousand Sword Peak. These five flying sword treasures are the mountain-suppressing treasures, even more immovable!¡± Elder Jian glanced at Li Yuanba and explained with a smile.


    Elder Jian had intended to show Li Yuanba around and, after a general introduction to Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he then led Li Yuanba to his cave dwelling.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a bit about your situation, the sect couldn¡¯t find any records of your origins, and listening to your account, it seems you come from Sky Sea Island, not a native cultivator from Beishu!¡± Elder Jian said indifferently, seated in the main seat of the hall.


    Li Yuanba was well aware that his origins could not be investigated, because this body had no history at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything, I¡¯m not interested in your origins, and I¡¯m not a native cultivator myself either!¡± Seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s unease, Elder Jian said with a wave of his hand and a smile.


    ¡°You are a principled lad, I¡¯ve looked into your activities since joining the sect, and you haven¡¯t studied the Demon Cultivation Techniques of the sect, focusing solely on cultivating and honing Sword Intent. Have you always appeared with a mask because you do not wish to be tainted by association?¡± Elder Jian continued.


    Li Yuanba was truly startled; such an interpretation was not what he intended. It was true he wore a mask, but not because of any dissatisfaction with the sect.


    Moreover, a cultivator wearing a mask did not really affect normal interactions, since cultivators can identify each other through their auras, which was an even easier way to distinguish identities than hiding one¡¯s face.


    ¡°I chose you as my disciple because I like your purity. It¡¯s hard to find such pure sword cultivators in the sect anymore. My successor must be a pure sword cultivator!¡± Elder Jian sighed, revealing the main reason for taking Li Yuanba as his disciple.


    Suddenly, Li Yuanba didn¡¯t want to explain anymore. He thought about how he must hide Jiang Chen from Elder Jian, for if Elder Jian discovered Jiang Chen¡¯s existence, he might change his mind.


    He was not at all a pure sword cultivator; he was striving to become one, yet he also possessed powerful Corpse Refining as his trump card.


    To a traditional sword cultivator, such a practitioner would be considered impure.


    Yet he believed that surviving was what mattered most; the sword cultivators who lived were the good ones.


    Another reason he wore the mask was quite simple: his face was too striking, so dazzling that not covering it up could cause problems.


    ¡°Master, I wear the mask out of necessity!¡± he finally removed the mask and explained to Elder Jian.


    Elder Jian, upon seeing his face, was also taken aback, and then burst into laughter.


    ¡°You had better keep the mask on. Your face, if revealed in battle, might just save your life. Also, beware of the Dual Cultivation Devil Cultivators within the sect!¡± Elder Jian said between bouts of laughter, waving his hand dismissively.


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 Chapter 329: 211: Entry Level

    Chapter 329: Chapter 211: Entry Level


    ¡°Your master was born in ¡®Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion,¡¯ and after accepting you as an entry-level disciple, you are considered a disciple of both the Senluo Sect and the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion. You must understand this,¡± Elder Jian said as he led Li Yuanba into the inner chambers of the cave dwelling.


    This was the first time Li Yuanba heard that a person could hold discipleships in two different sects, but from Elder Jian¡¯s words, it seemed that the sect was aware of this as well.


    ¡°Where is Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion?¡± He could not recall such a force. Knowing that he dwelled within two major sects, it was surprising he had never heard of the existence of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    ¡°Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion is not located on the Beishu Continent. If you have the opportunity to reach the Nascent Soul Stage, perhaps you can return to visit Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion!¡± Elder Jian said, reminiscing in his eyes.


    Back when Elder Jian was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he encountered a catastrophic storm at sea. He was sucked into a storm vortex and when he awoke, he found himself on the Beishu Continent, saved by an elder of the Senluo Sect, and became his disciple.


    Returning to Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion was impossible. Without the power of a Nascent Soul, crossing seas far more dangerous than Beihai was akin to seeking death.


    ...


    He was fortunate to encounter a spatial vortex, which safely brought him to Beishu.


    Since then, he had been a cultivator of the Senluo Sect. With his master¡¯s help, he eventually became a Golden Core Cultivator and took charge of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Though Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion is not considered part of the Righteous Path, it is not associated with Devil Cultivators. Therefore, Elder Jian, born from Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, had little fondness for Devil Cultivators.


    It was indeed ironic, a Golden Core Elder from the Demon Sect had little love for Devil Cultivators. But that was the truth, and Elder Jian became one of the most unique existences in the Senluo Sect.


    Fortunately, Elder Jian¡¯s master had successfully advanced to Nascent Soul, giving him a strong backing in the sect, ensuring that despite his pride, no cultivator dared target him.


    Moreover, with Elder Jian¡¯s formidable strength, now a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, with a sword in hand, he had almost no rivals except for those in the Nascent Soul Stage.


    He had also made significant contributions to the Senluo Sect¡¯s unification of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Both his strength and achievements left the other elders speechless.


    For such a Golden Core cultivator, finding a suitable disciple within the Demon Sect was extremely difficult.


    Most cultivators who join the Demon Sect choose to practice demonic cultivation techniques. Even those who do not, influenced by their surroundings, would augment their cultivation speed by practicing demonic techniques.


    And for Loose Cultivators joining through other means, those with established cultivation methods, it was nearly impossible to find one who mastered Sword Intent.


    That was why, upon seeing Li Yuanba, after a brief investigation, Elder Jian immediately issued an assessment task. Finding a disciple was tough indeed.


    Entering the inner chamber, Li Yuanba saw a painting on the wall depicting a mountain peak enveloped in mist, with a towering pavilion at its summit marked ¡®Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.¡¯


    He could faintly see figures moving within the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, and the mountain¡¯s mist was flowing as well, making the painting seem alive.


    He soon realized that it was an artifact; its aura concealed, and he had not noticed it at first.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, come and bow to Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion!¡± Elder Jian stepped forward and solemnly performed a grand ceremony before the Sword Intent Chongxiao Scroll, then instructed Li Yuanba to do the same.


    Li Yuanba knelt in front of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Scroll and respectfully performed the triple kowtow ritual of entry.


    He then turned and deeply bowed to Elder Jian, who smiled warmly at him.


    Li Yuanba stood up straight, his hands clasped as he stood beside Elder Jian.


    ¡°Ancestors above, on this day I take Li Yuanba as a disciple of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion. I will ensure that he adheres to the rules of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, and I hope the ancestors bear witness!¡± Elder Jian declared to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Scroll, and after finishing, he turned to Li Yuanba with a smile, ¡°Now, from this day forward, you are a disciple of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion!¡±


    In his words, Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion seemed even more significant than the Senluo Sect.


    ¡°From now on, you can use ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯ as a supplementary cultivation technique, but you will switch to mastering ¡®Sky Ascending Technique¡¯!¡± Elder Jian said more affectionately to Li Yuanba after he had bowed to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Scroll.


    ¡°I have been cultivating the ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯ for some time now, and I have a complete version of it, all the way to the Nascent Soul Stage!¡± Li Yuanba thought Elder Jian might not be aware that he had the complete Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique and hurriedly explained.


    Changing cultivation techniques had significant implications on a cultivator¡¯s journey.


    Li Yuanba had already planned his cultivation path. His clone needed to advance quickly to assist his original body.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to give up the Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique. As a disciple of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, you must primarily practice the Sky Ascending Technique. Besides, how can the Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique compare to the Sky Ascending Technique!¡± Elder Jian explained with a look of disdain.


    Seeing Elder Jian¡¯s attitude, Li Yuanba did not persist, realizing it was pointless. Since his master had said so, changing his main cultivation technique was an inevitability.


    Fortunately, he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, so it was comparatively easy to switch techniques.


    ¡°Yes, Disciple will follow Master¡¯s instructions!¡± he bowed deeply.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a loss for you. If it weren¡¯t for my status as a True Inheritor of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, I wouldn¡¯t possess the complete set of Sky Ascending Technique. This technique is far more powerful than most in the Beishu Continent!¡± Elder Jian chuckled.


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 Chapter 330: 211: Entry Level_2

    Chapter 330: Chapter 211: Entry Level_2


    Li Yuanba discerned an underlying meaning; it was his master¡¯s lofty disdain for the Beishu Continent.


    Perhaps in front of his disciple, there was no need to mask anything; Elder Jian indeed revealed his true feelings.


    In the Cultivation World, the relationship between master and disciple is extremely close, even closer than the familial bonds between father and son in the mundane world.


    In the mundane world, the relationship between father and son at most spans several decades, whereas in the Cultivation World, masters and disciples spend over a century together, and the bond between a Golden Core Cultivator and his disciple lasts even longer.


    Once Li Yuanba had paid his respects to the painting in the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, Elder Jian truly accepted him as one of his own.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I haven¡¯t arranged a cave dwelling for you yet. You can live in the cave dwelling on the other side of the summit of Ten Thousand Sword Peak; it¡¯s just us, master and disciple, here!¡± Elder Jian said with a clap of his hands.


    ...


    This was his first time taking a disciple, which was also a sort of fate. Finding a disciple that truly met his expectations was not easy for him.


    In his joy, he was also trying his best to learn how to fulfill his duties as a master.


    Elder Jian took Li Yuanba¡¯s Identity Jade Disc and changed his status from an outer sect disciple to a True Disciple. He had no other disciples, so naturally, this only disciple of his was a True Disciple.


    There was even no need to compete with other Golden Core Elder¡¯s disciples; he had a True Disciple spot in his hands, which he directly gave to Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Settle in today, and come here tomorrow morning. I will teach you the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique!¡± Elder Jian added as he took Li Yuanba to where the five flying sword artifacts of Ten Thousand Sword Peak were kept.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Li Yuanba bowed and responded.


    No need to go to the outer sect¡¯s cave dwelling anymore, as there was nothing left there.


    He went directly to another cave dwelling of Ten Thousand Sword Peak. When he used the Identity Jade Disc to open the cave dwelling, he noticed something unusual.


    ¡°This is a Golden Core Level cave dwelling!¡± He exclaimed in awe, feeling the intensely dense Spiritual Energy.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Elder Jian to allocate him a Golden Core Level cave dwelling, considering there were no other cultivators on Ten Thousand Sword Peak, and this treatment was beyond what his status as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would ordinarily warrant.


    The interior of the cave dwelling was vast, especially in the Cultivation Room, where in addition to the dense Spiritual Energy, there was also the faint and pure Sword Intent lingering.


    Cultivating the main Sword Cultivation Technique here would not only enhance his Spiritual Power but also subtly increase his Sword Intent, an invaluable asset for a Sword Cultivator.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have a strong background!¡± Li Yuanba mused as he looked at his current cultivation environment.


    Thinking about the True Disciple of the Thick Earth Sect he had killed on this mission, he took out a storage bracelet.


    He first took out the Thick Earth Shield Pearl, which, although it had not protected Ren Pengxiao at the time, still had a very strong defensive effect.


    It¡¯s worth noting that the sword strike he delivered at that time was the strongest he could muster, and only because he had comprehended Sword Intent into threads in the final phase was he able to breach the defense of the Thick Earth Shield Pearl in such a short time.


    If Ren Pengxiao had used a talisman, he would have had to summon Jiang Chen to defend him.


    The talisman also fell into Li Yuanba¡¯s hands at that time; it was a Giant Mountain Talisman with two uses remaining, which also provided him with an extra trump card.


    The Thick Earth Shield Pearl was useless to him since activating it required Earth Element Spiritual Power, but it could be handed over to his main body when an opportunity arose.


    As his Spiritual Thought entered the storage bracelet, he found it was not short of Spiritual Objects. Naturally, before the sect was breached, some wealth couldn¡¯t be left behind. True Disciples were the seedlings of a sect¡¯s future, and naturally, they were provided more.


    Spirit Stones hardly need mentioning, a million of them didn¡¯t seem much to him.


    The rest were some Second Grade Spiritual Objects, such as Spiritual Artifacts, Array Plates, talismans, Elixir Pills, and a large amount of various materials. The quantity was substantial, fearing the value here might amount to ten million Spirit Stones.


    This was the foundation of a medium-large sect, just a small portion of the treasures left for the future seeds before the sect¡¯s destruction, but it was enough to make Li Yuanba¡¯s heart race.


    However, none of these caught his attention like a rock emitting a yellow radiance. It was a third-grade earth attribute Spiritual Object, exactly the Third Grade Five Elements material that Li Shiming needed, containing extremely pure Earth Element Spiritual Power within.


    Li Yuanba thought to himself that he indeed needed to meet with the original body soon.


    The Thick Earth Shield Pearl and third-grade earth attribute materials all needed to be delivered to the original body.


    Moreover, Li Yuanba also needed to cultivate ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± a cultivation technique that greatly enhanced one¡¯s Taoist Body and spirit, naturally to be shared with the clone.


    To bring the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± cultivation technique to its optimal effects, the complete setup of one thousand five hundred Frenel mirrors was essential.


    Although at this time he had no suitable place to cultivate ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± he thought that if necessary, seeking a mountain top for his exclusive use from the master as a True Disciple shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    He wore the storage bracelet he had captured on his wrist. As a True Disciple himself, although Elder Jian and the sect hadn¡¯t provided him with a storage bracelet, he could righteously use a storage bracelet without arousing other cultivators¡¯ covetousness.


    The very next day, he arrived early at the site of the five flying sword treasures, before Elder Jian had arrived.


    He sensed the omnipresent Sword Intent of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which he hadn¡¯t had the chance to deeply explore yesterday due to Elder Jian¡¯s presence.


    With no one around, he tried to emit his own Sword Intent. The Sword Intent of Ten Thousand Sword Peak enveloped his, and he felt his control over his Sword Intent weakening.


    He was startled, as the Sword Intent of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was devouring his.


    Li Yuanba hurriedly withdrew his Sword Intent forcefully. Even so, a portion of his Sword Intent was devoured, which was enough for him to cultivate for more than ten days.


    It was a good thing he reacted quickly, otherwise his losses would have been great.


    ¡°The Sword Intent of Ten Thousand Sword Peak is accumulated by countless generations of sword cultivators. Although these Sword Intents no longer have a master, they still retain the consciousness to guard Ten Thousand Sword Peak!¡± Elder Jian¡¯s voice came, and Li Yuanba realized that Elder Jian had arrived behind him without him noticing, and had seen everything he just did.


    ¡°Master, you have arrived!¡± Li Yuanba quickly greeted.


    ¡°Originally, my master wanted me to pass down the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ in the Senluo Sect, so he specifically snatched Ten Thousand Sword Peak for me. Accepting you as a disciple was also fulfilling a promise to my master. After my master comes out of retreat, I will take you to meet your grandmaster!¡± Elder Jian nodded as he spoke, looking at the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Li Yuanba gleaned something from this, that Elder Jian¡¯s master was a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    ¡°The ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ is an inheritance from ancient sword cultivators. Five ancestors from the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion ascended to the upper realm using this technique. The reason this pavilion has lasted till now is not just the strength of sword cultivators, but also because a celestial protects us from above!¡± Elder Jian continued to explain.


    ¡°Master, is there really an upper realm?¡± Li Yuanba eagerly inquired upon hearing about the upper realm.


    ¡°Of course, there is an upper realm. Some major sects with ancient heritage have ancestors who became immortals and ascended. Through special means, it is possible to contact these ascended ancestors. These matters are too early for you to be concerned with. All you need to know is that the highest level of cultivating the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ can enable one to ascend!¡± Elder Jian replied very affirmatively.


    Upon hearing his master say so, Li Yuanba was tremendously shocked. Although he didn¡¯t know what realm one needed to reach to ascend, he knew that on the Beishu Continent, the strongest beings were the Nascent Soul Ancestors, and ascending must be much higher than the Nascent Soul level.


    This made him understand why Elder Jian had little regard for the ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡±; he even considered having the original body also cultivate the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯.


    ¡°Starting today, as your teacher, I will teach you the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique.¡¯ You must vow with your soul that this cultivation technique, unless passed to your disciples and taken under the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, must not be imparted to others. Violators will have their souls annihilated!¡± Before imparting the technique, Elder Jian seriously cautioned.


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 Chapter 331: 212 Research

    Chapter 331: Chapter 212 Research


    Li Shiming sat in a corner of the Dan Ding Hall, where he was making the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill.¡¯ This was an elixir to aid cultivators in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and it was an elixir recipe developed by a former alchemist of the Shushan Sect.


    The advantage of the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ was that its ingredients were First and Second Grade Spirit Medicines, which the sect cultivated. Cultivators could exchange contribution points for the spiritual medicines needed in the recipe or directly exchange for the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ itself.


    At this time, Master Ma didn¡¯t pay attention to him, as he was busy with his own affairs.


    Master Ma had already demonstrated the process of making the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ to Li Shiming once and had also shared the tricks of the trade, holding nothing back.


    During Master Ma¡¯s alchemy process, he even allowed Li Shiming to use his Spiritual Thought to explore.


    This gave Li Shiming firsthand data on making Second Grade Spirit Pills. Although it wasn¡¯t he who personally did it, he had experience in making First-grade Spirit Pills, which made it very easy for him to get started.


    ...


    The temperature of the spirit carbon in the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace was under his control, precisely adjusted to what was required for alchemy.


    The aroma of the medicine was already wafting out from the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace. Master Ma glanced over, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth, seemingly in a very good mood.


    Li Shiming¡¯s fingers flicked lightly, as he used the Seven Finger Refining Pill Technique. After seven gestures, seven Spirit Pills flew out of the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace and into a jade bottle.


    He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. The furnace hadn¡¯t yielded a full batch, and only two were high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯; the rest were intermediate, indicating that he still had issues with controlling the properties of the medicine.


    He wasn¡¯t satisfied with his alchemy this time. With IBM z15 collecting data and analyzing all problems during the alchemy process, he was essentially cheating. Such results could not be deemed satisfactory in his view.


    He cleaned out the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace, which Master Ma had given to him as a gift. In one night, he had refined it to 30% effectiveness, just meeting the requirements for alchemy.


    Li Shiming began making the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ again, given that Master Ma supplied the materials and there was no need to worry about that aspect.


    The second time he made the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill,¡¯ he produced ten pills, most of which were high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills.¡¯


    By the fifth repetition of crafting the pill, he could control every step of making the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill,¡¯ raising the quality of every pill to high-grade.


    Master Ma stopped his work and looked at Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy process in puzzlement.


    Li Shiming¡¯s ability to correct mistakes astonished him. If he made a mistake once, he would never make it again, a trait completely different from other alchemists.


    What alchemists most often discuss is a certain feeling, and they pursue this feeling in alchemy, but Li Shiming seemed to have a standard in his mind, consistently aiming for that criterion.


    ¡°Master, I have learned how to make the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯!¡± Li Shiming announced, holding up a jade bottle containing ten high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ to Master Ma.


    ¡°Then keep making them. This counts as fulfilling a sect task, and it¡¯s a good opportunity for you to accumulate some elixir pills for cultivation,¡± Master Ma instructed with a wave of his hand.


    In reality, Master Ma was not calm inside. The standard Li Shiming had set for learning an elixir recipe was high-grade, and he wanted to see if Li Shiming would maintain such standards when making more difficult elixir pills.


    Moreover, what Li Shiming currently lacked was the experience of making Second-grade pills, something that required a lot of practice to compensate for.


    The ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ was also an elixir Li Shiming needed for his cultivation. With his skill level, there was no waste at all, and each batch could leave two pills for his use while also supplementing his cultivation pills during the practice process.


    Li Shiming obeyed Master Ma¡¯s command and spent the following days alchemizing in the Dan Ding Hall.


    The ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ he made would be mixed with lower and intermediate ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ for exchanges, so during these days, sect cultivators who exchanged for the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ found, to their surprise, high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ occasionally appearing in the bottles.


    Normally, it is intermediate alchemists who make the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill,¡¯ and even those who regularly make this particular pill cannot guarantee high-grade results.


    High-level alchemists and Alchemy Masters capable of making high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ would not bother with such a basic-stage elixir.


    Therefore, finding high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ in the sect¡¯s exchange is rare, of course, this is referring to regular cultivators. True Disciples can exchange for high-grade Spirit Pills, which is one of the benefits of being a True Disciple.


    Three days later, while Li Shiming was making a batch of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills,¡¯ a pill caught his attention as he tapped the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace to release the pills.


    This pill exuded a purple aura, the hallmark of a top-grade Spirit Pill, which was very easy to recognize.


    He had actually made a top-grade Spirit Pill, his first time producing a top-grade Spirit Pill.


    Top-grade Spirit Pills were known as perfect elixirs. Not only were their effects especially good, but they also did not produce any drug resistance. One could keep taking them indefinitely, provided they had enough top-grade Spirit Pills without needing to switch to other elixirs due to drug resistance.


    Of course, this was almost impossible, as top-grade Spirit Pills were serendipitous, not something even Alchemy Masters could guarantee. Luck was the deciding factor for the appearance of top-grade Spirit Pills.


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 Chapter 332: 212 Research_2

    Chapter 332: Chapter 212 Research_2


    ¡°Why are there top-grade Spirit Pills?¡± Li Shiming did not believe it was due to luck; there must be some reason of which he was unaware.


    Fortunately, IBMz15 faithfully recorded every alchemy process, allowing him to pull up all the alchemy data for study.


    Among the extensive data, he did not find anything different about this batch of Elixir Pills compared to previous ones. His nearly perfect ¡®Golden Sun Fire Control Technique,¡¯ ¡®Green Willow Sensing Spirit Technique,¡¯ and ¡®Seven Finger Refining Pill Technique¡¯ should theoretically ensure consistent quality across all Elixir Pills.


    Neither he nor IBMz15 could analyze any special traits from the data. It seemed, just as Master Ma had said, that top-grade Spirit Pills were purely a product of luck.


    When he cleaned the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace again, he felt a slight change in the medicinal qi inside it.


    A thought flickered in his mind, considering a possibility.


    ...


    ¡°Master, may I take the Spiritual Medicine back to my cave to refine?¡± he requested of Master Ma.


    Being watched by the Master, it was inconvenient for him to employ certain techniques.


    ¡°Take one hundred portions of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ ingredients back with you; just bring the completed ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ when you return!¡± Master Ma was very confident in his alchemy skills and would not refuse his request.


    Li Shiming was capable of refining early-stage Foundation Establishment Elixir Pills, which was the highest level any intermediate alchemist could achieve. To further improve his alchemy skills, he either had to continue learning alchemy inheritance to elevate his Pill Master rank to advanced.


    Or he had to nurture the Red Sun Spiritual Fire to a usable level. Second-grade Red Sun Spiritual Fire was sufficient to refine any second-grade Spiritual Medicine. By then, even using intermediate alchemist techniques, all Foundation Establishment Spiritual Medicines could be refined.


    Master Ma would not force growth. Although Li Shiming was extremely skilled at alchemy, he had only started learning not long ago and still lacked experience, so it was best to solidify his foundation before elevating his alchemist rank.


    Li Shiming, carrying one hundred portions of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ ingredients, rode his sword light back to Sword Holding Peak. In the sky, he sensed a breakthrough in Sword Intent from Li Yuanba in the distance. With a slight smile, a thread of Sword Intent formed on his fingertips, dancing in the air.


    The Sword Intent mastered by the clone, Li Yuanba, normally could not be taught to others.


    Sword Intent is something that can be intuitively understood but not transmitted verbally; it is a perception of the sword, and also a talent ability.


    But Li Yuanba and Li Shiming were one and the same. Besides some sword techniques that required specific Cultivation Techniques, everything, including Sword Intent, could be easily shared by Li Shiming from Li Yuanba.


    Especially in terms of talent for Sword Cultivation, Li Shiming¡¯s talent was far inferior to that of his clone, Li Yuanba.


    Before becoming a clone, Li Yuanba had been cultivated as a Sword Cultivator by Elder Baili, practiced the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ and had a Gold Attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root, which is the most elite body type for a Sword Cultivator.


    Li Shiming could simply reap the benefits. Wasn¡¯t this the advantage he considered when he nurtured Li Yuanba as a clone?


    Back in the cave at Sword Holding Peak, Li Shiming no longer had any reservations. He took the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace into his machine room space.


    Inside the machine room space, he had micrometer-level control. He could still use ¡®Golden Sun Fire Control Technique¡¯ and ¡®Green Willow Sensing Spirit Technique¡¯; as for the ¡®Seven Finger Refining Pill Technique,¡¯ he could replace it with Spiritual Thought.


    Moreover, micrometer-level control was comprehensive; even without using these secret techniques, he could refine directly.


    He commanded IBMz15 to begin recording the alchemy process.


    Especially the internal situation of the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace, his Spiritual Thought was there, and micrometer-level perception was enough to detect any subtle changes inside the Pill Furnace.


    Refining a batch of Elixir Pills took about one and a half two-hour periods; he could refine up to three batches per day.


    Last time a top-level ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ appeared was during the tenth batch in the control room space, where this speed could not be accelerated. However, since he was within his own cave dwelling, he had the time to refine Elixir Pills whenever possible, managing several more batches each day.


    He had set a plan for himself, to refine up to five batches of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ per day within his cave dwelling, so that the time spent would not affect his other cultivations.


    The ¡®Purple Qi Eastward¡¯ every morning was never discontinued, as it was his most important cultivation technique, even more crucial than his main cultivation technique at the moment.


    ¡®Purple Qi Eastward¡¯ was compensating for his innate talent deficiencies, something that would impact his future path in cultivation, and he dared not take it lightly.


    Body Refinement also could not be stopped daily, as achieving greatness in body refinement made him feel the enhancement of his Taoist Body every time he cultivated the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ and he was gradually catching up with Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Li Shiming understood his advantages; the reason he could achieve his current accomplishments with a three spirit root seeds talent was largely due to body refinement, even Elder Su had once praised his talent for it.


    He needed to maintain his advantage in body refinement, as it was his assurance against enemies during the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    In the control room space, the spirit carbon ignited and heated the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace, and the process, under the control of his consciousness, was no different from performing it in the outside world.


    The first refining process of the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ was uneventful, resulting in ten high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills,¡¯ and the quality was even higher than those refined in the outside world.


    This was because, in the control room space, Li Shiming was refining from a God-like perspective, able to perceive micrometer-level changes in the Pill Furnace, refining the alchemy data analyzed by the IBMz15 to perfection.


    He checked the time and continued to start refining the second batch of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills.¡¯


    Perhaps due to bad luck, he had been refining ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ for several consecutive days, with micrometer-level perception in the control room space allowing the IBMz15 to collect more comprehensive alchemy data.


    Yet the top-tier elixirs he desired had not appeared even once; he had already refined more than twenty batches of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills,¡¯ twice the duration it initially took for a top-tier elixir to appear.


    He then understood what Master Ma had said: the appearance of top-tier Spirit Pills had no traceable signs; it was purely dependent on luck.


    Finally, on the sixth day, another top-tier ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ was refined.


    ¡°Finally, it has been refined!¡± Li Shiming said excitedly, waving his hand vigorously.


    The mysterious veil of the top-tier Spirit Pill was finally lifted before him; through the records on IBMz15, he saw the entire process of the top-tier ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ formation.


    The alchemy process in the control room space involved micrometer-level material changes, only achievable with such meticulous monitoring in the control room space.


    He discovered that there was an abundance of a particular substance in the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace at that time, and at the moment of pill formation, this ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ absorbed these special substances, thereby elevating its quality to top-tier.


    He reviewed the previous alchemy records and found that this special substance was produced during the alchemy process, each time in very small quantities.


    About ten batches¡¯ worth could produce one top-tier Spirit Pill; it could only be said that his first time refining a top-tier ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ was incredibly lucky, just enough to trigger the emergence of a top-tier Spirit Pill by reaching this special substance¡¯s quantity.


    Upon examining the alchemy records in the control room space this time, he discovered a significant amount of this special substance had been lost; when it reached a certain concentration, it either did not merge with the Spirit Pills or it merged simultaneously with several Spirit Pills, thus failing to form the basis for nurturing a top-tier Spirit Pill.


    Knowing the reasons for producing top-tier elixirs, Li Shiming began to prepare to make this probabilistic production a regular occurrence.


    For other alchemists, even an Alchemy Master, extracting that bit of special substance mixed with other various substances from the Pill Furnace was utterly impossible.


    But in the control room space, under his micrometer-level control, he could manipulate every micro-particle of the special substance, and could completely gather all the special substances produced in each batch, thereby creating the basis for producing top-tier Spirit Pills himself.


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 Chapter 333: 213: Success (Extra for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)

    Chapter 333: Chapter 213: Success (Extra chapter for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)


    Two more days had passed, and Li Shiming had produced ten furnaces of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯, all of which were still of a high-grade quality.


    His consciousness carefully separated the ¡®Essence of Medicine¡¯ within the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace from the remaining materials. This operation was extremely taxing on his spirit, needing him to pick out the particles of medicine one by one.


    ¡®Essence of Medicine¡¯ was the name he had given to a special substance he discovered himself; he hadn¡¯t found any description of such a substance in existing Alchemy knowledge. It was very likely that he was the first Alchemist to discover this material, thus he naturally had the right to name it.


    The name ¡®Essence of Medicine¡¯ was for his personal use; the method he used to extract the essence was not something he could show to other cultivators.


    That was not a concern, however, as Alchemists would not concoct Elixir Pills in front of other cultivators.


    He didn¡¯t worry about others learning his special techniques, let alone he wasn¡¯t even prepared to tell anyone, including Master Ma, about the discovery of the Essence of Medicine, mainly because it was inexplicable.


    ...


    With a solemn expression, he began concocting a new furnace of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯, being extremely cautious with every step, fearing that a single accidental error might affect the quality of the Elixir Pills.


    At the final stage of the pill concoction, he pulled the Essence of Medicine, enveloped by his consciousness, into the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace and chose one ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ about to form, to merge with it.


    When the purple light flickered, a smile appeared on his face.


    He stored the top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ separately in a jade vial, which already contained three top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯.


    Though there were only three top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯, after discovering the method to concoct top-grade Spirit Pills, he could almost produce top-grade Spirit Pills in bulk.


    Of course, the prerequisite was that he needed to significantly produce a certain kind of Spirit Pill, and ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ was exactly the type of Spirit Pill that the sect could produce in bulk.


    Li Shiming went to the Cultivation Room, placed one top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ into his mouth, and began practicing the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯. The surging Spiritual Energy flowed from the top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯, transforming into a torrent of Spiritual Energy that coursed through his cultivation technique pathway.


    He felt the accelerated effect brought by the Spirit Pill; this speed of cultivation was twenty times the effect without using Spirit Pills, no wonder cultivators were so eager for them.


    Ironically, this pill he personally concocted, the top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯, was the very first Elixir Pill he had ever taken since he started his path of cultivation.


    Coming from another world, he knew how terrifying drug resistance could be.


    In his previous world, a medication could heal a condition with just a few milligrams upon its introduction, but years later, the same condition required doses dozens of times larger and still might not be cured.


    This fear of drug resistance had always made him instinctively resistant to taking Elixir Pills.


    If he had not concocted the top-grade Elixir Pills himself, he would still be hesitant about when to start using Elixir Pills for cultivation.


    The biggest benefit of top-grade Spirit Pills was that they had no drug resistance, negating the need to worry about the efficacy decreasing with multiple doses.


    When one cycle of practicing the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ ended, Li Shiming confirmed the effects of taking the top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯, which had equaled twenty days of cultivation in one session.


    The twenty-fold increase in cultivation speed made him highly demand the top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯.


    With his constitution, one day was enough to completely assimilate the effects of a top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t produce a top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ every day; with his current rate of producing five furnaces of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ a day, he could only produce one top-grade pill every two days.


    Twenty-one days after retrieving a hundred portions of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ materials, he headed to Dan Ding Peak with eight hundred high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯.


    ¡°Shiming is here!¡± Master Ma was concocting pills and smiled as he saw Li Shiming coming in, nodding his head.


    Li Shiming was surprised to see not just one Pill Furnace in front of Master Ma, but ten, and all ten furnaces were Spiritual Artifacts.


    Master Ma was concurrently concocting pills in ten furnaces, which greatly shocked Li Shiming, now an Intermediate Alchemist. He could understand the immense difficulty of this task, simultaneously operating ten Pill Furnaces and still being able to split his attention to talk was unimaginable to him.


    ¡°The sect needs to prepare a batch of emergency pills, and I rarely personally make such low-grade Elixir Pills!¡± Master Ma explained with a smile after seeing Li Shiming¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°Master, how can you manage to concoct ten furnaces of Elixir Pills at once?¡± Li Shiming¡¯s eyes shone brightly. If he possessed this technique, he could possibly concoct five top-grade Spirit Pills every day.


    Then, not only could he take a top-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ every day for cultivation, but he could also save up a batch for future needs.


    What a marvelous method of cultivation that would be, enhancing his cultivation level at twenty times the speed, making him incomparable even to cultivators with a Heavenly Spirit Root.


    ¡°If you possess Divine Thought, I will teach you this Secret Technique!¡± Master Ma said, smiling at Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming immediately thought of a Cultivation Technique, the ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡¯, which could enhance Spiritual Thought to Divine Thought during the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. However, he felt his current Spiritual Thought was still somewhat lacking and estimated that it wouldn¡¯t reach the requirement to practice the ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡¯ until he reached the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


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 Chapter 334: 213: Success (Extra for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)_2

    Chapter 334: Chapter 213: Success (Extra chapter for FangXiuV until death FangXiu)_2


    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have a cultivation technique for Divine Thought, do you?¡± Master Ma asked as he noticed Li Shiming¡¯s bewildered expression.


    ¡°I unexpectedly came across a Secret Technique named ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡¯ but currently, my Spiritual Thought is insufficient, so I can¡¯t cultivate it!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t hide anything, after all, this technique was originally intended for Foundation Establishment Cultivators without Divine Thought.


    By the Golden Core Stage, cultivators naturally possess Divine Thought, which greatly reduces the value of this technique.


    ¡°No wonder Xiao Su always speaks of your good fortune. A technique for refining Divine Thought is something that even within our sect, there is only one copy, and that belongs to an ancestor¡¯s secret teachings, extremely difficult for anyone outside his lineage to acquire!¡± Master Ma couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and laugh as he said this.


    Fate and fortune are intangible, yet their existence must be acknowledged.


    With Li Shiming possessing a third-grade spirit root seed, look at his level of cultivation and the techniques he studies, none worse than those of a True Disciple in a great sect ¨C this is his good fortune.


    ...


    ¡°Wait till I finish refining this batch of Elixir Pills, then I¡¯ll talk with you!¡± Master Ma¡¯s focus returned to his alchemy.


    Li Shiming sat by the side, observing Master Ma¡¯s alchemical process, an opportunity to gather data on alchemy that he wouldn¡¯t miss.


    Though Master Ma didn¡¯t care much for these Elixir Pills, the process of making these early-stage Foundation Establishment healing pills was highly valuable for reference for Li Shiming.


    Furthermore, since Master Ma didn¡¯t limit Li Shiming from using his Spiritual Thought, this allowed for even more comprehensive data collection.


    Having collected the data for this particular Spirit Pill, he could surely manufacture it himself, and the quality would not be low either.


    He was no longer a novice at crafting Second Grade Spiritual Medicine; with his experience, he could at least guarantee no failures when crafting similar grade pills, and with several more batches, he could achieve high-grade quality.


    In the future, as long as he crafted more Second Grade Spiritual Medicines and collected sufficient data, he could directly produce high-grade Spirit Pills from any recipe he obtained.


    ¡°Master, why do we need to make so many healing Elixir Pills?¡± Li Shiming, although unaware of this pill¡¯s name, knew its properties and asked curiously.


    ¡°What else could it be? Recently, the Devil Cultivators have been increasingly active, and a conflict between the righteous and devil cultivators is very likely to erupt again soon. The sect needs to prepare a large number of healing and detoxifying Elixir Pills. Don¡¯t mention this outside; it might cause unnecessary panic!¡± Master Ma casually remarked and then thought to add another instruction.


    Li Shiming shuddered inwardly as he recalled the scene of Mingxin Sect invading Sky Sea Island. Although there was no widespread slaughter, it caused the seven sects to be uprooted from their homes, abandoning the gates they had operated for countless years.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we alchemists won¡¯t be involved in fighting. If alchemists need to enter the battle, then there¡¯s no point in continuing the fight!¡± Master Ma laughed and consoled further.


    As he spoke, Divine Thought faintly touched upon ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces, opening them all simultaneously. A hundred Spirit Pills flew out, creating a spectacular scene.


    He stored all the Spirit Pills in jade bottles and handed them over to a nearby Pill Boy before putting away the Spiritual Artifact Furnaces.


    ¡°Shiming, this ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡¯ is indeed useful for you; your foundation in Spiritual Thought is very solid, likely because you cultivated it during the Qi Refinement Realm. I have a Nourishing God Jade here, an object I used in the past for nourishing the soul; you should be able to significantly enhance your Spiritual Thought quickly using it, and once you can cultivate Divine Thought, I will teach you the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡¯!¡± Master Ma took out a piece of jade and handed it to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming took the Nourishing God Jade, an object not crafted by man but a natural spiritual object.


    The moment he touched it, he felt a faint energy emanating from the Nourishing God Jade which gave his soul a refreshing coolness.


    ¡°Master, this is too precious!¡± Although he was unaware of the exact value of the Nourishing God Jade, any object that could nurture the soul was far from ordinary, and its value could even rival that of a magical artifact.


    ¡°When you¡¯ve been an alchemist for a long time, you¡¯ll understand how easy it is for alchemists to earn riches!¡± Master Ma said with a laugh and a wave of his hand.


    The Nourishing God Jade indeed was a treasure, but its effect on a Golden Core cultivator was not significant.


    Li Shiming¡¯s talent in alchemy had convinced Master Ma to fully support his training.


    Though Li Shiming was only a Registered Disciple, his relationship with Master Ma and Elder Su made little difference from that of a Direct Disciple.


    ¡°Master, I want to take on more ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ alchemy tasks!¡± Li Shiming finally spoke up about his intention.


    ¡°The ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ you¡¯ve crafted are all of high quality, which has indeed increased the sect cultivators who exchange for them, especially now when there¡¯s a shortage of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills.¡¯ The sect can assure you full support in gathering materials for ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯!¡± Master Ma decided without any hesitation.


    Handling alchemy matters was his responsibility. Furthermore, the high quality of the Spirit Pills Li Shiming produced made them extremely popular, effectively enhancing the sect¡¯s strength.


    Additionally, this arrangement could allow some alchemists to shift to crafting battle-preparedness Spirit Pills, the demand for which was incredibly high. Otherwise, there would be no need for an Alchemy Master like himself to step in.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Li Shiming expressed his gratitude, visibly happy upon receiving Master Ma¡¯s approval.


    In the following days, wearing the Nourishing God Jade, his Spiritual Thought continually grew stronger, especially when combined with ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± causing a remarkable transformation in his soul.


    At the beginning of the month, Li Shiming went to Heavenly Eye Peak, which marked his monthly visit to see Elder Su.


    ¡°Little junior brother, how is your alchemy learning going recently?¡± Big sister Ye Jingxian asked Li Shiming with a smile as they waited for their master¡¯s arrival in the pavilion.


    Ye Jingxian was quite surprised when she heard of Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy talent and his acceptance as a Registered Disciple by Uncle Ma.


    The profession of alchemists is highly respected among cultivators, but only those with very high success rates. The life of alchemists in their formative years is not easy.


    Senior sister Ye Jingxian cared about Li Shiming and offered to help if needed. Her family could provide him with plenty of Spiritual Medicine for practice.


    ¡°I have passed the Intermediate Alchemist examination!¡± Li Shiming replied, appreciating Ye Jingxian¡¯s kind intentions, with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re already an Intermediate Alchemist?¡± Xu Chuan exclaimed in disbelief.


    It had not been long since Li Shiming joined the sect and even less since he began learning alchemy under Uncle Ma. And now to have become an Intermediate Alchemist, that was truly unbelievable.


    ¡°By the way, this bottle of elixir will suit you well, senior brother!¡± Li Shiming said as he handed over a jade bottle.


    The jade bottle contained twenty percent of the yield from his crafting of ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills,¡¯ a lesser amount retained for the sect compared to the one-third usually drawn when crafting for individual cultivators.


    ¡°Senior brother, I only use high-grade Spirit Pills. The ones you crafted...¡± Xu Chuan, having a life-saving bond with Li Shiming, didn¡¯t feel the need to hold back. He spoke as he opened the jade bottle, but paused upon seeing the pills inside.


    He retrieved a high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill,¡¯ examining it closely. The enshrouding purple aura did not look fake at all.


    ¡°Recently, the sect released a batch of exceptionally effective high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills,¡¯ which look exactly like this one!¡± He then took another jade bottle, compared another high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill.¡¯


    He realized that the aura of both high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ was identical, confirming they were crafted by the same person.


    ¡°Good junior brother, I¡¯ll rely on you for all my cultivation pills from now on! You know, even I, a True Disciple, have to fight to get such high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills.¡¯ The Merit Hall is hoarding these pills which are twenty percent more effective than other high-grade ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills.¡¯ Turns out they were all crafted by you. Now I won¡¯t have to worry about cultivation pills anymore!¡±


    Xu Chuan spoke quickly and urgently, clearly very excited.


    A twenty percent increase in cultivation effects, just this benefit alone made early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators go crazy. The extra effectiveness meant that their strength would surpass that of other cultivators.


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 Chapter 335: 214 Immaculate

    Chapter 335: Chapter 214 Immaculate


    ¡°`


    ¡°Junior Brother, it looks like in a few more years, we¡¯ll be relying on you for the Spirit Pills we need for cultivation!¡± Senior Sister Ye Jingxian was very pleased as she looked at Li Shiming.


    Although Li Shiming was only an Intermediate Alchemist, and advancing to an Advanced Alchemist was necessary to refine Elixir Pills for the Middle-Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, he had exhibited extraordinary aptitude in alchemy. Even if it meant waiting a few more years, there was hope for more effective Spirit Pills in the future, which couldn¡¯t help but please her greatly.


    ¡°Senior Sister flatters me. Once I advance to an Advanced Alchemist, I will definitely refine Spirit Pills for Senior Sister and our two Senior Brothers!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    Both the second Senior Brother, Wan Zheng, and third Senior Brother, Lu Shi, had surprise in their eyes. With their Junior Brother¡¯s high alchemy talent, their already close relationship seemed set to become even closer.


    ¡°Greetings, Master!¡± At that moment, Elder Su appeared in the pavilion, and all the disciples quickly bowed in salutation.


    ...


    ¡°Good, none of you have neglected your cultivation lately, especially you, Shiming. It seems that learning alchemy hasn¡¯t impacted your cultivation, which puts my mind at ease!¡± Elder Su¡¯s gaze swept over his disciples as he nodded and smiled.


    Li Shiming¡¯s talent was too poor; as a new disciple, he naturally was a prime focus of concern for him.


    He had previously worried that Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy would affect his cultivation. Today, seeing the evident increase in the Spiritual Power Pattern on Li Shiming¡¯s body and sensing no Elixir Pills¡¯ aura, it was clear that Li Shiming had not consumed Elixir Pills and was relying solely on his own efforts.


    This was the advantage of top-tier Spirit Pills; once the medicinal power within was absorbed, no residue was left in the body.


    ¡°Jingxian, you should go into closed-door cultivation soon!¡± Elder Su turned and instructed Ye Jingxian.


    ¡°Master, my comprehension isn¡¯t sufficient. Closing myself off won¡¯t break through the barrier!¡± Ye Jingxian was a bit stunned and quickly replied.


    Li Shiming had heard about Senior Sister Ye Jingxian¡¯s situation. She was at the Half-step Golden Core stage; although she was only one step away from the Golden Core, that one step was as daunting as a chasm. To cross it, one needed not only a peak Taoist Body, Spiritual Power, and Spirit but also needed to temper their Taoist heart and comprehend the will of heaven.


    This step couldn¡¯t be explained in words. Each Cultivator¡¯s insight into advancing to Golden Core was unique and varied according to the individual; it was something Senior Sister had to comprehend on her own.


    The best situation would be for Senior Sister to continually try, using various methods to stimulate her own insights.


    Last time she took Li Shiming¡¯s Monkey Wine was one such method, attempting to disrupt the balance of her body in hopes of advancing her physique and inducing insights toward Golden Core.


    Closed-door cultivation wasn¡¯t a good choice for her, as what Senior Sister Ye Jingxian lacked wasn¡¯t Spiritual Power; the effect of her cultivating alone was almost negligible.


    ¡°Your situation is special. Once the war between our sect and the Devil Cultivators begins, being a Half-step Golden Core, you might face Golden Core opponents. It¡¯s better for you to start closed-door cultivation early!¡± Elder Su slowly revealed the reason.


    ¡°Master, is the Demon Sect getting ready to wage war against the Taoist sects?¡± Ye Jingxian asked in surprise.


    ¡°This won¡¯t happen shortly, but the Demon Sect has been quite active lately, and the major Righteous Path sects are preparing for battle!¡± Elder Su nodded slightly.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about his disciples, except for Ye Jingxian.


    Each of his disciples had life-saving artifacts that could at least preserve their lives, so their chances of surviving the upcoming battle were very high.


    But Ye Jingxian was different. According to the unwritten rules of war between the Righteous and Demonic forces, higher-level Cultivators typically didn¡¯t attack those of a lower stage.


    However, this didn¡¯t include Half-step Golden Cores, who were already on the threshold of Golden Core to some extent.


    Moreover, the threat of a Half-step Golden Core was too significant. Not only would they add a Golden Core Elder to the Righteous Path if they advanced, but they were also virtually invincible among Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Leaving a Half-step Golden Core unchecked would increase the losses among Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Not to mention that the Righteous Path would prioritize dealing with the Half-step Golden Cores of the Demon Sect.


    ¡°Shiming here has become an Intermediate Alchemist right after joining the sect, so he doesn¡¯t need to go into battle. But you, Chuan¡¯er, are too rough. Be very careful if you encounter any enemies!¡±


    Elder Su continued, handing out a talisman to each disciple. ¡°This is a ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman,¡¯ keep it for your safety!¡±


    Li Shiming accepted the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman,¡¯ understanding it was the difference between being a disciple of a Golden Core Elder and a common Cultivator.


    Disciples of a Golden Core Elder could accumulate a certain number of life-saving artifacts through their master¡¯s rewards and gifts, while ordinary Cultivators rarely even caught a glimpse of such items.


    After learning from Elder Su about the potential major conflict between the Righteous and Demonic forces, Li Shiming felt the pressure.


    Although he wouldn¡¯t have to go to battle, there was concern for Li Yuanba, who, being part of the Senluo Sect, was a Combat Cultivator.


    It remained uncertain if the Senluo Sect would partake in this great war between the Righteous and Demonic forces, but it seemed likely they would, being one of the several major Demon Sects in Beishu.


    Upon returning to Sword Holding Peak, he continued his daily routine of alchemy training. The atmosphere within the sect became somewhat tense, with a sharp increase in the exchange of various Elixir Pills.


    Senior Sister adhered to Elder Su¡¯s instructions and went into seclusion, announcing her intention to seek the will of the Golden Core.


    After conversing with Yin Shilan, Li Shiming learned that the Thousand Illusion Sect, an ally of Shushan Sect, also reported preparations. Should a war break out, the two allied sects would certainly support each other.


    There was no need to worry about Yin Shilan, who was an Array Master; the tasks she undertook were not dangerous.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 336: 214 Immaculate_2

    Chapter 336: Chapter 214 Immaculate_2


    The days passed in a seemingly calm manner, yet undercurrents surged beneath the surface.


    In the blink of an eye, a year had passed, and the liquid Five Elements Spiritual Power inside Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Lake had nearly filled it to the brim. His realm was approaching the peak of early-stage Foundation Establishment, and it might not be long before he could attempt to advance to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation speed was even faster than Li Yuanba, who possessed the Heavenly Spirit Root at Senluo Sect and who utilized a top-grade Spirit Pill daily to accelerate his cultivation.


    However, his progress in cultivation was not the most significant change; the real transformation was in his Taoist Body.


    For over a year he cultivated the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± technique daily without fail. Although Sword Holding Peak was a smaller peak, its height surpassed the clouds, and even on rainy days, the summit could greet the first rays of morning sun.


    Thus, for more than a year, he had never interrupted his cultivation of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward.¡±


    ...


    Using the Fnelnel Reflector, his over a year-long cultivation of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± amounted to continuous cultivation of more than a hundred years of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward.¡±


    And the impact of a trace of Violet Aura consumed once compared to a hundredfold amount consumed in one go was completely different.


    If the Violet Aura he had absorbed and merged during this year were to be extended over more than a hundred years for digestion and absorption, the effect would greatly reduce.


    Now, his Taoist Body had undergone a peculiar transformation: his skin was smooth and glossy, nearly poreless, resembling that of an infant.


    Especially during cultivation: although most of his cultivation was through absorbing the Spiritual Energy from top-grade Spirit Pills, a small part of the Spiritual Energy came from spirit veins.


    During his cultivation, Spiritual Energy entered his body through his pores, and now, even though his pores were invisible, every tiny bit of his skin could absorb Spiritual Energy.


    His Taoist Body¡¯s muscles had also changed. Due to cultivating the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± his muscles had been as hard as iron, but now they were relaxed and flexible, showing no signs of the strenuous Body Refining Techniques he practiced.


    The bones in his Taoist Body had turned completely jade-colored, with the only exception being the Sword Bone in his right thumb. The Sword Intent within, nourished by the Violet Aura for a long time, had taken on a purple hue and even acquired Thunder Strike effects.


    Li Shiming did not know if the Thunder Strike effect influenced by the Violet Aura cultivated from his practice of the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± was a likely scenario, and if not, there was no explaining how the unspecialized Violet Aura nourished Sword Intent to have a Thunder Strike effect.


    This was also his self-developed special Sword Intent effect, and it was something Li Yuanba could not share.


    Because this Sword Intent effect relied on the Sword Bone in his right thumb, without this bone¡¯s support, he could not exhibit this Thunder Strike-capable Sword Intent.


    The other bones in his Taoist Body had become fully jade-like, not to mention their increased hardness. Not counting the effects of the more than a year-long ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± cultivation, his body had been strengthened by over a year of Body Refinement Techniques to levels far exceeding those of Late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    The Violet Aura from ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± was an enhancement based on the level of body refinement beyond the Foundation Establishment stage, which brought immense benefits to him.


    In his perception, his Taoist Body was without a single scar.


    The scars he perceived were not ordinary scars but concealed injuries from battles and cultivation. Some of these injuries were visible, while others were not.


    He had been severely injured in battles and experienced slight damage during Body Refinement cultivation sessions. Though he could heal naturally, there would always be some residual risks.


    Previously, Li Shiming would still find these minute, irreparable damages, similar to scars on the skin which seemed healed but were actually still damaged and had not returned to normal.


    Unless he found some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to consume, which could heal these tiny injuries, but these treasures from legends were not so easily obtained.


    One must not underestimate these subtle injuries because, during cultivation, these tiny damages could mildly affect the circulation of Spiritual Energy in the body, which might not be noticeable in one day but could accumulate over time and even cause a breakout of issues.


    Many cultivators, after undergoing brutal battles, were no longer able to recover to their peak condition, thus getting stuck in their current realm.


    The transformation of his Dao Body also improved Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation speed. Now, even without the use of top-tier Spirit Pills, his cultivation speed could match those with Heavenly Spirit Root.


    A year of absorbing and merging the Violet Aura also brought about a mental change; his spirit had increased more than fivefold.


    This was not just the effect of the Violet Aura, but also of wearing the Nourishing God Jade, though he felt the effect of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± surpassed that of the Nourishing God Jade.


    Today, he decided to begin cultivating the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique.¡±


    In fact, he had met the mental requirements for cultivating the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡± several months ago, but he waited until now to avoid others¡¯ suspicions.


    Mainly, his transformation was rather significant, to the point where he even had Li Yuanba exchange a ¡°Demon Shadow Buddha Form Technique¡± at the Senluo Sect.


    The ¡°Demon Shadow Buddha Form Technique¡± is a supplementary Cultivation Technique of the Senluo Sect designed specifically to conceal one¡¯s own spirit energy, its effectiveness even capable of evading the Divine Thought scans of Golden Core cultivators.


    Of course, such an effective technique can¡¯t be exchanged by just any cultivator of the Senluo Sect; Li Yuanba, being a True Disciple, had the qualifications to do so, yet it still cost him two thousand contribution points.


    Li Shiming planned to use the ¡°Demon Shadow Buddha Form Technique¡± to conceal his transformation, especially the changes in his Dao Body, as the changes to his Dao Body were quite drastic.


    While reviewing some Taoist scriptures, he even wondered whether he was transitioning towards the legendary Pure Dao Body.


    Because all characteristics of his Dao Body were exceedingly similar to those of the legendary Pure Dao Body.


    He could hardly accurately judge the defensive power of his Dao Body now; at any rate, when he slashed at his own skin with a Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword, it could not leave the slightest wound.


    And his strength was astonishing, able to resist the defensive Arrays used by Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators multiple times, his grip on the Third Grade Sword Base allowing him to shatter one with sheer brute force.


    It could be said that although he appeared to be an early-stage Magic Cultivation on the surface, in reality, he had become a humanoid T-rex, capable of exerting strength that could shake a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator once in close quarters.


    All this stemmed from ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± from a whimsical idea of his.


    Even if some cultivators knew of the special effect of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± they couldn¡¯t achieve the same benefits as he did.


    Li Shiming persisted for over a year, cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± daily without stopping, and he still managed to keep it up.


    However, after reducing the effect by more than a hundred times, other cultivators would have to continuously cultivate ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± for over a hundred years, waiting for the sunrise facing the east every single morning.


    Not to mention the significant reduction in the effects of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± after leaving the Fenyel Reflecting Mirror, just enduring over a hundred years is an impossible feat.


    For cultivators, no matter what realm, over a hundred years is not a short period.


    For most cultivators, over a hundred years equals most of their lifetime. Using most of their lifetime, with no delays in cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± having no time to obtain other resources and opportunities, their cultivation journey is nearly equivalent to being cut off.


    Even for Golden Core cultivators, over a hundred years is not something to be wasted lightly; Golden Core cultivators¡¯ primary Cultivation Methods involve many continuous days of cultivation, and they surely can¡¯t interrupt their main Cultivation Method to cultivate ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡±!


    Therefore, although there have always been rumors about the effects of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± no cultivator would try to continuously cultivate it, only considering it a short-term and minor method to enhance their body.


    Cultivators have many ways to enhance their bodies, and ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± is not the most effective, nor is it the preferred choice of cultivators. Body Refining Techniques, Spirit Pills, Heaven-born Spiritual Objects, and so forth can all enhance the Dao Body in a shorter time with more noticeable effects.


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 Chapter 337: 215: Divine Thought

    Chapter 337: Chapter 215: Divine Thought


    Atop the Sword Holding Peak, Li Shiming sat cross-legged, with the Nourishing God Jade adhered to his forehead.


    To transform the Spiritual Thought of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator into Divine Thought was no easy task, and the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡± was a secret spiritual technique that enabled Foundation Establishment Cultivators to master Divine Thought ahead of time.


    A Spiritual Thought within his soul turned into a massive Spirit Iron Hammer, smashing down onto the Spiritual Thought itself.


    The impact of the Spirit Iron Hammer caused his entire body to tremble; since the Spiritual Thought possessed all five senses, such a heavy strike was as intensely felt as a direct attack on the soul itself.


    He took a deep breath as the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡± produced a special energy, replenishing the damaged Spiritual Thought.


    As the second blow of the Spirit Iron Hammer fell, his complexion had turned pale. At that moment, energy from the Nourishing God Jade combined with the special energy generated by the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡± to restore the battered Spiritual Thought.


    ...


    With the third strike, the fourth, his body was drenched in sweat, but excitement gleamed in his eyes.


    Because on his first attempt at cultivating the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡± he had withstood thirty-six full-force blows from the Spirit Iron Hammer, which was far more than he had anticipated.


    According to the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡± an average late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator could endure no more than twenty-odd hits from the Spirit Iron Hammer during their first attempt; surviving that many was considered an excellent result.


    He ceased the heavy hammering of the Spirit Iron Hammer and used the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡± to recover the depleted spirit.


    Once his spirit had recuperated, he resumed the second round of Spirit Iron Hammer strikes, forging his Spiritual Thought.


    In the following days, he stopped all alchemy. Apart from practicing ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± he halted all other cultivation practices and almost incessantly practiced the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique.¡±


    Only because his spirit was extraordinarily robust could he sustain such unrelenting use.


    Given that the benefits of cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± had increased his spirit beyond the level of late-stage Foundation Establishment, naturally, his progress with the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡± was rapidly advancing.


    Under such high-frequency forging, his Spiritual Thought was undergoing a transformation.


    ¡°Nine hundred ninety-nine times!¡± Li Shiming counted the number of Spirit Iron Hammer falls, with joy in his heart replacing the pain of the heavy strikes on his Spiritual Thought.


    He sensed that his Spiritual Thought was on the verge of a dramatic change, and his spirit had grown stronger from the days of practicing the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique.¡±


    ¡°One thousand times!¡± With the final strike of the Spirit Iron Hammer, his consciousness briefly blurred, and his soul temporarily lost its capacity for thought.


    Once he regained clarity, he perceived changes within himself; his cognitive speed had increased no less than fivefold.


    This sensation was like upgrading a computer¡¯s CPU¡ªso much so that he even felt this body and brain mismatched, with the body limiting the operating speed of the brain, which could otherwise accelerate.


    This was probably because his soul had been enhanced beyond the Foundation Establishment Stage, and although his body was strong, it had not transcended that stage.


    Even the best CPUs need suitable memory to perform at their best, similar to his current state.


    Li Shiming was getting a taste of what it felt like to be a Golden Core cultivator; his brain could process a vast amount of information at incredible speeds.


    This even impacted Li Yuanba of the Senluo Sect; his spirit, too, was invigorated. The connection between his main body and his split-off self grew tighter, with more autonomy in their thoughts and smoother handling of affairs.


    Li Shiming tried to mobilize his Divine Thought, extending it beyond his body.


    He immediately noticed the difference between Spiritual Thought and Divine Thought: if Spiritual Thought was a tendril carrying the five senses of the cultivator, then Divine Thought was a sensory network.


    In a normal state, Spiritual Thought was a thin thread of mental silk, whereas Divine Thought in its normal state was a spherical network that spread outwards from the body.


    Mobilizing his Divine Thought within, everything within the periphery of the Divine Thought was clearly perceived by him.


    The depth of perception with Divine Thought was also many times greater than with Spiritual Thought; akin to comparing a camera with two million pixels to one with twenty million pixels.


    When he concentrated his Divine Thought into a thin line, its intensity was dozens of times stronger than that of Spiritual Thought. He could sever the Spiritual Thought of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or even directly attack their spirit.


    Naturally, without any Divine Thought attack techniques, it was not wise to assault another cultivator¡¯s spirit unprotected; such actions could injure one¡¯s own Divine Thought and soul if the opponent possessed spiritual-protecting treasures or techniques, so very few Golden Core cultivators would use Divine Thought directly against enemies.


    Li Shiming felt he might not even need Master Ma¡¯s ¡°Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡± anymore. The ¡°Hundred Thoughts Thousand Reversions¡± he had previously obtained was also a method of Divine Splitting, although it was intended for Spiritual Thought and needed to be adjusted for Divine Thought.


    ¡°Forget it, I might as well go learn the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡¯ from Master Ma; after all, it is a Golden Core stage Divine Separation Technique,¡± he muttered to himself.


    The level of ¡°Hundred Thoughts Thousand Reversions¡± was too low, and modifying cultivation techniques on his own could potentially affect the outcome.


    Besides, he wasn¡¯t just looking to learn the ¡°Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique.¡± Over a year¡¯s time, the Red Sun Spirit Fire in his Spirit Lake had grown considerably, and lately, when refining elixir pills, he had begun using the Red Sun Spirit Fire for the process.


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 Chapter 338: 215: Divine Thought_2

    Chapter 338: Chapter 215: Divine Thought_2


    The Red Sun Spirit Fire is extremely convenient, especially within the engine room space; it doesn¡¯t require spirit carbon, only a replenishment of fire attribute spiritual power after refining is complete.


    With his current reserves of spiritual power, he could easily sustain the consumption of the Red Sun Spirit Fire and it wouldn¡¯t affect him much at all.


    Li Shiming stepped out of his cave abode, and with his divine thought released, the world appeared different to his eyes than it ever had before.


    He could perceive the spiritual energy in the void, noticing that the floating dust was mingled with pollen and a variety of other substances.


    He tried to control his flying sword with divine thought; the Central Palace Sword, under the control of divine thought, maneuvered nimbly as if driven by a new engine, and its speed was also faster.


    Becoming familiar with his divine thought, he had already arrived at Dan Ding Peak.


    ...


    He had access privileges to enter and exit Dan Ding Peak, and could directly enter Dan Ding Hall without notification.


    This was a treatment not extended to other disciples of Master Ma, as they didn¡¯t possess spiritual fire. Master Ma was cultivating Li Shiming as his successor.


    Master Ma would traditionally take a registered disciple when his end was near and then pass on his own spiritual fire to that disciple, signifying the true inheritance.


    However, the emergence of Li Shiming with his own spiritual fire offered Master Ma multiple options, allowing him to cultivate one more Alchemy Master for the sect.


    ¡°Shiming, you¡¯ve cultivated your divine thought!¡± As soon as Li Shiming entered Dan Ding Hall, the voice of Master Ma reached him.


    Li Shiming had just cultivated his divine thought, which he hadn¡¯t concealed at all, radiating from within, detectable by any Golden Core cultivator from a great distance.


    ¡°Master, I can learn the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡¯ now!¡± Li Shiming said excitedly.


    ¡°Rein in your divine thought a bit. If you encounter a Golden Core Elder, they might think you¡¯re trying to probe them, and I won¡¯t save you then!¡± Master Ma warned with a wave of his hand.


    Li Shiming also realized he was too excited. Divine thought and spiritual thought were actually quite similar; he couldn¡¯t dare to leave his spiritual thought exposed carelessly¡ªit could indeed lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.


    And divine thought was picking up so much more than spiritual thought, even more likely to be misconstrued by cultivators.


    ¡°This is the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique,¡¯ some of my insights into refining elixirs with multiple furnaces simultaneously. These are nine spirit artifact furnaces. All these items have been deducted from your mission rewards!¡± Master Ma said with a smile as he took out the already prepared items and tossed them in a storage bag to Li Shiming.


    In this past year, with daily pill refining, Li Shiming had accrued an extremely large number of contribution points.


    The reason why the sect¡¯s alchemy tasks required eight portions was precisely for the compensation in contribution points, which varied with the different elixir pills.


    Given his pace of refining five furnaces a day, plus the high quality of his elixir pills, he was earning more contribution points daily than a normal Foundation Establishment Cultivator would in a month.


    No wonder Master Ma said alchemists are wealthy; it is exceedingly easy for high-skilled alchemists to acquire wealth.


    Over the past year, Li Shiming hadn¡¯t even considered using technology from his previous life to make a profit in the Cultivation World; being an alchemist was enough to completely satisfy his cultivation needs.


    Thus, when Master Ma mentioned that contribution points had been used to pay for the cultivation technique and spiritual objects, Li Shiming didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Besides, Master Ma¡¯s experience and insights into alchemy were priceless, a precious heritage coveted by countless alchemists.


    Li Shiming took out the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡¯ and scanned its contents with his divine thought.


    He had the experience of cultivating the ¡®Hundred Thoughts Thousand Reversions,¡¯ and the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡¯ was an advanced version of it, specific to the divine thought splitting method.


    Within thirty minutes, he had successfully mastered the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique.¡¯


    Of course, this was thanks to his daily practice of multitasking and dividing his consciousness between his main body and his avatar; furthermore, the Nine Palace Sword Formation he used honed his ¡®Hundred Thoughts Thousand Reversions.¡¯


    ¡°`


    He did not dare to split off too many Divine Thoughts, opting to only create ten, following Master Ma¡¯s method.


    This was just one more Divine Thought than what he needed to manage the Nine Palace Sword Formation, so the difficulty wasn¡¯t too significant.


    However, the splitting of Divine Thoughts this time was entirely different from controlling the Nine Palace Sword Formation, where the Central Palace Sword managed the other eight flying swords most of the time.


    This time, ten independently thinking and analyzing Divine Thoughts were truly split off, meaning that if his spiritual power allowed, he could simultaneously control ten independent flying swords to combat his enemies.


    Master Ma watched Li Shiming with a smile, feeling extremely satisfied with this Registered Disciple, with the only dissatisfaction being that Li Shiming was merely his Registered Disciple.


    Li Shiming then consulted the insights from Master Ma on refining elixirs simultaneously in multiple furnaces. He had already simulated this process numerous times in the IBMz15 and was confident that after splitting his divine thoughts, he could simultaneously refine elixirs in ten furnaces.


    The powerful computational abilities of the IBMz15 ensured timely data analysis for ten furnaces of elixirs, providing the strongest support for him.


    Moreover, the year spent refining was not in vain, as his handling of Second Grade Spirit Medicine had become extremely proficient, not limited to only the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯.


    He had also refined a variety of early-stage Foundation Establishment elixirs for the Sect, mastering nearly all Sect¡¯s Pill Recipes that an Intermediate Alchemist could refine, and also ensuring that the quality of all refined elixirs reached a high level.


    ¡°Master, I will go back and study this thoroughly, and I anticipate taking on more Sect alchemy tasks in the future!¡± Li Shiming said, bowing deeply.


    ¡°How is your cultivation of Spiritual Fire progressing?¡± Master Ma inquired, looking up.


    Since Li Shiming had cultivated the Secret Technique for concealing one¡¯s Spiritual Fire that he had provided, he could no longer sense the state of the Red Sun Spirit Fire within Li Shiming.


    ¡°Master, I have been using the Red Sun Spirit Fire to refine elixirs recently, and the Red Sun Spirit Fire has reached Second Grade Middle Stage!¡± Li Shiming answered truthfully.


    Master Ma shook his head, finding it too effortless to mentor such a disciple, with not much sense of achievement.


    Within a year, Li Shiming had almost reached the limit of an Intermediate Alchemist, and due to refining five furnaces of elixirs each day, his accumulated experience was almost indistinguishable from those alchemists who had been learning for decades.


    This was related to the strength of Li Shiming¡¯s spirit. A typical alchemist¡¯s spirit would be exhausted after refining a single batch of elixirs, let alone refining five batches in a day.


    Especially since he was refining early-stage Foundation Establishment elixirs, which were essentially the highest grade elixirs that an Intermediate Alchemist could refine.


    Now that Li Shiming¡¯s Red Sun Spirit Fire had reached Second Grade Middle Stage, he had met the basic conditions to be promoted to a High-level Alchemist.


    ¡°After you entered my tutelage, I actually haven¡¯t taught you much. Today, I will officially impart to you the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture.¡¯ I hope you quickly advance to become a High-level Alchemist, come with me!¡± Master Ma decided after some thought, and spoke earnestly.


    He led Li Shiming to another location on Dan Ding Peak, where the legacy plaques of the past Alchemy Masters of the Shushan Sect were enshrined.


    Accepting the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ inheritance was essentially taking on the Alchemy Master legacy.


    This was the most fundamental Alchemy Dao inheritance of the Shushan Sect, and only alchemists with a Spiritual Fire and the potential to become an Alchemy Master were eligible for this Alchemy Dao inheritance.


    Li Shiming respectfully kowtowed to the past Alchemy Masters and made a vow with his soul, finally receiving the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ inheritance.


    Master Ma felt somewhat gratified as he was in such a hurry to pass on the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ not just because Li Shiming had met the conditions, but also for another important reason: Li Shiming¡¯s high-intensity alchemy efforts were just what the Sect needed.


    Currently, thanks to Li Shiming¡¯s efforts, there was already a substantial reserve of early-stage Foundation Establishment elixirs, but there was a huge scarcity of Middle Late Stage Foundation Establishment elixirs.


    If Li Shiming could quickly become a High-level Alchemist, and at the same time ensure that the quality of his refining did not decrease, it would significantly alleviate the Sect¡¯s shortage of Middle Late Stage Foundation Establishment elixirs.


    As Li Shiming left the hall, he held a golden Jade Scroll in his hand.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 339: 216: Explanation

    Chapter 339: Chapter 216: Explanation


    Li Yuan Ba had been a disciple under Elder Jian for a year now, and throughout this year, he had hardly ever left Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    The main reason was that he needed to switch his main cultivation technique, which for a cultivator meant shattering the Spirit Lake within the body and cultivating anew.


    Luckily, both ¡°Ten Thousand Sword Cultivation Technique¡± and ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± belong to the realm of Sword Cultivation Techniques, and even though he was recultivating, he could still maintain his Foundation Establishment Stage without falling back to the Qi Refinement Realm.


    If he had chosen to recultivate a Magic Cultivation technique or some other non-sword cultivation technique, he would have needed to start over from the Qi Refinement Realm, which would have taken much longer.


    A cultivator¡¯s time is precious. While cultivators have a lifespan of over a hundred years in the Qi Refinement Realm and can live up to two hundred years in the Foundation Establishment Stage, the time available for cultivation is always tight.


    One can cultivate at most for one hundred and fifty years in the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages combined, if one doesn¡¯t break through to the Golden Core Stage, there¡¯s no chance for further progress.


    ...


    The reason it¡¯s said to be one hundred and fifty years is that after reaching the age of one hundred and fifty, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s body begins to age, and if they can maintain their level of cultivation without decline, that¡¯s already an accomplishment, it¡¯s essentially impossible to make another breakthrough.


    Li Yuan Ba was gifted with a Heavenly Spirit Root, and also because his Qi Refinement foundations were extremely solid, he was able to switch to cultivating the top-level sword cultivation technique ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± successfully within a year.


    His realm was roughly the same as it had been a year prior, yet the change in his strength was significant.


    Only after encountering ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± did he understand the gap between the two techniques.


    ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± focuses on constantly honing Sword Intent within the body, while ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± not only has the effects of honing Sword Intent as ¡°Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡± does, it can also absorb external Sword Intent for one¡¯s own use.


    Whenever he practiced the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± he could absorb the Sword Intent surrounding Ten Thousand Sword Peak into his body, enhancing his own Sword Intent.


    Li Yuan Ba also gradually became aware of the secret of Ten Thousand Sword Peak; the peak itself could be considered a colossal magic artifact.


    Indeed, Ten Thousand Sword Peak as a whole is a magic artifact, originally a magnetic mountain, into which the Sword Cultivation sect poured a vast amount of resources over generations. The sword cultivators who had mastered Sword Intent left their own flying swords on the mountain.


    This process of crafting the magic artifact took countless years.


    A sword cultivator experiences several instances of changing flying swords in their lifetime, each time, corresponding to a major leap in their cultivation realm.


    During the Qi Refinement Realm, sword cultivators use magic artifact flying swords. In the Foundation Establishment Stage, they use spiritual artifact flying swords, and in the Golden Core Stage, they wield treasure-level flying swords.


    The discarded flying swords, having been nourished with the sword cultivator¡¯s Sword Intent for a long time, contain a sliver of that Sword Intent.


    Perhaps one such flying sword might not be considered significant, but when the number of such swords reaches ten thousand, with five treasure-level flying swords containing powerful Sword Intent at the core, an inconceivably vast legacy magic artifact is created.


    The magic artifact like Ten Thousand Sword Peak is beyond what science of the past world could imagine, its forging having taken tens of thousands of years¡ªlonger than even the duration of the civilization from the past world.


    Li Yuan Ba could surmise that the Sword Cultivation sect, which Elder Jian never named, must have been an extremely splendid one in history; otherwise, they couldn¡¯t have undertaken such a grand project.


    Not to mention the materials needed to fill such massive mountain body like Ten Thousand Sword Peak, just acquiring ten thousand flying swords imbued with Sword Intent would probably be more than could be obtained by capturing all the sword cultivators on the Beishu Continent today.


    Such a Sword Cultivator legacy magic artifact like Ten Thousand Sword Peak became the root cause of the sect¡¯s destruction when it fell into decline.


    Of course, Li Yuan Ba did not feel any sympathy for that Sword Cultivation sect. Sword cultivators were almost non-productive by nature; their resources were almost entirely plundered from others.


    When the few elders of the Senluo Sect took over Ten Thousand Sword Peak from that Sword Cultivation sect, it could be considered retribution.


    In any case, the benefit was his to enjoy; the spiritual power within him had become more consolidated, and his Sword Intent was now three times what it had been a year ago, all thanks to Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Li Yuan Ba hadn¡¯t seen his master, Elder Jian, for over a month. Elder Jian held a somewhat special position within the Senluo Sect; he was the strongest Golden Core Stage presence in the sect. Most of the conflicts involving Golden Core Stage cultivators from outside the sect were resolved by Elder Jian.


    As he stood at the summit of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, contemplating the Sword Intent, a streak of sword light approached from afar.


    ¡°I pay my respects to Master!¡± he promptly ceased his practice and bowed deeply.


    Elder Jian¡¯s aura of Sword Intent was fierce, which was exceedingly rare.


    After cultivating ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± Li Yuan Ba understood that restraining the aura of Sword Intent was to better nourish it and ensure that its explosive power would be even more potent when needed.


    Elder Jian¡¯s Sword Intent had been restrained for who knows how long, but now that it was emanating from him, it suggested he had faced a powerful enemy and employed his strongest Sword Intent.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, prepare yourself to accompany the sect¡¯s cultivators to Jieshan Mountain Pass. A sword cultivator needs combat to temper their Sword Intent, and yours is growing a bit too fast!¡± Elder Jian said with a smile.


    He was very satisfied with Li Yuan Ba¡¯s cultivation speed. Switching one¡¯s main cultivation technique was not easy; the pain of shattering the Spirit Lake and the necessary resolve were not something ordinary people could bear.


    Li Yuan Ba¡¯s talent for Sword Cultivation was top-notch, his spirit robust. Everything was simply ideal as Elder Jian had envisioned.


    Therefore, his expectations of Li Yuan Ba were even higher, and so were the demands he placed on him.


    In the Senluo Sect, only he and Li Yuan Ba were cultivators of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, and he was willing to cultivate Li Yuan Ba with all his might.


    Elder Jian longed to return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, which was his ambition, but the difficulty was indeed vast.

 Chapter 340: 216: Confession_2

    Chapter 340: Chapter 216: Confession_2


    Even though Elder Jian had already reached the Late-Stage Golden Core, his chances of breaking through the Golden Core to achieve Nascent Soul were not great.


    In order to gain the support of his sect, he constantly launched attacks and eliminated all threats to the sect. The number of Golden Core cultivators who died at his hand had already exceeded twenty.


    This was a terrifying battle achievement. An ordinary Golden Core cultivator might spend their whole life without killing a peer at the same level¡ªit¡¯s easy to defeat a Golden Core cultivator, but extremely difficult to kill one.


    Without absolute superiority in strength, it¡¯s simply impossible to kill a Golden Core.


    Any Golden Core cultivator is extraordinary, a genius who stood out from millions of cultivators.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with the Jieshan Mountain Pass?¡± Li Yuanba asked curiously.


    ...


    Based on the Sword Intent emanating from Elder Jian, there weren¡¯t many enemies worthy of his full effort. A Late-Stage Golden Core Sword Cultivator, in the absence of Nascent Souls, was almost the top combat power in the Cultivation World.


    He thought of the rumors he had heard from his original self, Li Shiming, about the war that had erupted between the forces of good and evil. Could it be that this great battle was about to begin?


    ¡°Three Arhats from Qianye Temple ambushed Elder Ye. Elder Ye¡¯s Silver Corpse was destroyed, and he himself was severely injured. I killed one of the Arhats, and Qianye Temple¡¯s retaliation will come soon. Moreover, with the recent continuous friction between the Righteous and Evil paths, this incident will likely become the fuse!¡± Elder Jian said indifferently.


    As a Sword Cultivator, he had not the slightest fear of battles; instead, he harbored a sense of anticipation.


    Battle was the quickest shortcut for a Sword Cultivator¡¯s growth; the improvement of Sword Intent was fastest amidst combat.


    Take Li Yuanba himself, for example, he had been cultivating Sword Intent for a long time without discerning any special effects, but a life-and-death battle with an outer sect True Disciple had allowed him to comprehend the threading of Sword Intent.


    ¡°Right, this is the Arhat¡¯s body. You figure out how to extract the relic. This Arhat¡¯s Body Refinement reached the pinnacle of the Golden Core Level, nearly achieving indestructibility. His relic will be of great help to your Body Refinement!¡±


    Elder Jian seemed to recall something and tossed a storage bracelet over as he spoke.


    Li Yuanba was immediately astonished. This was the body of an Arhat, and one who had achieved the pinnacle of Golden Core Level Body Refinement Techniques, no less.


    Arhat is the term in the Buddhist way for Golden Core Stage Buddhist cultivators. Buddhism places great emphasis on Body Refinement, and many of the Body Refinement Techniques in the Cultivation World originate from Buddhism.


    While the Taoist way focuses on the soul and the spirit, Buddhism pays more attention to the body, continuously strengthening it to make it the perfect vessel for the soul.


    Still, Yuanba was extremely surprised that Elder Jian would just give him the body of an Arhat.


    After all, an Arhat¡¯s body is something that Golden Core Elders in a sect would expend a huge price to obtain.


    It is the best material for Corpse Refining, with a great chance of directly creating a Silver Corpse.


    Creating a Silver Corpse requires a Golden Core Level Corpse Refining Technique and a large number of precious materials, including many of the third-grade variety, with the Arhat¡¯s body being just the primary material.


    Even if Li Yuanba received the Arhat¡¯s body, he lacked the conditions to refine it into a Corpse.


    Of course, even if he had the conditions, since he already had a Life-bound Corpse Refinement, without reaching the Golden Core Stage, he wouldn¡¯t be able to refine a Silver Corpse with the power of a Golden Core.


    As for what Elder Jian mentioned about destroying the body to extract its relic, that would be a horrific waste.


    In truth, Elder Jian was providing his disciple with resources. Although he verbally stated that he was giving Li Yuanba the Arhat¡¯s body for his Body Refinement, he wouldn¡¯t inquire into how Li Yuanba chose to use it once given.


    Since taking a disciple, Elder Jian hadn¡¯t given his disciple any valuable gifts.


    Elder Jian was at the Late-Stage Golden Core, and all the Spiritual Objects he obtained from his killing were exchanged for cultivation resources.


    The value of the cultivation resources required at the Late-Stage Golden Core was so high that he was almost penniless, a situation familiar to all Sword Cultivators.


    Under similar realms, Sword Cultivators needed a large amount of resources for cultivation. Take the Sky Ascending Technique from Ten Thousand Sword Peak¡ªthis was Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation resource.


    For Elder Jian, the benefits of Ten Thousand Sword Peak had become so negligible that they were hardly worth considering; his cultivation resources were obtained either by doing missions for the sect or by slaying Golden Core cultivators.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Li Yuanba, regardless of Elder Jian¡¯s considerations, put on the storage bracelet around his wrist.


    His Spiritual Thought entered the storage bracelet, and the corpse of a monk clad in a Buddhist robe floated within the space.


    Even in death, the monk¡¯s body still emitted a terrifying aura, making Li Yuanba suspect that a single finger from this monk could snuff him out.


    Aside from the Buddhist robe, there were no belongings on the monk¡¯s body, likely collected by Elder Jian.


    ¡°Oh right, I¡¯ve prepared a protective artifact for you!¡± Elder Jian took out a string of Buddha Beads and passed them over, continuing, ¡°The cultivators of the Righteous Path are hypocritical, and it¡¯s quite possible they will act unprincipled. Once a Golden Core cultivator strikes, crumble this object; it contains one of my Sword Intents!¡±


    Li Yuanba took the Buddha Beads, which must have belonged to the Arhat and were used by Elder Jian to store his own Sword Intent.


    As his fingers touched the Sword Intent Buddha Beads, his entire body¡¯s hair stood on end¡ªan instinctive reaction to immense fear.


    He was almost certain the Sword Intent within the Buddha Beads was of true Golden Core Stage Sword Cultivator power, but the extent of its power was beyond his ability to judge.


    ¡°Master, I will be careful!¡± he said, bowing after stowing away the Sword Intent Buddha Beads.


    ¡°The battle of a Sword Cultivator is not about fighting to the death. Retreat immediately if the situation is hopeless, and if you can kill, do so with a thunderous strike; don¡¯t hesitate for a moment!¡± Even though he knew that Li Yuanba had experienced quite a bit, Elder Jian still admonished him.


    Elder Jian had fought a fierce battle with three Arhats, stirring all the Sword Intent he had harbored over the years to slay one of them and sending the other two fleeing.


    He infused the remaining Sword Intent into an Arhat¡¯s Buddha Beads. Although the beads were simply made of second-grade spirit wood, they had been nourished by the Arhat¡¯s Buddhist intents for many years, possessing the special effect of containing energy.


    The Arhat used the Buddha Beads to store his own Spiritual Power, drawing continuously from the beads to replenish himself during battle.


    Elder Jian¡¯s use of the beads was extravagant and wasteful to an extreme.


    Sword Intent is a supremely domineering energy; the residue of his battle was infused with the intensely sharp Sword Intent he had nurtured for a long time.


    After being transferred into the beads, they became a disposable Spiritual Object even though they were treasures capable of repeatedly storing Golden Core Spiritual Power.


    Elder Jian himself had never studied Artifact Refining, and he made use of whatever he had, so he didn¡¯t feel the least bit regretful about it.


    For Sword Cultivators, their attitude towards external objects is to convert them into resources. If not for his disciple Li Yuanba, these Buddha Beads would have ended up as mere items for resource exchange.


    It was only because Li Yuanba was unaware of their value that he didn¡¯t feel pained by such a gesture.


    Items capable of storing energy at the Golden Core Level were exceedingly rare even throughout the entire Cultivation World, and those cultivators who possessed such treasures would not offer them up for trade.


    Li Yuanba bid farewell to Elder Jian. He was not leaving alone but was part of a group of sect cultivators, accompanied by a Golden Core Elder leading the team.


    Upon arriving at the designated spot, over two hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already waiting.


    His arrival did not attract much attention; mainly because, apart from a spell of continuous missions a year ago that raised his profile, he had not been visible since then.


    The notoriety he had a year ago had already dissipated with time.


    Although Elder Jian had taken him as a disciple and he became a True Inheritor, this was only for the sake of updating the information on his Identity Jade Disc and reporting to the sect.


    There was no grand ceremony for accepting a disciple, nor were other sect cultivators invited to witness it.


    Furthermore, after practicing the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique, his Sword Intent had become much more subdued, not something ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators could sense.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators present thought he was just an ordinary sect cultivator, clustering around a dozen True Disciples, aiming to join the groups of these inheritors. With the protection of True Disciples, they would be safer during battles.

 Chapter 341: 217 Jieshan

    Chapter 341: Chapter 217 Jieshan


    ¡°Elder Lv!¡± With the greetings of the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Elder Lv, whom Li Yuanba had met upon entering the sect, descended.


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s highly likely that you will face the Buddha of Qianye Temple. Buddhas are adept at disturbing the mind, and Buddhist cultivation techniques can somewhat counter the devil techniques of our sect. However, their experience in battle is far less than yours. You must capitalize on your own strengths.¡±


    ¡°The sect will double the rewards for this mission, on top of what was originally promised. If you find any Arhats or other cultivators from the Righteous Path, report it immediately!¡± Elder Lv said solemnly to the two hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    A Buddha is equivalent to a Daoist Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Hearing that the rewards were doubled, all the Devil Cultivators present were extremely excited, eager to reach the battlefield immediately.


    There lay the resources coveted by the Devil Cultivators, and even the physical body of a Buddha was considered a top-grade material.


    ...


    ¡°True Disciples will board the Flying Boat first, followed by the rest!¡± After stabilizing the emotions of the Devil Cultivators, Elder Lv summoned a large flying boat.


    Twelve cultivators among the Devil Cultivators stepped forward and leaped towards the large flying boat, with Li Yuanba following right behind the twelve True Disciples into the flying boat.


    When the twelve True Disciples saw Li Yuanba, some nodded in greeting, some seemed indifferent, and others scrutinized him. Li Yuanba ignored these gazes; after all, these were Devil Cultivators and their intentions could never be clear.


    The thirteen True Disciples had individual rooms within the flying boat, a special treatment from the sect for True Disciples.


    Although a single room wasn¡¯t much, this special treatment symbolized a status that made many other Inner and Outer Sect disciples, who shared the large hall, quite envious.


    Once all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators were aboard, Elder Lv drove the massive flying boat skyward.


    ¡°Senior Brother, are you there?¡± As Li Yuanba was comprehending Sword Intent, a voice came from outside the door.


    He blinked in surprise. Among the over two hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he didn¡¯t recognize anyone except for Elder Lv.


    Since the person called him Senior Brother, it couldn¡¯t possibly be Elder Lv.


    True Disciples held a higher status than Inner Sect Disciples, who in turn, were above the Outer Sect Disciples; therefore, when disciples of the same generation meet, Inner Sect Disciples must address True Disciples as ¡®Senior Brother,¡¯ and Outer Sect Disciples must do the same to Inner Sect Disciples.


    This had nothing to do with how early one entered the sect or their level of cultivation but was dictated by the status within the sect.


    Li Yuanba opened the door and saw a cultivator with a small mustache on a clean-shaven face.


    ¡°Senior Brother, I am Wang Chengjun from the Inner Sect, a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. I wish to join your team to face the enemy together!¡± Wang Chengjun bowed respectfully and expressed his intentions.


    ¡°I do not have a team, and I am not interested in forming one. Please look for someone else,¡± Li Yuanba swiftly declined.


    ¡°Senior Brother, even though you are a True Disciple, the monks from Qianye Temple are very strong. It would be safer to form a team!¡± Wang Chengjun persisted.


    ¡°No need. Do not disturb me any further!¡± This time, Li Yuanba closed the door firmly, leaving Wang Chengjun outside.


    The respectful expression on Wang Chengjun¡¯s face vanished instantly, replaced by a glint of malevolence in his eyes, mixed with the disappointment of an unaccomplished scheme.


    He glanced around and then went to communicate with other cultivators.


    Soon after, more cultivators tried to join Li Yuanba¡¯s team, but after being repeatedly declined, no others approached.


    Li Yuanba shook his head; he didn¡¯t want to deal with these Devil Cultivators. He had encountered Devil Cultivators of the Xuanming Sect on Sky Sea Island before, known for their ruthlessness and cunning.


    That was on Sky Sea Island, where the seven sects were relatively close and had no high-level confrontations, restraining the Devil Cultivators considerably.


    But cultivators from the Senluo Sect were genuine Devil Cultivators; while they might still have some reservations within the sect, once outside, he had to be wary of threats from them.


    It was ironically funny that, in addition to facing external enemies, Li Yuanba had to be cautious of his own sect¡¯s Devil Cultivators potentially taking advantage of him.


    True Disciples were powerful, but being a newly minted True Disciple meant he hadn¡¯t been around long enough to be well-prepared.


    As a new True Disciple at the early-stage of Foundation Establishment, his substantial inheritance made him a tempting target for the Devil Cultivators without strong powers.


    Just like when facing Wang Chengjun, Li Yuanba, recently influenced by his original self, had made significant progress in sensing malintent.


    The Golden Core Elder piloted the flying boat at a tremendous speed; it took just over a day to pass Jieshan City and arrive at Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Li Yuanba stood on the deck, gazing at the scenery below; the original Li Shiming had once visited Jieshan City. A further two hundred li would be Jieshan Mountain Pass, the main pass connecting Ten Thousand Great Mountains with other areas in Beishu.


    At that time, Li Shiming was in a cargo vehicle and hadn¡¯t truly observed Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    When the large flying boat landed on a mountaintop, Li Yuanba sensed strong Formation fluctuations scanning all the cultivators; his Identity Jade Disc trembled slightly.


    This was a recognition of identity; if one was not a monk from the Senluo Sect, the Formation would activate an attack.


    ¡°Outside is the border area. Intelligence has reported that Qianye Temple has sent at least six hundred Buddhas. If an Arhat engages you, report it to an elder immediately. Four elders, including myself, are stationed here!¡± After all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators disembarked from the flying boat, Elder Lv solemnly instructed.


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 Chapter 342: 217: Jieshan_2

    Chapter 342: Chapter 217: Jieshan_2


    There was actually no need for much explanation; it seems Li Yuan Ba lacked experience in this area. Other cultivators began dispersing throughout the pass as soon as Elder Lv finished speaking.


    Li Yuan Ba took out his Identity Jade Disc and called up the map of the area. The pass was equipped with a Task Pavilion, an Exchange Pavilion, and a Healing Pavilion.


    The Task Pavilion¡¯s purpose was to assign specific missions, such as killing a designated True Disciple of Qianye Temple. These mission rewards would be calculated separately and would also provide the possible location of the target.


    The reason it was a possible location was that during such large-scale battles, cultivators from both sides were moving quickly, making it impossible to determine exact positions.


    Moreover, one had to bring the actual corpses of slain enemies back here to settle contribution points.


    The Exchange Pavilion handled the recycling of spoils of war and allowed the exchange of contribution points for Spirit Pills, Spiritual Artifacts, and Cultivation Techniques, enabling one to quickly convert battle gains into personal strength.


    ...


    As for the Healing Pavilion, needless to say, it was set up specifically for treating injured cultivators.


    Conflicts between large sects, unless reaching the level of total war, would follow the ancient customs.


    Wars would start with the Qi Refining Cultivators and Foundation Establishment Cultivators, escalating step by step. However, it would only go as high as the Golden Core stage. If it went one step further, such a battle simply could not take place in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    The might of a Golden Core¡¯s battle greatly damages the environment, but compared to a Nascent Soul, it seems quite small.


    Therefore, battles between Nascent Souls typically take place in the high sky, in the Thirty-Three Heavens, where the environment can withstand the impact of Nascent Soul Level confrontations.


    Due to the higher standards of cultivation in the Beishu Continent, conflicts between the two great sects would start with battles between Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Both sects were very angry but relatively restrained. Neither wanted to fight to the death, so they used this traditional method to vent the intense battle spirit within their ranks.


    Li Yuan Ba first visited the Task Pavilion and found that no missions had been posted yet. It seemed that information from Qianye Temple had not yet been gathered.


    Outside Jieshan Mountain Pass, there were two hundred miles of mountains and another two hundred miles of hills, making up the border area between Senluo Sect and the Righteous Path. Each side had demarcated two hundred miles to prevent direct friction.


    This four hundred-mile zone had become the battleground where both sides deployed numerous Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    The two hundred plus Foundation Establishment Cultivators who came with Li Yuan Ba were just one group that Senluo Sect had sent. There were already Foundation Establishment Cultivators at the pass with some arriving ahead of time and others yet to arrive.


    At this point, some eager Devil Cultivators had already summoned ghosts, Iron Corpses, spiritual insects, and spirit beasts, headed to the battlefield, ready to claim a favorable position and set up their forces.


    Li Yuan Ba was not in a rush. Besides participating in the battle, he had another matter¡ªto meet his true self, Li Shiming.


    This was an excellent chance. Once he advanced into the battlefield, he was effectively beyond the sect¡¯s surveillance.


    On the other side, Li Shiming was on his way. With his identity as an alchemist, he had become a True Disciple of Shushan Sect, and his actions were even more unrestricted than Li Yuan Ba¡¯s.


    Li Yuan Ba waited until it was slightly dark before he finally soared into the sky. Not using the Sword Cultivators¡¯ Sword Intent to enhance his sword light, his speed was not fast.


    Contrary to expectations, he had not encountered a single battle even after departing fifty miles from the pass; the surroundings were extremely quiet.


    Even so, he could sense spiritual energy that was overly active in the void, indicating cultivators had wielded vast Spiritual Power nearby, causing a reaction with the spiritual energy. This suggested that a battle had recently taken place in the vicinity.


    He didn¡¯t quite understand why great sects would choose such a method of warfare. Was it to temper their disciples or maybe to buy time for mutual delay, allowing the elders from both sides to calm down and reduce the war to a controllable range?


    If Senluo Sect and Qianye Temple erupted into Golden Core Level warfare right from the start, a battle involving dozens of Golden Cores, no matter who won, would result in heavy losses for both sides, ultimately benefitting other sects.


    As just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Li Yuan Ba didn¡¯t have the opportunity to understand the thoughts of the higher-ups. What he could do was fight, accumulate battle experience, and enhance his own strength.


    When he reached eighty miles in, he stopped, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Ghosts loomed all around him, enshrouded in black mist, surrounding him.


    The air contained bewitching and extremely poisonous components; even a moment¡¯s carelessness could affect a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, greatly reducing their strength.


    Li Yuanba had not expected that his first battle on the battlefield would not be with a Buddha from Qianye Temple, but rather with fellow sect cultivators.


    Devil Cultivators really lived up to their name, with self-interest always coming first.


    Although the cultivator who set up this formation was nowhere to be seen, such a ghostly and chilling formation could never have originated from Qianye Temple.


    ¡°Come out, Wang Chengjun!¡± Li Yuanba said in a deep voice.


    With Sword Intent inside him, the powder made up of bewitching and extremely poisonous components couldn¡¯t even get close to him. As for the formation, to him, formations set up by Array Plates were all rubbish.


    He even carried Array Flags on his person, choosing not to use the more convenient and quick Array Plates, because to a High-level Array Master, Array Plates were simply too rudimentary.


    ¡°To think that a True Disciple would trigger the trap we set!¡± Wang Chengjun¡¯s voice carried laughter as it flitted uncertainly all around.


    Clearly, even though Li Yuanba, as a newly promoted True Disciple at the early-stage Foundation Establishment, elicited caution in Wang Chengjun, who intended to use the formation to influence Li Yuanba, aiming for a resolution to the battle without injury.


    Most crucially, he could not let Li Yuanba leave alive, as attacking a True Inheritor was no minor crime.


    The aura on Li Yuanba¡¯s body suddenly changed, terrifying Sword Intent surging around him, as a beam of sword light shot out.


    Along with that was a scream, emitted by Wang Chengjun, filled with fright and shock.


    As the sword light returned, it swept through the formation, erasing all ghostly apparitions and black fog.


    An Array Plate flashing with spiritual light was slowly dimming, due to the Sword Intent within the sword light that had broken the formation, causing damage to the Array Plate.


    Four figures, now unhindered, appeared in Li Yuanba¡¯s line of sight, among them Wang Chengjun was deathly pale with one arm missing.


    At the critical moment, Wang Chengjun used a Secret Technique to sacrifice an arm for survival, using the severed limb to take the place of his body to block Li Yuanba¡¯s sword strike. The cost was an arm.


    Once at the Foundation Establishment Stage, although an arm could be regrown using Spiritual Medicine, the resources and time required to fully recover would significantly impact a cultivator¡¯s extensive training time.


    Moreover, the Elixir Pills needed for the regeneration of an arm would take years for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to accumulate enough contribution points.


    What truly terrified Wang Chengjun was Li Yuanba¡¯s ease in breaking the formation.


    If Li Yuanba were to leave now, he and the other three Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators would all face serious trouble.


    ¡°Gentlemen, we have no way out. Letting him leave is a death sentence. Only by killing him do we have a chance to survive!¡± Wang Chengjun loudly encouraged his three companions.


    The three companions he chose were all at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, similar in strength to him.


    He also didn¡¯t dare recruit Devil Cultivators who were too powerful to participate in the plan, as those with significant strength might silence them once the deed was done, potentially making all their efforts benefit someone else.


    But those too weak wouldn¡¯t suffice either, after all they were up against a True Disciple. Only with four Devil Cultivators who all had reservations about each other could true cooperation take place.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s there to say, don¡¯t hold back any longer. This is a True Disciple we¡¯re talking about, without going all out we stand no chance!¡± another Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivator voiced his support.


    As he spoke, he summoned an Iron Corpse and held a black banner in his hand. With a gentle shake, a ghost with the strength of the early-stage Foundation Establishment appeared by his side.


    Wang Chengjun waved his hand, and a swarm of spiritual insects flew out, turning into a black fog that swooped towards Li Yuanba.


    The other two Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators took action; one let out a howl and his body swelled into a three-meter-tall beast, wielding a massive axe as he stepped forward and chopped down towards Li Yuanba, while the other¡¯s figure became illusory, nearly imperceptible in the darkness.


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 Chapter 343: 218: Slaying Demons

    Chapter 343: Chapter 218: Slaying Demons


    In an instant, the four mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators each showcased their techniques, revealing the eeriness and strength of Devil Cultivators.


    Devil Cultivators were able to contend against the Righteous Path in Beishu precisely because they had their own advantages.


    Take Corpse Refining for example¡ªit was like having an extra helper equal to one¡¯s own strength. Spiritual insects carried deadly poison, causing big trouble upon contact.


    The Yin Soul Fusion Technique of the Devil Cultivators, to some extent, could be compared to powerful Body Refinement. They had even greater defensive power, but it was time-limited, belonging to an explosive type of cultivation technique.


    The final Devil Cultivator who used invisibility specialized in assassination methods, which were even more insidious and lethal.


    Li Yuanba was well-prepared. Although he hadn¡¯t dealt much with Devil Cultivators at Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he had some knowledge of them.


    ...


    Sword Cultivators were known as the foremost in offensive power, almost not needing to rely on external defensive means, yet they also had their own capabilities in facing enemies; otherwise, Sword Cultivators would have been long extinct.


    A Sword Cultivator¡¯s body possessed immense defensive power, only slightly weaker than cultivators specialized in Body Refinement. Coupled with their extreme speed, even without using Sword Escape, they moved far faster than other cultivators in short-range combat, which formed their methods against cultivator attacks.


    Li Yuanba, having cultivated the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯, was even faster than ordinary Sword Cultivators in both defensive capabilities and speed.


    His figure flickered, avoiding the swarm of spiritual insects, as a sword light flashed past an early-stage Foundation Establishment Ghost.


    The early-stage Foundation Establishment Ghost emitted a soul-piercing shriek; a typical sword light was hardly effective against a Foundation Establishment Ghost.


    To deal with an early-stage Foundation Establishment Ghost, the best method was magical techniques, especially powerful fire attribute techniques, which caused the most damage to ghosts.


    However, the sword light of a Sword Cultivator carried Sword Intent, and the very foundation of a Sword Cultivator defeating myriad techniques was this Sword Intent.


    The early-stage Foundation Establishment Ghost was struck by the sword light, the huge gash rending an irreparable wound across the intangible ghostly body.


    Moreover, the wound continued to be ravaged by lingering Sword Intent, slowly expanding.


    ¡°He is Elder Jian¡¯s disciple!¡± Wang Chengjun exclaimed in extreme terror.


    Although unclear initially, upon true engagement, the four mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators instantly recognized the quite unique existence of Elder Jian within the sect.


    Elder Jian was the strongest Golden Core Stage cultivator in the sect and had never taken a disciple. Although there were Sword Cultivators in the sect, Elder Jian was the only purely dedicated Sword Cultivator.


    Elder Jian, being a pure Sword Cultivator and a True Inheritor, made it easy to conclude who Li Yuanba¡¯s master was at this moment.


    Elder Jian¡¯s reputation in the sect was forged through battles; as a Sword Cultivator who looked down upon demonic techniques, living within the Demon Sect, he would have found it difficult to survive without methods to overpower his peers.


    Even though Wang Chengjun now knew of Li Yuanba¡¯s lineage, he found himself caught in a difficult situation. They had to either kill Li Yuanba or await extermination by the sect or Elder Jian themselves.


    His cry had the opposite effect, causing the other Devil Cultivators to hesitate momentarily, slowing their actions.


    The only one unaffected was the Devil Cultivator who, under the influence of the Yin Soul Fusion Technique, had transformed into a three-meter beast. This technique affected the cultivator¡¯s mind, making them fight their enemies to the death, greatly reducing the chances of outside influences affecting them.


    Thus, while the other three Devil Cultivators were mentally shaken upon learning of Li Yuanba¡¯s lineage, this three-meter beast closed in on Li Yuanba.


    A huge spiritual artifact battle axe slashed down fiercely, the air exploding with the sound, the terrifying pressure mixed with the Devil Cultivator and Yin Cold Spiritual Power, making Li Yuanba feel chilled to the bone.


    Li Yuanba merely smiled coldly as he brandished a Third-Grade Sword Base in his hand, completely unafraid of close combat.


    With a sidestep, he evaded the giant axe¡¯s strike, expelling the Yin Cold Spiritual Power from his body without affecting his speed.


    The Third-Grade Sword Base¡¯s retaliatory strike surpassed the defensive power of the Iron Corpse, appearing paper-thin in the face of a Sword Base imbued with Sword Intent.


    From below one side of the waist to the other side¡¯s chest, the three-meter beast was cleaved in two by a single sword strike.


    This very strike also dismantled the Devil Cultivator¡¯s Yin Soul Fusion Technique, with the Yin Soul being the first to be destroyed by the Sword Intent, while the Devil Cultivator¡¯s life force was resilient enough to continue struggling despite being split into two.


    Li Yuanba paid no further attention to this Devil Cultivator, knowing full well the destructive power of his strike. Not only had he severed the Devil Cultivator¡¯s body, but he had also destroyed his Spirit Lake, leaving the Devil Cultivator unable to summon even a trace of spiritual power.


    The pursuing spiritual insects, however, were lured by the fresh blood of the bisected Devil Cultivator, shifting their target to feast crazily on the wounds.


    The still-living Devil Cultivator¡¯s screams grew even more harrowing.


    The remaining three Devil Cultivators recovered their wits, with the once-invisible one halting his approach, retreating to one side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll control him with the Iron Corpse!¡± the Devil Cultivator manipulating early-stage Foundation Establishment Ghosts declared decisively as he transmitted his voice through a secret technique.


    The Iron Corpse was fast, but still slower than Li Yuanba under normal circumstances; catching Li Yuanba would be nearly impossible.


    But within the secrets of Foundation Establishment Corpse Refining, there lay special measures.


    The Iron Corpse¡¯s legs burst in an instant, transforming into a force propelling the Iron Corpse forward, tripling its speed suddenly.


    This was a desperate, one-time secret technique that came at the cost of damaging the Iron Corpse. Even if the corpse remained after the battle, repairing it would be extremely difficult.


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 Chapter 344: 218: Slaying Demons_2

    Chapter 344: Chapter 218: Slaying Demons_2


    Training an Iron Corpse to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage was not an easy task, and it required a massive amount of resources and time, all of which would be lost after performing the secret technique.


    If it weren¡¯t a matter of life and death, the Devil Cultivator would not have taken such an action.


    Not all Devil Cultivators were as fortunate as Li Shiming, who had the assistance of the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array during corpse refining, saving a considerable amount of time and resources.


    The increased speed of the Iron Corpse also caught Li Yuanba off guard; he had not anticipated that an Iron Corpse at the Foundation Establishment Stage would possess such capability.


    The Iron Corpse turned into a streak of blood, rushed in front of Li Yuanba, and recklessly embraced him.


    Li Yuanba, being a Sword Cultivator, was not easily approached; sword intent shot out from all over his body, slicing through the Iron Corpse.


    ...


    Yet, the Iron Corpse truly managed to hold him still for a moment, providing an opportunity for the other Devil Cultivators.


    The first to close in was actually the invisible Devil Cultivator, who, at the moment the Iron Corpse self-destructed, powered forward towards Li Yuanba.


    While the half-body of the Iron Corpse held Li Yuanba, the invisible Devil Cultivator appeared behind him and silently stabbed a pitch-black dagger towards Li Yuanba¡¯s back.


    Even the strongest Invisibility Secret Technique would reveal the user when they attacked. Activating an attack required the manipulation of Spiritual Power, which would disrupt the invisibility; this was inevitable.


    Wang Chengjun was slightly late in his reaction; he forcibly recalled the blood-eating spiritual insect using a secret technique and sent it flying towards Li Yuanba again, his hand also launching a flying sword towards Li Yuanba.


    At that moment, the situation on the battlefield seemed to place Li Yuanba in peril, yet he remained quite indifferent.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    A sound like metal striking metal rang out across the battlefield, and the Devil Cultivator behind him was slightly stunned because his Spiritual Artifact dagger, stabbing into Li Yuanba¡¯s body, felt as if it was stabbing into a mass of iron and stone.


    But even if it were iron and stone, the Spiritual Artifact dagger should be able to easily penetrate.


    Of course, due to the surprise attack from invisibility, the Devil Cultivator couldn¡¯t mobilize the strongest Spiritual Power, but this strike definitely had the power of a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s normal attack.


    It was precisely because Li Yuanba was a pure Sword Cultivator that the invisible Devil Cultivator chose such a method of attack, considering there were no defensive Spiritual Artifacts on Li Yuanba.


    But who would have thought, the strongest defense Li Yuanba possessed was his own Taoist Body. Having consumed Monkey Wine, his ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ had already reached full mastery, his defensive power equivalent to a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Body Refinement Cultivator¡¯s level.


    A normal strike from a Mid-stage Cultivator could not break through his defense.


    Additionally, the Spiritual Artifact in the hands of the Devil Cultivator was only top-grade, a bit short of supreme grade, while Li Yuanba¡¯s body strength was in no way inferior to the Devil Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Artifact.


    Li Yuanba was also annoyed; he had nearly been tricked due to his lack of combat experience.


    His Third Grade Sword Base first swept through the Iron Corpse, and in a moment of turning back, his sword beheaded the Devil Cultivator who was attempting to flee from behind.


    At this moment, Wang Chengjun¡¯s flying sword also neared him, and the spiritual insect was right before his eyes.


    ¡°Slash!¡± An infuriated Li Yuanba roared, and a network of sword light formed in front of him, containing numerous thin threads within the net, creating a nearly seamless barrier of swords in front of him.


    Wang Chengjun¡¯s flying sword, merely an ordinary Spiritual Artifact without any Sword Intent, felt like it was heavily struck upon contact with the sword light, its internal spirit marking erased by a significant percentage.


    Then the threads of Sword Intent entwined around the flying sword, completely erasing its spirit marking, causing the flying sword to fall from the sky.


    As for the spiritual insect, under the dense attack of sword light and threads of Sword Intent, their bodies were severed into several pieces.


    Wang Chengjun and another Devil Cultivator both spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, one due to the annihilation of the Iron Corpse and the other due to the destruction of the spiritual insect and Spiritual Artifact, both suffering a certain degree of backlash to their spirits.


    They turned to flee immediately, no longer caring about anything else, recognizing that their lives were what mattered most.


    They all regretted, wondering how they had provoked such a Sword Cultivator, a Sword Cultivator who could break all spells with a single strike. Only today did they truly realize how terrifying a pure Sword Cultivator could be.


    How could Li Yuanba let them escape? As they turned around attempting to flee, the sword light chased them at a speed even faster than their own.


    Wang Chengjun and another Devil Cultivator had no choice but to activate their defensive Spiritual Artifacts, but this greatly reduced their speed of escape, making it even more impossible for them to get away.


    The sword light danced around the two Devil Cultivators, and strands of Sword Intent transformed into a sword tail behind the light, lashing at the Devil Cultivators¡¯ defensive Spiritual Artifacts.


    Within two breaths¡¯ time, the two Devil Cultivators spat out fresh blood again; the continuous destruction of their Spiritual Artifacts had caused them significant spiritual trauma.


    However, they no longer needed to worry about their spirit being hurt, as the sword light severed their injured brains and bodies from each other, completely resolving the issue of spiritual damage.


    The fight, from start to finish, did not last long, but the perils involved were unimaginable.


    The Devil Cultivators¡¯ various unpredictable tactics, coupled with all four being of a higher realm than him, did put some pressure on the battle.


    Li Yuanba shook his head; this battle was utterly meaningless. He had killed four Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators and earned not even one contribution point.


    He took the storage pouches from the four Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators, placed the four bodies into one of the bags, cleaned up the battlefield, and left without any hesitation.


    The fluctuations of Spiritual Power caused by the battle would likely attract other Cultivators to investigate soon.


    In such environments, battles must be concluded quickly, otherwise opportunists might lurk nearby, hoping to benefit from the situation.


    Only after moving a distance away from the battlefield did he slow down and allow his Spiritual Thought to enter the few storage bags to check his loot.


    The storage bags of the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators contained numerous Spirit Stones and various Spiritual Objects, with each bag potentially being exchanged for several hundred thousand Spirit Stones.


    Particularly in the storage bag of that invisible Devil Cultivator, he found a golden Jade Scroll.


    The golden Jade Scroll is used only for top-tier Cultivation Techniques and it definitely did not belong to the Senluo Sect, because regardless of the level, all techniques must be learned within the sect and not taken outside.


    Considering the strength of Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, this must have been an opportunity the Devil Cultivator found outside.


    Many Cultivators encounter such fortunes; each Cultivator, during their over hundred years of cultivation, must have come across some opportunities.


    However, the fortunes Cultivators encounter vary greatly. Some Cultivators seize the opportunity and soar to great heights, while others perish due to the burdens of such chances.


    ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡¯, a top-tier invisibility secret technique.


    Li Yuanba was unaware that this invisible Devil Cultivator was rather well-known among the Inner Sect Disciples, primarily because his Invisibility Technique caused many Cultivators significant trouble.


    Invisibility techniques can be used during the Qi Refinement Realm, but such techniques work only against ordinary people and new Qi Refining Cultivators.


    For Qi Refining Cultivators who can truly sense Spiritual Energy, invisibility techniques are utterly useless and may instead provoke preemptive attacks from Cultivators; in any circumstance, being counterattacked when approaching a Cultivator invisibly would be a deserved consequence.


    After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage and acquiring Spiritual Thought, invisibility becomes even easier to counter; a mere sweep of Spiritual Thought can reveal an invisible Cultivator.


    Yet, in the recent battle, Li Yuanba had not sensed the position of the invisible Devil Cultivator. His Spiritual Thought was exceedingly powerful, far surpassing Cultivators of the same level, but he still detected nothing.


    Had not the invisible Devil Cultivator attacked on his own accord, perhaps he would have been the only one among the four Devil Cultivators to survive.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that ¡®murder and arson bring gold belts¡¯; ordinary Cultivators indeed have some good things!¡± Li Yuanba said with a satisfied smile on his face, murmuring to himself.


    He had killed no small number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including Li Shiming himself, and had never discovered anything particularly valuable in the storage bags of ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    It was the Devil Cultivators; they trusted no one. Even when participating in such significant conflicts, they would carry all their possessions on them to feel secure, which made Li Yuanba¡¯s spoils extremely rich.

 Chapter 345 219 Jue Yuan

    Li Yuanba observed the "Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique" with his Spiritual Thought, while his main body, Li Shiming, was simultaneously recording this cultivation technique in an IBMz15. This technique would be considered a top-tier secret technique in any sect, embodying a rarity that was serendipitous but unattainable.


    Li Shiming had already taken leave from Elder Su and Master Ma, steering his Flying Boat towards the battlefield.


    He did not inform the two masters that he was heading to the battlefield between the Senluo Sect and Qianye Temple, for they would definitely not have allowed him to go if they knew.


    Even the sect would not permit him to plunge into danger, as he was a True Inheritor Alchemist of the sect.


    After acquiring the "Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique," he began to comprehend this technique on the Flying Boat.


    As for safety concerns, the Flying Boat was still within the territory of the Shushan Sect, and even if he ventured into the domain of the Thousand Illusion Sect, there was no need to worry about safety, as the chaos of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains did not prevail within the areas controlled by the righteous forces.


    Moreover, just the Shushan Sect emblem on his Flying Boat was enough to deter petty criminals.


    The "Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique" was not without its limitations; this type of technique required one to be in darkness or the night to be effective.


    If under the sunlight, this technique would be utterly ineffective.


    The "Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique" required Yin-based Spiritual Power as its foundation, which made him slightly frown, as this meant that his clone, Li Yuanba, could not cultivate this secret technique.


    This was normal, as all top-level secret techniques had their limitations. If everyone could easily cultivate them, True Disciples would have mastered countless secret techniques by now.


    Since the Spiritual Power from the Spirit Lake consisted of the Five Elements Spiritual Power, and the Water Attribute Spiritual Power was considered Yin, he was indeed capable of practicing this technique.


    On the other hand, Li Yuanba, frustrated, sat down and released thirty-six formation flags, setting up a Formation around himself that isolated his aura.


    Whether his luck was good or bad, as he traveled through this region for a while, he did not encounter any monks from the Qianye Temple.


    In fact, both sides were still in the probing phase; significant combat had not yet erupted.


    He closed his eyes to rest, deciding not to search any further and just wait here as if guarding a tree stump for rabbits; eventually, a monk would surely come his way.


    After sitting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a figure rapidly darted in the darkness like a ghost. In such an environment, one was either pursuing an enemy or being pursued by one.


    This figure was practicing a Demon Cultivation Technique, undoubtedly a cultivator from the Senluo Sect, and certainly a Buddha from behind was chasing him.


    Li Yuanba stood up, watching the Devil Cultivator flee with interest, with no intention of intervening.


    He had no particular affection for the Senluo Sect, especially since he became a disciple under Elder Jian; influenced by Elder Jian, his sense of loyalty to the sect had diminished even more.


    His attitude towards sect Devil Cultivators was to neither deal with nor actively interact with them.


    The fleeing Devil Cultivator threw a talisman over his shoulder, which transformed into a cloud of black mist, seemingly to impair the pursuer.


    "Break!" a voice carrying the essence of Buddha''s chant came, and the black mist instantly dissipated as a tall monk burst through it.


    Li Yuanba''s eyes narrowed. The monk''s strength was in the Middle-stage Buddha Realm, but it gave him a tremendous sense of tension.


    Indeed, this monk was the most imposing Foundation Establishment cultivator he had encountered.


    With each step the monk took, a white lotus appeared on the ground. Although his strides were not large, he quickly closed the distance to the fleeing Devil Cultivator.


    This visual illusion made Li Yuanba, who was watching, very uncomfortable.


    The fleeing Devil Cultivator was in the Late-stage Foundation Establishment and wasn''t known to Li Yuanba, so he did not know his identity, but he presumably was an inner sect cultivator.


    "Stop!" The tall monk shouted again when he was about thirty meters from the Devil Cultivator.


    From a distance, Li Yuanba only felt that the shout contained a special energy capable of affecting a cultivator''s mind; the Devil Cultivator, thirty meters away, suddenly stalled.


    Li Yuanba felt his scalp tingle. The use of voice alone to control a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was terrifying.


    He could almost be certain that the tall monk, like him, was a True Disciple; otherwise, he wouldn''t have access to such a terrifying secret technique.


    From the Light Body Technique used by the tall monk to the sounds he uttered, everything displayed his extraordinariness.


    If all the monks of Qianye Temple possessed such strength, there would be no need for a battle.


    As the Devil Cultivator''s movement momentarily stalled, the tall monk stepped forward, and the next lotus appeared just two meters behind the Devil Cultivator, his large hand transforming into a massive golden palm, heavily striking the Devil Cultivator''s back.


    As the Devil Cultivator was in flight to gain speed, he had already put away his defensive Spiritual Artifact.


    This was unavoidable; although activating the defensive Spiritual Artifact was safe, many escape skills could not be deployed, making it impossible to compete with the tall monk in terms of speed.


    Having recognized the tall monk, the Devil Cultivator immediately attempted to escape. Unfortunately, the tall monk had already targeted him.


    The Devil Cultivator was only affected by the "Stop" for a moment, and after regaining his senses, he was struck by the golden palm on his back.


    The golden palm, like a divine weapon, pierced through the Devil Cultivator''s body. The Devil Cultivator stared in disbelief at the palm imprint hole that had appeared on his body.


    From the Devil Cultivator''s chest to his lower abdomen, a palm-shaped hole revealed the power of the strike.

 Chapter 346 219 Jue Yuan_2

    ```


    "Amitabha!" the towering monk proclaimed the Buddha''s name with his hands pressed together after slaying the Devil Cultivator.


    He did not collect his spoils of war; instead, his gaze turned toward the direction of Li Yuanba.


    It seemed Li Yuanba''s own gaze had triggered his awareness. Li Yuanba was aware of this, for with his perceptive abilities, he would have noticed if any cultivator were spying on him at such a distance.


    Li Yuanba flashed out of the formation, the Gale Golden Light Sword emitting a fierce sword intent, transformed into an almost invisible sword light, shooting towards the towering monk.


    He himself used the strength of his legs to widen the distance between them and the towering monk.


    It seemed he feared closing the distance with the towering monk, who believed this as well, for it was by approaching within thirty meters that the monk had been able to release his deadly Buddha''s Secret Technique, and kill the Devil Cultivator at close range.


    All of this Li Yuanba observed and naturally chose the most advantageous way to fight.


    "Sword Cultivator!" Brightness flickered in the towering monk''s eyes. With a wave of his hand, a bronze bell appeared in front of him, blocking the attack from the Gale Golden Light Sword.


    Li Yuanba''s heart skipped a beat. The Gale Golden Light Sword, under his control, had indeed struck the bronze bell Spiritual Artifact, but the sword intent had not been able to diminish its spiritual imprint.


    This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, but he had also heard from his master, Elder Jian, that some Secret Techniques could strengthen spiritual imprints, greatly reducing the effectiveness of sword intent against them.


    A reduction in effectiveness did not mean it was entirely futile. If once didn''t work, then ten times; if that wasn''t enough, then a hundred.


    He felt not a trace of fear; instead, he was excited.


    People have many facets. Some are shy in front of others but very open with friends; some enjoy solitude but also delight in boisterous gatherings.


    Li Yuanba was a split spirit of Li Shiming, yet their personalities were not entirely alike.


    Perhaps because Li Shiming''s safety was of utmost importance, he always acted very cautiously, rarely seeking out danger on his own.


    But Li Shiming''s adventurous and combative spirit had been transferred to Li Yuanba, which related to Li Yuanba becoming a Sword Cultivator.


    When considering Li Yuanba becoming a Sword Cultivator, it was understood that sword cultivators needed to be tempered through battle.


    Therefore, when Li Yuanba first joined the Senluo Sect, he continuously undertook combat missions, which could well be a form of emotional release for Li Shiming¡ªsafety first for the original body, while the clone tackled the dangerous tasks.


    Li Yuanba was eager to face a formidable enemy like the towering monk, such opponents were hard to come by.


    The towering monk took a step forward and vanished as if he had disappeared, while Li Yuanba split a sword light, using the Sword Escape to rapidly change direction with himself.


    This division of sword light was a basic flying sword technique found in many Sword Cultivator inheritances, but it was rarely used against formidable enemies.


    Because once the sword light divides, its power is somewhat weakened.


    And the divided sword light has a limited lethality against enemies of comparable strength.


    The division of sword light was usually reserved for weaker opponents, as any single divided sword light could kill an enemy; it was most effective against a large number of weaker enemies when split into multiple sword lights.


    Li Yuanba remained on alert, his experience against such powerful Great Cultivators was limited, so he took utmost care.


    Even if the sword light''s power was diminished, he wanted to increase his own speed of movement.


    Sword Escape ranked near the top for speed among all Escape Techniques. Just as he was moving at high speed in another direction, a white lotus appeared where he had originally been, along with the towering monk.


    It should be noted that the distance between the towering monk and Li Yuanba had been over a hundred meters, and yet he moved to that spot in an instant, showing that the monk had not been exerting his full strength previously.


    Li Yuanba was even more astounded by the monk''s terrifying movement technique, which could have a significant impact in both combat and pursuit situations.


    The towering monk was also taken aback; he had not expected Li Yuanba to react so swiftly and anticipate his next move.


    ```


    He slapped his palm onto the suspended bronze bell beside him.


    The bronze bell emitted a coppery ring, and the sound waves did not scatter. Instead, under his control, they converged into an angle of about forty-five degrees, surging towards Li Yuan Ba''s side.


    "Sound Wave Technique!" Li Yuan Ba''s Spiritual Thought detected the incoming sound waves.


    Li Yuan Ba was very familiar with the Sound Wave Technique¡ªor rather, Li Shiming''s original self was. He cultivated the ''Devil Sound Lotus'' and even received the legacy of the Six-fingered Sound Demon.


    Although he had not practiced the Six-fingered Sound Demon''s legacy, he had delved deeper into the research on Sound Wave Techniques.


    The Gale Golden Light Sword appeared in front of him, vibrating under Li Yuan Ba''s control and emitting a sword sound.


    The sword sound formed a wave in front of him, blocking the sound wave from the tall monk''s bronze bell.


    "True Inheritor Jue Yuan of Qianye Temple has seen fellow Daoist. May I ask which True Disciple you are from Senluo Sect? How come I have never heard of you?" Jue Yuan Buddha suddenly spoke up, introducing himself and asking.


    If the opponent were someone he could easily dispatch, there would be no privilege to converse.


    The strength displayed by Li Yuan Ba had earned his recognition. Moreover, since Li Yuan Ba was a Sword Cultivator and not a Devil Cultivator with diametrically opposed intentions, his attitude naturally shifted.


    "Li Yuan Ba, a person of no renown, has seen fellow Daoist!" Li Yuan Ba answered, while not forgetting to maintain a safe distance from Jue Yuan Buddha.


    "It''s a pity that aside from Elder Jian, Senluo Sect has a pure Sword Cultivator!" Jue Yuan Buddha sighed.


    Such a Sword Cultivator should appear in a Righteous Path Sect, not become an accomplice to the malevolent, aiding Devil Cultivators.


    "Elder Jian is indeed my master!" Li Yuan Ba did not conceal this fact, believing that after this great battle, his status as a True Disciple would be known to all sects; hence, there was no need to hide anything.


    "I must go all out now, I cannot allow you to grow further!" Jue Yuan Buddha said solemnly, hands joined together.


    Desire for combat rose in his eyes. Elder Jian had killed an Arhat from Qianye Temple; that was a grave enmity. Since Li Yuan Ba was Elder Jian''s disciple, a part of that enmity naturally extended to him.


    Moreover, they couldn''t allow such a Sword Cultivator to grow anymore, or else another Elder Jian would emerge, significantly boosting the strength of Senluo Sect.


    Elder Jian is known as the foremost Golden Core assault power, and although there are a few Golden Core cultivators with equivalent reputations, the true strength ranking among them remains uncertain without an actual battle.


    But once Elder Jian advances to Nascent Soul, he would inevitably be among the top existences among Nascent Souls, which is the terrifying aspect of Sword Cultivators.


    If Li Yuan Ba''s talents allowed him to be accepted by Elder Jian as a disciple, then they must be exceptional indeed.


    Elder Jian has always been without a disciple, which shows his strictness in accepting disciples.


    At this moment, Jue Yuan Buddha had the intention to kill, no longer wishing to let Li Yuan Ba leave alive.


    As True Inheritors, Jue Yuan had decades more in the True Disciple status than Li Yuan Ba, and with the gap in their realms, he was confident he could kill Li Yuan Ba.


    As Jue Yuan Buddha spoke, his body emitted a golden light, and white lotuses surged from the ground.


    The Earth Burst White Lotuses were spaced fifty meters apart, spreading out continuously, and soon they were nearly reaching Li Yuan Ba.


    Jue Yuan Buddha''s figure disappeared from its original place, appearing atop the closest white lotus. As he moved, the Earth Burst White Lotuses spread faster with him at the center.


    "What is this technique?" Li Yuan Ba retreated rapidly; he dared not enter the range of the white lotuses.


    Jue Yuan Buddha''s technique didn''t seem like simple movement; it was more like teleporting between lotuses, completely void of any intermediate moving process. This made his figure extremely elusive, even giving the impression that one''s eyesight couldn''t keep up with his speed.


    "You too are a True Inheritor, and a Sword Cultivator at that. How can you be afraid to battle me!" Jue Yuan Buddha shouted loudly.


    His voice carried the effect of Buddha''s inspirational sound, which was originally meant for allies, but at this moment, it became his method of provocating.

 Chapter 347 220: Killing Blow

    Li Yuanba wouldn''t be provoked by Jue Yuan Buddha; he continuously utilized the division of sword light to use Sword Escape and retract from the range of the white lotus while attacking Jue Yuan Buddha incessantly with the Gale Golden Light Sword.


    However, Jue Yuan Buddha''s figure kept flickering, and his flying sword could not catch the Jue Yuan Buddha''s figure; every attack landed on an illusory shadow.


    This was the most terrifying opponent he had ever encountered; the tactics of the sword cultivator had no effect on him.


    Of course, the main reason was that Li Yuanba was somewhat lacking in realm, which left him severely restricted.


    If both were of the same realm, it would be hard to say who held the advantage.


    Out of necessity, he could only once again divide the sword light, originally split into two streams of sword light, one used for Sword Escape, the other for a main attack.


    Now, he further divided the sword light again, turning it into ten streams of sword light, of which nine were for attacking.


    This was actually employing a tactic from the original Li Shiming, nine streams of sword light equivalent to nine flying swords, only much weaker in power; also, since only one was solid, the Gale Golden Light Sword was not designed for formations, so it was only shaped as such.


    Since the original Li Shiming was profoundly knowledgeable in manipulating nine flying swords, when there was no other option, Li Yuanba utilizing nine streams of sword light could also unleash considerable power.


    The nine streams of sword light were like nine swimming fishes, continuously moving within a range of thirty to a hundred meters in front of him, seemingly without any purpose, yet they contained the principles of formation.


    The nine streams of sword light couldn''t form a strong formation, but as they were energy bodies with spiritual power, they could still set up a formation.


    Moreover, as the battle progressed, the original Li Shiming was also providing help, by using interconnected thoughts to call upon IBMz15''s computing power, endowing Li Yuanba also with the ability to form battle formations.


    This is why Li Shiming''s spirit had greatly improved, condensed into divine thought, allowing him to act as an intermediary with IBMz15 without delay.


    Otherwise, with Li Shiming''s earlier spirit, after transferring through him, by the time IBMz15 calculated the results and relayed them back to Li Yuanba, there would be at least a breath''s delay, which was of no help in the battle.


    The formation set up by the nine streams of sword light was very simple, just an Enchanting Soul Formation.


    The so-called Enchanting Soul Formation didn''t impact the soul but created illusions to disorientate individuals within it.


    Li Yuanba didn''t know how effective this would be against Jue Yuan Buddha, but he had to try as his means to confront Jue Yuan Buddha were limited.


    Jue Yuan Buddha was continuously moving rapidly using Buddhist secret techniques, leaving Li Yuanba with very limited time to think, so he was almost moving instinctively.


    Under normal circumstances, he wouldn''t be affected by a minor Enchanting Soul Formation, but when moving instinctively, the brain only makes judgments based on the environmental context at the scene.


    Jue Yuan Buddha''s figure was affected by the Enchanting Soul Formation and soon started moving orderly within the Enchanting Soul Formation set up by the nine streams of sword light.


    In the Enchanting Soul Formation, his movements were still extremely fast, fast enough to nearly ignore the process of moving, his figure flickering incessantly on the white lotus.


    But due to the effects of the Enchanting Soul Formation, his movements were guided by the formation, providing Li Yuanba with an opportunity to grasp his movement patterns.


    In just two breaths'' time, Jue Yuan Buddha realized something was amiss. As he was about to react, Li Yuanba''s counterattack arrived.


    The nine streams of sword light suddenly flashed, and even the sword light beneath Li Yuanba vanished, all sword lights merging into one, shooting towards an empty spot above the white lotus.


    And just as the sword light approached the area above the white lotus, Jue Yuan Buddha''s figure appeared right there.


    This strike of sword light avoided the copper bell in front of Jue Yuan Buddha. Moreover, Jue Yuan Buddha''s rapid movement limited the copper bell''s power; the fact that he could use the copper bell to defend while moving so quickly was already the limit.


    Ordinary cultivators had to choose between extreme speed and the defense of spiritual artifacts; having both was impossible.


    The copper bell was refined through Jue Yuan Buddha''s secret technique, deeply connected to him, which allowed him to use the copper bell while moving at high speed, but it could only shield in front.


    A tearing sound emerged as Li Yuanba''s sword light swept over Jue Yuan Buddha, inflicting a foot-long wound on Jue Yuan Buddha''s body.


    The wound was long, but not fatal, as its depth was limited.


    Li Yuanba looked displeased; Jue Yuan Buddha''s body refinement had reached the level of Late-stage Foundation Establishment, far surpassing his own realm.


    This meant Jue Yuan Buddha either consumed spiritual objects like Monkey Wine or had obtained the Buddha''s relic to accelerate his body refinement.


    It was only because Li Yuanba''s strike contained sword intent that he could break through Jue Yuan Buddha''s defense and wound his body.


    He had calculated the last strike, and had not used his full strength, only causing Jue Yuan Buddha some minor injuries.


    "Good opponent, those were not merely sword cultivator''s tactics!" Jue Yuan Buddha didn''t become angry due to his injuries but rather laughed as he spoke.


    Such opponents were truly rare; he had few equals among his contemporaries at Qianye Temple, even among the latter-stage Buddhas, few could fight him with all their might.


    Jue Yuan Buddha''s injured flesh tightened and the wound was no longer visible.


    This didn''t mean his injury had healed; it was merely using the Refining Skill to forcibly control the muscles and skin to lock the wound.

 Chapter 348 220: Killing Blow_2

    The wound was not the issue; it was the Sword Intent within it. The Sword Intent from the Sword Cultivator was affecting his injury, and he needed to use his own Spiritual Power to force out the Sword Intent.


    But how could Li Yuanba possibly allow him to expel the Sword Intent? His sword light shot towards him once again.


    Jue Yuan Buddha shouted loudly, and the Copper Bell emitted a glow, enveloping his body within.


    He was completely relying on the Copper Bell''s defense, seemingly preparing to force out the Sword Intent within his body before making a plan.


    How could Li Yuanba let go of such an opportunity? Between the flashes of sword light, the Sword Intent turned into threads, forming sword threads that wandered over the Copper Bell, constantly attacking the spirit imprint inside the bell.


    He believed that no matter how firm a spirit imprint was, it could be worn down with a sufficient number of Sword Intent attacks.


    Now he was competing with Jue Yuan Buddha to see whether he could erase the spirit imprint of the Copper Bell first, or if Jue Yuan Buddha would expel the Sword Intent from his body first.


    The two were about one hundred and fifty meters apart, having fallen into a standoff.


    The Copper Bell completely shielded Jue Yuan Buddha, and its ability to isolate Spiritual Thoughts meant that Li Yuanba could not sense the situation inside.


    In fact, Jue Yuan Buddha was not healing his wounds. He was very clear that without using some tactics, he simply could not kill Li Yuanba.


    Yes, even now, Jue Yuan Buddha still had absolute confidence in defeating Li Yuanba. He had always intended to kill Li Yuanba here, not just defeat him.


    The more outstanding Li Yuanba performed, the more Jue Yuan Buddha was determined to kill him.


    If such a terrifying combat talent were left unchecked to grow, it would become a major trouble for the Righteous Path.


    Just like Elder Jian of the Senluo Sect, who became a significant threat in the Golden Core Stage.


    Jue Yuan Buddha had a far-sighted vision, and his status as a True Disciple gave him a strong sense of the bigger picture.


    Just like how Qianye Temple had initiated the battle among Foundation Establishment Cultivators deliberately, it had a scheme in place. Once the plot succeeded, it would cause the Senluo Sect to suffer tremendous losses at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator level.


    A Senluo Sect lacking an entire generation of Foundation Establishment Cultivators would surely see its strength greatly reduced in the following decades, unable to cultivate a large number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to compensate for the losses for another forty or fifty years.


    The plan to eliminate a generation of the Senluo Sect''s Foundation Establishment Cultivators was known only to a very few True Disciples within Qianye Temple.


    Jue Yuan Buddha used a Secret Technique to suppress the injury on his body, having spotted Li Yuanba''s weakness.


    Since the start of the battle, Li Yuanba had been continually retreating, attempting to increase the distance of the fight through this tactic.


    This was normal; including Elder Jian, all Sword Cultivators would not get close to their enemy but instead attack from a certain distance with flying swords, using Sword Intent to kill the enemy.


    Nowadays, Sword Cultivators use flying swords, not handheld swords. When in close quarters, the power of flying swords is greatly diminished.


    Therefore, Jue Yuan Buddha did not heal his wounds but merely suppressed them while immediately activating a Secret Technique.


    He wanted to use the Secret Technique to instantaneously appear beside Li Yuanba, one hundred and fifty meters away, but it required some time to prepare. For this, he was even ready to risk his only Spiritual Artifact, the Copper Bell.


    The reason Jue Yuan Buddha could make the Copper Bell, his sole Spiritual Artifact, impervious to Sword Intent was that, since becoming Buddha, he had been continuously deepening his connection with the Copper Bell via Secret Techniques, enabling a stronger resistance to Sword Intent.


    The Copper Bell was a versatile Spiritual Artifact, capable of both offense and defense. Because of this, Jue Yuan Buddha only needed this one Spiritual Artifact for all his purposes.


    One breath, two breaths, three breaths; the sword light outside was attacking the bell fiercely with Sword Intent threads, and Jue Yuan Buddha could feel his connection to the Copper Bell weakening.


    No matter how much he enhanced the resistance to Sword Intent, it was impossible to completely ignore Sword Intent.


    Sword Cultivators live by their offense. If there was a way to resist a Sword Cultivator''s Sword Intent, the Cultivation World wouldn''t acknowledge Sword Cultivators as the foremost in attack.


    "The time is enough!" Jue Yuan Buddha sensed the speed of the reduction of the spirit imprint inside the Copper Bell and thought to himself.


    Li Yuanba was also astonished; he had never expected that there truly existed a Spiritual Artifact capable of withstanding so many rounds of attacks from Sword Intent.


    If the opponent had been at the Golden Core Stage and used a magical treasure, it would have made sense for his Sword Intent to be ineffective, but the other party was merely a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Buddha, and yet a single Spiritual Artifact was able to resist his numerous attacks.


    Considering Jue Yuan Buddha''s movement speed, with such defense, coupled with that speed, he was almost naturally invincible.


    However, through the flying sword, he sensed that the bronze bell wouldn''t last much longer; his sword light struck the bell like raindrops.


    Sitting within the bronze bell, Jue Yuan Buddha''s eyes suddenly widened, a lotus-like light seeming to appear in them.


    He abandoned control of the bronze bell, the next distance he moved would prevent him from taking the bell with him.


    Behind Li Yuanba, a white lotus flower appeared without any warning, and at the same moment, Jue Yuan Buddha''s figure disappeared from within the bronze bell and reappeared above the white lotus.


    Jue Yuan Buddha had long prepared his Secret Technique, his hand morphing into a golden palm print that struck towards Li Yuanba''s back.


    This method of attack was something that Jue Yuan Buddha had mastered; many Devil Cultivators had been killed on the spot by this technique.


    He was confident that without the use of Spiritual Artifacts, relying on this Secret Technique alone, he could kill Li Yuanba.


    But the instant the golden palm print headed for Li Yuanba''s back, Li Yuanba moved as if he had long anticipated the attack, sidestepping a moment earlier.


    Li Yuanba had set a trap from the start; after clashing, he understood that normal means wouldn''t kill Jue Yuan Buddha.


    Even if he summoned Jiang Chen, Jue Yuan Buddha could use his unimaginable movement Secret Technique to escape far away.


    Thus, he exhibited the combat power expected of a qualified Sword Cultivator, continually using speed to widen the gap, avoiding close combat with Jue Yuan Buddha just as any regular Sword Cultivator would.


    He was waiting for Jue Yuan Buddha to come into close range. The ''Sword Demon Secret Manual,'' although not an overly powerful Cultivation Technique, was definitely top-tier in close combat before reaching the Golden Core Stage.


    The ''Sword Demon Secret Manual'' is the legacy of another school of Sword Cultivators. Though not comprehensive, the Cultivation Techniques before the Golden Core Stage are complete, able to bring out the combat strength that a close combat Sword Cultivator should have at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Jue Yuan Buddha might have impressive Body Refinement achievements and also cultivated close combat Secret Techniques.


    But even if Jue Yuan Buddha''s close combat Secret Technique was of the same level as Li Yuanba''s ''Sword Demon Secret Manual,'' Li Yuanba had the advantage of planning ahead. In close combat, even a slight mistake could lead to an entirely different outcome.


    Dodging Jue Yuan Buddha''s golden palm print and turning around, Li Yuanba thrust his hand out in a sword-holding gesture; a Third Grade Sword Base formed in his hand as he did so.


    With Li Yuanba''s accomplished Body Refinement, he had pushed the quality of the Third Grade Sword Base to the pinnacle of Spiritual Artifacts, surpassing all others.


    This was determined by the quality of the Third Grade Metal. After all, the ''Sword Demon Secret Manual'' was intended to cultivate a Golden Core Stage magical treasure longsword.


    The reason he used a thrust was because it''s the fastest attack in close combat, and also because he was simply too close to Jue Yuan Buddha.


    Between two points, the straight line is the shortest; he had long been brewing this strike, so his attack was almost instantaneous.


    Jue Yuan Buddha never expected that Li Yuanba had been concealing his close combat ability during their fight, reaching the combat power of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Having just used consecutive Secret Techniques and caught by surprise, he wasn''t able to dodge in time; he could only hope his Body Refinement skills could block the blow.


    The Third Grade Sword Base, carrying Li Yuanba''s Sword Intent, transformed into a beam of light and pierced Jue Yuan Buddha''s brow. To prevent Jue Yuan Buddha from counterattacking in his death throes, Li Yuanba released the sword handle and quickly retreated after delivering the thrust.


    The Third Grade Sword Base slowly dissipated into energy, returning to his body after fading away.


    A hole, through which the other side could be seen, remained in Jue Yuan Buddha''s forehead; he sat down cross-legged on the ground, expression neither sad nor joyful, as the breath of life disappeared from him.


    Li Yuanba looked at Jue Yuan Buddha, who resembled a Buddha statue, and shook his head. Such an enemy was truly terrifying; had he not calculated from the start, he might no longer have been able to keep the secret of Jiang Chen.

 Chapter 349 221 Relic

    ```


    "Jue Yuan has returned to the Buddha!" As Jue Yuan Buddha was pierced through the brow by a sword, on a mountain peak in the righteous area of the battlefield, an old monk took out a cracked Buddha''s Talisman from within and said faintly.


    ```


    ```


    "Zhi Kong, Brother, Jue Yuan had inherited the Divine Foot Skill, Step by Step Ascending Lotus, how could he be killed in the first battle?" Sorrow flashed in the eyes of Zhi Ming Arhat; his mind was far from as composed as that of Zhi Kong Arhat, and he was deeply saddened by the death of Jue Yuan Buddha.


    ```


    ```


    Among the Buddhas cultivated by Qianye Temple, Jue Yuan was one of the most promising seeds, especially since he had come into contact with the Divine Foot Skill during the Foundation Establishment Stage, which even if it was just the basic inheritance, indicated a very high possibility of becoming a Venerable in the future.


    ```


    ```


    A Venerable is equivalent to a Nascent Soul Ancestor in the Cultivation World, where only the powerful beings among Nascent Soul Ancestors can touch upon Divine Skills. Jue Yuan Buddha''s approval by the inheritance of the Divine Foot Skill during his mid-stage Foundation Establishment was a significant loss for Qianye Temple.


    ```


    ```


    "Let''s wait a bit more, haven''t we already anticipated early sacrifices? Jue Yuan perished for Qianye Temple, and his death will not be meaningless!" Zhi Kong Arhat gestured with his hand.


    ```


    ```


    Zhi Ming Arhat couldn''t help but turn to look behind him, where there was a Formation, and the chilling killing intent within seeped out continuously, seemingly holding a killing god within.


    ```


    ```


    That was the utmost secret of Qianye Temple, a Buddha who had comprehended killing to attain Buddhahood, a Buddha who had reached Half-step Golden Core.


    ```


    ```


    Jue Tu Buddha, this was a Buddha of Qianye Temple who had never shown his face, not because he hadn''t walked outside, but because those cultivators who had seen him act were all dead.


    ```


    ```


    He could be said to have grown up amidst slaughter. Qianye Temple''s intelligence system collected information on extremely evil forces for him to go and deliver salvation¡ªon one hand, eliminating evil, and on the other, using killing to enhance his strength.


    ```


    ```


    How many he had killed to grow to a Half-step Golden Core is unknown, probably even Qianye Temple couldn''t calculate it.


    ```


    ```


    In recent hundred years, most of the extremely evil forces collected by Qianye Temple had been cleared by Jue Tu Buddha.


    ```


    ```


    The path of killing to attain Buddhahood is extremely rare and perilous for Buddhist Practitioners, as an overabundance of killing can easily provoke inner demons¡ªan especially likely occurrence for Buddhist Practitioners.


    ```


    ```


    Once Jue Tu Buddha returns to Qianye Temple, more than ten monks specializing in Buddhist doctrine must continuously chant scriptures for him, suppressing the killing intent in his heart.


    ```


    ```


    The excuse of ''extreme evilness'' is but a rationale found by Qianye Temple and a comfort for Jue Tu Buddha himself; once he takes action, all life within a certain range will be completely eradicated by him.


    ```


    ```


    The current Jue Tu Buddha is an invincible presence within the Foundation Establishment Stage, and because of the killing nature of the path to Buddhahood, his efficiency in slaughter is extremely high.


    ```


    ```


    This time, by initiating the Foundation Establishment Stage war against Senluo Sect, there was the intent to utilize Jue Tu Buddha to annihilate Senluo Sect''s elite Foundation Establishment Cultivators of this generation. It was also aimed at completing Jue Tu Buddha''s final step to becoming an Arhat by killing nearly a thousand Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Senluo Sect.


    ```


    ```


    The path of killing to attain Buddhahood is immensely challenging. The difficulty of controlling killing intent is one aspect, but ensuring a Buddha does not lose himself in the slaughter and restraining him from killing indiscriminately is more crucial. At a minimum, one must feel that every person they kill is the correct action, to prevent losing oneself.


    ```


    ```


    Such killings must continue for a hundred years, extinguishing tens of thousands of lives, among which there must be sufficiently strong cultivators. Adding up these conditions, even Qianye Temple, which holds the complete inheritance of killing to attain Buddhahood, struggles to cultivate such practitioners over a long term.


    ```


    ```


    In the last four to five hundred years, only Jue Tu Buddha emerged as the sole disciple able to practice the path of killing to attain Buddhahood¡ªthis shows the difficulty of such a practice.


    ```


    ```


    "The inheritance relics of the Divine Foot Skill must be reclaimed!" Zhi Ming Arhat reminded solemnly.


    ```


    ```


    "Don''t worry; the Devil Cultivator who received the inheritance relics of the Divine Foot Skill hasn''t left. I can sense the inheritance relics of the Divine Foot Skill. When the time comes, Jue Tu will go to reclaim them. Besides, the Divine Foot Skill inheritance isn''t something just anyone can probe into; for a Devil Cultivator to do so is to court death!" Zhi Kong Arhat''s gaze penetrated towards the battlefield as he spoke indifferently.


    ```


    ```


    Jue Yuan Buddha on the battlefield was beyond dead; Li Yuanba''s Spiritual Thought swept over his corpse, finding nothing but a storage bracelet.


    ```


    ```


    Li Yuanba took the corpse away, fearing that the contribution points for killing Jue Yuan Buddha would not be small, for he was a True Disciple.


    ```


    ```


    He also retrieved the bronze bell. Now, without its owner, he investigated it and found that it likely had a small amount of Third Grade materials mixed in, which was what elevated the quality of the bell to the pinnacle of Spiritual Artifacts.


    ```


    ```


    Moreover, it was precisely because of these Third Grade materials that it could support many more enchantments, allowing the Spiritual Artifact to have multiple functions; it could attack or defend and could be transformed into sound wave attacks.


    ```


    ```


    If only materials of the Second Grade were used, it would be impossible for the Spiritual Artifact to support so many enchantments.


    ```


    ```


    "Let''s give it to my fellow!" He conveyed the situation of the bronze bell to his main body, Li Shiming, through their connection.


    ```


    ```


    The bronze bell is likely the strongest Spiritual Artifact in the Foundation Establishment Stage. Probably only the Third Grade Sword Base of Li Shiming who cultivates the ''Sword Demon Secret Manual'' and his clone Li Yuanba could surpass the bronze bell.


    ```


    ```


    But the Third Grade Sword Base of the ''Sword Demon Secret Manual'' is a magical treasure prepared in advance for the Golden Core Stage, unlike an artifact with Third Grade materials mixed in.


    ```


    ```


    Using Third Grade materials in a Spiritual Artifact is essentially a waste in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and no Golden Core cultivator would allow such an event to occur, as even Golden Core cultivators themselves have need for it.


    ```


    ```


    Even if a Golden Core cultivator had extra Third Grade materials, they would exchange them for resources suitable for themselves.


    ```


    ```


    Li Yuanba returned to the Formation he had previously set up; the thirty-six formation flags were not yet collected, and he sat down to start examining the storage bracelet.


    ```

 Chapter 350 221 Relic_2

    The storage bracelet didn''t contain many items¡ªa few high-level, second-grade Elixir Pills and about three thousand Spirit Stones. The sparsity of items in the space almost made him disbelief that this bracelet belonged to a True Disciple.


    The only thing that caught his attention was a relic, which had a peculiar shape, resembling a baby''s jade foot.


    He took the Jade Foot Relic out of the storage bracelet, guessing that it was probably the only item of value in there.


    As he held the relic in his hand, he knew that it belonged to at least a Nascent Soul Stage, meaning a Buddhist Venerable''s relic, and he felt the immense Buddhist intent within it.


    After hesitating for a moment, driven by curiosity, he probed the Jade Foot Relic with his Spiritual Thought.


    With a "boom", his spirit was drawn into the Jade Foot Relic, while his body sat cross-legged on the ground, lifeless.


    Li Yuan Ba found himself in an endless void where there were neither sky nor land, surrounded by various Buddhas, all emanating great compassion and dignity, chanting Buddhist scriptures simultaneously.


    He didn''t know what the scriptures were, but he felt himself being influenced by the Buddhist chants, sinking deeper into their boundless depths.


    He was utterly powerless to resist; in this world, his spirit was exceedingly weak.


    A trace of clarity in his mind reminded him that if he continued to sink, his spirit would dissipate and be assimilated into this world, becoming sustenance for it.


    This was the trial of the Jade Foot Relic. Even in Qianye Temple, taking part in this trial required dozens of high monks for protection and necessitated years of dedicated study in Buddhist teachings along with targeted cultivation technique practice from a young age.


    All of this was to pass the trial of the Jade Foot Relic and receive its inheritance.


    Even so, among the Divine Foot Skill inheritances of the Qianye Temple, very few Buddhas from each generation managed to receive the inheritance.


    This was normal, as every major sect had its special inheritances, some left by predecessors within the sect, others brought back by sect cultivators.


    These special inheritances all required specific conditions to be met by the inheritors. This was to ensure the safety of those who received the inheritance, as cultivators who received an inheritance without meeting the conditions either failed to cultivate and were spiritually injured, or died from backlash.


    The level of Divine Foot Skill inheritance contained within the Jade Foot Relic was extremely high. Jue Yuan Buddha had prepared for over a hundred years before he was recognized by the Jade Foot Relic and received part of the inheritance.


    After receiving the Jade Foot Relic inheritance, Jue Yuan became its guardian until he passed away, or felt he could no longer receive any inheritance from it, at which point he would return the relic to the temple and search for a new inheritor.


    Carrying such a relic with oneself was a reluctant measure and having the relic nearby could help increase the speed of cultivating the inheritance.


    This was also a common strategy in Buddhist circles, where high monks who could condense relics almost always infused their best Cultivation Techniques into the relics for future generations.


    This is an important reason why there were many masters within the Buddhist ranks.


    As Li Yuan Ba was about to be completely submerged, Li Shiming, who was in a Flying Boat, sensed what was happening on Li Yuan Ba''s side and contacted the split spirit of Li Yuan Ba, sending him a reminder.


    The connection between Li Shiming and his split spirit, Li Yuan Ba, disregarded the influence of space and time. Even though Li Yuan Ba''s spirit had been drawn into the Jade Foot Relic, he was still able to receive messages from Li Shiming''s original body.


    Li Shiming''s reminder jolted Li Yuan Ba''s consciousness into clarity, and Li Yuan Ba immediately tried to withdraw from the Jade Foot Relic. However, exiting the relic was not so easy. The surrounding Buddha Shadows detected his resistance, and the Buddhist chant grew even louder.


    Li Shiming connected with IBMz15, and a "Life-taking Buddhist Chant" from it was transferred into the consciousness of Li Yuan Ba.


    The external Buddhist chant was filled with the temptations of the Buddhist world, submerging one within it, but within Li Yuan Ba''s consciousness, a passage that seemed authentically Buddhist yet was strangely harsh sounded.


    Combating Buddha with Buddha was the only method Li Shiming could think of at that moment.


    Although "Life-taking Buddhist Chant" was an ordinary piece, its impact on the spirit was extremely shocking, appropriately combating the grand, righteous chants from outside.


    Li Yuan Ba only felt his spirit diminished by the influence of the Buddhist Chant from the outside world, uncertain of when he could leave, he could only maintain this balance.


    Actually, he was still in extreme danger, situated in the middle of a battlefield, unable to control his body with his consciousness; any cultivator could easily cause his demise.


    Luckily, his Formation was still working, and as his consciousness was not within his body, his aura was extremely weak, several Devil Cultivators and Buddhas passed by without noticing him.


    Time passed bit by bit, and Li Shiming was also very anxious. The unexpected occurrence of his split self left him no other options, he was still a long distance from the battlefield, and even if he approached, getting through the Righteous Path''s defensive line would be troublesome.


    All he could do was repeatedly chant "Life-taking Buddhist Chant," hoping that the malicious Buddhist chant would continue to exert its effects.


    This Buddhist chant, emerging from his soul, could to some extent replace a cultivator''s study of the Buddhist teachings, forming a false essence of Buddha.


    Li Shiming had tested this through practice, using this method to learn "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill."


    One two-hour period, two two-hour periods, three two-hour periods, before dawn, Li Shiming also visited a mountaintop, set up a Formation, and aligned one thousand five hundred Fresnel reflecting mirrors to cultivate "Purple Qi Eastward."


    Unless absolutely necessary, he would not allow "Purple Qi Eastward" to be interrupted.


    Because once "Purple Qi Eastward" was interrupted, its effects would be greatly diminished, and the enhancement of his body and spirit were the results of continuous forced accumulation of Purple Qi day by day; he did not know how long it would take to return to the current level of enhancement.


    Luckily, cultivating "Purple Qi Eastward" did not require Spiritual Energy, only an uninhabited mountaintop, which was readily available in the Cultivation World.


    By the time he had finished cultivating "Purple Qi Eastward," Li Yuan Ba was still trapped within the Jade Foot Relics on the battlefield.


    Li Shiming packed up the Formation and the Fresnel reflecting mirrors and continued his flight towards the battlefield.


    A full twelve hours passed. Li Yuan Ba, by now, was numb to the Buddhist chants of the outside world, his spirit constantly repeating "Life-taking Buddhist Chant," freeing him from the influence of the external Buddhist Chant.


    He did not realize how incredible it was to play music within his soul, knowing that the music was not emitted by him, nor by the original Li Shiming, but by IBMz15.


    Because of the specificity of IBMz15, it treated Li Shiming as an external device, while Li Yuan Ba was connected as a Bluetooth or wifi external device.


    The music played by the IBMz15 was unaffected by any external factor and directly affected the soul, such a mode of connection was unique in the Cultivation World.


    If Li Shiming attempted to transmit sound to Li Yuan Ba through his own spirit, it would not achieve this effect.


    Of course, the special effects of "Life-taking Buddhist Chant" also played a role. This music was also a unique existence in his previous life, conveying bizarre evil in the form of grand righteous sounds.


    Just as Li Yuan Ba did not know when it would end, the external Buddhist chants completely disappeared, and the sky full of Buddha Shadows were also gone.


    Subsequently, a vast amount of information was transmitted into his soul through the Jade Foot Relics. On the other side, the original Li Shiming, through a mental connection, also received this information and backed it up on IBMz15.


    "Divine Foot Skill! What is this cultivation technique?" Li Shiming and Li Yuan Ba, in different locations, simultaneously murmured.


    What they received was the inheritance of Divine Foot Skill, differing only in the "Step by Step Lotus" component from what Jue Yuan Buddha received; they received the entire Divine Foot Skill inheritance.


    Li Yuan Ba had cheated his way through all the trials of the Jade Foot Relics.


    Jue Yuan Buddha only lasted two hours, so he received only a part of the inheritance and the recognition of the Jade Foot Relics, perhaps over a long time, he could receive the rest of the inheritance.


    However, there was no chance for Jue Yuan Buddha; his corpse was in Li Yuan Ba''s storage space.

 Chapter 351 222 Divine Skills

    In the Divine Foot Skill legacy, the only technique that Foundation Establishment cultivators could learn was the "Step by Step Lotus". The more advanced secret techniques simply couldn''t be sustained by the spiritual power of those at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Even the "Step by Step Lotus" cultivation technique wasn''t easy to master, requiring one to visualize a "White Lotus Pattern" from the Divine Foot Skill legacy in the mind.


    If it were an ordinary pattern, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator''s mind could visualize it with ease.


    But this "White Lotus Pattern" was different. At first glance, it appeared ordinary; however, upon closer inspection, every tiny point of the "White Lotus Pattern" was composed of innumerable Buddhist Sanskrit characters.


    Without the transmission method of Jade Foot Relics, such a cultivation technique couldn''t be passed down using mere text and illustrations.


    The number of Sanskrit characters in the "White Lotus Pattern" exceeded ten billion. Even for Foundation Establishment Cultivators who wanted to visualize such a vast array of characters forming the "White Lotus Pattern", the majority would be unable to complete this workload in their lifetime.


    No matter how strong one''s memory, it has its limits. Remembering ten billion characters and also needing to arrange them into a pattern simply wasn''t within the capability of an ordinary cultivator.


    Only Buddhist cultivators who were exposed to Sanskrit from a young age, understanding the arrangement and sequential significance of the characters, could significantly reduce the memory workload.


    With the help of the Buddha''s intent emanating from the Jade Foot Relics, what seemed like an impossible task could be accomplished.


    Li Yuanba just glanced at it and gave up the idea of learning "Step by Step Lotus" immediately, as it was not something that could be achieved in a short time.


    He was indeed interested in "Step by Step Lotus". This method of rapid movement, once mastered, could greatly enhance his combat prowess.


    Imagine a Sword Cultivator moving as if flashing around; no cultivator could easily attack such a swordsman, who could then unleash flying swords with full force without concern for personal safety, maximizing the attack power of a Sword Cultivator.


    This was the idealized combat style for Sword Cultivators, and traditionally, this was what they strove for.


    Li Yuanba was also a traditional Sword Cultivator. His "Sword Demon Secret Manual" only went up to the Foundation Establishment, with just a magical longsword left at the Golden Core Stage.


    The main cultivation technique he practiced, the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique", was that of a traditional Sword Cultivator, and he naturally pursued a long-range fighting style, which was safer.


    Meanwhile, Li Shiming was studying the "Step by Step Lotus", the introductory technique of Divine Foot Skill.


    He was unaware of the depths of Divine Foot Skill; otherwise, he wouldn''t be so composed.


    The IBMz15 was processing the "White Lotus Pattern". Even for the IBMz15, handling the ten billion character "White Lotus Pattern" took some time.


    Li Shiming tried to make the IBMz15 inject the "White Lotus Pattern" into his consciousness, a method he used previously for quick memorization. As long as IBMz15 accessed the document, it was as if he had quickly scanned the document himself, with all its contents directly imprinted in his consciousness.


    This time, when the IBMz15 injected the "White Lotus Pattern", his consciousness experienced a brief halt due to the data overload.


    Fortunately, his spirit was strong enough. There weren''t many Foundation Establishment Cultivators who possessed Divine Thought, and he overcame the influx of massive data from the "White Lotus Pattern" into his consciousness.


    Visualization entails manifesting something in one''s consciousness, usually through the power of the mind.


    Li Shiming used a cheating method again, making the "White Lotus Pattern" appear in his consciousness through the special relationship with IBMz15.


    Upon its appearance, the "White Lotus Pattern" emitted a faint glow, and instantly, he gained insight into "Step by Step Lotus".


    The core of "Step by Step Lotus" was the "White Lotus Pattern". With it, he could nonsensically produce white lotuses in the external world, over which he could move instantaneously across a certain distance.


    The most illogical part of this technique was its instantaneous movement. After realizing the core of "Step by Step Lotus", he discovered that it was indeed true instantaneous movement and not just a method of speeding up.


    He had not reached the level where he could comprehend the concept of Divine Skills of the Nascent Soul Stage, so he didn''t realize that he was actually practicing an introductory Divine Skill.


    "This is unscientific!" he exclaimed in a probing of his soul, but trying to explain immortal cultivation with science in the Cultivation World was itself unscientific.


    Li Shiming dispelled the Flying Boat, and a white lotus appeared beneath his feet, holding him stationary in the air.


    His Divine Thought unfolded. As his consciousness shifted slightly, the "White Lotus Pattern" projected a lotus appearing a hundred meters away, his figure vanishing from the original spot and reappearing on the distant white lotus.


    During the process of disappearance and reappearance, he felt the surrounding scenery undergo a shift as if space itself had transformed.


    This change almost caused the ever-observing and data-collecting IBMz15 to crash. If IBMz15 had consciousness, it too would have exclaimed, "This is unscientific!"


    Li Shiming discovered his movement distance exceeded that of Jue Yuan Buddha. He projected another white lotus through the "White Lotus Pattern", and this time, the lotus appeared two hundred meters away.


    This was nearly double the distance Jue Yuan Buddha could move during battle, who only managed to reach one hundred and fifty meters at his peak.


    Considering Li Shiming was in the early-stage Foundation Establishment and Jue Yuan Buddha was at the mid-stage, the difference wasn''t in their stages but in their spiritual strength.


    Li Shiming, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had cultivated Divine Thought, was the reason he could extend "Step by Step Lotus" to two hundred meters.

 Chapter 352 222 Divine Skills_2

    Clusters of white lotuses appeared ahead, and his figure flickered in and out of sight in midair, the utmost limit of his speed being restricted by the projection speed of the "White Lotus Pattern," yet this speed could be activated by the slightest stir of his mind.


    This movement technique, if not considering the energy it consumed, was even faster than the Sword Escape by more than double.


    If he accumulated energy for the duration of five breaths, he could extend his farthest teleportation distance to three hundred meters, which was the maximum distance he could reach instantaneously.


    "This is the true bearing an Immortal should have!" White lotuses appeared in the air, and his figure ghostly advanced step by step on the lotuses, this movement method being extremely dazzling.


    However, considering that the Shushan Sect and Qianye Temple were allies, he needed to return and consult his master about what exactly the "Step by Step Lotus" technique was, otherwise, it could very likely cause trouble.


    In fact, when he discovered that the "Step by Step Lotus" was a teleportation manner of moving, he had already speculated about the level of this technique; it certainly belonged to the top tier of techniques. If the Shushan Sect also had records of this technique, then he wouldn''t have to worry and could use it anytime.


    He then thought about Li Yuanba; analyzing based on Li Yuanba''s spirit, Li Yuanba''s spirit was much stronger than that of ordinary cultivators.


    Although he hadn''t developed Divine Thought, Li Yuanba had cultivated Spiritual Thought early in the Qi Refinement Realm, and naturally, his spirit was stronger than that of ordinary cultivators by the time he reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Previously, when Li Shiming had cultivated Divine Thought, Li Yuanba''s spirit had also benefited.


    Since Li Yuanba''s spirit could withstand the transmission of the "White Lotus Pattern," Li Shiming decided to let Li Yuanba also learn the "Step by Step Lotus."


    However, Li Yuanba could no longer withstand the "White Lotus Pattern" on the battlefield; it would be extremely dangerous if he, by ill fortune, encountered enemies and lost the capacity to protect himself.


    Moreover, it was time to report Jue Yuan''s achievements, having been on the battlefield for quite a while.


    Li Yuanba returned towards Jieshan Mountain Pass, and still, he encountered no Buddhas from Qianye Temple on the way.


    The path he took was straight, and except for the exceptionally powerful ones, the rest of the Buddhas from Qianye Temple were synergized in combat.


    The Buddhas of Qianye Temple all practiced coordination arts¡ªTwo Elements, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Harmonies, Seven Movements, Eight Diagrams, Nine Palaces; these coordinated array arrangements could significantly enhance the Buddhas'' overall combat capabilities.


    They mostly waited in fixed locations, waiting for Devil Cultivators to appear.


    The characteristic of Devil Cultivators was also very clear; various bizarre ambush tactics made them hard to guard against, so it was better for the Buddhas to wait for them to come.


    The route Li Yuanba took, by chance, had no Buddhas.


    Upon returning to the pass, he went to the Task Pavilion.


    There were quite a few sect cultivators in the Task Pavilion, and at this time, none looked even slightly like Devil Cultivators, each wearing a smile, extraordinarily amiable.


    This side of the pass was considered sect territory, and sect cultivators were very cautious, not bringing trouble here.


    Of course, the most critical reason was that several Golden Core Elders were stationed here; it was not often that such a good opportunity arose to perform in front of a Golden Core Elder.


    Perhaps if a Golden Core Elder took notice, they could be taken in as a Disciple, instantly turning their fates around.


    "It''s a True Disciple!" As Li Yuanba walked into the Task Pavilion, some cultivators recognized him.


    True Disciples were the masters of the battlefield; this was the case in any large-scale combat.


    True Disciples were also the spiritual pillars of all sect cultivators on the battlefield, and once a True Disciple was defeated, it could greatly demoralize the sect cultivators.


    Among these cultivators, a few had flickering eyes.


    They vaguely knew that Wang Chengjun and several other Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators were plotting against Li Yuanba; Wang Chengjun''s murderous gaze towards Li Yuanba could not be concealed from observant cultivators.


    They were waiting here to see what would happen; if Wang Chengjun returned, then it meant that Li Yuanba, the True Disciple, was done for. If Li Yuanba returned, then it indicated that Wang Chengjun and his group had failed.


    They had even placed bets among themselves, though only one cultivator bet that Li Yuanba would return alive.


    At this moment, the cultivator who had won the bet was smiling triumphantly, extending his hand to collect the wager from the other cultivators.


    "Do you think Wang Chengjun is still alive?" a cultivator asked telepathically.


    "For this True Disciple to have survived and returned is already impressive, how could he possibly have killed several Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment?" another cultivator shook his head as he telepathically responded.


    Just as Wang Chengjun dared to ambush Li Yuanba, no cultivator was optimistic about Li Yuanba''s combat power, mainly because Li Yuanba had been a True Disciple for too short a time.


    No matter the potential, it''s still just potential. For a True Disciple to develop a formidable combat power, it takes at least a decade, how much can be improved in just a year.


    "Li, please show us your achievements!" the steward responsible for assignment respectfully said to Li Yuanba.


    The steward was also a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, just older in age within the sect and managing internal affairs, which was quite different from the status of a True Disciple.


    Thus, the steward also respectfully addressed Li Yuanba as Elder Brother, such was the status of a True Disciple.


    Li Yuanba took out the body of Jue Yuan Buddha and placed it in front of the steward.


    The cultivators observing the True Disciple submitting his task were disappointed to see that Li Yuanba had only taken out one body.


    As a True Disciple, to have only killed one Buddha from Qianye Temple after such a long time, this achievement really did not match the status of a True Disciple.


    Among the ordinary cultivators, many had achievements surpassing Li Yuanba.


    "This one is called Jue Yuan, seems to be a True Inheritor of Qianye Temple!" Li Yuanba, unaware of the thoughts of the cultivators in the Task Pavilion, spoke uncertainly and did not care about their opinions.


    He did not know if Jue Yuan Buddha was a True Inheritor, but judging by his strength, he should be.


    As he spoke, a figure appeared beside Jue Yuan Buddha''s body, and he quickly bowed in respect.


    The other cultivators also paid their respects to the newcomer, who was Elder Lv.


    "Well done, Li Yuanba, you''ve killed the third-ranked Buddha of Qianye Temple. You really bring honor to your master, Elder Jian!" after examining the body, Elder Lv looked up at Li Yuanba and shook his head in admiration.


    A sword strike to the brow, with remnants of Sword Intent at the wound, indeed it was a Sword Cultivator who had slain Jue Yuan Buddha.


    This Sword Intent was consistent with Li Yuanba''s, and considering Li Yuanba acted alone, it meant he had soloed and killed Jue Yuan Buddha, even astonishing Elder Lv.


    Though Sword Cultivators are unmatched in slaughter, that holds true only when at similar levels, but Jue Yuan Buddha was at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.


    According to sect intelligence, Jue Yuan Buddha had received Divine Skills inheritance. Since Li Yuanba managed to kill Jue Yuan Buddha, his potential was undoubtedly greater.


    Most importantly, Elder Lv found that Li Yuanba had not used any other methods, it was an equal fight.


    True Disciples always possess some powerful life-preserving techniques that can kill opponents of higher levels, but the use of such techniques inevitably leaves traces.


    "Master has slain an Arhat, I still have a long way to go!" Li Yuanba bowed and replied.


    "I see great promise in you, grow quickly, and soon our sect will have another powerful Golden Core Sword Cultivator!" Elder Lv smiled and patted his shoulder encouragingly.


    Li Yuanba furrowed his brow, Elder Lv seemed very kind and affable, but remembering that this was a Demon Cultivation Golden Core of the Senluo Sect, there could not be any benevolent individuals among them.


    He hastily checked inside his body, fearing that the other might have left something inside.


    After several thorough checks, he found nothing unusual, but he still took the issue to heart.


    As a sect''s Golden Core Elder, he must be aware that cultivators try to avoid physical contact as much as possible, such contact usually signifies either close friendship or a master-disciple relationship, otherwise, it can easily lead to misunderstandings.


    Elder Lv''s eyes flashed with a somber hue, sensing Li Yuanba invoking Spiritual Power to check his body.


    He had indeed left a harmless mark inside Li Yuanba, with many Golden Core Elders around, he refrained from asking more. He planned to inquire from Li Yuanba privately whether there was a relic among Jue Yuan Buddha''s personal belongings.

 Chapter 353 03-25 - 223: Guardedness

    Chapter 353: Chapter 223: Guardedness


    Wealth stirs the heart, and for cultivators, powerful cultivation techniques are equivalent to resources, and thus, equivalent to wealth.


    The Divine Foot Skill inheritance is one of Qianye Temple¡¯s divine inheritances, and also one that Jue Yuan Buddha had acquired.


    Usually, Jue Yuan Buddha is always protected by an Arhat in secret. It¡¯s rare for him to be killed by Li Yuanba in this battle. Therefore, there¡¯s a certain chance that the Divine Foot Skill inheritance has fallen into Li Yuanba¡¯s hands.


    Elder Lv is at the Golden Core Stage, but he has ambitions too. He covets divine skills that even Nascent Soul cultivators pursue.


    It¡¯s said that the inheritance of various divine skills is extremely difficult, with Qianye Temple producing a disciple of such inheritance only once every few hundred years. But even if there is a one in ten thousand chance, as long as the Divine Foot Skill inheritance is in one¡¯s hands, there will always be a sliver of opportunity.


    Besides, even if one cannot comprehend the Divine Foot Skill, it is still an exceedingly precious resource that can be exchanged for a large amount of Golden Core Stage resources to enhance one¡¯s power.


    ...


    When it concerns his own development, Elder Lv no longer needs to care about the image he has maintained within the sect.


    As for whether to kill Li Yuanba or not, that depends on whether Li recognizes what¡¯s best for him. If he doesn¡¯t, then one must act cleanly and ensure that Elder Jian does not find out anything.


    ¡°Li, your contribution points for the true inheritance of Jue Yuan from Qianye Temple are 2400 points!¡± the Steward said, having finished with the formalities, and informed Li Yuanba.


    The cultivators present, some who had heard of Jue Yuan Buddha¡¯s reputation, looked at Li Yuanba with fear, no longer simply because of his status as a True Disciple.


    Even those who had not heard much of Jue Yuan Buddha were stunned by the contribution points.


    The contribution points for this mission were doubled, which meant that the reward for killing Jue Yuan Buddha was originally 1200 points, whereas the reward for killing a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was merely 800 contribution points.


    The comparison made it clear that Jue Yuan Buddha¡¯s strength far surpassed that of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Elder Lv, I¡¯m going to rest now!¡± Li Yuanba nodded in gratitude to the Steward, then turned to bid farewell to Elder Lv.


    ¡°Go ahead!¡± Elder Lv smiled and waved his hand.


    Li Yuanba left the Task Pavilion, his Spiritual Thought retracting from within his storage bracelet. He had kept his Spiritual Thought on the Sword Intent Buddha Beads the entire time; should Elder Lv make any suspicious move, he was ready to activate the Sword Intent Buddha Beads immediately.


    This was his confidence in facing a Golden Core Elder, at least giving Elder Lv pause, allowing him a chance to call for help from other Golden Core Elders.


    He took a deep breath, finding the Demon Sect troublesome, always having to be wary of various crises.


    Thinking this, he walked to an open area, situated conspicuously at the peak of the checkpoint, where he laid out thirty-six flags and entered the formation.


    He first sat cross-legged with eyes closed, calming his heart and emptying his mind.


    Meanwhile, his true self, Li Shiming, through IBMz15 transferred the ¡°White Lotus Diagram,¡± the inheritance diagram of the Divine Foot Skill¡¯s Step by Step Lotus, into Li Yuanba¡¯s spirit via the original¡¯s intermediation.


    The seated Li Yuanba only felt as if his brain had been struck by a heavy hammer. His head spun, no longer able to support his body, and he collapsed to the ground.


    Massive amounts of data were instantly imported, and steam rose above his head, a sign of excessive brain usage.


    He lay on the ground, groggy for two hours, before regaining his strength and sitting up to vigorously shake his head.


    In terms of spirit, he was comparable to Jue Yuan Buddha, perhaps even slightly less formidable.


    Top-tier geniuses, if cultivated with full effort from the onset, do not have a significant foundational gap. At least at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with both practicing top-tier cultivation techniques, there generally won¡¯t be much disparity in constitution, spirit, or Spiritual Power Pattern.


    Jue Yuan Buddha had a higher realm than Li Yuanba, so it was normal for him to have a slightly stronger spirit.


    It took years for Jue Yuan Buddha to successfully visualize the ¡°White Lotus Diagram¡± after receiving the Divine Foot Skill Step by Step Lotus inheritance. During this time, he received significant support from Qianye Temple, including Spiritual Objects that aided his memory and guidance in the corresponding mantras.


    What Jue Yuan Buddha visualized over several years, IBMz15 transmitted to Li Yuanba in a moment. Li Yuanba¡¯s spirit collapsed momentarily as a defense mechanism.


    However, Li Shiming, the original, had calculated this. Having endured such a shock once, he was best qualified to judge.


    Though Li Yuanba suffered some hardship, it allowed him to learn the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± in a short time.


    Ask any cultivator in the Cultivation World if they¡¯d be willing to fall unconscious for two hours without lasting harm to master the introductory technique of a divine skill. Not to mention without consequences, they¡¯d be willing even with treatable injuries.


    Li Yuanba shook his head vigorously, his mind still in a state of chaos.


    After waiting another thirty minutes, he was finally capable of thought.


    He sensed the ¡°White Lotus Diagram¡± within his spirit and smiled.


    ¡°Worth it, I finally have a viable means to protect myself!¡± he said to himself with a laugh.


    Li Yuanba was strong; the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± granted him great defensive power and close combat attack strength. He had sword attacks for long-range and could also use Sword Escape.


    However, due to his realm, his Sword Escape speed was only relatively fast among cultivators of the same level. Against cultivators specializing in speed and of higher realms, it was uncertain.


    Using one¡¯s body for defense and close combat was a last resort.


    Employing it was extremely dangerous¡ªthere¡¯s no telling if the enemy has the means to breach one¡¯s defenses or possesses equally powerful close combat capabilities.


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 Chapter 354 03-25 - 223: Guardedness_2

    Chapter 354: Chapter 223: Guardedness_2


    The ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± had given him the defensive power to resist attacks from ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators wielding Spiritual Artifacts, but against the attacks of True Disciples or Cultivators with powerful Spiritual Artifacts, it was incapable of defense.


    With the ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± he was able to increase his speed and distance from any Cultivator. If he couldn¡¯t beat his opponent, he would kite them, and if kiting didn¡¯t work, he would run.


    Moreover, the most crucial point was, being a Devil Cultivator by nature, he was inherently an enemy of the Qianye Temple, so even if he used the ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± he didn¡¯t need to worry about Qianye Temple coming to trouble him.


    Of course, he also understood that he had to be cautious when using the ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡± Elder Lv¡¯s attitude today had been very strange, and he had a hunch that it might be connected to the ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    As he thought about this, he modified the Formation again, enlarging its interior space.


    This Formation could prevent peeping from outsiders; neither Spiritual Thought nor Divine Thought could penetrate the Formation set up by the thirty-six flags¡ªnot even the great Formation in this place.


    ...


    Li Yuanba stood on the ground, focusing his mind on the ¡°White Lotus Diagram.¡± He had shared the knowledge of how to use the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± from his original self, Li Shiming.


    His body left the ground, and a white lotus appeared beneath his feet. Nearly a hundred meters away, a second white lotus emerged.


    The figure of Li Yuanba vanished from the original spot and appeared on the second white lotus. This was the maximum distance he could achieve with normal use of the ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± and it was only a little less than the distance that Jue Yuan Buddha could reach¡ªthe difference wasn¡¯t significant.


    Having mastered the ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± the worries he had before had lessened considerably.


    He didn¡¯t linger any longer. At this moment, the battlefield was actually safer. He contemplated avoiding future contact with Elder Lv as much as possible.


    His Spiritual Thought swept through, gathering all the Formation flags, and in a flash, he left the checkpoint and headed towards the battlefield.


    Elder Lv stood at a higher place, watching Li Yuanba with cold eyes.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï???.?¦Ï


    He was quite optimistic about Li Yuanba, but that was under the condition that he did not conflict with his own interests. He let out a faint cold laugh; how could Li Yuanba possibly escape from his grasp?


    Naturally, he wanted to try to exchange the Foundation Establishment resources with Li Yuanba for the inheritance of the Divine Foot Skill. If Li Yuanba refused, then he couldn¡¯t blame him for being ruthless.


    From the start of cultivation, Devil Cultivators survived through constant killing and contention over resources. Any resource beneficial to themselves, they wouldn¡¯t possibly let go.


    He had to succeed before Li Yuanba returned to the sect; otherwise, once back in the sect, he wouldn¡¯t dare make a move under the watchful eyes of Elder Jian¡ªit would be no different from courting death.


    Li Yuanba, using the Sword Escape to hurry along, didn¡¯t dare to underestimate Qianye Temple at all; the abilities of the Buddhas of Qianye Temple were by no means weak.


    This time, he was lucky; shortly after covering forty miles, he sensed intense fluctuations from the collision of Spiritual Power ahead.


    He canceled the Sword Escape, switched to the Flying Technique, and quietly approached the origin of the noises, keeping low to the ground.


    Soon he could see the battlefield clearly: twelve Buddhas were surrounded at the center, with fifteen Devil Cultivators continuously attacking from the outside.


    The twelve Buddhas defended brilliantly, each using defensive Spiritual Artifacts to form two defense circles. If the outer defense was broken, those on the inside would top up the defense, giving their comrades time to re-establish the outer defense circle.


    Such cooperation among Cultivators was extremely rare; most of the time Cultivators cultivated alone, with few willing to place complete trust in other Cultivators.


    At least within the Senluo Sect, it would be impossible to find so many Cultivators coordinating together. Perhaps Devil Cultivators would have individual friends, but to say that Devil Cultivators could completely trust a friend was almost an impossibility.


    The fifteen attacking Devil Cultivators showed no cooperation; they only relied on their numbers and continuously employed various techniques to try to break through the Buddhas¡¯ defenses.


    Originally, this battlefield hadn¡¯t had so many Cultivators from both sides present; it began with merely four Buddhas and six Devil Cultivators encountering each other.


    Neither side could gain the upper hand, and their battle drew nearby Cultivators from both sides, gathering more and more until the scene became what it was now. Devil Cultivators, who searched far and wide across the battlefield, became more numerous, leading to the current situation.


    ¡°I want four Buddhas; the rest are yours to divide!¡± Li Yuanba appeared on the edge of the battlefield, speaking in a deep voice.


    ¡°Who are you to talk so big!¡± a Devil Cultivator said dissatisfactorily.


    Li Yuan Ba did not speak. Instead, he looked at several of the Devil Cultivators before him. These were individuals who recognized him¡ªthey were his peers who had come as Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators.


    ¡°Brother, none of us has any objections!¡± those Devil Cultivators who recognized Li Yuan Ba quickly declared their stance loudly.


    The rest of the Devil Cultivators also realized the situation. Among them were those at the Middle Late Stage Foundation Establishment, yet they were calling a cultivator at the early-stage Foundation Establishment ¡°brother.¡± It was evident that a True Disciple had arrived.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m not eloquent, please forgive my rudeness. This matter should indeed be handled by you, Brother!¡± said the previously dissatisfied Devil Cultivator, changing his expression and repeatedly speaking.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make it quick, drawing more Buddhas here would be troublesome!¡± Li Yuan Ba did not take the Devil Cultivator¡¯s previous words to heart and stated.


    He waved his hand, and the sword light surged with Sword Intent, striking towards the Buddhas in the encirclement.


    ¡°Be careful, a True Inheritor has come!¡± The encircled Buddhas, naturally hearing the exchange among the Devil Cultivators, warned each other while actually bolstering their own courage.


    The disciples of the major sects who were True Inheritors were not to be underestimated: possessing powerful Secret Techniques, tremendous Spiritual Artifacts, and a variety of life-saving means, they had become the nightmare of ordinary cultivators.


    The sword light struck a Kasaya Spiritual Artifact, which transformed into a golden wall, protecting a section of the area¡ªit was the strongest defense among the twelve Buddhas.


    Just one strike greatly changed the expression of the owner of the Kasaya Spiritual Artifact.


    ¡°Sword Intent, this is a Sword Cultivator!¡± he exclaimed in alarm.


    The second and third strikes, occurring in just a little over a breath¡¯s time, struck in quick succession. The once impressive Kasaya Spiritual Artifact lost its defensive effect, disconnected from its owner, and fell to the ground.


    The Buddha spat out a mouthful of blood. Just as he tried to bring out a new defense Spiritual Artifact to fill the gap in his defense, the sword light was already upon him.


    The defense formed by the cooperation of the twelve Buddhas was truly excellent. Each Buddha only had to concentrate their spiritual power on guarding their own corner to ensure the safety of all Buddhas.


    However, the same defense had its flaws. If it was breached and the enemy¡¯s attack was fast enough, then all the cooperating Buddhas would lose protection in a short span of time.


    At this moment, the sword light was like the most fearsome viper, first killing the owner of the Kasaya Spiritual Artifact and then weaving through the Buddhas, continuously slaying half of them before any Buddha could react and disperse their defensive formation to defend themselves.


    But by then it was too late. For the remaining six Buddhas, even if Li Yuan Ba did not make another move, they would not be able to withstand the attacks from the fifteen Devil Cultivators.


    Li Yuan Ba showed no mercy. His sword light caught up with a Buddha, and in the despairing gaze of the latter, it broke through the defensive Spiritual Artifact and extinguished his life.


    The rest of the Devil Cultivators encircled and killed the five remaining Buddhas. Three Devil Cultivators surrounded one Buddha¡ªincompetency to swiftly resolve the fight did not befit participation in this grand battle.


    After the battle, all the Devil Cultivators looked at Li Yuan Ba with eyes full of reverence. Li Yuan Ba joined the battlefield and in less than two breaths of time, broke the deadlock in the battle, killing seven Buddhas in succession, showcasing the terror of a Sword Cultivator.


    Li Yuan Ba nodded. He collected the corpses of four Buddhas, choosing those at the Middle Late Stage Foundation Establishment. Not a single Devil Cultivator raised objections to this.


    It wasn¡¯t until Li Yuan Ba left that the Devil Cultivators began to discuss how to distribute the spoils of war. Those matters no longer concerned Li Yuan Ba.


    In the following few days, Li Yuan Ba roamed the battlefield, continuously slaying Buddhas.


    His Sword Intent, honed in battle, became even sharper¡ªperhaps due to slaying too many cultivators, the aura of slaughter within his Sword Intent also became extremely intense.


    Even once, when he was fighting an early-stage Buddha, the intensity of the killing aura in his Sword Intent directly impacted the Buddha¡¯s mind. Without offering any resistance, his body stiffened as he was pierced through the heart by Li Yuan Ba¡¯s sword.


    The number of Buddha corpses in Li Yuan Ba¡¯s storage bracelet increased, and his reputation spread across the battlefield.


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 Chapter 355 03-25 - 224 Tracking

    Chapter 355: Chapter 224 Tracking


    After spending five days on the battlefield, Li Yuanba decided to return to the Jieshan Mountain Pass; he needed to consider how to meet with his original self, Li Shiming.


    The original Li Shiming had already been waiting for one day on a mountain peak close to the Righteous Gate, primarily to observe the battlefield situation and study the Formation of the Righteous Path¡¯s side.


    This Formation was guarded by the cooperation of three Righteous Path powers: Shushan Sect, Thousand Illusion Sect, and Qianye Temple. If Li Shiming dared enter the gate directly, he would immediately be detained by the Golden Core Elders of the Shushan Sect guarding the gate.


    As a True Inheritor Alchemist like him was a treasure in any major sect, how could he be allowed to take risks at will.


    Besides, the current Foundation Establishment Stage war was a score to settle between Qianye Temple and Senluo Sect, and it had not escalated to the point where the other two sects of the Righteous Path needed to be involved.


    If Shushan Sect and Thousand Illusion Sect were to get involved, it would at least require Qianye Temple to invite them actively.


    ...


    So from any perspective, Li Shiming could not enter the battlefield.


    Li Shiming remained outside the pass precisely to investigate the Formation; with his status as a True Disciple of Shushan Sect, the Formation would not attack him. As long as he did not enter and trigger the Formation, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    By following the defensive line, he found a weak point in the Formation and tried to research its vulnerabilities.


    Such a Formation could not possibly be crafted entirely by Array Masters or High-level Array Masters. Normally, these kinds of Formations were designed by Array Masters and then installed by Array Masters of various levels, with only the key Formation nodes being handled by High-level Array Masters or Array Masters themselves.


    The weak point he found was likely constructed by an Intermediate Array Master, and it contained many errors.


    Of course, the minor errors within the Formation would be difficult to exploit, even if there were an Array Master present.


    The overall operation of the Formation would conceal these small imperfections, preventing Array Masters from finding any exploitable weaknesses.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã?


    But Li Shiming was different; with the help of IBMz15, as long as there was a loophole, he could analyze how to utilize it through rigorous calculation.


    After several exhausting hours, he finally mastered the loophole here and could enter and exit without a sound.


    However, Li Shiming did not act immediately; he needed to coordinate with Li Yuanba. He couldn¡¯t stay on the battlefield for too long and would return immediately after exchanging goods.


    He still needed to practice ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± timing it for the next morning.


    Li Yuanba returned to the Jieshan Mountain Pass and went to have the bodies verified by a steward to exchange for contribution points before heading to the Exchange Pavilion.


    At the Exchange Pavilion, he exchanged all his contribution points for knowledge of Formations. The Formation system of Senluo Sect was based primarily on cold spiritual energy, which was a rather unique inheritance.


    He even saw the complete knowledge of the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array. However, this kind of Formation, which required Third Grade Array materials, was not something he could currently afford.


    The stance of the grand sects on Formations requiring Third Grade materials was the same: to strictly control their dissemination.


    This blockade was for all Golden Core cultivators because once such Formation knowledge spread, Array Masters would compete with Golden Core cultivators for Third Grade materials, making the already scarce materials even scarcer.


    It could be said that this was also a knowledge monopoly participated in by all grand sects, whether on the Righteous Path or the Demon Sect.


    Li Yuanba had over ten thousand contribution points, all of which he exchanged for knowledge of Formations. Because of their various types, this knowledge was stored in fifteen Jade Scrolls.


    This was the only knowledge that the original Li Shiming currently needed. Li Shiming had also exchanged for a lot of Formation knowledge at the Shushan Sect, and his accumulation of Formation knowledge was rapidly increasing. He felt that a breakthrough in the Array Formation Starlight Sea was not as far off as before.


    Therefore, Li Shiming needed all the Formation knowledge he could get to supplement his total knowledge of Formations.


    Li Yuanba then used the spoils of war to exchange for a batch of the unique Second Grade Spirit Medicine from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Ordinary Devil Cultivators, as well as Buddha¡¯s spiritual artifacts and spiritual objects, were of no use to him; it was better to exchange them for unique Spirit Medicine from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, which could also benefit his original self in alchemy.


    Having arranged everything, he left the pass again.


    Elder Lv was still watching from afar, but this time, he turned around, returned to his cave dwelling, took out a puppet, and infused a stream of Spiritual Energy into it. He placed the puppet in his temporary cave dwelling where he usually rested.


    With this breath of life and the fact that he had left an Identity Jade Disc in the puppet¡¯s possession, both the Golden Core Elders outside and the Formation would think he was still there.


    He took a deep breath, and his aura quickly dropped, falling from the Golden Core Stage to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment in no time.


    He tapped his body several times with his fingers. This secret technique allowed his aura to be suppressed at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment and would not be detected by Arhats of Qianye Temple or Golden Core cultivators of the Righteous Path.


    Of course, if he made a move that went beyond the capability of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, the secret technique would automatically unravel.


    Normally, no Golden Core cultivator would do this, as in such a state, their defense would fall to that of Late-stage Foundation Establishment, which was the weakest condition.


    If they were ambushed by a cultivator of the same level, they might fall before they could unleash their true strength.


    Elder Lv had originally planned to find an opportunity to meet Li Yuanba; however, Li Yuanba simply did not linger long at the Jieshan Mountain Pass. He only returned twice, and both times he left immediately after completing his tasks and handling affairs, not giving Elder Lv any chance at all.


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 Chapter 356 03-25 - 224 Tracking_2

    Chapter 356: Chapter 224 Tracking_2


    Li Yuanba¡¯s caution forced Elder Lv to choose an adventure, considering it worth the risk for a possible divine power.


    Elder Lv took out another Identity Jade Disc, which belonged to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the sect.


    With this new identity, he boldly left the checkpoint and followed the trail of Li Yuanba¡¯s aura.


    It was from the last time he lightly tapped Li Yuanba, leaving a mark inside Li Yuanba.


    The means of a Golden Core cultivator were not something Li Yuanba could detect, and although Li Yuanba had examined his own body, he found nothing unusual.


    This time, Li Yuanba was heading directly for the predetermined location, a site close to the Righteous Path¡¯s defensive line.


    ...


    On the other side, the real Li Shiming had also passed through the great formation, entering the edge of the battlefield, waiting for Li Yuanba.


    He was quite comfortable, setting up a formation with seventy-two flags and resting there.


    ¡°How many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Senluo Sect have entered the battlefield?¡± Zhi Kong Arhat asked sternly.


    ¡°About twelve hundred!¡± Zhi Ming Arhat quickly answered.


    ¡°Jue Tu¡¯s condition is unstable; he hasn¡¯t killed in too long. If this drags on, he fears he won¡¯t be able to restrain himself any longer, let him go to the battlefield!¡± Zhi Kong Arhat thought and said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how the Senluo Sect, minus these twelve hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, will contend with our sect in the next three hundred years!¡± Zhi Ming Arhat said with a laugh.


    He had great confidence in Jue Tu Buddha, whose ¡®kill to become a Buddha¡¯ approach, once Buddha status is achieved and Arhat status is attained, could add a strong Arhat to the Qianye Temple. At that level, once his realm improved to be comparable to Elder Jian, he could even fight Elder Jian.


    Source: , updated on n?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    These twelve hundred Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators are the stepping bones for Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s Arhat advancement.


    Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s uncontrollable killing intent, once it reaches the Arhat level, could be self-regulated.


    The efforts of the Qianye Temple over the past hundred years were completely worthwhile.


    Zhi Ming Arhat waved his hand toward the formation behind him, the formation opened, and a surge of killing intent, no longer suppressed by the formation, shot straight into the sky.


    ¡°Amitabha Buddha!¡± Zhi Kong Arhat intoned solemnly, and the soaring killing intent was suppressed by this utterance.


    At that moment, a figure appeared within the formation, a monk dressed in a black robe, towering at two meters and fifty centimeters.


    A height of two meters and fifty centimeters was extremely rare in the Cultivation World, even among Devil Cultivators using secret techniques, some were taller than him.


    But at a normal state of two meters and fifty, that was rarely seen.


    Jue Tu Buddha didn¡¯t have the strong physique typical of other Buddhas from Qianye Temple; instead, his body was lean, with sunken eye sockets and high cheekbones, and his eyes were blood-red.


    If not known to be a Half-step Golden Core Buddha, one might think he was a Corpse Refining by some Devil Cultivator.


    His appearance was almost seventy percent similar to that of Corpse Refining; he looked more like a Devil Cultivator than the Devil Cultivators themselves.


    Especially with his aura of killing intent, he bore none of the Buddha¡¯s spirit or compassion typical of Buddhist Buddhas.


    ¡°Go, this is your path to advancement, kill a thousand of your peers to prove your Buddhahood!¡± Zhi Kong Arhat pointed towards the battlefield, slowly speaking.


    ¡°Master, I can¡¯t restrain it any longer!¡± Jue Tu Buddha let out a hoarse voice, the voice sounding suppressed.


    After saying this, Jue Tu Buddha pressed his palms together in salute, then soared towards the battlefield.


    ¡°Namo Amitabha Bodhisattva, duru duru dee, duru dee, Amitabha permit...¡± Jue Tu Buddha chanted the Rebirth Mantra, his killing was for the sake of all sentient beings, for Buddha, this was his belief.


    As he chanted the Rebirth Mantra louder, the killing intent in him instead of diminishing grew stronger.


    Killing intent was like other cultivators¡¯ Spiritual Thoughts, a manner of perception; when unleashed, his range of perception of killing intent was even broader than Spiritual Thoughts.


    Four Devil Cultivators forming a squad, were searching for the Buddha, when suddenly their bodies chilled, an indescribable evil feeling enveloped them.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny, really, Devil Cultivators being scared of evil, which should be the largest source of evil in the Cultivation World.¡±


    Evil is an expression of emotion, and hidden within that emotion is an even more terrifying intent to kill.


    As the four Devil Cultivators were preparing to be on guard, murderous intent filled their brains and souls, and they became frozen in place in an instant.


    Like a demon, Jue Tu Buddha appeared, his towering figure lunged at the four Devil Cultivators. He did not use any Spiritual Artifacts; instead, his hands transformed into claws, frenziedly tearing the bodies of the four Devil Cultivators apart.


    Amidst the flying flesh, the four Devil Cultivators didn¡¯t even realize what had occurred before they were torn to shreds by Jue Tu Buddha.


    Jue Tu Buddha, drenched in fresh blood, with his strength close to that of a Half-step Arhat, could have easily avoided being soaked in blood, but he seemed to greatly enjoy the taste of it, a look of intoxication on his face.


    ¡°Kill!¡± he let out a hoarse howl.


    On the side of the Senluo Sect, a Golden Core Elder sensed that unmistakable presence on the battlefield.


    ¡°A Half-step Arhat, damn it, why wasn¡¯t there any intelligence on this!¡± the Golden Core Elder roared angrily.


    He immediately messaged the other Golden Core Elders, and soon two more appeared.


    ¡°Where is Elder Lv?¡± the Golden Core Elder asked, frowning.


    ¡°He¡¯s in his cave, didn¡¯t answer the communication, must be having an epiphany!¡± another Golden Core Elder responded.


    ¡°How can Elder Lv be in seclusion now? Qianye Temple has unleashed a Half-step Arhat. If we don¡¯t make a decision soon, I fear our Foundation Establishment Cultivators will suffer heavy casualties!¡± the Golden Core Elder said anxiously.


    The other two Golden Core Elders also showed an expression of helplessness. Both sides had four Golden Cores and Arhats, making it a battle agreed upon as fair.


    On the Righteous Path¡¯s side, at a nearby pass, there were several other sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators from the Righteous Path. They did not participate in the war.


    But once a Golden Core Elder from the Senluo Sect entered the battlefield, breaking the rules of war, those Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators would certainly use this excuse to seize the opportunity to eliminate them.


    This was the open plot of the Righteous Path, forcing the Senluo Sect to choose either to save their Foundation Establishment Cultivators or to risk annihilation by sending out Golden Core cultivators.


    Either scenario would benefit Qianye Temple.


    ¡°Immediately notify all cultivators to return and withdraw from the battlefield!¡± the Golden Core Elder had no choice but to try to save whoever he could.


    He was also aware that, unable to enter the battlefield and without formation communication coverage in the battlefield area, he could not reach every Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    The location of the battlefield was right at the boundary between the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and the Righteous Path¡¯s territory. Both sides restrained themselves greatly, deliberately leaving this area uncovered by formation communications, making it one of the rare areas where long-distance formation communication could not be used.


    Straightaway, orders were sent out, but at this point, it was morning, and most well-rested Devil Cultivators had already entered the battlefield.


    ¡°All we can do is hope that the True Disciples can hold back this Half-step Arhat!¡± sighed the Golden Core Elder, shaking his head.


    Though the Half-step Arhat is strong, he is not without counters. The life-saving items held by the True Disciples, such as talismans, posed a threat to the Half-step Arhat.


    However, the Golden Core Elders were unaware of the situation with Jue Tu Buddha. If they had known that this was a Half-step Arhat who had become a Buddha through killing, they would not have thought this way.


    Talismans and other life-saving offensive items all require time to be activated.


    Besides, with the strength of artifacts being about a tenth of a talisman, it¡¯s still a question whether it can harm a Half-step Arhat like Jue Tu Buddha.


    Jue Tu Buddha was much stronger than a typical Half-step Arhat, and it would not be an exaggeration to say he represented the pinnacle of power for someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    This was why the Arhats of Qianye Temple were extremely confident in Jue Tu Buddha.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t have the keen perception abilities of a Golden Core Elder; he was still rapidly advancing towards the rendezvous point.


    Following him, Elder Lv also failed to sense the aura of Jue Tu Buddha as a Half-step Arhat. It wasn¡¯t that Elder Lv lacked strength, but rather, he had used a Secret Technique to suppress all his power to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, thus avoiding detection by the Golden Core cultivators of both parties.


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 Chapter 357 03-25 - 225: Pursuit

    Chapter 357: Chapter 225: Pursuit


    Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s mind was filled with murderous intentions, but he still retained a sliver of clarity. He had received an order from Zhi Kong Arhat to retrieve the Jade Foot Relics of the Divine Foot Skill.


    He could sense the location of the Jade Foot Relics, so after rushing into the battlefield, he followed the trail of the relic¡¯s aura.


    All the Devil Cultivators he encountered along the way were naturally slain by his hand.


    His killing was swift, not delaying his speed in the slightest.


    However, Li Yuanba was continuously moving, which forced Jue Tu Buddha to adjust his path, essentially drawing a curve across the battlefield.


    Li Yuanba sensed the danger, that terrifying murderous intent, which was palpable even from a great distance.


    ...


    Elder Lv also sensed the presence of Jue Tu Buddha. His expression changed slightly. He was not worried about his own safety, but if Jue Tu Buddha forced him to reveal his suppressed strength, it would cause significant trouble.


    In this Foundation Establishment Stage battlefield, both sides¡¯ Golden Core cultivators were vigilant. It was even uncertain if Nascent Souls and Venerables were watching.


    If Elder Lv were indeed forced to reveal his Golden Core Stage strength on the battlefield, he could not guarantee that he would not be attacked by multiple Golden Core cultivators from the Righteous Path. That would be the best outcome; if a Nascent Soul or a Venerable intervened, death was certain.


    Therefore, he could not help but speed up, hoping to catch up to Li Yuanba quickly and resolve the matter.


    As he increased his speed, he could no longer conceal his form. Li Yuanba, sensing the aura of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator behind him, along with Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s aura, felt they were both targeting him.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s heart sank, the distinct aura of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator behind him clearly indicating they were tracking him. There were not many in the Foundation Establishment Stage who could track him without being detected.


    He speculated that it was a True Disciple sent by Elder Lv, not realizing that Elder Lv had come himself.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï


    Even if it was a True Disciple sent by Elder Lv, they would not be easy to deal with, and facing that enemy with a sky-high killing intent, if they caught up to him, he feared he would have to resort to his last resort.


    That final lifesaving measure, the Sword Intent Buddha Beads, should be avoided if at all possible.


    The Sword Intent Buddha Beads were not just a means of saving his life; by keeping them close, he could continually comprehend Elder Jian¡¯s Sword Intent, greatly enhancing his mastery of it.


    Li Yuanba could only increase his speed and quickly reconvene with his original self, Li Shiming. With Li Shiming¡¯s help, perhaps he could deal with the two cultivators who were tracking him.


    With this in mind, he no longer hid his strength. Under his feet, white lotuses sprouted, and the next lotus appeared nearly a hundred meters away as his figure flickered onto it.


    The white lotuses appeared in succession, his figure vanishing and reappearing continuously in the void.


    ¡°Step by Step Lotus, it is the Divine Foot Skill!¡± Elder Lv, following behind and seeing the suddenly accelerated Li Yuanba, clearly saw the white lotuses beneath Li Yuanba¡¯s feet.


    How could he not recognize this deepest secret of Divine Movement Divine Power from Qianye Temple, ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± which is the lowest level of Divine Foot Skill, barely touching the surface of the skill?


    He was exceptionally shocked in his heart; Li Yuanba had actually learned Divine Foot Skill. Could it be that the Divine Foot Skill heritage that Li Yuanba received was freely learnable? Perhaps Jue Yuan Buddha had left his own insights along with it, allowing Li Yuanba to easily master Divine Foot Skill.


    Elder Lv believed his own aptitude and talent were superior to Li Yuanba¡¯s, at least that¡¯s what he thought. Of course, to become a Golden Core cultivator, his aptitude and talent were definitely top-notch.


    There are many genius cultivators, and each Ascension Conference reveals several, but not many genius cultivators truly grow to their full potential.


    For genius cultivators to become Foundation Establishment cultivators is no problem; the likelihood is almost one hundred percent.


    But for genius cultivators wishing to advance to Golden Core, the difficulty increases significantly. Advancing to Golden Core is not just a matter of talent; it also requires the necessary resources.


    The resources for advancing to Golden Core, even in the relatively rich Beishu Continent, are extremely precious and rare.


    Each major sect¡¯s Golden Core resources require many genius cultivators to compete to acquire them, selecting the strongest and luckiest among the genius cultivators through such means.


    Elder Lv became a Golden Core cultivator through competition and believed without a doubt that his talent was better than Li Yuanba¡¯s.


    Thus, he was already considering, after catching up to Li Yuanba, not to rush to kill him; instead, he wanted to coax out Li Yuanba¡¯s secrets for cultivating the Divine Foot Skill ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    Li Yuanba¡¯s speed was extremely fast; ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± the first time he applied it in practice, demonstrated terrifying speed suppression.


    The Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator behind him was quickly left behind, his speed almost more than double that of the following cultivator.


    As for the murderous intent approaching from a distance, it could no longer close in. Instead, it was being pulled farther away; the murderous intent in his perception faded significantly due to the increased distance.


    His mind shifted, and he changed directions, while his original self, Li Shiming, also started to make preparations.


    He changed directions, yet although he had already left the sensory range of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator behind him, he still sensed the unreserved aura of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator due to full speed.


    The greatest benefit of Li Yuanba using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was that although his speed increased, he did not need to mobilize much Spiritual Power, allowing him to control his aura and not be too exposed.


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 Chapter 358 03-25 - 225 Pursuit_2

    Chapter 358: Chapter 225 Pursuit_2


    This way, theoretically, as long as his speed was fast enough, he could make the cultivators tracking him lose their ability to lock onto his scent.


    But he was wrong; he changed directions many times, yet the cultivators at the late-stage Foundation Establishment behind him, and that overwhelming killing intent, also kept changing directions, evidently still locking onto him.


    ¡°Indeed, there was something off about Elder Lv¡¯s gesture!¡± he thought to himself.


    Ever since the first time Wang Chengjun had led several devil cultivators into an ambush, he had been extremely cautious, not allowing any cultivator close enough to place a mark on him.


    The only one who could have placed a mark on him during this time was Elder Lv.


    As for the other source of killing intent, he suspected it might be Jade Foot Relics.


    ...


    This was not mere speculation; when he discovered that the cultivation technique ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± within the Jade Foot Relics had such speed, he realized the value of the Jade Foot Relics.


    ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was just the most basic technique within the Jade Foot Relics, and there were even higher level techniques beyond this.


    Such a legacy was naturally invaluable.


    If Qianye Temple did not have a method of tracking, Li Yuan Ba would not believe it for a second.


    He thought that the cultivator with the killing intent behind him must be the Buddha from Qianye Temple chasing after the Jade Foot Relics.


    He didn¡¯t care about the imprint from the Jade Foot Relics; as soon as he met the original body, Li Shiming, he would hand over the Jade Foot Relics to Li Shiming.


    Once in Li Shiming¡¯s hands and placed into the machine room space, no matter what methods Qianye Temple employed, they could no longer sense the existence of the Jade Foot Relics.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    He had strong confidence in this; he had used the machine room space several times to hide important spiritual objects.


    Elder Lv and Jue Tu Buddha had both noticed each other. Elder Lv did not want to complicate matters; he wanted to avoid Jue Tu Buddha and did not wish to conflict with a half-step Arhat like Jue Tu Buddha.


    But other than the task of retrieving the Jade Foot Relics, Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s most important mission was to kill the cultivators from the Senluo Sect.


    Elder Lv had a robust aura, certainly one of the top existences among the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Senluo Sect.


    In Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s view, such a cultivator should be a true disciple of the Senluo Sect, and he could not let go of such a valuable devil cultivator.


    As for Li Yuan Ba, with the mark of the Jade Foot Relics, there was no worry about not finding him.


    Catching up with Li Yuan Ba and retrieving the Jade Foot Relics was just a matter of time.


    Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s figure flashed as he pounced towards Elder Lv, his killing intent surged towards Elder Lv like a tide.


    Elder Lv¡¯s hair stood on end, the killing intent made him extremely uncomfortable.


    Fortunately, although he had suppressed his power, his spirit was still at the Golden Core Stage, so the killing intent, although uncomfortable, could not truly affect him.


    ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s Qianye Temple¡¯s Killing Intent Buddha, how could our sect have no intelligence on such a monster!¡± Elder Lv cursed the intelligence department of his sect internally.


    He increased his speed, employing a unique secret technique to widen the distance between him and Jue Tu Buddha.


    He believed that Li Yuan Ba using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±, a top-tier divine skill, would consume a lot, and if he continued tracking for a bit longer, he would catch up with Li Yuan Ba, seize him, and once out of the battlefield¡¯s range, there would be no issue.


    He had no desire to fight with Jue Tu Buddha, but Jue Tu Buddha was intent on killing him.


    He increased his speed, and Jue Tu Buddha, enraged, had his killing intent materialize like a substance, forming a light boat that appeared under his feet.


    The killing intent solidified into a light boat, and Jue Tu Buddha, driving the light boat, saw his speed suddenly increase.


    Meanwhile, Li Yuan Ba had approached the location of the original body, Li Shiming; he involuntarily slowed down, confident in his own safety due to the arrangements made by Li Shiming ahead of time.


    He stepped into a formation array made of one hundred twenty-eight banners.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s formation level, although he hadn¡¯t reached the level of an Array Master, he was considered among the very top of high-level array masters.


    His knowledge of formations blended techniques from the Heavenly Sea Sect, Zongshan Sect, and many other assorted formation skills, but as he had acquired this knowledge so briefly, even IBMz15 would need a long time to analyze and study it all.


    Once IBMz15 had successfully analyzed all the formation knowledge thoroughly, perhaps he could directly advance to an Array Master.


    Of course, if he could acquire some more formation knowledge, he could also forcibly elevate the Array Formation Starlight Sea with the volume of formation knowledge he mastered and possibly advance to an Array Master.


    Standing within the formation, Li Yuanba took out the Giant Mountain Talisman, still not intending to use the Sword Intent Buddha Beads.


    Elder Lv sensed that the mark he had left on Li Yuanba had stopped moving, causing joy in his heart as he could soon catch up to Li Yuanba.


    He glanced back at Jue Tu Buddha, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.


    The state of Jue Tu Buddha was extremely terrifying, resembling a rakshasa from Hell, sharing no resemblance with Buddhist cultivators.


    Yet this was one of the most powerful Buddhist cultivation methods: killing to become a Buddha, ostensibly cleansing the Buddhist sect of demons by killing, thereby strengthening one¡¯s resolve and conviction through murderous intent.


    This was a cultivation technique that easily led to demonic possession, even among devil cultivators, very few dared to cultivate using murderous intent.


    Among those devil cultivators who managed to cultivate murderous intent successfully, not one was anything less than a terrifying entity, capable of endangering the cultivation world for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.


    Elder Lv, while thinking, accelerated to his full speed using a secret technique, pushing himself to his limits.


    Of course, these limits were within his current state; increasing his speed further would break the restrictions on his body and reveal his Golden Core strength.


    Behind him, Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s speed was also increasing, but Elder Lv estimated that he could reach Li Yuanba first. To him, any resistance from Li Yuanba was merely a joke.


    Even suppressed, his realm was of the Golden Core Stage here; if he couldn¡¯t defeat an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in a single breath, he might as well dash his head to death.


    Finally, he saw Li Yuanba, who stood smiling atop a white lotus, more Buddha-like than Jue Tu Buddha behind him.


    Li Yuanba was actually shocked; he recognized that Elder Lv had personally entered the Foundation Establishment battlefield.


    The only thing he could think of that would attract Elder Lv was possibly the Jade Foot Relics. For the relic, this Golden Core Demon Cultivator was going all out.


    He also knew what it meant for a Golden Core cultivator to enter the battlefield, providing a perfect excuse for righteous Golden Core cultivators, an excuse to eradicate Elder Lv at any moment.


    Elder Lv reached forward with one hand and dived towards Li Yuanba in a mysterious manner, confident that Li Yuanba could not escape his grasp.


    This was a grasp from a person with more than five hundred years of combat experience, a grasp from a higher perspective theoretically inescapable for Li Yuanba.


    But the issue was, Li Yuanba was standing within a formation array.


    As Elder Lv approached, he detected the formation, allowing his body to turn mid-air and avoid crashing into the formation.


    He looked surprisingly at Li Yuanba and the formation, his experience naturally sensing the extraordinary nature of this formation.


    He knew Li Yuanba had exchanged for considerable formation knowledge, which to him suggested Li Yuanba¡¯s interest in formations.


    Every cultivator more or less chooses a secondary profession, and although pure sword cultivators rarely do, Li Yuanba was still young, and his interest in certain knowledge was normal.


    But what he hadn¡¯t anticipated was that Li Yuanba could set up such a formation in such a short time, a formation that could block a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Such a formation, if arranged by any array master, would take several ¡°two hours¡± to complete, but he had been tracking Li Yuanba continuously, so little time had passed; how could he possibly have arranged such a formation?


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 Chapter 359 03-25 - 226: The Snipe and the Clam

    Chapter 359: Chapter 226: The Snipe and the Clam


    Elder Lv was still quickly thinking about how to break the formation when Jue Tu Buddha caught up.


    Jue Tu Buddha didn¡¯t use a spiritual artifact; his killing intent was his most powerful weapon. He lunged at Elder Lv, and sharp edges formed on each of his fingers from his killing intent.


    Elder Lv shook his head, dodging Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s attack, while a flying sword appeared before him.


    If one were to ask where Elder Lv¡¯s greatest strength lay after he suppressed his cultivation, it was certainly that he could still wield a magical treasure.


    He didn¡¯t use his main magical treasure; as a Golden Core Elder of a major sect, of course he possessed more than one magical treasure.


    Flying swords weren¡¯t exclusive to sword cultivators. It was precisely because of the strength of sword cultivators, combined with some cultivators who hadn¡¯t learned the sword cultivation techniques but had acquired skills to use flying swords from within sword cultivation techniques, that over countless years, flying swords had become one of the mainstream magic artifacts in the cultivation world.


    ...


    Though this flying sword magical treasure of Elder Lv was not particularly powerful, it was enough to deal with a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Even if Jue Tu Buddha had the strength of a Half Golden Core, he was still at the Foundation Establishment stage and couldn¡¯t comprehend the power of a Golden Core without exceeding this level.


    Of course, Elder Lv didn¡¯t use the flying sword magical treasure unrestrainedly; he could only unleash one-tenth of its power, else he would risk breaking the suppression of his cultivation.


    Once the flying sword magical treasure was deployed, it immediately alerted Jue Tu Buddha.


    Although Jue Tu Buddha was influenced by his killing intent, he wasn¡¯t a fool. His murderous thoughts drove his body, but his Buddhist heart kept him lucid; otherwise, he would have long fallen into an endless killing tribulation.


    ¡°You are a Golden Core cultivator!¡± Jue Tu Buddha said with a hoarse voice.


    Elder Lv naturally did not respond, only accelerating the speed of the flying sword magical treasure as it shot towards Jue Tu Buddha.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?0


    Jue Tu Buddha watched the approaching flying sword magical treasure and suddenly struck his own chest, then spat out a mouthful of blood.


    This blood was not red but a terrifying black, and it creepily wriggled as if it came from hell.


    Elder Lv hadn¡¯t anticipated this move from Jue Tu Buddha; the flying sword magical treasure was already in front of Jue Tu Buddha when it got sprayed directly with the black blood.


    The flying sword magical treasure paused mid-air, and Elder Lv felt as if his brain had been struck by a heavy hammer.


    In the flying sword magical treasure, the killing intent contained in the black blood invaded the inside, damaging the spiritual imprint.


    Ordinary killing intent couldn¡¯t achieve this; Jue Tu Buddha used his lifeblood from his heart. This spew was tantamount to using up over ten years of effort all at once.


    He was very clear that if he didn¡¯t take the opportunity to severely injure this Golden Core cultivator while he was suppressing his power, not only would completing the task given by Qianye Temple be out of reach, but his very survival would be uncertain.


    Thus, his tactic was to stake his life from the beginning; probably even Elder Lv hadn¡¯t expected that their confrontation would become a life-threatening struggle so quickly.


    Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s temperament was extremely radical and extreme; without such a nature, how could he possibly have made achievements in turning killing into enlightenment.


    Upon realizing Elder Lv was a Golden Core cultivator, Jue Tu Buddha employed one of his few abilities that could affect a Golden Core magical treasure.


    Elder Lv was in extreme discomfort; the flying sword magical treasure was connected to his spirit. As the magical treasure suffered attacks and its spiritual imprint was eroded, the backlash affected his spirit.


    Of course, if he had controlled the flying sword magical treasure with his Golden Core power, Jue Tu Buddha wouldn¡¯t have had a chance.


    It was precisely because his power was suppressed to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, using the spiritual power of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment to manipulate the flying sword magical treasure, that aside from being much stronger than a spiritual artifact in power, it wasn¡¯t much stronger than an ordinary spiritual artifact in resisting Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s spiritual type attacks.


    Not to mention, Jue Tu Buddha was using a secret technique proven by Qianye Temple to be effective against Golden Core cultivators¡¯ magical treasures, and this alone caused significant damage to Elder Lv¡¯s spirit.


    Jue Tu Buddha didn¡¯t hesitate; his figure flashed as he pounced towards Elder Lv.


    Elder Lv instinctively dodged, evading Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s attack again. After all, Elder Lv¡¯s combat experience was too rich; even his body¡¯s instinctive self-protective actions were sufficient to avoid attacks like those from Jue Tu Buddha.


    After attacking over ten times, Jue Tu Buddha realized this too, knowing that this type of attack was fundamentally ineffective against Elder Lv.


    As a Golden Core Elder of the Senluo Sect, how could a Golden Core cultivator capable of holding such a position be simple?


    Li Yuanba and his own persona, Li Shiming, who were watching from aside, were stunned. Li Shiming considered himself and his avatar Li Yuanba to be quite strong among the Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, upon witnessing the battle between these two, he realized he was merely a frog in a well, having underestimated the cultivators of the world.


    Take, for instance, the flying sword magical treasure that Elder Lv used while suppressing his cultivation; each strike was much stronger than the talismans in his possession.


    It¡¯s known that talismans generally have the power of merely one-tenth to several tenths of a magical treasure, and each usage requires preparation time.


    Yet, Elder Lv was using the flying sword magical treasure like an infinitely reusable talisman, and its power was significantly greater than any talisman.


    However, even such an attack was broken by Jue Tu Buddha in one bite, and the flying sword magical treasure lost control.


    Each of Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s lunges was something Elder Lv clearly didn¡¯t want to contend with, and so he kept dodging.


    If Elder Lv could have confronted Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s attacks, he would have resolutely clashed head-on, a combat style Elder Lv should theoretically have no reason to fear.


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 Chapter 360 03-25 - 226: The Snipe and the Clam_2

    Chapter 360: Chapter 226: The Snipe and the Clam_2


    ¡°I must force out your Golden Core strength. The moment you reveal even a hint of it, you¡¯ll be dead!¡± Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s red eyes stared at Elder Lv, he shouted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your enemy. I am only looking for the cultivator within the formation. We don¡¯t need to fight to the death!¡± Elder Lv also had a headache. He had lost a treasure, which, even if recovered, needed to be consecrated anew. He really didn¡¯t want to fight anymore.


    The consecration of a treasure is not an easy task; it requires a great deal of time, and its power also increases with the length of consecration.


    It could be said that the loss of the flying sword treasure alone made his operation a major loss.


    ¡°My life for yours, it¡¯s worth it!¡± Jue Tu Buddha responded off-topic.


    The killing intent on his body suddenly receded, and black blood flowed from his eyes and nose alike.


    ...


    Although the killing intent had receded, the aura emanating from his body continued to swell, seemingly about to break through the Golden Core barrier, yet always one step shy of actually reaching it.


    Of course, Jue Tu Buddha couldn¡¯t forcibly elevate himself to the Golden Core Stage with a secret technique alone, but this time, the secret technique brought him closer to Golden Core strength.


    A secret technique requires the consumption of life force; this was truly a life-threatening gamble.


    He felt with a Golden Core cultivator like Elder Lv on the battlefield, he would be unable to fulfill the command from Qianye Temple. Thus, he decided to exchange his life for the life of a Golden Core cultivator, which he deemed an extremely fair trade.


    His ideas were radical, and once he thought of something, he inevitably did it.


    He didn¡¯t even consider that he was but a Half-step Arhat, just one step away from becoming an Arhat. The best choice would have been to preserve himself for future usefulness.


    He also didn¡¯t consider negotiating with Elder Lv for a ceasefire, as Elder Lv had suggested.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Once he set his mind on forcing out Elder Lv¡¯s Golden Core strength, he considered nothing else. His only goal was to drive Elder Lv to a desperate situation, forcing him to use his Golden Core strength.


    This area was close to the Righteous Path defense line. As soon as Elder Lv used his Golden Core strength, at least four Arhats, along with a nearly similar number of Golden Core cultivators from other sectors of the Righteous Path, would arrive on the battlefield to slay Elder Lv.


    Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s speed had increased significantly; he attacked Elder Lv again.


    Elder Lv gritted his teeth and took out another Jade Ruler Treasure, which was etched with black runes and emanated a haunting aura as soon as it appeared.


    This was his life-bound treasure. In such a state, he didn¡¯t want to resort to his life-bound treasure, but he had few choices left; he had to kill Jue Tu Buddha to escape.


    The Jade Ruler Treasure was thrown into the air, expanding to over a meter, while two ghostly hands extended from it and grasped Jue Tu Buddha, who was mid-flight.


    Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s fierce face showed an ugly sneer; he didn¡¯t care about being seized by the ghostly hands.


    Once again, he spat black blood, which fell on the giant Jade Ruler Treasure.


    Unlike ordinary treasures, a life-bound treasure has a strong resistance, at least against Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s blood-soaked with killing intention.


    Elder Lv just looked a bit distressed but did not suffer spiritually as before.


    ¡°Golden Core Middle Stage!¡± Jue Tu Buddha cried out in surprise when he saw that his murderous blood had not tainted the treasure.


    Golden Core Middle Stage was already a minority existence among Golden Core cultivators, most of whom were stuck at the early stage, with very few reaching the middle or late stages.


    ¡°Suppress!¡± Elder Lv pressed down, and the Jade Ruler Treasure forcefully followed.


    Jue Tu Buddha was pinned to the ground by the Jade Ruler Treasure without any resistance, and all this time Elder Lv had not revealed the strength typical of a Golden Core cultivator, using only his Foundation Establishment Stage abilities.


    Jue Tu Buddha, stubborn to the end, continued to spit out black blood, which fell on the Jade Ruler Treasure, though the treasure seemed utterly unaffected and kept him firmly pinned down.


    Elder Lv sighed in relief, having been very close to losing control over his Golden Core strength.


    ¡°Indeed, I unexpectedly acquired an excellent furnace cauldron. Turning you into a refined corpse will highly likely produce a superior one!¡± He looked at Jue Tu Buddha, suppressed under the Jade Ruler Treasure, and said with a smile.


    He had to use his lifebound treasure to suppress Jue Tu Buddha. Fortunately, there was no one else around, and the only spectator would be silenced by him.


    Otherwise, if sect cultivators knew about this, he would likely become the laughingstock.


    A Golden Core Mid-Stage Cultivator had even been injured while dealing with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Elder Lv walked over to Jue Tu Buddha, who tried to struggle but couldn¡¯t under the suppression of the Jade Ruler Treasure.


    Under the suppression of the Jade Ruler Treasure, all the power within Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s body was immobilized; his killing intent, which had been cultivated over a hundred years and was almost at the Golden Core Stage, turned docile in front of the Jade Ruler Treasure.


    This also comes down to specialization. It might seem like Qianye Temple, with its legacy of transforming killing intent into Buddha, has a profound understanding of killing intent.


    But those who study killing intent the most are not righteous forces like Qianye Temple, but the Demon Sect, the Devil Cultivators.


    Devil Cultivators dare to use cultivators as live experiments, dare to forcefully extract cultivators¡¯ souls for research, and dare to slaughter a mass of lives just to enhance their own power.


    In this process, they inevitably harbor killing intent, and Devil Cultivators also have extensive experience in suppressing it.


    The Jade Ruler Treasure has the function to suppress killing intent. Jue Tu Buddha encountered a restrictive treasure and it was a lifebound treasure of a Golden Core Mid-Stage Cultivator; his defeat was inevitable.


    Unfortunately, no matter how hard Jue Tu Buddha tried, he still failed to make Elder Lv reveal his Golden Core strength on the Foundation Establishment battlefield.


    His eyes filled with unwillingness, Elder Lv extended a finger and touched his forehead, and Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s life faded away in this state of reluctance.


    Elder Lv carefully collected the Jade Ruler Treasure, careful not to damage Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s corpse.


    He took out a coffin the size of a thumb, which enlarged as soon as he took it out, and he placed Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s corpse inside it.


    After completing these tasks, he finally relaxed and swept his Divine Thought over, retrieving the flying sword treasure that had its spirit imprint damaged.


    ¡°Li Yuanba, I presume you are a wise man and know why I have come to find you!¡± Elder Lv turned his head and spoke indifferently to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba nodded, a Jade Foot Relics appearing in his hand.


    Feeling the immense Buddha power emanating from the Jade Foot Relics, Elder Lv revealed a greedy expression.


    ¡°If you want it, bring something to exchange!¡± Li Yuanba tossed the Jade Foot Relics in his hand and said.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Elder Lv, suppressing the rage in his heart, never intended let Li Yuanba survive, but he needed to coax out the secret of cultivating the ¡®Divine Foot Skill¡¯ ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ from Li Yuanba beforehand.


    ¡°I see Elder Lv is skilled in Corpse Refining; perhaps you could gift me a Silver Corpse? It seems letting me acquire a Silver Corpse is not too much to ask, right?¡± Li Yuanba boldly stated.


    This was naturally impossible; not to mention that Golden Core energy shouldn¡¯t appear on a Foundation Establishment battlefield, a Silver Corpse itself is of Golden Core strength, and even if Elder Lv truly possessed a Silver Corpse, it was one of his main combat forces, how could he possibly trade it away.


    Besides, if Li Yuanba managed to control a Silver Corpse, he would possess the strength to confront Elder Lv, then how could Elder Lv easily kill Li Yuanba.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, I have here a ¡®Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡¯; it¡¯s a Corpse Refining cultivation technique that can directly reach a Golden Corpse. Plus, with this corpse cultivated to transform killing intention into Buddha, you could at least refine a corpse with strength close to a Golden Core. If you encounter an opportunity later, you could also elevate it to a Silver Corpse or even a Golden Corpse!¡± Elder Lv said solemnly, mentioning his conditions.


    He didn¡¯t care what he gave away now, as it would soon be back in his hands anyway.


    He even took out a purple-colored Jade Scroll along with the earlier mentioned Corpse Refining Coffin and tossed them to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba flicked his fingers, and with a flash of Formation, he took the purple-colored Jade Scroll and the Corpse Refining Coffin, then closed it again. Elder Lv stood smiling in place, not using the moment to attack.


    Elder Lv was using this gesture to show his sincerity, letting Li Yuanba feel free to disclose further information.


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 Chapter 361 03-25 - 227: Slaying the Demon

    Chapter 361: Chapter 227: Slaying the Demon


    Li Yuanba took the purple Jade Scroll and the shrunken Corpse Refining Coffin. The Corpse Refining Coffin was a special third-grade spiritual item, presumably used for Corpse Refining; it was not considered a magical treasure.


    Nevertheless, the value of the Corpse Refining Coffin was not any less than that of a magical treasure. It was made from third-grade materials, something he could confirm from its aura.


    ¡°It¡¯s really the Golden Core Elders of the major sects who are generous; with a wave of their hand, they¡¯ll give away a third-grade spiritual item!¡± he exclaimed in admiration. Regardless, just the Corpse Refining Coffin alone was enough to exchange for the Jade Foot Relics.


    He sent a Spiritual Thought into the purple Jade Scroll and discovered that this was not something made in a short period of time, but rather a complete inheritance. Indeed, this purple Jade Scroll was likely the original scroll of some power.


    Traces of passing years were evident on the purple Jade Scroll, something that could not be faked.


    There was no encryption within the contents of the purple Jade Scroll, nor any tests; he could see everything.


    ...


    ¡°Elder Lv, this is the inheritance I¡¯ve acquired!¡± Having stored the purple Jade Scroll and the Corpse Refining Coffin, he then tossed the Jade Foot Relics over and said.


    Elder Lv was surprised and delighted. He had thought that Li Yuanba might resort to some trickery, not expecting him to throw over the Jade Foot Relic so straightforwardly.


    Still cautious, he waved his hand and summoned an Iron Corpse. It was one of the many Corpse Refinings he had crafted. Although it wasn¡¯t particularly strong, it was at the late stages of Iron Corpse.


    With the Iron Corpse present, even if there were any issues, it would protect him.


    Only after making these preparations did he extend his Divine Thought into the Jade Foot Relics.


    Elder Lv¡¯s body suddenly stiffened as his consciousness was forcibly drawn into the Jade Foot Relics, which began to assess him.


    The Jade Foot Relics were, after all, Qianye Temple¡¯s secret legacy. Apart from a very few high-ranking members of Qianye Temple, not to mention outsiders, even within the temple itself, hardly anyone knew the details.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.??


    Li Yuanba had calculated that Elder Lv would examine the Jade Foot Relics. He knew all too well what the relics were about.


    Since Elder Lv valued the Jade Foot Relics so highly, venturing into the Foundation Establishment battlefield and risking much to snatch them, it would be impossible for him not to verify the authenticity of the relics.


    The moment Elder Lv¡¯s consciousness was drawn into the Jade Foot Relics, Li Yuanba summoned Jiang Chen.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s figure flashed as he charged at the Iron Corpse, which had received orders to protect Elder Lv, but instinctively engaged upon seeing Jiang Chen.


    Jiang Chen was significantly stronger than the Iron Corpse, yet Elder Lv¡¯s Iron Corpse was clearly specially trained; while its offensive power wasn¡¯t as formidable as Jiang Chen¡¯s, its defensive power was by no means inferior to Jiang Chen¡¯s.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s attacks bore Sword Intent. Being an extremely special Peak Iron Corpse, the effectiveness of the attacks on Elder Lv¡¯s Iron Corpse was not too significant.


    Li Yuanba launched a ray of sword light towards Elder Lv.


    Just as the sword light was about to hit Elder Lv, his body instinctively dodged, narrowly avoiding the strike.


    This was another of Elder Lv¡¯s special techniques¡ªwhen his consciousness was unable to control his body, an instinctual consciousness would emerge to protect himself.


    Each Golden Core cultivator is unique, with different fortunes and various life-saving measures at their disposal.


    Despite the ceaseless onslaught of sword light, Elder Lv kept dodging, causing every strike to miss its mark.


    Li Yuanba clenched his teeth in frustration; even in such a situation, he still couldn¡¯t deal with Elder Lv.


    He dared not engage in close combat with a true Golden Core Elder. Even though Elder Lv had suppressed his power, his body was that of a middle-stage Golden Core; if hit during close combat, Li Yuanba wouldn¡¯t perish but would certainly be severely injured.


    Not to mention, he couldn¡¯t guarantee whether Elder Lv, under certain pressures, might unleash the full strength of a Golden Core cultivator in this state.


    Although Elder Lv would certainly be besieged by Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators afterward, before that happened, Li Yuanba would likely be unable to save his own life.


    When Elder Lv¡¯s instinctual combat consciousness was activated, he wouldn¡¯t simply allow Li Yuanba to attack him. This version of him lacked much Wisdom and only knew to attack the nearest target.


    The nearest target was Jiang Chen, and Elder Lv charged at him without using any magical treasures, relying solely on his Golden Core body to strike at Jiang Chen with his palm.


    Jiang Chen, after repelling the Iron Corpse, also countered with a palm strike towards Elder Lv.


    As their palms met, both Elder Lv and Jiang Chen staggered, neither gaining an advantage.


    The Iron Corpse charged back into the fray, joining Elder Lv in attacking Jiang Chen, who was quickly put on the defensive and inadvertently hit by both Elder Lv and the Iron Corpse.


    Li Yuanba could see that Elder Lv, in his current state, couldn¡¯t even use Spiritual Power and was relying purely on his formidable Golden Core body to fight.


    Otherwise, even with Jiang Chen¡¯s strong defenses, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to fend off a casual blow from a Golden Core Middle-Stage cultivator.


    Li Yuanba was growing anxious; it was unclear how long the Jade Foot Relics could restrain Elder Lv. Elder Lv wasn¡¯t just any Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator; his Spirit was many times stronger than both himself and his original self, Li Shiming.


    Communicating mentally with Jiang Chen, Li Yuanba had Jiang Chen fight while retreating, drawing the combat to one side.


    Suddenly, Elder Lv¡¯s instinctual combat consciousness turned towards a particular spot nearby. With a punch, he struck it, and a Formation set up by nine flags was broken.


    A startled ghost flew up but did not escape the aftermath of the punch. There was also a small square box, now shattered into pieces.


    This ghost was a split soul from the ¡®Spirit Control Soul Splitting Technique¡¯, used by Li Shiming to distract Elder Lv¡¯s attention. The small square box was a monitoring device.


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 Chapter 362 03-25 - 227: Slaying the Demon_2

    Chapter 362: Chapter 227: Slaying the Demon_2


    The soul division and surveillance equipment were both observing Elder Lv, allowing him at least to sense the prying presence of the soul division.


    Li Shiming had laid out his trap here long ago, and in addition to the array previously set up, he had prepared multiple contingences¡ªthis was one of them.


    His plan was to use the ghost¡¯s surveillance to draw the enemy¡¯s attention while he himself watched the enemy¡¯s every move through the monitoring equipment.


    But unexpectedly, the enemy turned out to be a Golden Core cultivator¡ªfortunately, Elder Lv¡¯s consciousness was absorbed into the Jade Foot Relics, granting him a sliver of opportunity.


    Li Shiming was right beside the formation, his eyes closed, hiding in the shadow of a boulder.


    What he was using was the recently acquired ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique,¡¯ an invisibility cultivation technique with exceptionally good effects, allowing him the chance to set up this lure for an ambush.


    ...


    Just as Elder Lv destroyed the soul division with a palm strike and shattered the surveillance equipment, Li Shiming¡¯s invisible state disappeared, and the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± appeared in his hand, which didn¡¯t even need to be aimed¡ªthe lure he set up was for this very strike.


    Unlike when the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± was used during the Qi Refinement Realm, his understanding of formations had greatly deepened. The thunder and lightning generated by the arrays he set up now were far superior to those in the past, doubling the power of the produced lightning.


    Moreover, after such long accumulation, it had reached the extreme limit of what the array could handle.


    The Third Grade Sword Base that acted as ammunition inside the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡± thanks to the enhancement of Li Shiming¡¯s strength¡ªespecially his Body Refinement strength, which exceeded the limit of the Foundation Establishment Stage¡ªwas stronger than all other spiritual artifacts, even within the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    This meant that the firepower of the Third Grade Sword Base was many times more powerful than when it had been used during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Even though the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± itself had not undergone any enhancement, the increased electrical power within and the boosted firepower meant its destructive capacity was incomparable to before.


    Li Shiming emerged, drew the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡± and fired, all in the same instant.


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    A dazzling light flashed by as the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± fired the Third Grade Sword Base Bomb, shooting it towards Elder Lv.


    At this moment, Elder Lv had just shattered the formation with a palm, destroyed the soul division, and the surveillance equipment, and had not yet retracted his palm when he was struck by the attack from the Third Grade Sword Base Bomb.


    Elder Lv did not dodge, as the attack came too swiftly, leaving him no chance to evade.


    The problem that worried Li Shiming the most didn¡¯t arise¡ªElder Lv did not resort to exerting power beyond the Foundation Establishment Stage when faced with danger.


    It wasn¡¯t Elder Lv¡¯s combat instincts at fault here; his combat instincts wrongly underestimated the power of the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun.¡±


    As a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator seasoned in the Cultivation World, he placed little to no importance on a magic artifact like the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun.¡±


    What¡¯s a top-grade magic tool? It¡¯s something Qi Refinement Realm cultivators in later stages use; even the poorest Foundation Establishment Cultivators wouldn¡¯t bother with it, since even they could afford a super-grade magical artifact.


    So, when faced with an attack by a cultivator wielding a top-grade magic tool, Elder Lv¡¯s combat instincts didn¡¯t even consider dodging and treated such an attack as a low-level strike that his body could withstand.


    The Third Grade Sword Base Bomb fired by the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± pierced through space with a velocity and ferocity beyond what cultivators of this world could imagine¡ªcreating a fatal wound in Elder Lv¡¯s body.


    The fatal injury to his body caused the Jade Foot Relics to sense the rapid loss of his life energy, relaxing the test on Elder Lv.


    Elder Lv¡¯s consciousness emerged from the Jade Foot Relics, and he immediately realized that something was amiss with himself.


    He saw Li Yuanba and Li Shiming; knowing he had been harmed by the two, he no longer hesitated to tap into the last of his strength, unsealing the power of his Golden Core.


    But everything was too late¡ªthe surging Golden Core Power halted midway.


    Elder Lv¡¯s head hung down as the life energy completely dissipated from his body.


    Li Shiming stepped forward to collect Elder Lv¡¯s corpse into the storage space and handed the prepared storage bag to Li Yuanba, who in turn gave his own prepared storage bag to Li Shiming.


    ¡°Fellow, let¡¯s meet again when the opportunity arises,¡± Li Yuanba said, bowing.


    ¡°Fellow, next time we meet, let¡¯s see who among us reaches the Golden Core first,¡± Li Shiming laughed heartily.


    The original body and the avatar exchanged smiles, and Li Yuanba left first. Lotus flowers bloomed beneath his feet and quickly disappeared from sight.


    Li Shiming also knew that he couldn¡¯t stay here long. His divine thought swept over the surroundings, collecting the array flags and such, and like Yuan Ba, he too left swiftly upon white lotuses.


    Two breaths after leaving, an explosion occurred¡ªit was another one of his contingencies that unfortunately was not needed and ended up serving as a means to clear the battlefield.


    Four breaths later, several figures arrived at the scene of the battle. They were eight Golden Core cultivators, among them were four Arhats, and the other four were Golden Cores stationed here from the Righteous Path¡¯s various sects.


    After sensing the Golden Core aura on the Foundation Establishment battlefield, they immediately understood that a Senluo Sect Golden Core cultivator had entered the battlefield.


    In such circumstances, there were no courtesies extended, especially from the Arhats Zhi Kong and Zhi Ming. They arranged for Jue Tu Buddha to take action, and upon learning of the presence of a Golden Core Demon Cultivator on the battlefield, their first thought was that the demon cultivator had come for Jue Tu Buddha.


    The two Arhats quickly summoned numerous Golden Cores as witnesses and entered the Foundation Establishment battlefield, intent on capturing the intruding Golden Core Demon Cultivator.


    ¡°What kind of cultivation technique has left these traces? How is there not the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Power?¡± Zhi Ming Arhat frowned as he looked at the nearly overturned ground.


    The other Golden Cores and Arhats shook their heads; even with their extensive experiences, they had never seen such powerful mundane explosions.


    Most crucially, after such destruction at the site, all traces were lost¡ªeven the remnants of the battle¡¯s aura couldn¡¯t be preserved.


    However, considering the outburst of Golden Core Spiritual Power here, it was certain that the Golden Core Demon Cultivator had eradicated any trace of the battlefield.


    Elsewhere, the three Golden Core Elders at the Jieshan Mountain Pass also sensed the Golden Core Spiritual Power fluctuations on the Foundation Establishment battlefield. They thought it was Qianye Temple or the Righteous Path that had sent a Golden Core or an Arhat into the battlefield.


    ¡°Elder Lv¡¯s aura has vanished!¡± Just as they were about to take a look, a Golden Core Elder exclaimed in shock.


    Upon Elder Lv¡¯s demise, the aura on the puppet in his temporary cave dwelling disappeared as well.


    Without its master¡¯s spirit imprint, the puppet became an inanimate object, and the aura of Elder Lv, which previously indicated he was in secluded cultivation, was no longer detectable. If this had happened within the sect¡¯s gates, it wouldn¡¯t pose a problem.


    But in this standoffish wartime environment, even a cultivator in seclusion needed to emit their aura to let others know their status.


    ¡°This is bad, could it be that Elder Lv entered the battlefield on his own?¡± another Golden Core Elder said gravely.


    They were Golden Core Elders of the same sect and had known each other for many years; naturally, they were aware of some of the secret techniques that Elder Lv knew, including those that could deceive Golden Core investigations to suppress one¡¯s realm.


    The three Golden Core Elders exchanged glances, seeking each other¡¯s consent with their eyes, and then all nodded in agreement.


    Together, they decided to open Elder Lv¡¯s temporary cave dwelling. Using their authority, they activated the power of the large formation and forcibly opened the cave dwelling¡¯s array.


    As they entered the cave dwelling, they found a puppet standing still.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± asked one Golden Core Elder, somewhat helplessly looking at the unconscious puppet.


    The state of the puppet clearly explained Elder Lv¡¯s fate, no wonder there was a burst of Golden Core aura on the Foundation Establishment battlefield. It was a fatal injury and a last full-force counter-attack before death.


    They were certain that Elder Lv had indeed fallen, otherwise the puppet would not have lost the spirit imprint.


    Of course, to verify whether Elder Lv had indeed perished, there were ways within the sect.


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 Chapter 363 - 228 Return

    Chapter 363: Chapter 228 Return


    The battle between Qianye Temple and Senluo Sect¡¯s Foundation Establishment cultivators came to a halt that day.


    Because both sides¡¯ Golden Core cultivators and Arhats had entered the battlefield, the terrifying aura made all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Buddhas realize that something had gone wrong.


    The Devil Cultivators and Buddhas all withdrew from the battlefield, leaving only the Golden Core cultivators and Arhats remaining.


    Three Golden Core Demon Cultivators and four Arhats faced each other in the sky, while four Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators stood at a distance, watching. At this moment, these four Golden Core cultivators could not intervene.


    ¡°Senluo Sect truly shows its demonic nature, even disregarding the most important rules of the Cultivation World by dispatching Golden Core Elders to participate in Foundation Establishment battles. This fight has revealed the true face of the Demon Sect to all cultivators!¡± Zhi Ming Arhat, though a high monk, had a venomous tongue.


    He wasn¡¯t usually like this; the main reason was that Jue Tu Buddha had disappeared, and his figure was not found on the battlefield.


    Although the battlefield was vast for Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Buddhas, for Golden Core cultivators and Arhats, they could inspect the entire area in a very short time.


    Though not an Arhat, Jue Tu Buddha was the most likely to become one, and he was also the most powerful among them.


    To cultivate Jue Tu Buddha, Qianye Temple had paid a great price. Not to mention resources, just the continuous search for cultivators to kill over a hundred years was an unimaginable expenditure of human effort.


    At the most critical time of Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s growth, to be killed by a Golden Core Demon Cultivator was intolerable.


    If Senluo Sect did not give an explanation, it was possible that a major battle would erupt between Golden Core cultivators and Arhats right then.


    ¡°Qianye Temple, how crafty of you to deceive Elder Lv into the battlefield with Foundation Establishment strength and set up a trap to kill him. And now you turn around and cry foul!¡± the Golden Core Demon Cultivator roared furiously.


    Both sides were making conjectures without evidence, just throwing mud at each other.


    However, the problem was that Senluo Sect had lost a Golden Core Middle Stage Elder, whereas Qianye Temple, at worst, had only lost a Buddha.


    Even the four Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators standing at a distance looked at Qianye Temple¡¯s Arhats with skeptical eyes, wondering by what means they had trapped Elder Lv.


    Even though the Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators wouldn¡¯t side with a Demon Sect like Senluo Sect, they began to believe that Senluo Sect¡¯s claims might be true.


    Elder Lv, a mid-stage cultivator and an old-brand Golden Core Demon Cultivator, had laid low for the last century, but a hundred years ago, his ferocity was well known.


    To say that such a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, after suppressing his power, could be killed by a group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, was simply impossible.


    If Elder Lv had indeed fallen, then without Qianye Temple¡¯s interference, there wouldn¡¯t be any other explanation.


    And on the matter of Elder Lv¡¯s demise, Senluo Sect would not likely lie; such a thing could not be hidden.


    The death of an elder from a major sect implicated many interests within the sect; whether the elder had fallen or not could be ascertained by observing Senluo Sect¡¯s internal reaction.


    ¡°Nonsense, it was clearly Evil Lv who killed our temple¡¯s Jue Tu and then fled!¡± Zhi Ming Arhat retorted angrily.


    At this point, Zhi Ming Arhat¡¯s body flashed with golden light, and his Spiritual Power erupted, looking as though he would be the first to strike.


    He knew that with four against three, once the fight started and he called upon the adjacent four Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators, they could kill the three Golden Core Demon Cultivators under the advantage of eight against three.


    Although the plan to kill a generation of Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators had not been successfully executed, if they could eliminate all four Golden Core Demon Cultivators, it would still deal a heavy blow to Senluo Sect.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Amitabha!¡±


    Two voices rang out simultaneously on the battlefield, stopping everyone who was on the verge of a Golden Core battle.


    ¡°Greetings to the Ancestor!¡±


    ¡°Greetings to the Venerable!¡±


    The Golden Core cultivators and Arhats on both sides bowed to the void as it turned out that both parties had Nascent Souls and Venerables secretly safeguarding them.


    ¡°Amitabha, Qianye Temple, withdraw!¡± The Venerable¡¯s voice echoed in the void, making it impossible to discern its location, yet it seemed to resound right by one¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Senluo Sect, return to your posts!¡± Senluo Sect¡¯s Nascent Soul Ancestor also spoke.


    It seemed that the Ancestors and Venerables from both parties had reached some tacit understanding and did not wish to escalate the situation at this time.


    Li Yuan Ba looked at the items in his storage bag: a set of 1,500 Frenel reflection mirrors with self-destruct mechanisms, not fearing them falling into the wrong hands, a large jade bottle of Elixir Pills, and the Lifebound Flying Sword treasure obtained from Yun Xingyi.


    This Lifebound Flying Sword treasure was originally reserved for Li Yuan Ba; he had intended to join Senluo Sect and was uncertain about the problems he might encounter, so it had always been kept by his true self, Li Shiming.


    Li Yuan Ba did not possess the protected space of a sanctuary, making his storage space highly likely to be inspected and revealing the existence of the Lifebound Flying Sword treasure.


    A Lifebound Flying Sword treasure was enough to incite greed in any Golden Core Demon Cultivator who saw it, which wouldn¡¯t only bring him benefits but could also bring immense danger.


    The Frenel reflection mirrors were for cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± a special Cultivation Technique greatly beneficial to his true self, Li Shiming.


    As for the large jade bottle of Elixir Pills, they were naturally thirty top-grade pills.


    These were conserved by his true self, Li Shiming, who has now reached the peak of early-stage Foundation Establishment. He was about to break through the bottleneck, and no longer needed such Foundation Establishment Stage auxiliary pills for his cultivation.


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 Chapter 364 - 228 Return_2

    Chapter 364: Chapter 228 Return_2


    Even after breaking through to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, one should take the top-tier elixir pills meant for cultivators of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Ironically, Li Shiming always hoped that Li Yuanba would break through first, leading step by step and then be able to provide a massive amount of resources for Li Shiming.


    But life is unpredictable, Li Shiming, with his excellent alchemy skills and the special nature of the machine room space, was actually able to refine top-tier elixir pills, which made him surpass the cultivation speed of his clone, Li Yuanba, and reach the peak of early-stage Foundation Establishment ahead of time.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s innate talent is definitely much stronger than Li Shiming¡¯s, which was nearly demonstrated by his rapid advancement during the Qi Refinement Realm, practically dragging Li Shiming along.


    However, no sooner had Li Yuanba begun practicing the ¡®Ten Directions Sword Cultivation Technique¡¯ than he was taken in by Elder Jian to switch his training to the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯, essentially starting his cultivation all over again.


    Now he has just stabilized his early-stage Foundation Establishment strength and to reach the peak of the early-stage Foundation Establishment would be impossible without a decade or more of hard cultivation.


    As a result, there is now the unusual situation where Li Shiming is providing resources to his clone Li Yuanba.


    However, whether it¡¯s the original body or the clone, they are both part of the same entity, so there¡¯s no need to differentiate between the two.


    Li Yuanba confidently stowed away the bottle of top-tier elixir pills, thirty in total, he was confident that he could break through to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment within a few years.


    Moreover, if Li Shiming could continue to provide top-tier elixir pills, this timeframe could be shortened even further.


    Keep in mind that it took Li Shiming just over a year to reach the peak of early-stage Foundation Establishment, with enough top-tier elixir pills and a cultivation speed tens of times faster, any rapid progress could be understood.


    Li Yuanba received an order; the Foundation Establishment cultivators would withdraw from Jieshan Mountain Pass back to the sect.


    He then joined the sect¡¯s Flying Boat, led by a Golden Core Elder, to return to the sect.


    Elsewhere, Li Shiming moved skillfully through the grand formation; within the formation, he could sense several Golden Core auras in the battlefield.


    Luckily, both he and his clone Li Yuanba had learned the ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, which allowed them to leave the area within a few breaths and avoid detection by any Golden Core cultivators.


    He took out his Flying Boat, set its course, and then retrieved the storage bag sent by his clone Li Yuanba.


    The storage bag contained many items, among them a Body Refining Arhat¡¯s Buddha body, which is the top-tier material for Corpse Refining.


    Li Yuanba had no use for it, so instead of using such an excellent Corpse Refining material to exchange for resources, it was better to give it to Li Shiming.


    Although Li Shiming is currently unable to refine a Silver Corpse, with his current alchemy level, there is little doubt he will have a steady supply of top-tier elixir pills, and reaching the Golden Core Stage shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Even if the Shushan Sect¡¯s resources for Golden Core advancement are tight, they will do their utmost to support an Alchemist who possesses a Spiritual Fire and has a superb talent for alchemy.


    According to what Master Ma reported to the sect¡¯s upper echelons, Li Shiming can almost be certain of becoming an Alchemy Master sooner or later.


    An Alchemist at the Foundation Establishment Stage can serve the sect for just over a hundred years at most, but if Li Shiming¡¯s strength reaches the Golden Core, then he can serve the sect for at least four hundred more years.


    The gap between these periods, along with the rarity and importance of an Alchemy Master, will ensure the sect does whatever it takes to secure Li Shiming¡¯s resources for Golden Core advancement.


    Li Shiming glanced at the Body Refining Arhat¡¯s Buddha body and put it together with another corpse belonging to Elder Lv, planning to refine them both directly into Silver Corpses after his Golden Core achievement to become powerful protectors on his path.


    In the storage bag were also the Thick Earth Shield Pearl and third-grade earth attribute materials, which he could use.


    He then took out the Formation knowledge exchanged by his clone Li Yuanba, scanning the content of each Jade Scroll into the IBMz15, which would collect and begin analyzing and researching the Formation knowledge.


    ¡®Moonlight Corpse Scroll,¡¯ although he didn¡¯t directly refine Silver Corpses now, this cultivation technique could still enhance Nezha.


    Both Jiang Chen and Nezha were refined using the corpse refining methods from the Qi Refinement Realm, and even though the secret corpse refining technique from the Xuanming Sect could refine from copper corpse all the way to iron corpse, it still lacked the enhancement process for iron corpses.


    If it weren¡¯t for the ¡®Netherworld Ghost Realm Array,¡¯ a corpse refining array using third-grade materials, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to refine Nezha and Jiang Chen to their current strength.


    Looking at the large number of Yin spiritual objects required by the ¡®Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡¯ to enhance iron corpses, he found a method to continue strengthening Nezha and Jiang Chen.


    Moreover, once he matched some third-grade Yin spiritual objects, he could even let Li Yuanba try to elevate Jiang Chen to the strength of a Silver Corpse.


    Jiang Chen was Li Yuanba¡¯s life-bound corpse refining, which could be one entire realm higher than the cultivator¡¯s own stage.


    However, Jiang Chen had only recently entered the Iron Corpse stage, so for now, he planned to let Jiang Chen consolidate at the peak of Iron Corpse for a bit longer.


    As for the body of Jue Tu Buddha stored in the corpse refining coffin, he planned to collect materials for refining as soon as he returned. The strength of Nezha by his side was still somewhat weak, and with his spirit, adding another corpse for refining wouldn¡¯t be a strain.


    In fact, many cultivators only refine one corpse not because of an issue with spirit but because the materials needed for corpse refining are too valuable, and the majority of cultivators can¡¯t afford the consumption of multiple corpse refines.


    Besides, having more corpses for refining isn¡¯t necessarily better. Strengthening a single corpse to the extreme is much more suitable than refining several with ordinary strength.


    Li Shiming, having success in alchemy, didn¡¯t need to worry about resources at the moment, and since even Elder Lv coveted the body of Jue Tu Buddha, he also planned to refine Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s body as his second corpse for refining.


    The Corpse Refining Coffin was a rare treasure, and after he consecrated it, he discovered that it could preserve a body for a long time and also increase the success rate of turning a body into a refined corpse.


    If a refined corpse were placed inside, it could slowly strengthen the refined corpse, which was equally effective for Silver Corpses.


    Naturally, Li Shiming stored both the Body Refining Arhat and Elder Lv¡¯s body into the Corpse Refining Coffin. This coffin was akin to a spatial object, with an interior space that could hold dozens of bodies without any issues.


    All of Elder Lv¡¯s scattered possessions, including a Space Ring and a vestment robe approaching the quality of a magical artifact, had been taken off when he entered the machine room space.


    The robe now had holes in it after being pierced by the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡¯ but even so, it remained a valuable protective garment.


    At least an attack from a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage would hardly be able to breach this garment¡¯s defense. The ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡¯s¡¯ offensive power shouldn¡¯t even be considered within the range of the Cultivation World¡¯s attacks, representing the technological might of another world.


    Unfortunately, the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡¯ was too demanding in its application. It was no problem to deal with Foundation Establishment cultivators, but to face a Golden Core cultivator, the opponent needed to be close enough so that they couldn¡¯t avoid the attack.


    But if a Golden Core cultivator did actually get close to Li Shiming, the chances of them discovering him would significantly increase, not to mention Li Shiming being encumbered by a four-meter-long ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun.¡¯


    Probably without even waiting for Li Shiming to initiate an attack, the Golden Core cultivator would have struck first.


    Additionally, Li Shiming still lacked confidence that the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡¯ could penetrate a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s defense, and killing Elder Lv couldn¡¯t be counted as killing a Golden Core Elder.


    When Elder Lv was attacked, not only was his strength locked at the late-stage Foundation Establishment, but his spirit and consciousness weren¡¯t present in the body either.


    That is to say, the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡¯ attacked only a body of a Golden Core cultivator at the late-stage Foundation Establishment without any protective spells or use of Golden Core techniques. Because of Elder Lv¡¯s instinctually incorrect combat judgment, he completely resisted the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡¯s¡¯ strike with his body.


    The last Golden Core cultivator to withstand a strike from the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡¯ was Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi. That time, Li Yuanba first breached Yun Xingyi¡¯s skin with multiple attacks using the Third Grade Sword Base, followed by a fatal blow from the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun.¡¯


    Yun Xingyi failed to block the strike from the ¡®Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡¯ and Elder Lv, who forcibly endured the attack with his body, likewise didn¡¯t survive.


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 Chapter 365 - 229 Inventory

    Chapter 365: Chapter 229 Inventory


    The computer room was now devoid of corpses, with only the fruits of this endeavor laid out on the ground.


    An old prayer bead bracelet of Jue Tu Buddha, densely engraved with Sanskrit scriptures.


    Li Shiming took out the bracelet and held it in his palm; a sense of tranquility washed over him. This bracelet seemed to have been blessed by a high monk, possessing the ability to soothe one¡¯s spirit.


    One shouldn¡¯t underestimate the function of the bracelet. His spirit was extremely strong, and as someone who had developed Divine Thought, he was almost on par with Golden Core cultivators in terms of spiritual strength. The fact that the bracelet could calm his spirit indicated that it could be equally effective on Golden Core cultivators.


    A bracelet capable of influencing Golden Core cultivators was likely a personal belonging that had been passed down from a powerful Buddhist figure.


    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t a follower of the Buddhist path and didn¡¯t recognize the origin of the bracelet.


    His Divine Thought swept over the bracelet and, finding no marks, he put it on his wrist.


    Having Divine Thought came with such benefits; if any Golden Cores or Arhats had left any marks on the bracelet, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape his Divine Thought¡¯s scan.


    This kind of treasure, which stabilizes the spirit, was of a similar grade to the Nourishing God Jade, both exerting their effects only when worn over time.


    The Jue Tu Buddha used a Bai Na Bag, a unique space item exclusive to Buddhist cultivators.


    Li Shiming opened the Bai Na Bag and found it rather empty inside, without a single Spiritual Artifact, only more than ten jade bottles containing elixirs for calming the mind and some clothes.


    If it weren¡¯t for these elixir pills, this might have been the poorest spatial object he had ever seen.


    Jue Tu Buddha, not relying on Spiritual Artifacts, didn¡¯t even bring one with him. He needed to suppress his killing intent at all times, and these elixirs served that purpose.


    Though Li Shiming didn¡¯t know the names of these elixirs, he could tell from their effects that they were designed to suppress inner demons. Just for that, their value was frighteningly high.


    The elixirs to suppress inner demons were made with third-grade ingredients, making them third-grade elixirs. The quality varied greatly, including high, intermediate, and low grades.


    This was normal; even an Alchemy Master couldn¡¯t guarantee a hundred percent success rate when concocting third-grade elixirs, let alone ensure their quality.


    Although Jue Tu Buddha, who cultivated killing into enlightenment, didn¡¯t rely much on external items, whatever he carried, whether it was the bracelet or the elixirs, they were all third-grade spiritual items. Each one of them was worth more than the total fortune of many True Disciples.


    Li Shiming¡¯s gaze then fell on the Space Ring left behind by Elder Lv, and he probed into it with his Divine Thought.


    He already had two Space Rings; this made the third, signifying that he had slain three Golden Core cultivators.


    When his Divine Thought entered the Space Ring, his expression turned peculiar.


    This Space Ring seemed to be specially made, containing two completely separate spaces inside.


    One was a normal storage space, the other was shockingly a Corpse Refining space.


    No wonder when Elder Lv summoned an Iron Corpse, there was no sight of a body bag¡ªthis Space Ring was an advanced version of it. It seemed Li Shiming was still unaware of such things.


    Entering the Corpse Refining space with his Divine Thought, Li Shiming was suddenly alarmed, almost throwing the Space Ring aside.


    The Corpse Refining space within the Space Ring was a cylindrical space ten meters in radius and five meters high. Ten corpserefined bodies were standing quietly, each in its own place.


    The ground of the space was intricately marked with Array Formation Patterns. He recognized them as the Third Grade Corpse Nourishing Array from the ¡®Moonlight Corpse Scroll.¡¯


    What shocked him were the ten corpserefined bodies¡ªone was a Silver Corpse, and although the rest were Iron Corpses, they all showed faint glimmers of silver, indicating they were refined corpses at the peak of Iron Corpse¡¯s limits.


    If these corpserefined bodies were released, Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. A Silver Corpse possessed combat power equivalent to a Golden Core Stage cultivator.


    Given Elder Lv¡¯s Golden Core Middle Stage strength, it went without saying that this Silver Corpse was his main combat corpse, which meant its strength was comparable to, if not even greater than, Elder Lv himself.


    Li Shiming shook his head forcefully to calm himself.


    Although these corpserefined bodies were in the Corpse Refining space, they naturally entered a state of dormancy due to the death of their master and the loss of control. This state of dormancy in the space reduced their consumption and put them into an optimal state for growth.


    Elder Lv, during the battle, had summoned that Iron Corpse, which lost the ability to move upon Lv¡¯s demise. Li Shiming stored it in a corpse bag, intending to study it further when he got back.


    Li Shiming thought he already had enough corpserefined bodies but his collection paled in comparison to Elder Lv, a true Demon Cultivation Golden Core. His corpserefined bodies were really nothing significant.


    It was unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t take ownership of so many corpserefined bodies.


    All of these Iron Corpses had reached the late-stage peak of Iron Corpse, equivalent to the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment. As someone who was only at the early-stage Foundation Establishment, even with Divine Thought, he didn¡¯t dare take the risk of contracting these Iron Corpses.


    ¡°I must diligently cultivate, so when reaching the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment, I can contract all these Iron Corpses!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    He could almost imagine, when confronting formidable enemies at the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment, how with a mere gesture, he would summon the three-headed six-armed Nezha, along with ten Iron Corpses¡ªno, eleven, including Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s body.


    A total of twelve Iron Corpses would be a force not to be taken lightly.


    He had even added a new research topic to the IBMz15 document: how to use twelve Iron Corpses to set up formations to maximize their combat power.


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 Chapter 366 - 229 Inventory_2

    Chapter 366: Chapter 229 Inventory_2


    He placed Nezha and the solitary Iron Corpse that was in the Corpse Refining Bag into his Space Ring; this would be his personal space for Corpse Refining from now on.


    Nezha was at the Early Stage of Iron Corpse, but this was already the highest level Li Shiming could withstand. By the time Nezha¡¯s strength reached the zenith of Iron Corpse, if Li Shiming himself had not advanced to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he would have to move Nezha out of the Corpse Refining space.


    Just the Corpse Refining space alone made Li Shiming feel as though he had acquired a treasure this time.


    The Golden Core Elders of the great sects really do have good things.


    He excitedly shifted his Divine Thought into another storage space, where he saw that large Flying Boat; it was indeed conspicuous even though it was shrunken.


    He didn¡¯t take out the large Flying Boat, but he swept his Divine Thought back and forth over it.


    A large Flying Boat was never something a cultivator could privately own; this particular one did not belong to Elder Lv, but to the Senluo Sect.


    Examining the materials needed for the large Flying Boat, its main body was made of Third Grade materials,with the rest being Second Grade materials. Add to that the numerous Second and Third Grade Arrays inside, it could be said that this kind of large Flying Boat¡¯s defenses alone could withstand several attacks from a Golden Core cultivator.


    This large Flying Boat was not the ordinary kind he had seen on Sky Sea Island; it could be considered a Flying Boat Magical Treasure of artifact level.


    Although it reached the level of an artifact, the uniqueness of the large Flying Boat allowed even an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like him to operate it.


    Because the large Flying Boat didn¡¯t consume the cultivator¡¯s spiritual power, or to be more precise, it did not consume the cultivator¡¯s spiritual power during normal flight conditions.


    The large Flying Boat had a special place for storing Spirit Stones, which provided the driving energy for the vessel.


    ¡°This is one big toy!¡± Li Shiming defined the large Flying Boat.


    Yes, for an individual, this thing is just a big toy, without any real significance.


    But how could he refuse such a big toy as a large Flying Boat? When he first came into contact with the Cultivation World, after the Ascension Conference at the Sky Sea Sect, his entrance to the sect was facilitated by a large Flying Boat, which he and all the new disciples fantasized about.


    He just never imagined that one day, he would obtain a large Flying Boat, many times superior to that one, a magical treasure that fulfilled the dreams of his earlier years.


    Next to the large Flying Boat was a black, single-person Flying Boat, which must have been Elder Lv¡¯s personal flying craft.


    This was another artifact-level Flying Boat, except this was a true artifact that required refining before it could be used.


    ¡°All these treasures sure do make one envious!¡± Li Shiming withdrew his Divine Thought from the black Flying Boat Treasure and murmured to himself.


    He could not imagine how fast such a Flying Boat Treasure could go when at full speed.


    Harvesting the battle spoils of a Golden Core cultivator, the biggest trouble was that they were not suited for him since his own strength was far too weak.


    Not far from the black Flying Boat Treasure, there were the Jade Ruler Treasure and Sword Treasure he had seen, along with a treasure resembling a miniature mountain peak.


    The Jade Ruler Treasure was Elder Lv¡¯s Lifebound Treasure and was originally supposed to remain nourished within his Golden Core. However, due to contamination by Jue Tu Buddha, Elder Lv hadn¡¯t taken it back into his Golden Core but had stored it in the Space Ring instead, to deal with the contamination before resuming its nourishment.


    Fortunately, that was the case; otherwise, if the Lifebound Treasure had been retracted into the Golden Core, with Li Shiming¡¯s strength, there would have been no way to extract it.


    Of course, whether he could take it out or not, Li Shiming was only able to look at these artifacts and not use them.


    As an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Li Shiming¡¯s gaze upon the treasures betrayed not much joy.


    Apart from the Lifebound Flying Sword he had given to his avatar Li Yuanba, he also had a Chessboard Treasure and an Ancient Zither Treasure; he probably was the only one at his level who could possess so many artifacts.


    Not to mention Foundation Establishment cultivators, even most Golden Core cultivators had only one or two artifacts. Elder Lv, as an Elder of the Senluo Sect, owned three artifacts, which was considered extremely wealthy among Golden Core cultivators.


    The Lifebound Sword Magical Treasure and the Miniature Mountain Peak Magical Treasure were beyond Li Shiming¡¯s knowledge in terms of their power, so he glanced at them and moved on.


    He saw a large number of Jade Scrolls, many of which were ancient. They must have been collected by Elder Lv.


    They contained some records from ancient times, as well as the experiences of Elder Lv, which made up the majority of the scrolls.


    It was evident that Elder Lv held these ancient records in high regard, enough to carry them with him.


    Elder Lv was no ordinary Devil Cultivator, his dwelling in the sect was an absolutely safe place, so the items he carried with him were all very useful to him.


    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this?¡± Li Shiming scanned through the jade with his Divine Thought. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to the content, just going over it to record all content through an IBM z15.


    But as he scanned over a particular Jade Scroll, he made an unexpected discovery.


    The Jade Scroll looked ordinary on the surface, but the contents were related to him, or rather, to Elder Jian¡¯s Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Through various means, Elder Lv had gathered the methods to refine a Mountain Peak Magical Treasure, collected much data on Ten Thousand Sword Peak, and drawn detailed diagrams of the peak, marking where necessary runes should be inscribed and Formations laid out.


    Ten Thousand Sword Peak itself was already refined into the form of a magical treasure, but not for personal use; therefore, it wasn¡¯t refined into an attacking magical treasure, but a heritage treasure.


    However, from the records in this Jade Scroll, it seemed Elder Lv had long coveted Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    He wished to refine Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasure, and had even gone as far as to refine a Mountain Peak Magical Treasure himself to test its feasibility.


    That was the Miniature Mountain Peak Magical Treasure among the three treasures, which, once activated, would expand into a mountain to suppress the enemy.


    Elder Lv was not satisfied with the Miniature Mountain Peak Magical Treasure because, though powerful, it could not subdue Late-stage Golden Core enemies.


    After his research, Elder Lv was confident that if he could refine Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a Mountain Peak Magical Treasure, even if the opponent were at the Nascent Soul Stage, Ten Thousand Sword Peak could remain an extremely potent treasure.


    Besides the usual suppressing effect of Mountain Peak Magical Treasures, Ten Thousand Sword Peak also possessed a terrifying Sword Intent, which could erode the enemy while suppressing them, making its power immeasurable.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t understand why Elder Lv had set his sights on Ten Thousand Sword Peak. Didn¡¯t he know it belonged to Elder Jian?


    Or could it be that Elder Lv was certain Elder Jian would give up Ten Thousand Sword Peak?


    All these questions were left unanswered with Elder Lv¡¯s demise, but it made Li Shiming wonder if, besides Elder Lv, there were other Golden Core Elders in the sect eyeing Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    After reviewing the Jade Scroll, he understood the purpose of the materials piled up on the other side in a box.


    They were the materials for refining Ten Thousand Sword Peak, many of them Third Grade materials. According to the records in the Jade Scroll, Elder Lv had already collected all the necessary materials for refining Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    ¡°What was he planning to do?¡± The more Li Shiming read, the more alarmed he became.


    He was certain Elder Lv must have clearly known that Elder Jian would definitely give up Ten Thousand Sword Peak; otherwise, why would he collect such a vast amount of materials? Even as an Elder of the Senluo Sect, gathering so many materials for Artifact Refining was immensely troublesome.


    Li Shiming notified his doppelganger, Li Yuan Ba, of these findings. Unable to deal with the affairs of the Senluo Sect himself, he could only warn Li Yuan Ba to be careful.


    There were also some Elixir Pills and materials in the Space Ring. Li Shiming didn¡¯t value the pills, for the Elixir Pills consumed by Devil Cultivators were very different from those taken by regular Cultivators, containing many bizarre and malevolent substances, which made the pills appear quite uncomfortable to look at.


    He planned to trade these pills when he got the chance, as they were pills meant for Golden Core Cultivators, well above his own capability to refine.


    The materials, however, were good. Though there were no Third Grade materials, there were Second Grade materials, which included Array materials, Artifact Refining materials, and even Alchemy materials¡ªa very rich and numerous assortment. While their value wasn¡¯t too high, they were useful to Li Shiming.


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 Chapter 367 - 230 Alchemy (Added for book friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 367: Chapter 230 Alchemy (Added for book friend 171021102948988)


    Li Shiming returned to Shushan Sect, only to find that there were significantly fewer cultivators within the sect.


    Although Shushan Sect spanned a vast territory, it had an abundant number of cultivators, and the skies during the day were always bustling with cultivators moving about.


    Today, however, it felt like the number of cultivators had decreased by more than half, an obvious contrast.


    He took out his Identity Jade Disc but hadn¡¯t received any messages.


    He changed direction and flew toward a mountain peak, known as Four Directions Peak, where the flat-topped mountain was also the location of Xu Chuan¡¯s cave dwelling.


    He cast a spell, waited a moment, and the formation in front of him opened, allowing him to enter.


    Before he could even land, Xu Chuan had already come to greet him.


    ¡°Little junior brother, I heard you went out for a trip, how come you have time to visit me?¡± Xu Chuan asked as he flew closer to Li Shiming with a smile.


    ¡°Senior brother, I just got back and noticed that there are many fewer cultivators in the sect, so I wanted to ask what happened?¡± Li Shiming cut to the chase with a smile, voicing his concerns.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive the message?¡± Xu Chuan was initially startled then quickly figured it out, saying, ¡°You¡¯re an Alchemist, why would they notify you.¡±


    Seeing that Li Shiming was still in mid-air, Xu Chuan made a welcoming gesture and led Li Shiming into his cave dwelling.


    The cave dwelling was at the mountain top, similar in scale to Sword Holding Peak, and its hall was filled with many valuable Spiritual Objects.


    Female servants brought over Spiritual Tea, and Li Shiming, taken aback that Xu Chuan had turned his followers into maidservants, couldn¡¯t help but take a second look.


    ¡°Haha, I indeed heard from other senior brothers that you turned the female cultivators they sent over into hard labor, originally they thought you would take them as maidservants to serve you!¡± Xu Chuan caught Li Shiming¡¯s glance and jokingly brought up the amusing matter.


    ¡°I prefer solitude!¡± Li Shiming shook his head as he explained.


    Xu Chuan obviously didn¡¯t pry into Li Shiming¡¯s private affairs, knowing the spirit field duties wouldn¡¯t wear down the female cultivators, it was merely a jest.


    ¡°Some news came, after the conflict between Senluo Sect and Qianye Temple, which ended with the fall of a Golden Core Elder from Senluo Sect, but the conflict between the righteous and the demonic factions is far from over, this is just the beginning!¡± Xu Chuan brought the topic to serious matters, his expression becoming solemn.


    As a participant himself, Li Shiming was fully aware of how the Golden Core Elder from Senluo Sect had fallen.


    In fact, the fall of Elder Lv had nothing to do with Qianye Temple, but he still pretended to be ignorant and listened.


    ¡°Just three days ago, Earth Evil Sect had a skirmish with our sect on the southern border of our sect, resulting in the fall of three Foundation Establishment Cultivators from our sect and two from Earth Evil Sect. It is said that at that time Elder Ji had a great battle with a Golden Core Elder from Earth Evil Sect.


    Yesterday, the sect announced that they were mobilizing a thousand Foundation Establishment Cultivators to the south, intending to take this opportunity to seize several spirit ores from the southern border!¡± Xu Chuan continued.


    ¡°How were those senior brothers arranged?¡± Li Shiming quickly asked.


    His clone, Li Yuanba, had experienced such a large-scale battle, and he knew the extreme dangers involved.


    ¡°Second senior brother and third senior brother went; although my injuries have healed, my strength was severely impacted, so the sect did not send me!¡± Xu Chuan replied with a wry smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t go!¡± Li Shiming comforted with a smile.


    He knew that not all cultivators had a secondary talent like himself, allowing them to easily earn large amounts of contribution points.


    Even though Xu Chuan was a True Disciple, he couldn¡¯t rely solely on his master¡¯s provisions; he needed to complete sect missions to quickly enhance his strength.


    And the rewards for missions involving large-scale battles were very substantial. Moreover, as Xu Chuan was a True Disciple with guaranteed strength, he should have made significant achievements in such large-scale missions.


    Being unable to participate due to weakened strength inevitably left him somewhat distressed.


    After sitting with Xu Chuan for a while, he also sent messages to Elder Su and Elder Ma to inform them of his return, then he headed back to Sword Holding Peak.


    Upon reaching his cave dwelling, Li Shiming plunged back into his studies that were paused earlier.


    This time out, although he was not within the sect, he carried nine Spirit Artifact Furnaces with him, continually refining them every day. By the time he returned, although the nine Spirit Artifact Furnaces had not yet reached 100% refinement, they were sufficient for Alchemy.


    Before leaving the sect, he had already prepared everything needed to simultaneously refine ten batches of Spirit Pills.


    The ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡¯ he could now use with ease; possessing Divine Thought, this spell was not difficult for him, and the ten Spirit Artifact Furnaces were ready for his first attempt at simultaneous ten-batch Spirit Pill refinement.


    For the first attempt, he naturally wouldn¡¯t choose anything too difficult, and he kept the prepared materials for ten ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ at the side.


    Since he spent most of the past year making ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ to fulfill the sect¡¯s Alchemy tasks, he had a lot of ingredients left over.


    You must understand that each time he managed perfect batches, managing to fulfill the sect¡¯s requirement for ten batches of ingredients with just eight furnaces.


    For him, advanced ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡¯ were of no use; so except at the beginning, he later chose to exchange his share of two-tenths of the high-grade Spirit Pills for Alchemy materials to keep.


    Now these Alchemy materials were useful, serving as practice material without the need to worry about failure.


    Being an Alchemist in the early stages did require investment, just like the sect¡¯s ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ task, which required eight Spirit Pills per furnace.


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 Chapter 368 - 230 Alchemy (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 368: Chapter 230 Alchemy (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2


    During the initial stage of refining, Alchemists, being new to the process, not only fail to produce eight Elixir Pills but also face the possibility of failure, requiring them to compensate for their losses.


    Sect missions differ from private alchemical endeavors; whether successful or not, someone else bears the responsibility when refining for others, while the sect mandates a strict 80 percent submission ratio.


    If Li Shiming were to fail in refining using sect materials, it would cost him ten furnaces of Spirit Pills in one go, which is the equivalent of two days¡¯ worth of pills, and he would need to provide the materials himself.


    Li Shiming released his Divine Thought, covering all ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces including the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace. As he cast the ¡°Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique¡±, he felt his consciousness split into ten parts, each capable of independent analysis and reasoning.


    The ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡± process was practiced to perfection; under the control of the ten split consciousnesses, batches of materials flew into the ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces.


    Under the control of ten consciousnesses, the ¡°Golden Sun Fire Control Technique¡± managed the Red Sun Fire within the ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces, providing sufficient spiritual energy, even divided into ten for alchemy, was not an issue at his peak early-stage Foundation Establishment.


    The IBMz15 similarly divided into ten threads, monitoring the situation within the ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces in real time.


    Though it was his first time refining ten furnaces of Elixir Pills simultaneously, his operations were orderly and without any sign of haste.


    Using the ¡°Green Willow Sensing Spirit Technique¡±, his Divine Thought sensed the conditions within the pill furnaces, while the IBMz15 converted this into data for Li Shiming. Any slight imperfection was immediately detected and rectified.


    The ten parts of his consciousness, controlling the Divine Thought, gently tapped on the ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces.


    The cave dwelling sounded like a percussive performance, with the ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces producing uneven tapping sounds due to varying conditions inside them and differing timings of applying the ¡°Seven Finger Refining Pill Technique¡±.


    Subsequently, amid a rising fog of elixir essence, one by one, the ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡± flew out of the furnaces, with a total of one hundred Spirit Pills emerging successively, creating a spectacular scene.


    One hundred ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡± were delivered by Divine Thought into ten jade bottles, aligning them before him.


    Without checking, he could confirm that every ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡± was of high quality.


    A smile appeared on Li Shiming¡¯s face; he had anticipated the success, but it still thrilled him immensely, signifying that his alchemy skills had improved tenfold.


    This was outside the machine room space; had it been inside, there would be no problem at all, as his control ability inside the machine room space was micrometric, significantly enhancing the quality of the Spirit Pills.


    Of course, he was not yet satisfied with his achievement; now with Divine Thought and Spiritual Fire, though not yet at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he was still ready to attempt advancing his alchemy level.


    For a High-level Alchemist, mastering alchemical knowledge isn¡¯t enough; some foundational skills are mandatory.


    A High-level Alchemist can refine pills for those at the middle late stage of Foundation Establishment. Most Elixir Recipes at this level contain Second Grade Spirit Medicine, making the energy harmonization in the medicine more challenging for an Alchemist.


    This requires more advanced alchemy techniques, each cultivation lineage having its unique methods.


    In the ¡°Shushan Pill Scripture¡± lineage obtained by Li Shiming, a High-level Alchemist must master three compulsory Alchemy Formulas and have one optional technique.


    The three mandatory techniques are the ¡°Thirty-Six Palm Return Elixir Technique¡±, ¡°Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique¡±, and ¡°Green Emperor Upper Sensing Technique¡±, with the optional technique being the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡±.


    The ¡°Thirty-Six Palm Return Elixir Technique¡± is used to adjust the balance of Spiritual Medicine within the furnace, achieving energy harmonization by continuously tapping the furnace.


    The ¡°Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique¡± is used to manipulate flames, particularly effective with Spiritual Fire.


    Because inheriting the ¡°Shushan Pill Scripture¡± initially requires possessing Spiritual Fire, this inheritance stipulates the use of Spiritual fire to maximize the potential of the ¡°Shushan Pill Scripture¡± during High-level Alchemist transmission.


    The ¡°Green Emperor Upper Sensing Technique¡± is used to sense the state of Spiritual Medicine inside the furnace and requires Divine Thought to activate.


    The other ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡±, being optional, is noted for its considerable difficulty.


    ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique,¡± when used, has a certain chance of doubling the output of Spirit Pills influenced by the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± during the pill creation process.


    That is to say, if the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± is successfully applied, a batch of elixir pills can yield up to twenty pills without any degradation in quality.


    However, according to the records in the ¡°Shushan Pill Scripture,¡± the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± isn¡¯t actually a one-percent probability; in fact, achieving even a one percent chance is considered lucky, and the usual probability is much lower by many multiples.


    The most troublesome aspect is that the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique,¡± when used, might trigger an energy chaos within the pill furnace, directly resulting in a batch of spoiled pills.


    Therefore, whether to learn and use the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± depends on the alchemist; only those willing to take a gamble would learn it.


    With the aid of IBMz15, Li Shiming¡¯s learning speed is extremely fast. No matter how complex the runes or whatever true essence is needed, he can memorize and achieve it through the IBMz15.


    This is his greatest advantage over other cultivators. Furthermore, the detailed introduction about a large amount of spiritual medicine and studies on the balance of spiritual medicine organized by IBMz15 are also mastered by him.


    Li Shiming used his contribution points to buy spiritual medicine for the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡±, an elixir named after the Shushan Sect, which all have one thing in common¡ªthe sect itself can produce the needed spiritual medicine for the elixir.


    The ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡± is a Second Grade Mid-stage Foundation Establishment spirit pill, only refine-able by high-level alchemists.


    Instead of refining it himself, he took three batches of the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡± ingredients to Dan Ding Peak.


    Sometimes Li Shiming feels that Elder Ma is his true mentor, as he can¡¯t always visit Elder Su unless it¡¯s an emergency; he only meets Elder Su at set times each month.


    But it¡¯s different with Elder Ma. He has access to the Dan Ding Hall on Dan Ding Peak without needing to be announced, allowing him to enter and exit Dan Ding Hall at any time.


    Li Shiming entered Dan Ding Hall and saw Elder Ma refining elixirs; he quietly sat down to one side without making a sound.


    His alchemy skills had improved so rapidly, especially when refining Second Grade elixirs during the early-stage Foundation Establishment, where he rarely failed and often succeeded, all due to data collected through IBMz15 while he was with Elder Ma.


    If he were to learn to refine the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡± by himself, he feared wasting a lot of spiritual medicine¡ªafter all, the elixir recipe contains five types of Second Grade spirit medicine, and wasting even once would feel torturous to him.


    Therefore, instead of repeatedly failing and learning from each failure, it was better to learn from watching Elder Ma refine it once. He could then use the data collected from IBMz15 to find the most accurate alchemy method.


    He would then make small adjustments within a limited scope according to this data, ensuring the success of the alchemy while continually enhancing the quality of the elixirs produced.


    ¡°You came to refine the ¡®Yellow Spirit Elixir,¡¯ right?¡± Elder Ma, not particularly concerned about the situation in the furnace, turned his head and asked with a smile.


    ¡°How did you know, Master?¡± Li Shiming asked in astonishment.


    He had exchanged three batches of ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡± ingredients and hurried over, while Elder Ma was refining elixirs; how could he possibly know that he had exchanged the ingredients for the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡±?


    ¡°You have the scent of Second Grade Yellow Spirit Powder on you, a spiritual medicine you have never handled before!¡± Elder Ma replied with a laugh.


    Li Shiming could not help but admire Elder Ma¡¯s astuteness; he had only taken out the Second Grade Yellow Spirit Powder to inspect for a little while when exchanging, yet Elder Ma had detected its scent.


    And since Second Grade Yellow Spirit Powder is a primary ingredient in the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir,¡± it led him to guess Li Shiming¡¯s purpose.


    ¡°Master, I exchanged three batches of ingredients and came to ask for your guidance in refining a batch!¡± Li Shiming directly stated his purpose.


    ¡°Put the materials over there!¡± Elder Ma pointed to a rack and instructed.


    Li Shiming placed a batch of ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡± ingredients on the rack, and Elder Ma took out a Spirit Artifact Furnace. Astonishingly, even while refining another elixir, he began demonstrating the refinement process of the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixir¡± for him.


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 Chapter 369 - 231: Dividing the Pill

    Chapter 369: Chapter 231: Dividing the Pill


    Elder Ma¡¯s effortless skill was viewed with immense envy by Li Shiming, who feared that achieving such mastery would require years of practice.


    Just as before, Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought entered the Pill Furnace.


    Refining the ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡¯ naturally presented many more difficulties compared to the previous Elixir Pills, he could sense through his Divine Thought that Elder Ma was continually using secret techniques to harmonize the energy of the Spiritual Medicine within the furnace.


    The energy of the Spiritual Medicine in the Pill Furnace always remained in a stable and balanced state; as time slowly passed, the energy within the Pill Furnace became more intense, but under Elder Ma¡¯s harmonization, the reactions were all within controlled limits.


    Refining one batch of pills took two hours, and not only was Elder Ma refining two batches of Elixir Pills at the same time, but he was also continually explaining some contents of the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ to Li Shiming.


    Through the refining process of this batch of ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯, Li Shiming gained a clearer understanding of what it meant to be a High-Level Alchemist.


    As Elder Ma¡¯s Divine Thought gently tapped the Spirit Artifact Furnace, a fragrance of pills wafted out.


    ¡°A full furnace of high-quality, Master is truly skilled!¡± Li Shiming, sniffing the pill fragrance, could judge the quality of the Spirit Pills and couldn¡¯t help but praise vocally.


    Elder Ma smiled without saying a word, but he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart.


    Having a disciple like Li Shiming also brought great pressure; despite his relaxed appearance, he had exerted his full capability to avoid any accidents.


    Even an Alchemy Master could not guarantee a hundred percent success rate in refining Second Grade High-Level Elixir, and there was always room for error if not careful.


    He packed ten High-Level ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ into a jade bottle and handed it to Li Shiming.


    ¡°Master, let me refine a batch for your critique!¡± Li Shiming, having received the jade bottle, put it away and said.


    He took out the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace right next to Elder Ma and began his first attempt at refining Foundation Establishment Mid Stage Second Grade Elixir.


    Elder Ma allocated a part of his Divine Thought to observe Li Shiming¡¯s refining process.


    This was no ordinary refining session; if Li Shiming succeeded in refining the ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡¯, the sect would gain another High-Level Alchemist.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy talent, combined with ownership of the Spiritual Fire, there was no longer any doubt; he would certainly become an Alchemy Master.


    The Red Sun Fire entered the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace, and as he executed the ¡®Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique¡¯, Li Shiming felt his control over the Red Sun Fire becoming even more effortless.


    The ¡®Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique¡¯ was largely developed specifically for controlling Spiritual Fire, thus eliciting such a feeling from him.


    One by one, the processed Spiritual Medicines were placed into the Pill Furnace and, under the effect of the ¡®Thirty-Six Palm Return Elixir Technique¡¯, they tumbled and mixed within the Pill Furnace, transforming into Dan Liquid.


    He used the ¡®Green Emperor Upper Sensing Technique¡¯ to sense the state of the Dan Liquid in the Pill Furnace and, drawing upon the Alchemy data of Elder Ma collected by the IBMz15, adjusted the energy balance within the Pill Furnace.


    Elder Ma, having put away the previously refined Elixir Pills, stopped refining and focused entirely on Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy process.


    A look of contentment appeared on his face as this was Li Shiming¡¯s first attempt at refining the ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡¯, yet he managed to maintain a standard above average and made no mistakes throughout.


    The Dan Liquid inside the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace became increasingly consolidated, and as Li Shiming continually used his Divine Thought to form a palm to gently tap the Pill Furnace, the tapping grew more substantial until the final tap opened the Furnace, and eight Spirit Pills flew out.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh; the refining session had not yielded a full batch, and out of them, only three were High-Level Elixir Pills, the rest were Intermediate Elixirs.


    ¡°Alright, I will assign you the sect task of refining the ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡¯; after refining a few more times and summarizing the experience, you¡¯ll be able to consistently yield a full batch!¡± Elder Ma, seeing Li Shiming¡¯s dissatisfaction despite his obvious success, waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.


    If everyone were judged by Li Shiming¡¯s standards, his other alchemy disciples should have been expelled from the sect.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Despite his regrets, Li Shiming was truly happy, and he bowed in thanks.


    By saying so, Elder Ma had effectively recognized Li Shiming¡¯s status as a High-Level Alchemist, meaning he could now accept tasks meant for High-Level Alchemists within the sect.


    The previously refined ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯, although a Second Grade Elixir, had only one Second Grade Spirit Medicine, whereas the ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡¯ contained five Second Grade Spiritual Medicines, and the number of Second Grade Spiritual Medicines determined the difficulty of alchemy.


    The Shushan Sect had only one Alchemy Master, Elder Ma, but there were four High-Level Alchemists.


    The four High-Level Alchemists might seem numerous, but considering the vast size of the Shushan Sect, with hundreds of Mid-to-Late Stage Foundation Establishment disciples alone, four High-Level Alchemists were nowhere near enough.


    Without Elder Ma¡¯s intervention, Elixir Pills for Mid-to-Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were always in high demand and would quickly be exchanged away by the cultivators with contribution points whenever available.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve stepped into the threshold of a High-Level Alchemist, you will receive some connections within the sect asking you to craft Elixir Pills. For at least a year, do not accept such commissions; an Alchemist¡¯s reputation is very important. Although a failure does not require the Alchemist to compensate, what they lose upon failure is their reputation!¡± Elder Ma thought for a moment before advising further.


    ¡°I understand!¡± Li Shiming nodded in response.


    Li Shiming took on the task of refining a hundred batches of ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ and returned to his own cave dwelling.


    After three refining sessions of the ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡¯, he was able to consistently achieve a full batch of high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯. This was not only helped by the Alchemy data of Elder Ma collected by the IBMz15, but also due to the extensive experience he had gained from mass refining Elixir Pills over the course of the previous year.


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 Chapter 370 - 231: Dividing the Pill_2

    Chapter 370: Chapter 231: Dividing the Pill_2


    Having ensured the successful rate of pill refining, he attempted to refine ten batches of ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ at once.


    The reason he dared to do so was because of the support from the IBM z15. Within the range of his Divine Thought, not only could he monitor the refining process in ten pill furnaces, but IBM z15 was also monitoring and issuing reminders continuously.


    Even if he occasionally overlooked something, the reminders from IBM z15 allowed him to spot his mistakes immediately.


    Ten jade bottles were filled with a hundred high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills,¡¯ and he was quite satisfied that there had been no mishaps.


    The subsequent refining of ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ was all conducted in the server room space, with ten Spiritual Artifact Furnaces lined up inside. He could even collect ¡®Medicine Essence¡¯ while refining top-tier ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills.¡¯


    He knew that once he advanced to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he would need to consume top-tier ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills,¡¯ so he began preparing them in advance.


    By the time half of the hundred batches of ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ had been refined, he had no more problems with refining Mid-stage Foundation Establishment elixirs, just as easily as refining ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pills.¡¯


    Moreover, because he was refining ten batches at a time, his Alchemy speed was incomparable to before.


    Thus, by the second day, he had nearly refined fifty batches of ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ and produced four top-tier ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills.¡¯


    Li Shiming was not content with these results; he was well aware that with the IBM z15 and the server room space, where he could control things down to the micrometer level, these achievements really weren¡¯t all that impressive.


    He set his sights on the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ and used it in every refining session.


    Refining in the server room space, he never worried that using the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ would cause energy chaos in the pill furnaces. Any sign of chaos in its early stages would be detected and eliminated by him.


    This is the advantage of micrometer-level control. When his perception reached the micrometer level, the IBM z15 could do the same. With dual monitoring, especially when IBM z15 never makes mistakes, any troubles would be discovered and resolved immediately.


    His luck was still good; the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ succeeded once on the second day. As usual, after he performed the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique,¡¯ he focused on controlling the situation inside the pill furnace.


    Inside the pill furnace affected by the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique,¡¯ what should have been a forming Spirit Pill, now had a phantom pill shadow next to it, crazily absorbing the spiritual energy from the furnace.


    This phenomenon, which was nearly beyond both his understanding and the capacity of IBM z15, almost causing it to crash, would have been thought to be a trick of the eye if it hadn¡¯t been recorded in the server room space by his Divine Thought and the IBM z15.


    He previously thought the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ was about gathering the excess medicinal liquid in the pill furnace to congeal an extra pill.


    But he had never imagined it would create something out of nothing, forming a real Spirit Pill just by absorbing spiritual energy.


    After this batch of Spirit Pills was finished, he took aside this particular batch for close examination.


    Twenty pills came out of this batch, all of high quality¡ªwhich was expected unless he fell asleep during Alchemy, never producing low-quality Spirit Pills.


    He took one of the ten high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ that had formed out of nothing and examined it with his Divine Thought, eyes, and even tasted it to test its medicinal strength. No matter the method of examination, it was indeed a real high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill.¡¯


    This was another phenomenon he could not comprehend. The ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique,¡¯ an apparently unreliable method, wouldn¡¯t have been included in the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ if it didn¡¯t have its own uniqueness.


    Li Shiming began to look through the Alchemy data recorded by the IBM z15, which was vast and included microscopic changes in micrometer-level particles inside the pill furnace.


    He also found the data from a previous time when he executed the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ without success and wanted to see what the difference was.


    After some time analyzing with the IBM z15, he found an anomaly in the extensive data.


    The ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ was performed just before the pills were formed, and during that time, a peculiar pattern appeared in the pill furnace when successfully executing the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique.¡¯


    If it weren¡¯t for his research into the secret of the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯, it would have been impossible to discover this exotic pattern within particles on the micrometer scale.


    This exotic pattern appeared for approximately one hundredth of a second, and he cast the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ just as the pattern manifested for that one hundredth of a second, triggering the technique¡¯s activation.


    He did not know what the exotic pattern that appeared in the Pill Furnace was, but he was certain it was related to the success of the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯.


    In the next alchemy session, he replicated the success of the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯, confirming his conjecture.


    No wonder the success rate of executing the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ was extremely low; there was a window of about three seconds before the elixirs emerged, and only by seizing that fleeting one hundredth of a second could the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ succeed.


    The problem was that even with the use of Divine Thought, it was impossible to detect the emergence of the exotic pattern. Constructed of micrometer-scale particles, it was not only difficult to detect with Divine Thought, but even if detected, one wouldn¡¯t necessarily connect it to this specific technique.


    Without the post-event data analysis capabilities of an IBMz15, that one hundredth of a second would pass before consciousness could even shift, and the exotic pattern would have already disappeared.


    With this important discovery, Li Shiming began attempting to refine double the amount of Elixir Pills using the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯, applying it to every batch of pills he crafted.


    That is to say, from a single portion of ingredients, he could produce twenty Elixir Pills, which allowed him to accumulate a substantial amount of materials and elixirs.


    Moreover, the production of top-tier Elixir Pills also doubled.


    While Li Shiming was achieving results in his alchemy research, Li Yuanba was also busy within the Senluo Sect.


    Upon returning to Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Elder Jian met him.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, it seems you didn¡¯t encounter any danger this time?¡± Elder Jian asked with concern.


    After learning of Elder Lv¡¯s fall in battle, Elder Jian somewhat regretted having allowed Li Yuanba to take part in the great war.


    Truth be told, Foundation Establishment Cultivators are practically cannon fodder in such grand battles, with a large number of them perishing each time.


    Of course, many Foundation Establishment Cultivators also manage to stand out in these grand battles by acquiring resources.


    But the fall of Elder Lv, who was at the Golden Core Middle Stage, was unexpected by Elder Jian.


    ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t even need to use the Buddha Beads you gave me!¡± Li Yuanba replied with a laugh.


    He wasn¡¯t lying to his master, Elder Jian, but Elder Jian wouldn¡¯t assume that his meaning wasn¡¯t that he faced no danger but rather that he didn¡¯t need to use the Sword Intent Buddha Beads when facing danger.


    If Elder Lv had attacked him with his Golden Core strength at that time, Li Yuanba would have drawn the Sword Intent Buddha Beads immediately.


    Poor Elder Lv, a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, was killed by a Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun because, greedy for the Spirit, he had absorbed the Jade Foot Relics and his battle consciousness, restricted by Li Yuanba¡¯s command, could not exert even one percent of its strength.


    Elder Lv probably could be ranked first among the most frustrated to die in the Cultivation World as a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Seeing your Sword Intent has solidified, you must have gained quite a bit this time?¡± Elder Jian remarked, sensing Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent and nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Master, I encountered a Buddha who stepped on white lotuses, moving almost as if flashing between them. What kind of Cultivation Technique might that be?¡± As soon as Elder Jian asked, Li Yuanba immediately voiced his question.


    He had killed Jue Yuan Buddha, which was recorded in the record of military exploits, so there was no need to conceal it.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ from Qianye Temple, the beginner¡¯s technique for the Divine Foot Skill!¡± Elder Jian became interested, and after answering, he went on to explain, ¡°The Divine Foot Skill is a type of Divine Skill. It¡¯s actually a Rule of Heaven and Earth Technique that Nascent Soul Ancestors ought to realize. Although ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ is just a foundation-laying beginner¡¯s technique, it has already touched upon the periphery of the Rules of Heaven and Earth!¡±


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 Chapter 371 - 232 Ancestral Master

    Chapter 371: Chapter 232 Ancestral Master


    ¡°What are the Heaven and Earth Rules?¡± Li Yuanba wouldn¡¯t let slip such an opportunity to touch on the secrets of a Nascent Soul Ancestor. He asked his master.


    ¡°Everything in the world must follow certain laws in order to function; these laws are the rules. For cultivators, these rules usually reach directly into the source of power, thus erupting with the strongest force from the very foundation!¡±


    Take the Divine Foot Skill, for example. ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ is a short-distance rule-based movement. It seems rather peculiar, but once you¡¯ve truly mastered the Divine Foot Skill in the Nascent Soul Stage, you can cross a hundred li in a single step.


    Simple movement, when governed by the rules, turns the impossible into possible. It¡¯s truly enviable!¡± Elder Jian considered for a moment and answered in a way Li Yuanba could understand, his tone filled with wonder.


    He was only in the Late-stage Golden Core and had not yet touched upon the Heaven and Earth Rules, so his words were merely hearsay.


    Yet Li Yuanba, upon hearing that the impossible became possible, couldn¡¯t help but think of the alchemy ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ taking place with his other self. Could that one percent of a second when the microscopic particle patterns appear be a manifestation of some rule?


    The ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ turns the impossible into possible, creating Spirit Pills out of thin air.


    His realm was too low; perhaps when his cultivation level increased, he would truly understand these things.


    ¡°Your grandmaster has emerged from seclusion. Today is a good day for your return; I¡¯ll take you to meet your grandmaster!¡± Elder Jian switched topics, unwilling to delve further into a subject that was beyond even his comprehension.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow Master¡¯s instructions!¡± Li Yuanba nodded and replied.


    ¡°Remember your grandmaster¡¯s surname is Lu, so you won¡¯t be clueless when outsiders mention him!¡± As they left Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Elder Jian flew ahead, reminding Li Yuanba along the way.


    Li Yuanba was somewhat nervous; after all, this was a true Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    ¡°Up ahead is Three Saints Peak, the restricted area of our sect. Naturally, even if you wanted to approach, the Sect Formation would prevent you!¡± Elder Jian pointed toward the three tallest peaks ahead as he spoke.


    Li Yuanba had not toured the sect¡¯s domain and knew the layout of the sect mainly from maps.


    Upon truly seeing Three Saints Peak, he felt the soaring momentum as if three celestial beings were standing between heaven and earth, like pillars supporting the heavens.


    Elder Jian took out his Identity Jade Disc and cast a spell towards the peak on the left.


    ¡°Come in!¡± A voice rang out by their ears after a moment.


    Elder Jian signaled to Li Yuanba and then descended his flying sword toward the left peak of Three Saints Peak.


    Upon entering the great formation protecting Three Saints Peak, Li Yuanba sensed the difference in Spiritual Energy. There was no need to mention the density here, which was about three times that of the energy in his dwelling at Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Density wasn¡¯t the only distinguishing factor here; the quality of Spiritual Energy was the most important difference. It was of such high quality that he had never even conceived of such Spiritual Energy existing.


    If Li Yuanba could cultivate here, his speed would likely increase by more than a factor of two.


    This was because the high-quality Spiritual Energy greatly improved the conversion rate of transforming Spiritual Energy into Spiritual Power. In the same amount of cultivation time, one could accumulate much more Spiritual Power.


    He also knew it was impossible for him to cultivate here, as even his current dwelling at Ten Thousand Sword Peak was beyond the rules of the sect.


    This place was a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s cultivation ground, so the spirit vein here was probably the main spirit vein of the Senluo Sect. No wonder the Spiritual Energy was so extraordinary.


    While following Elder Jian to the top of the left peak, he saw through the mist a grand and towering hall.


    This hall was only visible once one had entered the formation; it couldn¡¯t be seen from outside the formation.


    Elder Jian confidently entered the hall, where a middle-aged man was sitting in the center, completely different from the white-bearded old man Li Yuanba had imagined.


    ¡°Master, I have brought my direct disciple to pay respects!¡± Elder Jian bowed and gave a respectful salute.


    ¡°Greetings, Ancestor Lu!¡± Li Yuanba also followed suit, bowing deeply.


    The middle-aged man smiled as he glanced at Elder Jian and then looked at Li Yuanba with interest.


    ¡°I thought you would never take a disciple. I was beginning to think you wouldn¡¯t pass on your legacy within the sect!¡± Ancestor Lu teased.


    ¡°Disciple has promised Master, naturally, the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ will be passed down within the sect!¡± Elder Jian replied earnestly.


    ¡°It is to your credit that you found such a pure Sword Cultivator in the Demon Sect!¡± Ancestor Lu shook his head and said.


    When Ancestor Lu had saved Elder Jian years ago, bringing him into the Senluo Sect and taking him as a disciple, one of the conditions was to ensure that the legacy of ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ would be continued within the sect.


    Ancestor Lu never forced Elder Jian, and there were many reasons for this¡ªincluding the fact that the legacy of ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ could not be imparted under duress.


    Just then, Ancestor Lu noticed something quite amusing: Li Yuanba, a pure Sword Cultivator, had also raised a Peak Iron Corpse.


    He didn¡¯t speak of it out loud. Which cultivator doesn¡¯t have secrets?


    Within his range of perception, even the items in Li Yuanba¡¯s storage space could not evade his detection.


    It could be said that in front of Ancestor Lu, Li Yuanba had no secrets left.


    Fortunately, before this, Li Yuanba had transferred some extremely important things to his original self, Li Shiming. Even special items like the Fienel¡¯s Reflective Mirror would not reveal their purpose to Ancestor Lu, should he notice them.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± Ancestor Lu spotted an even more peculiar item, and despite his composure, could not help but exclaim in surprise.


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 Chapter 372: 232 Ancestor Master_2

    He saw a flying sword magic artifact, an exceptionally high-quality one. Although it¡¯s surprising for a Sword Cultivator at the early-stage Foundation Establishment to possess a flying sword magic artifact, it was another item that caused Ancestor Lu to let out a light gasp.


    With a beckon of his hand, Ancestor Lu caused a corpse to fly out from Li Yuanba¡¯s storage bracelet.


    Li Yuanba was startled. The security of a storage bracelet was much higher than that of a storage bag, yet Ancestor Lu could freely take items out of his storage bracelet, which was truly astonishing.


    The body taken by Ancestor Lu was that of the Six-fingered Sound Demon. With this corpse, the presence of the magic treasure in Li Yuanba¡¯s storage bracelet could be explained.


    It is said that the Six-fingered Sound Demon excelled in zither magic artifacts, but he wouldn¡¯t only possess a single magic treasure. It probably wasn¡¯t something a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator could achieve alone. After several cultivators explored the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s legacy, the allocation of the flying sword artifact and this corpse to Li Yuanba made sense.


    ¡°Master, what are you doing?¡± Elder Jian asked, unaware of why Ancestor Lu had taken out a corpse from Li Yuanba¡¯s storage bracelet.


    ¡°Haha, this is the corpse of the Six-fingered Sound Demon. Old Demon Li¡¯s son was killed by him. He has been on the lookout for the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s whereabouts for a long time. This body can be traded with Old Demon Li for something nice!¡± Ancestor Lu explained while laughing.


    As a Nascent Soul of the Demon Sect, he lived unrestrained, doing whatever he wanted. Not to mention his own juniors, even sect cultivators from other sects had their spatial items casually searched by him if the quality was slightly inferior.


    ¡°This disciple of yours is not bad, I like him!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a smile to Elder Jian, then turned his head to Li Yuanba and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s corpse. Do you have any requests?¡±


    ¡°Since the Ancestor has use for it, I respectfully offer it to you!¡± Li Yuanba bowed in response.


    Being at the early-stage Foundation Establishment, whatever good items Ancestor Lu could give were actually limited, probably just spiritual objects appropriate for the Foundation Establishment period, and he truly wasn¡¯t lacking in those. Rather than that, it was better to owe Ancestor Lu a favor.


    After all, the corpse of the Six-fingered Sound Demon was of no value to him. He had carried it, thinking it might be useful within the sect.


    ¡°How could I take advantage of you? Here is my nameplate. Later, you can go and claim a set of Golden Core resources as my reward to you!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a suppressed laugh, pressing down his hand.


    He tossed a wooden nameplate to Li Yuanba, who hastily caught it. Li Yuanba didn¡¯t know what Golden Core resources were, and as he was pondering, he heard Elder Jian¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to thank the Ancestor quickly?¡± Elder Jian chided lightly with a slap on Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Li Yuanba promptly bowed and thanked.


    After Li Yuanba stowed the nameplate, Elder Jian looked at Ancestor Lu with an expression of disbelief on his face.


    ¡°Master, this is actually showing too much favoritism. Back in my day, I had to go through numerous life-threatening battles to gain Golden Core resources!¡± Elder Jian said with a hint of jealousy in his laugh.


    He didn¡¯t speak these words until after Li Yuanba had stashed away the nameplate, clearly not wanting to influence Li Yuanba¡¯s gain.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re really unfit as a master. You underestimate your disciple. He¡¯ll reach Mid-stage Foundation Establishment within a year at most, and he has already prepared his flying sword artifact, which shows his determination for Golden Core!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a smile, revealing Li Yuanba¡¯s secrets without any inhibition.


    ¡°Yuan Ba¡¯s flying sword artifact must have come from Yun Xingyi of the Mingxin Sect. Once he acquired Yun Xingyi¡¯s cultivation technique, I knew he must have found Yun Xingyi¡¯s corpse. It¡¯s fine for Yuan Ba to have some secrets. Let the younger generation keep their little mysteries!¡± Elder Jian said, shaking his head resignedly.


    Elder Jian himself hailed from the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion. Although not considered a major upright sect, it did not indulge his every whim during his training.


    But his own master, having become a Devil Cultivator Nascent Soul, acted all the more capriciously.


    Elder Jian did not ask why Ancestor Lu was certain that Li Yuanba could advance to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment within a year; he guessed it probably had something to do with some spiritual objects in the storage bracelet that could enhance cultivation. He genuinely had no desire to pry into such secrets.


    ¡°Just at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, Yun Xingyi of Mingxin Sect is indeed a noteworthy Sword Cultivator, pity that!¡± Ancestor Lu, having heard of Yun Xingyi, couldn¡¯t help shaking his head and sighing. Suddenly, he changed the subject and asked, ¡°You¡¯re about to form your Nascent Soul, aren¡¯t you planning to go back?¡±


    ¡°The resources for my Nascent Soul formation are not yet fully prepared; at the earliest, it will take another thirty to fifty years before I have a slight assurance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul. Whether to return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, let¡¯s wait until the Nascent Soul is achieved!¡± Elder Jian hesitated before responding.


    ¡°What is there to avoid? I promised you long ago that once you have formed your Nascent Soul, you will have the capability to return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion on your own, as long as you leave behind your legacy. Now that you have chosen a successor and passed on your legacy, everything is up to you. Don¡¯t concern yourself with the will of the sect; with me here, I can still shield you from some troubles!¡± Ancestor Lu waved his hand with a hearty laugh.


    Li Yuanba stood to one side, not daring even to breathe too loudly; this was an absolute secret.


    The master is truly preparing to leave Senluo Sect, he thought, and then recalled the set of Artifact Refining Techniques and materials Elder Lv had prepared for refining Ten Thousand Sword Peak. It seemed clear that Elder Lv must have known about this, thus making necessary preparations well in advance.


    Whether Elder Jian either ascended to Nascent Soul and left, or failed and suffered severe injuries or even perished, Elder Lv would then have the chance to lay his hands on Ten Thousand Sword Peak and refine it into his own powerful magic treasure.


    While Ancestor Lu and Elder Jian chatted for a while, Ancestor Lu motioned for Li Yuanba to come over.


    ¡°Ancestor!¡± Li Yuanba approached Ancestor Lu and bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be as rigid as your Master. Not all Sword Cultivators have to use flying swords exclusively; only the Sword Cultivators who can preserve their lives are good Sword Cultivators!¡± Ancestor Lu, noticing that Elder Jian seemed ready to object, glared and said, ¡°Tell me, how many life-and-death crises have you faced? Just one misstep could have been catastrophic, if you had more defensive methods, none such occurrences would happen!¡±


    ¡°Sword Cultivators need tempering, otherwise how can they elevate their Sword Intent!¡± Elder Jian sincerely did not want his master to misguide his own disciple, thus he still spoke out in opposition.


    Though Ancestor Lu was a Nascent Soul, he was not a Sword Cultivator; Elder Jian had more authority in this matter.


    Besides, the Chongxiao Pavilion had produced Ascendant cultivators and possessed more experience in the cultivation of Sword Cultivators than the Senluo Sect.


    ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re making me angry just by being here!¡± Ancestor Lu waved his hand and winked at Li Yuanba as if telling him he was aware of his little secret but chose not to tell Elder Jian.


    Li Yuanba of course understood what Ancestor Lu meant since Jiang Chen was by his side, how could he possibly escape Ancestor Lu¡¯s perception.


    ¡°Then get the resources for your Golden Core formation soon. I remember we have recently acquired a new batch of Spirit Pill resources. If you miss this opportunity, it may be a long time before another comes!¡± Upon leaving Three Saints Peak, Elder Jian urged Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Master, are the Golden Core resources the ones needed for advancing to Golden Core? Is it not too early for me to collect them now?¡± Li Yuanba asked, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in the sect for too short a time. The resources for Golden Core formation include a complete set of Spirit Medicine Techniques and Secret Techniques, all accumulated by previous generations and customized according to the actual situation of the sect to provide the optimal plan for forming a Golden Core. Your Ancestor really favors you; he¡¯s given you a set of Golden Core resources right from the start, not giving you a chance to work hard. Whether that¡¯s good or bad, I¡¯m not sure!¡± Elder Jian said thoughtfully.


    In reality, Ancestor Lu did not want to owe Li Yuanba any favors; moreover, the effects of the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s corpse in his hands couldn¡¯t be compared to that of a set of Golden Core resources.


    What mattered most was that although Li Yuanba¡¯s storage bracelet did not contain many items, Ancestor Lu could tell that even if other spiritual objects were given as a reward, Li Yuanba would likely not hold them in high regard.


    When it comes to magic treasures, a Sword Cultivator uses flying swords for life. Now that Li Yuanba was wielding a Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword, and he had even prepared a flying sword treasure, it wasn¡¯t possible for Ancestor Lu to reward something like another Spiritual Artifact. Ancestor Lu couldn¡¯t afford to lose face like that.


    Regarding cultivation resources, once Ancestor Lu discovered a large bottle of top-grade Spirit Pills, he also lost the interest in providing more cultivation resources.

 Chapter 373: 233 Request

    Next to Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Li Yuanba was setting up a formation on a mountain.


    This mountain peak was something he had asked for from his master, Elder Jian. Many of the peaks around Ten Thousand Sword Peak belonged to Elder Jian, but since he had no disciples and did not engage in growing spirit plants, most of the mountains were abandoned.


    When Li Yuanba requested a mountaintop for his personal use, Elder Jian agreed without a second thought.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal, and Elder Jian had no intention of probing into his secrets.


    With the strength of someone like Elder Jian, what he needed to do was accumulate resources and wait for the breakthrough to Nascent Soul.


    Elder Jian didn¡¯t believe there was a cultivation technique stronger than the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique.¡± He was loyal to his flying sword throughout his life, practicing the strongest techniques. Even when wandering in the Demon Sect, he remained a pure sword cultivator.


    His demand for worldly possessions was very low; any resources he had were used to strengthen his flying sword.


    Once Li Yuanba obtained the mountain, he began setting up the formation. He also did not engage in developing Water Cloud Peak for spirit planting.


    The environment on Water Cloud Peak was nice, with a waterfall flowing down from halfway up the mountain and forming a pool at the base. It was a pity that the spirit veins in this mountain were only of superior quality; otherwise, it would make a good cave dwelling.


    He wanted this place not for anything else but to cultivate ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡±; his cave dwelling was still on Ten Thousand Sword Peak, a Golden Core level dwelling where the spiritual energy and sword intent greatly helped him cultivate the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique.¡±


    After setting up the formation on Water Cloud Peak, his daily cultivation routine was established.


    Every two days, he consumed one top-tier ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pill,¡± and together with his natural spirit root talent and the spirit veins inside the cave dwelling, his cultivation speed was not any slower than his original body, Li Shiming, who had strengthened his Taoist Body with a year of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward.¡±


    The speed of cultivating the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± increased many times over, especially after consuming the top-tier ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pill,¡± which made one cultivation session equivalent to the effects of twenty.


    Every morning, he would go to Water Cloud Peak, and at the rise of the early sun, absorb the violet aura through 1,500 Fresnel reflectors.


    Additionally, he also retrieved the resources for making pills given by Ancestor Lu, and Ancestor Lu¡¯s nameplate was taken back.


    When he requested the resources for making pills, what was delivered to his hands were the spiritual medicines required for Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills, along with a jade scroll from Senluo Sect which contained pill-making knowledge and secret techniques related to the pills.


    The reason why he was given the necessary spiritual medicines for the pill recipes was because these four types of spirit pills required Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredient, and needed an Alchemy Master to be refined.


    The Alchemy Masters of Senluo Sect rarely took action; it was said they were pushing towards the Nascent Soul Stage and had been in seclusion for more than ten years.


    A new Alchemy Master hadn¡¯t been trained yet, and the high failure rate of high-level alchemists attempting to refine Third-grade Spiritual Medicine into spirit pills was likely too much for any cultivator to want their services.


    This was not without a solution; one could ask an Alchemy Master from another power to take action, but this had to be handled by the cultivator personally, rather than being a matter for the sect to intervene.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t mind; in fact, he preferred having the spiritual medicines.


    Given the situation on his original body¡¯s side, by the time he reached late-stage Foundation Establishment, Li Shiming was likely to have become an Alchemy Master.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s situation had stabilized. Although there were still some minor conflicts between Senluo Sect and the Righteous Path sects, and the troubles with Qianye Temple were unresolved, conflicts between major sects in the Cultivation World were not short-term matters.


    The struggles of major sects could continue for many years, which also provided time for sect cultivators to practice.


    In Shushan Sect, after Li Shiming learned to refine the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill,¡± he began mass production of the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills.¡±


    The ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡± was not the same as the ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡±; the five types of Second Grade Spirit Medicine in the pill recipe made its output not very high.


    Fortunately, there was an accumulation over the years. In the past, the four high-level alchemists in the sect couldn¡¯t simultaneously refine ten furnaces of spirit pills, which not only requires Divine Thought but also a strong enough spirit and most importantly, talent.


    The four high-level alchemists barely managed to ensure the success of each furnace of spirit pills, so it was impossible for them to match Li Shiming¡¯s feat of simultaneously refining ten furnaces of spirit pills, a capability usually reserved for Alchemy Masters.


    Therefore, over the years, the sect¡¯s stockpile of the five types of Second Grade Spirit Medicine for the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡± had become quite substantial. Since the yearly production couldn¡¯t be consumed by the high-level alchemists, more and more were stored in the warehouse year after year.


    But this changed after Li Shiming took action.


    Every time he refined ten furnaces of ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills,¡± they were all high-grade, and using the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique,¡± the yield of ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡± was double the full amount.


    Of course, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t possibly reveal that he could achieve a one hundred percent success rate with the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique.¡± If his capabilities were exposed, he feared he would run into big trouble.


    On one hand, it was truly impossible to explain, especially to Elder Ma, who was deeply knowledgeable about the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique.¡± Unless he revealed his own private space, any excuse would fail to convince Elder Ma.


    On the other hand, revealing a one hundred percent success rate with the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± would mean he¡¯d no longer need to do anything else. There was a very high probability that the sect would confine him to do nothing but refine pills day after day.


    Being forced to refine pills by others compared to willingly refining them were two different matters.


    So although he kept using the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± to refine the ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills,¡± he stored away all the extra ones.

 Chapter 374: 233 Request_2

    The resources for Mid-stage Foundation Establishment are extremely precious, indeed even more valuable than Spirit Stones. When you really need to exchange for some Spiritual Objects, using high-level ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixirs¡¯ is more welcomed than using Spirit Stones.


    Li Shiming maintained a frequency of refining five times a day, which amounted to accumulating ten top-grade ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixirs¡¯ for himself every day.


    Unfortunately, such happy days did not last long; after just over thirty days, he had used up all the sect¡¯s materials for ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixirs¡¯. The materials accumulated by the sect over many years simply could not keep up with his unrestrained refining speed.


    This showed the importance of a powerful alchemist to a sect. In just over thirty days, he had refined 1,600 bottles of high-level ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixirs¡¯ for the sect, and of course, he also had 1,600 bottles of high-level ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixirs¡¯ in his own chamber.


    Not to mention he also had 324 top-grade ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixirs¡¯. By his estimate, these were enough for him to cultivate for a year, and there wouldn¡¯t be a second Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in the entire Cultivation World who could consume one top-grade elixir daily.


    Many informed cultivators within the sect were stunned by his alchemy activities. Fortunately, Elder Ma shielded him from outside prying, allowing him to refine elixirs and cultivate in peace.


    ¡°Junior Brother!¡± One day, just after Li Shiming finished practicing ¡®Purple Qi Eastward¡¯ and was about to continue with two Body Refining Techniques, he received news that his senior sister Ye Jingxian and two senior brothers were visiting.


    ¡°Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother!¡± After he activated the Formation, inviting the three into the main hall of his cave dwelling, Shiming asked curiously, ¡°Senior Sister, aren¡¯t you in closed-door cultivation? How come you have time to visit me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I heard our Junior Brother has become a High-level Alchemist and that your skills far surpass the other High-level Alchemists in our sect? You also know what my closed-door cultivation is like. I just happen to need your help with something, so I came over!¡± Senior Sister said without beating around the bush.


    ¡°Senior Sister, please feel free to speak!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about me, it¡¯s about these two!¡± The Senior Sister said, pointing to the Second Senior Brother Wan Zheng and Third Senior Brother Lu Shi.


    ¡°The two senior brothers could have come to directly to me with anything, there was no need to trouble Senior Sister!¡± Li Shiming shook his head and said with a smile as he looked towards his two senior brothers.


    The Senior Sister and the two Senior Brothers exchanged glances, all showing a smile of helplessness.


    Originally, everyone was under Elder Su¡¯s tutelage, and the relationship naturally developed over time, becoming quite close with the passage of the days.


    The Senior Sister and the two Senior Brothers are just like this. Apart from the days they greeted the Master within the sect, they usually did not communicate much with each other.


    But Li Shiming¡¯s growth was somewhat rapid, and now he was already a High-level Alchemist capable of continuously refining high-grade Second Grade Spirit Elixirs, which made them have to think about strengthening their exchanges with Li Shiming.


    Their visit this time was partly because the two senior brothers wanted to refine a batch of elixirs, and partly to take this opportunity to meet Li Shiming and bond with him.


    The senior sister was in closed-door cultivation, but her closed-door cultivation was not really being secluded from the world; she still paid attention to outside information.


    The two junior brothers approached her, told her about Li Shiming¡¯s situation, and that led to this joint visit.


    ¡°Junior Brother, here¡¯s an elixir recipe. Could you take a look and see if you can refine it and what the quality and success rate would be?¡± Second Senior Brother Wan Zheng handed Li Shiming a recipe.


    Li Shiming received the recipe, which was a formula using seven kinds of Second Grade Spirit Medicines combined with over fifty kinds of First-grade spiritual medicines as materials, slightly more complex than the ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Elixirs¡¯ but still within his capabilities.


    The recipe was detailed in its refining method. With his experience from refining over 1,600 batches of Second Grade Elixir Pills, even though it was a new formula, he could guarantee the refining results.


    No High-level Alchemical process could be observed at a micro-level, and experience under such conditions meant a single refinement was comparable to the alchemy experiences of other High-level Alchemists, tens or hundreds of times over.


    He had already successfully refined other Spirit Pills multiple times, and it was with this experience that he felt very confident in refining the ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pill¡¯.


    ¡°A fine Spirit Pill indeed, I can refine it. I¡¯m about eighty percent confident that I can produce a high-quality product!¡± Li Shiming pondered for a moment before responding.


    Hearing him say this, Wan Zheng and Lu Shi were both delighted.


    The ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pill¡± is a Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pill that can be consumed by mid-to-late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. After obtaining the Elixir Recipe, the two had been collecting Spiritual Medicines.


    They had been taking several of the Sect¡¯s Spirit Pills for a long time, and the drug resistance in their bodies had made the pills¡¯ effects increasingly poor.


    Not just them, many mid-to-late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators would seek out Elixir Recipes and hire High-level Alchemists to refine the pills. After taking a kind of Spirit Pill for a year or two, its effects would hardly meet the needs of cultivation, necessitating the switch to other Spirit Pills.


    As for asking their master, Elder Su, to intervene and have Elder Ma refine the pills for them, unless it involved a matter of life and death or a critical breakthrough, Elder Su would be embarrassed to ask Elder Ma to perform Alchemy.


    Although Elder Su and Elder Ma were old friends, owing favors at the Golden Core level was something to be avoided as much as possible.


    ¡°Junior Brother, here are the Spiritual Medicines. Please help us out!¡± Wan Zheng took out a storage bag and placed it in front of Li Shiming, bowing alongside Lu Shi.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Senior Brothers. Let me first take a look at the Spiritual Medicines!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought entered the storage bag to inspect the medicinal materials, and finding them to be extremely well-preserved, he nodded in approval.


    However, the quantity of Spiritual Medicines was substantial¡ªhe counted about fifty portions.


    ¡°Junior Brother, we mustn¡¯t break the rules of Alchemists¡ªthe matter of compensation should be handled in the usual way!¡± said Wan Zheng.


    This was Li Shiming¡¯s first-time refining for private reasons outside of Sect tasks. He was still somewhat unfamiliar with the matter of compensation, especially since he was dealing with his own Senior Brothers.


    ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t be courteous with them. If not for the fact that they could come to you directly, many cultivators of the Sect would have liked to ask for your help but were stopped by Elder Ma, stating that you are still in the learning phase. If you charge too little, not only will Elder Ma reprimand you, but you will also be resented by other Alchemists!¡± The Eldest Senior Sister, knowing Li Shiming felt embarrassed, explained with a smile.


    Neither Wan Zheng nor Lu Shi, nor the Eldest Senior Sister Ye Jingxian, wanted Li Shiming to refine for free, as that would make it difficult for them to approach him for help in the future.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s current Alchemy talent, he was bound to become an Alchemy Master. The benefit of being able to call upon an Alchemy Master at any moment far outweighed the advantage of one or two free refinement sessions.


    Being sensible individuals, how could they forgo greater benefits for minor gains?


    ¡°Since the Eldest Senior Sister has spoken, I will take on the task!¡± Li Shiming ultimately nodded and agreed.


    Though they expected Li Shiming would help, Wan Zheng and Lu Shi still showed excitement.


    Li Shiming did not interact much with the mid-to-late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators within the Sect, so he was unaware of their current sentiments.


    Upon learning that a new High-level Alchemist had appeared within the Sect, many mid-to-late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were inwardly elated and hopeful, thinking that once this newly promoted High-level Alchemist matured, their Alchemy options would increase.


    However, batch after batch of high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ was delivered to the Sect¡¯s storehouse, a fact that couldn¡¯t be concealed from the Sect members. All knew that the new High-level Alchemist had produced a large number of high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ without fail.


    This led many of the predominant mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, who had overindulged in ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills,¡¯ to regretfully wish they could bang their heads against a wall, as the potency of high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ is incomparable to that of the low-to-mid-grade ones.


    Likewise, the Sect redefined the contribution points for redeeming high-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡¯ and marked this batch with Li Shiming¡¯s unique identifier.

 Chapter 375: 234 Mid-term

    In the ranks of Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Shushan Sect, the Spirit Pills marked with Li Shiming¡¯s insignia, were all high-level Spirit Pills, further enhancing the reputation of this newly promoted high-level Alchemist, Li Shiming.


    Unfortunately, mid-to-late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators who sought Li Shiming for alchemy found themselves without any means to approach him.


    Li Shiming¡¯s whereabouts were within Sword Holding Peak, Heavenly Eye Peak, and Dan Ding Peak, areas that ordinary Sect cultivators could not simply enter, and trying to get in touch with him was difficult as they did not recognize him, and could not even use the Identity Jade Disc to contact him.


    Li Shiming did not yet know of his renown outside; he was under the protection of Elder Ma, who provided him with a year for growth.


    During this year, Li Shiming had been treated as a super genius, and Elder Ma was worried that Li, due to insufficient experience, might fail in private alchemy endeavors, not only harming his own reputation but also affecting his Dao Heart.


    Failure in private alchemy would mean the loss of precious Spiritual Medicine others had painstakingly collected, and although Alchemists need not consider the losses, the impact was still significant.


    Elder Ma intended to protect Li Shiming, allowing him to accumulate enough experience by first concocting Spirit Pills for the sect.


    However, he had never anticipated that Li Shiming¡¯s growth would be so swift. Within just one month, he had concocted 1,600 batches of secondary Spirit Pills, completing his accumulation of alchemy experience.


    ¡°Brother Wan, Brother Lu, come over tomorrow at this time to collect the Spirit Pills!¡± Li Shiming told Wan Zheng and Lu Shi.


    His words made both brothers pause in astonishment, thinking they had heard wrong.


    ¡°Little junior brother, there¡¯s no need to rush, take your time to concoct!¡± Wan Zheng finally responded after a moment.


    ¡°Alright, are you Alchemists or is the little junior brother the Alchemist? Whatever the junior brother says, you just do it, or you can take the Elixir Recipe and Spiritual Medicine back!¡± Before Li Shiming could speak, the elder sister, Ye Jingxian, clapped her hands and declared.


    ¡°Then we will come over tomorrow at this time!¡± Wan Zheng and Lu Shi said helplessly.


    ¡°Rest assured in your alchemy, even if everything fails, it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Elder sister¡¯s phrase as she was leaving nearly made Wan Zheng and Lu Shi fall to the ground.


    Although they were True Disciples, the fifty portions of the ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pill¡± Spiritual Medicine had also taken considerable time and effort, using up significant favors.


    However, thinking of the elder sister¡¯s temperament, they dared not say more.


    ¡°You guys, I really don¡¯t understand how you think. Junior brother¡¯s alchemy skills are beyond your doubt!¡± After leaving Sword Holding Peak, the elder sister shook her head at the two junior brothers and said.


    After speaking, she accelerated towards her own mountain peak without paying any more attention to the two junior brothers.


    For Li Shiming, fifty batches of ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pill¡± were merely a day¡¯s workload. He wasn¡¯t in a rush to start alchemy and first followed the normal cultivation process, completing the cultivation of ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡±


    He felt that he was only a step away from the peak of Foundation Establishment, but he didn¡¯t know how long the bottleneck from the early stage to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment would hold him back, as it was unpredictable.


    His Body Refinement continued to strengthen with cultivation. It was unfortunate that since he had become a high-level alchemist, the battles among cultivators were becoming increasingly distant from him.


    Fortunately, the clone Li Yuanba was continuously battling, sharing the combat experience and preventing him from becoming a cultivator without any fighting experience.


    The process of concocting the ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pill¡± went smoothly, and even though it was his first time producing the ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pill,¡± there were no problems, perfectly producing ten batches of high-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills,¡± totaling 198 high-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡± and 2 top-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills.¡±


    Of course, his alchemy was now conducted in the equipment room space, which had significant benefits to alchemy. Micron-level control allowed him to more precisely manage the alchemy process.


    More importantly, to raise the success rate of the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± to one hundred percent, alchemy must be carried out in the equipment room space.


    In one day¡¯s time, he focused on producing ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills,¡± crafting five batches of fifty Spirit Pills each, without even impacting his daily main cultivation technique practice.


    Once all the production was finished, in front of him lay 990 high-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡± and 10 top-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills.¡±


    Through this personal alchemy session, he truly saw the tremendous profits of being an Alchemist.


    The portion of the high-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡± meant for brothers Wan Zheng and Lu Shi numbered 330; the rest was his.


    Utilizing the ¡°Dividing Pill Formula¡± to double the output, he also received 165 high-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡± and 10 top-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills.¡±


    He stored the 330 high-level ¡°Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡± in jade bottles, waiting for the next day to hand them over to his brothers.


    The next morning, after cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± Li Shiming awaited his brothers.


    But as he sat in the hall, he felt ripples forming in his Spirit Lake within; he was blessed with enlightenment, a white lotus appearing under his feet, with another appearing in the Cultivation Room.


    Instantly, he appeared on the white lotus in the Cultivation Room, sitting cross-legged above it, with the lotus positioned over the outlet of the Spirit Vein.


    First, ripples formed in the Spirit Lake, and as they grew more frequent, the splashes of water rose higher.


    The liquid Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power agitated continuously in the Spirit Lake, and the aura around Li Shiming kept transforming.


    The ¡°Nine Heaven¡¯s Thunder Strike Technique¡± operated automatically, guiding the unstable Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power in the Spirit Lake to circulate in a unique manner.

 Chapter 376: 234 Mid-term_2

    In Li Shiming¡¯s perception, he sensed as if a wall had appeared in front of him, constantly battered by the Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power, trying to break through it.


    He had a feeling that if he could break through the wall, he would be able to advance to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and this wall was the early-stage Foundation Establishment bottleneck materialized by his consciousness.


    Originally, he thought that this seemingly solid wall was not easily broken.


    But after just over ten assaults by the Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power, the wall was covered in cracks, as though it would shatter at any moment.


    Li Shiming had underestimated his own talent, enhanced by the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± Cultivation Technique, which had transformed his Daoist Body with the Innate Violet Aura. Although it was not yet a fully formed Pure Dao Body, it greatly aided him in overcoming the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    In the history of cultivation, no cultivator had ever enhanced his Daoist Body to his extent by absorbing the Innate Violet Aura, a feat achieved through a combination of science from his previous life and the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± Cultivation Technique of this world.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Has something happened?¡± Wan Zheng, outside Sword Holding Peak, cast a spell to alert Li Shiming of his arrival, but after waiting for thirty minutes, Li Shiming still hadn¡¯t appeared, which made him anxious.


    Lu Shi was also extremely anxious, considering the only possibility might be that Li Shiming had failed at alchemy and was too embarrassed to face them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Elder Sister to come over, even if it¡¯s an alchemy failure, it¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s just consider it an investment in our junior brother!¡± Wan Zheng said, trying to stabilize his emotions.


    He said this, and Lu Shi wasn¡¯t foolish; he naturally thought of Li Shiming¡¯s talent for alchemy.


    Though this was a heavy loss, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Such a hefty investment would definitely make Li Shiming owe them a big favor.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s have Elder Sister come and talk to Li Shiming, to make sure he doesn¡¯t let the loss of the Spiritual Medicine affect his state of mind!¡± Lu Shi agreed, nodding repeatedly.


    A spell was cast, this time directed at the grand formation around Elder Sister Ye Jingxian¡¯s peak. The peaks of several fellow disciples were all arranged around Heavenly Eye Peak, making it convenient to connect.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Soon, Elder Sister¡¯s figure appeared in the sky, and she looked at the two junior brothers and asked.


    ¡°For some reason, the junior brother hasn¡¯t responded at the agreed time, and we¡¯re worried that he might be distraught from failing at alchemy!¡± Wan Zheng explained with a wry smile.


    ¡°Indeed, you didn¡¯t think of your own Spiritual Medicine first but considered the impact on the junior brother!¡± Elder Sister nodded in approval and then added, ¡°Just wait here, you wouldn¡¯t have me forcefully break the grand formation, would you?¡±


    As she spoke, the Elder Sister also cast a spell into Sword Holding Peak and waited in the void.


    The wait lasted for two hours until the grand formation of Sword Holding Peak finally opened.


    Upon seeing the grand formation open, all three of them breathed a sigh of relief, also worried that Li Shiming might have taken things too hard, considering his short training period.


    Entering the cave dwelling¡¯s main hall, they saw Li Shiming, whose aura was unstable, regulating his breath.


    At first, they were startled, thinking Li Shiming might have lapsed into cultivation deviation, but they soon realized something was off¡ªLi Shiming¡¯s unstable aura was clearly due to his inability to control his aura after advancing.


    Especially Third Senior Brother Lu Shi, whose mouth was agape, looking incredulous.


    How long had Li Shiming been in the sect, and given his known information, he had only entered the Foundation Establishment stage two years ago; how could he have advanced to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment already?


    Lu Shi thought about himself; it had taken him twelve years to advance to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and still he had been praised by their master as extremely talented.


    If he was extremely talented, then what was Li Shiming?


    For a moment, Lu Shi felt a doubt about life itself.


    Li Shiming¡¯s talent was a triple spirit root seed. Elder Su had taken him as a disciple because Li Shiming had brought back to him a Third Grade Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover; the master had accepted him as a disciple out of gratitude.


    Not to mention Lu Shi, Wan Zheng and Elder Sister were also quite shocked.


    Was this the so-called blessing that Elder Su had talked about? Were high-blessed cultivators all so abnormal?


    ¡°Senior Sister, Senior Brothers, I am so sorry. I suddenly had a realization that made me late,¡± Li Shiming said apologetically, having missed the appointed time.


    ¡°Little Junior Brother, congratulations on advancing to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Now let¡¯s see how Xu Chuan can brag about being the youngest Junior Brother!¡± Senior Sister said with a laugh, her perspective quite unique.


    Wan Zheng and Lu Shi thought of Xu Chuan and couldn¡¯t help but laugh as well.


    Because of Li Shiming¡¯s entry, Xu Chuan had quickly gone from being the youngest Junior Brother to the fourth Senior Brother. He hadn¡¯t been proud for long before Li Shiming had caught up with him.


    Although in their sect, status as Senior or Junior Brother wasn¡¯t solely determined by cultivation level, it was rather embarrassing if a Senior Brother had a lower cultivation level than a Junior Brother.


    ¡°And you, Lu Shi, guess how long it will take Little Junior Brother to surpass you?¡± Senior Sister teased Lu Shi.


    Lu Shi¡¯s smile instantly stiffened on his face. Given Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation speed, catching up to him didn¡¯t seem difficult at all.


    If that happened, he, as the third Senior Brother, wouldn¡¯t dare claim his title, which would be a huge loss of face.


    ¡°Senior Brothers, that ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pill¡¯...¡± Li Shiming had just started speaking when Wan Zheng interrupted him.


    ¡°Little Junior Brother, if the ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pill¡¯ fails, it fails. Your advance to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment is what truly matters!¡± Wan Zheng waved his hand indifferently.


    ¡°Exactly, Little Junior Brother, don¡¯t let it affect your state of mind. Alchemy is about growing through constant failures!¡± Senior Sister added, encouraging him.


    Lu Shi continuously nodded, his expression also uncaring.


    Li Shiming felt a warmth in his heart. His Senior Sister and Brothers¡¯ care made him feel truly warm and welcomed.


    ¡°There was no failure. Here are 330 ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡¯!¡± Li Shiming, fearing more urging from his Senior Sister and Brothers, hurriedly took out the successfully refined ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pills.¡¯


    Wan Zheng slightly startled, took the large jade bottle. Li Shiming had put all the ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡¯ into one large jade bottle, which was a Magic Artifact that could preserve the potency of pills for a long time.


    This kind of large jade bottle Magic Artifact wasn¡¯t very valuable, yet it was extremely practical.


    Wan Zheng scanned the ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡¯ inside the jade bottle with his Spiritual Thought and found their quality to be extremely high, unlike ordinary high-grade ¡®Green Glass¡¯ Five Elements Pills.¡¯


    While they were all high-grade Second Grade Spirit Pills, there are subtle differences among them. The high-grade ¡®Green Glass Five Elements Pills¡¯ in the large jade bottle could be described as perfect.


    ¡°Little Junior Brother, your alchemy skills are truly beyond words. From now on, all my Elixir Pills depend on you!¡± Wan Zheng said heartily as he handed the large jade bottle to Lu Shi, who was getting a bit anxious, encouraging Li Shiming warmly.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s within my capability, you are always welcome to seek my help in alchemy!¡± Li Shiming would not refuse. After all, who would turn down such an offer?


    He had also learned that the real Second Grade Elixir Pills, starting from Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, were not something that could be endlessly produced within their sect.


    Second Grade Spiritual Medicines required time to be produced, and no matter how large the stockpile, it couldn¡¯t withstand his frenzied method of production.


    To be able to craft more Second Grade Spirit Pills, one would need to do it privately. This not only allowed obtaining more Spirit Pills but also earned the good graces of other Cultivators.


    Like his two Senior Brothers, who had gone to great lengths to procure Elixir Recipes and materials, yet the Spirit Pills they obtained weren¡¯t even half as many as Li Shiming could produce by working a day at home.


    Moreover, one shouldn¡¯t take up too many alchemy tasks in the sect. After all, the sect had four High-level Alchemists, and it wouldn¡¯t do to take all their tasks. Previously, he hadn¡¯t been aware of these matters, but would need to be more mindful in the future.


    ¡°Little Junior Brother, quickly become a High-level Alchemist so that you can craft my Golden Core Elixir Pills!¡± Ye Jingxian said with shining eyes.


    Although she had a Half Golden Core, being just one step away from attaining a full Golden Core, that step would take a long time to achieve. Her resources for Golden Core were already prepared, just waiting for Elder Su to find the time to ask Elder Ma to craft them.


    But if Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy advancement was fast enough, she would rather entrust such a crucial task to him.

 Chapter 377: 235 Guest Visit

    Li Yuanba sat on the mountaintop, facing the east, where a hint of red light emerged at the horizon.


    Suddenly, one thousand five hundred Fresnel lenses reflected the world¡¯s first ray of sunlight onto him, absorbing the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡±¡ªthe Innate Violet Aura¡ªand transforming his body.


    He had been cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± for over a month, and the transformation of his Taoist Body delighted him.


    The Body Refining Techniques from the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± used the influence of the Third Grade Sword Base to strengthen the Taoist Body. Such a drastic method was bound to leave some damage, but after a month of continuous absorption of the Innate Violet Aura, the damage to his Taoist Body had almost vanished.


    His spirit also grew continuously, the increase profoundly evident. He believed that if he kept it up a little longer, he would be able to attempt cultivating the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique¡± and transform his Spiritual Thought into Divine Thought ahead of time.


    All of these were similar to the original body¡¯s cultivation of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± and they were no unexpected blessings.


    The real surprise came from the unique change that only Li Yuanba experienced, which was the transformation of his Sword Intent.


    Over there with the original body, Li Shiming, who cultivated Thunder Skill and nurtured Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power within his body, his Sword Intent had taken on an effect of lightning.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent, on the other hand, had absorbed the Supreme Yang Power from the Innate Violet Aura, resulting in an evil-cleansing effect.


    Having his Sword Intent endowed with an evil-cleansing effect left him with mixed feelings of amusement and frustration.


    As a cultivator from the Demon Sect like Senluo Sect, his Sword Intent turned out to be evil-cleansing, which was more orthodox than the Righteous Path itself.


    Of course, although the evil-cleansing effect was specifically against the cold and Yin energies and had a restraining effect on Devil Cultivators, it was also powerful against general Cultivation Techniques.


    After all, it was the Supreme Yang Power. Even though it was just a trace for now, all types of energy in the world would be affected by it.


    The extent of this influence varied, however, depending on how much Supreme Yang Power the Sword Intent contained.


    Li Yuanba had told Elder Jian, his mentor, that he would need to undergo secluded cultivation for at least a year, so Elder Jian would not disturb his cultivation or assign him any tasks.


    This was a relatively stable period. Both Li Yuanba and his original being, Li Shiming, were under their mentors¡¯ protection, and the outside world¡¯s turmoil didn¡¯t affect them.


    Li Shiming began to accept a small number of private Alchemy commissions in Shushan Sect, which were all requests from the younger generation related to his mentor, Elder Su. As for the other sect cultivators, they had no chance to meet him, let alone to have him concoct pills for them.


    That day, he was summoned to Heavenly Eye Peak by his mentor, Elder Su. It was the same pavilion as before, but this time Elder Su was already standing inside the pavilion with a stranger by his side.


    Li Shiming¡¯s spirit was strong, and since the stranger didn¡¯t conceal his cultivation, Li Shiming sensed that the man was a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator. However, the aura of the early Golden Core stage was somewhat peculiar, and he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was odd about it.


    ¡°Greetings, Master!¡± He stepped forward, saluted, and greeted.


    ¡°Shiming is here. This is Mr. Cai Hong from the Beishu Trading Company; I¡¯m just making the introduction. Talk among yourselves,¡± Elder Su said to his disciple, with a slight embarrassment in his tone.


    He turned and walked away, but Li Shiming heard his Master¡¯s voice ringing in his ears through the method of sound transmission.


    ¡°Shiming, this is a favor I owe to someone. I¡¯m only responsible for your meeting with Mr. Cai Hong. The outcome does not matter, so don¡¯t worry about my thoughts!¡±


    Li Shiming maintained a smile on his face, yet he surmised that his Alchemy abilities must have become known to Beishu Trading Company, prompting them to send a cultivator to seek him out.


    Beishu Trading Company was the largest trading company on this continent, including Sky Sea Island. Maintaining a good relationship with such a company could only be beneficial, so he didn¡¯t mind this meeting.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I apologize for the abrupt visit. Please excuse me!¡± said Cai Hong, bowing, once Elder Su had walked a distance away.


    The extensive network of Beishu Trading Company could not be underestimated.


    Upon discovering Li Shiming¡¯s sudden rise, Beishu Trading Company promptly sent Cai Hong, a high-status shopkeeper who was the closest to Shushan Sect.


    The reason for their urgency was the fear that Li Shiming might sign a contract with another trading company before them, which would be a significant loss for Beishu Trading Company.


    Since becoming a Pill Master, Li Shiming had concocted Spirit Pills only for the sect and for a few private individuals. However, according to Beishu Trading Company¡¯s investigation, Li Shiming had never failed, whether with any grade of Spirit Pills, and maintained a hundred percent success rate with high-level Spirit Pills.


    Beishu Trading Company¡¯s think tank unanimously believed that Li Shiming was bound to become an Alchemy Master, and not just any Alchemy Master, but one that was highly productive.


    Although many Alchemy lineages come with Secret Techniques for concurrently concocting multiple Spirit Pill furnaces, these techniques generally pertained to lower-grade Spirit Pills.


    That is, a High-level Alchemist could effortlessly use Secret Techniques to simultaneously concoct several furnaces of First-grade Spirit Pills.


    However, when High-level Alchemists concoct Second-grade Spirit Pills, they can no longer use such techniques. Otherwise, they risk reducing the success rate and significantly diminishing the quality due to divided attention.


    But according to Beishu Trading Company¡¯s investigation, even when Li Shiming concocted Second-grade Spirit Pills for Middle Late Stage Foundation Establishment, he likewise employed the method of concocting multiple furnaces at once, otherwise, he would not have completed such a quantity of Spirit Pills in a short period.


    Li Shiming was precisely the type of Pill Master that Beishu Trading Company most needed, capable of significantly enhancing their Spirit Pill business.


    ¡°Please, Senior, no need for such formality. May I know the purpose of your visit?¡± Li Shiming asked with a smile while returning the salute.

 Chapter 378: 235 Guest Visit_2

    ¡°Mr. Li should still call me a fellow, I dare not accept the title of senior!¡± Cai Hong said with a wry smile, shaking his head. Seeing Li Shiming¡¯s puzzled expression, he continued to explain, ¡°My Golden Core Realm is actually a false core!¡±


    ¡°What is a false core?¡± Li Shiming saw that Cai Hong did not mention why he was looking for him but started a casual conversation instead. He was not in a hurry, as it was an excellent opportunity to learn more.


    ¡°A false core is a measure of last resort when one cannot break through to the Golden Core Realm. It involves using a secret technique to refine a Great Demon¡¯s Golden Core into one¡¯s own, thereby possessing some of the Golden Core¡¯s power. Unfortunately, once a false core is formed, one can never advance further; one is forever in a state of false core,¡± Cai Hong explained.


    ¡°Does it have to be a Great Demon¡¯s Golden Core? Would a cultivator¡¯s Golden Core work?¡± Li Shiming asked further.


    He wasn¡¯t intending to form a false core; with his current situation, no matter how poor his talents were, his Taoist Body had forcibly elevated his aptitude to that of a top-tier genius after practicing ¡°Purple Qi Eastward.¡±


    He wanted to understand these because he had two Golden Cores in his mechanical room space that he had been unable to utilize. Having heard of a use for Golden Cores now prompted his question.


    ¡°Using a cultivator¡¯s Golden Core is certainly possible, but that is something Devil Cultivators do. Even among Devil Cultivators, those who dare to use this method to achieve a false core will be rejected by the Devil Cultivation Golden Core,¡± Cai Hong said, not knowing why he asked this but wanting to establish a good relationship without reservation.


    The two of them engaged in a conversation in the pavilion, with Li Shiming, having limited knowledge, constantly receiving introductions about some of the secrets of the Cultivation World from Cai Hong, and then posing questions.


    It was only after they had finished a pot of Spiritual Tea that Cai Hong set down his cup and brewed his emotions, considering his words carefully.


    ¡°Mr. Li, you must be aware of the Beishu Trading Company. I am tasked by the company to invite you to become a guest alchemist for the company,¡± Cai Hong said solemnly.


    ¡°What does being a guest alchemist entail?¡± Li Shiming also set down his cup, asking aloud.


    Cai Hong was pleased inside; the fact that he didn¡¯t immediately refuse gave him hope.


    ¡°The guest alchemist of the company has no specific requirements, otherwise Shushan Sect would not agree. Each year, the company offers a stipend of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones to the guest alchemist and gives priority access to the resources of the Beishu Trading Company,¡± Cai Hong explained with a smile.


    ¡°With such great conditions, what does a guest alchemist need to do?¡± Li Shiming, hearing such treatment, even though he looked down on the stipend of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, was indeed interested in having priority access to the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s resources.


    As the largest trading company on the Beishu Continent, Beishu Trading Company held vast amounts of resources, even accumulating third-grade resources.


    Take, for example, the third-grade ¡®Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover¡¯; he had risked his life to retrieve it at the time.


    If not for Elder Ji¡¯s faction purchasing the ¡®Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover¡¯ ahead of time, Beishu Trading Company would have had it in stock at that time.


    This showed the deep resources Beishu Trading Company possessed, which were extremely formidable.


    ¡°A guest alchemist can freely decide whether to refine elixirs for Beishu Trading Company, and the company does not interfere with the private alchemy business of the guest alchemist. However, a guest alchemist cannot serve other trading companies. Additionally, the compensation for refining elixirs for the company is the same as for private alchemy business,¡± Cai Hong explained.


    Li Shiming finally understood what being a guest alchemist meant¡ªit meant being tied to the Beishu Trading Company and not serving other trading companies.


    As for whether or not to refine elixirs for Beishu Trading Company, it was up to the alchemist himself. Naturally, the volume of alchemy for the company was much higher than that of private business, yet the compensation was the same, an attractive proposition to entice alchemists to act.


    ¡°I agree!¡± Li Shiming considered for a moment. He had no intention of serving other trading companies anyway.


    In fact, before this, Zhuo Rui from Tianmu Trading Company had approached him, but with the resources of Tianmu Trading Company, they simply could not support his volume of alchemy, so there was no point discussing cooperation.


    Tianmu Trading Company was just a sect-based company that couldn¡¯t even guarantee the ingredients for second-grade Spirit Pills required for his alchemy, let alone a sect-affiliated trading company like Tianmu.


    ¡°On behalf of Beishu Trading Company, I welcome Mr. Li¡¯s joining, and this is the guest identity card prepared by Beishu Trading Company for Mr. Li. Our Beishu Trading Company cooperates with various major sects. With this guest identity card, you can communicate throughout the Beishu Continent,¡± said Cai Hong excitedly.


    ¡°Moreover, the guest identity card allows you to check alchemy tasks at any time. You just need to accept the task, and someone will deliver the materials to you, and also someone will come to retrieve them after completion!¡±


    He handed a jade identity card to Li Shiming. This guest identity card had been prepared in advance, along with his identity already processed. They just needed his agreement to finalize it immediately, so as to avoid unnecessary delays.


    It is important to note that although Beishu Trading Company is the leading trading company on the Beishu Continent, it is not without competitors. Several other trading companies have been eyeing it covetously.


    ¡°This is a small gift from Beishu Trading Company to Mr. Li. When Mr. Li becomes an Alchemy Master, we will present a more substantial gift!¡± Seeing Li Shiming accept the jade identity card, Cai Hong took off a storage bag from his waist and handed it over.


    ¡°Then, thank you to the trading company!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile as he accepted the storage bag.


    His divine thought swept through the storage bag and found it contained a recipe for an elixir and dozens of jade boxes holding spiritual medicines.


    The recipe was for a Mountain-breaking Pill, which was different from the Mountain-breaking Pill recipe of the Senluo Sect. His other self, Li Yuanba, had also received a recipe and materials for the Mountain-breaking Pill.


    Li Shiming was aware that while the pill names were the same across different sects, the ingredients differed due to the resources available in their respective areas. After countless years of research by alchemists, each sect had developed its own system.


    The Mountain-breaking Pill of the Senluo Sect, for example, used materials predominantly sourced from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, especially its main ingredient, a third-grade spiritual medicine, which is produced only in those mountains.


    The value of this recipe was not high because, after many years of widespread use, there are numerous variations of this elixir recipe. Without the corresponding resources, it is almost impossible to gather all the spiritual medicines necessary for the recipe.


    What¡¯s crucial is a set of ingredients for the Mountain-breaking Pill, including a third-grade primary spiritual medicine¡ªtruly a resource for producing a Golden Core.


    The generosity of the Beishu Trading Company was significant; among all resources for producing elixirs, the Mountain-breaking Pill was foremost.


    A Vessel Protecting Pill could alternatively strengthen the meridians through a special cultivation technique to achieve the same effect as the Vessel Protecting Pill.


    A Soul Stabilizing Pill could also be substituted with spiritual objects that stabilize the mind, and a Resurrection Pill could be replaced by other slightly inferior spirit pills. However, the Mountain-breaking Pill is irreplaceable.


    Of course, after countless years of cumulative experience, lacking one type of elixir reduces the chance of forming a Golden Core by a fraction, so, if possible, cultivators will try to gather a complete set of elixirs before making a breakthrough.


    Seeing Li Shiming¡¯s satisfied smile after checking the gift, Cai Hong finally felt relieved.


    This gift was not easy to choose; even offering the materials for the Mountain-breaking Pill, he worried it might not impress Li Shiming.


    This worry wasn¡¯t unfounded¡ªit stemmed from Li Shiming¡¯s potential and identity.


    Li Shiming was taken as a registered disciple by Elder Ma, which was known by many cultivators. However, only a few were aware that Elder Ma had transmitted the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ to Li Shiming.


    Having received the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ implied that Li Shiming possessed a spiritual fire, which also meant that Elder Ma recognized Li Shiming¡¯s potential to become an Alchemy Master.


    Any sect would vigorously nurture a cultivator with the potential to become an Alchemy Master, and they wouldn¡¯t be stingy with resources for producing elixirs.


    Cai Hong was pleased that his timing in giving the Mountain-breaking Pill was appropriate. It seemed that the Shushan Sect had not yet provided Li Shiming with resources for producing a Golden Core; otherwise, the value of this gift would have been significantly reduced.


    In fact, before giving the gift, he had considered this point; it was too early for the sect to prepare Golden Core resources for Li Shiming, who had just entered the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, so he chose the Mountain-breaking Pill materials as the gift.

 Chapter 379: 236 Influence

    Cai Hong took his leave and departed, leaving only Li Shiming behind in the cool pavilion.


    Elder Su appeared within the pavilion, looking at the disappearing figure of Cai Hong without speaking.


    ¡°Master, I have accepted Beishu Trading Company¡¯s offer to become their guest Alchemy Master!¡± Li Shiming bowed as he reported.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, with Beishu Trading Company backing you, you won¡¯t have to worry about your cultivation resources!¡± said Elder Su. As he spoke, he glanced at Li Shiming, then smiled and said, ¡°It seems Old Ma has treated you well, giving you quite a few Elixir Pills. You¡¯ve even advanced to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment!¡±


    Although he spoke thus, in his heart, he was somewhat puzzled about what kind of Spirit Pills Elder Ma had given Li Shiming, allowing him to advance to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment so quickly.


    And Li Shiming¡¯s body didn¡¯t even have any leftover medicinal power. It couldn¡¯t all be from taking top-grade Spirit Pills, could it?


    What Elder Su didn¡¯t know was that the answer he thought least likely was actually the truth.


    ¡°I just had a bit of good luck!¡± Li Shiming couldn¡¯t very well explain and could only respond casually.


    ¡°That may be so, your fortune is indeed deep, but don¡¯t become too reliant on fortune. Alchemy must not interfere with your cultivation; you must remember that cultivation is the key!¡± Elder Su spoke earnestly and with weight.


    Now Li Shiming could be considered to be in high spirits. Although he wasn¡¯t delayed in either Alchemy or his Cultivation Realm, he was also worried that Li Shiming might be blinded by the wealth gained from Alchemy, obscuring his Daoist heart and causing him to slacken in his cultivation.


    ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Master. Your disciple will keep your teachings in mind!¡± Li Shiming bowed his head, then suddenly seemed to recall something and continued, ¡°What exactly is the Beishu Trading Company, and what background does it have? Please enlighten me, Master.¡±


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t ask, I would have told you!¡± Elder Su pointed at a stone stool beside them.


    Elder Su took a seat first, took out a pot of Spiritual Tea from his Space Ring, and poured a cup for both himself and Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming sat respectfully at the lower seat, feeling that Elder Su¡¯s attitude towards him had changed somewhat.


    Indeed, this was easy to understand. A High-level Alchemist¡¯s status in a large sect was somewhat higher than that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Although not as high as a Golden Core Elder, the difference wasn¡¯t much.


    Not to mention Li Shiming, a High-level Alchemist who was almost certain to become an Alchemy Master. This could be inferred from the fact that the Beishu Trading Company sent a Fake Pill Shopkeeper to him.


    ¡°Beishu Trading Company was initially established by both righteous and demonic sects along with several independent Nascent Soul cultivators. As the conflicts between the righteous and demonic sects intensified, the management of Beishu Trading Company gradually fell into the hands of these independent Nascent Souls, acting as a channel for resource exchanges between the righteous and demonic sects. Everyone needed such a channel, and it has continued to this day,¡± Elder Su explained slowly after taking a sip of Spiritual Tea.


    ¡°Then does the Beishu Trading Company also have a share of the Shushan Sect?¡± inquired Li Shiming.


    ¡°Naturally, the profits of Beishu Trading Company need to be distributed among the six sects, otherwise how could it have been maintained until now!¡± Elder Su nodded as he said.


    Li Shiming took a deep breath, shocked. With the six righteous and demonic sects as its background, as well as multiple independent Nascent Souls, no wonder the Beishu Trading Company could achieve such scale.


    ¡°In that case, doesn¡¯t the Beishu Trading Company have no rivals?¡± Li Shiming marveled.


    ¡°The six righteous and demonic sects each support their own trading companies and some independent Nascent Souls have trading companies they back. Even Beishu Trading Company wouldn¡¯t use force against these trading companies but would instead employ commercial strategies. So while Beishu Trading Company is dominant, it is still unable to monopolize the commercial world completely,¡± Elder Su laughed as he explained.


    Although Li Shiming did not know how powerful a Nascent Soul was, he was certain that if he were to offend one, then even with so many powerful backers, Beishu Trading Company¡¯s trade routes would be compromised.


    Once back at his Sword Holding Peak abode, Li Shiming finally had time to examine his Guest Identity Card.


    The Guest Identity Card of Beishu Trading Company was a Magic Artifact with multiple functions.


    It was easy for Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought to grasp its functions, and the Guest Identity Card could be easily refined, as if he had gained another Magic Artifact.


    As the Guest Identity Card was refined, the corresponding introductions and methods of use were transmitted into his brain.


    By connecting with the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s communication network spread across the Beishu Continent, Li Shiming had previously wondered how Beishu Trading Company was able to achieve this. Now it seemed that it must be with the support of the six sects that they could cover the continent with their communication network.


    Of course, not just anyone could use this communication network. Only those with a certain status within Beishu Trading Company had such privileges.


    Otherwise, being able to use it freely would be opposed firstly by the six sects.


    The establishment of this continent-wide communication network was intended for the business considerations of Beishu Trading Company, as well as to provide the higher-ups of the six sects with a fluid communication channel for timely exchanges in crucial moments.


    The communication function of the Guest Identity Card was incredibly potent. Cultivators of the six righteous and demonic sects, upon verifying their identity, could send messages to him within the coverage area of the continent-wide communication network.


    He could also use the Guest Identity Card to actively reach out to any cultivator within the coverage area of the continent-wide communication network.


    The first thing Li Shiming did was use the Guest Identity Card to send a message to Yin Shilan, letting her know that from now on, this was a means of contact.


    Unfortunately, Yin Shilan was probably cultivating at the moment and did not reply to him.


    Lovers in the Cultivation World are like this, each immersed in cultivation. Especially at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it¡¯s normal to cultivate for more than ten days or even a month at a time, and their contact with each other is reduced.

 Chapter 380: 236 Influence_2

    However, considering that cultivators live longer than ordinary people, especially because they must not dissipate their Primordial Yang and Yin before achieving a Golden Core, the relationship between the two would persist for a long time, even longer than the lifespan of mortals.


    Another function of the Guest Identity Card was to check alchemy tasks.


    Li Shiming cast a spell towards the Guest Identity Card, and it emitted an illusion. The illusion displayed the alchemy tasks currently available.


    These alchemy tasks were listed according to his status as a high-level alchemist; presumably, they were tailored specifically for him.


    There were a vast number of alchemy tasks, with bulk assignments at the forefront.


    Li Shiming naturally did not look at those tasks aimed at producing one or two furnaces, as they offered him little benefit.


    Although he now possessed over three hundred top-quality ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills,¡¯ which were probably sufficient for a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator¡¯s top-grade Cultivation Spirit Pills, he also had a clone, and preparations must be made for the clone to have access to top-grade Spirit Pills as well.


    The strength of the clone could not be too far off from the original, otherwise, it would not be able to assist the original.


    ¡®Qianyuan Returning Jade Pill¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Treasure Qi Harmonizing Pill,¡¯ these two types of Elixir Pills were second-grade Spirit Pills for Mid and Late-stage Foundation Establishment respectively, and a single task for their production could accept up to a thousand furnaces.


    He understood that the materials for these two types of cultivation assistance Spirit Pills must be under the control of the Beishu Trading Company, capable of being massively produced, hence the large quantities.


    This was similar to the ¡®Shushan Hunyuan Pill¡¯ and ¡®Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡¯ from Shushan Sect; without mass production of all the necessary spirit materials, it would not be possible to produce such large quantities.


    Li Shiming did not hesitate and immediately took on the maximum task load for both ¡®Qianyuan Returning Jade Pill¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Treasure Qi Harmonizing Pill,¡¯ a thousand furnaces each, keeping him busy for more than a month.


    As he accepted the tasks, Cai Hong, who was returning to the trading company¡¯s base, received his task applications.


    Cai Hong paused mid-air, looking at the two tasks Li Shiming had taken, his lips twitched involuntarily.


    Even though he had heard of Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy speed, accepting a total of two thousand furnaces in one go still surprised him.


    The profession of an alchemist was highly coveted, but very few alchemists managed to achieve significant success. Once capable, alchemists would be highly sought after by cultivators.


    Thus, alchemists generally held themselves with great pride, and it was nearly impossible to expect them to endure hard work. Alchemy was a spirit-consuming task, and a normal Foundation Establishment alchemist would usually stop after producing one furnace of Elixir Pills a day to avoid affecting the success rate.


    Even though a Golden Core Stage alchemist would have a stronger spirit, unless they reached the level of an Alchemy Master, the remuneration in the form of second-grade Spirit Pills would not be of much use to them apart from exchanging for Spirit Stones.


    Therefore, Golden Core Stage alchemists also would not fully commit to alchemy, a phenomenon seen everywhere.


    Cai Hong had not expected Li Shiming to be so proactive, showing none of the reserve typical of high-level alchemists.


    But he liked such high-level alchemists; as a result, his task evaluation would increase significantly.


    With that in mind, Cai Hong suddenly increased his flying speed to the extreme, needing to immediately retrieve two thousand portions of alchemy materials and deliver them to Li Shiming, as any delay was a waste.


    As for any issues with delivering two thousand portions of alchemy materials to Li Shiming, that was not a concern at all.


    Not to mention the power of the Beishu Trading Company, just Li Shiming¡¯s identity as a True Inheritor of Shushan Sect¡¯s alchemy was more valuable than these two thousand portions of alchemy materials.


    The cultivators of the six major sects, whether righteous or demonic, held very high credibility. Even if a cultivator encountered issues, their sect could be approached.


    That very night, Li Shiming received the materials personally delivered by Cai Hong and started a new round of alchemy.


    From one thousand furnaces of Spirit Pills, he could obtain two hundred top-grade Spirit Pills, and over a thousand and three hundred bottles of high-grade Spirit Pills, each bottle containing ten pills.


    With such tremendous profits, his motivation was high, maintaining a pace of five furnaces per day.


    His spirit was almost comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator, so the task of refining five furnaces a day had no significant impact on him.


    As for the impact on his cultivation, under the consumption of top-tier Spirit Pills, it became negligible.


    Days flowed like water; a year passed in the blink of an eye. The conflict between good and evil continued unabated, neither intensifying nor diminishing much.


    From time to time, there would be a battle either at the Qi Refinement Realm or Foundation Establishment Stage, yet none escalated to the scale of a large-scale Golden Core cultivators¡¯ war, keeping the conflict within controllable limits.


    During this period, the thing that most concerned the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Beishu Cultivation World was no longer the battle between good and evil.


    The longer the time dragged on, the less attention was paid to the battle between good and evil.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators were concerned about their cultivation, and Beishu Trading Company launched Elixirs marked with Li Shiming¡¯s signature such as ¡°Qianyuan Returning Jade Pill,¡± ¡°Heavenly Treasure Qi Harmonizing Pill,¡± ¡°Liu Ren Rejuvenation Pill,¡± ¡°Purple Jade Bone Changing Pill,¡± and so on.


    Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills, Healing Spirit Pills, and Body Strengthening Spirit Pills¡ªall were high-level Spirit Pills.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators discovered that these Spirit Pills were about ten percent more effective than those produced by other high-level alchemists.


    A ten percent improvement in Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills could have a tremendous impact over time.


    A ten percent improvement in Healing Spirit Pills might mean the difference between life and death.


    Crucially, compared to the usual scarcity of high-level Spirit Pills, the quantity available from Beishu Trading Company this time was very large.


    Of course, no matter how large the quantity, it was not much in front of the massive base of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivators bought these high-level Spirit Pills marked with Li Shiming¡¯s signature based on their maximum needs, fearing such good fortune might not come again.


    Those Foundation Establishment Cultivators who failed to purchase the high-level Spirit Pills grew even more eager after hearing other cultivators praise the Spirit Pills marked with Li Shiming¡¯s signature.


    In summary, as these high-level Spirit Pills were sold, Li Shiming¡¯s reputation spread from within the sect to the Cultivation World, becoming widely known among Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    At Sword Peak, Ye Lingyun, Wan Qian, and Lu Yingtong, three followers of Li Shiming, now all possessed the strength of Qi Refining Peak. Their strength had increased somewhat quickly, and having enhanced their abilities through a large amount of Elixir Pills, they needed several years to consolidate before attempting a breakthrough.


    They were not in a hurry; their current situation was beyond anything they had ever dreamed of.


    Having sufficient high-level Spirit Pills every month provided them with cultivation conditions that surpassed most cultivators of their original families.


    They no longer worried about Foundation Establishment Pills; following behind a high-level alchemist, they never lacked for Elixir Pills.


    Their only way to repay Li Shiming was by diligently tending to the Spirit Plants at Sword Peak.


    Although they understood that the benefits from the Spirit Plants at Sword Peak were insignificant to Li Shiming compared to what he could gain from a casual session of alchemy.


    Their gaze would occasionally drift towards the peak of the mountain, surrounded by a large formation, but still the place where their spirit rested.


    After finishing a session of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± at the summit of Sword Peak, Li Shiming was now packing up the Frenel reflectors.


    His body had become saturated with Innate Violet Aura, and ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± which was said to be infinitely cultivable, had been pushed to its limit using scientific methods from his previous life.


    As Innate Violet Aura entered his body, it no longer offered even the slightest enhancement to his Taoist Body, a situation that had persisted for over ten days. Today, he had decided to formally give up cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward.¡±


    He packed 1,500 Frenel reflectors into several storage bags and tossed them into the engine room space, perhaps never to use the Frenel reflectors again.


    He had no plans to destroy the Frenel reflectors as the engine room space was very secure. Besides, he had acquired many storage bags from multiple battles, which served as warehouses and did not affect the engine room space.

 Chapter 381: 237 Agreement

    Li Shiming stood on the mountain peak, the breeze blowing through his hair, his body almost seeming as if to float away with the wind.


    ¡°A good wind, using its force to lift me to the azure clouds.¡±


    At this moment, it wasn¡¯t just a feeling; if he hadn¡¯t controlled his body, he really would have been lifted by the gentle breeze off the ground.


    Now, his Taoist Body was transparent inside and out, pure as a flawless crystal.


    The effects of ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± were still ongoing, yet the traces that should be left from Body Refinement did not show any signs on his Taoist Body.


    His body and spirit had reached a certain bottleneck, a great mountain obstructing the further strengthening of both.


    Li Shiming suspected that this was probably the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and to enhance his body and spirit further, he would need to wait until the Golden Core Stage.


    In one year¡¯s time, he had consumed more than three hundred top-grade ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡±, and the Spiritual Power within him had reached the later phases of Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


    This pace frightened even him, so when he ventured outside, he operated the ¡°Demon Shadow Buddha Form Technique¡± to maintain his realm at the early phases of Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


    However, to give up consuming top-grade Spirit Pills was equally undesirable for him, as the rapid increase in strength could augment his prowess, leaving more time for later cultivation.


    He had heard that some cultivators spent too much time in the Foundation Establishment Stage and, as a result, had a hundred years less cultivation time than other Golden Core cultivators, growing old in the Golden Core Stage.


    Now, one day faster in cultivation meant one extra day for cultivation in the Golden Core Stage.


    The life expectancy in the Foundation Establishment Stage was two hundred years, which could go up to five hundred years in the Golden Core Stage; though it seemed like a long time, in reality, the time spent cultivating passed very quickly.


    That¡¯s why Elder Su would only meet with disciples once a month, because his cultivation sessions would almost take up an entire month¡¯s time.


    Li Shiming had examined the sect¡¯s records and could confirm that his current Taoist Body was undoubtedly a Pure Taoist Body.


    Yet, a Pure Taoist Body should be an Innate Taoist Body, not something achievable through postnatal efforts. Who would have thought that a cultivation technique like ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± could refine a Pure Taoist Body?


    The benefits of a Pure Taoist Body were numerous, with the greatest being the affinity with Spiritual Power which would become multi-fold, something he discovered during his cultivation as the effectiveness of absorbing top-grade ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡± had increased a bit.


    Initially, after each cultivation session, the excess efficacy of the top-grade ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills¡± would linger in his body for a while before being digested or expelled.


    But now, during each cultivation session of ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡±, the efficacy within a top-grade ¡°Shushan Yellow Spirit Pill¡± would be fully absorbed by him.


    Li Shiming could now use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to cover a distance of 260 meters with every step, which was also a manifestation of his enhanced spirit.


    In addition, the Red Sun Spirit Fire within him also reaped benefits; its quality had risen to the Second Order Peak and underwent some special changes.


    Red Sun Spirit Fire was already Supreme Yang Fire, and the Innate Violet Aura was also a Heavenly Innate Supreme Yang Energy. Influenced by the Innate Violet Aura, the Red Sun Spirit Fire underwent an unfathomable transformation, significantly increasing its power.


    Li Shiming always felt that there was a good chance the Red Sun Spirit Fire might now be capable of concocting Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Having inherited the ¡°Shushan Pill Scripture¡±, he wouldn¡¯t be mistaken on this aspect, being a legacy specializing in Spiritual Fire Alchemy.


    He was considering whether to attempt concocting Third-grade Spirit Pills now; if successful, he would become the second Alchemy Master of the Shushan Sect.


    Of course, even if he became an Alchemy Master, he would be far from matching Elder Ma. This was related to his realm; without reaching the Golden Core Realm, at best he could only concoct Third-grade Spirit Pills of the lowest quality for the early Golden Core Stage.


    The Spirit Pills with high-quality Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredient could only be concocted by Alchemy Masters in the Golden Core Realm.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s wait a while longer, wait until the Red Sun Spirit Fire advances to the third grade!¡± Li Shiming dismissed the idea of advancing as an Alchemy Master prematurely.


    In fact, his foundation in Alchemy was already incredibly solid.


    In a year¡¯s time, he had not wasted a moment, conducting Alchemy five times a day, ten furnaces each time, resulting in fifty furnaces of Spirit Pills a day.


    By now, the Spirit Pills stored in his Space Ring could probably support a large sect¡¯s consumption for several years.


    This was after he had sold off a portion of the Spirit Pills through the sect and the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s channels.


    The Beishu Trading Company had also provided him with a substantial amount of various materials, allowing him to continue his research work with ample supplies.


    ¡°Time for another trip out!¡± Li Shiming thought of another matter and murmured to himself.


    Over the year, Li Yuanba of the Senluo Sect had also advanced to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± had induced a peculiar transformation in Li Yuanba¡¯s Taoist Body.


    In his human form, he embodied Supreme Yang Qi, coupled with otherworldly looks; he truly possessed the appearance of a transcendent immortal.


    In his Corpse Refining form, however, he was the epitome of extreme yin cold, standing at three and a half meters tall, his skin dark and glossy, with red eyes and fangs turned outwards, bearing no resemblance to a human form.


    The strangest thing was that his Corpse Refining form¡¯s defensive power was now comparable to Jiang Chen¡¯s, with extreme yin coldness that was terrifying. Once he struck an enemy, the damage inflicted was even greater than Jiang Chen¡¯s sheer use of Yin Cold Spiritual Power.


    Just what level of Corpse Refining was Jiang Chen? He was at the peak of an Iron Corpse.

 Chapter 382: 237 Meeting Up_2

    Had Jiang Chen not been Li Yuanba¡¯s Life-bound Corpse Refinement, it would have been difficult for him to be controlled.


    Li Yuanba himself did not know the specifics of the current transformation, but he could ascertain that this change was not detrimental.


    His cultivation of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± utilized the ¡°Fresnel Reflective Mirror¡± just like his original body Li Shiming, but his Daoist Body showed no signs of becoming a Pure Dao Body.


    It was simply transforming his Daoist Body towards the ultimate form of pure Yang, while his state of Corpse Refining was transformed towards the ultimate form of pure Yin, achieving a balance, yet leaving him without any information about tasks related to this type of Daoist Body transformation.


    It was uncertain whether Li Yuanba¡¯s innate talent was stronger than Li Shiming¡¯s, but after a little over a year of cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± the effect of the technique had become less apparent.


    This was clearly a state of saturation from the Daoist Body absorbing Innate Purple Qi, whereas the original Li Shiming, with significantly lesser inherent gifts and talents, had taken almost twice as long to reach this level.


    Of course, there was no need to debate whether the benefits obtained by the clone Li Yuanba were greater, or those obtained by the original Li Shiming, as the cultivation paths of the original and the clone¡¯s Daoist Bodies were entirely different.


    The top-grade Spirit Pills were all consumed, and besides, those top-grade ¡°Shushan Hunyuan Pills¡± were cultivation assistance Spirit Pills for the early-stage Foundation Establishment, and even if there were leftovers, they would no longer be of help to his cultivation.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s final practice of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± also involved putting away the Fresnel Reflective Mirror; to attempt cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± again, he would wait until reaching the Golden Core Stage to see if there would be any effect.


    He rode his sword light towards Ten Thousand Sword Peak; as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was among the main forces of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Senluo Sect.


    Having cultivated the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± he could face any opponent within the Foundation Establishment Stage through his sword cultivator techniques alone, without using any other means.


    Upon entering Ten Thousand Sword Peak, his divine thought swept across the area and discovered that the array around Elder Jian¡¯s cave dwelling had been deactivated.


    This was the signal that Elder Jian had finished his cultivation. After thinking it over, he turned and flew towards Elder Jian¡¯s cave dwelling.


    Speaking of Li Yuanba¡¯s divine thought, it had begun to form about half a year ago when he started cultivating the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique.¡± After a hundred days, he had finally transformed all his spiritual thought into divine thought.


    The ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± inherently had secret techniques to hone the spirit, and this, combined with the help from ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± and the cultivation of the ¡°Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡± allowed him to successfully cultivate divine thought during the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    With this accomplishment alone, he surpassed most of the True Disciples. Knowing how precious and difficult to cultivate spirit techniques were, even some True Disciples who had acquired them could not cultivate to his level.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Just as he arrived outside the cave dwelling, Elder Jian¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°Disciple pays respects to Master!¡± Upon entering the cave dwelling, Li Yuanba respectfully performed a grand salutation to Elder Jian.


    ¡°Not bad, as your Ancestor Master said, you¡¯ve reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment in a year!¡± Elder Jian smiled at Li Yuanba, expressing his satisfaction.


    Ever since Ancestor Lu had shown recognition and importance to Li Yuanba, Elder Jian grew increasingly fond of this disciple.


    ¡°Disciple has come to inform Master that I wish to leave the sect for a trip outside!¡± Li Yuanba stated his purpose with a bow.


    He needed to meet with his original body, Li Shiming, to acquire some cultivation spiritual medicines and also to pass on a set of Golden Core resources to Shiming¡¯s hands.


    After all, the set of Golden Core resources would eventually be refined into Spirit Pills by Shiming; keeping them with himself was not as safe as placing them in Shiming¡¯s care.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment, so it¡¯s good to go out. However, you need to be cautious; news that you have received a set of Golden Core resources has already spread, and there might be trouble during your trip outside!¡± Elder Jian did not obstruct him, but he did offer a warning.


    To be honest, he was not particularly concerned about Li Yuanba¡¯s safety.


    With the Sword Intent Buddha Beads in Li Yuanba¡¯s possession, even a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator could be killed on the spot.


    The Sword Intent cultivated and nourished by a Late-stage Golden Core sword cultivator through secret techniques was not so simple. Li Yuanba had not used it before; with the Sword Intent Buddha Beads in hand, he was essentially protected by a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator.


    Although this protection was only one intervention, a single powerful Sword Intent attack was enough to deter many Golden Core cultivators.


    Moreover, Li Yuanba¡¯s own strength was not weak, which Sword Elder could perceive. A mid-stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivator had no trouble facing off against late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Sword Cultivators are not flowers in a greenhouse; the key to their growth is slaughter.


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Master. I will be cautious!¡± Li Yuanba had not anticipated this kind of trouble. He bowed respectfully and then added, ¡°I would like to request permission to pass through Jieshan Mountain Pass!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the Ten Thousand Great Mountains enough for your travels?¡± Although Elder Jian said this, he took out his own Identity Jade Disc and operated it for a moment.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Identity Jade Disc received a permission that could pass through Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    The permission he received was not only valid for the Senluo Sect side; it was a privilege to enter the territories of the Righteous Path, recognized by both Senluo Sect and the three major sects of the Righteous Path.


    This was not hard to comprehend; such private travel, as long as it did not involve too many cultivators, was a form of exchange.


    Just as Righteous Path cultivators also need to enter the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, one cannot completely limit the travels between cultivators.


    Li Yuanba bid farewell to Elder Jian and left Ten Thousand Sword Peak, flying towards the outside of Senluo Sect.


    His departure quickly attracted the attention of many factions within the sect.


    Following the thought process of Devil Cultivators, extremely important items like golden core resources are naturally carried on one¡¯s person, as leaving them anywhere else does not feel secure to a Devil Cultivator.


    Thus, the various forces believed that Li Yuanba would carry the golden core resources with him, and on this point, they were not wrong.


    No sooner had Li Yuanba left, many Devil Cultivators also departed the sect, and plenty of messages were sent out.


    The Senluo Sect forbids fighting amongst sect cultivators, but this can only be enforced within the mountain gates; it cannot guarantee safety outside.


    The struggle for resources among Devil Cultivators is an instinct ingrained in their bones, something they have been experiencing from their first day in the Cultivation World.


    During his flight, Li Yuanba seemed to sense something, yet he merely smiled. He was unfazed by combat; as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would not face much suppression from the realms, allowing him to exert all of his power as a Sword Cultivator even against late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Besides, since his Sword Intent had undergone a transformation, he had not yet tested the might of his Supreme Yang Sword Intent. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he wanted to see how effective the Supreme Yang Sword Intent was against Devil Cultivators.


    At the Shushan Sect, Shiming also sent messages to his two masters; he was going to leave for a while.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma, both masters, did not object. Shiming¡¯s identity was respected by cultivators everywhere, and as long as he did not enter the territories of the Demon Sect, there was basically no danger.


    No sooner had Shiming left the mountain gates of Shushan Sect than Ji Hongbo and a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators quietly left as well.


    Ji Hongbo had been very low-profile over the past two years. Having secretly used methods against Elder Su, and although Elder Su had not retaliated, he was very aware that his father, Elder Ji, had paid some price.


    He was never a compliant person, and during his low-profile years, he always kept an eye on Elder Su¡¯s situation.


    As Shiming¡¯s influence grew, Ji Hongbo realized that Shiming was playing an increasingly significant role.


    If previously, the competition between Elder Ji and Elder Su for Nascent Soul resources was an even fifty-fifty split, the scales were now leaning towards Elder Su¡¯s side as Shiming became a high-level alchemist and was highly likely to become an Alchemy Master in the future.


    Truly, once Shiming became an Alchemy Master, many undecided high-ranking members within the sect would likely choose Elder Su¡¯s side. After all, Elder Su had such a disciple with extraordinary alchemy talent.


    This was not like the friendship between Elder Su and Elder Ma; the bond between master and disciple was even closer, and it was almost certain that Elder Su could influence Shiming.

 Chapter 383: 238: Temptation

    Li Shiming had never expected to be targeted ¨C by his judgment, he was a peacemaker, leaving all fighting matters to his clone Li Yuanba. Although he was strong in combat, his main focus was on alchemy to accumulate cultivation resources.


    It wouldn¡¯t be quick for his clone Li Yuanba to arrive, so he decided to first meet with Yin Shilan; it had been a while since they¡¯d last met.


    With plenty of time, he flew while admiring the scenery along the way.


    Not needing to worry about resources made life as a cultivator truly comfortable and pleasant.


    He took out a jade scroll casually, which was a map provided by the sect, exchanged for contribution points; its contents were far richer than any ordinary map.


    ¡°There¡¯s a large market ahead; it might be good to take a look!¡± Due to the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± he had been staying in a semi-reclusive state, hardly ever leaving the sect. Naturally, he wanted to see more now that he was going out.


    By now, he could confidently say that spirit stones were just a number, expressing his disinterest in spirit stones.


    As a high-level alchemist who mass-produced spirit pills, the high-grade spirit pills in his space ring alone converted to spirit stones would be an astronomical figure.


    As he thought this, he was approaching the market from above. He descended and stopped outside the market.


    He cast a spell, the market¡¯s formation opened, and he walked in.


    ¡°Whose market is this?¡± Ji Hongbo, who was monitoring Li Shiming from afar with a secret technique, asked with a grave voice.


    Ji Hongbo¡¯s father was a Golden Core Elder, and above him, there was even a Nascent Soul Ancestor to rely on. Ji Hongbo usually would not visit such a market, and he had never even paid it any attention before.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Hang Family¡¯s market!¡± a cultivator standing beside immediately replied.


    ¡°The Hang Family, as in Hang Jian, who has a good relationship with my father?¡± Ji Hongbo asked after pondering for a moment.


    ¡°Precisely Elder Hang¡¯s family!¡± The cultivator beside did not dare to call a Golden Core cultivator by name as casually as he did and answered with a bow.


    ¡°Go find out if Hang Jian is there,¡± Ji Hongbo ordered with a wave of his hand, his gaze flickering.


    Despite the lack of respect in his voice for Hang Jian, a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator still warranted his considerable caution.


    If Hang Jian were in the market, Ji Hongbo couldn¡¯t guarantee that he could persuade Hang Jian to help him deal with Li Shiming.


    One should know that even if Hang Jian had a good relationship with Elder Ji, the relationship was not so close that Hang Jian would offend Elder Su¡¯s direct disciple just to please Elder Ji, especially when that direct disciple was the True Inheritor of the alchemy of the Shushan Sect.


    If such a thing occurred, the Hang Family would face complete destruction.


    ¡°Senior Brother Ji, Elder Hang is not at the market. Currently, Hang Yuqing is in charge!¡± In no time, the cultivator returned with information.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s on my side!¡± Ji Hongbo said with a hearty laugh.


    Li Shiming entered the market, which was quite lively. Besides the shops in the buildings on both sides, quite a few cultivators were also displaying spiritual objects for sale by the roadside.


    Looking around, there were at least close to a thousand cultivators in the market, with more than half being Foundation Establishment Cultivators ¨C a market with resources mainly for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    He couldn¡¯t help but remark that only in a cultivation environment like Beishu could there be so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators here were not sect cultivators ¨C they were what was commonly referred to as Loose Cultivators.


    This was discernible from the details on the cultivators; sect cultivators would have a sect emblem on them unless they intentionally concealed it.


    Li Shiming also didn¡¯t hide his face. He walked by various stalls, his Divine Thought constricted into a line, careful not to affect other cultivators, simply observing the spiritual objects for sale.


    Loose Cultivators had their own ways; many unusual and rare spiritual objects could be seen here.


    It broadened his horizons indeed. From time to time, he would make a purchase.


    ¡°Fellow, the items here were just obtained from a heritage site, which belongs to a Great Cultivator!¡± An early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, looking rather lean, noticed that Li Shiming had spent a fair amount at other stalls and enthusiastically called out to him.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought swept over the spiritual objects on his stall but couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    A Great Cultivator¡¯s heritage site was not something an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator could explore. The spiritual objects laid out, although ancient in appearance, had all their trickeries laid bare under his Divine Thought.


    The so-called Great Cultivator was a respectful term used by lower-level cultivators for Nascent Soul Cultivators. However, in the Cultivation World, only Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators were truly deemed Great Cultivators.


    Regardless of how Great Cultivators were referred to, they were not to be coveted by Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    The last time he explored the heritage site of the Six-fingered Sound Demon, he nearly lost his life there.


    ¡°Fellow, I really have good items. Take a look at this jade scroll; this is an ancient scroll!¡± Seeing that Li Shiming didn¡¯t seem inclined to buy, the lean early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator rolled his eyes and continued.


    He took out an ancient-looking jade scroll and placed it in front of Li Shiming; the scroll indeed looked very old and different from the modern scrolls in style.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought swept over the jade scroll and it aroused a bit of curiosity. The scroll showed signs of repair, which was skillfully done, but not to the extent that it could evade Divine Thought scanning.


    The scroll was damaged, indeed an ancient scroll, but whether it was still usable was another matter.


    What was curious was that the lean early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator placed the ancient scroll so close to Li Shiming that his Divine Thought easily entered the scroll, checking the contents inside.

 Chapter 384: 238: Temptation_2

    Chapter 384: Chapter 238: Temptation_2


    The content within the ancient jade scroll was not coherent, as it was written in ancient characters. Judging from the damage to the jade scroll, it was very likely that the damage had caused issues with the content.


    However, Li Shiming did not see it that way. Under his divine thought, he sensed remnants of a realm barrier, indicating that the jade scroll originally had a realm barrier.


    Jade scrolls with realm barriers are generally inheritance jade scrolls, which require reaching a certain realm to view the corresponding content.


    This method is the most commonly used in the Cultivation World, intended to prevent cultivators who have not reached the required level from forcefully viewing high-level cultivation techniques and thus encountering problems with their cultivation.


    ¡°How many spirit stones?¡± Li Shiming casually inquired.


    ¡°Five hundred spirit stones!¡± The skinny early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise as he gritted his teeth and quoted a high price.


    Li Shiming was about to accept the offer since he was not short of spirit stones, and he deemed the ancient jade scroll worthy of study. Five hundred spirit stones was not a large sum to him.


    ¡°Qi Bao, you dare to deceive your way into Hang Family¡¯s Market!¡± A shout of anger came as a foundation Establishment Cultivator with a pale, beardless face approached from a distance, his gaze turning toward the skinny early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    ¡°Mr. Hang, I wouldn¡¯t dare again!¡± The cultivator known as Qi Bao tightened his expression, hastily begging for mercy without offering any explanation.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, this Qi Bao often employs tricks to deceive unsuspecting cultivators!¡± Mr. Hang turned his gaze to Li Shiming and offered an explanation with clasped hands.


    Li Shiming did not feel the slightest gratitude toward Mr. Hang for suddenly intervening. No matter the reason, it was extremely rude to disrupt a private transaction abruptly.


    In the Cultivation World, anyone who could reach the Foundation Establishment Stage was no fool. Moreover, with his robe clearly marked with the Shushan Sect emblem, Mr. Hang¡¯s interruption was very likely an attempt to befriend him through these means.


    ¡°Five hundred spirit stones, the jade scroll is mine!¡± Li Shiming casually took out five hundred spirit stones, tossed them to Qi Bao, and took the ancient jade scroll from his hands.


    His movements were quick, and he did not give Mr. Hang any face, causing all the surrounding cultivators to be simultaneously stunned.


    Qi Bao stole a glance at the displeased Mr. Hang, quietly shrinking back and quickly disappearing among the cultivators.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, it seems I was overzealous. Please allow me to apologize!¡± Mr. Hang suppressed his displeasure, quickly smiled again, and pointing to a nearby pavilion, he continued, ¡°What might you be looking to purchase at the market? If there¡¯s anything good, it¡¯s likely in my family¡¯s shop there; we have stocks even of third-grade spiritual items. How about I take you for a cup of tea there as an apology?¡±


    Li Shiming sensed something was amiss. He had not revealed his identity; even though his reputation was known, Mr. Hang had not addressed him by name, suggesting he had not recognized him.


    Merely the identity of a Shushan Sect cultivator would not warrant such an obsequious attitude from the owner of this market.


    ¡°So it turns out that fellow Daoist is the owner of this market place. May I know which elder is presiding over it? I should have gone to pay my respects!¡± Li Shiming did not move and probed with his words.


    Being in a bustling part of the market, the other party would not dare act against him here.


    Setting aside his Shushan Sect cultivator status, even if he were a Loose Cultivator, being targeted unreasonably by the owner here would affect the reputation of the market.


    Markets attract cultivators solely based on their reputation. If the reputation is lost, then no cultivators will come to the market.


    ¡°My father has gone out to meet friends, and currently, I am the one overseeing the market. Fellow Daoist, no need for such formalities!¡± Mr. Hang smiled and again extended an invitation.


    ¡°Since the host has so kindly invited me, it would seem rude of me not to comply. Lead the way!¡± Li Shiming said indifferently.


    Upon hearing that the Guardian Cultivator was absent, and observing Mr. Hang¡¯s demeanor, he was sure that this was the truth.


    Besides, having learned ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± he was quite confident in his ability to escape, and even if there were Golden Core cultivators present, he still had the capacity to save himself.


    He was extremely curious. Why was Mr. Hang insistent on inviting him over? What could be the reason?


    Mr. Hang smiled as he led Li Shiming towards the pavilion. Without using his divine thought, Li Shiming could tell that the formation around the pavilion was very powerful; it was designed to target Golden Core cultivators.


    This sort of array certainly required third-grade materials for the layout, and needed an Array Master to arrange it.


    Unexpectedly, such a marketplace could avail itself of third-grade materials to arrange an array, leading one to believe that the spiritual objects inside were extraordinary.


    Li Shiming glanced at Mr. Hang, who was happily smiling. He tried to release a Divine Thought, which Mr. Hang didn¡¯t seem to notice at all.


    This caused him to shake his head. After all, he wasn¡¯t a sect cultivator and hadn¡¯t cultivated the technique to perceive such Divine Thoughts.


    Knowing that Mr. Hang couldn¡¯t detect the Divine Thought, Li Shiming relaxed and extended his Divine Thought widely. The IBM z15 began to compute the Spiritual Power Pattern data of the array in the room.


    Li Shiming deliberately slowed his pace and took a closer look on the first floor of the loft. The first floor displayed magic artifacts and first-grade materials, specifically for Qi Refining Cultivators.


    When he moved to the second floor, he had already gathered some understanding of the array inside the shop.


    This gave him more confidence in dealing with Mr. Hang¡¯s intentions, and a faint smile similarly adorned his face.


    ¡°The second floor displays spiritual artifacts and second-grade materials. Let me first take fellow to the third floor to have a look at the third-grade materials, and then we can come back to take a closer look here!¡± Mr. Hang said with a smile, gesturing invitingly.


    Within the entire shop, the strongest part of the array was on the third floor, where his father was usually stationed.


    To trap Li Shiming completely, luring him to the third floor was the best choice.


    Mr. Hang naturally understood that in order to survive in this area, the marketplace needed solid backing.


    His father was a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, strong enough to suppress the marketplace, but they couldn¡¯t expand it further.


    He had met Ji Hongbo before; Ji Hongbo was the child of a Shushan Sect Golden Core Elder and a True Disciple. Courting the favor of a Shushan Sect True Inheritor would be the best aid for the Hang Family.


    Ji Hongbo sent someone to find him, wishing his cooperation to deal with an ordinary Shushan Sect disciple who had offended Ji Hongbo.


    If Mr. Hang¡¯s father were here, he would definitely not agree. After all, a Shushan Sect disciple who Ji Hongbo had to deal with personally couldn¡¯t be ordinary.


    But Mr. Hang, short-sighted as he was, got sweet-talked and tempted by Ji Hongbo and agreed almost without thinking.


    Upon reaching the third floor, Li Shiming was slightly startled indeed, for there were two third-grade spiritual items locked at nodes of the array.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the Hang Family to be doing business on such a scale, genuinely selling third-grade spiritual objects.


    In fact, these two third-grade spiritual objects were not only the nodes of the loft¡¯s array but also the core of the entire marketplace¡¯s array.


    Although not unsellable, the two third-grade spiritual objects wouldn¡¯t be sold unless the offer was so high that the Hang Family¡¯s Golden Core could not refuse.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought followed the Spiritual Power Pattern reaching the two third-grade spiritual objects, and his eyes flickered with a hint of joy.


    Despite his increasingly high status in the Shushan Sect, even as a High-level Array Master, he was unable, with his Foundation Establishment Stage realm, to access third-grade spiritual objects.


    Even with contribution points, the sect wouldn¡¯t allow a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to exchange for third-grade spiritual objects.


    Every third-grade spiritual object could enhance a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s strength to a certain extent. Given their rarity and scarcity, even a large sect like Shushan had to consider the practicality of using third-grade spiritual objects.


    Therefore, although Li Shiming was not short of contribution points, he still couldn¡¯t exchange for third-grade spiritual objects from the sect.


    Especially the third-grade Five Elements Array materials he urgently needed. The only type he had was the third-grade earth attribute material, which his alter ego, Li Yuanba, had obtained by killing a certain external sect¡¯s True Disciple.


    And just now, his Divine Thought discovered that the two third-grade spiritual items at the nodes of the third floor¡¯s array were actually third-grade Five Elements Array materials, precisely what he had been searching for.

 Chapter 385: 239: Sweeping Across

    Chapter 385: Chapter 239: Sweeping Across


    One piece of Third Grade Metal material, one piece of Third Grade Fire attribute material, both are Third Grade Array materials of exceptional purity.


    At this moment, Li Shiming felt oddly eager for Mr. Hang to confront him, so he could rightfully seize these two Third Grade Five Elements Formation materials.


    After all, he was a righteous cultivator, not Senluo Sect¡¯s clone, Li Yuanba.


    If it were clone Li Yuanba here, there would be no need for words, just grab them directly, since as a Devil Cultivator, reputation was not a concern.


    Li Shiming also activated a magic artifact he had on him, a new gadget he had developed, a miniature surveillance probe connected to a Jade Scroll, transmitting the surveillance data into the jade, stored in the format of the Cultivation World.


    That is to say, the content in the Jade Scroll could be directly accessed with Spiritual Thought or Divine Thought, without the need for decoding.


    He was gathering evidence for when he would take action; with the evidence in the Jade Scroll and his identity, even if Hang¡¯s Golden Core approached the sect, he would have the confidence to refute it.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know your name, but it¡¯s not important. Here, a few of your friends are waiting for you!¡± Mr. Hang¡¯s smile vanished in an instant, his eyes flickering with a sinister light.


    The third floor¡¯s formation was activated, completely isolating it from the outside world.


    Six figures emerged from the inner room; Ji Hongbo, leading them, looked at Li Shiming as if he were looking at a corpse.


    In his view, an alchemist like Li Shiming couldn¡¯t be very strong, merely a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, whereas except for him, the other five were all Late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    The five Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators invited were among the strongest in Ji Hongbo¡¯s faction; he had specifically chosen these five to ensure a hundred percent chance of capturing Li Shiming.


    Killing Li Shiming was not a good option. Ji Hongbo wanted to capture Li Shiming and then confine him, to have him make Spirit Pills.


    If he were disobedient, Ji believed that no cultivator could withstand the methods of torture.


    ¡°Junior Li, although this is our first meeting, I feel as if I¡¯ve known you for a long time!¡± Ji Hongbo said with an arrogant posture.


    ¡°Fellow disciples of Shushan Sect, are you from Elder Ji¡¯s faction?¡± Seeing that they were fellow sect members, Li Shiming immediately guessed their identities.


    Since he joined Shushan Sect, the only enemies he had within the sect were from Elder Ji¡¯s faction.


    He had disrupted a scheme by Elder Ji¡¯s faction to delay Elder Su¡¯s recovery, but afterward, there had been no further news from Elder Ji¡¯s side. He had thought that issue had passed, but here they were, confronting him.


    ¡°My name is Ji Hongbo, you should be aware of me!¡± Ji Hongbo did not rush to make a move. He watched as the five late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounded Li Shiming and introduced himself with a smirk.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Senior Brother Ji. I wonder if you¡¯ve informed this fellow Daoist Hang of my identity?¡± Li Shiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he asked casually. Then, turning his head to the shrinking Mr. Hang, he said, ¡°I am Li Shiming, a Pill Master and True Inheritor of Shushan Sect¡¯s Alchemy, congratulations, you¡¯ve stumbled into a major incident!¡±


    Mr. Hang, upon hearing the name Li Shiming, felt it was familiar; after hearing ¡°True Inheritor of Alchemy,¡± his face turned ashen and he nearly collapsed.


    If given another chance, he certainly would not confront Li Shiming just to please Ji Hongbo.


    Li Shiming had been in the market, and undoubtedly many cultivators had seen him, for Li Shiming had spent quite some time there.


    A simple investigation would make such a matter impossible to conceal.


    If it were any other sect cultivator, or even another member of Shushan Sect, they might not take it too seriously. But targeting a Pill Master and True Inheritor, especially one who recently gained immense fame as a super alchemy prodigy, would be akin to rubbing Shushan Sect¡¯s face into the ground.


    Within the territory under Shushan Sect¡¯s influence, it was audacious for any cultivator to meddle with Shushan Sect¡¯s True Inheritor of Alchemy. Shushan Sect¡¯s retaliation would be swift and severe.


    Mr. Hang thought of another possibility. With a terrified look, he glanced at Ji Hongbo; his intelligence had returned, and he realized the gravity of the situation. How could Ji Hongbo possibly leave him, a witness and participant, alive?


    ¡°Hang Yuqing, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle everything, and you won¡¯t be in trouble either!¡± Ji Hongbo shouted sternly.


    He didn¡¯t want any complications from Hang Yuqing¡¯s side now, especially since they needed Hang Yuqing¡¯s assistance with the formation on the third floor.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll follow Fellow Daoist Ji¡¯s lead!¡± Hang Yuqing said, though his eyes darted around, looking for a way to escape.


    Who knew, but Ji Hongbo¡¯s figure flashed, already standing beside Hang Yuqing, his hand lightly resting on Hang¡¯s shoulder. Though he said nothing, Hang understood the implication very clearly.


    Hang Yuqing didn¡¯t dare confront him at this moment, he even refrained from activating his defensive spiritual artifact; if he did, he might die before Li Shiming.


    ¡°Junior Li, I am very sorry, but your words have had no effect!¡± Ji Hongbo sneered triumphantly; after speaking, he nodded at the five late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    The five Foundation Establishment cultivators simultaneously activated their spiritual artifacts, launching them towards Li Shiming.


    ¡°Slash!¡± Li Shiming commanded loudly. Nine flying swords shot out. He did not use the Nine Palace Sword Formation but instead wielded the nine swords as true flying swords.


    The Central Palace Sword targeted one Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, while every two swords attacked another Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

 Chapter 386: 239: Sweeping_2

    Chapter 386: Chapter 239: Sweeping_2


    After refining ten batches of Spirit Pills simultaneously for so long, his ability to control multiple Spiritual Artifacts at once had reached an inconceivable level.


    He didn¡¯t hold back in the slightest and, since there was monitoring in place, he had no intention of using any special means.


    Of course, in a dire situation, he would not hide anything; at most, he would edit the surveillance footage afterward.


    As everyone knows, videos cannot be ¡®photoshopped¡¯; this statement was a joke in his previous life, but in this world, at least during the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was accurate.


    Li Shiming¡¯s nine flying swords, though launched later, arrived first, proactively meeting the Spiritual Artifacts of the five Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    The Central Palace Sword met another flying sword. The two swords collided in midair.


    A sound like a thunderclap rang out as the two swords met, and the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator¡¯s flying sword, as though heavily damaged, wobbled in the air before falling to the ground.


    The Central Palace Sword remained unaffected and turned to strike at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    The combat experience of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was vast, and since he was facing a True Disciple, he had prepared defenses early on, a Spiritual Artifact shield blocking the Central Palace Sword.


    Unfortunately, the Spiritual Artifact shield still lost its spirit with one strike from the Central Palace Sword, and under the horrified gaze of the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the blade pierced his skull.


    The other four Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators met a fate no different from this one. Although they had estimated Li Shiming¡¯s combat prowess and even overestimated it, they still misjudged his real strength.


    Honestly, Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent was nowhere near as powerful as his clone Li Yuanba¡¯s, whose Sword Intent grew continuously with the practice of the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the presence of the Sword Bone, the gap between Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent and that of his clone Li Yuanba would have been immense.


    Even with the Sword Bone, Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent was still significantly weaker compared to that of his clone Li Yuanba.


    However, his Sword Intent, because of cultivating ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± and absorbing the Innate Violet Aura, had undergone changes, infusing it with the essence of thunder and lightning.


    The combination of Sword Intent and the essence of thunder made the Sword Intent, though still weak, like a steel needle, better able to penetrate the enemy¡¯s defenses.


    When the flying sword collided with an enemy¡¯s Spiritual Artifact, the imbued Sword Intent pierced through the defenses of the Spiritual Artifact, creating only a tiny crack, but the infused force was Thunder Spirit Power.


    That tiny crack in the Spiritual Artifact¡¯s defenses allowed the immensely destructive Thunder Spirit Power to surge into the Spiritual Artifact, nearly immediately causing it to lose control.


    This situation arose because Li Shiming¡¯s opponents had no understanding of him.


    If they had knowledge of his cultivation method and strength, they would definitely have taken targeted actions, instead of being restrained in one move like now.


    In the Cultivation World, there are special Spiritual Artifacts designed to counter Magic Cultivation, particularly Thunder Skill. These special artifacts provide strong defense against Thunder Spirit Power and are the best choice for confronting Thunder Magic.


    However, Li Shiming, known generally as a genius Alchemist, had never shown his true strength or combat characteristics within his sect, leaving many cultivators unaware.


    The battle ended as soon as it began. Ji Hongbo¡¯s face still held its sinister expression as the five Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators he brought all fell to Li Shiming¡¯s flying swords.


    In an instant, the third floor was silent, the terrifying atmosphere almost tangible, causing Ji Hongbo¡¯s scalp to tingle while cold sweat poured down his face.


    Although he was a True Disciple, he was still only an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. No matter how strong his combat might be, it was at most comparable to one of the fallen Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    He realized what he had seen, as Li Shiming easily slain all five Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators with a single strike.


    If he had known earlier about Li Shiming¡¯s combat strength, how could he personally lead this team, and why would he bring only five Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators?


    Such an enemy should have been confronted by his father, Elder Ji.


    ¡°Quick, take me into the formation, I need time to prepare my techniques or none of us will survive!¡± Ji Hongbo quickly reacted, forcefully grabbing Hang Yuqing¡¯s hand and transmitting his message with his voice.


    Hang Yuqing was also stunned, feeling a pain on his shoulder. He quickly led Ji Hongbo back two steps, retreating into the protective range of the formation.


    After Li Shiming had killed five late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, he saw the actions of Hang Yuqing and Ji Hongbo, and a look of disdain flashed through his eyes.


    His figure flickered, moving between the lines of Spiritual Power. When he appeared again, he was already standing in front of Hang Yuqing.


    Faster than him was his flying sword. Just as Hang Yuqing was preparing to resist, a flying sword pierced through his skull.


    With a talisman in hand, Ji Hongbo stood frozen in place. Although he had many life-saving items, being within the formation meant that even if he used an escape item, he could only move within the range of the formation and couldn¡¯t escape from the area.


    And his strongest attack means was the talisman, which could kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, under the terrifying onslaught from Li Shiming, he had no capability to maintain the talisman¡¯s activation even for a few moments.


    ¡°Junior Li, spare my life, I swear I will never be your enemy again!¡± Ji Hongbo struggled to squeeze out a smile and proposed.


    ¡°Senior Brother Ji, do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± Next to Li Shiming, nine flying swords with crossed Sword Intent were ready to strike like voracious tigers, as he asked with a cold, mocking tone.


    ¡°You know who my father is, if you kill me, my father will definitely not let you go!¡± Ji Hongbo made a final effort.


    ¡°That¡¯s also true, give up resisting, and I¡¯ll spare your life, otherwise prepare to face my flying sword!¡± Li Shiming pondered for a moment, then nodded faintly and said.


    The desire to live flickered in Ji Hongbo¡¯s eyes. Almost without any hesitation, he let go of his body¡¯s defenses. The defensive spiritual artifact fell to the ground in front of him, and the talisman in his hand also dropped to the ground.


    He could only trust Li Shiming¡¯s promise, fully aware that his defenses would not withstand Li Shiming¡¯s flying sword for even a moment before being slain on the spot.


    He didn¡¯t want to die; he had a bright future ahead.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Central Palace Sword swept past Ji Hongbo like lightning. Ji Hongbo was initially shocked and then found he was not killed. However, he discovered that his Spirit Lake had been shattered into pieces by the Sword Intent.


    Ji Hongbo quickly became feeble, his aura continuously dropping from the early-stage Foundation Establishment down to the level of a mortal.


    ¡°You dare shatter my Spirit Lake!¡± He gathered all his strength and shouted loudly.


    But without Spiritual Power, his shout failed to make much noise, and he was as powerless as a sheep.


    ¡°I spared your life out of respect for your status as a True Disciple of the sect. I will hand you over to the sect for judgment!¡± Li Shiming said with a cold smile.


    He knew that his master, Elder Su, was competing with Ji Hongbo¡¯s father, Elder Ji, for the resources to advance to the Nascent Soul stage. Bringing Ji Hongbo back alive to the sect would certainly ruin Elder Ji¡¯s reputation.


    By then, Elder Su¡¯s chances of acquiring the resources to advance to the Nascent Soul stage would significantly increase, which would naturally benefit Li Shiming even more.


    Ji Hongbo fell silent, thinking about how to argue his case upon returning to the sect. With the influence of his father, Elder Ji, he might be able to turn the tables on Li Shiming.


    As for his cultivation, with the help of Spiritual Medicine to repair his body and starting over with Qi Refinement using his prior cultivation experience, it would only take a few years to return to Foundation Establishment.


    He felt somewhat fortunate; Li Shiming had not been in the sect for long and had not learned any methods that could completely destroy someone¡¯s cultivation, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t still have hope.


    At this moment, Ji Hongbo dared not even express his resentment anymore; everything would wait until he returned to the sect.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought swept over Ji Hongbo, and he reached out to take Ji Hongbo¡¯s storage bracelet. He also picked up the talisman and defensive spiritual artifact from the ground.


    Ji Hongbo felt a sharp pain in his heart. Only he knew what treasures were inside the storage bracelet. Those were hard-won items begged from his ancestors.


    Even if his ancestors favored him a lot, they would not give him a second portion.

 Chapter 387: 240: Asking for Help

    Chapter 387: Chapter 240: Asking for Help


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t immediately check the storage bracelet; his gaze fell on two items of the Third Grade Five Elements Formation materials displayed in the hall.


    His divine thought moved through the formation as if it were nothing at all.


    He wrapped his divine thought around the two items of Third Grade Five Elements Formation materials, and then they vanished into thin air, taken into his space ring.


    As the two items of Third Grade Five Elements Formation materials disappeared, the entire loft¡¯s formation hesitated, and outside in the marketplace, the large formation originally there roared and dissipated.


    The cultivators inside the marketplace all looked up simultaneously, among them the Foundation Establishment Cultivators sensed more clearly, and they discovered the disappearance of the marketplace¡¯s grand formation.


    ¡°The marketplace has been breached, run for it!¡± A cultivator was the first to react, shouting loudly.


    Soon, more cultivators also reacted, scattering in all directions.


    The originally orderly marketplace broke down due to this sudden unexpected event.


    The cultivators were not honest; lacking the defense of the marketplace¡¯s grand formation, they could leave the marketplace from any direction, but many didn¡¯t want to leave empty-handed.


    Taking something just because it was convenient had become the natural thing to do; some cultivators stole spiritual objects from the stall-owning cultivators, and battles began in an instant.


    More cultivators set their sights on the lofts above, where higher-value spiritual objects were sold, realizing that looting there was far better than stealing from stall-owning cultivators.


    Many stall-owning cultivators, seeing the situation turn dire, quickly closed their stalls, instantly becoming part of the robbers.


    The cultivators initially had some fear, as the Hang Family had a Golden Core cultivator, but when the first group of cultivators rushed into a shop and the Hang Family¡¯s Golden Core cultivator didn¡¯t appear, the cultivators went wild.


    They kept assaulting each loft; these lofts survived on the prestige of the Hang Family and were at most managed by a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator, hardly enough to withstand so many.


    In the midst of the chaos, a terrifying pressure swept over the marketplace; all cultivators felt the suppressing force of a Golden Core cultivator.


    ¡°What has happened here? How dare you rob the marketplace!¡± Hang Jian had spotted the trouble in his family¡¯s marketplace from afar, arriving to find it in complete disarray, originally peaceful and stable, it had now turned into such a state, and he roared in anger.


    Hang Jian was the head of the Hang Family and their only Golden Core cultivator.


    His divine thought swept over all the cultivators, who quickly calmed down from their frenzy and then began to tremble with fear.


    Under the absolute suppression of a Golden Core cultivator, killing these cultivators would take but a breath¡¯s time.


    Hang Jian forcefully suppressed the urge to kill, well aware that killing without clarity could erase the century-long reputation of the Hang Family at this location, making it unfeasible to operate a marketplace thereafter.


    The marketplace was extremely lucrative for earning spirit stones, and due to its presence, a vast amount of resources moved in and out, always encountering some high-value spiritual objects that could be bought first, providing huge benefits to the Hang Family alone.


    Hang Jian¡¯s divine thought swept over the main loft, where he discovered Li Shiming packing up, as well as the body of Hang Yuqing.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t be blamed for his greed when he had discovered a warehouse on the third floor protected by a space formation, containing a large number of spiritual objects.


    Although these spiritual objects were all of the second grade, their value was substantial due to their quantity.


    While emptying the warehouse and scouting other areas, he sensed a powerful divine thought and his heart tightened.


    ¡°Damn, this Hang Family¡¯s Golden Core cultivator has returned!¡± He had already grasped the situation at the moment, grabbing Ji Hongbo from the ground, while sending out several messages.


    These messages were calls for help sent out via the Identity Jade Disc and the Guest Identity Card.


    Disciples from the Shushan Sect could send out distress signals when in danger, and as a guest alchemist for the Beishu Trading Company, he could similarly request aid from the Beishu Trading Company.


    In the vicinity of hundreds of miles from the marketplace, there was a convergence of spiritual veins and several small to medium-sized cultivation forces.


    Among these, not a few were connected to the Beishu Trading Company; three Golden Core cultivators simultaneously received urgent messages from the Beishu Trading Company and headed to the designated location to assist guest alchemist Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming might not be well-known among major sect cultivators, who seldom went outside to buy spirit pills, but aside from the major sects, other cultivation forces were very familiar with his great name.


    Li Shiming had become synonymous with top-grade spirit pills, holding a reputation where products bearing Li Shiming¡¯s name were guaranteed to be exquisite.


    Upon receiving the urgent message from Beishu Trading Company, the three Golden Core cultivators didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and were already heading to the designated location.


    Meanwhile, the Shushan Sect received a distress message from Li Shiming; Sword Cultivator Elder Zhao was the fastest, immediately using Sword Escape to head there, followed by Elder Su who halted his cultivation and flickered away from the sect, and then Elder Ma also took a flying boat towards the location.


    Although other Golden Core elders did not mobilize, they all kept an eye on the situation.


    Li Shiming was still within the sect¡¯s territory, and for him to send back a distress signal, there must have been an immensely powerful enemy.


    The importance of Li Shiming to the sect was clear to every sect cultivator.


    In the territory of the sect, having a true inheritor alchemy disciple forced to send a distress signal was absolutely an affront to the Shushan Sect¡¯s face.

 Chapter 388: 240: Asking for Help_2

    Chapter 388: Chapter 240: Asking for Help_2


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the three Golden Core Elders who had already rushed to the rescue, perhaps even more would have gone.


    At that moment, Li Shiming held an extra flag in his hand, controlling it with Divine Thought to place it at a specific spot in the attic.


    He wanted to fend off the attack of the Golden Core cultivator, and other than fleeing, he had no other option.


    But being in this kind of attic gave him another choice.


    The attic had originally been designed to defend against Golden Core Early Stage cultivators. Although the formation had become chaotic due to him having removed two pieces of Third Grade Five Elements Formation materials, he was a High-level Array Master, infinitely close to being an Array Master. Moreover, with the help of the IBMz15, he soon found a way.


    ¡°You all stay here and do not move, violators will die!¡± Hang Jian said sternly.


    After giving this instruction, he flew towards the main attic, intending to tear the cultivator who had killed his son into pieces.


    But when he reached the emptiness outside the attic, he discovered he could not insert his Divine Thought into the attic.


    The formation of the attic had activated, blocking his Divine Thought from entering.


    Hang Jian¡¯s eyes flickered with killing intent. With a wave of his hand, a sword light fell upon the attic¡¯s formation, which shook after a loud bang, but the formation was not broken.


    In that brief time, Li Shiming activated the formation and continued to reinforce it even as Hang Jian launched his attack.


    One flag after another was placed into the formation, making the Spiritual Power Pattern of the formation more complex and stable.


    ¡°Who are you, and why do you want to kill my son?¡± After Hang Jian launched an attack and discovered that it didn¡¯t break through in one strike, he calmed down a bit and asked sternly.


    He had long noticed that he couldn¡¯t control the formation of the attic, which had been laid out by several generations of the Hang Family at a great cost.


    He didn¡¯t want to destroy the attic with his full force, naturally, but the main reason was that the culprit, Li Shiming, was trapped inside the attic, with absolutely no way to escape in front of him.


    ¡°I am Li Shiming, a True Disciple of the Shushan Sect!¡± Li Shiming kept up with his arrangement of the formation while stimulating his spiritual power to respond.


    He actually hoped to prolong their conversation. The longer they talked, the stronger the formation would become, giving time for his reinforcements to arrive.


    He didn¡¯t know if the distress call to Beishu Trading Company had been effective, but he estimated based on the time it would take for a Golden Core cultivator from his sect to travel from the mountain gate to here, which was his most reliable hope for rescue.


    Not only Hang Jian, but all the cultivators in the market also heard his answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s Li Shiming!¡±


    ¡°Who is Li Shiming?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who Li Shiming is? He¡¯s a talented alchemist. Most of the high-level Spirit Pills sold by the Beishu Trading Company this year came from him!¡±


    The cultivators discussed among themselves, those who knew Li Shiming explaining to those who did not.


    Hang Jian¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He certainly knew who Li Shiming was; the high-level Spirit Pills marked with Li Shiming¡¯s name from Beishu Trading Company were the most sought-after items, going directly to auction in markets like this.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that such a talented alchemist would come to rob his market.


    Not to belittle himself, but all the wealth in his market, though seeming abundant, wasn¡¯t worthy of the action of a talented alchemist.


    Especially since he had sensed with his Divine Thought earlier that there were several unfamiliar cultivator corpses on the ground, as well as a cultivator whose powers had been restrained by Li Shiming. This all indicated there must be some reason behind it.


    But at this point, with his son killed by Li Shiming, how could Hang Jian possibly back down.


    ¡°Surrender, and I won¡¯t kill you. I will take you to Shushan Sect to seek justice!¡± Hang Jian¡¯s proposal was indeed similar to what Li Shiming had said to Ji Hongbo earlier.


    The problem was how could Li Shiming possibly trust Hang Jian, when the vendetta for killing his son was enough to drive Hang Jian to take any action.


    ¡°Justice? Your Hang Family market collaborated with cultivators to harm guests, and you still have the audacity to demand justice from me!¡± Li Shiming shouted.


    His mindset became increasingly relaxed. Having spoken for so long, he could at least ensure that the Formation here would hold for half a two-hour period without being breached by Hang Jian, a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator.


    This was in part thanks to the Hang Family¡¯s own loft formation, which was originally intended to defend against Golden Core cultivators. Li Shiming¡¯s task was simply to make targeted enhancements.


    Just as Hang Jian was about to speak again, his gaze shifted towards the distance. He sensed that three Golden Core cultivators were rapidly approaching from three different directions.


    He suddenly mobilized his Spiritual Power Pattern, and his flying sword treasure heavily chopped towards the loft¡¯s Formation, but unfortunately, the strike had no effect.


    ¡°Stop, Brother Hang, do not harm yourself!¡± A Golden Core cultivator shouted as he approached.


    ¡°East Garden Fu Feng greets Mr. Li!¡±


    ¡°East Garden Yi Yuan greets Mr. Li!¡±


    ¡°East Garden Kong Yinghua greets Mr. Li!¡±


    The three Golden Core cultivators stood next to the loft, facing Hang Jian, bowing and speaking towards the loft.


    ¡°Thank you three for lending a hand. Li Shiming recognizes this favor!¡± Li Shiming naturally knew they were invited by the Beishu Trading Company, and he also knew what these cultivators valued most. He smiled and replied from within the loft.


    The three Golden Core cultivators showed signs of happiness. Indeed, the favor from Li Shiming was the most valuable.


    They knew that Li Shiming was the most likely candidate in the Shushan Sect to become an Alchemy Master, a Pill Master who normally couldn¡¯t even be invited out by them.


    Armed with this favor, when they needed it, they could request Li Shiming to perform alchemy. Of course, the longer they held onto this favor, the more useful it became.


    It would be best to wait until Li Shiming became an Alchemy Master; then, this favor could potentially be a tremendous aid in their breakthrough attempts.


    It¡¯s not that they, as Golden Core cultivators who controlled a Cultivation Family, weren¡¯t cultivators. However, advancing further in the Golden Core stage was much more difficult for them compared to major sect Golden Core cultivators. Gaining a favor from Li Shiming was almost like seizing an opportunity.


    ¡°Gentlemen, we also know each other well. This man killed my son and ruined my market, please step aside. I am deeply grateful!¡± Hang Jian said, bowing to the three Golden Core cultivators.


    These three Golden Core cultivators usually had good relations with him, all being Golden Core cultivators from the Eastern Garden area.


    He hoped that the three Golden Core cultivators could, in consideration of previous affection, let him apprehend Li Shiming.


    ¡°Brother Hang, friendship aside, this matter is non-negotiable. You dared to attack Mr. Li, presumably harboring the intention of making enemies with the Shushan Sect. How can we stand by you in this filth!¡± Fu Feng coldly replied.


    The other two Golden Core cultivators didn¡¯t even bother to speak. Hang Jian was incredibly poorly sighted, even in this kind of situation, to still be thinking of assassinating Li Shiming.


    ¡°Esteemed elders, just protect me for a little while. I have already sent a signal to my sect, and soon an Elder from my sect will come to handle this matter!¡± Li Shiming stated.


    The three Golden Core cultivators felt at ease, themselves unsure of how to handle the situation.


    With the power of the three Golden Core cultivators, they were not able to hold back Hang Jian. It wasn¡¯t because Hang Jian was overly strong, but because Independent Golden Core Cultivators had limited methods and lacked the ability to decisively kill same-stage cultivators, naturally making it impossible to hold back Hang Jian.


    Being able to avoid battle and merely stand guard here, preventing Hang Jian from attacking the loft in order to earn Li Shiming¡¯s favor, was indeed a good deal for them.


    Hang Jian¡¯s eyes were filled with anger. He wanted to forcefully attack, but with these three Golden Core cultivators intervening, he was simply unable to act against Li Shiming.


    But to let him leave, this was the base of his family¡¯s many years of heritage in the Hang Family. How could he just walk away?


    For a moment, Hang Jian did not know what to do but could only stand in midair, waiting for the Shushan Sect Golden Core Elders to come. He also wanted the Shushan Sect Golden Core Elders to judge the situation, wanting to know why such a thing had occurred.


    If it was indeed his Hang Yuqing¡¯s fault, he was willing to pay a price to resolve the matter. But if Li Shiming was bullying him with his power, then Hang Jian, risking his own reputation, would still demand justice from the Shushan Sect.

 Chapter 389: 241: Solution

    Chapter 389: Chapter 241: Solution


    It did not take long before a sword light approached from a distance, arriving in an instant.


    The newcomer was Elder Zhao, a Golden Core Sword Cultivator from the Shushan Sect, whose fierce Sword Intent made the four present Golden Core cultivators change their expressions simultaneously.


    This was no ordinary Independent Practitioner Golden Core but a true major sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivator, and even more so, a Sword Cultivator known for being the best at fighting and killing. The mere exposure of his Sword Intent sent shivers down the spines of the Golden Core cultivators present.


    With a sweep of his Divine Thought, Elder Zhao understood the situation here.


    He recognized all four Golden Core cultivators here, as within the domain of the Shushan Sect¡¯s influence, the number of Golden Core cultivators was limited, and they had seen each other at some gatherings of Golden Core cultivators.


    Three Golden Core cultivators were clearly protecting the pagoda, which was covered with Formations. Moreover, given the distress messages, it was likely that Li Shiming was inside the pagoda.


    And the only one facing the pagoda, Hang Jian, without a doubt, was the Golden Core cultivator intent on assassinating Li Shiming.


    This thought was merely a flash, as a Sword Intent locked onto Hang Jian almost instantly, suggesting that if he made the slightest movement, that terrifying Sword Intent would erupt and slay him on the spot.


    Upon seeing Elder Zhao arrive, Li Shiming could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although the three Golden Core cultivators summoned by the Beishu Trading Company managed to block Hang Jian, they couldn¡¯t provide him with much of a sense of security.


    The three Golden Core cultivators knew Hang Jian and even had connections with him, as could be judged by the speed at which the three Golden Core cultivators came to the rescue.


    They surely must have been extremely close to this market to have arrived in such short order.


    Li Shiming was not about to leave his safety at the whims of the three Golden Core cultivators, at the mercy of their interests and friendships.


    His Divine Thought scanned the area, collected all the formation flags, and the Formation around the pagoda disappeared.


    ¡°Disciple Li Shiming pays respects to Junior Master Zhao, and thanks him for coming to the rescue!¡± Li Shiming came out from the pagoda and bowed in salute.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, what happened here?¡± Elder Zhao¡¯s Divine Thought had detected the situation within the pagoda after the Formation disappeared, especially noting Ji Hongbo lying collapsed on the floor, and seemingly understanding something, he waved his hand and asked.


    ¡°Ji Hongbo colluded with Hang Yuqing, using the Formation here as an ambush to plot harm against me. Hang Yuqing and five accomplices have been slain by me, and Ji Hongbo¡¯s special identity has left me sparing his life to be dealt with by the sect!¡± Li Shiming explained the situation briefly.


    After he finished speaking, he took out a Jade Scroll and handed it to Elder Zhao.


    Elder Zhao¡¯s Divine Thought perused the Jade Scroll, his eyes showing anger as well as surprise.


    The anger was directed at Ji Hongbo¡¯s audacity to dare gather five late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect to assassinate the sect¡¯s Alchemy True Inheritor.


    The Alchemy Legacy was no ordinary legacy, but the inheritance destined to continue the sect¡¯s Alchemy lineage, a vital foundation of the sect.


    A common legacy could perish without having a huge impact on the sect, but if the Alchemy True Inheritor were to perish, the consequences would be extremely severe, affecting the sect¡¯s supply of Spirit Pills for hundreds of years, resource allocation, and every cultivator within the sect.


    Elder Zhao¡¯s surprise stemmed from Li Shiming¡¯s account of the brief battle. As a Sword Cultivator, he could not miss the key to Li Shiming¡¯s victory in combat.


    None of the five late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators could withstand Li Shiming¡¯s flying sword; the Sword Intent contained within that flying sword was so formidable. It was regrettable that such a talented Sword Cultivator had chosen to cultivate the Thunder Skill instead.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite meticulous for having recorded their every action. Still, you¡¯ve become more cautious; why not finish Ji Hongbo with a single sword strike!¡± Elder Zhao said to Li Shiming, looking at Ji Hongbo, who lay sprawled on the floor of the pagoda.


    He thought to himself that if Li Shiming had specialized in Sword Cultivation Techniques, then he would surely have been decisive and merciless, not as he was now, leaving Ji Hongbo alive.


    ¡°There is still a bond between Master and Elder Ji after all!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    Elder Zhao pointed at Li Shiming, breaking into a chuckle.


    Of course, he understood what Li Shiming meant; this was a public place, and they could not divulge internal disputes among the sect¡¯s Golden Core members in front of independent Golden Core practitioners.


    By sparing Ji Hongbo, Li Shiming had given Elder Su leverage over Elder Ji. Aside from sparing Ji Hongbo¡¯s life, no matter what, Elder Ji owed Elder Su a favor. Otherwise, Elder Ji would be finished, both within the sect and in the Cultivation World.


    With this move, Li Shiming had given Elder Su a significant advantage in the competition for resources to advance to the Nascent Soul stage.


    ¡°Hang Jian, do you have anything to say?¡± Elder Zhao turned his head towards Hang Jian and asked sternly.


    Having heard what Li Shiming said, Hang Jian¡¯s expression changed uncertainly. He was no fool; previously, his mind had been unsettled by the murder of his son Hang Yuqing and the robbery at the market.


    Now that he understood the course of events, he also realized that in this affair, it was his Hang Family that had been at fault first.


    Besides, under the current circumstances, what right did he have to speak? What could he say, and what dared he say with Elder Zhao¡¯s Sword Intent locked onto him? If he showed the slightest displeasure, all that awaited him would be an immediate and lethal strike.


    ¡°It is Hang Jian who is incompetent, who failed to teach his son properly!¡± he said, bowing his head.


    ¡°You will need to come back to the sect with me, Hang Jian, for us to consider your punishment. But before that, you need to make compensation to Shiming here first!¡± Elder Zhao contemplated and then declared.


    He glanced over Hang Jian¡¯s body and then noticed his flying sword treasure.


    With a gesture, the flying sword treasure was summoned into his hand.


    Of course, this was because Hang Jian did not resist at all, allowing him to do as he wished. Otherwise, even as a Sword Cultivator, he would not have been able to control someone else¡¯s flying sword.

 Chapter 390: 241 Solution_2

    Chapter 390: Chapter 241 Solution_2


    Hang Jian felt a chill in his heart, aware that the loss he faced this time might be substantial. To tell the truth, since he was to be taken to the Shushan Sect, his life was naturally not in danger. At most, he would serve the Shushan Sect for a period of years as a Golden Core cultivator.


    This was also a normal punishment meted out by large sects to Golden Core cultivators. Even the weakest Independent Practitioner Golden Core was an extremely precious combat force. As long as one wasn¡¯t exceedingly wicked and evil, they were more likely to be utilized rather than executed.


    Especially someone like Hang Jian who had family burdens, he was even easier to control.


    Elder Zhao looked at the flying sword treasure in his hand, and his Sword Intent suddenly surged, making the treasure emit a slight hum.


    Yet Hang Jian¡¯s body swayed, and he nearly fell from the sky due to his inability to stabilize his figure. Although he had been mentally prepared for what Elder Zhao intended to do, the forced severance of his soul from the treasure still dealt some damage to his spirit.


    The flying sword treasure in Elder Zhao¡¯s hand lost its master and its glow dimmed.


    ¡°Shiming, although you are not a Sword Cultivator, you are practicing the Ten Thousand Sword Flow. You will need many flying sword treasures in the future. I¡¯ve decided to compensate you with Hang Jian¡¯s flying sword treasure,¡± Elder Zhao said as he tossed the treasure to Li Shiming.


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Master Zhao!¡± Li Shiming accepted the flying sword treasure and thanked him with a bow.


    ¡°You, you insist on cultivating Thunder Skill instead of properly practicing Swordmanship,¡± Elder Zhao still wanted to persuade Li Shiming and shook his head as he spoke.


    Li Shiming merely smiled and didn¡¯t say much, his gaze fell upon the flying sword treasure in his hand.


    Clearly, this flying sword treasure was Hang Jian¡¯s sole treasure. Hang Jian had not been a Golden Core for very long, and this treasure had not been completely refined into his Lifebound Treasure.


    Otherwise, the value of this treasure would have drastically decreased, because when a Lifebound Treasure is used by another cultivator, its power is reduced by nearly half.


    The Lifebound Flying Sword of Yun Xingyi, if it weren¡¯t for Yun Xingyi¡¯s preparations for Body Seizing, he wouldn¡¯t have transferred the ownership of his Lifebound Sword. This ensured that Li Shiming and his avatar Li Yuanba could use the sword without worrying about decreased power.


    Elder Zhao precisely saw this point, which is why he seized the flying sword treasure from Hang Jian to give to Li Shiming.


    Moreover, he thought about how, without his flying sword treasure, Hang Jian¡¯s combat power would significantly decrease. Coupled with the sect¡¯s punishment which was bound to force Hang Jian into servitude for decades, if not a century.


    Thus, Hang Jian¡¯s threat to Li Shiming would be completely eliminated.


    After a century had passed, Hang Jian, should he meet Li Shiming again, would definitely not be a match for him.


    The flying sword treasure in Li Shiming¡¯s hand was the third flying sword treasure he had acquired, as Yun Xingyi¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword had been given to his avatar Li Yuanba.


    That Lifebound Treasure was of the highest quality, sufficient for Yuan Ba¡¯s use during the Golden Core Stage. Yuan Ba intended to become a pure Sword Cultivator and would only have a single Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Elder Zhao had just mentioned Li Shiming practiced the Ten Thousand Sword Flow, a special branch within the long-range Sword Cultivation that handles multiple flying swords.


    The Ten Thousand Sword Flow didn¡¯t literally mean refining ten thousand swords, but referred to the control of multiple flying swords to conquer foes with dense aerial attacks.


    This was completely the opposite of the Sword Cultivation philosophy that specialized in a single sword, where ¡®one sword breaks all magic¡¯ contrasted ¡®ten thousand swords deployed together¡¯. It was not possible to compare which was superior or inferior, but acquiring a large number of flying sword treasures during the Golden Core Stage was so difficult that most Sword Cultivators abandoned the idea of pursuing the Ten Thousand Sword Flow.


    Elder Zhao had no objection to Li Shiming practicing the Ten Thousand Sword Flow, mainly because of Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy level. As long as Li Shiming became an Alchemy Master, accumulating many flying sword treasures wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    Alchemy Masters were exceedingly wealthy, and Golden Core cultivators were willing to offer their most treasured spiritual materials just to request an Alchemy Master to concoct Spirit Pills.


    ¡°Oh, your two masters have also arrived!¡± Elder Zhao said with a smile as his gaze shifted to the distance.


    The arrival of Elder Su and Elder Ma made Hang Jian feel even more fortunate for not having hurt Li Shiming.


    He was unaware that Li Shiming had two Golden Core Elder mentors, especially that Elder Ma, an Alchemy Master, was also Li Shiming¡¯s mentor. Had he known this earlier, he would have thought twice before taking action.


    ¡°Shiming!¡± Elders Su and Ma called out in unison.


    They naturally sensed that Li Shiming¡¯s aura was normal, and their worries dissipated.


    Elder Zhao handed the Jade Scroll to both of them and also recounted what had happened.


    Elder Su, of course, knew the reason Li Shiming had left Ji Hongbo behind. His disciple had given so much consideration for his master, which pleased him greatly.


    ¡°Shiming, Ji Hongbo will no longer be able to cultivate in the future!¡± Elder Su would not leave any potential threat to Li Shiming. He used his Divine Thought to grab Ji Hongbo and gently pressed on his body, then said in a deep voice to Li Shiming.


    His methods were certainly different from Li Shiming¡¯s; with his touch, he completely destroyed Ji Hongbo¡¯s spirit root seeds.


    Without spirit root seeds, even if a Nascent Soul Ancestor were to intervene, they could not change the fact that Ji Hongbo was now unable to cultivate.


    A mere mortal, no matter how much Elder Ji valued him, would only be cast into the secular world to be taken care of until death, with no chance of causing further trouble.


    Ji Hongbo trembled all over, feeling the most precious spirit root seeds within him vanishing. He struggled desperately, not wanting his spirit root seeds to disappear, but all in vain.


    After his spirit root seeds had completely vanished, he didn¡¯t have any spirit left, and even his resentment towards Li Shiming dissipated along with the spirit root seeds.


    ¡°On behalf of my disciple, I thank the three of you. From now on, you three families can jointly manage this market!¡± Elder Su then expressed his gratitude to the three assisting Golden Core cultivators with a bow.


    Hang Jian didn¡¯t say anything on the side. He would be punished by the Shushan Sect, having lost his family, he could only find a place to hide and recuperate, with no capacity to preserve such a market.


    ¡°Elder Su, most of this market should belong to Mr. Li. We are willing to manage this place for Mr. Li!¡± The three Golden Core cultivators promptly said, bowing deeply.


    They certainly did not wish to offset the favor of being rescued with just a market.


    After this incident, it was questionable whether the market could still be run. Besides, they were more interested in Li Shiming¡¯s future; to them, a favor from Li Shiming was much more valuable than the market.


    ¡°Seniors, I remember your kindness. If my master has said the market is yours, then please accept it!¡± Li Shiming interjected.


    ¡°We thank Elder Su and Mr. Li, and we will manage the market carefully!¡± The three Golden Core cultivators looked at each other, exchanged thoughts, and Fu Feng bowed as he spoke.


    The three Golden Core cultivators left to find people to deal with the market¡¯s affairs, and they also needed to properly appease the cultivators still lingering at the scene.


    Today, the cultivators present had their eyes widely opened and would have much to boast about for many years to come.


    They had witnessed seven Golden Cores in action, including three Golden Core Elders from the Shushan Sect, and experienced the unparalleled might of a Sword Cultivation Golden Core.


    They also saw Li Shiming holding off Hang Jian¡¯s attack with a Formation and noticed how Li Shiming quickly summoned six Golden Cores, showcasing immense influence.


    ¡°Master, I want to travel more in the outside world, so I won¡¯t return with you all!¡± With only the sect Golden Core Elders and Li Shiming remaining, Li Shiming said somewhat bashfully.


    ¡°After this event, I don¡¯t think there will be any cultivators so blind as to dare to trouble you. It is good for you to travel for a while!¡± Elder Su pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.


    Li Shiming had grown quickly, and combined with his constant seclusion in the sect for alchemy, Elder Su feared that not interacting with the outside world would be detrimental to his cultivation.


    ¡°I know you have life-saving items on you. Feel free to use the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯. Once it¡¯s used up, just tell me, and I will prepare more for you!¡± Elder Ma added from the side.


    He was somewhat dissatisfied with how Li Shiming had handled being trapped this time.


    After all, Li Shiming had the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯, a life-saving item. Even if confronted by a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, with the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯, he could easily escape without ever putting himself in danger.

 Chapter 391: 242: Ambush

    Chapter 391: Chapter 242: Ambush


    In the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Yuanba was utilizing Sword Escape Flight. Ever since he had mastered the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡¯ he rarely used the Flying Boat anymore, of course, this also had to do with the fact that he hadn¡¯t been traveling long distances recently.


    Even now, as he prepared to traverse the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to the territories of the Righteous Path, he still employed Sword Escape. Long-distance Sword Escape Flight was somewhat effective in honing his own Sword Intent.


    In the past year, his strength had increased tremendously, but his Sword Intent indeed lacked tempering, never having been honed in combat, it always felt like a precious sword that had never been unsheathed.


    His gaze fell on the distance, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.


    With his perception, he had long noticed the hidden observers in the distance.


    Li Yuanba thought of the warning Elder Jian gave him, knowing that the Foundation Establishment resources he carried had become the root cause of attacks by Devil Cultivators from his sect.


    Far from fearing, he felt a sense of delight instead.


    ¡°Hold up!¡± A cold voice came from below, as four Mid-stage Devil Cultivators flew out from their hiding spots to block his way.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Yuanba demanded after coming to a stop.


    ¡°Senior Brother Lin will be here shortly, he instructed us to ask you to wait for a moment!¡± one of the Devil Cultivators said with a cupped fist salute.


    Although there were four Mid-stage Cultivators facing him, they did not dare to disrespect Li Yuanba; after all, here was a Sword Cultivator, and even with four of them at the same cultivation stage as Li Yuanba, they could not guarantee they would fare well against him.


    Since becoming a True Disciple, Li Yuanba¡¯s achievements in battle had not been numerous, but even the lone feat of slaying Jue Yuan Buddha was enough to make the sect¡¯s Devil Cultivators wary.


    The number of sect¡¯s Devil Cultivators killed by Jue Yuan Buddha was far from small, and Li Yuanba¡¯s record demonstrated his tremendous strength.


    ¡°Who is this Senior Brother Lin worth waiting for?¡± Li Yuanba asked impatiently, waving his hand dismissively.


    Without minding the four Mid-stage Devil Cultivators blocking his path, he, as a streak of sword light, attempted to fly past them.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± A red light rapidly approached from behind, its voice reaching them first.


    The four Mid-stage Devil Cultivators didn¡¯t hesitate at all, simultaneously releasing their Spiritual Artifacts.


    They didn¡¯t resort to any particularly malicious tactics; they just aimed to hold Li Yuanba for a few moments to consider their mission from Senior Brother Lin fulfilled.


    ¡°Seeking death!¡± Li Yuanba shouted sternly, emitting a burst of sword light.


    In the instant the sword light appeared, the bodies of the four Mid-stage Devil Cultivators stiffened, as a terrifying Supreme Yang Power emerged within the sword light, akin to a great sun making its presence known.


    Supreme Yang Power naturally countered Demon Cultivation Techniques, and as they were all at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, the effect of this counter was particularly pronounced.


    The spiritual power within the bodies of the four Mid-stage Devil Cultivators became sluggish, difficult to mobilize at the moment.


    Spiritual power was foundational for a Cultivator, and without the ability to call upon it in a timely fashion, they were unable to deploy their Spiritual Artifacts or various Secret Techniques.


    The sword light passed through the bodies of the four Mid-stage Devil Cultivators, and by the time Li Yuanba retracted the light, merely an instant had passed, yet the life force of the four was completely extinguished.


    Li Yuanba felt the terrifying aspect of the Supreme Yang within his Sword Intent, which was unimaginably effective against Devil Cultivators.


    ¡°How dare you kill my men, you¡¯re courting death!¡± By this time, Lin Ping had also arrived, but he was a step too late and saw only four bodies falling toward the ground.


    Lin Ping, a True Disciple in the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, had always been frantically completing missions, seeking resources for Foundation Establishment.


    When he heard that a set of resources for Foundation Establishment was taken by Li Yuanba, this newcomer, he was so infuriated that he thought of murder. Upon receiving news of Li Yuanba leaving the sect, he was the first to react, immediately setting out in pursuit and notifying the Cultivators ahead to intercept.


    With a wave of his hand, Lin Ping released a cloud of poisonous mist, from which came a buzzing sound¡ª a swarm of Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms.


    These were the Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms he had raised, notorious creatures listed among the most poisonous worms, with each capable of controlling a cloud of poison. A swarm of Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms could form a widely expansive and immensely powerful cloud of poison.


    Moreover, Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms were among the faster flying poisonous insects, and without specific methods to counter them, it would be impossible to eliminate them with ordinary means.


    Li Yuanba waved his hand, and the sword light met the swarm of Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms.


    As the sword light approached the swarm, the Sword Intent within transformed into strands, weaving into a net of Sword Intent. At the same time, the actual sword light interlaced with the ephemeral Sword Intent, enveloping the swarm of Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms.


    The shrill screams of the Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms pierced the air as they came into contact with the Sword Intent, their bodies being eradicated by the Supreme Yang Power contained within the Sword Intent before emitting these sounds.


    Although Li Yuanba had not learned any specific methods to counter poisonous insects, the application of the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ proved to be more than sufficient. The differentiated sword light coupled with Sword Intent left the Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms powerless to resist and they were annihilated by the Sword Intent.


    ¡°My Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms!¡± Lin Ping had had little contact with Li Yuanba and did not fully grasp his power. Witnessing his painstakingly raised Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms being destroyed in great numbers, he felt a heartache that nearly stopped him from breathing.


    The Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms had cost him much effort, essentially amounting to half his strength.


    But Li Yuanba paid no heed to his feelings and the net of sword light and Sword Intent tightened increasingly, leaving the swarm of Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms without a single chance to escape before being eradicated.


    However, being a True Disciple who had survived until the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, he now had a clear understanding of Li Yuanba¡¯s strength.

 Chapter 392: 242: Ambush_2

    Chapter 392: Chapter 242: Ambush_2


    He did not advance but retreated; no matter how much it pained his heart to see his spiritual insects harmed, he still released two more Iron-winged Smoke Cloud Worms to shield himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about reaping the benefits without effort, his strength is too formidable; none of us can handle him alone!¡± Lin Ping shouted as he kept retreating.


    He was aware that several familiar auras of True Inheritor Demon Cultivators had been trailing him since he left the sect. At this moment, his focus was on killing Li Yuanba; as for the resources to form the Golden Core, those could be considered after Li Yuanba was dead.


    If he launched another attack on Li Yuanba, he might just be paving the way for the few True Inheritor Demon Cultivators following him.


    He had utmost confidence in his own abilities. Although Li Yuanba was a True Sword Practitioner, he had only joined the sect a few years ago, so his strength couldn¡¯t be that overwhelming.


    ¡°Lin Ping, even you can have such an unsightly moment!¡± From the direction to Li Yuanba¡¯s left, two figures emerged, one of whom spoke while the other was an Iron Corpse.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s gaze sharpened; disregarding the combat abilities of the Devil Cultivator who had spoken, the aura coming from the Iron Corpse beside him was that of a Peak Iron Corpse, its skin occasionally shining with a silvery light, a sign that it was not far from the Silver Corpse Realm.


    He knew very well how terrifying the Peak Iron Corpse could be; Jiang Chen was a Peak Iron Corpse.


    Of course, Jiang Chen was a special case, being a Peak Iron Corpse refined from a Golden Core Sword Cultivator. In reality, his strength wasn¡¯t sufficient to advance to the Silver Corpse Realm, but his attacks were boosted with some of the Sword Intent from a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, making him much stronger than an ordinary Peak Iron Corpse.


    ¡°Li Yuanba, it would be a shame for our competence if we allowed you to wander around with the Golden Core resources and still leave you alive,¡± another voice called out from afar to the right.


    Li Yuanba looked in that direction and saw that although the figure was a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator, he was shrouded in a shadowy, almost illusory aura, with phantoms appearing and disappearing continually around him.


    ¡°Just the three of you? That¡¯s not enough for me to kill!¡± Li Yuanba said sternly to the newly appeared Devil Cultivators.


    ¡°Senluo Sect¡¯s True Inheritor Du Ke, you¡¯ve stolen our Golden Core resources. Hand them over, and I¡¯ll leave you a whole corpse!¡± Du Ke from the left said coldly as he made a move without being provoked by Li Yuanba¡¯s indifference.


    ¡°Remember the name Yu Piao of Senluo Sect, I will be the one to kill you!¡± Yu Piao from the right followed up.


    ¡°You two, be careful; his Sword Intent is a bit strange!¡± Lin Ping warned from his position in the void.


    He stood in a spot that, along with the other two Devil Cultivators, formed a triangular position, trapping Li Yuanba inside.


    ¡°Lin Ping, you became a True Inheritor by playing with bugs. Once your bugs are countered, you have no combat strength to speak of, a disgrace to the title of True Inheritor!¡± Du Ke taunted.


    ¡°Du Ke, aren¡¯t you the same, relying on your Iron Corpse? Why don¡¯t you refine yourself into one too!¡± Lin Ping retorted angrily.


    Although they had a common enemy, Devil Cultivators weren¡¯t the most straightforward characters, and they had already started targeting each other even before the fight began.


    ¡°Stop arguing, the ingredients for the Mountain-breaking Pill are mine. The rest are up to you!¡± Yu Piao interjected, waving his hand.


    ¡°In your dreams, the Mountain-breaking Pill is mine to claim!¡± Lin Ping turned his head and shouted back at Yu Piao.


    ¡°Yu Piao, why don¡¯t you take it all for yourself!¡± Du Ke also expressed his discontent.


    Li Yuanba watched the three True Inheritors from Senluo Sect, and if he didn¡¯t know any better, he would have thought they had already killed him and obtained the Golden Core resources.


    However, he soon realized he was being tricked, as more and more auras of Cultivators were rapidly approaching from the directions of the three Devil Cultivator True Inheritors.


    The three True Inheritors had coordinated quietly, using their arguments as a diversion to buy time for their respective subordinates to arrive.


    The three True Inheritors were the fastest to arrive, while their Devil Cultivator subordinates were slightly slower.


    The three True Inheritors had a clear understanding of Li Yuanba¡¯s combat abilities; Lin Ping¡¯s spiritual insects were formidable, but they had been annihilated shortly after the encounter.


    To capture Li Yuanba, they needed to rely on their numerical superiority.


    Li Yuanba remained still, sensing the Demon Cultivators who were drawing closer. All of these Cultivators were at the Foundation Establishment level, with the strongest being at Late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    As long as the opponent was a Devil Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, he felt he had the power to fight.


    In just the span of ten breaths, over twenty Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators gathered around Li Yuanba, their eyes glittering with greed as they looked at him.


    Li Yuanba thought to himself that if he threw out his storage bracelet now, it would likely instantly provoke a fierce battle among these Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators.


    Of course, it was just a thought, as he no longer waited. His blood was boiling, and he was somewhat impatient to test his combat strength.


    He chose to attack Du Ke on the left side first, where Du Ke was accompanied by six Demon Cultivators and an additional ten Iron Corpses, appearing to be the strongest faction.


    Li Yuanba still prioritized attacking this direction because his Sword Intent naturally suppressed Corpse Refinement.


    He had tested it on Jiang Chen before, and even with his Life-bound Corpse Refinement, which should be immune to its master¡¯s unintentional energy influence, it was extremely fearful in the face of the Supreme Yang Power within the Sword Intent, to the point of considering a retreat.


    And that was his own refined corpse. How would it affect an enemy¡¯s refined corpse?


    Today, he wanted to see just how effective it would be, with Du Ke¡¯s ten Iron Corpses providing a good test.


    His sword light shot out, flying toward Du Ke.


    Although surprised by the sudden attack, Du Ke still laughed and waved his subordinates to meet the enemy.


    After surrounding Li Yuanba, Du Ke saw him as a fish caught in a net. What he needed to be careful of was actually the True Inheritor Demon Cultivators from the other two sides.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s proactive attack on his side was just what he wanted; killing Li Yuanba and snatching the storage bracelet to then immediately leave, would mean no involvement with the other two True Inheritor Demon Cultivators.


    As he thought this, he felt a sudden palpitation, an innate response to facing a natural enemy.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s sword light approached, not aiming to attack the Demon Cultivators¡ªwho were protected by their Spirit Artifact Shields¡ªbut rather the ten Iron Corpses, solely relying on their own defensive power.


    The Sword Intent on the sword light suddenly surged, shining like the sun, which made the advancing Iron Corpses come to an abrupt halt. Then Du Ke¡¯s Peak Iron Corpse hesitated to advance, while the nine weaker Iron Corpses turned and fled.


    But their speed was no match for the sword light. Under Li Yuanba¡¯s control, the sword light decapitated Iron Corpse after Iron Corpse.


    Li Yuanba was now controlling the flying sword with his Divine Thought, which increased the power of the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± by at least twenty percent.


    Furthermore, the attribute of the Supreme Yang Power of the Sword Intent naturally suppressed, resulting in the immediate extermination of the Iron Corpses upon contact.


    Even Du Ke¡¯s Peak Iron Corpse was not an exception. The Supreme Yang Power within the Sword Intent affected the actions of the Peak Iron Corpse, and under the control of Divine Thought, there was little difference between slaying the Peak Iron Corpse and the other Iron Corpses.


    As their Iron Corpses were destroyed, Du Ke and the six Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators groaned, their Spirits sustaining injury.


    ¡°Kill!¡± Li Yuanba let out a thunderous roar as he controlled the flying sword with his Divine Thought, concentrating all of his Sword Intent and shooting it toward Du Ke¡¯s body.


    Spiritually wounded, Du Ke managed to defend against the flying sword with his Spirit Artifact Shield in front, but the shield also suffered great damage. Du Ke felt that another blow like that would injure his Spirit again due to the damage to his Spirit Artifact.


    ¡°Quick, block him for me!¡± Du Ke urgently called for help.


    It was only then that the other two, Lin Ping and Yu Piao, finally reacted. They had been stunned by Li Yuanba¡¯s rapid slaughter of the ten Iron Corpses.


    ¡°Surround him, if he doesn¡¯t die, we¡¯ll be in trouble!¡± the two True Inheritor Demon Cultivators ordered in unison.


    A hint of fear laced their voices; such a terrifying Sword Cultivator reminded them of Elder Jian.


    If they allowed Li Yuanba to continue growing, he would become another Elder Jian, and then they¡¯d only be waiting for Li Yuanba¡¯s frenzied revenge.


    A growing Sword Cultivator was terrifying, so they couldn¡¯t allow Li Yuanba to continue his growth. It was no longer a matter of resource competition for the Golden Core, but a life-and-death issue.

 Chapter 393: 243 Intimidation (Extra for fans of reading good books)

    Chapter 393: Chapter 243 Intimidation (Extra for fans of reading good books)


    Li Yuanba¡¯s aura was as sharp and matchless as his Sword Intent; at this moment, he was a true Sword Cultivator, with a longsword in hand, who could compete with him?


    He relished battle, which was like a furnace, constantly tempering his Sword Intent that grew rapidly through actual combat.


    The Supreme Yang Power within his Sword Intent, derived from the Innate Purple Qi, nearly restrained all Yin and evil energies, showing its terrifying suppressive effect in battles against Devil Cultivators.


    Yu Piao was the fastest, his figure shifting swiftly to a distance where he could launch an attack on Li Yuanba, and twelve thin needles flew out, shooting towards Li Yuanba.


    Although the needles were small, their material had reached Third Grade, meaning these Spiritual Artifacts required very little material, which allowed him to possess Third Grade material Spiritual Artifacts that exceeded their level.


    This was also the foundation of his standing among the True Disciples; seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s terrifying combat prowess, he didn¡¯t dare to hold back and immediately used his strongest attack.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought continually lingered around his body, and when the twelve needles were fired, he sensed something wrong; these needles gave him a similar feeling to a Third Grade Sword Base.


    Cold light flashed in his eyes, and he extended his right hand, summoning a Third Grade Sword Base into it.


    Although he had not specialized in the method of distracting the mind, he could use the Spirit application methods learned from his original body in this incarnation, especially because he now possessed Divine Thought. Aside from being unable to use Divine Thought for Alchemy, there was almost no difference in spirit applications between the incarnation and the original body.


    He split his focus, with half on controlling the flying sword and the other half on the Third Grade Sword Base in his hand.


    At this moment, Li Yuanba was the fusion of two types of Sword Cultivators: the long-range flying sword style and the close-range longsword style. At least during the Foundation Establishment stage, the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ could still compete with the long-range flying sword style.


    Seeing Li Yuanba wield a longsword, Yu Piao felt anger towards his arrogance and desired to teach Li Yuanba a profound lesson with his twelve needle Spiritual Artifacts.


    In the instant that the twelve needles closed in, Li Yuanba¡¯s Third Grade Sword Base thrust, swept, flicked, and slashed one after another.


    The twelve needle Spiritual Artifacts couldn¡¯t get close to him and were blocked by the Third Grade Sword Base.


    After the Third Grade Sword Base blocked the first strike from the twelve needle Spiritual Artifacts, the Sword Intent had already affected the interior of the needles, significantly reducing their might and slowing them down.


    So when Yu Piao tried to recall the twelve needle Spiritual Artifacts, the second wave of attacks from the Third Grade Sword Base arrived. This time, the needles, no longer under Yu Piao¡¯s control, were swept over by Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought and taken into possession.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Yu Piao spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at Li Yuanba in shock and fear.


    To be honest, the needle Spiritual Artifacts should not have been used as a primary method of combat; their effect would be much stronger in a surprise attack.


    He had dared to use the twelve needle Spiritual Artifacts to attack Li Yuanba because he had seen Li Yuanba, the Sword Cultivator, attacking Du Ke with his flying sword, taking the opportunity to strike Li Yuanba who was without his flying sword.


    How could he have imagined that Li Yuanba would still have another sword, a close-combat longsword, at that?


    Even more unimaginable for him was that Li Yuanba, by relying on a close-combat longsword, managed to disrupt the spiritual imprints within his twelve needle Spiritual Artifacts with Sword Intent.


    The fight between Yu Piao and Li Yuanba lasted only two breaths¡¯ time, and Du Ke, who was under attack by Li Yuanba¡¯s flying sword, had his defensive Spiritual Artifact broken; he took out a talisman, ready to flee.


    A slender filament shot out from the flying sword before the talisman could be fully activated, slicing through Du Ke¡¯s body first.


    It wasn¡¯t that Du Ke was slow to react. Under the Sword Intent infused with Supreme Yang Power, the movement of his Spiritual Power was slower than usual, even though the Cultivation Technique he practiced was one of the more benign types among the Demon Cultivation Techniques.


    The change in invoking Spiritual Power caused a fatal error in Du Ke¡¯s timing when activating the talisman.


    As the talisman was activated, the upper half of Du Ke¡¯s body turned into a beam of light that attempted to flee.


    Using Sword Intent like a thread, Li Yuanba cut the defenseless Du Ke in two. The activated talisman only managed to take away the half of the body connected to the hand.


    This bizarre scene sent a chill through the hearts of the many Devil Cultivators who were gathering to attack Li Yuanba.


    Du Ke was a True Disciple, and each True Disciple was the strongest among their peers; whether in terms of resources, Cultivation Techniques, or Magic Artifacts, they far surpassed ordinary sect disciples.


    Normally, a group of ordinary disciples would follow a True Disciple, eager for the scraps that fell from the True Disciple¡¯s table.


    Even these scraps were precious to the ordinary disciples.


    It could be said that True Disciples and ordinary disciples were two different kinds of Cultivators, and this rule applied in any sect.


    The ease with which Li Yuanba had cut down Du Ke, a True Disciple, without giving him a chance to use life-saving measures or escape, dealt a huge blow to the hearts of many Devil Cultivators.


    Li Yuanba, however, paid no heed to their thoughts, his flying sword¡¯s might fully unleashed, subdividing sword lights combined with Sword Intent like silk; the flying sword was like a dazzling sun, darting among the six Devil Cultivators on the left. Three breaths after half of Du Ke¡¯s body had fled, all six Devil Cultivators were slain.


    Meanwhile, Lin Ping and the Devil Cultivators led by Yu Piao had all closed in to striking range.


    But the encirclement they had prepared crumbled before it was fully formed due to Li Yuanba¡¯s rapid and shocking tactics, breaking open on one side before it could take effect.

 Chapter 394: 243 Intimidation (Added more for the love of reading good books)_2

    Chapter 394: Chapter 243 Intimidation (Added more for the love of reading good books)_2


    Li Yuanba¡¯s feet lit with the glow of a sword, forming a beam of sword light that allowed him to use Sword Escape to increase his speed.


    His gaze was stern, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, filled only with rising Sword Intent and killing intent.


    When the Demon Cultivators attacked him, he activated his Sword Escape to increase the distance, distancing himself beyond their attack range.


    The problem was that it was their attack range, not his, and with his Divine Thought, although the attack distance of his flying sword was not as far as that of a Golden Core cultivator, it was still much farther than ordinary cultivators using Spiritual Thought.


    The Demon Cultivators realized that despite their numerical advantage, once Li Yuanba had broken their encirclement, even getting their Spiritual Artifacts close enough to attack him became a wishful thinking.


    Not all Demon Cultivators lacked speed; for instance, Yu Piao, a True Inheritor, was the fastest among them.


    But he did not show much speed and stayed with other Demon Cultivators. Du Ke¡¯s dreadful death had shocked him, coupled with having his precious Spiritual Artifact taken away, he was now regretting participating in the act of disputing over the resources Li Yuanba had.


    The Demon Cultivators could not reach him, but Li Yuanba¡¯s flying sword was ceaselessly singling them out among the crowd.


    Now at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, even when facing Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, Li Yuanba did not feel the passive pressure of being suppressed across multiple levels.


    The Spiritual Artifacts of Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators might withstand a strike from his flying sword without their spirit imprints being shattered by a single blow.


    However, that was not the case for Early Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators; if their Spiritual Artifacts made contact with Li Yuanba¡¯s flying sword, they would lose control and drop from the sky.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Demon Cultivators being very close to each other and covering for each other, several Demon Cultivators would have fallen under the flying sword in just a moment of fighting.


    Still, the group of Demon Cultivators could not hold on for long. After about ten Spiritual Artifacts were damaged, the initially united Demon Cultivators started having other thoughts.


    It was not the fault of the Demon Cultivators; their nature was inherently selfish. Realizing that the enemy was unbeatable and that continuing the fight would only lead to their sequential slaughter, they only had one choice left, and that was to flee earlier than the Demon Cultivators beside them.


    Once the first Demon Cultivator made a move, it influenced the others, and their once stable defense was broken.


    Screams echoed continuously as some Demon Cultivators withdrew from the battle, and their adjacent allies could not react in time, allowing Li Yuanba¡¯s flying sword to breach defenses and get close to the Demon Cultivators.


    The remaining Demon Cultivators were naturally the first to be slain. Without defense, they were like lambs to the slaughter under the dual assault of the flying sword and Sword Intent.


    After several more Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators died, they completely broke down. Each used their techniques, trying to escape into the distance.


    During the process, more Demon Cultivators were slain by sword light, which was faster than their flying speed.


    Initially, Lin Ping and Yu Piao realized something was wrong and retreated together, thinking it safer to act in unison.


    They quickly realized the problem: Li Yuanba was faster and was slaying their fellow Demon Cultivators who were chasing them.


    ¡°Split and escape!¡± Lin Ping changed direction as he spoke.


    Yu Piao also noticed the same problem; without responding, he too changed direction to flee.


    Li Yuanba chose Lin Ping. The other Demon Cultivators might escape, but Lin Ping, the True Inheritor Demon Cultivator who had first pursued him, would not be let go.


    Seeing Li Yuanba chase Lin Ping, Yu Piao felt somewhat relieved. He continued to increase the distance while observing the distant battle.


    It was not really a battle; it was a massacre. Once they lost their nerve, none of the Demon Cultivators had any real resistance left, and those lagging behind were slain by the sword light.


    Eventually, Lin Ping stopped thinking about escaping with his fellow Demon Cultivators. He took out a talisman, about to activate it.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s energy surged to its peak, holding nothing back.


    A white lotus appeared under his feet, and soon, near Lin Ping and the remaining two Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators, white lotuses likewise appeared.


    His figure first appeared beside Lin Ping. With a Third Grade Sword Base in his hand, he swept off Lin Ping¡¯s head under Lin Ping¡¯s horrified gaze. Before the sword light from the kill had faded, his figure had already appeared instantaneously next to another Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator.


    Within less than a breath, all the demon cultivators on Lin Ping¡¯s side were slain.


    Li Yuanba turned to look towards Yu Piao, who was over a thousand meters away from him at the time, Normally, given such a distance, and Yu Piao being a cultivator skilled in speed, he should have been safe.


    But when Yu Piao saw Li Yuanba¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver all over. He turned and fled at full speed.


    ¡°Damn it, Li Yuanba can actually use ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯!¡± Yu Piao thought about the scene he had just witnessed as he fled.


    He could guess where Li Yuanba had learned ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ from ¡ª he must have slain Jue Yuan Buddha and acquired the inheritance from Qianye Temple.


    That was a Divine Skills inheritance. A Sword Cultivator who could deploy Divine Foot Skill was terrifying even to think about.


    He strained every bit of Spiritual Power in his body. The Cultivation Technique he practiced greatly enhanced his speed.


    He needed to escape from this devil, who in his eyes was more terrifying than a Devil Cultivator who had practiced demonic arts.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Yu Piao saw a white flower appear before his eyes, as familiar as a white lotus.


    ¡°A white lotus!¡±, his mind instantly cleared, but it was too late.


    Li Yuanba appeared in front of him, and without any hesitation, his Third Grade Sword Base followed with a strike, beheading him.


    The fight came to an end here. Li Yuanba¡¯s fighting spirit slowly subsided. He looked over the battlefield, apart from the initial two Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators who had escaped, the 23 demon cultivators who had participated in the ambush against him, including three True Disciples from the Senluo Sect, were all slain by him.


    This is what it means to be a Sword Cultivator. Against cultivators of the same realm, through bursts of power and various fighting techniques like hit-and-run, one can achieve absolute advantage in battle.


    The unmatched Sword Intent was, at the very least during the Foundation Establishment, an absolute slayer unless it met an ability that could counter Sword Intent, otherwise it would dominate.


    Li Yuanba began cleaning up the battlefield. The battle had covered a wide area. Fortunately, he had kept his Divine Thought active. Whenever possible, he collected the spoils from the cultivators he had killed.


    Although Du Ke half-escaped, the bracelet left on the wrist of the remaining half body didn¡¯t give him any loss.


    Of course, for Li Yuanba, it was exceedingly rare for anything in a demon cultivator¡¯s storage, even a True Disciple¡¯s, to pique his interest.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, he gathered the bodies of the demon cultivators, especially the corpses of the two True Disciples.


    Those who could become True Disciples were highly likely to have Heavenly Spirit Root.


    As for Yu Piao and Lin Ping who were also of Heavenly Spirit Root, these were exceptional materials for Corpse Refining. He might not need them, but trading them for resources wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea.


    During the cleanup of the battlefield, Li Yuanba encountered no further attacks.


    Unknown to him, the two Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators who had escaped were intercepted by two groups of demon cultivators.


    His achievements were spread by the mouths of these two Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators. However, since they had fled too early, they were unaware of the fate of Lin Ping and Yu Piao, or the fact that Li Yuanba had used ¡®Step by Step Ascending Lotus¡¯.


    Upon hearing of Li Yuanba¡¯s feats, the demon cultivators hesitated to intercept him, as everyone wanted an easy pick, and no demon cultivator wanted to bite off more than they could chew.


    The demon cultivators thought about letting other demon cultivators strike first and then see how things played out.


    But Li Yuanba¡¯s accomplishments could not be kept secret, and once the two groups of demon cultivators found out, all the necessary demon cultivators knew.


    Especially with Lin Ping and Yu Piao missing, everyone knew they had been killed by Li Yuanba along with Du Ke. This further discouraged many demon cultivators.


    Resources for forming the Golden Core might simply be carried by Li Yuanba, and whether it was worth risking their lives for such a possibility was now a matter of reconsideration.

 Chapter 395: 244 Inventory

    Chapter 395: Chapter 244 Inventory


    Li Shiming¡¯s main body and his clone Li Yuanba were attacked almost concurrently. As Yuanba finished his battle and found a place to rest and take stock of his spoils, on the other side, Shiming was also resting, checking through his gains.


    The greatest loot for Shiming this time was probably a flying sword treasure. Had Elder Zhao not arrived in time, such benefits might have been lost.


    Elder Zhao was a sword cultivator. Although Shiming did not primarily practice sword cultivation techniques, he possessed Sword Intent and often employed sword cultivator methods to confront his foes, displaying Sword Intent far surpassing that of ordinary sword cultivators. Furthermore, Elder Zhao and Elder Su were from the same faction within the sect.


    As a result, Elder Zhao seized the flying sword treasure from Hang Jian and gifted it to Shiming, a show of affection and expectation from a senior to a junior.


    Elder Zhao believed strongly that Shiming was destined to reach the Golden Core Stage. Of course, this view was shared by many cultivators who knew the details of Shiming¡¯s background.


    Regardless, the Shushan Sect intended to promote Shiming, who had the potential of an alchemy master, to the Golden Core Realm. Of course, this would also rely on Shiming¡¯s luck being strong enough to break through the barrier to the Golden Core under the circumstances of resource availability.


    Shiming took Elder Zhao¡¯s act of kindness to heart¡ªit was a debt he would need to repay in the future.


    He took out Ji Hongbo¡¯s storage bracelet and let his Divine Thought enter it.


    Ji Hongbo was a True Disciple of the Shushan Sect, and since he had not perished, there were restrictions in place on the storage bracelet.


    However, even if Ji Hongbo had retained his original strength and remained a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the restraints on the storage bracelet would still be unable to ward off the penetration of Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought.


    There were many items in the storage bracelet, but few caught Shiming¡¯s eye.


    Spiritual Artifacts, Cultivation Technique Jade Scrolls, and the like¡ªhe could obtain them easily if he wanted to.


    There were roughly five and a half million Spirit Stones, some in the form of Beishu Trading Company storage jade cards, with the rest being actual Spirit Stones.


    The Spiritual Wine and Spirit Food, however, were of very high quality, and there was even a box of Spiritual Tea, which was a third-grade item, making it the most surprising find inside the storage bracelet for Shiming.


    Just as his Divine Thought scanned through the storage bracelet and he was about to retract it, it suddenly paused.


    In the area where the Spirit Pills were stored, his Divine Thought enveloped a jade bottle and extracted it.


    If it weren¡¯t for something unusual about this jade bottle, Shiming might have almost overlooked it.


    This was a specialized jade bottle used by the Shushan Sect to store Spirit Pills, but it was different from the regular bottles.


    What made it peculiar to Shiming was that such a bottle was rarely found in the hands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators; rather, it was used by Golden Core cultivators to store important Spirit Pills.


    The craftsmanship of the jade bottle was exceedingly complex and was made with great care by high-level Artifact Refiners.


    He opened the jade bottle, and a refreshing medicinal scent wafted into his nostrils.


    His expression changed slightly, and he quickly sealed the bottle again.


    ¡°Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill!¡± he exclaimed softly.


    Shiming, inheritor of the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture,¡¯ naturally recognized the pills of the Shushan Sect.


    The ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill¡¯ was a third-grade Spirit Pill, but its value exceeded that of typical third-grade Spirit Pills.


    This was like comparing first-grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills used during the Qi Refinement Realm with first-grade Foundation Establishment Pills. The value of the two differed like heaven and earth.


    The ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill¡¯ was used by Golden Core cultivators to break through barriers, enabling them to pre-emptively comprehend the essence of the next realm, thus increasing their chances of a successful breakthrough.


    Of course, while the ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill¡¯ was effective for advancing from the Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core Realm, it was not included in the resources for forming a core.


    This was because the ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill¡¯ was made from several types of third-grade spiritual medicines, an extremely precious resource even among Golden Core cultivators, and thus not something a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would typically consume.


    Given the choice between advancing a new Golden Core cultivator and improving the realm of an existing one, most sects would opt for the latter.


    The chances of the former are slim. Even with the resources for core formation at a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s disposal, the probability of advancing to Golden Core would only increase by three to four tenths, while the ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill¡¯ has a real and substantial effect on the advancement of a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s realm.


    Even if the Golden Core cultivator fails to advance in realm on this occasion, the enlightenment gained will not vanish. With the experience from consuming the ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill¡¯ once, the accrued enlightenment will eventually serve as a boost for ascending.


    The ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill¡¯ in Shiming¡¯s hand could increase his chances of advancing to the Golden Core by more than two tenths, and coupled with core formation resources and the fact that he still possessed a Primordial Yang Body and the Pure Dao Body, he felt his chances of advancing to the Golden Core could exceed sixty percent.


    But he was also aware of his weakness; within the Spirit Lake inside his body, the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ he had tinkered with made his ascension to the Golden Core filled with uncertainties.


    At the moment, he was not lacking in resources for core formation, either from the Shushan Sect or from his clone Li Yuanba. He could obtain what he needed for core formation.


    Additionally, being an Alchemist himself, once he reached the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, he was confident he could concoct third-grade Spirit Pills; then, he would be able to use the most effective core formation Spirit Pills.


    What he lacked were two types of third-grade Five Elements Array Materials: third-grade Wood Element Material and third-grade Water Material. Only with these two third-grade materials would he be able to upgrade the Five Elements Qi Absorption Array within his body to third-grade and then have a chance of breaking through the Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°No need to rush this!¡± Shiming¡¯s mind was clear. With his identity, even if he asked for help from his two masters, he could get his hands on the two kinds of third-grade materials.

 Chapter 396 244 Inventory_2

    Of course, this was his last resort, for the two masters, perhaps two types of third-grade materials weren''t considered very precious, but for him to ask them was somewhat overstepping.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma didn''t only have him as a disciple, if every disciple were to ask for third-grade materials, Elder Ma might still manage due to his considerable assets, but Elder Su would probably be bleeding dry.


    The issue was that he was just a registered disciple of Elder Ma, which made it even less appropriate for him to make such a request.


    Li Shiming smiled as he looked at the "Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill." If he had known about this Spirit Pill earlier, he might have directly killed Ji Hongbo.


    "Thinking too much, would Elder Ji really send a Golden Core cultivator after me just for a ''Heavenly Fragrance Enlightenment Spirit Pill''?" he chuckled to himself and shook his head.


    He stopped considering these matters and closed his eyes, beginning to connect with the IBM z15. The IBM z15 uploaded all the recent analyses and research on formations, including processes and results, directly into his brain.


    Above his head, an Array Formation Starlight Sea emerged, a cluster of galaxy clouds had formed and started connecting with each other.


    "Just a bit more, after this trip I will let those cultivators seeking pills replace their compensation with knowledge on formations!" he murmured as he sensed the Array Formation Starlight Sea.


    He thought becoming an Array Master was achievable, but even after acquiring the Senluo Sect''s formation knowledge through his clone Li Yuanba, and digesting the formation knowledge of both Senluo Sect and Shushan Sect, he was still just short of the final step to fully elevate the Array Formation Starlight Sea, constantly hitting a bottleneck just a thread away from becoming an Array Master.


    He didn''t have a master to teach him about formations; had he had one, they would have told him how challenging it was to become an Array Master.


    Every Array Master was an aggregation of knowledge from hundreds of schools, who only after centuries of dedicated study could attain enlightenment and breakthrough.


    His situation, where he had studied formations for just a few years yet was thinking about becoming an Array Master, was extremely rare in the history of the cultivation world.


    Of course, in terms of applying formations, his skills were not far off from those of an Array Master.


    What was most critical for him now was the issue of his cultivation realm. If he had the power of the Golden Core stage and could access third-grade materials to make flags for formations, he could make a temporarily set up formation withstand an attack from a Golden Core cultivator.


    Just look at him now, trying to gather all the third-grade Five Elements Array Materials needed through his own and his clone''s efforts. His main body and clone were doing quite well in both righteous and demonic sects, yet he still hadn''t managed to gather all the Third-Grade Five Elements Array Materials needed, not to mention obtaining more third-grade formation materials to create formation flags.


    "Once my level in alchemy increases to that of an Alchemy Master, I''ll start preparing to learn about artifact refining!" Li Shiming made plans for his future.


    Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, refining artifacts became a necessary skill for most Golden Core cultivators. At the Golden Core stage, a cultivator could use the Golden Core''s fire to refine third-grade artifact materials, forming the basis for artifact refining.


    The fire of the Golden Core was indeed a Spiritual Fire, but its nature was too fierce to be used in alchemy; however, it was suitable for artifact refining.


    For a Golden Core cultivator to obtain third-grade artifact materials was an effortful task¡ªeither serving the sect for many years and exchanging contribution points for them, exploring dangerous places, or relying on one''s own fortunes to acquire them.


    Whichever way they acquired third-grade artifact materials, cultivators would highly value them; having someone else use third-grade artifact materials to craft artifacts was rarely reassuring for Golden Core cultivators.


    Not to mention, many Golden Core cultivators'' life-bound magic weapons needed to be crafted according to the inheritance techniques recorded in their sects, involving significant secrets of their cultivation. Entrusting others with this task could expose their secrets and bring dangers to themselves.


    Any inheritance, by the time one reached the Golden Core stage, contained the most crucial parts that involved the secrets of one''s cultivation. A single mistake could be exploited by enemies.


    Therefore, even if Golden Core cultivators were not proficient in the art of artifact refining, they still needed to master some techniques to craft their own magic weapons.


    In the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Yuanba was examining twelve fine-needle spiritual artifacts; the more he looked, the more he realized the extravagance of Yu Piao.


    The twelve fine-needle spiritual artifacts were made of Third Grade Metal, and as he had little research on artifact refining, especially third-grade refining materials, he was unable to identify the exact type of Third Grade Metal used.


    These third-grade metals were few, but if a suitable Artifact Refiner could be found, at least a small magical artifact could be made.


    Li Yuanba did not know that Yu Piao had obtained the set of third-grade spiritual instruments purely by chance.


    Originally, the set of fine-needle spiritual instruments was crafted by a Golden Core cultivator for his own use, specifically because of the scarcity of third-grade metals¡ªopting for needle-shaped magical artifacts and ambitiously planning to use all the third-grade metals to craft a set of twelve needle-shaped magical artifacts.


    However, this Golden Core cultivator overestimated his skills in refining artifacts; his mediocre skills might have yielded somewhat better success rates if he had focused on crafting individual magical artifacts.


    Eventually, he wasted the set of needle-shaped magical artifacts made from third-grade metals and, in a very bad mood, sold this set of junk at a low price to an adept Artifact Refiner.


    That cultivator, having obtained the set of twelve needle-shaped magical artifacts, also failed miserably after much effort, degrading the artifacts further into spiritual instrument-level trash.


    Yu Piao, having learned of this, paid a significant price to acquire this set of trash from that cultivator.


    For Golden Core cultivators, spiritual instruments are naturally considered trash, especially those made from third-grade metals; actually using such an artifact would likely be met with derision from other Golden Core cultivators.


    No Golden Core cultivator would want to be seen using such spiritual instruments, but for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they would indeed be an absolute treasure.


    The twelve needle-shaped spiritual instruments are amongst the highest grade within spiritual instruments, thanks to the material used, and regardless of how poor the refining skills were, they were still processed by two Golden Core hands, with the latter being adept at artifact refining.


    If it weren''t for the first Golden Core digging such a big hole, the second, who was skilled in refining, might truly have been able to turn trash into treasure.


    The grade of the twelve needle-shaped spiritual instruments was roughly equivalent to Li Yuanba''s Third Grade Sword Base, both based on third-grade metals and both being spiritual instruments.


    Of course, there were also significant differences between the two; the Third Grade Sword Base was currently a decent spiritual instrument, but this was merely a transitional stage. The Sword Base could grow, and once Li Yuanba reached the Golden Core Stage, the Third Grade Sword Base would evolve into a magical artifact.


    Meanwhile, the twelve needle-shaped spiritual instruments could only remain as spiritual instruments, incapable of further grade advancement.


    Li Yuanba did not refine the set of twelve needle-shaped spiritual instruments. Although he disagreed with the sole philosophy of pure Sword Cultivators concerning the flying sword, the twelve needle-shaped spiritual instruments were useless to him, doing nothing to enhance his strength.


    His offensive power was well supplied with the Gale Golden Light Sword for long-range and the Third Grade Sword Base for close combat, making the use of needle-shaped spiritual instruments by a Sword Cultivator like him a laughingstock.


    However, the twelve needle-shaped spiritual instruments did have some uses for the original Li Shiming, at least adding a method of setting formations, perfectly compatible with the Nine Palace Sword Formation.


    Li Yuanba stored away the twelve needle-shaped spiritual instruments. He opened one storage bag and bracelet after another, taking out useful spiritual objects and setting them aside while placing useless items separately.


    He couldn''t help but shake his head and lament the vast difference between the true inheritances of Senluo Sect and those of Shushan Sect.


    In fact, he had misjudged; Lin Ping, Du Ke, and Yu Piao would not be fighting over his Golden Core resources if they had powerful backgrounds in Senluo Sect.


    These three True Disciples were peripheral figures among the Senluo Sect''s True Disciples, not favored by influential Golden Core Elders but taken under the wings of slightly weaker Golden Core Elders instead.


    Knowing that these slightly weaker Golden Core Elders were not doing well within the sect, how could they lavishly care for their disciples?


    Especially regarding crucial resources, these naturally prioritized the disciples of powerful and influential Golden Core Elders.


    Likewise, Li Yuanba was one of the powerful and influential True Disciples, casually granted a set of Golden Core resources by Ancestor Lu, and with Elder Jian''s strong presence in the sect, he naturally disdained the items of these other True Disciples.


    And Ji Hongbo was indeed the child of the most powerful Golden Core Elder in Shushan Sect, with no comparison between the two.

 Chapter 397 245: Leaving the Pass

    Li Yuanba was considering matters while using his Divine Thought to clean Spiritual Objects, and he hesitated slightly as he opened a medicine box.


    Meanwhile, his original body, Li Shiming, was searching through the IBMz15 data for information about the Spiritual Medicine inside the medicine box, which was a thirty-six-petaled red flower that he seemed to remember seeing in a Jade Scroll record at Elder Ma''s place.


    "It''s a Youth Flower!" Li Shiming said to himself with a smile.


    The Youth Flower is a Second Grade Spiritual Medicine, but in some ways, it is even more precious than Third and Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines.


    Firstly, the Youth Flower is extremely rare, with particularly harsh growth conditions, and it is impossible for anyone to cultivate it artificially, making it rarer than Third and Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines.


    Secondly, the Youth Flower can restore a cultivator''s youthful appearance, an effect which might not be significant for male cultivators, but is considered an invaluable treasure for female cultivators.


    Looking at the preservation state of the Youth Flower, it appeared that this True Disciple had no idea of its value and had preserved it merely as a Second Grade Spiritual Medicine.


    Fortunately, the medicinal strength of the Youth Flower was abundant, so it wasn''t affected much.


    Due to the rarity of the Youth Flower, it was normal for an ordinary cultivator to not recognize it even upon seeing it.


    A cultivator''s appearance is essentially ageless, but being ageless and being youthful are two different things.


    Male cultivators don''t care about their appearance, so they usually let their appearance change naturally over time with cultivation.


    Female cultivators, on the other hand, use various nourishing Spiritual Objects to keep their skin in a youthful state, not just satisfied with being ageless, but aiming to preserve their beauty at its peak.


    When cultivators reach the end of their lifespan, their appearance ages rapidly, but by consuming an elixir made from the Youth Flower, they can maintain their youthful appearance permanently.


    Li Yuanba replaced the Youth Flower into a new Jade Dishware for preservation and did not pay much attention to the rest of the items, planning to deal with them when he had time.


    Li Yuanba then propelled his Sword Escape towards Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    This time, his journey was smooth without any intercepting Devil Cultivators.


    He landed outside Jieshan City and walked into the city.


    Last time he went to Jieshan Mountain Pass, he didn''t stay in Jieshan City, but his original body, Li Shiming, had been there, so he was fairly familiar with the city.


    Ju Chang Shop, a shop belonging to the Thousand Illusion Sect, was where he planned to get his pass this time.


    Entering the shop, the shop was bustling with the sound of abacus beads and the clerks'' callouts, giving it a market-like atmosphere.


    Li Yuanba, wearing a bronze mask to cover his face, naturally attracted the attention of the clerk.


    Before the clerk could greet him, an elderly cultivator at the early stage of Foundation Establishment came out and waved to the clerk, signaling him to go back to his work.


    "Fellow cultivator, may I know your business?" the Elder asked with a cultivator''s salute.


    "I''m passing through!" Li Yuanba said gravely, taking out his Identity Jade Disc.


    Upon seeing the Senluo Sect''s Identity Jade Disc, the Elder didn''t say anything further, took out a Jade Scroll and contacted it with the Identity Jade Disc, then nodded slightly.


    He gestured for Li Yuanba to follow him inside.


    "According to the agreement, you can use this pass to travel back and forth through the gate once, with a stay not exceeding three months. You must not practice any Devil Cultivator deeds in Righteous territories, must not kill anyone on your own accord, and if you do not return within three months, the pass will become invalid!" the Elder said, handing over a wooden pass.


    Li Yuanba took the wooden pass, which bore the mark of Ju Chang Shop, along with his simplified information and relevant notices.


    "The pass has a backup at the Thousand Illusion Sect''s gate. Don''t think about forging it!" the Elder warned again.


    Li Yuanba nodded. The territory of Senluo Sect''s Jieshan Mountain Pass was very close to that of the Thousand Illusion Sect, and Senluo Sect had some agreements with the three Righteous Sects.


    These agreements were made for the benefit of both sides. Only through such agreements could the Righteous and the Devil factions restrain themselves for mutual benefits and engage in some transactions.


    For instance, Li Yuanba, being a Golden Core Elder of Senluo Sect with permission to pass through Jieshan Mountain Pass, could find any one of the three sects'' affiliated shops and have a representative from one of the Righteous sects issue him a travel pass.


    With the pass, Li Yuanba could exit Jieshan Mountain Pass and stay out for up to three months before returning to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    This was a controlled exchange of personnel by both sides, which is easier to manage compared to uncontrolled infiltration.


    Infiltration carried risks, and with such opportunities for peaceful exchange available, cultivators would naturally prefer to apply for a pass.


    Having the pass, Li Yuanba didn''t need to endure the feeling of traveling in a cargo truck.


    At the gate on the Senluo Sect side, he passed easily using the command from Elder Jian embedded in his Identity Jade Disc.


    Then, there was a four-hundred li border area, which was normally safe unless there was a conflict between the two sides seeking a resolution in the border area.


    Four hundred li was a short distance for a cultivator, and soon Li Yuanba crossed the border area using Sword Escape and landed on the ground upon seeing the Righteous Gate.


    Whether it was the gate on the Senluo Sect side or this side, cultivators were not allowed to fly through; they had to honestly undergo inspection.


    Li Yuanba took out his pass, and as he passed through the gate, he sensed a Divine Thought sweep over his pass. The Divine Thought did not scan his body, just lingered on the pass for a moment before withdrawing.

 Chapter 398: 245 Coming Out of Seclusion_2

    Chapter 398: Chapter 245 Coming Out of Seclusion_2


    He walked through a nearly 200-meter-long passage, where he could sense the energy fluctuations of the Array surrounding him. If there were any issues, the Array would enclose him from all sides.


    Even a Golden Core cultivator would be unable to escape if they entered the Array with several Golden Core Elders stationed within.


    Although Li Yuanba knew he was passing through legally, the sense of the Array and the subtle feeling of being surveilled still made him anxious.


    Suddenly, he became alert because he sensed a malicious scrutiny.


    The other party must not be very strong; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have felt just malice without sensing danger, which meant there was no threat to him.


    Jue Neng Buddha watched Li Yuanba walking through the checkpoint passage below. He recognized this cultivator with the bronze mask¡ªit was this very cultivator who had slain many of his fellow sect members in the great battle between Senluo Sect and Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s Foundation Establishment cultivators a year ago.


    Jue Neng Buddha had also participated in that battle and had seen Li Yuanba from afar.


    At that time, feeling intimidated upon seeing Li Yuanba slay multiple Buddha figures, Jue Neng Buddha had kept his distance and had no contact with him.


    For a long time afterward, Li Yuanba became the demon in his mind, and it took nearly three months for him to recover.


    Li Yuanba walked steadily through the passage, leaving the checkpoint without any hesitation, the feeling of being watched by several Golden Core cultivators making his scalp tingle.


    At least until he became a Golden Core cultivator himself, he reminded himself to avoid getting too close to unfamiliar Golden Core cultivators¡ªthe psychological pressure was simply too great.


    Once he was out of the checkpoint, he used Sword Escape to speed up and leave.


    As his figure was about to vanish, an Arhat arrived with Jue Neng Buddha, but unfortunately, Jue Neng Buddha¡¯s report came too slowly, and they couldn¡¯t stop him.


    Of course, at the checkpoint, even if there were complaints, the other Golden Core cultivators stationed there wouldn¡¯t allow an Arhat of that level to deal with Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivators. Li Yuanba had entered through official channels, after all.


    Although the agreement between the Righteous Path and Devil Cultivators isn¡¯t always fully respected, to act in violation of the agreement still requires some level of disguise because the Righteous Path does not want to be known as untrustworthy.


    Li Yuanba deliberately avoided trouble; he suspected there would be problems when he was surveyed by the cultivator in the checkpoint passage.


    Once he left the checkpoint, with the speed of a Sword Cultivator unleashed, catching up to him was not going to be easy.


    Elsewhere, Li Shiming was preparing to head to Thousand Illusion Sect, as it was on the way, but learning about the Youth Flower changed his mind.


    He first went to a market to purchase other spiritual medicines needed for the Youth Flower¡¯s elixir recipe. The other ingredients in the recipe were not particularly valuable and were all purchased from just two shops.


    Inside the Flying Boat, having set the flying direction, he was set to meet his clone, Li Yuanba, on a mountain peak within Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s territory.


    He took out the ancient Jade Scroll he had purchased from the Cultivation Family market in Hang Clan, which had long been imported into the IBMz15, and after so much time analyzing, the results were finally coming forth.


    The information within the ancient Jade Scroll was encrypted, a method that was nearly impossible for cultivators to decipher, but after repeated calculations by the IBMz15, a pattern was found.


    The Jade Scroll contained a heritage called the ¡®Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡¯ To be honest, he was extremely disappointed to find that it was a cultivation technique.


    With his standing in Shushan Sect, he could have access to the sect¡¯s most powerful Inheritance Techniques if he wished.


    While the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ he was currently practicing was not as powerful as the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ practiced by his clone Li Yuanba, the compatibility of the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ with him was more important than the level of the technique itself.


    He remembered the moment when Elder Su learned of Li Shiming¡¯s affinity with the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡¯ he immediately gave up the idea of having Li Shiming switch to a stronger technique of the sect.


    ¡°The ¡®Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡¯ is not a complete cultivation technique; it is only complete up to the Golden Core Stage, with the inheritance beyond that being fragmentary, due to some damage to the ancient jade scroll that affected the content within.¡±


    ¡°This greatly diminished the value of the ¡®Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡¯ at most providing Li Shiming with some references.¡±


    ¡°But when the ancient jade scroll recorded the ¡®Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡¯ it also mentioned the ancient ¡®Five Qi Sect¡¯ and included a map of the sect.¡±


    ¡°Li Shiming didn¡¯t know how many years ago the ¡®Five Qi Sect¡¯ existed, but when he had the IBMz15 compare maps, he found this map differed greatly from modern maps.¡±


    ¡°If it were to be compared manually, there would be a high chance of failing to locate the ¡®Five Qi Sect.¡¯ The world¡¯s maps themselves were not so precise, not to mention the ancient map was unclear, making the comparison even harder.¡±


    ¡°The IBMz15 collected maps from Senluo Sect and Shushan Sect, combining them to create a relatively complete map of the Beishu Continent.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the IBMz15 was redrawing a more accurate map; any terrain Li Shiming passed through would have its geodata collected by the IBMz15 and added to the three-dimensional map.¡±


    ¡°Although this new map hadn¡¯t been developed much, the original maps were sufficient for the IBMz15 to find points of similarity with the ancient map and analyze the possible location of the ¡®Five Qi Sect.''¡±


    ¡°He discovered that the ¡®Five Qi Sect¡¯ was not located on the Beishu Continent but was instead about three hundred li offshore from the Beishu Continent.¡±


    ¡°If not for the IBMz15¡¯s repeated verification, he would not have believed this result.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s known that on the ancient map, the ¡®Five Qi Sect¡¯ was on the continent, and no matter how much the terrain changed, it shouldn¡¯t have been such a dramatic shift.¡±


    ¡°¡®Perhaps it¡¯s not the terrain that actively changed!¡¯ Li Shiming thought, considering that this world had powerful cultivators capable of moving mountains and filling seas; perhaps the Beishu Continent underwent a battle between powerful cultivators in the distant past.¡±


    ¡°This was inferred from the fact that Nascent Soul cultivators rarely battled on land, usually taking their fights up to the Thirty-Three Heavens, indicating the destructive power Nascent Soul cultivators could exert on the terrain.¡±


    ¡°Rarely venturing out, he thought about whether to visit the original site of the ¡®Five Qi Sect.''¡±


    ¡°Of course, this was different from exploring an abandoned residence, as cultivators¡¯ residences would be left with precautions against intrusion by other cultivators.¡±


    ¡°The original site of the ¡®Five Qi Sect,¡¯ however, might have long become ruins; he was going with the intention to pay his respects at the remains, without any expectation of significant discoveries at the site of the ¡®Five Qi Sect.''¡±


    ¡°Having endured countless years and even a change in the continental terrain, sinking into the seafloor, it would be good enough if he could see any remnants of the original sect.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡¯ wasn¡¯t completely useless after all; its research into the Five Elements Spiritual Power had many unique insights, deepening his understanding of the Five Elements Power.¡±


    ¡°That was one of the reasons he was interested in the original location of the ¡®Five Qi Sect¡¯; he also wanted to see what kind of force had destroyed the ¡®Five Qi Sect.''¡±


    ¡°After traveling for six hours, Li Yuanba¡¯s mood relaxed somewhat, thinking there likely wouldn¡¯t be any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Just then, he suddenly turned to look back into the distance, where a Golden Core Level aura was rapidly approaching, heading directly towards him.¡±


    ¡°He immediately took out the wooden pass, his Divine Thought repeatedly scanning over it; only then did he realize that the wooden pass was made of some sort of material that blocked Divine Thought, thus concealing the array inside.¡±


    ¡°The array wasn¡¯t always active; it was only triggered after passing through a checkpoint.¡±


    ¡°So even though Li Yuanba was adept with formations, he hadn¡¯t noticed anything special about the wooden pass.¡±


    ¡°As Li Yuanba scanned the wooden pass with his Divine Thought, his original body, Li Shiming, also projected his consciousness over. With the IBMz15¡¯s help in analyzing the wooden pass through Divine Thought, they discovered the issue with the pass.¡±


    ¡°Based on the faint array fluctuations and the characteristics of the Spiritual Power pattern in the wooden pass, he confirmed that there was an array inside it that emitted a locating signal outward. As long as he was within the range of the Righteous Path¡¯s Communication Array, his position would be tracked.¡±

 Chapter 399 246: Rendezvous

    Zhi Ming Arhat''s expression was somber, like still water. Since the last time Jue Yuan Buddha and Jue Tu Buddha fell, and the Jade Foot Relics were lost, he had stayed at the checkpoint.


    He was looking for an opportunity to sneak into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to find Li Yuanba and take back the Jade Foot Relics.


    Qianye Temple already knew that it was Li Yuanba who had killed Jue Yuan Buddha, but Li Yuanba had been in seclusion within the Senluo Sect for the past year; otherwise, Zhi Ming Arhat would have long since sneaked into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and captured Li Yuanba himself.


    He had been waiting for intelligence from the Senluo Sect, but he had never expected Li Yuanba to leave the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and appear within the territory of the Righteous Path.


    When Jue Neng Buddha discovered Li Yuanba''s whereabouts, he immediately reported it to Zhi Ming Arhat. By the time Zhi Ming Arhat received the news, Li Yuanba had already disappeared without a trace.


    Zhi Ming Arhat used some resources to obtain the positioning information within Li Yuanba''s travel permit, and then set out in pursuit once again.


    Indeed, every wooden travel permit contains a positioning Array. This was designed to track Devil Cultivators who caused trouble within the territory of the Righteous Path, to ensure they could be found.


    Because the energy fluctuations from the positioning Array within the wooden travel permit were interfered with by various anti-counterfeiting and durability Arrays on the permit itself, and the Array''s own fluctuations were extremely weak, it was certain that any tampering had never been discovered.


    Every use of the positioning feature on the wooden travel permit carried the risk of exposing the permit''s location, so the Righteous Path would not use this function unless absolutely necessary; it was only meant for monitoring.


    Zhi Ming Arhat also asked to use this function solely for the sake of the Jade Foot Relics and to inherit the Divine Foot Skill.


    With strength equivalent to the Golden Core Stage, he believed that capturing Li Yuanba, who was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, would be easy.


    Though Li Yuanba''s Sword Escape speed was fast, Zhi Ming Arhat''s speed was considered upper class even among Golden Core Level cultivators. After applying for the positioning Array information, he caught up with Li Yuanba in just three two-hour periods.


    Zhi Ming Arhat caught a distant glimpse of Li Yuanba''s figure, and couldn''t suppress the thrill in his heart, a flash of excitement crossing his eyes.


    "Amitabha!" he chanted a Buddha''s name, and his speed increased once more. With every syllable of the chant, he closed a significant distance with Li Yuanba.


    In his estimation, by the time he finished chanting the Buddha''s name, he would be standing right in front of Li Yuanba.


    This was the confidence of an Arhat, assured of his superiority over the weak.


    Sword Cultivators were indeed strong, and the speed of their Sword Escape was indeed fast, but that was relative to cultivators of the same realm. Under Zhi Ming Arhat''s overwhelming advantage of a higher realm, Li Yuanba''s speed seemed insignificant.


    Just as the last syllable was about to be uttered, Li Yuanba sighed helplessly, knowing that after today his troubles would greatly increase.


    Just as Zhi Ming Arhat was about to capture Li Yuanba, his gaze suddenly became one of extreme shock.


    Under his watch, a sacred white lotus appeared beneath Li Yuanba''s feet, giving him an ethereal appearance like an immortal Buddha.


    Two hundred meters ahead of Li Yuanba, a second white lotus instantly appeared. His figure vanished on the spot and reappeared on the second lotus.


    Enhanced by "Purple Qi Eastward" and having cultivated Divine Thought, his normal distance using "Step by Step Lotus" had reached two hundred meters.


    His figure flickered continuously in the void, vanishing from Zhi Ming Arhat''s sight with incredible speed.


    Zhi Ming Arhat stood frozen in the air, his mouth agape, lacking all the usual composure of a high monk.


    He did not give chase because he knew it was impossible to catch up.


    After all, it was the Divine Foot Skill''s "Step by Step Lotus," and though it was only at the initial stage of Divine Skills, it was still much faster than the speed of a Golden Core cultivator.


    Zhi Ming Arhat himself had aspired to inherit the Divine Foot Skill, but unfortunately, he had failed the test and, after one attempt, lost the qualification.


    A disciple capable of inheriting the Divine Foot Skill would appear only once every few hundred years, which showed just how difficult it was to cultivate the skill.


    Even Jue Yuan Buddha, who had mastered "Step by Step Lotus" before, took over ten years to master it. After that, he spent decades more to reach a level of one hundred meters per step.


    But look at Li Yuanba just now; he achieved two hundred meters per step.


    Li Yuanba had received the inheritance of the Divine Foot Skill right after obtaining the Jade Foot Relics, and the entire process took barely a year.


    To have cultivated "Step by Step Lotus" to such a level in one year made Zhi Ming Arhat begin to doubt the will of the Buddha.


    "How did he pass the test of the Buddha''s intent?" Zhi Ming Arhat stood in a daze for a long time before regaining his composure, as he confronted the most critical question.


    To inherit the Divine Foot Skill, one''s own study of Buddhist teachings had to reach a very profound level, withstanding the impact of Buddhist chants on the soul.


    It was already unlikely for a non-Buddhist Sect individual, let alone a Buddhist Sect like Qianye Temple, which specialized in the examination of the Divine Foot Skill. Even then, a disciple capable of inheriting the skill had to be chosen from thousands, followed by targeted cultivation over an extended period.


    When Qianye Temple conducted the Divine Foot Skill test, several high monks with profound understanding of the Dharma would assist. Even so, the success rate of inheriting the skill remained frightfully low.


    "Could it be the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva?" Zhi Ming Arhat muttered to himself.


    He no longer thought of capturing Li Yuanba; he needed to report to the sect that Li Yuanba had learned "Step by Step Lotus."


    According to his judgment, the only possibility for learning "Step by Step Lotus" so quickly was clear.

 Chapter 400 246: Meeting Up_2

    `That was because Li Yuanba was the reincarnation of a certain Bodhisattva, who in his previous life had mastered Divine Foot Skill, which is why he was able to cultivate ''Step by Step Lotus'' to such a level so easily in this life.


    Zhi Ming Arhat didn''t guess that it was the reincarnation of a Buddhist Venerable, because mastering Divine Foot Skill to the extent of carrying the divine skills through reincarnation is definitely not something a Buddhist Venerable could do.


    This was a major matter, a Bodhisattva reincarnated and fell into the Demon Sect, which was intolerable for the Buddhist Sect.


    If the reincarnated Bodhisattva were to be taken back to the temple, with the foundation of the reincarnated Bodhisattva, it would be inevitable for him to become a Venerable in the future, and there might even be a possibility of returning to his Bodhisattva status.


    If Qianye Temple had a Bodhisattva presiding, then Qianye Temple would leap to become the strongest sect on the Beishu Continent.


    The more he thought about it, the more excited Zhi Ming Arhat became, and he immediately contacted Qianye Temple, and reported this discovery to Qianye Temple.


    Not to mention Zhi Ming Arhat and Qianye Temple''s speculation about Li Yuanba''s identity, Li Yuanba, after displaying ''Step by Step Lotus'', finally managed to leave Zhi Ming Arhat far behind.


    This was his first time using ''Step by Step Lotus'' to shake off a Golden Core cultivator, and he found that the speed of ''Step by Step Lotus'' truly could surpass that of Golden Core cultivators, which greatly relieved him.


    On the other side, Li Shiming sensed his incarnation Li Yuanba''s encounter, activated the ''Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique'', and executed ''Step by Step Lotus'', no longer considering the rendezvous point, and headed towards Li Yuanba.


    His use of ''Step by Step Lotus'' was more covert, once the ''Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique'' was activated, as long as he was in the shadows, he could achieve the effect of invisibility.


    He no longer used ''Step by Step Lotus'' in the sky, but instead kept himself invisible on the ground, continuously teleporting by using various shadows.


    The distance of ''Step by Step Lotus'' had reached 260 meters, in such a distance, how could there be no shadow at all?


    With the assistance of IBMz15 making judgments for him, although the first interval of using ''Step by Step Lotus'' was so short that there wasn''t even time to think, his spirit had reached the level of a Golden Core cultivator, and with the help of IBMz15, he could maintain the highest speed while remaining invisible.


    This mode of movement was something he had thought of recently, to save his life in critical moments.


    Originally, it would have taken several days to meet up, but after the frenzied use of ''Step by Step Lotus'' by both the main body, Li Shiming, and the incarnation, Li Yuanba, they met within a couple of hours.


    The first thing the incarnation Li Yuanba did when he met up with the main body Li Shiming was to take the wooden pass into Li Shiming''s machine room space, and then they moved together to another location and set up an isolation and concealment formation.


    "Fellow, we meet again!" Li Shiming said with a smile.


    "Fellow, I need your help again!" The incarnation Li Yuanba also said with a smile.


    Since they are the same person, there''s no need for any formalities.


    Li Shiming took out the top-grade Spirit Pills he had prepared, all of them Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills for middle late-stage Foundation Establishment, enough for Li Yuanba to cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    Being able to have such accumulations, and Li Shiming still reserving his own portion, all thanks to Beishu Trading Company.


    He made Spirit Pills for Beishu Trading Company in a very large quantity, which a single sect could not satisfy in terms of his Alchemy capabilities.


    Beishu Trading Company is the largest trading company in Beishu with six major sects behind it, as well as partners all over Beishu, which allowed it to obtain a number of Spiritual Medicines that exceeds any single large sect.


    Of course, some of the Spirit Pill tasks that Li Shiming made were not for external sales but were orders from other large sects placed with Beishu Trading Company.


    Without going through the channel of Beishu Trading Company, these large sects couldn''t ask for Li Shiming''s services, since after all, Li Shiming is the True Inheritor of Alchemy of the Shushan Sect, and wouldn''t help other large sects make Spirit Pills openly.


    `


    It was precisely due to these reasons that Li Shiming was able to amass so many top-tier Spirit Pills in just over a year.


    After all, the supply was sufficient for both him and his clone, Li Yuanba, to cultivate; and in the future, he would continue to produce Spirit Pills for his sect and Beishu Trading Company. If there were ever any insufficiencies for his original body, he could make up for it later on.


    Li Yuanba had also prepared some items and placed them into a storage bag to give to Li Shiming. These included a complete set of resources for pill creation. Once Li Shiming''s alchemy skills reached the level of an Alchemy Master, he would be able to concoct them.


    Of course, the amount of Spiritual Medicine available for pill creation resources was, at most, enough to make three pills. This level of proficiency required the top Alchemy Masters, as an average Alchemy Master would do well to achieve a yield of one to two Spirit Pills.


    Therefore, the compensation given to Alchemy Masters for producing such Spirit Pills wasn''t just the allocation of the pills themselves but also other rewards.


    Li Shiming could entrust this set of pill creation resources to Elder Ma, his master, and he would immediately receive a complete set of Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills.


    However, he couldn''t guarantee that Elder Ma could achieve a yield of more than two pills per furnace. Additionally, he, as a disciple, would need to pay the compensation due to the Alchemy Master, as it was the rule among alchemists, and no one could break it.


    He wasn''t in a rush anyway, so he''d rather wait until he was capable enough to conduct the alchemy himself. In the machine room space, he was confident of achieving full yield, and with the "Hundred One-point Pill Technique," he would be able to obtain up to six of each type of pill in a complete set.


    The storage bag also contained a large number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators'' corpses, all of whom had been slain by Li Yuanba.


    The majority of these were Buddhist corpses, followed by Devil Cultivator corpses.


    Li Shiming was not far from the late stage of Foundation Establishment. He had already planned to refine all the Peak Iron Corpses, as his spirit was strong enough, and as long as he reached the realm, he would be able to suppress them completely.


    The reason he needed so many Foundation Establishment Cultivator corpses was to transform the Peak Iron Corpses into beings with three heads and six arms. With Nezha being a successful example, modification wasn''t a difficult task.


    It''s important to note that although Nezha had few opportunities to participate in battles, his performance was exceptionally remarkable, enhancing the Iron Corpse''s strength by at least thirty to forty percent.


    If Li Shiming hadn''t had access to so many Foundation Establishment Cultivator corpses, he wouldn''t have considered modifying the Iron Corpses. However, Li Yuanba had killed many cultivators in Senluo Sect over the years, leaving behind plenty of Foundation Establishment corpses. It made more sense to use these for his own power enhancement rather than selling them off.


    Given his current status, the resources that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could obtain were easily accessible to him, and there was no longer a need to sell off the spoils of battle.


    Especially since this time, after exchanging resources with his clone, Li Yuanba, he had acquired enough to reach the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment without having to worry about resources.


    The storage bag handed over by Li Yuanba also contained twelve Third-grade needle-shaped Spiritual Artifacts and the "Youth Flower."


    What interested Li Shiming the most was the "Youth Flower," which he had taken into the machine room space. The Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace in the machine room space had already been preheated with the Red Bright Spirit Fire.


    Concocting the Youthful Elixir wasn''t difficult. After perceiving the medicinal power of the "Youth Flower" in the machine room space, although it was his first encounter with it, he quickly became familiar with its medicinal properties due to his micrometer-level sensitivity and control.


    As he concocted more and more Spirit Pills in the machine room space, he was able to form a complete set of data with the help of IBMz15 for not just First and Second Grade Spirit Medicine, but even Third-grade Spirit Medicine, based on his experience and micrometer-level observation.


    This was a reflection of the growth in his alchemy skills. Now, even with new Spirit Pills, as long as they were within his alchemical mastery, he could easily achieve perfection.


    While there might be slight imperfections when concocting pills outside the machine room space, such possibilities were completely avoided within it.


    More than two hours later, medicinal power rose above the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace, and with precision, Li Shiming implemented the "Hundred One-point Pill Technique." Next to the ten forming Spirit Pills in the furnace, ten pill phantoms appeared.


    Spiritual Power gathered towards the ten pill phantoms in the furnace from all directions. He had long set up a Gathering Spirit Array in the machine room space, using Mid-grade Spirit Stones, ensuring there wouldn''t be an issue with insufficient spiritual power.

 Chapter 401: 247 Venerable

    Chapter 401: Chapter 247 Venerable


    Li Shiming carefully stored the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± in a jade bottle, all twenty pills were high-grade Spirit Pills.


    He took out two high-grade ¡°Youthful Elixirs¡±, gave one to his clone Li Yuanba, and kept one for himself.


    ¡°It seems that neither of us will experience a change in our appearances!¡± he said with a smile to his clone Li Yuanba, then swallowed the high-grade ¡°Youthful Elixir¡±.


    After the high-grade ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± entered his stomach, it turned into threads of heat that surged towards his skin and then disappeared, seemingly without any effect.


    He was aware that this was because he was already in the prime of his youth, so the effect of the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± was not prominent.


    But through Divine Thought, he sensed an inexplicable energy entering his skin, which must be the youth-preserving effect of the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡±.


    ¡°The visage you¡¯ve created for me seems like it will be preserved forever!¡± said the clone Li Yuanba with a smile as he removed his mask and also swallowed the high-grade ¡°Youthful Elixir¡±.


    Despite numerous battles at the Senluo Sect, Li Yuanba¡¯s unparalleled beauty remained unaffected.


    ¡°Like jade, a young gentleman unparalleled in the world!¡± the original Li Shiming, even though he often sensed Li Yuanba¡¯s condition remotely, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim upon seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s face.


    This was his most proud work of cosmetic creation, the most beautiful face developed by IBMz15, coupled with micro-level cosmetic techniques and the robust recovery abilities of a cultivator, resulted in Li Yuanba¡¯s unblemished and aesthetically perfect appearance.


    Unlike Li Shiming, after taking the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡±, Li Yuanba¡¯s skin flashed with a crystal-clear sheen, making the exposed skin appear as delicate as fine porcelain.


    Li Shiming had cultivated ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡±, turning his Taoist Body into a Pure Dao Body, so after taking the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡±, he only retained its long-lasting youth-preserving effect without altering his current body.


    That was because the Pure Dao Body had already brought his body to perfection, beyond what a ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± could change.


    Yet for Li Yuanba, who also cultivated ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡±, the outcome was entirely different.


    His human state embodied Supreme Yang, and his Corpse Refining state embodied Supreme Yin, it¡¯s not known which Dao Body he had, but its development direction was completely different from that of the Pure Dao Body, which is why ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± could transform his skin.


    ¡°Eh!¡± Li Shiming frowned as he looked into the distance.


    That direction was precisely where he had stored Li Yuanba¡¯s pass into the machine room space, where he left a surveillance probe that transmitted data through a remote communication network covering the areas controlled by the Righteous Path forces, allowing him to see the images captured by the probe.


    He saw three monks appear in that place, two of whom had the Arhat insignia of the Qianye Temple on them, while the third monk had no insignia, but the two were centered around him, indicating a higher status.


    It was when Li Shiming was observing the three monks through the surveillance probe that the unmarked monk suddenly looked towards the probe, and soon after, the image went dark.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t surprised; even he could sense covert surveillance, so drawing the attention of the three monks by monitoring them wasn¡¯t something hard to accept.


    However, this at least indicated that the monk¡¯s realm was much higher than his, and since the other two Arhats did not detect the surveillance probe, it gave Li Shiming a bad feeling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not a Venerable!¡± he murmured to himself.


    He looked at Li Yuanba, wondering if Li Yuanba¡¯s exposure of ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± had made the Qianye Temple send out a Venerable?


    This seemed far-fetched. A Venerable is a Nascent Soul Cultivator, and even in the Beishu Continent, a Nascent Soul Cultivator ranks among the top echelons. They wouldn¡¯t dispatch a Venerable just to deal with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, let alone a Golden Core Cultivator.


    ¡°Fellow, you¡¯ve got trouble. Better get back into the bowl!¡± Li Shiming joked as he gestured for his clone Li Yuanba to come over. Li Yuanba, with a sense of resignation, reined in his own aura while Li Shiming gathered him back into the machine room space.


    All traces of Li Yuanba¡¯s aura disappeared, which was the best solution; Li Shiming would then directly transport Li Yuanba to the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    ¡°Venerable Huike, it was right here that the Senluo Sect¡¯s Li Yuanba¡¯s pass disappeared!¡± Zhi Ming Arhat reported respectfully to Venerable Huike.


    Venerable Huike exuded no trace of spiritual power fluctuations, standing in the void as if an ordinary person stood on solid ground, not by spell but as if the sky itself was a tangible substance for him to tread upon.


    ¡°There¡¯s a presence of Divine Foot Skill here, odd, why are there two distinct auras of Divine Foot Skill?¡± Venerable Huike, whose insights dove deeper than those of the two Arhats, spoke solemnly.


    If Li Shiming¡¯s surveillance probe had not been destroyed, he likely would have been equally astounded.


    However, Venerable Huike did not assume there were two individuals who possessed Divine Foot Skill but rather considered the possibility that Li Yuanba had some secret technique for altering his aura.


    Because these two distinct auras of Divine Foot Skill had the same origin, his judgment was not incorrect.


    ¡°Venerable Huike, is it possible to track down Li Yuanba¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Zhi Ming Arhat inquired.


    ¡°Divine Foot Skill is inherently untraceable. If he hadn¡¯t lingered here for a while, he would not have left any aura behind!¡± Venerable Huike replied indifferently, shaking his head.


    Venerable Huike played with the surveillance probe in his hand, puzzlement flashing in his eyes.


    With his experience, he was acquainted with nearly all the techniques on the Beishu Continent, and even those unfamiliar to him, he could at least analyze their principles upon seeing them.

 Chapter 402 247 Venerable_2

    However, aside from a minuscule communication array that was nearly negligible, there was nothing else related to Spiritual Objects in his hands.


    Yet Venerable Huike was absolutely certain that a cultivator had just been spying on them through this object. This was a judgment he could not possibly get wrong after many years of cultivating Buddhism.


    Unfortunately, when he acted just now, he failed to control his strength properly, and the surveillance probe was severely damaged.


    Furthermore, no matter how he analyzed it, he could not figure out the working principle of the object in his hands, which prevented him from determining which power it came from.


    "You two wait here; I''ll take a look around!" Venerable Huike pondered for a moment, then instructed the two Arhats. His figure disappeared on the spot and appeared a mile away after just one step, then vanished step by step.


    The speed of Venerable Huike was unimaginable. He was using the Divine Foot Skill, specifically, a higher level of it called ''Distance Within Steps''.


    Qianye Temple took the report from Zhi Ming Arhat very seriously regarding the matter of Li Yuanba.


    To capture Li Yuanba, who had mastered ''Step by Step Lotus'' of the Divine Foot Skill, Qianye Temple even requested the assistance of Venerable Huike who had mastered ''Distance Within Steps''.


    ''Distance Within Steps'', although not reaching the Buddhist''s described extent of ''a step across the world'', could indeed cover a mile in one step ¨C a speed several times faster than that of Li Yuanba, making it no problem to catch him.


    Although the traces of Li Yuanba''s movements could not be found, for Venerable Huike to roam a thousand miles nearby in a short amount of time was definitely feasible.


    In his opinion, since Li Yuanba had left such strange surveillance methods behind, he must be hiding nearby.


    Sure enough, it didn''t take long for Venerable Huike to find a formation.


    The formation blocked Divine Thought and concealed its presence, all of which seemed like tactics Li Yuanba would use.


    "Amitabha Buddha!" Venerable Huike chanted as he pressed his palm down towards the formation.


    Li Shiming saw a figure appear at the formation and realized that the monk was the same one he suspected to be the Venerable. He hurriedly swept his Divine Thought over his surroundings, collecting all traces of Li Yuanba''s residual qi into the machine room space.


    He knew through Li Yuanba''s clone how terrifying the means of a Nascent Soul Cultivator could be.


    He even gathered all the items that could not be exposed into the machine room space, leaving only a Space Ring on his finger.


    He hadn''t expected Venerable Huike to be so inconsiderate. After observing the formation, he proceeded to forcefully break it.


    Li Shiming watched with a grim look as the one hundred and twenty-eight array flags he had made from second-grade formation materials were reduced to dust. Fortunately, Venerable Huike had no intention of harming anyone and retracted his power after destroying the formation.


    Venerable Huike was caught off guard when he saw Li Shiming. His Divine Thought swept over Li Shiming and spotted a mark on him ¨C it was the mark of a True Disciple of the Shushan Sect.


    He did not expect the person staying here to not be Li Yuanba from the Demon Sect Senluo Sect, but instead a True Disciple from the Righteous Path Shushan Sect.


    "May I ask why the master has broken my formation and destroyed my array flags?" Li Shiming stood up and questioned without any trace of fear.


    Venerable Huike did not pay attention to Li Shiming''s accusation. Even though Li Shiming was a True Disciple, he was not a concern for him.


    "What are you doing here?" Venerable Huike stared at Li Shiming and counter-asked.


    "The master is being unreasonable. I was resting here, and you destroyed my formation, yet you are questioning me instead?" Li Shiming did not answer but spoke with a heavy tone.


    Venerable Huike slightly showed annoyance, and an unparalleled pressure descended from the sky towards Li Shiming, attempting to force him to kneel.


    Li Shiming felt as if a massive mountain or an indescribably heavy weight had landed on him.


    Yet he did not kneel; instead, his body was forced into the ground by the terrifying pressure, submerging him up to his waist.


    He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes brimming with unwillingness.


    "I am a True Disciple of the Shushan Sect in Alchemy. Who are you, to bully my sect when it has no one?" Li Shiming loudly declared his identity, demanding an answer once again.


    He took out his Identity Jade Disc to prove his identity, which also displayed the energy fluctuations he had reported to his sect.


    Venerable Huike did not actually intend to harm Li Shiming; he merely wanted to press him for the reason of his presence, which was too much of a coincidence.


    Upon seeing the Identity Jade Disc and hearing Li Shiming declare his identity, Venerable Huike felt a tinge of trouble in his heart.


    With the status of Venerable Huike, even if he had killed a True Disciple of the Shushan Sect, the problem wouldn''t have been too great¡ªmost likely, some compensation and an explanation would suffice.


    But a True Disciple in Alchemy was different; they were a treasure to any sect. This was the same even in Qianye Temple; a True Inheritor of Alchemy is a future Alchemy Master, and killing one would mean making a great enemy.


    It could even affect the relationship between Qianye Temple and Shushan Sect, and under the current circumstances, if the two major Righteous Path sects held grudges, it might create serious risks when uniting against the Demon Path in the future.


    Venerable Huike held a very high position in Qianye Temple; he needed to consider the welfare of the temple, not just his own likes and dislikes.


    "Venerable Huike, Elder Fan Ting of the Shushan Sect will personally come to Qianye Temple to demand an explanation. Why would you bully a disciple of my sect''s True Inheritor of Alchemy? Are you provoking a war with the Shushan Sect?" Just as Venerable Huike was contemplating how to resolve the issue, a voice came from Li Shiming''s Identity Jade Disc.


    Elder Fan Ting, one of the ancestors of the Shushan Sect and also Elder Su''s master, was someone Li Shiming had never met.


    Unexpectedly, this ancestor used his privilege to directly issue a warning to Venerable Huike through the Identity Jade Disc.


    "Amitabha, the encounter with young Cultivator Li Shiming was but a misunderstanding. I will compensate for the loss caused to the young cultivator!" Venerable Huike said, reluctantly pressing his palms together in prayer after hearing Elder Fan Ting''s voice.


    "It had better be so, or else our two sects might as well have a bout!" Elder Fan Ting''s stance was exceedingly firm, so firm that it made Li Shiming quite unaccustomed.


    Li Shiming forgot that the Shushan Sect was one of the three great Righteous Path sects, and its place among the Beishu''s great sects relied not on anything else but its own strength.


    As it happened, the reason Elder Fan Ting ended his seclusion was related to Li Shiming.


    When Li Shiming previously sent a distress signal to his sect, it coincided with the end of Elder Fan Ting''s cultivation session. If not for that signal, Elder Fan Ting would have continued onto the next round of meditation, which could have meant an unknown period of seclusion.


    But Li Shiming''s distress signal let Elder Fan Ting know that his disciple, Elder Su, had taken a new student who was being bullied outside.


    Elder Fan Ting took interest in Li Shiming after reviewing his information.


    If anything were to happen to Li Shiming, Elder Fan Ting was prepared to intervene personally.


    Afterward, Elder Fan Ting halted his seclusion, met with Elder Su, and arranged some affairs.


    Yet, during this time, Li Shiming once again sent a distress signal. This time, it was a Venerable from Qianye Temple troubling Li Shiming, and immediately upon seeing the message, Elder Fan Ting responded.


    Elder Su, Elder Ma, and the other Golden Core Elders who were keeping an eye on Li Shiming all shook their heads and sighed at his luck.


    Especially Elder Su, who inwardly lamented that such profound fortune could be both good and bad. Other cultivators yearned to encounter a Golden Core cultivator outside, yet Li Shiming, in a brief span of time, not only faced attacks from Golden Core cultivators but now even a Venerable of the Nascent Soul Realm had appeared.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma were not worried about Li Shiming''s safety; with Elder Fan Ting intervening, unless Venerable Huike had gone mad, he certainly wouldn''t bother Li Shiming again.


    "When Li Shiming returns this time, he must be made to focus on cultivating in the sect and not go out again!" Elder Su made a decision in his mind.


    Li Shiming''s fortune was too overwhelming; at best, he might stumble upon an enormous opportunity, but at worst, it could endanger his life.


    Given Li Shiming''s current level of Alchemy, and since he was practicing Magic Cultivation, it would suffice to stay in the sect and rely on cultivation resources to improve his strength.

 Chapter 403 248: Thousand Illusions

    Li Shiming held a jade box in his hand, feeling fortunate as he watched Venerable Huike, whose figure flickered and appeared a distance away, then continued to move until he was no longer visible.


    Without the backing of Shushan Sect or an elder stepping forward, it would have been impossible to suppress Venerable Huike.


    What Venerable Huike used was indeed the Divine Foot Skill. Having received the inheritance, Li Shiming recognized it immediately.


    Li Shiming truly realized how formidable the ''A Step as a Thousand Miles'' ability of the Nascent Soul Stage was¡ªtraveling a distance in one step, this was simply the legendary ability to shrink distance.


    He knew that the intervals between each use of the Divine Foot Skill were determined by the speed of the cultivator''s brain activity; as long as the thought speed was fast enough, the Divine Foot Skill could be used continuously.


    This could almost place a cultivator who practiced the Divine Foot Skill in an invincible position. He longed greatly for the Divine Foot Skill of the Nascent Soul period.


    Of course, with Li Shiming''s current perspective, his understanding of a Nascent Soul cultivator''s abilities was merely imaginative, like a blind man groping an elephant.


    In his hand was the compensation given by Venerable Huike: after one hundred and twenty-eight Array flags were destroyed and the pressure of a Nascent Soul Great Power had caused him some injuries, it was impossible for such a Nascent Soul Great Power as Venerable Huike to really provide Second Grade Spiritual Objects as compensation.


    Moreover, Venerable Huike was also helpless; as a Nascent Soul Great Power, he wouldn''t have Second Grade Spiritual Objects at his disposal.


    In the end, with no other options, Venerable Huike gave a piece of Third-grade Profound Mace Secret Iron as compensation to Li Shiming.


    This was a gold attribute Third-grade Refining Material, with enough mass to forge a flying sword artifact.


    To say that Venerable Huike had handed over an artifact was an extreme generosity that even surprised Li Shiming.


    In reality, providing Third-grade Refining Materials was far superior to providing a finished artifact because an artifact forged by another party is always made to suit their characteristics and can never perfectly match one''s own.


    If he could refine an artifact that met his own needs out of the Profound Mace Secret Iron, it might even be better than any other flying sword artifacts he currently possessed.


    Li Shiming tucked away the Profound Mace Secret Iron. He didn''t leave immediately; he always felt that although Venerable Huike had left, he was still observing him in some way.


    He smiled faintly, casually throwing out the one hundred and twenty-eight Array flags, setting up a Formation again.


    He actually hoped Venerable Huike would come again and bring him another piece of Third-grade Refining Material.


    After all, he was in no hurry, as he had already reunited with Li Yuanba, who was presently very safe. It wouldn''t matter if he waited a while longer to send Li Yuanba on his way.


    Venerable Huike was indeed observing Li Shiming from a distance. He still harbored doubts about Li Shiming and even suspected that the one who had set up the surveillance was Li Shiming.


    Mainly, the location of Li Shiming was too sensitive, too close to where the pass that Li Yuanba carried had gone missing.


    In the Cultivation World, there are no coincidences; everything is connected.


    Being at the Nascent Soul Stage, the trustworthiness of Venerable Huike''s psychic senses was still reliable.


    If not for concerns over Li Shiming''s identity, Venerable Huike would have been ready to capture him and use measures to make Li Shiming confess.


    The Buddhist way has many methods to mystify the soul; with Venerable Huike''s level, making Li Shiming tell the truth would not be difficult.


    But Venerable Huike did not wish to proceed that way. The matter of Li Yuanba being a Bodhisattva reincarnation was significant, but the alliance between Shushan Sect and Qianye Temple was even more critical.


    The matter of Li Yuanba being a Bodhisattva reincarnation was still a guess. For the sake of a guess, to capture Li Shiming, a True Inheritor of Alchemy from Shushan Sect, and interrogate him¡ªeven if Li Shiming wasn''t greatly harmed afterward, it would still impact the relationship between the two sects.


    Additionally, using methods that mystified the soul would, to some extent, affect a cultivator''s soul, hindering future cultivation.


    "Venerable Huike, did you not find Li Yuanba?" Zhi Ming Arhat, seeing Venerable Huike return, promptly asked.


    "No, Zhi Ming, go and monitor that Li Shiming 120 li away in the Array; he is Shushan Sect''s True Inheritor of Alchemy. Make sure he does not detect you!" Venerable Huike pointed in a direction as he instructed Zhi Ming Arhat.


    As a Venerable, he couldn''t possibly monitor Li Shiming for a long time. He also believed that, with Li Shiming''s mid-stage Foundation Establishment strength, Zhi Ming Arhat was more than capable of monitoring him.


    "Venerable Huike, is Li Shiming related to Li Yuanba?" Zhi Ming Arhat asked, puzzled.


    Although the two cultivators shared the same surname, the surname Li was common, and while there weren''t billions in the Cultivation World, there were definitely millions.


    "It''s just a feeling. Shushan Sect values Li Shiming highly. If you discover anything, report it directly, and do not act on your own!" Venerable Huike, realizing the gravity of the situation, sternly instructed.


    "I''ll head over now!" Zhi Ming Arhat asked no more questions. If Venerable Huike said there was an issue with Li Shiming, there must be an issue.


    Li Shiming stayed in the same place for a day, appearing to treat his injuries on the surface. In reality, his injuries were very light; the Pure Dao Body accelerated the healing of his injuries, which had already recovered during his conversation with Venerable Huike.


    Deciding to leave, he collected the Array flags.


    Although he couldn''t precisely sense someone spying, he still felt somewhat uneasy; he suspected he was still being monitored by Qianye Temple using some method.


    He didn''t fly toward Jieshan Mountain Pass but changed direction, heading toward Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Li Yuanba''s clone had directly entered secluded cultivation in the machine room space. With plenty of top-tier Spirit Pills and the previous carnage, it was time to rapidly enhance his strength, and being in the machine room space did not hinder his cultivation.

 Chapter 404: 248: Thousand Illusions_2

    Chapter 404: Chapter 248: Thousand Illusions_2


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t use the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± this time; his head was a bit swelled. It was just that his clone, Li Yuanba, had used the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± once, and as a result, a Venerable Level expert from Qianye Temple had been dispatched to pursue him.


    If he were to use the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± and was discovered, Qianye Temple would probably not let him off the hook either.


    So this time, he honestly took out a Flying Boat, which smoothly flew towards Thousand Illusion Sect.


    The Flying Boat bore the mark of the Shushan Sect. Even within the territory of Thousand Illusion Sect, it would not encounter any trouble, so he arrived at the gate of Thousand Illusion Sect without any difficulties.


    Li Shiming had not informed Yin Shilan in advance. However, from the previous messages, he knew that Yin Shilan had not been in seclusion for cultivation these days but had been studying formations.


    He took out a Magic Artifact Flying Sword that he had refined during his Qi Refinement, left a message on it with Divine Thought, and then tossed out the Magic Artifact Flying Sword, which transformed into a streak of light and disappeared.


    This was the ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± Secret Technique from the sword cultivator heritage, recorded in the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡±.


    Of course, similar ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± Secret Techniques exist in other sword cultivator heritages. Although there are differences in application, the essence is the same.


    It involves knowing the general direction of the person who is to receive the message, using one¡¯s own refined Flying Sword to carry the message, setting the recipient¡¯s unique aura characteristics, and then letting the Flying Sword seek the recipient on its own to deliver the message.


    This is a means for sword cultivators to pass on information, which requires the support of Sword Intent.


    Li Shiming was quite fond of the ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± technique, which had similarities to the tracking missiles of his previous life.


    However, after research, he realized that ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± simply could not replace the function of tracking missiles. With his current realm, ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± could at most be used within a hundred miles, and the Flying Sword could not carry anything else.


    The idea of using ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± as a tracking missile was unfeasible, at least in the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± carries no offensive capability, otherwise it would have been blocked by Formation Arrays.


    When ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± encounters a Formation Array, it actively reveals a kind of goodwill, similar to how other cultivators signal to notify the master of its arrival, thus encountering no obstruction from the Formation Array.


    It wasn¡¯t long before a familiar figure standing on a familiar green Flying Boat appeared.


    Although she had become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Yin Shilan had not changed her Flying Boat, which was normal. The difference between a Qi Refinement Realm Flying Boat and a Foundation Establishment Flying Boat was not significant. It was only at the Golden Core Stage that Flying Boat Magical Treasures would appear.


    But not all Golden Core cultivators have Magical Treasure class Flying Boats. Magical Treasure class Flying Boats among Golden Core cultivators are considered luxurious, and only a very few with high positions, power, and wealth have the privilege of owning them.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er!¡± Li Shiming called out softly. In his eyes, Yin Shilan¡¯s pretty face was still as exquisite as a fairy in a painting, flawless and pure.


    ¡°Shiming!¡± Yin Shilan¡¯s face revealed a rare excitement, causing her cheeks to blush, delighted by Li Shiming¡¯s unexpected visit.


    The two gazed quietly at each other outside the sect gate, their eyes brimming with the joy of reunion after longing for each other, as if they wished to etch this moment into the depths of their souls.


    ¡°Junior Sister Yin, who is this?¡± an annoying voice shattered the rare, peaceful, and beautiful atmosphere.


    Li Shiming looked towards the person who spoke. It was a young cultivator, but after consuming the Youthful Elixir, Li Shiming was particularly sensitive to slight changes in the skin.


    With just one glance, he could tell that the young cultivator was no younger than a hundred years old, which could be discerned from the faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth.


    The young cultivator must have been using Spiritual Objects for skin maintenance to keep a seemingly young appearance.


    The young cultivator¡¯s strength was not weak; he was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and the front of his Vestment robe displayed the distinct mark of a True Inheritor.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, let¡¯s go to your cave dwelling!¡± Li Shiming said to Yin Shilan with a smile after seeing a flash of dislike in her eyes for the newcomer.


    Yin Shilan needed to live on in Thousand Illusion Sect. Li Shiming didn¡¯t wish to stir up trouble with a True Disciple of Thousand Illusion Sect and cause issues for her. He himself wasn¡¯t afraid of trouble.


    ¡°Who are you, and why do you address Lan¡¯er in such a familiar way?¡± The young cultivator saw that the two of them ignored him, his face alternating between shades of anger and paleness. Upon hearing Li Shiming¡¯s intimate address, his tolerance reached its limits, and he raised his voice to question them.


    The young cultivator was named Xiao Ke, a true disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    From the moment he saw Yin Shilan, he was besotted. Whenever Yin Shilan appeared, he would persistently try to approach her, hoping to become her Daoist couple.


    Aware of Yin Shilan¡¯s status as a true disciple versed in formations, Xiao Ke dared not cross the line but was persistent with his words.


    Luckily, Yin Shilan preferred solitude on her regular days. Aside from being in her cave dwelling, she would be learning about formations from her master.


    She didn¡¯t want to worry Li Shiming, so she hadn¡¯t mentioned Xiao Ke¡¯s behavior to him.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, let¡¯s go!¡± Li Shiming jumped onto Yin Shilan¡¯s flying boat, lightly supporting her slender arm.


    Xiao Ke¡¯s eyes turned red at this. In his mind, Yin Shilan belonged to him; Li Shiming¡¯s gesture had crossed his line.


    ¡°How dare you abduct Junior Sister Yin at the gate of the Thousand Illusion Sect? Despicable!¡± He wasn¡¯t foolish¡ªdespite his rage, he still thought of a justifiable reason to strike.


    Even if he faced questioning afterward, he would argue that it was a misunderstanding. Given his status in the sect, killing another cultivator wouldn¡¯t be deemed a significant issue.


    As Xiao Ke spoke, he shot a flying sword towards Li Shiming.


    He didn¡¯t use the illusion techniques he was best at since they took too long to kill, and he was worried that the sect¡¯s patrolling elders would intervene.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Yin Shilan exclaimed softly as a spirit artifact shield appeared in front of her, ready to block Xiao Ke¡¯s attack.


    She knew all too well that Xiao Ke was a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose combat strength ranked among the top twenty within the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Don¡¯t underestimate this top twenty; for a large sect, this meant he was one in a thousand elite.


    Yin Shilan knew that Li Shiming had also reached the Foundation Establishment stage, but how long had Li Shiming cultivated? At least a year less than it had taken her.


    While Yin Shilan was deep in thought, Li Shiming¡¯s Central Palace Sword shot out even faster than her spirit artifact shield.


    The Central Palace Sword first crossed paths with Xiao Ke¡¯s flying sword in the air, clashing and scraping against each other. The Thunder Sword Intent within the Central Palace Sword pierced through the defense of Xiao Ke¡¯s flying sword, and the terrifying thunder spirit power entered the flying sword, destroying its spirit imprint.


    Xiao Ke felt a sharp pain in his mind and before he could recover, the Central Palace Sword was upon him.


    Li Shiming knew that if he killed a true disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect at the sect¡¯s gate, even if he was in the right, it would likely cause significant trouble.


    Therefore, he showed restraint. After shattering Xiao Ke¡¯s protective spiritual power, the Central Palace Sword merely pricked him slightly before returning to Li Shiming¡¯s side.


    Just then, a figure appeared on the scene, and a terrifying aura enveloped all three of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter here? Why are you fighting at the sect gate?¡± A Golden Core Elder asked, his gaze sweeping across the three people present, pausing briefly on Li Shiming.


    Since both parties were true disciples, the Golden Core Elder did not immediately intervene.


    Replying to Elder Zheng, Xiao Ke attacked my friend without any provocation,¡± said Yin Shilan with a look of indignation as she bowed slightly.


    ¡°Greetings to Elder Zheng. I am Li Shiming, the alchemy true inheritor from the Shushan Sect. I was not aware of the strict rules at the Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s gate and that even with a true disciple as a guide, one could still be subject to a sneak attack!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s words were far from courteous, as no one would be pleased with an unwarranted assault.


    Xiao Ke longed to speak but as soon as he opened his mouth, his complexion changed, and no sound emerged.


    Elder Zheng took Xiao Ke¡¯s silence as an admission of guilt, and his expression revealed his displeasure. A true inheritor of alchemy from the Shushan Sect was of the highest caliber among true disciples. To lose face in front of them, how could his sect not be ridiculed by theirs!

 Chapter 405 249: Breakthrough

    Xiao Ke actually wanted to speak, he wanted to say the excuses he had prepared earlier, and add some words about how Li Shiming was overbearing and unreasonable. He thought that Elder Zheng would more likely believe him, a True Disciple of the sect.


    But he was unable to speak, for within his Spirit Lake, a Sword Intent had emerged.


    This Sword Intent was a Thunder Sword Intent, which darted about in the Spirit Lake, occasionally striking the Spirit Lake.


    The Spirit Lake is the core of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and any problem with the Spirit Lake could damage the foundation of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. At this time, constantly harassed by the Thunder Sword Intent, he needed all his focus to counteract it.


    If he became distracted and spoke, unable to suppress the invasion of the Thunder Sword Intent, he feared his Spirit Lake would be damaged.


    "Li Shiming, I remember now, you are the high-level alchemist from the Shushan Sect, I''ve offended a sect disciple!" Elder Zheng suddenly remembered who Li Shiming was, his face filled with a smile.


    Li Shiming had become famous within a year''s time; even Elder Zheng, a Golden Core Cultivator, had heard of his name.


    Any pill Li Shiming produced was guaranteed to be a high-level Spirit Pill, and he could refine them in large quantities, a rarity among alchemists.


    It''s worth noting that the cultivators who could refine pills in large quantities were those who crafted Spirit Pills one level lower than their own alchemy level.


    The ability to mass produce Spirit Pills of the same level as one''s alchemy level was indeed top tier genius among alchemists.


    "Elder Zheng, it was just a minor issue, and I must thank Elder Zheng for handling it justly!" Li Shiming bowed respectfully.


    Elder Zheng nodded with a smile, seeing Li Shiming''s humble attitude and he couldn''t help but looked at Xiao Ke with a disgusted expression, making it clear who was right and who was wrong without further words.


    Yin Shilan also thanked Elder Zheng profusely, then took Li Shiming inside the mountain gate.


    As a True Inheritor of Formation, Yin Shilan had her own mountain peak within the mountain gate, a privilege of True Disciples.


    After Yin Shilan took Li Shiming away, Elder Zheng was about to leave, but seeing Xiao Ke still standing there, he noticed Xiao Ke was injured.


    It was merely because Xiao Ke''s Flying Technique was still active; otherwise, without the ability to summon Spiritual Power in his Spirit Lake, he would have fallen from the sky by this time.


    Elder Zheng approached Xiao Ke, and extending his Divine Thought into Xiao Ke''s body, quickly discovered the Sword Intent in his Spirit Lake.


    "Go back to your master and have your master remove the Sword Intent. If your master can''t, let your master find Li Shiming!" Elder Zheng shook his head helplessly.


    Although Li Shiming''s Sword Intent was not deemed very strong, it was extremely pure and carried a thunderous effect, which gave even Elder Zheng a headache.


    Because the Sword Intent was in Xiao Ke''s Spirit Lake, removing it was extremely dangerous: the Spirit Lake is very fragile and one careless move could cause the Spirit Lake to collapse, completely damaging Xiao Ke''s Foundation, effectively ending his path.


    A Sword Cultivator''s Sword Intent has a very special effect; even after leaving the Sword Cultivator, as long as it is in a Spiritual Power environment, it can still last a very long time.


    Especially within a cultivator''s Spirit Lake, the Sword Intent not only causes destruction but can also absorb Spiritual Power to replenish its own loss.


    It can be said that as long as the Sword Intent is not removed, Xiao Ke''s Spirit Lake cannot be at peace; one should not think that the Sword Intent will vanish on its own, for the time the Sword Intent exists in the Spirit Lake definitely will be longer than the time Xiao Ke''s Spirit Lake can support the destruction caused by the Sword Intent.


    Xiao Ke is now unable to cultivate, as his Spirit Lake is simultaneously suffering from the destruction caused by the Sword Intent and the absorption of Spiritual Power by the Sword Intent. Once the Spiritual Power in the Spirit Lake decreases to a certain level, unable to resist the Sword Intent, his Spirit Lake will collapse.


    Elder Zheng assessed that his chance of successfully intervening was too low; it was not worth the risk to his own reputation should he fail.


    While they were speaking, Xiao Ke''s figure swayed, about to fall.


    "I will take you to your master." Elder Zheng caught his form with his Divine Thought, his face showing reluctant resignation.


    He would not, for Xiao Ke''s sake, compromise his own prestige to seek out Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming, a future Alchemy Master, was someone even a Golden Core cultivator like him needed to foster good relations with, in case a need arose in the future.


    Even if he never seeks out Li Shiming, with the network of an Alchemy Master, Elder Zheng did not want to offend Li Shiming over Xiao Ke.


    Not to mention Elder Zheng escorting Xiao Ke to see his master, on the other side, Yin Shilan and Li Shiming were flying inside the Thousand Illusion Sect mountain gate and soon arrived at Yin Shilan''s mountain peak.


    "That''s where my master''s cave dwelling is located, those are my three senior sisters'' cave dwellings, and this is where my cave dwelling is!" Yin Shilan introduced everything to Li Shiming along the way.


    The layout of the Thousand Illusion Sect mirrored that of the Shushan Sect: Golden Core cultivators occupied a range of mountains with the main peak occupied by a Golden Core cultivator, the surrounding peaks were the cave dwellings of their disciples.


    What caught Li Shiming''s attention was the large formation here, which was somewhat different from the formations he had encountered before.


    He saw clouds swirling between the mountain peaks, from time to time, immortal cranes glided through the clouds, yet he could not sense any life force from them; the cranes must have been illusions, and even the clouds were similar.


    The Flying Boat descended at Yin Shilan''s peak, and she led Li Shiming to sit in the pavilion at the summit, her favorite spot for solitude, where the most beautiful scenery could be viewed.


    "Truly a fairyland!" Whether it was the influence of the grand formation or the place itself was naturally charming, Li Shiming couldn''t help but praise after sitting down in the pavilion.

 Chapter 406 249: Breakthrough_2

    "I have a Spiritual Spring on this mountain peak, even senior sisters come by often to ask for some. I had someone fetch it so I can make you a cup of Spiritual Tea for you to taste!" Yin Shilan noticed Li Shiming enjoyed the scenery here, her eyes sparkled with joy as she said with a light laugh.


    "Recently, I acquired some fine tea leaves and have been reluctant to drink them; we just need to get the Spiritual Spring water, and we can enjoy this fine tea together!" Li Shiming took out a jade box, speaking with evident happiness.


    This jade box contained Third Grade Spirit Tea that Ji Hongbo had acquired from his storage bracelet a few days prior, which was generally reserved for Golden Core cultivators to entertain friends. Foundation Establishment Cultivators rarely had the opportunity to taste it.


    Even as a True Disciple, she couldn''t access the resources of a Golden Core cultivator.


    Yin Shilan didn''t refuse. In their relationship, sharing precious items only added joy.


    However, when Li Shiming opened the jade box, she was still surprised.


    "This is Third Grade Spirit Tea!" she exclaimed softly.


    As cultivators, they all cherished Spirit Tea, which had some beneficial effects on a cultivator''s spirit. The finest Spirit Teas could even rival the top Spirit Pills.


    Each type of Spirit Tea had the best effect when tasted for the first time; the effect was much weaker when drunk subsequently, which is why the finest Spirit Teas were usually reserved for entertaining guests¡ªadding to their preciousness.


    "Shiming, let me brew it!" Yin Shilan took the jade box from Li Shiming''s hands as a female attendant brought over the spiritual spring water.


    After the female attendant brought the spiritual spring water, she gave Li Shiming a curious look before leaving softly.


    Unlike Li Shiming, who had hardly ever enjoyed the service of others in his otherworldly life, Yin Shilan had enjoyed the best of everything since birth. Therefore, as a True Disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect, she chose attendants who also served her.


    Li Shiming watched as Yin Shilan took a small spoon made of spirit bamboo, picked a spirit tea leaf from the jade box, and placed one in each of their jade cups.


    There were just over ten leaves in the jade box, but this was already quite a lot. One leaf of Third Grade Spirit Tea was sufficient to brew a cup, and the leaves in the box were enough for entertaining six to seven times.


    This was not Ji Hongbo''s Spirit Tea; even though he was a Golden Core Elder''s son, Elder Ji wouldn''t possibly allocate Third Grade Spirit Tea to Ji Hongbo.


    This Third Grade Spirit Tea was a sect resource Ji Hongbo collected on behalf of Elder Ji. Normally, Elder Ji''s cultivation required a lot of time, and Ji Hongbo was in charge of collecting resources on his behalf.


    This allowed Li Shiming to enjoy such a privilege, which would otherwise have been impossible to obtain from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Yin Shilan''s movements were calm and graceful, without a trace of worldly dust, and Li Shiming watched her, feeling a deep sense of peace and hoping it would continue indefinitely. For a moment, he was even captivated.


    "Shiming!" When Yin Shilan looked up, what she saw a pair of eyes filled with deep affection, causing her cheeks to flush. She placed a cup of the brewed Spiritual Tea in front of Li Shiming, speaking softly.


    "Lan''er, taste the tea!" Li Shiming, having come to his senses, said with a light laugh.


    Upon tasting the Third Grade Spirit Tea, Li Shiming''s internal Spiritual Power surged tumultuously. His concealed mastery of the "Demon Shadow Buddha Form Technique" could no longer be maintained, and his power, nearing the peak of Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, was fully revealed.


    He wasn''t worried about Yin Shilan discovering his cultivation level; instead, he focused on the changes the Third Grade Spirit Tea brought to his Spirit Lake.


    He had been on the verge of a breakthrough to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and the Spirit Tea instantly filled his Spirit Lake to bursting. Since his Spiritual Power was exceptionally pure, he didn''t need to compress it like other Foundation Establishment Cultivators. At that moment, he sensed the opportunity for a breakthrough.


    On the other hand, Yin Shilan was at the peak of Early-stage Foundation Establishment,an achievement she had reached through her own cultivation talent, resources from being a True Disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect, and support from her master, Master Luo, within just a few years.


    The Third Grade Spirit Tea provided Li Shiming with a significant opportunity for enhancement, as it did for Yin Shilan; and both sensed the chance for a breakthrough.


    "To my cultivation room!" Yin Shilan knew how critical a breakthrough was; she suppressed the surging Spiritual Energy within her and spoke to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming likewise restrained the surging Spiritual Energy within him, his Divine Thought lifting Yin Shilan as he moved¡ªthey worried that any careless movement might affect her.


    Suddenly, a white lotus appeared beneath him, and then another appeared in front of the cave dwelling.


    Yin Shilan did not resist at all, feeling a sweet sense of being cared for, and when she reached the cave dwelling, she opened it.


    The white lotus appeared again in the cultivation room, with Li Shiming bringing Yin Shilan inside.


    The Spiritual Energy here was abundant, supplemented by a Formation laid by Yin Shilan that locked the Spiritual Energy inside, making the Energy in this cultivation room much denser than in a normal True Inheritor''s room.


    Upon entering the cultivation room, both began their breakthroughs.


    Yin Shilan''s junior sister, Liang Yexuan, though not sharing the same master, was very close to her owing to their similar ages.


    Liang Yexuan usually didn''t need to announce her visits to Yin Shilan''s mountain; she had the permission to come and go, and similarly, Yin Shilan could enter and leave her mountain as well.


    However, their personal cave dwellings were private, so entry still required the owner''s permission.


    Liang Yexuan knew that Yin Shilan was recently free, so whenever she had time, she would come to play with her. Even though they were cultivators, girls of their age still needed to interact with peers.


    As usual, she entered the mountain and reached the pavilion to find two cups of Spiritual Tea.


    "Oh, so you were here enjoying fine tea without me!" Liang Yexuan arrived at the pavilion, spotted a pair of jade cups, and smelled the lingering Spiritual Energy. She frowned slightly and muttered her annoyance.


    Her father was a Golden Core Elder, and she had tasted Third Grade Spirit Tea as well, but her slight annoyance wasn''t due to the tea itself. Given her relationship with Yin Shilan, in the sect, they usually enjoyed such teas together.


    Of course, this was just a flicker of childish emotion, not real anger.


    She looked around and didn''t see Yin Shilan anywhere.


    Yin Shilan''s female attendant, having noticed her master hosting a male cultivator and their very intimate behavior, had wisely stayed away, so Liang Yexuan found neither the attendant nor anyone else on the entire mountain peak.


    Feeling annoyed, she stormed to the front of Yin Shilan''s cave dwelling, cast a spell inside, and waited. When Yin Shilan did not appear, her face puffed up with irritation.


    She stood outside the cave, guarding it, waiting for Yin Shilan to explain herself.


    This feeling was like a close friend teaming up with another friend without telling her, leaving her with a strong feeling of being abandoned.


    Inside the cultivation room, Li Shiming slowly opened his eyes and saw that Yin Shilan was also looking at him.


    "You''ve reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment already, that''s so fast!" said Yin Shilan with an admiring tone.


    She wasn''t surprised that Li Shiming had enhanced his strength to the late stage of Foundation Establishment in just a few years since she was one of the few who knew how miraculous Li Shiming was.


    Back at the Heavenly Sea Sect, when Li Shiming first encountered Formation arts, he received a Formation inheritance from her and designed the Spirit Turtle Shield right there and then.


    Since then, Yin Shilan had watched Li Shiming''s continuous growth. Even in the talent-rich environment of the Beishu Continent, Li Shiming quickly made a big name for himself in just a short time.


    "I''ve prepared some Spirit Pills for you to enhance your cultivation speed!" Li Shiming did not explain further, as he had no intention of deceiving Yin Shilan, who was the most important person to him in this world.


    He took out a bottle of ten top-grade ''Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills,'' which were an auxiliary cultivation tool for the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to give more, but the issue of top-grade Spirit Pills related to secret space constraints in the lab, and he couldn''t reveal this to Yin Shilan, at least not until he was strong enough to protect both himself and Yin Shilan. Telling Yin Shilan about the lab space under current circumstances wouldn''t be beneficial to either of them.


    Ten top-grade ''Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills'' was a reasonable quantity, considering that the quantities of Spirit Pills Li Shiming refined were numerous, and producing dozens of top-grade Elixirs wasn''t an unimaginable feat.

 Chapter 407 250 Resources

    Li Shiming took out ten top-grade ''Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills'' and handed them to Yin Shilan.


    After examining the Spirit Pills, a look of surprise appeared on her face, but just as he had thought, she wasn''t too astounded.


    The look Yin Shilan gave Li Shiming became even more gentle, like water. The ten top-grade Spirit Pills alone made her feel the depth of Li Shiming''s feelings for her.


    "Here are two hundred high-grade ''Shushan Yellow Spirit Pills.'' I know you get cultivation resources at the Thousand Illusion Sect, and you can use these Spirit Pills for yourself or to give away. I am now a high-level Alchemist, and this grade of Spirit Pills isn''t much for me!" Li Shiming said as he took out a large jade bottle and placed it in Yin Shilan''s hands while explaining.


    Yin Shilan quietly accepted the gift without the need for thanks, just as she had once given her most precious Spirit Pills to Li Shiming. They both regarded each other as the most important person in their hearts, worthy of their investment and possession.


    "Guess what this is?" Li Shiming then took out another jade bottle with a slightly proud expression.


    "Whatever you give me, I love!" Yin Shilan laid her hand on his, her voice soft as she pressed down on the jade bottle and touched his larger hand.


    Probably only in front of Li Shiming would Yin Shilan utter such deeply affectionate words.


    "I obtained a Youth Flower a few days ago and refined it into a ''Youthful Elixir''!" Li Shiming didn''t keep Yin Shilan waiting long and said happily while holding her hand.


    "Is this the Youthful Elixir?" Yin Shilan was not one to show too much emotion, and her feelings for Li Shiming had grown stronger over time. But upon hearing ''Youthful Elixir,'' her beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened with excitement as she looked at the jade bottle in their joined hands.


    "Take it now!" Li Shiming urged, eyes fixed on Yin Shilan''s exquisitely flawless face, hoping to preserve that moment forever.


    "Mhm!" Yin Shilan nodded lightly, raising her hairpin in agreement.


    After taking a high-grade ''Youthful Elixir,'' she excitedly pulled out a round mirror to check her changes. Discovering her skin had become even more delicate, she excitedly embraced Li Shiming.


    The Cultivation Room was filled with a romantic atmosphere as they held each other tightly, enjoying each other''s presence without the need for words.


    A woman beautifies herself for the man who understands her. Li Shiming brought ''Youthful Elixirs'' to preserve Yin Shilan''s beauty forever and also made her abandon her usual composure.


    It was only after a while that Yin Shilan noticed the communication technique contained within the Array of the abode.


    "Ah, it''s Liang Yexuan!" She quickly adjusted her robe and tidied up her somewhat messy hair.


    Li Shiming watched her with a smile, for in his eyes, Yin Shilan was always the most beautiful.


    An impatient Liang Yexuan, upon seeing the Array of the abode open and about to speak, was caught off guard by the sight of Yin Shilan and Li Shiming appearing side by side, her words sticking in her throat.


    Especially after noticing the happy look on Yin Shilan''s face and her radiant skin, Liang Yexuan couldn''t help but speculate.


    As good friends, she was familiar with Yin Shilan''s skin. Seeing such a dramatic improvement in a short time and with Li Shiming nearby, she inevitably let her thoughts stray.


    "Shilan, did I interrupt something between you two?" Liang Yexuan''s face flushed as she waved her hand dismissively.


    If it weren''t for the fear of being impolite in front of Li Shiming, she felt the urge to turn and run.


    "What are you talking about!" Yin Shilan''s face turned red as she quickly went forward to cover Liang Yexuan''s mouth.


    "Be careful with your body!" Before her mouth was covered by Yin Shilan''s hand, Liang Yexuan managed to utter a phrase that made Yin Shilan even more embarrassed.


    The two close friends made a fuss for a while, and soon calmed down with Li Shiming''s presence, retaking their seats in the gazebo.


    "You''ve advanced to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment!" Liang Yexuan detected Yin Shilan''s realm and, glancing at the still uncapped jade cup on the table, understood why the two had retreated to the abode. Probably, Yin Shilan needed to break through after drinking the Third Grade Spirit Tea, so that''s why they returned to the abode.


    Li Shiming had long been using the ''Demon Shadow Buddha Form Technique'' to exhibit a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm.


    "Li Shiming''s cultivation speed is so fast?" Liang Yexuan was surprised by Li Shiming''s progress, recalling that he had recently broken through.


    "I am an Alchemist, I have no shortage of resources, so it''s normal for me to cultivate a bit faster!" Li Shiming answered with a smile.


    "I also tried Alchemy for a while, but unfortunately, I have no talent for it!" Liang Yexuan took his words to heart, speaking with envy.


    Yin Shilan watched as Li Shiming deceived Liang Yexuan and did not expose him; she understood that if Li Shiming was concealing his real realm, it was because he didn''t want others to know.


    And showing his true realm in front of her signified their mutual trust.


    Thinking of this, her face revealed a knowing smile.


    Liang Yexuan, seeing Yin Shilan''s smile, deeply regretted coming over when Li Shiming was present.


    Li Shiming and Liang Yexuan weren''t close, and he didn''t offer any Third Grade Spirit Tea. Such Spirit Tea was no ordinary Spiritual Object, and barring reaching the Golden Core Stage, he probably wouldn''t have much left.


    Should Yin Shilan ask, he would be willing to give all the Third Grade Spirit Tea, but even if it were Yin Shilan''s close friend, he wouldn''t actively offer such precious items as hospitality.


    Of course, if Li Shiming were to become Daoist couple with Yin Shilan, becoming one family, then he wouldn''t need to think so much about it.

 Chapter 408: 250 Resources_2

    Chapter 408: Chapter 250 Resources_2


    ¡°Shilan, how has your skin changed so much?¡± Liang Yexuan looked left and right, unable to hold back her inquiry.


    She had noticed that Yin Shilan and Li Shiming had not, as she had imagined, been engaging in pleasures within the cave abode, and even after so much time had passed, Yin Shilan¡¯s skin remained moist and smooth, vastly different from the day before.


    Such skin should belong to an infant, somewhat similar to that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, but as age increases, the skin slowly changes, losing that state unique to life at birth.


    ¡°Shiming brought me a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯!¡± Yin Shilan was, after all, a woman, and when her close friend asked, she couldn¡¯t help but share her joy.


    ¡°Youthful Elixir! The Youthful Elixir you¡¯re talking about?¡± Liang Yexuan wanted to express something, but for a moment she was lost for words and her speech became somewhat jumbled.


    But Yin Shilan understood what she was trying to ask and gently nodded to confirm her guess.


    ¡°Li Shiming, can I buy a Youthful Elixir from you?¡± Liang Yexuan immediately turned her head and asked in the most sincere tone.


    Li Shiming hesitated. Although there were still plenty of Youthful Elixirs left, he didn¡¯t want to squander them at will; to female cultivators, the Youthful Elixir was far more precious than the majority of third-grade Spirit Pills.


    That is to say, the Youthful Elixir could be exchanged for third-grade resources, and it belonged to those of extremely high value within such resources.


    He glanced at Yin Shilan, and she looked back at him with an apologetic expression. Yin Shilan had not expected Liang Yexuan to directly ask to make a purchase.


    Yin Shilan had been in contact with high-level cultivators since childhood, and she was clearly aware of the value of the Youthful Elixir.


    On the other hand, Liang Yexuan was overjoyed. A clever person as she was, after seeing Li Shiming¡¯s hesitation, she immediately understood that Li Shiming still had Youthful Elixirs.


    ¡°Li Shiming, just name your price for a Youthful Elixir, and I will meet it!¡± Liang Yexuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she spoke.


    ¡°One portion each of Third Grade Wood and Water Attribute Array Formation Materials; if you can meet these conditions, I can part with a Youthful Elixir,¡± Li Shiming pondered for a moment and forthrightly stated his terms.


    Originally, he had intended to exchange a Youthful Elixir for these two types of Five Elements Array Materials through the channels of the Beishu Trading Company.


    Since Liang Yexuan wanted to exchange for a Youthful Elixir, as long as she could provide these two types of Five Elements Array Materials, it would save him the trouble.


    ¡°Just wait, I¡¯ll go ask my father!¡± Not at all surprised that a third-grade spiritual item was needed to exchange for a Youthful Elixir, Liang Yexuan felt the price was fair and hurriedly used an Escape Technique to leave.


    ¡°Shiming, it¡¯s my fault!¡± After Liang Yexuan left, Yin Shilan apologized to Li Shiming with her head lowered.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that between us, it¡¯s just a Youthful Elixir!¡± Li Shiming smiled and waved his hand, worried that Yin Shilan was overthinking things, and he changed the subject. He took out a purple Jade Scroll and handed it to her, saying, ¡°This is a cultivation technique for refining Divine Thought with Spiritual Thought, not owned by our sect, but one I acquired by chance!¡±


    What he brought out was the ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique.¡¯ Yin Shilan was an Array Master, and since childhood, she had practiced cultivation techniques that increased her spirit. She had Spiritual Thought during the Qi Refinement Realm and now that Yin Shilan had advanced to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, her spirit had grown significantly.


    Although she had yet to meet the requirements for practicing the ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡¯ as long as her spirit grew a bit more, she would be able to practice it.


    He did not know whether the Thousand Illusion Sect had a Refining God Skill, but he was certain that even True Inheritors would need to pay a large number of contribution points to attain such a technique, something not possible without decades of accumulation and a substantial background.


    ¡°I also need a cultivation technique for refining Divine Thought, and I can¡¯t afford such techniques from within our sect!¡± Enticed by the ¡®Thousand-Hammered God Technique,¡¯ Yin Shilan forgot the earlier incident caused by the Youthful Elixir and her face was once again filled with a smile.


    After Liang Yexuan left, the tranquility of the pavilion with just the two of them was restored, with Li Shiming and Yin Shilan enjoying the scenery and sharing amusing stories from their time apart.


    But this peaceful time didn¡¯t last even thirty minutes before it was interrupted by a communication technique.


    ¡°¡±Is Liang Yexuan¡¯s work really this fast?¡± Li Shiming was indeed astonished¡ªit was two varieties of third-grade Five Elements Array Materials, unless she happened to have the items on hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s the master who has arrived!¡± Yin Shilan also seemed surprised, as she stood up and straightened her attire, answering while deactivating the grand formation.


    Li Shiming had met Yin Shilan¡¯s master before, that female Golden Core Stage Array Master, Master Luo.


    However, meeting Master Luo again was somewhat awkward, for although she had given him the chance to join Thousand Illusion Sect as a common disciple, he had chosen to go to Shushan Sect instead.


    Time proved that his decision to go to Shushan Sect was correct. Upon arrival, he became a disciple of the Golden Core Elder Su, and even before he began to compete for the status of True Disciple, he was taken in as a Registered Disciple by Elder Ma, ultimately becoming an Alchemy True Inheritor.


    If he had joined Thousand Illusion Sect, starting as a common disciple, he still wouldn¡¯t know if he could have achieved the status he now held in Thousand Illusion Sect.


    At least, the chances were slim; in Shushan Sect, he became second only to a True Disciple upon entry, skipping at least several years of hard work.


    Li Shiming had never been through the talent selection of a large sect, but he knew how they selected their talents.


    Every year, Outer Sect Disciples would be sent to the Inner Sect, and newly joined Outer Sect Disciples, no matter how outstanding, would have to wait a year before they could join the rest in the selection competition.


    The selection competitions were generally opportunities for Mid-to-late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators; new disciples in the early-stage Foundation Establishment, competing against those in the mid-to-late stage, had slim chances of winning, as one might imagine.


    Even if one could rise remarkably in the selection competition after a year, once inside the Inner Sect, they would have to wait another year before they could compete for the status of True Disciple.


    One must realize that the competition among Inner Sect Disciples for the status of True Disciple involved disciples who were Golden Core cultivators.


    After Li Shiming was taken in by Elder Su in Shushan Sect, had it not been for Elder Ma directly promoting him as an Alchemy True Inheritor, he too would have had to participate in the Inner Sect competition for the status of True Disciple.


    Even if one passed the Inner Sect competition in one go, it would still take two years to become a True Disciple.


    That is to say, if Li Shiming had joined Thousand Illusion Sect, he would now probably still be mingling in the Inner Sect.


    In a large sect, if one is not a True Disciple, the level of access they get is extremely low.


    Had Li Shiming not been a disciple of Elder Su, how could he have caught the attention of Elder Ma, how could he have been taken in as a Registered Disciple and taught Alchemy? All of this starts with having a certain status within the sect, which allows one to reach the level of a Golden Core cultivator.


    As he was deep in thought, Master Luo, accompanied by another Golden Core cultivator, descended outside the pavilion with Xiao Ke.


    When Li Shiming looked towards Master Luo, she also looked back at him.


    To be honest, Master Luo¡¯s feelings were exceedingly complicated at that moment. She knew back then that Li Shiming had comprehended Sword Intent early and was not weak in Formation, yet she still didn¡¯t think highly of him.


    Because Li Shiming¡¯s spirit root seeds talent was too poor¡ªeven if Li Shiming became an Array Master, being unable to become a Golden Core cultivator, two hundred years was the limit for Li Shiming¡¯s lifespan.


    To foster an Array Master, a sect needs to invest a lot, but by the time Li Shiming genuinely became an Array Master, he would have too little time left to serve the sect.


    At that time, with Yin Shilan present, Master Luo thought that Yin Shilan¡¯s talent in Formation was not inferior to Li Shiming¡¯s, and critically, Yin Shilan¡¯s spirit root seeds talent was far superior to Li Shiming¡¯s, making it natural for her to choose Yin Shilan.


    When she learned that Li Shiming had not joined Thousand Illusion Sect, she didn¡¯t feel it was a loss¡ªjust an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple, after all.


    However, Master Luo could not have anticipated that in just a short time, Li Shiming would become famous, his talent in Alchemy unchecked and booming, leading him to become the most renowned young High-level Alchemist in both Shushan Sect and the entire Beishu Continent.¡±

 Chapter 409: 251 Trade

    Chapter 409: Chapter 251 Trade


    What particularly caught Master Luo¡¯s attention was the sense that, while observing Li Shiming, his Array Formation Starlight Sea had nearly reached the level of an Array Master.


    Li Shiming was only a step away from becoming an Array Master, just one insight short of a breakthrough, which could happen tomorrow or perhaps not until several years later.


    But no matter how long it took for that insight to occur, the inevitability of Li Shiming becoming an Array Master was certain.


    ¡°Shilan, you¡¯ve had a breakthrough?¡± It was only when Master Luo was appraising Li Shiming and Yin Shilan that she realized Yin Shilan had made her breakthrough.


    Additionally, Li Shiming¡¯s strength also struck Master Luo as incredible; her senses informed her that his cultivation had reached the same Mid-stage Foundation Establishment level as Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve also just had a breakthrough. I drank the Spiritual Tea that Shiming brought, and I broke through!¡± Yin Shilan answered with a happy smile on her face.


    Master Luo¡¯s gaze swept over a nearby jade cup. She exchanged looks with a fellow Golden Core cultivator beside her, both somewhat astonished by Li Shiming¡¯s generous gesture.


    Even for an elder of a major sect like Master Luo, Third Grade Spirit Tea was a rarity obtained only once every five years or so, amounting to just over a dozen leaves; it was usually reserved for close friends and was not something offered casually.


    However, considering Li Shiming¡¯s status in the Shushan Sect, it was possible that he had access to rare resources like Third Grade Spirit Tea, normally reserved for Golden Core cultivators.


    Master Luo had few regrets in life, especially after achieving Golden Core status when she hadn¡¯t regretted anything.


    Today, however, she felt a twinge of regret. If only she had taken Li Shiming as her disciple back then, what great benefits he would have brought her and the sect.


    ¡°Disciple Li Shiming pays respects to Master Luo!¡± Li Shiming respectfully bowed deep, performing the junior¡¯s salute to Master Luo.


    Whether because she was Yin Shilan¡¯s master or because of the courtesy once extended to him as a Thousand Illusion Sect outer disciple, he held her in great respect.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t made use of that outer disciple status, it was precisely the guarantee of belonging to the Thousand Illusion Sect that had led him to travel the great distances to the Beishu Continent.


    ¡°Li Shiming, I misjudged you. If I had known, I would have kept you by my side!¡± Master Luo did not disguise her emotions and shook her head in regret, turning to the Golden Core cultivator beside her, she introduced him, ¡°This is Elder Niu, and this is his disciple, Xiao Ke!¡±


    Clearly aware of what had transpired, Master Luo made no attempt to use her slight connection with Li Shiming to plead for Xiao Ke. She simply made the introductions.


    The favor of someone like Li Shiming was extremely valuable, and she had no intention of wasting it on such a matter.


    Merely bringing Elder Niu and Xiao Ke along for an introduction was already a token of consideration for their sect affiliation.


    ¡°I pay my respects to Elder Niu!¡± Li Shiming bowed to Elder Niu.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I am here on behalf of my disciple to ask a favor. It¡¯s only right that Xiao Ke receives a lesson for his unbecoming behavior outside, but I plead for you to show mercy and dispel the Sword Intent from within him!¡± Elder Niu did not accept Li Shiming¡¯s kowtow as a junior, but replied with an equal salute.


    Upon Elder Zheng¡¯s return with Xiao Ke, and seeing the disastrous state of Xiao Ke¡¯s Spirit Lake, Elder Niu was extremely angered.


    But after Elder Zheng recounted the incident outside the sect gates, Elder Niu was furious enough to wish he could slap Xiao Ke to death on the spot.


    While other cultivators sought to befriend Li Shiming, Xiao Ke had gone looking for trouble, offending him directly.


    Still, as Xiao Ke was Elder Niu¡¯s disciple, it was imperative to dispel the Sword Intent within him regardless.


    After a thorough examination, Elder Niu dared not act recklessly; the slightest mistake could lead to the collapse of the Spirit Lake, ending the cultivator¡¯s path forever.


    So, Elder Niu turned to Master Luo, asking her to make an introduction, which led to this visit.


    ¡°Elder Niu, removing the Sword Intent from Xiao Ke is not difficult. I ask that you keep him in line and ensure he no longer harasses Yin Shilan!¡± Li Shiming was not looking to make a mortal enemy; he merely intended to teach Xiao Ke a lesson.


    Since Elder Niu had taken the trouble to come forward personally, and with Master Luo present, it would be improper to refuse.


    Although Master Luo was aware of the incident outside the sect gates, she was not privy to the reason for the conflict. Upon hearing Li Shiming¡¯s words, she fixed her eyes on Xiao Ke.


    She regretted again; had she known Xiao Ke¡¯s harassment of Yin Shilan was the cause of the trouble, she would not have bothered with his fate.


    Being a female cultivator herself, she naturally understood the difficulties female disciples often faced within the sect. She had assumed that with her protection, no cultivator would dare to trouble her disciple.


    ¡°Mr. Li, rest assured, as soon as we return, Xiao Ke will enter secluded cultivation for a year. If he disturbs Yin Shilan again, I will put an end to this unfilial disciple myself!¡± Elder Niu¡¯s face was difficult to read, and before Master Luo, it burned with shame. He fiercely glared at Xiao Ke and spoke.


    Xiao Ke shrank his neck; though his Spirit Lake was non-responsive, he could still feel the piercing gaze of his master and Master Luo.


    Li Shiming smiled lightly, his Divine Thought sweeping over Xiao Ke as he retracted the Sword Intent left within him.


    Both Master Luo and Elder Niu were inwardly impressed; no wonder Li Shiming had achieved such success in Alchemy. Even at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he managed to wield Divine Thought.


    Master Luo was now even considering whether Li Shiming should be re-tested for his spirit root seeds. Could it be that the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s test was inaccurate, misjudging Li Shiming¡¯s potential? Otherwise, how could such a talented cultivator, so outstanding in both cultivation speed and in the fields of Formation and Alchemy, have only been identified with a mere third-grade spirit root?

 Chapter 410: 251 Trade_2

    Chapter 410: Chapter 251 Trade_2


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Liang Yexuan announced as she had already activated the formation and was flying towards the pavilion on the mountain top from outside of the formation.


    When she saw Master Luo and Elder Niu in the pavilion, she couldn¡¯t help but stick out her tongue and quickly greeted them.


    ¡°Ye Xuan is still as impetuous as ever. What¡¯s the big rush?¡± Master Luo said, looking at Liang Yexuan with indulgence.


    Even Elder Niu¡¯s face broke into a smile, not at all angered by Liang Yexuan¡¯s irreverence, instead smiling affably.


    Unlike other True Disciples, Liang Yexuan had lived in the sect from a young age and under her father, Elder Liang¡¯s protection, all the Golden Core Elders in the sect were quite fond of her, having watched her grow up.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really nothing!¡± Liang Yexuan quickly stashed the jade box she had been holding into her storage bracelet and shook her head repeatedly.


    She was clever, and would certainly not bring up the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ in front of Master Luo.


    Her trade with Li Shiming hadn¡¯t yet concluded, and speaking of it, with Master Luo¡¯s wealth, obtaining a full set of Five Elements Array Materials, let alone just two pieces, would be no difficult task for him.


    She had finally managed to coax and charm two pieces of Third Grade Five Elements Formation materials from her father, and she could not let anyone else snatch them away.


    Watching Liang Yexuan¡¯s evasive actions, Master Luo chuckled and shook his head, not minding in the least. It was just a small secret among young people, after all.


    ¡°Li Shiming, Shilan, I won¡¯t stay here and disturb your reunion!¡± Master Luo said with a laugh.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I will also take Xiao Ke back and come to apologize later!¡± Elder Niu then excused himself.


    The two Golden Core cultivators left with Xiao Ke, while Li Shiming bowed in farewell.


    ¡°Almost got questioned by Elder Luo!¡± Liang Yexuan patted her chest, speaking with a sense of relief.


    ¡°Are the Third Grade Formation materials coming so soon?¡± Yin Shilan asked curiously.


    ¡°I wept in front of my father, and then he gave them to me!¡± Liang Yexuan said, slightly pleased with herself.


    She took out the jade box and handed it to Li Shiming, looking at him eagerly with clear expectations.


    Li Shiming, unapologetically, opened the jade box in front of her and inspected the wood attribute and water attribute Third Grade Formation materials.


    Both pieces of Third Grade Formation materials were top-quality and met his requirements.


    Of course, the Thousand Illusion Sect being a major sect, the high-ranking Golden Core Elders held resources beyond what outsiders could imagine.


    He felt a wave of relief, having now acquired all five types of Third Grade Five Elements Formation materials. He had also reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and only awaited crafting the Spirit Pill needed for his advancement to the Golden Core Stage. With that, his preparations for advancing to the Golden Core Stage would be complete.


    Then it would be up to his luck whether he could advance to Golden Core, as both resources and luck were crucial factors.


    Li Shiming took out a jade bottle and placed it on the stone table in front of him.


    Liang Yexuan eagerly picked up the jade bottle from the stone table, carefully opened it, and examined its contents.


    In her mind, she recalled the sect¡¯s records about the ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯ As a cultivator with her background, even if she hadn¡¯t seen a Spirit Pill before, she could still ascertain its authenticity based on the sect¡¯s records.


    After checking it, a look of ecstasy appeared on her face. What Third Grade materials? None compared to this ¡®Youthful Elixir,¡¯ a pill that could preserve her youthful appearance indefinitely.


    Any female cultivator would go crazy for a ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯ Trading it for just two pieces of Third Grade materials seemed a great deal to her. She even felt that Li Shiming was taking good care of her for Yin Shilan¡¯s sake.


    ¡°The deal is settled!¡± Liang Yexuan said as she didn¡¯t wait any longer and swallowed the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ in one gulp.


    Such a Spirit Pill was too risky to keep in hand. If any influential female cultivator saw it, who knew who would end up consuming it!


    It was safer to just consume it immediately, as its effect would be the same whenever she took it.


    Liang Yexuan¡¯s skin was visibly becoming supple and slick, its pores almost invisible, truly as delicate as a bubble ready to pop.


    She felt the transformation in herself, touching her face, her mouth involuntarily agape, not at all ladylike, but then again, she had never been one.


    ¡°Shilan, look at my skin!¡± She excitedly grabbed Yin Shilan, sharing her joy.


    ¡°Liang Yexuan, it¡¯s getting late, shouldn¡¯t you be heading back now?¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t indulge in Liang Yexuan¡¯s excitement, and instead reminded her.


    He had hardly come all this way and had not spent much time with Yin Shilan before he was being interrupted constantly.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m going to the other sisters!¡± Liang Yexuan said as she soared into the air, as hastily as her temperament, as quickly as she had come, that¡¯s how swiftly she left.


    Li Shiming was about to remind her not to speak of the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯, but Liang Yexuan had left using an escape skill, not giving him a chance to speak.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, it seems I can¡¯t stay for long, I should leave now, otherwise it could really lead to trouble!¡± Li Shiming knew that once the news of the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ spread, he would have a hard time getting away.


    ¡°Shiming, there will be many opportunities to meet in the future, I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Although Yin Shilan felt that the separation came too quickly, she did not ask Li Shiming to stay longer. She spoke softly.


    Li Shiming was moved, he gently embraced Yin Shilan.


    ¡°Once we reach the Golden Core Stage, we¡¯ll become Daoist couples, and we¡¯ll never be apart!¡± He declared firmly.


    ¡°Mm!¡± At this moment, Yin Shilan felt like the happiest woman in the world.


    The Thousand Illusion Sect had many female cultivators. This was related to the sect¡¯s cultivation techniques, many of which were more suited to female cultivators.


    True to Li Shiming¡¯s worries, Liang Yexuan had gone to boast to her group of junior sisters, and soon news of the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ exploded among the female cultivators of the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Shortly after returning to her cave dwelling, Master Luo received messages from many sect female cultivators, all asking about Li Shiming, wanting to meet him.


    She was puzzled why so many cultivators, especially these female cultivators, including several Golden Core cultivators, wanted to meet Li Shiming. Had Li Shiming stirred up trouble with so many sect cultivators in such a short time?


    After her inquiry, a female Golden Core cultivator who was in very good terms with Master Luo told her about Liang Yexuan obtaining a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ from Li Shiming.


    Upon learning the news, Master Luo stood in place, stunned. She remembered Liang Yexuan¡¯s nervous demeanor, not wanting others to know, and figured it must have been about the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ she was about to trade with Li Shiming.


    Master Luo regretted it deeply throughout the day.


    Had she only asked further, given Liang Yexuan¡¯s nature, she couldn¡¯t have hidden it from her.


    She touched her own face; one ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ could bring back the splendor of her youth. She was a woman too, and even if she practiced the Youthful Appearance Technique, it was not as effective as one ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯.


    Master Luo cared not about arranging meetings for those seeking Li Shiming, she disappeared in a flash heading towards Yin Shilan¡¯s mountain peak.


    She thought of Yin Shilan¡¯s transformation, which she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to initially. Now, it seemed likely that it was due to the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯.


    One for Yin Shilan, one for Liang Yexuan, if Li Shiming had distributed two ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯, then he must have taken one himself, suggesting Li Shiming should still have some ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ in his possession.


    Since Li Shiming was a high-level alchemist, there was a high probability the ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ were his own creation.


    Moreover, with Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills, a second-grade Spirit Pill was always produced in full quantity, meaning Li Shiming would have at least seven ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ left.


    With this thought, Master Luo¡¯s flight sped up. The two mountain peaks were close; it only took a few moments to reach the outside of Yin Shilan¡¯s peak, where she launched a spell.


    When she entered the formation, she only saw Yin Shilan alone, with no sign of Li Shiming, her heart sank realizing she was too late.


    Meanwhile, many cultivators from the Thousand Illusion Sect were looking for Li Shiming, and some were approaching Yin Shilan. For a long time, Yin Shilan would not know tranquility. However, that too was a kind of blissful nuisance.

 Chapter 411: 252: Corpse Refining

    Chapter 411: Chapter 252: Corpse Refining


    Li Shiming left the mountain gate of the Thousand Illusion Sect, unsure if the monk from Qianye Temple who had been tracking him was still around. He checked the sky, which was already turning dark, and in another half-hour, it would be completely night.


    He took out his Flying Boat, which carried him toward the direction of the Shushan Sect.


    After waiting for night to fall, he found an unclaimed mountain peak, dug out a cave, and set up a shielding and hiding Formation.


    Zhi Ming Arhat had been keeping an eye on Li Shiming. After Li Shiming entered the Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s gate, he stayed at the gate.


    Fortunately, since Qianye Temple and the Thousand Illusion Sect were allies, Zhi Ming Arhat had greeted the Thousand Illusion Sect, allowing him to stay close to their mountain gate without being expelled.


    Normally, unless officially visiting, a Golden Core cultivator lingering outside a Sect Formation is highly prone to misunderstandings.


    The Sect Formation is highly sensitive to the fluctuations of Spiritual Power at the Golden Core Stage, and no matter how much a Golden Core cultivator tries to hide, they will be detected by the Sect Formation within a certain range.


    Golden Core cultivators can exert certain influences on a Sect Formation. If several Golden Core cultivators simultaneously attack a Sect Formation when it is not fully activated, they could likely severely damage it.


    Therefore, all sects are extremely vigilant toward Golden Core cultivators who try to approach the Sect Formation.


    Zhi Ming Arhat kept watch until Li Shiming left the Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s gate, and continued tracking him until Li Shiming set up a temporary cave abode to rest.


    There was nothing unusual about this; with Spirit Pills, a cultivator doesn¡¯t need an environment rich in Spiritual Energy to cultivate.


    As a high-level Alchemist, Li Shiming would certainly not be short on Spirit Pills for cultivation, likely preparing for his daily main Cultivation Technique practice.


    Zhi Ming Arhat stayed not far from the Formation. He had a treasure to conceal himself, so he wasn¡¯t worried about Li Shiming discovering him.


    Li Shiming did not act immediately; he indeed needed time to adjust to the realm of late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Thinking that his breakthrough again happened due to Spiritual Tea, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head, no wonder cultivators place great importance on Spiritual Tea.


    Of course, the Spiritual Tea only played a facilitating role; in fact, he had already been very close to breaking through to late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Feeling the space within the Spirit Lake inside him expand again, the Spiritual Power that once filled the lake was now only one-tenth of the volume.


    This was the reservoir of Spiritual Power for late-stage Foundation Establishment, exactly ten times the total amount of Spiritual Power of a Peak of Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Moreover, each strand of Spiritual Power had greatly increased in strength; where the previous Spiritual Power was like water in liquid form, it was now akin to viscous oil.


    Although both are liquids, the density is completely different.


    In fact, the significant change in Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Power was due to the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡±


    It was the continuous purification by the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± that brought his Spiritual Power to the extreme of his current realm, making it equivalent to the Spiritual Power of a Peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    This had nothing to do with the total amount of Spiritual Power; even if he had just entered late-stage Foundation Establishment, he could exhibit the strength of a Peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Li Shiming both loved and hated the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±; loved it because it truly brought great benefits to him, keeping his internal Spiritual Power always at the peak state of his current realm, and having all Five Elements of Spiritual Power complete.


    Having all Five Elements of Spiritual Power brings considerable advantages, as he can almost learn and use various Secret Techniques without worrying about whether his Spiritual Power supports them.


    His hate for the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± lies in the fact that he found no identical or even similar phenomena in any sources, which brought many unknowns to his future, especially concerning the formation of a Golden Core. He was almost forced to forge a unique path for himself.


    This task¡¯s difficulty left him with no confidence at all.


    Thus, upon learning about the Five Qi Sect, he thought of visiting to see, partly because the Five Qi Sect was an ancient sect that specialized in cultivating the Five Elements¡¯ Spiritual Power.


    He doesn¡¯t even need to discover any Cultivation Techniques in the remnants of the Five Qi Sect; merely witnessing the relics left behind by the Five Qi Sect¡¯s gate allows an IBMz15 to analyze some situations, which can aid his research on Five Elements Spiritual Power.


    However, with a monk from Qianye Temple watching him, he naturally couldn¡¯t just boldly go there; if the ruins of the Five Qi Sect held something, he didn¡¯t believe that the monks of Qianye Temple would let him succeed.


    Moreover, he needed to send his clone, Li Yuanba, back to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains first; the attitude of Qianye Temple was too peculiar, and he couldn¡¯t ensure what would happen if Li Yuanba was captured by Qianye Temple.


    Although the clone Li Yuanba was not as critical to his main body as initially anticipated, Li Yuanba is still an important force for the main body, especially after learning the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± from the Senluo Sect, almost certainly becoming a top-tier Golden Core Sword Cultivator.


    Just like Elder Jian, capable of defeating multiple Golden Core cultivators of the same rank with his own power.


    Li Shiming now has different roles for his main body and clone; his main body is focused on secondary jobs, having achieved significant results in Formation and Alchemy.


    The main body seeks safety; if it falls, it is highly probable that the clone Li Yuanba will also fall.


    This isn¡¯t to say the main body¡¯s combat capability is weak¡ª at least in the Foundation Establishment phase, the main body¡¯s combat capability can absolutely suppress the clone¡¯s, with the Pure Dao Body providing unparalleled close combat defensive and spiritual enhancements, elevating the main body to the peak melee combat capability of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

 Chapter 412: 252: Corpse Refining_2

    Chapter 412: Chapter 252: Corpse Refining_2


    As long as he let his main body get close, he believed that even a cultivator at the half-step Golden Core who practiced Foundation Establishment would not be able to defeat his main body in close combat.


    Li Shiming¡¯s role for his clone, Li Yuanba, was to be in charge of fighting, to enhance his main body¡¯s battle experience and solve some troubles for his main body.


    While Li Shiming was thinking about these things, he took out some materials for Corpse Refining from his Space Ring.


    He was already at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment and could take the Iron Corpses from the Corpse Refining space within the Space Ring for his own use, completely refining all the Iron Corpses.


    Additionally, the body of the Jue Tu Buddha could also be refined into a corpse, becoming a force to aid him.


    He did not take out the body of the Jue Tu Buddha, but laid down a Corpse Refining Array within the Corpse Refining space of the Space Ring, and began the refining ritual on the Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s corpse.


    The Jue Tu Buddha had cultivated the path of killing to become a Buddha and had reached the strength of a half-step Golden Core.


    Even Elder Lv of the Senluo Sect valued the body of the Jue Tu Buddha greatly, and immediately prepared it for refining after killing the Jue Tu Buddha.


    Previously, Li Shiming did not understand much about Elder Lv, but after obtaining Elder Lv¡¯s Space Ring and discovering the Corpse Refining space within, he was certain that Elder Lv was a Golden Core Elder of the Senluo Sect who excelled in Corpse Refining.


    In the Corpse Refining space, there were ten Peak Iron Corpses ready for refining, as well as one Silver Corpse. If Elder Lv were given more time to elevate all ten Peak Iron Corpses to Silver Corpses, his strength would be greatly enhanced.


    A single Silver Corpse is equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator, perhaps far behind a true Golden Core cultivator in long-range attacks and magical techniques, but in defensive power and close combat abilities, it is enough to suppress cultivators of the same Golden Core Stage.


    If the number of Silver Corpses were to rise to eleven, then any Golden Core cultivator would be in great trouble when facing so many Silver Corpses.


    Li Shiming refined and claimed the body of the Jue Tu Buddha as his own, and after it was successful, he left it in the Corpse Refining space to grow by absorbing the Yin Cold Power within that space.


    After the Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s body was turned into a corpse, it was directly an Iron Corpse, and its defensive power and destructive power far exceeded that of a normal Iron Corpse. Even in his perception, it was almost on par with Jiang Chen.


    It should be known that Jiang Chen was the corpse of the Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi, refined into a corpse. Due to the limitations of Li Yuanba¡¯s strength, even after being made into a Life-bound Corpse Refinement, Jiang Chen¡¯s strength was only reduced to that equivalent to a Peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment Iron Corpse.


    However, after becoming a corpse, Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s defensive and attack powers matched Jiang Chen¡¯s even without reaching the Peak Iron Corpse stage, showcasing the huge potential of the Jue Tu Buddha Iron Corpse, even surpassing that of Jiang Chen.


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be called ¡®Killer Buddhi¡¯,¡± Li Shiming decided as he sensed the Iron Corpse of Jue Tu Buddha in the Corpse Refining space. Such an Iron Corpse deserved to have a name.


    Moreover, he would not modify the body of Killer Buddhi, because the reason why it was so formidable was the changes induced by the Sword Intent, which was the main reason.


    Even though Jue Tu Buddha was dead, the influence of a hundred years of cultivation to become a Buddha through killing would not vanish with death. After being transformed by the Corpse Refining, the Sword Intent became the foundational power of Killer Buddhi, the Iron Corpse.


    Li Shiming had learned from the ¡°Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡± and received the complete Corpse Refining inheritance of Elder Lv. He had his own understanding of the transformation of Jue Tu Buddha into Killer Buddhi, the Iron Corpse.


    Originally, Corpse Refining turned them into creatures that delighted in killing, and Jue Tu Buddha, who had cultivated the Sword Intent into Buddha, had transformed the Sword Intent in his body into every part of Killer Buddhi, the Iron Corpse, through refinement.


    If the records on the ¡°Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡± were correct, in the future, Killer Buddhi, the Iron Corpse, could continue to strengthen his Sword Intent through constant killing, completing Jue Tu Buddha¡¯s unfulfilled path of becoming a Buddha through killing in another way.


    Of course, ultimately, Killer Buddhi, the Iron Corpse that relied on Sword Intent for improvement, would certainly not become a Buddha, but instead would likely become a demon through killing.


    Li Shiming then began to refine each of the ten Peak Iron Corpses in the Corpse Refining space one by one. The corpses within the Corpse Refining space were very quiet, and even after losing their original master, they remained in a dormant state.


    His refinement had gone very smoothly, not encountering even the slightest resistance.


    Having collected eleven Iron Corpses in one fell swoop, plus Nezha, that made for a total of twelve Iron Corpses. Had it not been for the fact that his spirit had long surpassed the level of peak late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, he estimated he would likely be in a state of severe headache by now.


    Even so, he still felt a slight burden on his spirit.


    Nevertheless, looking at the twelve Iron Corpses that belonged to him in the Corpse Refining space, a smile appeared on his face.


    Currently, among the twelve Iron Corpses, ten were at the peak of Iron Corpse strength. Although the Killing Iron Corpse had not reached the peak, it possessed the combat strength of a Peak Iron Corpse.


    Only Nezha remained at the Iron Corpse Middle Stage, this being due to the fact that Li Shiming had just broken through. It was expected that in the Corpse Refining space of the Space Ring, constantly absorbing Yin Cold Power, the realm could be raised rather quickly.


    In fact, Elder Lv¡¯s corpse had not yet been refined, but Li Shiming would not consider refining Elder Lv¡¯s corpse at the Foundation Establishment stage because the corpse of a Golden Core cultivator had a chance of transforming into a Silver Corpse.


    He would wait until his own realm reached the Golden Core Stage before considering the refinement of Elder Lv¡¯s corpse.


    Thinking back on the refinement of Yun Xingyi¡¯s corpse, it now seemed somewhat regrettable; considering Yun Xingyi¡¯s body became a Peak Iron Corpse upon refinement, if he had refined it during the Golden Core Stage, there was a good chance he would have obtained a Silver Corpse.


    After acknowledging all the Iron Corpses as his, Li Shiming¡¯s task was far from over, as he had a detailed plan for Corpse Refining.


    He took one Iron Corpse into the machine room space. Having acknowledged the owner, the Iron Corpse was completely under his control and there was no need to worry about anything.


    Utilizing a Third Grade Sword Base as a scalpel once again, and using the corpses of Foundation Establishment cultivators brought by his clone Li Yuanba as material, he began surgical modification on this Iron Corpse to equip it with three heads and six arms.


    The defensive power of a Peak Iron Corpse was terrifyingly strong. During the surgery, Li Shiming had to let his clone, Li Yuanba, who was also in the machine room space, imbue the Third Grade Sword Base with Sword Intent to facilitate the surgery.


    With the prior experience of modifying Nezha, the transformation of this Iron Corpse was not a challenge, and with his now greatly increased strength, he finished the modification in just two hours.


    The newly modified Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpse was stored in the Corpse Refining space of the Space Ring and placed within the Netherworld Ghost Realm Array in the Corpse Refining space, where it received dual nourishment from the Ghost Domain and the corpse refining space¡¯s self-generated Yin Cold Energy.


    This was only the first one; afterwards, Li Shiming sent the Iron Corpses one by one into the machine room space for surgery, and one after another, the three-headed and six-armed Peak Iron Corpses were sent into the Corpse Refining space for nourishment.


    In one day¡¯s time, excluding the Killing Iron Corpse, the appearance of the rest of the Iron Corpses had changed.


    The Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses currently could not yet form combat power. They needed to absorb Yin Cold Energy for a while to allow the newly added parts to also transform into part of the Iron Corpse before they could possess combat power.


    After finishing all these tasks, Li Shiming also performed cosmetic surgery on the Killing Iron Corpse. Although the appearance of the Killing Iron Corpse had drastically changed after becoming an Iron Corpse, cultivators familiar with Jue Tu Buddha could still recognize its original form.


    Li Shiming was a True Inheritor of the righteous Shushan Sect, allied with Qianye Temple; he could not afford to give Qianye Temple any leverage.


    Therefore, changing the appearance of the Killing Iron Corpse became a necessity. Although the surgery was simpler, it was, due to the defensive power of the Killing Iron Corpse, ultimately performed by clone Li Yuanba, who had to mobilize all Sword Intent and Spiritual Power, wielding a Third Grade Sword Base to barely complete the task.


    Li Yuanba was capable of delivering a strike that could circumvent the defensive power of a peak late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and found it particularly challenging to break the facial skin of the Killing Iron Corpse.


    Fortunately, it was just breaking the facial skin, where muscular tissue was lacking, and since there were no particular requirements for the facial features, the surgery ultimately just involved adding several bone plates to completely alter the contours of the Killing Iron Corpse¡¯s face to complete the operation.


    One could imagine, in a true battle, how difficult it would be for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to break through the defensive power of a Killing Iron Corpse.

 Chapter 413: 253: Layout

    Chapter 413: Chapter 253: Layout


    Li Shiming took out the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace, and he did not prepare to perform large-scale Alchemy, but rather to delay time.


    Thus, the Spirit Pills being refined in the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace were ¡®Shushan Mixed Nothing Pills¡¯ at the early-stage Foundation Establishment. He estimated if any monk from Qianye Temple was tracking and monitoring him, and he did not take any action for a long time, they would probably come to check on him.


    He even held the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯ in his hand, which, in terms of life-saving, was actually a bit slower than ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ and had limited use for him.


    Zhi Ming Arhat kept watch outside for a day and a night, feeling something was wrong, there also weren¡¯t any Spiritual Power Patterns here. Li Shiming had dug a temporary cave abode here, and there wasn¡¯t much he could do.


    Even if he cultivated, it was impossible to continuously take Spirit Pills, regardless of the type, since they all required time to digest and could not be taken in succession for cultivation.


    ¡°Could it be that Li Shiming has discovered me and, using a Formation to conceal himself, has already sneaked away?¡± Zhi Ming Arhat grew more anxious as he waited, and couldn¡¯t help but think internally.


    It wasn¡¯t that Zhi Ming Arhat wasn¡¯t composed enough, but this mission was assigned by Venerable Huike, and Zhi Ming Arhat did not want any mishaps.


    Several more two hours passed, and Zhi Ming Arhat began to grow restless.


    Finally, he gritted his teeth, no longer concealed his movements, and approached the Formation outside the temporary cave abode, trying to send in a spell.


    This action was like rustling the grass to scare the snake; if there was indeed a response, he would have a reason to explain.


    A cultivator encountering such a Formation outside would either avoid it or test it by sending a greeting; this was a normal occurrence.


    However, given Zhi Ming Arhat¡¯s role, not long ago, Venerable Huike had made a move against Li Shiming, and Zhi Ming Arhat disturbing Li Shiming now would seem suspicious to anyone.


    But Zhi Ming Arhat really had no other choice, he had to know whether Li Shiming was still there.


    The spell entered the Formation and after thirty minutes with no response at all, it made him turn pale.


    He no longer hesitated and took out his treasure, channeling spiritual power and smashing heavily towards the Formation.


    The Formation was not particularly powerful; it was made entirely from second-grade materials used for Fabrication flags and at most could defend against attacks from Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Zhi Ming Arhat, a powerful Golden Core Stage cultivator, broke the Formation instantly with one strike from his treasure.


    The moment the Formation was broken, a loud noise came from inside, and the smell of burning mixed with the fragrance of Spiritual Medicine wafted out from the cave abode.


    ¡°My Spirit Pills!¡± Following that, a heartbroken shout of fury came from inside the cave abode.


    Zhi Ming Arhat truly had not expected Li Shiming to still be inside the temporary cave abode; he dared to break the Formation because he was more than 80% sure that Li Shiming had left.


    He had attacked the Formation just to confirm that Li Shiming was not inside the temporary cave abode.


    Li Shiming emerged from the cave abode, and his face changed drastically upon seeing Zhi Ming Arhat.


    ¡°Qianye Temple, this isn¡¯t over!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s hand flashed with the light of the talisman, and a long trail of his afterimage was drawn at the spot. His voice still lingered there, but his figure had already vanished into the distance.


    He activated the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯ without even giving Zhi Ming Arhat a chance to explain.


    Zhi Ming Arhat was left standing there dumbfounded, recognizing that it was an extremely precious life-saving talisman, the last resort left by a Golden Core cultivator for his True Disciple.


    Zhi Ming Arhat, clueless that this was all a setup by Li Shiming, needed to escalate things a bit; the endless pursuit from Qianye Temple was really giving him a headache.


    Being a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, though he had means to conceal himself, facing the Arhats and even Venerables of large sects like Qianye Temple, he couldn¡¯t ensure that his hiding techniques would be 100% effective.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t choose to use the ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ but instead set up this situation, using a ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯, costing him dearly, to confirm the assault from Qianye Temple.


    The effects of the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯ were indeed excellent; the energy inside carried him at an extremely fast speed, nearly ten thousand miles, faster than a regular Golden Core cultivator.


    Although the effects of the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯ were outstanding, its production was extremely troublesome; not to mention the difficulty in crafting the talisman itself, but even just the materials used in the talisman included some third-grade materials to achieve such an effect.


    When the effect of the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯ dissipated, he felt a wave of relief; that indescribable sense but spiritually unsettling feeling of being tracked was finally gone.


    Li Shiming first reported to the Shushan Sect about Zhi Ming Arhat¡¯s attack on his Defensive Formation and his forced use of the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯ to escape. He also attached a video recorded at the scene.


    He did not concern himself with how the sect would negotiate with Qianye Temple but used his Guest Identity Card to contact Cai Hong.


    ¡°Mr. Li, it¡¯s quite rare for you to initiate contact!¡± A hearty laughter came from Cai Hong.


    Cai Hong thought Li Shiming was reaching out to express gratitude to Beishu Trading Company. Not long ago, when Li Shiming had faced trouble, he had enlisted the help of three Golden Core cultivators through them, which he considered a good move to strengthen their relationship with Li Shiming.


    The value of Li Shiming lay in his ability to produce large quantities of high-quality Spirit Pills, a feat incomparable even to an Alchemy Master.


    Why Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Pills were extremely popular in the Cultivation World, always in scarce supply, was precisely because the quality of each pill he crafted was consistently of the highest standard.

 Chapter 414: 253 Layout_2

    Chapter 414: Chapter 253 Layout_2


    Even if each Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pill increased the effectiveness by just one point, it meant a significant gain for those who take them over a long period.


    Not to mention those life-saving Spirit Pills, an increase of one point in their effects could potentially guarantee survival.


    ¡°Manager Cai, I recall that when I signed the contract as a guest alchemist, I was allowed to choose my clients, correct?¡± Li Shiming asked indifferently.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Li, whether you wish to refine pills for someone or not, Beishu Trading Company will absolutely not interfere!¡± Cai Hong was startled, not understanding what had happened, but he responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. From now on, I want no alchemy tasks involving Qianye Temple to appear on my task list. If I find any, I will terminate my guest relationship with Beishu Trading Company!¡± Li Shiming instructed calmly.


    ¡°Mr. Li, may I know why?¡± Cai Hong, puzzled, asked.


    This was no small matter. The level of alchemy demonstrated by Li Shiming was almost absolutely top-notch among high-level alchemists.


    Moreover, the quantity and quality of Li Shiming¡¯s alchemical output were the best, six major sects had even customized a large number of Spirit Pills through Beishu Trading Company from him, gaining many benefits.


    Li Shiming intended to single-handedly blockade the alchemy business of the major sect, Qianye Temple.


    Although it seemed very arrogant of Li Shiming, it was actually feasible. Li Shiming no longer manufacturing Spirit Pills for Qianye Temple was Li Shiming¡¯s personal affair.


    Of course, this would offend Qianye Temple, and those monks were not known for their good temper, making Cai Hong worry for Li Shiming.


    Cai Hong wanted to inquire about the reason from Li Shiming¡¯s side and then mediate between both parties through Beishu Trading Company.


    Regardless of which Buddha of Qianye Temple Li Shiming had a conflict with, Beishu Trading Company could speak up and prevent the situation from escalating and causing more trouble.


    Cai Hong was also aware of the large number of Spirit Pills ordered from Li Shiming by the six major sects this year, which nearly handed over the bulk of the Second Grade Spirit Medicine to him.


    ¡°Just ask Qianye Temple what they have done to me!¡± Li Shiming said, and then he cut off the contact.


    Within Qianye Temple, whether it was Wisdom Flame Arhat or Venerable Huike, or even most of the Arhat Venerables, they weren¡¯t quite aware of Li Shiming¡¯s importance to Qianye Temple.


    The task of contracting out the Spirit Pill tasks to Beishu Trading Company was managed by the Wisdom Flame Arhat of the temple.


    For the past six months, Qianye Temple had indeed tasted the benefits; the Buddhas exchanged for the best quality high-level Spirit Pills with their contribution points, significantly boosting their cultivation efficiency.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat suddenly received a notice from Beishu Trading Company that the guest alchemist Li Shiming would no longer accept tasks from Qianye Temple and noted that this decision was due to the temple¡¯s own actions.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat was instantly alarmed as his Medicine Buddha Hall was in the midst of gathering Second Grade Spirit Medicine, preparing for a new batch of Second Grade Spirit Pill production.


    If Li Shiming stopped accepting tasks, then it would revert to the previous situation where the temple¡¯s own alchemists handled the production.


    And if the temple¡¯s high-level alchemists refined Second Grade Spirit Pills, having one-tenth of them being high-level Spirit Pills was already quite good, and even if they managed to produce high-level Spirit Pills, they would not match the quality of those refined by Li Shiming.


    Over the past six months, Wisdom Flame Arhat had saved a small half of the Spirit Medicine, just so that the temple¡¯s high-level alchemists would not run out of materials, thereby wasting the talents of those he was training.


    If they had to rely solely on the temple¡¯s high-level alchemists in the future, the Buddhas who had tasted the high-level Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming were likely to make a big fuss.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat hurriedly reported the matter, wanting to know exactly what had caused Li Shiming to stop producing Spirit Pills for Qianye Temple!


    The high echelons of Qianye Temple naturally knew the cause; at that moment, several Venerables and Arhats were deeply troubled as the Shushan Sect issued a severe interrogation.


    If one attack on Li Shiming was a misunderstanding, then a second attack aimed solely at him could no longer be considered such.


    Because of the assault by Zhi Ming Arhat from Qianye Temple, Li Shiming used the ¡°Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡± to save his life, and this result had already begun to affect the relationships between the two major sects.


    It should be noted that last time it was resolved by Fan Ancestor, but just two days later, they disregarded Fan Ancestor¡¯s reputation and Qianye Temple attacked Li Shiming again.


    At this moment, Li Shiming was urgently traveling through the night, thriving in the darkness. Using the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique,¡± he concealed his form, and the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± white lotus was also hidden, allowing him to move through the darkness quietly like a ghost.


    During the day, he still used the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± and employed the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± among the various shadows.


    After several two hours, he arrived at the checkpoint and expertly found a flaw in the previous defense formation, quietly passing through the formation to reach the border area.


    There he released his clone, Li Yuan Ba, and the two exchanged smiles and a courteous gesture before Li Yuan Ba transformed into a beam of sword light heading towards Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Li Shiming sent his clone back, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    No matter what Qianye Temple intended, with Li Yuan Ba back in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, there was no longer a need to worry about being captured by Qianye Temple.


    Moreover, after returning this time, Li Yuan Ba would focus on cultivating to reduce the time outside, which would lessen the opportunities for Qianye Temple to act.


    Li Shiming reentered the defense formation and returned to the area under the control of the Righteous Path. This time, his destination was the ruins of the Five Qi Sect.


    He still used a combination of the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± and ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to travel¡ªthis was much more discreet than using a Flying Boat.


    Now that he was under the watch of Qianye Temple, a major sect in the Beishu Continent with a sophisticated intelligence system, if he were to openly travel using a Flying Boat, it¡¯s likely he would soon be tracked by Qianye Temple.


    ¡°Venerable Huike, I need an explanation!¡± Fan Ancestor contacted Venerable Huike, his voice full of anger.


    ¡°Master Fan, we have no ill intentions towards young master Li Shiming; we merely wanted to investigate some information about a Buddhist reincarnation from him,¡± Venerable Huike hesitated a moment before explaining some of the truth.


    If Qianye Temple wanted to inquire Li Shiming about something, they could completely go through Shushan Sect. Instead, they attacked Li Shiming successively while he was out, forcing him to use even his life-saving measures. Is this the attitude of Qianye Temple?


    ¡°Could it be that my Shushan Sect should also employ the same methods to inquire about matters from Qianye Temple¡¯s Buddha?¡± Fan Ancestor angrily retorted.


    Venerable Huike also felt some regret. He had learned from Wisdom Flame Arhat that Li Shiming had ceased alchemy for Qianye Temple, something he had not been aware of before.


    He was even more unaware of how crucial Li Shiming¡¯s role in alchemy was to Qianye Temple, a matter involving Second Grade Spirit Medicine and the Buddha Stage; such matters were not typically his concern.


    Originally, Li Shiming ceasing alchemy for Qianye Temple was not a significant issue¡ªit was only a Buddha Stage Spirit Pill, and their temple had high-level alchemists, so there wouldn¡¯t be a shortage of Spirit Pills.


    However, the problem was that Li Shiming was producing high-grade Spirit Pills for the other five major sects and not for Qianye Temple alone. This equated to Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the other five sects generally having faster cultivation progress than those from Qianye Temple.


    Such a matter might not show immediate effects, but over time, it would widen the gap between them.


    If the Buddha Stage power of Qianye Temple was generally weaker than that of other major sects, it could lead to significant trouble, perhaps not affecting top-tier powers too much, but could cause disastrous problems during large-scale conflicts.


    Thus, resolving the troubles with Li Shiming was a shared consensus among the upper echelons of Qianye Temple.


    Who would have thought that a mere high-level Foundation Establishment alchemist could, by his lonesome capability, impact a major sect like Qianye Temple to the extent that they had to make some concessions.

 Chapter 415: 254 Spirit Snake

    Chapter 415: Chapter 254 Spirit Snake


    Only when you face the vast sea can you comprehend the enormity of the world.


    Li Shiming stood above the sea, surrounded by no landmarks. Without the IBMz15 plotting his course, his eyes alone would have been unable to discern the location marked on the ancient map.


    His heart filled with excitement, many cultivators in the Cultivation World would embark on adventures to various places.


    This was related to the numerous unknown ruins that existed within the Cultivation World. Given the vast number of cultivators, many who died from injuries or age left behind caves and abodes that became targets for other cultivators to explore.


    Li Shiming and his clone, Li Yuanba, had only explored one cultivator¡¯s heritage site together before, and that experience had yielded considerable fortune, as well as extreme danger.


    This time, Li Shiming¡¯s exploration of the Five Qi Sect¡¯s ruins was what could be considered his second real exploration venture.


    He halted his sword light. According to the IBMz15¡¯s comparison, this should be the location of the Five Qi Sect marked on the ancient map.


    Surrounded by seawater, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how the world changes over time.


    He cast a Spiritual Power shield about himself and then dove into the sea.


    The site was nearly three hundred li from the shore, with excellent visibility in the water. He could see tens of meters in the sea, while his Divine Thought could probe even further.


    Before long, he had descended to the sea floor.


    To his disappointment, there seemed to be nothing of interest in this stretch of the seafloor.


    His Divine Thought scanned downward, but the silt greatly reduced the distance it could cover.


    His Divine Thought could penetrate roughly fifty meters of seabed silt at most, any further and it was powerless.


    He didn¡¯t hurry, slowly moving across the seabed while probing with his Divine Thought.


    Suddenly, a feeling of palpitations struck him, and almost instinctively, Li Shiming used ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±. A white lotus appeared under his feet, with another emerging a hundred meters away.


    A slender-bodied venomous snake lunged out from the seabed silt, its mouth wide displaying four fangs, biting at what seemed to be Li Shiming¡¯s body but was in fact only an afterimage.


    Li Shiming¡¯s hair stood on end, his wariness towards the seabed spiking. Had he not been so vigilant, he would have been unable to evade the snake¡¯s attack.


    The snake, approaching Demon Level strength, was particularly frightening because Li Shiming hadn¡¯t detected it until it struck, despite maintaining constant Divine Thought awareness.


    He had always heard that the sea was the most dangerous place. He dared to come here because it was not far from the shore, within the range of the coastal sea.


    The snake¡¯s initial strike missed, but it didn¡¯t relent. It cut through the water swiftly, pursuing Li Shiming.


    Underwater combat was not Li Shiming¡¯s forte; in fact, unless one specialized in underwater fighting, normal cultivators would find themselves severely hampered.


    Whether using spells or magic artifacts, both would be affected by seawater.


    Particularly Spirit Powers like fire would be greatly suppressed.


    The resistance of the water would also slow down the speed of magic artifacts; adapting to these conditions was necessary to fight effectively.


    Even moving through the sea was impeded by the resistance of water, making it impossible to reach the third of the speed achievable in the air.


    This was not a concern for Li Shiming; ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± did not depend on moving between the two lotuses, as he moved instantly between them.


    Seeing the snake approaching, Li Shiming opted to use Water attribute thunder spiritual power to unleash a ¡°Thunder Strike Skill¡±.


    Upon releasing the ¡°Thunder Strike Skill¡±, numerous currents of electricity formed in the water before him. He promptly dodged to avoid being affected by his own spell.


    When he employed ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to appear a hundred meters away, he was shocked to discover that the venomous Spirit Snake had vanished.


    He was one hundred percent certain that the snake hadn¡¯t been killed by the ¡°Thunder Strike Skill¡±; not only had the seawater dispersed the power of the spell, but even a direct hit would not have been enough to kill a Spirit Snake near Demon Level with a single strike.


    ¡°Sly creature!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s expression soured as he activated the ¡°Thick Earth Shield Pearl¡±, providing his body with a powerful defense.


    The ¡°Thick Earth Shield Pearl¡± was a trophy from when his clone Li Yuanba had killed a True Inheritor of a sect, possessing exceptionally strong defensive capabilities. Its only drawback was the need to be pre-charged with Earth Attribute Spiritual Power.


    With the defense of the ¡°Thick Earth Shield Pearl¡±, he felt significantly more at ease.


    Due to the recent commotion, the silt on the seabed had been stirred up, reducing visibility as the muddy water swirled around.


    Additionally, having already discovered that his Divine Thought could not detect the Spirit Snake, he became even more cautious.


    He did not draw his flying sword, knowing that its speed underwater would be slower than that of the Spirit Snake.


    Sensing a slight disturbance in the water beside him, another lotus appeared in the distance. He materialized upon it, just as the original spot was viciously bitten by the Spirit Snake.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake!¡± Having dodged another attack, Li Shiming identified the species of the Spirit Snake.


    Li Shiming had read numerous miscellaneous texts from the Shushan Sect, or rather, he had scanned a vast number of books into the IBMz15¡¯s hard drive.


    Just now, the IBMz15 matched the brief contact with the characteristics and combat style of the snake with similar descriptions found in the database.


    The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was an ancient venomous Spirit Snake species. The information on the snake was obtained from a Jade Scroll discovered by the sect in ancient ruins.

 Chapter 416: 254 Spirit Snake_2

    Chapter 416: Chapter 254 Spirit Snake_2


    The skin of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± could block the detection of Spiritual Power, such as Spiritual Thought and Divine Thought, rendering it undetectable.


    Moreover, the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± possessed a shape-shifting ability, allowing it to blend into the environment, similar to the power of invisibility.


    With these two abilities combined, it became the most dreadful ambushing assassin.


    Although the Jade Scroll did not specify how lethal the poison of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was, it ranked its threat level ahead of many well-known poisons, implying the fearsome nature of the snake.


    Fortunately, this ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was only approaching Great Demon status; had it truly reached the Great Demon Realm, Li Shiming would have been in real danger.


    After learning of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s¡± characteristics, Shiming¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± posed a limited threat to him, but the presence of such an ancient beast suggested that some remnants from ancient times provided a haven for the snake¡¯s existence here.


    Of course, before exploring, he needed to deal with the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± first; otherwise, with its elusive attack methods, there was still some danger to him.


    Bright electric light flickered around his body, as this time he released a number of Water Mine Groups.


    The Water Mine Group was an application of the Water Mine Spiritual Power from the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± making it a triggerable offensive measure.


    On contact with an external force or under Li Shiming¡¯s control, the Water Mine Group would explode, releasing water attribute lightning over an area.


    It is important to note that Shiming¡¯s current realm was at the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment. The ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± within the Spirit Lake had enhanced his Spiritual Power to the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment, making his use of the Water Mine Group¡¯s power reach the ultimate spell power achievable in the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Unable to locate the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± Shiming did not linger in any one place but kept flashing through the sea within a certain range, using the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± technique.


    Every time he appeared, he released several Water Mine Groups, quickly leaving a large quantity of them throughout the area.


    The seemingly random deployment of Water Mine Groups was actually based on formation principles. Each Water Mine Group acted as a flag of the formation, but since the energy of each was singular, their overall power was not significant.


    Shiming appeared at the center of the formation, standing on a white lotus, with twelve white lotuses surrounding him in various directions.


    He calmly waited, and the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± did not keep him waiting long.


    The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± confident in its striking ability, was undeterred by the multitude of Water Mine Groups Shiming had laid; it still launched its attack.


    It appeared suddenly beside Shiming without any energy trace, biting at him fiercely.


    This time, Shiming did not dodge, instead using the ¡°Thick Earth Shield Pearl¡± to block the strike.


    He truly recognized the poison of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡± The ¡°Thick Earth Shield Pearl¡± was a treasure, but even so, the Earth Attribute Spiritual Power shield was corroded, forming a gap that was rapidly expanding.


    The power of this bite from the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± could even compare to the full-force strike of a Half-step Golden Core.


    Had Shiming not used the ¡°Thick Earth Shield Pearl,¡± the traps he had set might have backfired on him.


    He immediately took action. With a thought, all Water Mine Groups detonated, forming an area of Water Mine Spiritual Power-induced water attribute lightning with him at the center, spanning an approximate two hundred meter radius.


    At the moment the Water Mine Groups detonated, the formations he had set were also fully activated.


    Of course, due to the timing of the Water Mine Groups¡¯ detonation, the formation could only be maintained for two breaths at most.


    After its initial attack missed, the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± immediately entered an invisible state, vanishing from Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought. It likely expected to attack again once the ¡°Thick Earth Shield Pearl¡± was eroded enough to lose its defensive effectiveness.


    But as the Water Mine Groups¡¯ water attribute lightning exploded, the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± suddenly found itself amidst countless lightning strikes.


    With the defensive power and speed of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡¯ it could burst out of the lightning attack range in an instant across a distance of two hundred meters.


    But when the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ tried to rush out of the range of the water attribute lightning, it found that no matter how it charged, it was still within the range of the lightning.


    The water attribute lightning made it impossible for the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ to maintain its concealed state, revealing itself about sixty meters away from Li Shiming.


    A white lotus appeared beside the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡¯ and simultaneously, Li Shiming¡¯s figure appeared on the lotus, with his Third Grade Sword Base and overwhelming strength combined with Sword Intent, he fully slashed at the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡¯


    This strike was long in the making for Li Shiming, who had set up such a grand array, all for this final blow.


    The Third Grade Sword Base struck at the ¡®seven inches¡¯ area of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡¯ showcasing Li Shiming¡¯s formidable close combat ability. The Pure Dao Body, coupled with two Body Refining Techniques, and boosted by the Third Grade Sword Base and Sword Intent, it could be said that this strike absolutely matched the full power of a half-step Golden Core hit.


    No matter what, the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ was only close to a Great Demon, not a true Great Demon.


    The Third Grade Sword Base nearly cleaved half of the ¡®seven inches¡¯ area of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡¯ with the blade becoming lodged at that spot.


    The ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ thrashed about in desperation, trying to dislodge the blade of the Third Grade Sword Base from its ¡®seven inches.¡¯


    ¡°Die!¡± Li Shiming, his left hand empty, grabbed the head of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ with a shout, blocking its mouth with his hand to prevent it from using its fangs.


    He exerted force with his right hand, intending to sever the ¡®seven inches¡¯ of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ with the Third Grade Sword Base.


    The ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s¡¯ body coiled and lashed out against him, but he remained expressionless, allowing it to beat against him.


    Although the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s¡¯ battering carried the weight of a blow from a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, such attacks were incapable of penetrating Li Shiming¡¯s defenses, let alone injuring him.


    At this moment, he was like a ferocious humanoid beast, with a physical prowess close to that of a spirit beast with a Great Demon¡¯s constitution.


    If the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ could speak, it would probably wonder who really was the spirit beast, and when had human cultivators become capable of matching and even outperforming a spirit beast of the same level?


    Li Shiming was also astonished by the defensive power of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡¯ The formidable might of the Third Grade Sword Base in his hand was his strongest offensive move up to this point, yet it was still extremely strenuous.


    After about ten breaths, the Third Grade Sword Base finally cut through the ¡®seven inches¡¯ of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡¯


    The ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡¯ split in two, continued to convulse, its head held in his left hand gaped, displaying its monstrous vitality.


    But by now, the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ was thoroughly defeated.


    After waiting a while, with the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ dead, he collected its body.


    The body of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ was a prized item, its snake skin could potentially be made into a special Spiritual Artifact.


    Li Shiming retrieved the ¡®Thick Earth Shield Pearl,¡¯ whose Earth Attribute Spiritual Power was nearly depleted at this point, completely corroded by the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s¡¯ intense poison.


    He did not concern himself with the ¡®Thick Earth Shield Pearl¡¯ anymore, as his mind once again focused on the seabed.


    This time, he did not proceed as before, but instead used Divine Thought and Spiritual Power to start digging into the seabed.


    A massive amount of silt was excavated by him and stored in his storage bag, then dumped far away.


    He continued this task for a whole day, digging more than thirty meters down into a certain area of the seabed.


    Gradually, the secrets concealed beneath the silt began to be exposed to his Divine Thought; he sensed chunks of man-made quarried stone, which were the building blocks of constructed buildings.

 Chapter 417: 255: Ruins

    Chapter 417: Chapter 255: Ruins


    In Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought, the rock he had just discovered was actually the ground of a plaza.


    And as he dug out more and more sludge, his Divine Thought perceived even larger ruins.


    It was as if he were watching the destruction process of a mountain gate, mountains shattered by terrible attacks, countless buildings turned into ruins.


    The entire ruin within his Divine Thought was truly a wasteland, seemingly without any value.


    But he thought of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡± Where did the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± survive?


    Such ancient spiritual beasts, if not for a special living environment, would have long disappeared like other ancient creatures.


    Since the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was still alive, there must be some environment that allowed the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± to survive.


    It was this idea that kept him continuously digging through the mud, hoping to discover the dwelling place of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± beneath the muck.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Until the next day, Li Shiming finally made a discovery.


    His excavation was exceedingly cautious; he was also worried about encountering other ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snakes¡± or even more dangerous creatures.


    Fortunately, everything went smoothly. One ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was enough to create a crisis here, and no second one appeared.


    What he discovered was an entrance obscured by silt, just big enough for the body of an ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± to pass through.


    Li Shiming¡¯s body was too big to enter directly, but he could still maneuver through it.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he decided to follow the entrance and explore further.


    This type of ancient sect ruins, having still preserved spaces, was very likely to contain valuable items.


    Besides, his physical strength made him best suited for combat in confined spaces. In terms of strength, defense, and close combat attacks, he could proudly excel at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    He had cleared the silt at the entrance, but the sludge inside couldn¡¯t be cleared, and he needed to navigate through it.


    Thanks to the frequent movement of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± the mud inside the tunnel was relatively loose, which reduced a lot of trouble.


    Li Shiming constantly extended his Divine Thought, sensing the situation tens of meters ahead.


    The passage was very long, and he felt it was probably designed as a ventilation shaft, or another channel for communication with the outside world, not meant for walking, as it was too narrow.


    After traveling about two hundred meters, his Divine Thought sensed an open space ahead. He knew he had found an inner chamber.


    As he had guessed, the living environment of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± should be right ahead.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t be sure if other ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snakes¡± were still alive, so he slowed down, deploying the Nine Palace Sword Formation ahead, creating a dense network of swords. If an ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± appeared ahead, it would be blocked and detected by the sword net.


    The unexpected did not occur, and he emerged from the passage. The exit was underwater.


    ¡°Spiritual Energy!¡± The water here was freshwater, different from the seawater outside, and rich in Spiritual Energy; the water here could be called a Spiritual Spring.


    Looking upward from underwater, there was light above, though it was unclear what was emitting the light.


    He surrounded himself with the Nine Palace Sword Formation as a precaution against sudden attacks.


    Actually, by this point, he didn¡¯t have much to worry about anymore. The space here was large enough, and he could easily use ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    Unlike in the narrow passage, ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± could not be used.


    He extended his Divine Thought above the water surface, and at this glance, his scalp tingled, his muscles tightened, nearly shouting out in shock.


    A moment later, since his Divine Thought detected no signs of life, he relaxed.


    He stuck his head out of the water, looking at a huge ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± on the shore, over thirty feet long. The light he saw was emitted from the giant ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s¡± eyes.


    When his Divine Thought detected the giant ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± he almost believed he was doomed.


    By the size of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± he had killed before, that snake¡¯s power had been at the peak of the Foundation Establishment. So, this massive ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was undoubtedly far beyond the Demon Level, perhaps even on par with the Nascent Soul Level of humans.


    If the giant ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was still alive, Li Shiming showing up here would have been a little snack for it.


    Even upon realizing the massive ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was already dead, leaving behind only a snake corpse, Li Shiming still felt tremendous pressure from the residual energy left in the body by the powerful creature.


    After emerging from the water, he didn¡¯t check other places, his attention wholly captured by the snake corpse.


    He was already imagining what level of Corpse Refining could be achieved using such a snake corpse for the ritual.


    Of course, refining the snake corpse into a refined corpse was many times more difficult than refining a human body.


    He wouldn¡¯t refine it into a refined corpse until he fully understood the former realm of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡±


    In addition, he had to analyze and determine whether it would be more cost-effective to refine the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± corpse into a refined corpse or to turn it into a magical artifact.


    These were not judgments he could make accurately at his current stage, he would have to wait at least until reaching the Golden Core Stage.


    He looked at the gigantic ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± corpse and then at the small channel through which he had entered. It might have been that the channel was too small and the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± had been trapped and died here.

 Chapter 418: 255: Ruins_2

    Chapter 418: Chapter 255: Ruins_2


    His Divine Thought wrapped around the corpse of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± feeling a shudder transmitted from the Divine Thought, an instinctive reaction from coming in contact with an overly powerful presence.


    He did not allow his Divine Thought to remain in contact with the corpse of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± for long, a thought flickered through his mind as he collected the snake¡¯s body into his Space Ring.


    When the massive ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± corpse was stowed away, the pressure Li Shiming perceived through his Divine Thought eased, and he finally had the chance to survey his surroundings.


    With the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± corpse taken away, the only source of light in this space was gone, plunging the area into darkness.


    Li Shiming took out a high-powered LED light and hung it on the wall, brightening the space once again.


    The walls were made of jade stones piled up, with patterns drawn on the surface, even after countless years had passed, the jade stones still maintained their original luster.


    He reached out and touched the jade stones on the wall, sensing faint fluctuations of Spiritual Power. The patterns contained Spiritual Power, protecting both the walls and the space.


    He exerted a slight force, gradually increasing his strength, but was unable to cause even the slightest damage to the wall. The patterns, seemingly devoid of much Spiritual Power, concealed their might within.


    Ultimately, he concluded that the defensive power of this space was extremely strong; to break the jade stones on the wall, one would need to shatter the entire space in one blow.


    Anyway, with Li Shiming¡¯s strength, it was impossible to do so.


    In an area by the shore, due to the existence of the huge ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± not even sizable rocks remained, likely crushed by the massive body of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡±


    Following the space inward, there was a jade door slightly ajar.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought first probed inside, finding a room that was half-preserved.


    In the center of the room lay a skeleton, beside which was a small Formation flashing with Spiritual Energy, and in the center of the Formation was a semi-transparent egg.


    After ensuring there was no danger, he walked into the room.


    The skeleton had been there for many years, its flesh and clothes having turned to dust, leaving only the jade-like bones.


    The strength of the individual to whom the skeleton once belonged must have been immense, far beyond what Li Shiming could comprehend.


    Li Shiming¡¯s gaze fell on a ring that had fallen to the ground beside the skeleton, which must have been the skeleton¡¯s Space Ring.


    He used his Divine Thought to pick up the Space Ring, taking it into his hand.


    He tried to enter the Space Ring with his Divine Thought, and since the owner of the Space Ring had perished many years ago, it did not obstruct his Divine Thought.


    The Space Ring contained quite a few items, some unknown Spiritual Medicines and Spirit Pills. When his Divine Thought touched these, he sensed that they had long since lost their spirituality.


    Even though the inside of the Space Ring could slow the loss of spirituality in the Medicines and Pills, the passage of time was too great. So much time had elapsed that even within the Space Ring, the Medicines and Pills had lost their spirituality and become useless mundane items.


    The rest included two magical treasures, one a flying sword and the other an umbrella-shaped treasure. Unfortunately, both had significantly lost their spiritual essence and would need to be nurtured in a spiritually-rich environment for a long time. Perhaps they could be restored.


    Li Shiming¡¯s attention was drawn to three ancient Jade Scrolls. These ancient scrolls were not the same as the currently used ones, and one could not determine the level of content stored inside from their appearance.


    He took out the three ancient Jade Scrolls and placed one of them on his forehead to perceive it with his Divine Thought.


    A joy crossed his face; the first Jade Scroll contained knowledge of Formations, particularly the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± in its entirety.


    From the Qi Refinement Realm all the way to ascension, it was not the first time he had obtained a Cultivation Technique of this caliber. Li Yuanba¡¯s avatar cultivating the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± could also cultivate to the point of ascension.


    The most critical thing was that he could cultivate the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡±


    After reviewing the Qi Refinement section of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± he discovered that it bore a great resemblance to the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± he had practiced during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    It seemed as if the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± was modified based on the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± perhaps a Cultivator had acquired part of the latter¡¯s legacy. To create a suitable Cultivation Technique for descendants with five spirit root seeds, they had used the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± as a foundation and revised it into the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique.¡±


    Given the state of the Five Elements Spiritual Power in Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Lake, he could completely skip the Qi Refinement section of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± and directly cultivate the Foundation Establishment section of the technique.


    Moreover, the compatibility of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± was extremely strong; it could be cultivated alongside other attribute techniques without any conflicts. His ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± could still be his main cultivation practice.


    Once he advanced to the Golden Core stage, he would switch the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± to his main practice and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± to a complementary one.


    The only trouble was that the situation recorded in the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± differed from the state of the Spirit Lake inside Li Shiming, where there was no phenomenon such as the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡±


    It seemed that Li Shiming had serendipitously deviated in his practice of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique,¡± and had instead extracted the essence of a Second Grade Five Elements Array from the Five Elements Array Materials, forming a ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in his Spirit Lake.


    No matter how he thought about it, the situation in his Spirit Lake was now a reality, and he had no choice but to keep moving forward in the dark. He would cultivate according to the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± while continuing to absorb higher-grade essences from Five Elements Array Materials during his advancement.


    He then took out a second ancient Jade Scroll; this Jade Scroll contained a Secret Technique called the ¡°Nine Shao Insect Scripture,¡± where he saw the breeding method for the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡±


    It turned out that the enormous ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was a spirit beast bred by the ancient Cultivator. The ancient Cultivator had perished first but, to protect his remains, he had released the contract of the enormous ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± before he died.


    At the same time, he placed several ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± eggs within an Array that could preserve the essence of the eggs, set up the Array at the exit of a spirit vein, in hopes that the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± would continue its guard duty indefinitely.


    It was unknown how the ancient Cultivator bred them, but whether it was the initial enormous ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± or the later-born ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snakes,¡± none strayed from that space and continued to protect the remains of the ancient Cultivator.


    Li Shiming was fortunate to have arrived now; had he come while the enormous ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was still alive, he would have undoubtedly perished.


    Even arriving at this moment, it was the speed of his ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± movement that allowed him to escape the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s¡± attacks again and again.


    ¡°So this is the egg of the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯!¡± Li Shiming carefully observed the egg at the center of the Array, his eyes flashing with joy as he muttered to himself.


    The Array held only one remaining egg. It would only hatch if the previous ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± before dying, came here and injected its guarding consciousness into the egg, thereby activating it.


    This was a form of legacy, the legacy of protecting their master unique to the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.¡±


    Li Shiming recalled the content of the ¡°Nine Shao Insect Scripture¡± in his mind, took out a Third Grade Sword Base, and with a movement of his Sword Intent, deliberately restrained the Spiritual Power on his skin and made an incision on his arm with the Third Grade Sword Base.


    With the defensive power of a Pure Dao Body, it would have been difficult to break the defense of his skin if he had not done so.


    He forced out a drop of his essence blood, smeared it on the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± egg, and then drew an intricate Contract Pattern with his Spiritual Energy.


    The essence blood was absorbed by the egg, and the Spiritual Energy Contract Pattern was absorbed along with it.


    He then felt a connection form between the life within the egg and his own soul, almost in a state of stasis inside the egg.


    With a thought, he changed the stagnant state of the egg to a normal state where it began absorbing Spiritual Energy vigorously, and slight movements occurred within the egg.


    There would still be some time before the hatching of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± so he took out a third ancient Jade Scroll.


    Inside this Jade Scroll was recorded the ¡°Five Elements Dao.¡± If the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± was a specific technique, then the ¡°Five Elements Dao¡± was the overarching doctrine of the Five Elements; its profoundness was such that even with the help of an IBMz15, he could hardly comprehend much of it.

 Chapter 419: 256: Return to the Sect

    Chapter 419: Chapter 256: Return to the Sect


    Upon returning to the Beishu Continent from the sea, a small invisible snake had appeared on Li Shiming¡¯s finger, the very ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± that had signed a contract with him.


    The ¡°Nine Shao Insect Scripture¡± held the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± in high esteem, partly because its combat power was incredibly strong, especially in surprise attacks where those of the same rank could hardly resist, and partly because of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡±¡®s loyalty.


    Looking at the space left by the Five Qi Sect, to guard its master¡¯s remains, even though the master had dissolved the contract with the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± the snake had still never left its master¡¯s remains until its death.


    This shows the loyalty of the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake;¡± even after the death of that huge ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake,¡± it passed down this guarding consciousness through inheritance, allowing generation after generation of ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± to continue guarding their master¡¯s remains.


    Li Shiming did not dislike the cold and slippery feeling from the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± on his finger, because the sense of dependency that came from the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± brought him great joy.


    This was his first real spirit beast, and his doppelga?nger Li Yuanba seemed to be his extension. Though he also had twelve Iron Corpses, the spiritual intelligence of the Iron Corpses focused solely on battle instincts, and besides, one couldn¡¯t expect any affectionate interaction with a refined corpse!


    The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± had become his companion, and with the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡±¡®s lifespan, perhaps this companionship would last a lifetime.


    The food for the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was a problem; many ingredients for the diet of spiritual beasts mentioned in the ancient ¡°Nine Shao Insect Scripture¡± had been lost over time.


    However, spiritual beasts possess a natural instinct for feeding. Li Shiming tried giving the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± some of his spiritual objects to choose from, and the snake picked a Spirit Pill.


    Whatever type, the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± liked all Spirit Pills.


    Li Shiming initially worried that the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± might have problems after consuming the Spirit Pills, but after it swallowed a First-grade Spirit Pill suitable for a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, he used Divine Thought and the bond from their contract to meticulously check the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± and found no issue at all.


    The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡±¡®s absorption capacity was extraordinarily strong; it immediately digested the Spirit Pill, converting it into the energy needed for its body.


    The newly born ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± had a strength that was around the late-stage Qi Refining level, and this was just at birth. Over the past few days, the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡±¡®s strength continued to grow steadily.


    According to the ¡°Nine Shao Insect Scripture,¡± a mature ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± possessed the level of a Great Demon.


    As for why the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± killed by Li Shiming in the sea had only reached the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, far from a Great Demon, the reason was simple: influenced by the inherited consciousness, that ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± never ventured far from that space, hunting only in the vicinity.


    And that area was only about three hundred Baili from Beishu Continent, belonging to the near sea area.


    No sea beast with substantial strength would approach such a short distance. Even weaker spirit beasts, after being preyed upon by the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± multiple times, would recognize the dangers of this area.


    Weak spirit beasts are often even more sensitive to danger than powerful ones, and since the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± could not leave the vicinity of that space, it essentially grew up with almost no resources at all.


    Even with excellent natural talent, without the necessary resources, how could it grow?


    Li Shiming amused the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± with his finger, guessing that no one would imagine that the tiny ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± would one day become a Great Demon.


    And being a Great Demon was not the limit for the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡±; as long as it had enough resources, its potential for growth was incredibly high.


    He took out another Spirit Pill; these Spirit Pills suited for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were not abundant in his possession.


    Mainly because when refining these late-stage Qi Refining Spirit Pills, he had not possessed the ability to refine ten furnaces of Spirit Pills at once.


    Of course, although the number of Spirit Pills for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators was few, that was relative to his stock of Foundation Establishment Stage Spirit Pills.


    The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was almost indiscriminate about food. Initially, he had worried that it wasn¡¯t good for the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± to eat too much, but its digestive system was simply too powerful; a Spirit Pill that would take a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator one to two days to absorb, the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± could digest in just a few hours.


    The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± did not develop any drug resistance in its body; it treated the Spirit Pill as a spiritual object containing energy.


    With the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡±¡®s appetite, it was estimated that most cultivators couldn¡¯t afford to keep it, but that did not include Li Shiming.


    The ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± swallowed the Spirit Pill in Li Shiming¡¯s hand and then joyfully rolled around in his palm, using this action to express its gratitude and happiness.


    He smiled and turned his attention back to the harvest of this trip. Initially, he thought the acquisition of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± was the greatest gain; the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± was the second most important, as the fundamental ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± for cultivators was more crucial than external forces like the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.


    But on this journey, as he studied the ¡°Five Elements Dao¡± through the IBMz15, he realized that his greatest gain was probably the ¡°Five Elements Dao.¡±


    After reading through the ¡°Five Elements Dao¡± several times, although he couldn¡¯t deeply understand it, it gave him a sense of familiarity, as it seemed somehow similar to the Divine Foot Skill.

 Chapter 420: 256: Return to the Sect_2

    Chapter 420: Chapter 256: Return to the Sect_2


    Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean the ¡°Five Elements Dao¡± was similar in content to the Divine Foot Skill, but that both are connected to the deepest forces within the Cultivation World.


    Unlike the Divine Foot Skill inheritance, the ¡°Five Elements Dao¡± couldn¡¯t apply the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Li Shiming had a feeling that the ¡°Five Elements Dao¡± might become incredibly significant after he achieved the Golden Core or a higher realm.


    He shook his head and, with a slight stir of consciousness, stored the ancient Jade Scroll of the ¡°Five Elements Dao¡± into his mechanical room space and decided to store the other two ancient Jade Scrolls as well.


    This time, he did not store the two magic treasures he had acquired, as he needed to consult his mentor, Elder Su, about them upon returning since he knew very little about magical treasures.


    Just as he entered the communication range, his Identity Jade Disc began receiving messages continuously.


    He took out the Identity Jade Disc to check and found that they were safety confirmation messages from Elder Su and Elder Ma.


    Since leaving the Beishu Continent, he had lost contact with his sect, and he guessed that the sect must be anxious about not being able to find or contact him.


    He first reassured his two mentors and informed them of his route to ease their worries.


    Li Shiming had not been out of the sect¡¯s communication range for long; he had only been underwater for about three days.


    Although the space underwater had a Spiritual Vein, it might have been rich in Spiritual Energy in ancient times, but with no cultivators maintaining it and the passage of considerable time, the fact that the Spiritual Vein still existed was quite remarkable.


    The Spiritual Energy produced there was insufficient to sustain his cultivation needs, so once the ¡°Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡± hatched and had been nourished for a while, and after it stabilized, he left that place.


    The underwater space was extremely secretive; he restored the ocean¡¯s silt and, with the exact location known, he wouldn¡¯t need to exert so much effort next time, as he could directly use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to enter the underground space.


    Li Shiming was still very cautious as he traveled; he didn¡¯t know whether Qianye Temple was still tracking him.


    As there was no urgency, he didn¡¯t use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to hasten his journey, instead enjoying the scenery as he flew leisurely.


    He was aware that once he returned this time, it would be troublesome to leave the sect again.


    Qianye Temple was one issue, and another was that he had gathered all the resources he needed; the most important thing next was to enhance his strength, preparing for his upcoming promotion to the Golden Core.


    This trip might be one of his few chances to travel far before the Golden Core Stage, and he still did not want to return to the sect too early.


    ¡°Eh!¡± A day later, as Li Shiming was flying on his Sword Light, he suddenly sensed a Golden Core aura approaching and frowned, thinking he might have encountered trouble again.


    Just as he was about to retract his Spiritual Energy and avoid the Golden Core cultivator, he stopped his actions.


    He stood in the air, waiting for the Golden Core cultivator to come closer.


    ¡°Disciple pays respects to Junior Master Zhao!¡± Li Shiming greeted the approaching figure respectfully.


    ¡°Finally found you, come on, let¡¯s go back!¡± Junior Master Zhao saw Li Shiming, smiled, and waved his hand as he spoke.


    ¡°Junior Master, did you come looking for me?¡± Li Shiming asked with mild surprise.


    Junior Master Zhao was a Sword Cultivator; last time Li Shiming cried for help, Junior Master Zhao was the first to arrive and help him out of trouble.


    This time he hadn¡¯t sought help, so why had Junior Master Zhao come?


    ¡°Qianye Temple and Beishu Trading Company have both wanted to meet with you within the sect multiple times, and we were also worried that Qianye Temple might intercept you on the way, so your master sent me out to meet you!¡± Junior Master Zhao explained with a smile as he stretched out a Divine Thought to accelerate Li Shiming¡¯s flying speed.


    The so-called being ¡°sent out¡± was, of course, a jest, as Junior Master Zhao and Elder Su were both from the same lineage within the sect and shared a very close relationship.


    As a Sword Cultivator, Junior Master Zhao¡¯s flying speed was extremely fast, and his combat prowess was fearsome, naturally making him the best choice to retrieve Li Shiming.


    ¡°Why is Qianye Temple so fixated on me?¡± Li Shiming was still somewhat puzzled, and taking the opportunity to speak with the amiable Elder Zhao, he asked.


    ¡°According to your master,¡± Elder Zhao said, ¡°it¡¯s because your fortune is too great, which has brought this trouble upon you. According to Venerable from Qianye Temple, they discovered clues about a Buddhist predecessor¡¯s reincarnation, and you were nearby at the time, so Qianye Temple wanted to find clues from you!¡± Elder Zhao, ever so approachable, shared what he knew.


    Li Shiming immediately understood the reason. His incarnation, Li Yuanba, had used ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ and he had also learned ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ aware of how troublesome it was to master it.


    Even if one was recognized by the Jade Foot Relics and passed the tests, just the memory of a ¡®White Lotus Diagram¡¯ alone would take more than a year or two to grasp, let alone to use ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ with ease.


    When the monks of Qianye Temple saw that Li Yuanba had learned ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ in a very short time, they naturally thought of the reincarnation of a great Buddhist figure. Otherwise, how could he have learned the Divine Foot Skill so quickly?


    He couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile inside. It truly was a groundless disaster. Fortunately, he had not used ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ in front of the monks from Qianye Temple, or else he might also be regarded as a reincarnated Buddhist predecessor.


    ¡°It seems I won¡¯t be able to go out in the future!¡± Li Shiming sighed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it once we get back. This time Qianye Temple came looking for trouble with our sect, and even the ancestor has taken action. I guess Qianye Temple won¡¯t get away without giving us an explanation!¡± Elder Zhao said leisurely.


    The bigger the trouble Li Shiming stirred up, the more it demonstrated his influence.


    In fact, neither Elder Zhao nor Li Shiming¡¯s two masters were too worried about this incident. Mainly because Qianye Temple was part of the Righteous Path and would not dare make a move against Li Shiming once they knew the full story, not under Shushan Sect¡¯s watch.


    Just the fact that Zhi Ming Arhat had broken through Li Shiming¡¯s formation put Qianye Temple at a disadvantage.


    To quell the issue, Qianye Temple dispatched Zhi Kong Arhat, the highest-ranking among their Arhats, who personally visited Shushan Sect.


    This time, Beishu Trading Company did not send the Fake Pill Shopkeeper Cai Hong, but the Late-stage Golden Core Store Manager Lai Fei, who also personally visited Shushan Sect.


    This showed that Beishu Trading Company¡¯s degree of importance towards Li Shiming had significantly risen, making Qianye Temple also consider the consequences of attacking Li Shiming again.


    Under the guidance of Elder Zhao, Li Shiming¡¯s return to the sect was much faster. Of course, while Elder Zhao¡¯s Sword Escape was fast, it was far from matching ¡®Step by Step Lotus.¡¯


    Li Shiming stored the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ in his mechanical room space and prepared plenty of Spirit Pills, letting the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ eat them freely.


    He had no intention of exposing the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake;¡¯ its sheer elusiveness alone, undetectable by Divine Thought, would attract considerable attention.


    He planned to keep the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ as one of his trump cards. If its abilities were exposed, it would greatly reduce its surprise factor in combat, which would be disadvantageous for him.


    On the way, Elder Zhao was not idle; he kept instilling the power of Sword Cultivators into Li Shiming and occasionally demonstrated his own Sword Intent.


    Elder Zhao clearly intended to persuade Li Shiming to switch to Sword Cultivation. Although it might not be possible for Li Shiming to become a Registered Disciple of Elder Zhao, at least it would bring another top-notch Sword Cultivator into the sect.


    Li Shiming always responded with a smile; he hardly needed to learn Sword Cultivation. With his incarnation, Li Yuanba focusing on Sword Cultivation as his main practice, he, the original body, naturally could already replicate some of the Sword Cultivation techniques. Coupled with his Thunder Skill and Formation, just with the normal cultivation combat abilities, he could suppress the majority of cultivators of the same rank.


    On the road, he even found time to research integrating Corpse Refining with Formation. He now possessed twelve Iron Corpses, eleven of which were Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses. Combining them with Formation would significantly enhance the power of these twelve Iron Corpses.

 Chapter 421: 257: The Ancestor

    Chapter 421: Chapter 257: The Ancestor


    Returning to the Shushan Sect¡¯s main gate, Li Shiming expressed his gratitude to Elder Zhao and then headed to his master, Elder Su.


    Elder Su had almost immediately sent a message to him as soon as he arrived at the gate, instructing him to come without delay.


    ¡°Master, your disciple has returned!¡± When Li Shiming reached the summit of Heavenly Eye Peak, he saw Elder Su waiting for him and promptly went forward to pay his respects.


    ¡°Come with me!¡± Elder Su¡¯s face was very serious, but Li Shiming could feel that Elder Su was in a good mood, his stern visage betraying a sense of contentment in his eyes.


    Li Shiming followed Elder Su, flying towards the rear of the mountain gate, and soon arrived at a peak.


    Elder Su cast a spell into the interior, a process Li Shiming was very familiar with¡ªit was the same as when his clone, Li Yuan Ba, followed Elder Jian to visit Ancestor Lu.


    Given Elder Su¡¯s status, such a formal visit likely meant they were seeing one of the ancestors.


    ¡°This must be the location of Fan Ancestor¡¯s cave dwelling!¡± Li Shiming surmised to himself.


    This wasn¡¯t difficult to guess; Fan Ancestor had spoken out to help him send Venerable Huike away when he had met him.


    Li Shiming saw Fan Ancestor¡ªwho had a head full of white hair and a ruddy, healthy-looking face¡ªsitting in front of a stone table laden with food. Fan Ancestor was devouring his meal, washing it down with large swigs of wine.


    This sight slightly stunned Li Shiming, as he had not expected Fan Ancestor to have such an appearance.


    ¡°Master, this is the Spiritual Wine I¡¯ve found, brought specially to honor you!¡± Elder Su seemed accustomed to Fan Ancestor¡¯s appearance, smiling as he placed a bottle of wine on the stone table.


    Li Shiming did not dare to act so casually and bent deeply in a formal bow, maintaining his posture.


    ¡°Enough, rise! In the future, remember to bring me some good wine¡ªfar better than any formalities!¡± Fan Ancestor waved his hand, and a force made Li Shiming stand up straight involuntarily.


    Fan Ancestor opened the wine Elder Su had brought, poured a cup, and took a sip, then nodded his head in satisfaction.


    Although Li Shiming did not dare to use Divine Thought, the scent of the wine allowed him to discern that it was but a second-grade Spiritual Wine.


    Of course, the flavor of Spiritual Wine isn¡¯t entirely linked to its grade¡ªit¡¯s more about the taste.


    The Spiritual Wine gifted by Elder Su, though second-grade, was undoubtedly carefully crafted and was a top-tier presence among second-grade Spiritual Wines.


    ¡°I understand, Grandmaster!¡± Seeing that Fan Ancestor had an easygoing nature, Li Shiming didn¡¯t reticulate too much and replied with a smile.


    Elder Su chuckled on the side; he was, of course, very clear about his own master¡¯s temperament.


    In fact, every Nascent Soul Ancestor has some quirks. Who can blame them when Nascent Soul Ancestors live for such long periods, their thousand-year lifespans allowing them to see through the world¡¯s machinations?


    Nascent Soul Ancestors need some way to pass their leisure time. Moreover, as almost the peak beings of Beishu, what they want and do are hardly restricted. Their freedom allows them to indulge in the actions they inherently wish to take.


    This is also a form of cultivation¡ªletting their true nature take its course, which is a way of tempering their own spirit.


    Fan Ancestor took about two hours to eat and drink, with Elder Su constantly pouring him more wine, their interactions as natural as those between father and son in the mortal world.


    ¡°You¡¯re Li Shiming, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re a bit too cautious!¡± After Fan Ancestor finished eating, he glanced over Li Shiming from head to toe and shook his head.


    ¡°Master, Shiming is a good kid. If he hadn¡¯t brought back Spiritual Medicine from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains for me, my injury might have affected my cultivation path!¡± Hearing Fan Ancestor¡¯s words, it was Elder Su, not Li Shiming, who was the most anxious, as Elder Su hastily explained.


    Li Shiming also looked at Fan Ancestor, puzzled as to why he would receive such an assessment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t a good kid, just that he¡¯s a bit too cautious!¡± Fan Ancestor waved his hand at Elder Su and then, turning to Li Shiming, asked, ¡°Your teacher here really does spoil you. Last time he told me you had just advanced to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and now you¡¯ve already reached Late-stage Foundation Establishment without him knowing!¡±


    Elder Su turned to look at Li Shiming in disbelief.


    The Foundation Establishment Stage is not like the Qi Refinement Realm; with sufficient resources, cultivating in the Qi Refinement Realm can be very fast. But even with ample resources, it would take several years.


    Yet the Foundation Establishment Stage is considered foundational, every advancement requiring repeated tempering of the body¡¯s Spiritual Power and compressing it to the extreme¡ªall of which take a substantial amount of time. Not to mention just amassing the Spiritual Power in the Spirit Lake for each layer, which would take at least several years or even decades.


    Had Li Shiming¡¯s aura been unstable, Elder Su would have certainly noticed, but Li Shiming¡¯s aura was exceedingly grounded, indicative of a very solid realm.


    What Elder Su was even more taken aback by was that Li Shiming had concealed his realm. While appearing to be in Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he had in fact reached Late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°Shiming made his way from Sky Sea Island to the Beishu Continent before joining my teachings, traversing the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. It¡¯s normal for him to be a bit cautious and discreet!¡± Elder Su still defended Li Shiming.


    ¡°Shiming, as my disciple and someone under the Shushan Sect¡¯s protection, there¡¯s no need to hide anything about your realm. I also understand your thoughts. The Cultivation World is full of adventures, and no matter what kind of serendipitous encounter allowed you to rapidly enhance your strength to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, you don¡¯t have to worry about being pressured to reveal anything. Each and every Nascent Soul Cultivator of the Shushan Sect lineage has their adventures and secrets. If our sect couldn¡¯t accommodate such diversity, it would have crumbled long ago!¡± Fan Ancestor said to Li Shiming with a smile.

 Chapter 422: 257: The Ancestor_2

    Chapter 422: Chapter 257: The Ancestor_2


    ¡°The teachings of the grandmaster are deeply etched in my heart,¡± Li Shiming bowed and responded.


    He ceased the ¡°Demon Shadow Buddha Form Technique,¡± and his aura returned to its normal state.


    ¡°Master, during my recent outing, I acquired Third Grade Spirit Tea from Ji Hongbo¡¯s storage bracelet. I was originally at the peak of Mid-stage Foundation Establishment; after drinking the Third Grade Spirit Tea, I directly advanced to Late-stage Foundation Establishment. I dare not conceal this from Master!¡± He then turned and bowed to explain to Elder Su.


    ¡°I told you he is one deeply blessed,¡± Elder Su, upon hearing this news, had a beaming smile and turned to speak to the Fan Ancestor.


    ¡°Indeed a deep blessing, Ji Hongbo is Little Ji¡¯s son, right? When did Little Ji become so generous as to give Third Grade Spirit Tea to his son?¡± Fan Ancestor pondered and asked.


    ¡°I calculated the time; it was precisely around the triennial distribution of the Third Grade Spirit Tea. It seems Ji Hongbo collected it on behalf of Elder Ji but hadn¡¯t yet given it to his elder, and he went after Shiming!¡± Elder Su laughed heartily.


    Elder Ji always opposed him, and though he retaliated, it was only in terms of interests within the sect, with little impact on Elder Ji¡¯s personal resources.


    A Golden Core Elder receives a portion of Third Grade Spirit Tea every three years depending on their status within the sect.


    This bit of Third Grade Spirit Tea is intended for hosting honored guests, especially for influential Golden Core Elders like them, highlighting the significance they place on a particular Golden Core cultivator.


    This is an unspoken rule, having Third Grade Spirit Tea for reception signifies their intent to draw closer and show favor to a certain Golden Core cultivator.


    But Elder Ji, lacking three years¡¯ supply of Third Grade Spirit Tea, means he won¡¯t be able to use it to entertain guests during this period, which is a difficult situation to explain and could affect Elder Ji¡¯s relationships with some old friends.


    ¡°Now that Shiming has reached Late-stage Foundation Establishment, send a message asking Little Ji to yield a portion of the resources for Golden Core advancement. If he doesn¡¯t agree, I will personally go and find his master, Old Zuo!¡± Fan Ancestor waved his hand decisively.


    Internal competition among the sect¡¯s factions was acceptable, but becoming entangled with sect cultivators and attacks outside the sect were serious matters.


    Even though Ji Hongbo was crippled, as a father, Elder Ji must bear the consequences.


    Elder Zuo and Fan Ancestor, both Nascent Soul Ancestors of Shushan Sect, usually observed the competition among the juniors from above and did not interfere.


    But since Elder Ji¡¯s side attacked Li Shiming, it was no longer just a factional competition, but something that affected the sect¡¯s interests.


    Li Shiming is a True Inheritor of Alchemy, just look at why Qianye Temple sent Zhi Kong Arhat¡ªit was because Li Shiming stopped producing Spirit Pills for Qianye Temple.


    This shows, even though Li Shiming is not yet an Alchemy Master, his influence is already significant.


    Having such a True Inheritor of Alchemy in Shushan Sect, yet being attacked by fellow sect cultivators, is something no faction in the entire sect will forgive without a satisfactory compensation.


    And Elder Zuo¡¯s lineage has not yet distributed the resources for Golden Core development over the past decade, unlike Fan Ancestor¡¯s lineage, which had long been designated for Li Shiming¡¯s senior sister, Ye Jingxian.


    They initially thought about leveraging Elder Ma¡¯s side for resources for Golden Core advancement, but since the disciple is Elder Su¡¯s, being only a registered disciple on the other side, having Elder Ma provide resources for Golden Core development to Li Shiming would also be embarrassing for Elder Su.


    ¡°Shiming, why don¡¯t you thank your grandmaster quickly!¡± Elder Su, with a smile on his face, gestured to Li Shiming.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandmaster!¡± Li Shiming certainly recognized this as a good thing, already having a set of resources for Golden Core development, yet who would refuse more?


    The Golden Core development resources of Senluo Sect, compared to those of Shushan Sect, not only differ in knowledge but even Vessel Protecting Pill, Soul Stabilizing Pill, Resurrection Pill, and Mountain-breaking Pill, bearing the same names and effects, use different Spiritual Medicines in each sect.


    ¡°Qianye Temple sent Zhi Kong Arhat over because you were not in the sect, and after the sect negotiated with him on your behalf, they secured an inheritance opportunity for you. Of course, the sect also derived many benefits and will grant you corresponding contribution points as a reward!¡±


    The inheritance opportunity was the Divine Vision inheritance; there was only one chance to accept the inheritance. It¡¯s best to wait until one reaches the Golden Core Stage before accepting the inheritance!¡± Fan Ancestor said to Li Shiming slowly.


    Li Shiming actually understood that, given the relationship between Qianye Temple and Shushan Sect as two of the three major sects of the Righteous Path, it was impossible for them to truly become enemies.


    When he heard that he could have a chance to receive the Divine Vision inheritance, he was very pleased.


    If he were to negotiate himself, perhaps just a few Spiritual Artifacts or Spiritual Medicines for use during the Foundation Establishment Stage could have sent him away.


    Could he really oppose Qianye Temple by his own strength?


    His previous threats seemed to imply only that he should not personally engage in alchemy for Qianye Temple, but that actually affected the growth of Qianye Temple; Qianye Temple might indeed completely eliminate him.


    ¡°Shiming will follow the sect¡¯s arrangements!¡± Li Shiming bowed and said.


    ¡°Little Ma mentioned that you will definitely become an Alchemy Master, so I have decided to advance some of the privileges, upgrading the Spiritual Vein of your Sword Holding Peak to Golden Core Level, to facilitate your cultivation,¡± Fan Ancestor said, very pleased with Li Shiming¡¯s understanding, and made his decision with a smile.


    Li Shiming expressed his gratitude again.


    ¡°By the way, you used one ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman.¡¯ Qianye Temple sent over three ¡®Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talismans,¡¯ you should take them as well!¡± Fan Ancestor searched his person, and with a flick of his hand, he threw three talismans to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming had almost forgotten about having used a ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman¡¯; getting a chance at the Divine Vision inheritance already felt like a win to him.


    Not to mention getting three ¡®Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talismans¡¯ as compensation, although these life-saving tactics were actually not that important to him.


    It only made him momentarily forget about using up his life-saving trump card; his speed-based life-saving trump card definitely wasn¡¯t the ¡®Ten Thousand Miles Escape Talisman,¡¯ but the introductory Divine Skill ¡®Step by Step Lotus.¡¯


    After leaving Fan Ancestor, Elder Su told Li Shiming to return to Sword Holding Peak, as Lai Fei, the Store Manager from Beishu Trading Company, would soon personally come to visit him.


    Unlike the situation with Cai Hong, where he needed Elder Su¡¯s favor just to meet Li Shiming, this Store Manager Lai¡¯s status was extremely high, at least based on the expression Elder Su had when instructing Li Shiming, letting Li Shiming know that the background of Store Manager Lai might not be simple.


    Now that Li Shiming had gained a certain status himself, he could independently handle matters related to him.


    When Li Shiming returned to his Sword Holding Peak, just as he landed on the peak, he sensed a change in the Spiritual Energy.


    Of course, the change in Spiritual Energy at the mountaintop was subtle, but as he entered his cave dwelling, especially when he reached the Cultivation Room, the concentration of Spiritual Energy at the outlet of the Spiritual Vein had already been upgraded to Golden Core Level, same as his master, Elder Su¡¯s place at Heavenly Eye Peak.


    The supply of Spiritual Energy in Shushan Sect, though provided through Spiritual Veins, was also controlled by the Sect Formation.


    Spiritual Energy is a limited resource; the sect must strictly control the supply of Spiritual Energy, even if the main Spiritual Vein is abundant, not all of it would be diverted into the various cave dwellings.


    The main Spiritual Vein cannot be fully utilized, but instead, needs constant maintenance, which requires the Sect Formation and some Spiritual Objects to operate conjointly, while also ensuring the consumption ratio of the main Spiritual Vein.


    The Spiritual Energy of Sword Holding Peak was no longer at the expense of his master Elder Su¡¯s Heavenly Eye Peak¡¯s Spiritual Vein; instead, it directly connected to a Spiritual Vein from the main Spiritual Vein, a task accomplished by a Nascent Soul Ancestor through the Sect Formation.


    It was probably arranged before Li Shiming returned, but it was officially conveyed to him by Fan Ancestor.


    Feeling the Golden Core Stage Spiritual Vein that now belonged to him alone, it marked his position within the sect as parallel to that of a Golden Core cultivator.

 Chapter 423: 258 Guest Elder

    Chapter 423: Chapter 258 Guest Elder


    Li Shiming had just come back and had not yet had time to carefully examine the changes to the spirit veins of Sword Holding Peak when he received a communication technique from outside the great formation of the peak.


    He exited the cave abode and began to control the opening of the great formation.


    The Chief Manager Lai was a middle-aged Golden Core cultivator, his complexion pale and sallow, exuding a profound aura that was, however, extremely well-concealed.


    As soon as he entered Sword Holding Peak, he paused slightly, his sensitivity to spiritual energy being even keener than Li Shiming¡¯s.


    He was certain that this seemingly ordinary spirit mountain had spiritual veins of the Golden Core level.


    With his rich experience, he was very clear about the spiritual energy supply of great sects such as the Shushan Sect.


    This Sword Holding Peak belonging to Li Shiming should be a branch of Heavenly Eye Peak, theoretically it should not possess Golden Core level spiritual veins; to make such a modification, it must be reformed by a Nascent Soul cultivator, diverting a new vein from the main spiritual veins.


    Any task laboring a Nascent Soul cultivator was extremely rare within large sects.


    Generally speaking, to elevate the spiritual veins, simply reassigning a spirit mountain with ready Golden Core level spiritual veins would suffice.


    Li Shiming was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, needing to learn under Elder Su, which was why such a modification of the spiritual veins was made.


    It was precisely due to this uniqueness that Li Shiming¡¯s change of status within the Shushan Sect was reflected.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I¡¯ve come to visit you on behalf of the Beishu Trading Company!¡± Chief Manager Lai said with a sincere smile, taking the initiative to bow with clasped hands.


    He had originally planned to use a different address, with ¡°Mr. Li¡± being the most appropriate one.


    But after perceiving the changes in the spiritual veins of Sword Holding Peak, he immediately changed his manner of address, treating Li Shiming as an equal.


    ¡°Chief Manager Lai, please come in!¡± Li Shiming knew the other party was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator and after returning the salute, he invited him in.


    This time, Li Shiming invited Chief Manager Lai into the great hall of the cave abode, a rare gesture for him, but necessary due to Chief Manager Lai¡¯s status, deserving of respectful treatment.


    Chief Manager Lai entered the hall and looked at the arrangements all around, especially noticing the Second Grade Golden Lotus in the pool, his eyes filled with admiration.


    This was not a deliberate act, but a truly heartfelt appreciation.


    A treasure like the Second Grade Golden Lotus, even in the cave abode of a Golden Core cultivator, is exceedingly rare.


    ¡°Mr. Li, originally I had prepared a gift, but after seeing this Golden Lotus, I felt a more suitable gift was in order!¡± Chief Manager Lai said with a smile.


    He produced a jade bottle and handed it to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming took the jade bottle and opened the cap, his divine thought probing inside, sensing an incredibly vigorous life force.


    ¡°Third Grade Spirit Milk?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but be surprised, while unable to determine the true name of the spiritual object inside the jade bottle, it didn¡¯t prevent him from judging its rank.


    ¡°This is Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk, obtained by accident. Although it¡¯s rare, it¡¯s not too precious. Its use is nothing more than upgrading a spirit plant from Second Grade to Third Grade, a function too trivial, so I just kept it!¡± Chief Manager Lai explained frankly, with a smile.


    His statement was indeed not incorrect, for upgrading a spirit plant from Second Grade to Third Grade was not guaranteed with the use of Wood Spirit Treasure Milk; the plant itself needed to possess Third Grade potential.


    Using Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk to upgrade a plant that could reach Third Grade in time anyway did seem rather superfluous, essentially exchanging a dose of Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk for the faster growth of a Third Grade Spirit Plant.


    Like the Second Grade Golden Lotus, under the previous density of spiritual energy, it would¡¯ve taken many years to upgrade to Third Grade, but with the current density of spiritual energy, that time could be significantly reduced.


    The use of Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk on the Second Grade Golden Lotus was indeed an optimal choice compared to other spirit plants.


    The Second Grade Golden Lotus is among the most precious varieties of spirit plants, with an extremely long growth phase. With the rate at which Li Shiming¡¯s strength was increasing, it was possible that the Second Grade Golden Lotus would not be able to keep up with his pace of improvement.


    ¡°Chief Manager Lai, you are too generous, I accept with much gratitude!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t fuss over a gift like a bottle of Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk.


    This gift, although Third Grade, was in fact a consumable among Third Grade spiritual objects, the least valuable.


    He did not keep the Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk, immediately pouring the contents of the jade bottle over the Second Grade Golden Lotus.


    Upon contact with the Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk, the Second Grade Golden Lotus absorbed it instantly, the golden spots at its edges slowly expanding, becoming more pronounced.


    Its quality was visibly improving, with the Golden Lotus swaying gently in the water of the spiritual spring.


    When Li Shiming initially obtained the Second Grade Golden Lotus, he did not know its effects and only learned of them through the reminders from his fellow sect members.


    The effects of the Second Grade Golden Lotus weren¡¯t particularly noticeable, but as its quality improved to Third Grade, the amount of spiritual energy it exhaled increased manyfold, and standing next to the Third Grade Golden Lotus, one could feel the spiritual energy being purified.


    This type of spiritual energy was more easily absorbed by cultivators and could even stabilize a cultivator¡¯s mind, reducing the impact on their mental state during cultivation.


    This indirectly increased the pace of cultivation, no wonder the Golden Lotus was one of the spirit plants cultivators most desired.


    Li Shiming and Chief Manager Lai stood in front of the Third Grade Golden Lotus, both showing a rapturous expression. To a cultivator, pure spiritual energy was intoxicating as fine wine.


    ¡°Congratulations Mr. Li on acquiring the Third Grade Golden Lotus, this shall surely make your cultivation journey even smoother!¡± Chief Manager Lai congratulated with a smile.


    ¡°And I have to thank Chief Manager Lai for the Third Grade Wood Spirit Treasure Milk, please take a seat, it was rude of me to keep you standing!¡± Li Shiming also said with a smile.

 Chapter 424: 258 Guest Elder_2

    Chapter 424: Chapter 258 Guest Elder_2


    Having witnessed together the upgrade of the Second Grade Golden Lotus to the Third, the relationship between the two had grown significantly closer.


    Li Shiming served the Second Grade Spirit Tea, not because he was stingy, but because serving Second Grade Spirit Tea suited his status better, while serving Third Grade Spirit Tea might seem like showing off.


    The Chief Manager Lai naturally praised the Second Grade Spirit Tea, genuinely appreciating it. The Spirit Tea that Li Shiming roasted in his mechanical space room was, just like the Spirit Pills he concocted there, the epitome of quality.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I gather you¡¯ve already negotiated with the Qianye Temple. I too was sent here to be a mediator, hoping you could take on the alchemy task without questioning its origin,¡± the Chief Manager Lai said after tasting the Second Grade Spirit Tea, bringing up the primary purpose of his visit.


    ¡°Chief Manager Lai, I didn¡¯t expect my whimsical act to trouble you to make this trip. Indeed, I have already reconciled with the Qianye Temple!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    The Chief Manager Lai had received the news before his arrival, but it was reached before Li Shiming had returned, and considering Li Shiming¡¯s youth and vigor, a reversal was very likely.


    Hearing the confirmation from Li Shiming¡¯s own lips, the Chief Manager Lai finally breathed a sigh of relief, his smile more genuine.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I heard you have ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ in your possession?¡± the Chief Manager Lai shifted the subject, seemingly asking casually.


    Yet, Li Shiming noticed a flash of eagerness in the Chief Manager Lai¡¯s eyes, which, he suspected, was probably the most important reason for the Chief Manager¡¯s visit.


    The incident with the Thousand Illusion Sect had only happened a few days ago, yet the Beishu Trading Company had already received the news, reflecting their significant influence on the Beishu Continent.


    Having taken out the ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ for trade at the Thousand Illusion Sect, he had anticipated today¡¯s situation.


    ¡°I indeed still have two ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯; I didn¡¯t expect such a minor matter to be known to you as well!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    ¡°Would it be possible, Mr. Li, to hand over these two ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ to our company for auction? Our company will not charge a commission fee, and we will get you the best price possible!¡± the Chief Manager Lai, more eager, suggested with a smile.


    The Chief Manager Lai did not believe that Li Shiming had only two ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯, but he couldn¡¯t force Li Shiming into anything. The mere fact that Li Shiming admitted to having the ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ already pleased him greatly.


    Li Shiming was not completely ignorant about business; in his previous life, amidst an information explosion, he had also picked up some commercial tactics.


    An item loses its value when there is an abundance of it; indeed, he did have quite a few ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯, but offering too many at once would affect their auction value.


    ¡°Of the two ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯, I need to use one, so I can only part with one for trading. However, I don¡¯t need Spirit Stones. If there are any Spiritual Objects that can impress me, I am willing to sell!¡± Li Shiming disregarded the Chief Manager Lai¡¯s auction proposal.


    At present, he could proudly say that he had no interest in Spirit Stones, for him, Spirit Stones were just a string of numbers.


    If he desired Spirit Stones, just taking out some high-grade Spirit Pills from his Space Ring could sell for a staggering amount of Spirit Stones.


    He already had ample Spirit Stones at his disposal.


    ¡°Mr. Li, after I return, I will contact clients with a demand and then notify you of what they can offer in exchange. After you review and agree, we can proceed with the trade!¡± the Chief Manager Lai, slightly disappointed but still smiling, said.


    He had hoped to use the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ as the highlight of the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s annual auction to significantly increase its popularity.


    But clearly, Li Shiming was not an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator; currency such as Spirit Stones held no allure for him.


    Fortunately, as long as Li Shiming was willing to part with a ¡®Youthful Elixir,¡¯ the Beishu Trading Company would benefit.


    Inside the Beishu Trading Company itself, there were higher-ups who wanted to purchase the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ directly¡ªafter all, such an elixir was exceedingly rare, appearing only once in many years, while the demand for ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ in the Cultivation World was exceedingly great.


    Initially, the Beishu Trading Company had discussed hosting the auction under the pretext of purchasing the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± at a high price and using it solely to hype the atmosphere of the auction.


    Now, the only option was to let the high-end customers of the Beishu Trading Company make their bids themselves. Since Li Shiming had proposed this, the Beishu Trading Company couldn¡¯t continue to manipulate the bid privately, otherwise it would alienate Li Shiming, an important alchemist.


    ¡°Thank you for your help, Chief Manager Lai!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile, expressing his gratitude.


    ¡°By the way, I have another matter to discuss during this visit. The company has decided to elevate your status within the company from visiting alchemist to Guest Elder. Please look over the rights and responsibilities of the Guest Elder!¡± Chief Manager Lai took out a document and handed it to Li Shiming.


    Guest Elder is a special designation, representing a high-level identity held by individuals within an organization who are not part of its official power structure, essentially entering the upper echelon of the Beishu Trading Company.


    Of course, the freedom of a Guest Elder is not as great as that of a visiting alchemist, but their rights are significantly more powerful.


    For example, Li Shiming could access the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s intelligence system, receiving a summary of intelligence from the system periodically, informing him of significant events occurring on the Beishu Continent during that period.


    Additionally, the Beishu Trading Company provides a fixed remuneration for Guest Elders, and it is distributed according to the level of Golden Core cultivators.


    This includes access to third-grade resources, which alone is a much higher privilege than that offered to a visiting alchemist.


    The only trouble is that Guest Elders are somewhat bound to the Beishu Trading Company, and need to cooperate and face challenges together when major troubles arise within the company.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s status as an alchemist, such assistance would not involve martial capabilities but would rather involve providing support in alchemy.


    Li Shiming studied the agreement and pondered for a while before agreeing to become a Guest Elder of the Beishu Trading Company.


    ¡°Li Keqing, this is your Minister Identity Card. From now on, you are one of us. If you face any danger in the future, you can report it in advance using the Minister Identity Card. The commerce can enlist the aid of the Golden Core Elders from the six major sects. Even if you have trouble with the six major sects, the commerce can mediate on your behalf!¡± Chief Manager Lai¡¯s smile grew even more genuine.


    Li Shiming had a favorable view of the Beishu Trading Company, particularly of Chief Manager Lai.


    The position of Guest Elder was suggested only at the end, and not right after the Guest Elder agreement was presented, which allowed Li Shiming to agree to give the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± to the commerce for selling without feeling coerced just for access to the Golden Core resources.


    If that had been the case, it would have made Li Shiming feel pressured.


    Discussing everything fully and then presenting the Guest Elder agreement made Chief Manager Lai¡¯s respect for Li Shiming evident.


    ¡°Here is a serving of Third Grade Spirit Tea, a pitcher of Third Grade Spirit Wine, three Third Grade Silver Frost Spirit Peaches, and ten third-grade green whiskered nuts. These are the Golden Core resources for three years; When the time comes after three years, a designated person will deliver the Golden Core resources to you!¡± Chief Manager Lai took out a storage bag and handed it to Li Shiming, explaining.


    Li Shiming was astonished; having seen the Guest Elder agreement, he knew that Guest Elders at the Beishu Trading Company were entitled to Golden Core resources, but he never expected to receive so many resources for three years.


    Of course, considering that these third-grade resources were likely produced by the Beishu Trading Company itself, even so, the all third-grade Spirit Tea, Spirit Wine, and Spiritual Fruits were among the top hospitality items in the Cultivation World.


    Even if not used for hosting, consuming them oneself would harmlessly enhance one¡¯s own abilities.


    He received the storage bag, swept his Divine Thought over the Golden Core resources inside, and confirmed that what he received was exactly as Chief Manager Lai had described regarding the third-grade Spiritual Objects.


    ¡°It seems I was too reserved!¡± Li Shiming laughed helplessly. He took out a jade bottle from his Space Ring and handed it to Chief Manager Lai, saying, ¡°Here is a ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯ The commerce can use it for publicity first. Later, send me a list of Spiritual Objects to choose from, and I will make my selections then!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, the commerce will handle it well, enhancing the value of the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ to its peak!¡± Chief Manager Lai said, laughing as he took the jade bottle and carefully examined it after opening it.

 Chapter 425: 259 Dual Cultivation

    Chapter 425: Chapter 259 Dual Cultivation


    After seeing off Store Manager Lai, Li Shiming took out his Minister Identity Card, retrieving the accumulated alchemy tasks from recent days.


    The spiritual medicines needed for the alchemy tasks required some time to arrive, so he entered the cultivation room.


    He didn¡¯t consume the top-grade spirit pills but chose to sit at the outlet of spiritual energy and began cultivating the Foundation Establishment chapter of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡±


    He needn¡¯t worry about conflicts between cultivation techniques since the greatest feature of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± was its neutrality and high tolerance.


    In his Spirit Lake, there already existed Five Elements Spirit Power, though they were all of Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power; however, this did not hinder his cultivation of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡±


    The unique condition in his Spirit Lake meant that, for the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± there was no need to start from the Qi Refinement Realm or even consider the realm challenges of the Foundation Establishment; he could continue his cultivation directly from his current realm.


    Li Shiming devoted himself entirely to the cultivation of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡± Since he had the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Technique¡± as his foundation, he felt no awkwardness during his first practice of the new technique.


    His body slowly left the ground; he was enveloped and lifted off the floor by multicolored light.


    The spirit power that spurted from the outlet was instantly attracted to the multicolored light and then absorbed into his body.


    Inside his body, the spiritual energy, following the operational route of the Foundation Establishment chapter of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± transformed into Five Elements Spirit Power on its own.


    He almost thought that the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in his Spirit Lake had lost its function since the Five Elements Spirit Power was already forming inside his body during circulation, making the array seem redundant.


    However, he quickly realized his mistake. The Five Elements Spirit Power cultivated through the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± was merely at the level of late-stage Foundation Establishment. After refining through the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± it was enhanced to the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    He also discovered that the newly cultivated Five Elements Spirit Power in his Spirit Lake was of the same purity as the previous ones because they had all been refined through the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± reaching the peak of the late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    However, this new Five Elements Spirit Power had an added nature not found in the previous power.


    This matching nature with the Five Elements attributes made the spirit power in his Spirit Lake more dynamic, giving him the feeling that the new power had increased in strength by at least ten percent.


    After one round of cultivating the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± he then cultivated the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± only to find that the newly cultivated Five Elements Spirit Power had to be transformed again through the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± essentially repeating the cultivation process.


    This was an enormous waste of cultivation time, the same cultivation time yielding only half the improvement in spirit power, wasting vast amounts of time on the transformation of thunder attributes.


    His mind whirred, and IBMz15 extracted both techniques and compared them, quickly providing a solution.


    That was to cultivate the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± simultaneously. As the routes for absorbing spiritual energy into the body in both techniques were largely similar, after re-planning and calculation by IBMz15, the fastest route for circulating spirit power using both techniques was identified.


    He ran multiple simulations on IBMz15; although IBMz15¡¯s simulation of Cultivation Techniques was still at a primary stage, only using data monitored during his cultivation sessions, the accuracy for his individual case was extremely high.


    In the Cultivation World, it was likely not many cultivators dared to practice such advanced techniques, and those who did often perished from losing control.


    Li Shiming was unaware of this. Without consulting his mentor Elder Su, after getting the approval from multiple simulations on IBMz15, he began the simultaneous cultivation of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡±


    Of course, he was very cautious. IBMz15 continually monitored his condition, ready to alert him and pull him out of his cultivation state immediately if issues arose.


    The simultaneous cultivation of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± proceeded exceptionally smoothly, so much so that he could hardly believe it.


    This was related to the compatibility of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡± Boldly, Li Shiming practiced both ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± in one round of cultivation, thereby increasing the Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power infused with spirit in his Spirit Lake.


    Proud of his cultivation achievements, Li Shiming took out a first-grade spirit pill, released the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake from the storage space, teased it with the spirit pill, and nurtured their bond.


    Then, he suddenly slapped his head and went to the main hall of his cave, moving the Third Grade Golden Lotus along with its pond into the cultivation room.


    The Third Grade Golden Lotus could purify spiritual energy. The spiritual energy filtered by the Third Grade Golden Lotus would, when absorbed during cultivation, convert into spirit power nearly twice as effectively as ordinary spiritual energy.


    This allowed him to make the most out of every minute of practice time, making his cultivation more efficient.


    The Third Grade Golden Lotus was extremely important to other Cultivators, but for him, it was merely icing on the cake.


    His most efficient periods of cultivation occurred when he consumed top-grade spirit pills, as the main source of spiritual energy then came from the pills; external spiritual energy constituted only a minuscule fraction.

 Chapter 426: 259 Dual Cultivation_2

    Chapter 426: Chapter 259 Dual Cultivation_2


    Though a mosquito¡¯s leg is small, it is still meat. While practicing without top-tier Spirit Pills, the improvement in training efficiency was still significantly helpful to him.


    Moving the Third Grade Golden Lotus made the hall of the cave dwelling lack one significant view, however, the cultivation of the cultivator was more important.


    Li Shiming returned to his normal life, where he would craft Spirit Pills five times a day, each time making ten furnaces, all of them second-grade Spirit Pills.


    The rest of his time was spent cultivating, studying formations and technologies from his previous life, which actually made his life busier.


    A few months later, the benefits of practicing the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± became apparent, although it was not an increase in strength. With Li Shiming¡¯s current strength at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had nearly reached the peak of the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    The benefit he gained was the enhancement of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire. The once small Red Sun Spiritual Fire had grown to the size of a fist after several months of absorbing fire attribute Spiritual Power.


    This was a significant improvement, and the speed of this enhancement surprised him greatly.


    He knew that the Red Sun Spiritual Fire had absorbed fire attribute Spiritual Power before, but there had never been such a speed of improvement. Initially, he thought it would take until the Golden Core Stage to substantially strengthen the Red Sun Spiritual Fire.


    The enhancement of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire naturally came from the fire attribute Spiritual Power produced by practicing the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡±


    The Five Elements Thunder Spirit Power in Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Lake had become more spiritual compared to before he practiced the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± and it was this spirituality that caused the substantial enhancement of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire.


    Although he did not know of other uses for this spirituality, just being able to enhance the Red Sun Spiritual Fire was a tremendous surprise.


    This meant he could now attempt to craft third-grade Spirit Pills. Before, the Red Sun Spiritual Fire was somewhat insufficient, but now he no longer needed to worry about this issue.


    In these days, he remained in closed-door cultivation, aside from when the cultivators from the Beishu Trading Company came to bring materials for Spirit Pills and take away the crafted ones, he himself did not leave Sword Holding Peak.


    It happened to be that his master, Elder Su, was also in seclusion, so there was no need to visit Elder Su for the time being.


    When Li Shiming was preparing to visit Elder Ma at Dan Ding Peak, he received a message from Elder Su. It seemed that Elder Su had come out of seclusion, and looking at the dates, it was the regular month for mentoring.


    After thinking it over, he packed one Silver Frost Spiritual Peach and three Green Whiskers Nuts in two jade boxes and then headed towards Heavenly Eye Peak.


    Upon arriving at Heavenly Eye Peak, he saw his eldest senior sister and three senior brothers. The fourth senior brother, Xu Chuan, and the third senior brother, Lu Shi, showed a hint of embarrassment upon seeing him.


    Even the second senior brother, Wan Zheng, looked rather uneasy, secretly thinking that if he hadn¡¯t been at the late-stage Foundation Establishment, he too might have felt awkward.


    ¡°I told you all to cultivate diligently, and now look, the junior brother has surpassed you!¡± elder sister Ye Jingxian voiced out what the three were thinking.


    ¡°Three senior brothers, it¡¯s just that I had some opportunities that I could achieve this!¡± Li Shiming quickly reassured.


    He didn¡¯t want his fellow senior brothers to feel any rift over this matter; his senior brothers had always taken great care of him in the past.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with the junior brother. Our Spirit Pills for cultivation don¡¯t need to compete with other cultivators, all are the best. We¡¯ve already far surpassed other cultivators, and this is all thanks to junior brother!¡± Wan Zheng waved his hands continuously as he spoke.


    Lu Shi and Xu Chuan also nodded in agreement with the second senior brother. Having Li Shiming as a high-level alchemist junior brother meant they no longer worried about cultivation resources.


    Although, due to the rules for Alchemy Masters, Li Shiming would not concoct Spirit Pills for them for free, just being able to have Li Shiming craft Spirit Pills for them anytime was enough to make all the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the Beishu Continent extremely envious.


    Li Shiming¡¯s reputation across the Beishu Continent was immense, particularly among the Foundation Establishment cultivators, mainly because he hardly made any more Qi Refining Stage Spirit Pills, focusing on second-grade Spirit Pills.


    The number of Foundation Establishment cultivators on the Beishu Continent was vast. His crafted Spirit Pills were mostly ordered by the six major sects, with additional orders from various smaller sects. Very few actually made their way into the hands of Loose Cultivators.


    Thus, although it seemed that Li Shiming produced many Spirit Pills each month, those marked with his signature were still in short supply, which greatly enhanced his reputation.


    ¡°In a little while, I¡¯m afraid I will have to cut down on the production of the Second-grade Spirit Pills!¡± Li Shiming revealed some news with a smile, seeing that his three senior brothers showed no jealousy.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Xu Chuan, startled, quickly asked.


    ¡°I recently felt that I might be able to try refining Third-grade Spirit Pills, and I plan to visit Dan Ding Peak after seeing Master!¡± Being amongst his own, Li Shiming did not hide anything.


    He felt confident about refining Third-grade Spirit Pills, having seen Elder Ma refine them and, moreover, with Elder Ma¡¯s considerable leniency, allowing him to observe the process with Divine Thought, which had enabled him to gather a vast amount of data on refining Third-grade Spirit Pills, recorded in the IBMz15.


    ¡°Is the junior brother aiming to become an Alchemy Master?¡± Ye Jingxian reacted the most, her hands gripping Li Shiming¡¯s shoulders excitedly, her eyes filled with confirmation.


    ¡°I feel it¡¯s about time to give it a try!¡± Li Shiming nodded.


    ¡°My formation of four different Spirit Pills just needs refining; I was unsure how to proceed, but now I must ask junior brother to lend a hand!¡± Ye Jingxian said joyfully.


    She was naturally happy, although she could have asked their Master, Elder Su, or even Elder Ma to help, but requesting Elder Ma through Elder Su would cost a favor.


    Most importantly, Li Shiming¡¯s involvement guaranteed high-level Spirit Pills, a feat even Elder Ma couldn¡¯t match.


    Of course, Ye Jingxian didn¡¯t know whether Li Shiming could maintain the quality of the pills while refining Third-grade Spirit Pills, but given her relationship with Li Shiming, if he was unsure, he wouldn¡¯t undertake their refinement.


    ¡°If big sister doesn¡¯t mind, once I¡¯m confident, I will refine them for big sister!¡± Li Shiming did not decline, as his senior sister had treated him well.


    ¡°Let me give you the materials first, and you can hand them back once they¡¯re refined!¡± Ye Jingxian, without much consideration, took out several jade boxes and handed them to Li Shiming.


    She wasn¡¯t the least bit worried about any mishaps with her hard-won resources for making the pills, as Li Shiming¡¯s reputation had been built upon countless high-quality, high-level Spirit Pills.


    ¡°Senior sister, rest assured!¡± Li Shiming, looking at the jade boxes in his hand, nodded firmly in agreement.


    He was fully aware of how important the resources for making the pills were. Ye Jingxian¡¯s set of resources owed not only to Elder Su, but also to her decades of accumulated contribution points, a trust that moved him.


    He actually had two sets of such resources himself; one was from his alter ego, Li Yuanba, and the other was compensation from Elder Ji¡¯s side.


    Elder Ji¡¯s side had offered the only resource qualification for making the pills that their group had for a decade, which was negotiated with Elder Zuo by the Fan Ancestor in person.


    The main reason was that Elder Ji¡¯s group had gone too far, daring to tamper with the sect¡¯s Alchemy inheritance, leading to intervention from the Alchemy faction, which forced Elder Ji¡¯s group to compromise.


    Otherwise, perhaps Elder Ji¡¯s group¡¯s supply of Spirit Pills would have been jeopardized, which would have caused dissension among the Cultivators in his group.


    This matter was very secretive, partly to protect Li Shiming, as news of it getting out could jeopardize his safety, with Cultivators eyeing his resources for making pills.


    On the other hand, it was a matter of face for Elder Ji¡¯s group; such compensation severely damaged their reputation, which they undoubtedly wished to keep under strict wraps.


    As they were speaking, Elder Su arrived, and as usual, he focused on the Cultivation progress of his disciples.


    He particularly admonished Xu Chuan and Lu Shi, leaving both with helpless expressions and resentful glances towards Li Shiming, as such scolding was naturally because Li Shiming had now reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Elder Su also looked at Li Shiming. The disciple was reassuringly low-maintenance, needing hardly any oversight from Elder Su as long as he stayed within the sect, for his primary Cultivation Technique was his own.

 Chapter 427: 260: Third Grade

    Chapter 427: Chapter 260: Third Grade


    ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± Elder Su asked aloud.


    If there were no issues at this time, the disciples would disperse on their own.


    ¡°Master, your disciple has a question to ask!¡± Li Shiming said with a bow.


    The eldest martial sister who was about to leave, along with the three martial brothers, all stopped and looked towards Li Shiming.


    ¡°During my recent trip, I accidentally acquired two magical treasures, but both have lost much of their spiritual nature. I would like to ask Master if there is any way to restore the spirituality of these treasures?¡± Li Shiming said as he took out the flying sword and the umbrella-shaped magical treasure.


    ¡°Is this what Master mentioned as fortune?¡± Even the straightforward eldest martial sister, Ye Jingxian, let out an envious remark as she looked at the two treasures and muttered to herself.


    She was at the Half-step Golden Core stage, and in addition to contemplating about advancing to the Golden Core, she also had to consider the magical treasures she would need after the advancement.


    However, at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it is impossible to come into contact with third-grade resources.


    Of course, the sect rewards Golden Core cultivators, which includes allowing them to owe the sect for a set of third-grade magical treasure materials.


    These third-grade treasure materials may not be of the best quality, but they are capable of allowing newly advanced Golden Core cultivators to quickly develop their combat strength, so that they can explore dangerous areas sooner, search for third-grade spiritual objects to enhance their own strength, or complete sect missions.


    Perhaps after Ye Jingxian becomes a Golden Core cultivator, Elder Su as her master might also reward her, and it is very likely to be a magical treasure. That is another possibility of acquiring a treasure.


    But no matter which way, it requires one to become a Golden Core cultivator first; that is the prerequisite.


    Look at Li Shiming, who is only in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and he already holds two magical treasures in his hands. I heard that Elder Zhao even extorted a flying sword treasure from an offending Independent Practitioner Golden Core for him.


    Just from his last outing, he acquired three magical treasures.


    If this isn¡¯t fortune, what is?


    Although the last trip was fraught with danger, for such opportunities, even Ye Jingxian would be willing to partake several times despite the risks.


    ¡°Shiming, your fortune is really too...¡± Even Elder Su found himself at a loss for words halfway through his sentence.


    He took the two treasures and examined them, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise.


    ¡°Both treasures are of excellent quality. It¡¯s just that they have lost their spirituality over time. After you¡¯ve reached the Golden Core stage, you can nourish them with your Golden Core for a few years, and the sect has the necessary secret techniques for that!¡± Elder Su said as he returned the two magical treasures to Li Shiming.


    To tell the truth, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Li Shiming was his disciple, he would have wanted the two treasures for himself.


    The quality of these two treasures was even better than what he himself was using.


    But how could he have the nerve to ask his disciple for the magical treasures? Besides, these were part of Li Shiming¡¯s fate. Li Shiming had a great chance of succeeding in forming his Golden Core, and the two treasures would greatly enhance his self-preservation capabilities.


    Considering Li Shiming¡¯s penchant for getting into trouble and his luck, the two treasures were even more important for him.


    In the Cultivation World, the relationship between master and disciple is closer than that of a father and son in the mundane world, especially within the major sects which take this very seriously.


    As for why Elder Su did not directly give Li Shiming the secret technique, it was because there was no need. Li Shiming had enough contribution points in his hands, and he no longer needed to exchange for Golden Core resources.


    And the techniques that are stored in the sect¡¯s cultivation technique library cannot be privately passed on, even Golden Core Elders need to notify the sect first and pay the corresponding contribution points in order to pass them on privately.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Li Shiming happily put away the two treasures. He then took out a jade box and presented it to Elder Su: ¡°I have become a Guest Elder of the Beishu Trading Company; this is my filial respect to Master!¡±


    Elder Su took the jade box and opened it, his eyes lighting up.


    ¡°Shiming, you are thoughtful!¡± he said, barely able to contain his smile.


    It was not because a Silver Frost Spiritual Peach and three Green Whiskers Nuts ¨C the two types of third-grade spiritual fruits ¨C were particularly rare. As a real power Elder of the Shushan Sect, he had access to Golden Core resources of similar value and had other channels for obtaining third-grade resources.


    But this was a token of respect from his disciple. He planned to invite all his old friends in a couple of days so they could see the filial respect his disciple had sent him.


    What kind of disciple could offer third-grade spiritual objects to their master at the Foundation Establishment Stage? He had taken in just one.


    ¡°By the way, are you prepared for Master Ma?¡± he asked Li Shiming, recalling something.


    ¡°It¡¯s already prepared!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    ¡°This will be the only time from my end, as your residency resources only come once every three years. I suppose Master Ma is not lacking in these resources either!¡± Elder Su nodded and instructed.


    After leaving Heavenly Eye Peak, Li Shiming also gave each of his eldest martial sister and the three martial brothers a portion of Second Grade Spirit Tea. His roasted Spirit Tea might not be widespread, but even among Golden Core cultivators, it was praised as a top-quality product.


    The eldest martial sister and the three martial brothers were naturally pleased, as they didn¡¯t even consider the matter of third-grade resources, which was beyond their reach.


    After departing from Heavenly Eye Peak, Li Shiming went straight to Dan Ding Peak. The first thing he did upon entering was to present the jade box.


    ¡°Your master has already sent word over, and he has also invited a few of your martial uncles and aunts to get together. He said he wanted everyone to gather and also mentioned your acquisition of third-grade resources!¡± Elder Ma took the jade box and eagerly began to open it as he spoke.


    Seeing the third-grade resources inside the box, he too revealed a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Master, my Red Sun Spirit Fire has grown strong enough to refine third-grade Spirit Pills. I have come to learn the art of refining third-grade Spirit Pills!¡± Li Shiming said as he saw Elder Ma¡¯s joy.


    ¡°Let me see your Spiritual Fire!¡± Elder Ma, in a good mood, did not refuse and ordered with a smile.

 Chapter 428: 260: Third Grade_2

    Chapter 428: Chapter 260: Third Grade_2


    Li Shiming unleashed the Red Sun Spirit Fire, and a ball of flame the size of his palm appeared in his hand. Had he not restrained the ferocity of the Red Sun Spirit Fire, this ball of flame could have significantly increased the temperature inside the Dan Ding Hall.


    ¡°Fortune, fortune!¡± This time it was Elder Ma¡¯s turn to be speechless, as he murmured.


    I have seen those with deep fortune, but I have never seen anyone with a fortune as profound as Li Shiming¡¯s.


    It was no secret within the sect that Li Shiming had received Elder Ji¡¯s Third Grade Spirit Tea and had advanced to the late-stage Foundation Establishment Stage after drinking it.


    Now even Li Shiming¡¯s Red Sun Spirit Fire had improved so much that it almost reached the level only attainable by mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators, so how could Elder Ma not feel emotional.


    ¡°I know your learning capacity. There is no difference in technique when refining Third-grade Spirit Pills; it only requires more intricate changes in the Spiritual Fire and Third-grade Spiritual Medicine. Today, I am going to refine a batch of ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills.¡¯ Just watch!¡± Elder Ma said after pondering.


    In the following alchemy process, Elder Ma explained every step in detail, allowing Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought to stay within the Pill Furnace, observing the changes inside.


    He was very clear this was a pivotal learning opportunity, as once Li Shiming could refine the Third-grade ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill,¡¯ he would be considered an Alchemy Master.


    This was a significant event both for Li Shiming himself and for the Shushan Sect.


    Therefore, his explanations were extremely detailed, making an effort to pass on his years of accumulated experience.


    The refinement of Third-grade Spirit Pills differed from that of first and second-grade Spirit Pills; usually, the process for a first-grade Spirit Pill would not exceed two hours, and that for a second-grade Spirit Pill would be within three hours.


    However, refining Third-grade Spirit Pills required much more time, depending on the amount of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine in the elixir recipe.


    For a Third-grade Spirit Pill like ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill,¡¯ there is only one Third-grade ingredient, the turtle marrow, while the rest are auxiliary materials of the first and second grades. Therefore, the preparation of ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡¯ generally takes about six hours.


    The more Third-grade Spiritual Medicines there are in the elixir recipe for Third-grade Spirit Pills, the more the alchemy time increases geometrically.


    Even refining some top-grade Third-grade Spirit Pills might require around ten days, and without the capabilities of the Golden Core Stage, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s spiritual power and spirit simply aren¡¯t sufficient.


    Li Shiming listened intently to Elder Ma¡¯s explanations. He had already mastered the theoretical knowledge.


    The ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ that Elder Ma had passed down to him was the fundamental legacy of their alchemy lineage; what he lacked was the experience in refining Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    The value of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine was so high that any mishaps were almost intolerable; even for a major sect like Shushan, wanton waste of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine was avoided as much as possible.


    The more detailed Elder Ma¡¯s explanations were, the higher Li Shiming¡¯s rate of successful pill formation would be.


    Soon, six hours had passed, and a fragrant scent rose from the pill furnace.


    ¡°Harvest the pills!¡± Elder Ma had no time for further explanations and called out with focused expression.


    Two Spirit Pills flew out of the Pill Furnace, their glows flickering rapidly before being concealed.


    He stored the two Spirit Pills in a jade bottle, but his face betrayed a hint of helplessness.


    To be honest, this alchemy session was quite satisfactory. The yield of refining Third-grade Spirit Pills depended on the amount of spiritual materials used, typically producing two to three pills.


    The two Spirit Pills were not considered a failure, and their quality even reached the intermediate level, which was his usual standard.


    But Elder Ma knew Li Shiming¡¯s capabilities; thus, each time Li Shiming was present, he would focus more intensely on his alchemy, always striving to perform better in front of his disciple.


    He deeply knew that it was only a matter of time before Li Shiming would surpass him, he simply hoped to maintain the dignity of a mentor in front of Li Shiming for as long as possible.


    ¡°Shiming, the sect has found a location for ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill,¡¯ which is a commonly used Cultivation Spirit Pill for Golden Core cultivators. You can waste two quantities of third-grade Turtle Marrow, but if you can¡¯t achieve the ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡¯ with those two quantities, then you will need to purchase the elixir recipe and spiritual materials through the Beishu Trading Company,¡± Elder Ma instructed solemnly.


    ¡°Disciple understands!¡± Li Shiming bowed in response.


    Two quantities of third-grade Turtle Marrow were not a lot, mainly to minimize the loss during the production of third-grade Spirit Pills. Normally, an Alchemy Master would compress the materials for one batch of Spirit Pills to two or three pieces, forming an unspoken rule of considering the materials for producing three third-grade Spirit Pills as one quantity.


    If all two quantities are successfully refined, that¡¯s just six third-grade Spirit Pills. The sect was willing to accept this consumption, but any more would indicate that Li Shiming¡¯s skill was insufficient, and the sect could not afford to use third-grade Spiritual Medicine as material for mere practice in large quantities.


    Under normal circumstances, an alchemist who wants to attempt third-grade Spirit Pills must spend several years at least, under the direct guidance of a previous Alchemy Master until the master approves them for independent attempts to produce third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Li Shiming¡¯s situation was special; on one hand, his learning ability was extremely strong, which was evident from his earlier Alchemy studies and his process of becoming a high-level Alchemist.


    On the other hand, it was his talent. Nowadays, with second-grade Spirit Pills, he almost suppressed all refining masters in the Beishu Continent.


    Although Elder Ma did not say anything, he himself also understood that Li Shiming¡¯s level in refining second-grade Spirit Pills had long surpassed him.


    Not just Elder Ma thought so, many Alchemy Masters across the Beishu Continent considered the same; however, Alchemy Masters rarely refined second-grade Spirit Pills, and with Li Shiming generating a large amount of second-grade Spirit Pills, they were even less likely to make them.


    By not producing second-grade Spirit Pills, they avoided comparison with Li Shiming.


    Elder Ma wasn¡¯t worried about Li Shiming surpassing him in alchemy. No matter how much Li Shiming grew, in terms of alchemy, he was still Li Shiming¡¯s mentor.


    Taking the materials for the ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill,¡¯ Li Shiming left Dan Ding Peak. Elder Ma had no mood to continue alchemy and contacted Elder Su and a group of old friends to move up the gathering he had planned.


    In Elder Ma¡¯s view, it was better to meet with his friends while waiting for news from Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming returned to his cave dwelling and placed the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace into the Machine Room Space. He had no plans to create the ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡¯ in the outside world.


    The controllability of producing the ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡¯ in the outside world was still lacking, far less than the micrometer-level control in the Machine Room Space, which allowed him to minimize the risk of failure.


    It was somewhat difficult for the Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace to refine third-grade Spirit Pills. He dared not use the Red Sun Spiritual Fire to its full capacity, fearing that the furnace could not withstand the flames of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire.


    Li Shiming felt that the Red Sun Spiritual Fire was also the most powerful means of attack. He guessed that no cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage could withstand the heat of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire, and even a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, if recklessly close, would be in trouble.


    However, although he had collected the Red Sun Spiritual Fire, because he had not yet formed a Golden Core, he couldn¡¯t completely control it.


    If the Red Sun Spiritual Fire were to be seized, he would lose it, so his reflection on the might of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire was just a sentiment, not an actual consideration to use it as an attack mode.


    When he actually refined the third-grade ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill,¡¯ he was very relaxed, feeling even more so than Elder Ma.


    Because this was in the Machine Room Space, his micrometer-level observation, along with the IBMz15 from the side, allowed him to anticipate any changes before they even occurred.


    Changes within the pill furnace at the micrometer particle level were detected by him and the IBMz15 immediately, allowing intervention at this stage which made it easy to disrupt or alter any changes in the pill furnace.


    After three two-hour periods, Li Shiming repressed the urge to use the ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ during this first attempt at refining third-grade Spirit Pills. It was best not to be too risky.


    Three Spirit Pills flew out of the pill furnace, and just sensing their quality brought a smile to his face. Three high-grade ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills,¡¯ and he also collected the resulting essence of the medicine, preparing for future refinements of top-grade third-grade Spirit Pills.

 Chapter 429: 261 Congratulations

    Chapter 429: Chapter 261 Congratulations


    In the Gathering Immortal Pavilion at Heavenly Eye Peak, Elder Su, Elder Ma, Elder Zhao, and five other Golden Core Elders gathered together.


    For this meeting, Elder Su had brought out Third Grade Spirit Tea and various types of Third Grade Spirit Fruits to treat his old friends, which was quite a generous offer, showing how good his mood was.


    ¡°Elder Su, you¡¯re being stingy, giving us only one Silver Frost Spirit Peach. Look, we can¡¯t even get a bite, and these Green Whiskers Nuts are so small, you didn¡¯t bring enough to share!¡± Elder Zhao commented, pointing at the Silver Frost Spirit Peach and Green Whiskers Nuts in front of him.


    Actually, Elder Su was not being stingy. Apart from these two types of spirit fruits, he had provided one of each of the other fruits for everyone.


    It was just that Silver Frost Spirit Peach and Green Whiskers Nuts were not part of the customary Golden Core benefits, so it was rare for Golden Core cultivators to taste them on ordinary days.


    ¡°No help for it, since Shiming only sent this much, and I don¡¯t have a way to get these two kinds of spirit fruits!¡± Elder Su had been anticipating his friends¡¯ questions, so he responded with a smile and a helpless gesture.


    ¡°This is Shiming¡¯s tribute?¡± Elder Zhao asked in surprise.


    He wasn¡¯t lacking in these Third Grade resources, but it was different when they were a disciple¡¯s tribute.


    All the Golden Core Elders present had disciples, but among them, only Li Shiming could present Third Grade resources to his master during the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s too little. Shiming also gave me a portion; I¡¯ll bring it out as well!¡± Elder Ma timely interjected.


    He took out Silver Frost Spirit Peaches and Green Whiskers Nuts and divided them with a jade knife, serving them to all the old friends present.


    ¡°I regret it now; Shiming has the talent of a Sword Cultivator, I should have at least taken him as a Registered Disciple!¡± Elder Zhao, biting down hard on a piece of peach, said regretfully.


    His remark immediately sparked agreement among the other Golden Core cultivators, all saying they should have accepted Li Shiming as a Registered Disciple too.


    ¡°Elder Ma, Jingxian¡¯s resources for pill concoction have been entrusted to Shiming; you must watch them closely, try to prevent any failures!¡± Elder Su now thought of his eldest disciple, Ye Jingxian, and spoke to Elder Ma.


    Though not explicitly asking Elder Ma to intervene, he still indicated that Elder Ma should get involved.


    Mainly because the resources for pill concoction related to Ye Jingxian¡¯s advancement to Golden Core, not only did Ye Jingxian prepare for decades, but Elder Su as a master also paid a considerable price.


    There were quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators competing for pill concoction resources, and if it wasn¡¯t for Li Shiming having already obtained a set of resources for pill concoction from Elder Ji¡¯s lineage, even Ye Jingxian could not have competed with Li Shiming.


    Initially, Li Shiming was not supposed to compete for this round of resources, but since his cultivation had reached the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, he qualified to vie for the pill concoction resources.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s circumstances, the sect was almost bound to provide him with a set of resources for pill concoction.


    ¡°...¡± Elder Ma was about to speak when he paused.


    His Divine Thought swept over his Identity Jade Disc, where he received a message from Li Shiming, stating that he had successfully concocted three high-grade ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills.¡¯


    Truth be told, Elder Ma couldn¡¯t help feeling envious. What kind of alchemy talent was needed for Li Shiming to concoct a full yield of high-quality ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills¡¯ on his first attempt?


    Even Elder Ma himself could only occasionally achieve such a feat of three high-grade full pills under exceptionally good luck.


    The difficulty in concocting Third-grade Spirit Pills was that managing the changes in the Pill Furnace was a thousand times more complex than with Second-grade Spirit Pills, where any slight mistake could affect the quality of the Third-grade Spirit Pills or even lead to outright failure.


    The ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡¯ was relatively easier to concoct among Third-grade Spirit Pills, but Elder Ma could only ensure they wouldn¡¯t fail, without guaranteeing their quality.


    However, just as Elder Ma¡¯s envy began to surface, it was overrun by elation, leaving no trace behind, as his disciple had become the sect¡¯s second Alchemy Master.


    Though, as an alchemy master who had not reached Golden Core, Li Shiming could only concoct the most basic Third-grade Spirit Pills, but an alchemy master is an alchemy master, recognized as one who can concoct Third-grade Spirit Pills, which is the universally accepted standard.


    ¡°Elder Ma, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Observing Elder Ma suddenly pausing and his expressions changing, the other Golden Core Elders, thinking something significant had happened, eagerly asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s replace wine with tea and toast to the sect gaining another Alchemy Master!¡± Elder Ma, laughing, stood up and held his cup with both hands towards the other Golden Core Elders.


    ¡°Did Shiming concoct a Third-grade Spirit Pill?¡± Elder Su asked, somewhat incredulously.


    You can¡¯t blame him for being skeptical; everyone knew that an alchemy master had to be at least a Half-step Golden Core to qualify, which relates to the Spiritual Fire and also to the Spirit and Divine Thought.


    ¡°If Shiming isn¡¯t lying, then on his first attempt at a Third-grade Spirit Pill, he concocted three high-grade ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills¡¯!¡± Elder Ma proudly announced.


    The Golden Core Elders present knew that Li Shiming would not lie to Elder Ma.


    What they focused more on were the ¡®three¡¯ and ¡®high-grade¡¯ aspects, their eyes flickering, which meant that Li Shiming had achieved the pinnacle in concocting the most basic Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Unless it was a one in a million chance of concocting a supreme quality spirit pill, high-grade was the highest quality amongst normal spirit pills.


    The ¡®three¡¯ indicated that Li Shiming had produced full pills, and one should not think that the difference between two and three spirit pills was just one spirit pill.

 Chapter 430 261 Congratulations_2

    Regarding the division of profits for an Alchemy Master, if there were two Spirit Pills produced, one third of the share should be designated primarily to the Alchemy Master, counting any fraction less than one as one, meaning the Alchemy Master would take away one of the pills, leaving the remaining Spirit Pill.


    However, if a furnace produces three Spirit Pills, then the Alchemy Master still receives one-third of the share, but this allows the seeker of the pills to obtain two Spirit Pills.


    The difference between one and two Third-grade Spirit Pills is enormous. Golden Core cultivators risk their lives striving for Spiritual Medicine abroad¡ªwho wouldn''t want to find an Alchemy Master who can produce a full yield of Spirit Pills!


    "This is great news, congratulations to Elder Ma for cultivating an Alchemy Master!" Elder Su said with a smile, raising his cup and holding the Spiritual Tea as if it were wine.


    "Congratulations to Elder Ma!" Elder Zhao and the other Golden Core Elders exclaimed loudly.


    Drinking the Third Grade Spirit Tea in one gulp, although this way of consuming Spiritual Tea lost the essence of tasting the Third Grade Spirit Tea, none of the Golden Core Elders cared about subtleties in such an excited mood.


    "How about we go see Shiming, Master Ma can check the ''Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills'' as well!" suggested Elder Zhao after the Golden Core Elders put down their cups.


    "I''ll send Shiming a message!" Elder Su hastily agreed before Elder Ma could speak.


    In the past, the Golden Core Elders would summon any Foundation Establishment Cultivator they wanted to see, but now, no one proposed to call Li Shiming to them; instead, they all agreed to go to Li Shiming''s Sword Holding Peak.


    This was the change in status¡ªhaving the potential of an Alchemy Master, and actually becoming one, bridged the gap that aligned Li Shiming''s status with that of the Golden Core Elders.


    Even the status of Alchemy Master, within the sect and the Cultivation World, was more coveted than that of a Golden Core Elder of a great sect.


    Great sects had many Golden Core Elders, but having an Alchemy Master in a sect was indeed remarkable.


    Just like with Elder Ma''s lineage in Alchemy, if Li Shiming hadn''t emerged, Elder Ma would have needed to transmit his Earth Flame Spiritual Fire to one of his high-level Alchemists at the end of his life and cultivate him into the next Alchemy Master.


    This is the usual mode of Alchemy Master succession in great sects. The odds of unexpectedly acquiring a Spiritual Fire are incredibly low, and even lower are the odds of acquiring one along with an alchemy talent.


    Spiritual Fire is not only used in alchemy¡ªas Li Shiming had considered¡ªit''s also a frightening weapon and the finest flame for Artifact Refining.


    While Artifact Refining may use alchemy and earth fires as substitutes, the uniqueness of Spiritual Fire remains the ultimate pursuit for Artifact Refiners.


    For various reasons, the number of Alchemy Masters in the Beishu Masters has always been very limited, which makes the position of an Alchemy Master even more prestigious.


    Initially, Elder Ji''s faction had ideas against Li Shiming, but now if Elder Ji''s faction dared to expose even a hint of such thoughts, there would be cultivators willing to take action on Li Shiming''s behalf in order to owe him a favor.


    "Greetings, Master and all Elders!" Li Shiming, standing outside his cave abode, greeted respectfully.


    "Let''s talk inside!" Elder Su said with a smile as he helped him up, then turned to the other Golden Core Elders as a quasi-host.


    As they entered the main hall of the cave abode, Li Shiming was about to retrieve items for hospitality, but was stopped by Elder Ma.


    "No need to host us, we are here to see your refinement of the ''Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills''!" Elder Ma said with a smile.


    Although Li Shiming had access to the Beishu Trading Company''s Guest Elder resources, the supply was limited over three years. With eight Golden Core Elders visiting at once, if Li Shiming really brought out items to host, he would have nothing left.


    Besides, when has an Alchemy Master ever needed to use his own Spiritual Objects to host others? It has always been the Alchemy Master receiving gifts from others.


    "Master, please look!" Li Shiming didn''t insist further, he really couldn''t bear it, as he hadn''t even tasted those Third Grade Spirit Fruits himself.


    He handed the jade bottle to Elder Ma, which contained three ''Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills''.


    Elder Ma used his Divine Thought to retrieve a "Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill," and the Divine Thoughts of all the Golden Core Elders present gathered on this "Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill."


    "The energy is concentrated and pure, with very few impurities¡ªtruly a superior Spirit Pill!" Elder Zhao was the first to praise it.


    Although Elder Ma was the only Alchemy Master among the Golden Core Elders present, their ability to appraise Spirit Pills was by no means inferior.


    "Shiming, there''s nothing more I can teach you. From now on, the task of refining low-grade Third-grade Spirit Pills for the sect will be entrusted to you!" Elder Ma looked at the "Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill" and spoke slowly after a long time.


    Indeed, even he was amazed when he saw the high-grade "Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill" in front of him.


    If Li Shiming could maintain this standard, Elder Ma really wouldn''t feel right competing with Li Shiming for the task of refining low-grade Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    "Master, why don''t I just take on the low-grade Third-grade Spirit Pill tasks from the Beishu Trading Company, and let you handle the sect''s alchemy tasks?" Li Shiming didn''t want to take over his master Elder Ma''s tasks and spoke out.


    "Nonsense, you can handle Second-grade Spirit Pills for the Beishu Trading Company without a problem. Every time you refine Third-grade Spirit Pills, you need to consider the interests of the sect. Damn, this Beishu Trading Company is really lucky; they have just promoted you to a Guest Elder, and you became an Alchemy Master, letting them benefit!" Elder Ma exclaimed, slapping Li Shiming lightly.


    All the Golden Core Elders, especially Elder Su, previously felt that the Silver Frost Spirit Peaches and Green Whiskers Nuts that Li Shiming brought were quite good. Now, however, they realized that the Beishu Trading Company was the real winner.


    It is known that Alchemy Masters of the major sects do not join any trading companies.


    The reason Li Shiming joined the Beishu Trading Company previously was to enhance his alchemy experience, as the sect did not have enough alchemy materials for him to use.


    Nobody had expected Li Shiming to become an Alchemy Master so quickly, right after the Beishu Trading Company had just changed the treatment for a Guest Elder.


    An Alchemy Master is considered a strategic talent for any sect. It''s not a big deal to refine Second-grade Spirit Pills for external sectors, but Third-grade Spirit Pills, which can enhance the combat power of Golden Core cultivators, have a huge influence on a sect and must be controlled more stringently.


    "Shiming, the Beishu Trading Company''s Third-grade Spirit Pill tasks will first be assessed by the sect before being handed over to you. This matter will be investigated by the sect; you just focus on your alchemy!" Elder Su continued.


    "Yes, I''ll listen to my master!" Li Shiming had no objections.


    "Should we announce Li Shiming becoming an Alchemy Master now, or should we keep it hidden for a while?" Elder Zhao asked.


    The Golden Core Elders present were either from Elder Su''s faction or were on very good terms with Elder Su. The discussion''s outcome could essentially represent the decisions of this faction.


    Elder Zhao was concerned because Li Shiming was still just a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and didn''t have much ability to protect himself.


    It is important to know that Third-grade Spirit Pills are relevant to cultivators at the Golden Core Stage, which could bring considerable trouble to Li Shiming.


    "There''s no need to hide it. Shiming needs to keep refining Third-grade Spirit Pills to gain experience, and this matter cannot be concealed!" Elder Ma almost immediately opposed the idea.


    "Indeed, now that Shiming has become an Alchemy Master, who would dare do anything to him?" Elder Su also nodded in agreement.


    "Then let''s hold a celebration, make it a lively event. It will also allow Shiming to start interacting with Golden Core cultivators of the Righteous Path, making it easier for him to take on alchemy tasks in the future!" Elder Ma said with a smile.


    Previously, Li Shiming rarely made connections with fellow cultivators, but as an Alchemy Master, he needed to make a large network of acquaintances.


    It is known that private alchemy tasks are personal transactions. Without exchanging contact information, it''s impossible to approach him about tasks. How would one even receive alchemy tasks?


    Now that Li Shiming had just become an Alchemy Master, he needed a lot of alchemy practice to gain experience, unlike those veteran Alchemy Masters who only took on Third-grade Spirit Pill tasks according to their preferences.


    Before Li Shiming could even react, his two masters and other senior mentors had made their decision.

 Chapter 431: 262 Reaction

    Chapter 431: Chapter 262 Reaction


    Invitation letters were dispatched one after another; the three great sects of the Righteous Path, various major powers, and cultivators close to Elders Ma and Su, as well as Li Shiming, all received an invitation.


    In order to host this grand event, Elder Su even specially opened up a mountain peak for arrangements, which was accessible by the Sect Formation and would not affect other cave dwellings in the sect.


    Elder Ji was the first to receive the news, even before the invitation letter arrived.


    His status within the Shushan Sect was extremely high, he had his own sources of information, and since Elder Su¡¯s faction had no intention of keeping it a secret, the news about Li Shiming becoming an Alchemy Master had naturally reached him.


    ¡°Alas,¡± Elder Ji heaved a deep sigh.


    He was not only disappointed that he could no longer exact revenge on Li Shiming, but also helpless as his many years of efforts were about to turn into bubbles.


    Li Shiming had turned his son, Ji Hongbo, into a mortal and even occupied the Third Grade Spirit Tea that should have belonged to him, which he could not reclaim from Li Shiming.


    Such deep-seated enmity was there, and with Elder Ji¡¯s strength at the Golden Core Stage, avenging himself upon Li Shiming was just a matter of time, requiring only an opportunity.


    But now that Li Shiming had become an Alchemy Master, it was no longer possible for Elder Ji to make a move.


    If Elder Ji were to make a move against Li Shiming now, it would not be just a matter between the two of them but a confrontation with the entire Shushan Sect, the Beishu Trading Company, and every Golden Core cultivator wishing to engage Li Shiming for alchemy services.


    Elder Ji even had to consider how to mend his relationship with Li Shiming, at the very least to prevent Li Shiming from seeking trouble with him.


    ¡°My Spirit Pills are almost within my grasp!¡± Elder Sister Ye Jingxian let out a laugh that traveled far upon hearing the news.


    Her information was naturally more detailed than Elder Ji¡¯s. She knew that when Li Shiming had refined the lower-grade Third-grade Spirit Pill, Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill, he produced not just ordinary, but three high-quality ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills¡¯.


    With the level of alchemy Li Shiming had demonstrated, as long as he performed normally, she could obtain two each of Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills, all of high-quality.


    This meant she had an even greater chance of advancing to the Golden Core stage. Although taking multiple pills like the Vessel Protecting Pill, Soul Stabilizing Pill, Resurrection Pill, and Mountain-breaking Pill at the same time wouldn¡¯t greatly enhance their effects, considered somewhat wasteful, she wouldn¡¯t think about waste at the crucial moment of advancing to Golden Core.


    The chance of even a slight increase in probability was worth the waste to her.


    Had it not been for the knowledge that Li Shiming, having just claimed the title of Alchemy Master, would need some time to get accustomed to the process, Ye Jingxian would want to immediately find Li Shiming and have him refine pills for her right away.


    What excited Ye Jingxian the most was that upon hearing of Li Shiming¡¯s status as an Alchemy Master and maintaining the level of a High-level Alchemist, the bottleneck that had blocked her astonishingly loosened a bit.


    Although it was just a slight easing, it represented a significant progress, indicating that she might be only a matter of time away from advancing to the Golden Core Stage.


    Ye Jingxian felt as if she had basked in the remarkable good fortune of Li Shiming, and her gratitude towards him grew even stronger.


    Since her Master, Elder Su, often mentioned Li Shiming¡¯s good fortune, not only did his several disciples believe in Li Shiming¡¯s profound destiny, but so did various acquainted Golden Core Master Uncles and Elders.


    Wan Zheng and Lu Shi, upon receiving the news of Li Shiming¡¯s promotion to Alchemy Master, were overjoyed. Although they didn¡¯t need the services of an Alchemy Master to refine pills for themselves, having an Alchemy Master as a junior brother elevated their own status as well.


    Especially with their future applications for Golden Core resources, as long as they performed not far behind the other True Disciples, the resources would likely be inclined towards them.


    As for Xu Chuan, his face was practically twisted with joy, for Li Shiming was his brother.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t outwardly give him much benefit, but in private, he often sent over some high-grade Spirit Pills, simply avoiding letting other cultivators know.


    When the Store Manager Lai of the Beishu Trading Company received the invitation from the Shushan Sect, he had no idea what had happened.


    As he opened the invitation and learned of its contents, his expression became very animated.


    He took out a jade cup and poured himself some Third Grade Spirit Wine he usually couldn¡¯t bear to drink, took a big gulp, and then laughed heartily.


    Just as Store Manager Lai had signed a Guest Elder agreement with Li Shiming, Li Shiming had then been promoted to Alchemy Master, effectively securing an Alchemy Master for the Beishu Trading Company, a significant achievement.


    More importantly, by taking the opportunity to invite Li Shiming as a Guest Elder, using Third-grade ¡®Wood Spirit Treasure Milk¡¯ to establish a good friendship, this was a great start.


    He was already considering what kind of congratulatory gift to prepare for Li Shiming while also worrying about how to arrange alchemy tasks for him.


    Li Shiming becoming an Alchemy Master was naturally an excellent occurrence.


    However, the issue was that now Li Shiming had reached the level of an Alchemy Master. According to the unwritten rules of the alchemy profession, Li Shiming would reduce his alchemy work on Second-grade Spirit Pills. This wasn¡¯t just due to dignity issues that come with being an Alchemy Master; it was also important to leave opportunities for the High-level Alchemists.


    If Alchemy Masters started competing in refining Second-grade Spirit Pills, there would be no more emerging Alchemy Masters since High-level Alchemists wouldn¡¯t accumulate sufficient alchemy experience for growth.


    This is not to say that Alchemy Masters are prohibited from refining Second-grade Spirit Pills, but that they should limit their work on them and focus mainly on refining Third-grade Spirit Pills.

 Chapter 432: 262 Reaction_2

    Chapter 432: Chapter 262 Reaction_2


    The yield from crafting a furnace of Third-grade Spirit Pills was, in fact, even more abundant than that from crafting countless Second Grade Spirit Medicines.


    While Second Grade Spirit Medicine could still be purchased with Spirit Stones, obtaining Third-grade Spirit Medicine almost exclusively required trading with Spiritual Objects, epitomizing the idea of ¡®available but not affordable,¡¯ unless one possesses Spiritual Objects that could allure cultivators who owned Third-grade Spiritual Medicines.


    Third-grade Spirit Pills were naturally not on the same level as Second Grade Spirit Pills. Alchemy Masters rarely spend months crafting Second Grade Spirit Pills; instead, it made more sense to focus their efforts on crafting a batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    The Chief Manager Lai was facing a dilemma of fortune. He pondered for a long time and finally decided to discuss personally with Li Shiming during the congratulations before making a decision.


    Meanwhile, his ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± was still being promoted. But now, he could leverage Li Shiming becoming an Alchemy Master to further amplify the promotion of ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± and let all the cultivators across the Beishu Continent know that Beishu Trading Company had gained an Alchemy Master as a Guest Elder.


    At Thousand Illusion Sect, Yin Shilan received an invitation. Typically, her invitation would have included her master, Master Luo.


    However, given her special status, her invitation was individual.


    ¡°Oh my God, Li Shiming has become an Alchemy Master and is even hosting a celebration. How come he didn¡¯t send me an invitation!¡± Liang Yexuan, who was at Yin Shilan¡¯s place, saw the invitation and spoke with a mix of excitement and lament.


    She had thought that knowing Li Shiming and being a beautiful woman herself warranted an invitation from him.


    ¡°This invitation allows bringing someone along. If you want to go, you can just come with me!¡± Yin Shilan said with a smile, waving the invitation.


    ¡°Should I bring a gift, and if so, what would be a good gift?¡± Liang Yexuan quickly considered another matter, becoming distressed.


    This was not simply a Foundation Establishment celebration. Although Li Shiming was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his status as an Alchemy Master granted him an equivalent standing to that of the Golden Core Stage, so the guests needed to consider gifts suitable for someone of the Golden Core Level.


    Liang Yexuan¡¯s father was a Golden Core cultivator; naturally, she was aware of this.


    Yin Shilan also showed a troubled expression. Despite being wealthy and both her parents being Golden Core cultivators and herself a true inheritor of the Thousand Illusion Sect, she had no Golden Core grade gifts.


    Although she knew Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t mind, she represented Li Shiming¡¯s honor. At such a Golden Core Stage celebration, she didn¡¯t want to embarrass Li Shiming because of her own inadequacies.


    ¡°Master!¡± Just as Yin Shilan and Liang Yexuan were pondering over what gifts to bring, Master Luo arrived.


    ¡°Shilan, it seems you¡¯ve also received Li Shiming¡¯s invitation. There¡¯s no need for me to accompany you, then. Here is a portion of Third Grade Spirit Tea, take it as your gift!¡± Master Luo said with a smile as he handed over a jade box to his disciple.


    In fact, Master Luo had already guessed that Li Shiming would send Yin Shilan an individual invitation. The Third Grade Spirit Tea was specifically prepared for her.


    This was a significant honor. Given the relationship between Yin Shilan and Li Shiming, their side would benefit substantially in the future. The Third Grade Spirit Tea could also resolve any minor disagreements between them and deepen their relationship further.


    Master Luo¡¯s regret was now more intense than ever; he had let go of an Alchemy Master.


    Originally, Li Shiming was supposed to join the Thousand Illusion Sect, but Master Luo had only offered him the status of an external disciple, prompting Li Shiming to consider joining the Shushan Sect.


    This proved Li Shiming¡¯s worth; indeed, an external disciple¡¯s status was not worthy of his talents.


    At this point, Master Luo offering Li Shiming the status of an external disciple was not a favor but seemed more like an insult.


    Therefore, Master Luo had prepared a generous gift to resolve the earlier misunderstanding.


    Although Li Shiming could only craft low-grade Third-grade Spirit Pills for now, he had become an Alchemy Master at such a young age.


    After becoming an Alchemy Master, Li Shiming was almost destined to achieve the Golden Core.


    Even if the Shushan Sect didn¡¯t provide the resources for Li Shiming to form his Golden Core or if a single set of those resources failed to promote him to the Golden Core Stage, he still had enough Third-Grade Spirit Pills to repair his Taoist Body, taking Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-Breaking Pills until he succeeded in advancing.


    Because Li Shiming was now able to concoct the Spirit Pills necessary for Foundation Establishment, such as the Vessel Protecting Pill, Soul Stabilizing Pill, Resurrection Pill, and Mountain-Breaking Pill, each successful concoction would allow him to keep at least one of each type.


    This is the advantage of being an Alchemy Master, even Master Luo believed that Li Shiming might end up with some extra Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-Breaking Pills.


    Furthermore, Master Luo knew something else: the Beishu Trading Company was currently contacting powerful cultivators, preparing to auction off a ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯


    Because of her status as both an Array Master and a female cultivator, Master Luo received an invitation offer from the Beishu Trading Company.


    She knew the origin of the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ and had prepared several highly valuable Spiritual Objects for her bid, but she still wanted to discuss with Li Shiming during the congratulation ceremony if she could pay some price to obtain a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ from him.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Yin Shilan was worrying about the gift issue when the present from her master arrived just in time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find Father!¡± Liang Yexuan, seeing that Yin Shilan¡¯s gift dilemma was resolved, could only resort to her father, speaking as she soared into the sky.


    Master Luo watched Liang Yexuan¡¯s departure and smiled, knowing that Elder Liang would certainly prepare gifts befitting Liang Yexuan¡¯s status.


    You should know that there was hardly any chance for Elder Liang to attend Li Shiming¡¯s grand ceremony; the additional invite in Master Luo¡¯s hand was originally intended for another disciple to accompany Yin Shilan, had she possessed an invitation, but one of Master Luo¡¯s good friends came asking and went with her instead, in the case Yin Shilan didn¡¯t need it.


    Now, the invitations for this grand ceremony were extremely sought after, with every Golden Core Cultivator eager to attend.


    This was an opportunity to mingle with Li Shiming, not to mention Elder Ma would also be attending; a chance to connect closely with two Alchemy Masters, such an opportunity was rare.


    By the Golden Core Stage, procuring a Third-Grade Spirit Pill became a major issue.


    Golden Core cultivators who found Third-Grade Spirit Medicine would need to have it processed into Third-Grade Spirit Pills, but there were only a few Alchemy Masters in the entire Beishu Continent capable of this, and securing a session with one was not easy.


    Moreover, there were differences among Alchemy Masters; although some had the capability to craft Third-Grade Spirit Pills, their failure rates were not low, often resulting in the ruin of cultivators who sought their pills.


    Li Shiming¡¯s skill in crafting Third-Grade Spirit Pills had not yet been publicized, but given his youth and immense potential in alchemy, coupled with Elder Ma¡¯s fine reputation in alchemy, seeking relations with these two Alchemy Masters was too good an opportunity to miss.


    Among all the issued invitations, the most troublesome was Qianye Temple.


    Zhi Kong Arhat of Qianye Temple, upon receiving the invitation, convened with several Venerables of the temple to discuss.


    Although they had previously made an understanding agreement with Li Shiming, using an opportunity for Divine Sight Transmission to persuade him to abandon a decision made in anger.


    But now things were different; now that Li Shiming had become an Alchemy Master, even if he retained only half of his prior alchemy skills, he was still the most skilled Alchemy Master in the entire Beishu Continent.


    Of course, this highest skill level referred only to the lowest class of Third-Grade Spirit Pills; Qianye Temple also knew that Li Shiming, not having reached the Golden Core Stage, was unable to concoct Spirit Pills from more than two types of Third-Grade Spirit Medicine.


    Nevertheless, Qianye Temple had to completely resolve their past conflicts with Li Shiming. In the past, such resolutions usually meant eliminating the troublemaking cultivator.


    Now, however, Qianye Temple could not take such actions and was considering a heavy gift, one significant enough to change Li Shiming¡¯s mind and reconcile with Qianye Temple.

 Chapter 433 263 Welcoming the Guest

    The Sect Formation of the Shushan Sect was exceptionally special today; a corridor of light, running straight from the mountain gate to the side of Heavenly Eye Peak, made the otherwise ordinary mountain stand out distinctively.


    The Sect Formation concentrated the radiance of the Formation on the four walls of the corridor, which had been opened specifically for this celebration, as a sign of respect for the guests and to avoid disturbing the other cultivators'' abodes.


    Of course, there weren''t many idle cultivators in the Shushan Sect today ¨C aside from those in seclusion, everyone mobilized, some patrolling, some hosting, and others welcoming the attendees.


    For a grand sect like the Shushan Sect, a celebration for an Alchemy Master is an extremely significant event.


    Luxurious Flying Boats, one after another, sailed through the light corridor into the mountain gate of the Shushan Sect. The marks on these Flying Boats identified their owners, all Golden Core cultivators from the three great Righteous Sects and various major forces.


    Even for the cultivators of the Shushan Sect, it was many a cultivator''s first time beholding such an assembly of Golden Core cultivators.


    Around the mountain where the celebration was held, flocks of fairy birds twirled and danced ¨C congregated for the occasion from all corners of the sect.


    The mountain was redecorated from base to summit, with assorted spirit flowers and Spirit Plants creating a dazzling tapestry.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma stood next to Li Shiming at the top of the mountain on a flat area prepared for receiving the guests.


    Li Shiming was quite unfamiliar with the visitors; each time a new guest arrived, an exchange of contact information took place, establishing his future connections.


    Some were Golden Core cultivators known to Elder Su and Elder Ma, some key allies of the sect, and others important figures from various factions.


    Li Shiming saw an ordinary looking Green Flying Boat and his face lit up with a smile ¨C a heartfelt smile, entirely different from the polite one he maintained throughout.


    "That must be Yin Shilan you mentioned before, a match for you!" Elder Su, having spotted Yin Shilan descending from the Green Flying Boat, communicated to Li Shiming via a transmitted message.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma didn''t come forward, leaving Li Shiming to welcome her.


    As Li Shiming approached, he saw Liang Yexuan emerge from the Flying Boat too. He nodded to Liang Yexuan and, no longer paying her any attention, walked up to Yin Shilan.


    "Lan''er, come meet my Master!" Li Shiming said to Yin Shilan with a smile.


    Yin Shilan knew what this entailed. She was somewhat nervous but still gently nodded without objection and followed Li Shiming to meet the two Elders.


    Liang Yexuan understood the special significance of this and tactfully fell a few steps behind.


    "Yin Shilan greets Elder Su!" Yin Shilan bowed reverently to Elder Su, then turned and bowed to Elder Ma: "Yin Shilan greets Elder Ma!"


    "Shiming, take good care of her!" Elder Su accepted the bow with a smile and instructed Li Shiming.


    "Worthy of Shiming!" Elder Ma also accepted the bow with a smile.


    Elder Su awarded Yin Shilan with a female cultivator''s Spiritual Artifact Robe, and Elder Ma presented her with a bottle of Spirit Pills. While such gifts may seem trivial at the Golden Core level, they are excellent presents for someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma had other disciples too, and there were standards for such gifts, shaped by the millennia of traditions upheld by a grand sect.


    "Thank you, Master!" Li Shiming laughed as he expressed Yin Shilan''s gratitude.


    His thanks were not for the gifts themselves but for the Elders'' acceptance of Yin Shilan.


    "Yin Shilan, stand by Shiming''s side and help welcome the guests!" Elder Su, looking at the two standing together, instructed with a smile.


    As they were speaking, Master Luo''s Flying Boat also came to a halt, and Master Luo disembarked from it.


    This was the formal part of the celebration, and all cultivators, irrespective of their status, had arrived by Flying Boat as a mark of respect to the hosts.


    "Elder Su, are you trying to take my disciple?" Master Luo said with a laugh, having overheard Elder Su''s instructions.


    "Elder Luo, it''s been a long time. How dare I take your disciple? Shiming is also your half disciple after all!" Elder Su replied with a chuckle.


    "Indeed!" Master Luo didn''t say much else and gave a simple response.


    In her heart, she felt envious of Elder Su because it was with Elder Su''s life-saving Spiritual Medicine that Li Shiming had become a disciple of his sect rather than joining the Thousand Illusion Sect. Otherwise, today''s glory would have belonged to the Thousand Illusion Sect, to her.


    Her initial comment actually had a hint of a jab, but seeing Elder Su''s smile, she lost the inclination to say more.


    "Shiming, you are already at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment?" She suddenly noticed Li Shiming''s displayed cultivation level and asked in surprise.


    She knew that not long ago, Li Shiming was only at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, so how had he reached the Late-stage Foundation Establishment now?


    "Elder Luo might not know, but Shiming is a naturally cautious child. Moreover, he is someone with deep fortunes. After advancing in his realm he always hid it, until the sect found out and educated him, making him realize his position within the sect and that there''s no need to be so cautious!" Elder Su explained with a smile.


    His words were also meant for the Golden Core cultivators within earshot, as for them, such conversation was easily overheard without special effort.


    Li Shiming''s age combined with his Late-stage Foundation Establishment was indeed conspicuous.


    However, with Elder Su invoking the Fan Ancestor, any cultivator present who harbored thoughts about Li Shiming''s swift rise in cultivation dispelled such notions.

 Chapter 434: 263 Welcoming the Guest_2

    Chapter 434: Chapter 263 Welcoming the Guest_2


    Even without considering Li Shiming¡¯s status as an Alchemy Master, one still needed to consider the cost of offending a Nascent Soul Ancestor who had spoken in protection of Li Shiming.


    Elder Su¡¯s words indicated the stance of Fan Ancestor; as long as it was a cultivator from Beishu Continent, there was no cultivator who dared to ignore Fan Ancestor¡¯s protection.


    ¡°Shiming, this is my congratulatory gift!¡± Yin Shilan now presented a jade box to Li Shiming and said softly.


    ¡°This is mine!¡± Liang Yexuan also jumped out and handed over a jade box.


    Li Shiming smiled as he accepted the jade boxes and, under Yin Shilan¡¯s expectant gaze, opened the box to find fifteen pieces of unroasted Third Grade Spirit Tea Leaves, all of them a lush green.


    This indeed brightened Li Shiming¡¯s eyes, as unprocessed Third Grade Spirit Tea Leaves were even better for him than those that had been roasted.


    The Spiritual Tea he processed was always of the finest quality, capable of maximizing the inherent quality of the tea.


    The gift, although prepared by Master Luo for Yin Shilan, was based on hearing from Yin Shilan about Li Shiming¡¯s skill in tea processing, prompting the preparation of this particular gift.


    ¡°I really like it; I¡¯ll share half with you after it¡¯s roasted!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    ¡°Quickly, look at my congratulatory gift!¡± Liang Yexuan reminded from the side.


    Li Shiming smiled and opened the other jade box, revealing a stalk of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine inside.


    ¡°Liang Yexuan, this is too precious!¡± he said, somewhat astonished.


    It¡¯s not that this gift was extraordinarily precious among all the gifts brought by guests; in fact, most of the gifts brought by Golden Core cultivators this time were Third-grade Spiritual Medicine.


    Third-grade Spiritual Medicine was indeed precious, but Golden Core cultivators were still able to obtain it from dangerous places, and some unwanted Third-grade Spiritual Medicine could be given as a gift to befriend an Alchemy Master, as a token of relationship-building.


    At the very least, when contacting Li Shiming later for the private creation of Third-grade Spirit Pills, one would not be easily refused.


    But Liang Yexuan was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡ªthe gift was too significant. Li Shiming had only expected Liang Yexuan to give a normal gift that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would give, at most a bit more valuable than ordinary gifts.


    ¡°This is a gift prepared by Elder Liang, delivered through Liang Yexuan¡¯s hands!¡± Master Luo explained from the side.


    ¡°Liang Yexuan, please express my thanks to Elder Liang!¡± Li Shiming said with understanding, smiling at Liang Yexuan.


    It was not his fault for not inviting Elder Liang. Elder Liang was not a friend of Elder Su and Elder Ma; he did not know Elder Liang beforehand and thus did not consider sending an invitation to Elder Liang.


    ¡°Shiming, this is my congratulatory gift!¡± Master Luo also took out a storage bag and handed it over.


    If it was necessary to use a storage bag, it indicated that the congratulatory gift was either large in volume or plentiful in quantity.


    Li Shiming accepted the storage bag, and upon sending his Divine Thought into it, found eighteen Array Flags.


    These were Third Grade Array Flags created by an Array Master, arguably the most significant of all the congratulatory gifts received so far.


    Eighteen Array Flags were nearly equivalent to the value of a treasure, and not just in comparison to ordinary treasures but among the most top-tier treasures.


    Although Li Shiming¡¯s Array Formation Starlight Sea was only a step away from advancement, he had little access to Third Grade materials before this realm, let alone consider crafting Array Flags with them.


    With eighteen Third Grade Array Flags in hand, he was confident that he could protect himself when encountering early-stage Golden Core cultivators outside the sect gates, holding out until a Golden Core cultivator from his sect arrived.


    Of course, the precondition was having a matching level of skill in formations, or else these eighteen Third Grade Array Flags would merely be for show.


    This was exactly the most suitable gift for Li Shiming, greatly aiding him.


    ¡°Master Luo, this congratulatory gift...¡± He was cut off midway by Master Luo waving his hand to stop him.


    ¡°Shiming, this gift is also for the sake of Shilan; you having the power to protect yourself will let Shilan rest easy!¡± Master Luo said, glancing at Yin Shilan.


    Yin Shilan¡¯s cheeks flushed with embarrassment at these words. Elder Su and Elder Ma, who were beside her, were curious about the gift. Li Shiming had checked the gift using his Divine Thought inside the storage bag without taking it out.


    ¡°Moreover, I do have a bit of selfishness myself, I¡¯ve also prepared ninety Array Flags and would like to exchange them for a single ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯!¡± Master Luo said softly, staring into Li Shiming¡¯s eyes.


    She didn¡¯t want to mention it publically, but she was fully aware that if she didn¡¯t speak now, who knew how many ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ Li Shiming still had in his possession.


    She had seen quite a few Golden Core female cultivators arriving, who normally shouldn¡¯t have been here.


    Their presence could only mean one thing: they were here for the ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯.


    As a female cultivator herself, Master Luo knew the attraction the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ held for female cultivators; for a single elixir, they were willing to pay a price male cultivators couldn¡¯t even imagine.


    Master Luo was concerned that if any other Golden Core female cultivators proposed an exchange first, Li Shiming might trade away his ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯.


    As for the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ from Beishu Trading Company, according to rumors, a Nascent Soul female ancestor from the company had set her sights on it, and if Li Shiming showed interest in any Spiritual Objects, that Nascent Soul ancestor would rush to exchange first.


    It might look like Master Luo was offering a total of one hundred and eight third-grade Array Flags, a seemingly high value, in exchange for just one ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯, which seemed like a raw deal.


    But to a Nascent Soul ancestor, these were nothing significant; as long as it wasn¡¯t a fourth-grade item, she could easily acquire them.


    It was only then that Li Shiming realized he might have sold the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ to Liang Yexuan for too cheap. He glanced at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already consumed it!¡± Liang Yexuan hastily avoided his gaze and hid behind Yin Shilan, murmuring softly.


    ¡°Master Luo, please stay a little longer after the celebration ends!¡± Li Shiming said to Master Luo with a vague smile.


    ¡°Of course, you should talk more with Shilan!¡± Master Luo clearly understood the implication in his words and smiled back.


    With each guest¡¯s arrival, Li Shiming gained a new understanding of the Cultivation World.


    The Cultivation World he had experienced before valued third-grade Spiritual Objects as extremely precious and rare.


    But since becoming an Alchemy Master, looking at these guests, everything they brought was third-grade Spiritual Objects.


    ¡°Store Manager Lai, welcome, welcome!¡± Li Shiming saw Store Manager Lai, who disembarked from a Flying Boat marked with the Beishu Trading Company logo, and approached to greet him with his two masters and Yin Shilan.


    He had a relationship with Lai Da that mixed business with friendship and was one of his few Golden Core Stage friends, so his warmth was genuine.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma also understood this, so after expressing their welcome, they stepped aside to interact with other cultivators, leaving Li Shiming to meet with Lai Da.


    ¡°What is this Store Manager Lai? Call me Brother Lai. I¡¯ll call you Brother Shiming, and if you consider me a friend, then that¡¯s how we should address each other!¡± Chief Manager Lai, the businessman, knew how to bridge the gap in relationships.


    ¡°If Brother Lai says so, then it is how I shall address you!¡± Li Shiming readily agreed.


    His stature as an Alchemy Master indeed afforded him the status of a Golden Core cultivator, and in some ways, even exceeded it.


    But he also understood that compared to a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator like Chief Manager Lai, he still had some catching up to do in terms of status.


    ¡°Brother Shiming, I did not expect you to become an Alchemy Master so quickly!¡± Chief Manager Lai exclaimed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all been luck, I didn¡¯t expect it to go this smoothly!¡± said Li Shiming modestly.


    ¡°This must be your junior sister, right? I was in a hurry when I left and did not bring a proper gift, this talisman shall serve as a meeting gift for your junior sister!¡± Chief Manager Lai took out a talisman and offered it to Yin Shilan, who was standing beside Li Shiming.


    Although Yin Shilan came from a wealthy background, she still felt a bit embarrassed to accept the talisman.


    It was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s life-saving talisman, which not even every True Disciple could possess; only the most valued True Disciples in a sect were awarded one.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, accept Brother Lai¡¯s kind gesture!¡± Li Shiming was not about to refuse; he knew that the Spirit Pills he had concocted for Beishu Trading Company were worth piles of such talismans.

 Chapter 435: 264: Congratulatory Gift

    Chapter 435: Chapter 264: Congratulatory Gift


    The Chief Manager Lai took out a water sack from behind his waist and handed it to Li Shiming after Yin Shilan accepted the greeting gift with a smile.


    ¡°Brother Shiming, this is the congratulatory gift I¡¯ve prepared for you!¡± the Chief Manager Lai said with a hint of pride.


    Li Shiming curiously received the water sack. This water sack was a lowest-level magic artifact, and its effect of locking away spirits could be seen from the patterns on its surface.


    Of course, the water sack itself couldn¡¯t possibly be the congratulatory gift. It must be what was inside the sack.


    When he opened the water sack and swept his divine thought inside, he discovered two tiny fish swimming around.


    ¡°Are these Spirit Cleansing Carps?¡± he asked, somewhat uncertain.


    Among the sentient beings in the world, besides humans and spirit beasts, there were many special spirit creatures.


    Spirit Cleansing Carp was one such spirit creature, a benign being whose sole purpose was to improve water quality.


    Normally, Spirit Cleansing Carps were kept in a Spiritual Spring, capable of enhancing the quality of the spring by one grade.


    Given that the naturally rare and self-growing Spirit Cleansing Carp did not require any contract to be bound to a master, imposing no mental burden, its various benefits made it extremely popular amongst high-level cultivators.


    Not to mention anything else, using a Spirit Cleansing Carp to enhance the quality of a Spiritual Spring for either entertaining guests or personal enjoyment was an excellent practice.


    For Li Shiming, the Spirit Cleansing Carp had another use, that of facilitating the growth of the Third Grade Golden Lotus.


    Since the Third Grade Golden Lotus relied on the Spiritual Spring to thrive, the higher the quality of the spring, the more beneficial it was for its growth.


    Li Shiming had by now learned of the Third Grade Golden Lotus¡¯s enhancing effect on cultivation, making the Spirit Cleansing Carp the most suitable gift, clearly showing the thought the Chief Manager Lai had put into selecting it.


    Of course, the current use of the Spirit Cleansing Carp for Li Shiming was limited, but he was very aware that as his realm increased, even with his status as an Alchemy Master, he could not guarantee a constant supply of Spirit Pills. At that time, the combined effect of the Third Grade Golden Lotus and the Spirit Cleansing Carp would become particularly important.


    Whether a Nascent Soul Cultivator had Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills was something he naturally didn¡¯t know, but he did know one thing. He had never seen Elder Ma concoct a Fourth-grade Spirit Pill, which suggested that even Nascent Soul Cultivators rarely had Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills.


    By the Nascent Soul Stage, he estimated that cultivation would still mainly rely on personal practice.


    His thoughts were far-reaching, not yet a Golden Core cultivator, but already considering matters of the Nascent Soul Stage.


    ¡°Brother Shiming has a good eye, these are indeed a pair of Spirit Cleansing Carps. If Brother Shiming raises them well, maybe one day I¡¯ll have the pleasure of viewing swarms of them in your abode!¡± the Chief Manager Lai answered with a laugh.


    This was clearly a joke¡ªthe Spirit Cleansing Carps were still in their fry stage.


    Given the growth rate of Spirit Cleansing Carps, it would likely take more than a decade for them to mature, and even then, the chance of them spawning offspring was slim.


    ¡°Brother Lai truly understands my needs, I am very fond of this gift!¡± Li Shiming said sincerely.


    Seeing Li Shiming¡¯s appreciation, the Chief Manager Lai couldn¡¯t help but smile happily.


    He was about to engage in more conversation with Li Shiming when he saw Li Shiming¡¯s expression turn solemn as he looked into the distance. The Chief Manager Lai turned to look and saw a bright yellow Flying Boat slowly approaching.


    ¡°Brother Shiming, Qianye Temple is a major sect. It is better to resolve enmities than allow them to fester!¡± the Chief Manager Lai advised in a soft voice through a transmission of sound.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Li Shiming nodded in acknowledgment.


    He was certainly aware that he couldn¡¯t afford to truly fall out with Qianye Temple, a sect with profound resources. Clashing with such a powerful sect given his current strength would bring no benefits.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment,¡± he said after exchanging a smile with the Chief Manager Lai, then turned to Yin Shilan and smiled, ¡°Lan¡¯er, go accompany your master and Liang Yexuan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you,¡± Yin Shilan said softly but resolutely, leaving Li Shiming without room for further persuasion.


    Yin Shilan was fully aware of the conflict between Li Shiming and Qianye Temple. Because Li Shiming purposefully escalated the situation, the event of their discord spread through the three major Righteous Path sects, and even some well-informed forces heard about it.


    Yin Shilan understood that Li Shiming wanting her to leave temporarily meant he didn¡¯t wish to have her face a potential enemy with him.


    On the other side, Elder Su and Elder Ma exchanged glances and waved towards Li Shiming. With no choice, Li Shiming, followed by Yin Shilan, made his way over.


    Three monks descended from the bright yellow Flying Boat: Zhi Kong Arhat, Zhi Ming Arhat, and Zhi Xin Arhat. Seeing this lineup, many of the cultivators present were slightly startled, these three monks being among the most influential Arhats in Qianye Temple.


    Their presence attested to Qianye Temple¡¯s high regard for Li Shiming¡¯s celebration as an Alchemy Master, sending three influential Arhats at once.


    ¡°Welcome, esteemed Masters!¡± said Elder Su, who, as the host and an Elder of equal status from the Shushan Sect, stepped forward with a smile to initiate a greeting.


    Elder Ma, holding an even higher position, also wore a smile. Neither had any intention of creating foes, whether for the well-being of the two major sects or for Li Shiming¡¯s sake.


    Li Shiming and Yin Shilan followed suit, bowing to welcome the arrival of the three Arhats as hosts.


    If these influential Arhats had come here, it was to resolve their previous grievances; otherwise, creating trouble at such a time would mean a feud to the death.


    Resolving the enmity at such a celebratory event meant that Qianye Temple was indeed giving Li Shiming tremendous respect.


    ¡°Amitabha, the three of us monks have come at the invitation to congratulate fellow Li Shiming on becoming an Alchemy Master!¡± Zhi Kong Arhat said with a smile, offering a monk¡¯s bow to the people across from him.

 Chapter 436 264: Congratulatory Gift_2

    The reason for claiming to have been invited was also to recover a bit of dignity.


    On this point, neither Elder Su nor Li Shiming would mind.


    "It''s my honor to have Zhi Kong Arhat, Zhi Ming Arhat, and Zhi Xin Arhat personally come for my modest achievements!" Li Shiming said with a smile.


    Yin Shilan observed the harmonious atmosphere of the scene, and if she hadn''t known the cause of the event, she might really believe that both parties had a close relationship.


    "This is a congratulatory gift from Qianye Temple for Mr. Li, with hopes of a lasting friendship between our temple and Mr. Li!" Zhi Kong Arhat said with a smile, passing over a jade box.


    Li Shiming received the jade box with both hands. The box itself, adorned with spatial formations and crafted from second-grade jade, was already highly valuable.


    You should know, this kind of spatial formation is not like spatial storage bags or other similar items, but rather a space forcefully expanded via a spatial formation, and to apply such a formation to a small jade box requires at least the joint effort of an Array Master and an Artifact Refining Master.


    He gently opened the jade box and before he could take a closer look, gasps of amazement resounded from those nearby.


    This included Elder Su, and even the Golden Core cultivators observing from a distance were unanimously in awe.


    "A Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree!" Li Shiming saw the content of the box and couldn''t help but inhale sharply in surprise.


    He was neither ignorant nor narrow-minded, very wealthy to the extent that even the fortunes of many Golden Core cultivators couldn''t compare to his.


    However, the Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree was an exceptionally special existence. Among the few transferrable Third Grade Spirit Plants, it still required particularly high-quality spirit soil and spirit water, but the mere fact that it could be transferred made the Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree immensely precious.


    Normally, Golden Core cultivators could hardly possess even one Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree since most of them are acquired by major sects once they appear.


    In terms of resources that could provide sustained support during the Golden Core Stage, the major sects and renowned businesses had agreements, and no business would dare to privately sell such strategic Third Grade resources, while the sects offered handsome prices for them.


    Thus, unless a Golden Core cultivator found a Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree on their own, it would be impossible to buy one from the market.


    Li Shiming also hadn''t expected Qianye Temple to be so generous, giving him a Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree as a congratulatory gift.


    A well-cultivated Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree could produce thirty leaves of spirit tea annually, and the value of these thirty leaves goes without saying ¨C that''s akin to six years of supply for the Golden Core Elder of a major sect.


    "Master Zhi Kong, I have always admired Qianye Temple, and I look forward to more exchanges in the future!" Li Shiming''s previous grievances with Qianye Temple seemed to have vanished instantly as he said this with a smile to Master Zhi Kong.


    This was not merely because of the Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree but because he was well aware that Qianye Temple''s presentation of such an extraordinary gift clearly indicated their attitude.


    If he didn''t respond in kind, the corresponding attitude of Qianye Temple would likely be equally hostile.


    Moreover, his troubles with Qianye Temple were only due to their pursuit of his clone, Li Yuanba, who had since returned to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, residing within Ten Thousand Sword Peak, beyond the reach of Qianye Temple''s pursuit.


    Being a cultivator on the Righteous Path, it was best he continued following his righteous ways, letting his clone, Li Yuanba, deal with the troubles.


    "I''ve heard that Mr. Li plans to accept the inheritance of the Divine Eye after achieving Golden Core. I hope Mr. Li attains Golden Core soon!" Zhi Kong Arhat''s smile became much more natural.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma did not interject but allowed Li Shiming and Zhi Kong Arhat to converse.


    Yin Shilan also wore a smile, considerably relieved that Li Shiming had reconciled his grievances with Qianye Temple. Opposing a major Righteous Path sect like Qianye Temple was not something to be taken lightly, even with the support of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, it still would not be without danger.


    With the arrival of the three Arhats from Qianye Temple, all the cultivators who had received invitations had arrived. Now it was time for the formal start of the celebration.


    "Fellow cultivators, my disciple Li Shiming has just entered the doorway of becoming an Alchemy Master, and I thank all of you for being here to celebrate!" Elder Su presided over the celebration, giving the opening remarks.


    Afterward, under the guidance of Elder Ma, Li Shiming paid his respects to the ancestral tablets of the Shushan Sect''s Alchemy lineage, announcing to the predecessors the significant news of the emergence of a new Alchemy Master.


    Li Shiming was unaware of the detailed process and simply followed Elder Ma''s instructions, doing as the Elder directed.


    Once the ceremony was completed, two sticks of incense''s time had passed.


    "Li Shiming, on behalf of Shushan Sect''s Alchemy lineage, I pass onto you the Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace, hoping that you will be able to use this furnace soon!" Elder Ma solemnly handed a small Pill Furnace to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was clueless about this development; looking at the small Pill Furnace that had been handed to him, an expression of shock and joy appeared on his face.


    Despite its petite size, the Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace was a magical treasure that only Golden Core cultivators could use.


    He had incredible luck, obtaining many magical treasures, but he had never received a Pill Furnace magical treasure before.


    Pill Furnace magical treasures are a special type of treasure. Whether it''s the materials used or the difficulty of creating them, they far surpass ordinary magical treasures.


    Having reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, with all the resources ready for forming a pill, he had already considered the issue of a Pill Furnace magical treasure, but he hadn''t expected that the Sect had already prepared one for him.


    Indeed, it wasn''t hard to imagine that a major sect like Shushan would have reserves of Pill Furnace magical treasures.


    Unlike other magical treasures, only Alchemy Masters were qualified to use Pill Furnace magical treasures.


    Even if a High-level Alchemist became a Golden Core cultivator, using a Pill Furnace magical treasure during alchemy would be a waste, unable to unleash its real purpose. Using it would simply invite ridicule.


    Therefore, only Alchemy Masters would use a Pill Furnace magical treasure; other cultivators simply wouldn''t.


    "Normally, at this point, you should use the Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace to refine a batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills, to demonstrate your Alchemy Master level. But given your realm, it''s better to use a Spirit Artifact Furnace!" Elder Ma said to Li Shiming with a smile.


    Of course, alchemy wouldn''t take place on the spot. Not to mention that the alchemy lineage contained many secret techniques, refining Third-grade Spirit Pills was an extremely delicate and mentally exhaustive task. Alchemy Masters cannot be disturbed at all.


    "Yes, Master!" Li Shiming bowed and responded.


    He was not worried about the task of refining Spirit Pills; he was absolutely confident in this area.


    "Everyone, the Sect has prepared Spirit Fruits and Spiritual Tea. Please rest and enjoy these while you wait," Elder Su said to the cultivators with a smile.


    The Spirit Fruits were prepared based on the number of attendees; each Golden Core cultivator could receive one Third Grade Spirit Fruit, while there was no limit on the Second Grade Spirit Fruits.


    The Spiritual Tea was also of the Second Grade. Third Grade Spiritual Tea was too precious, and with the number of Golden Core cultivators present being too high, even Shushan Sect couldn''t instantly provide that much Third Grade Spiritual Tea as hospitality.


    This was a normal situation; most of the Sect''s Third Grade resources were distributed among the Golden Core cultivators, with very little left in reserve.


    What was in reserve was a strategic stockpile, which wouldn''t be easily used.


    Li Shiming entered a nearby cave dwelling, starting the formation to prevent any cultivator from peeking in.


    Meanwhile, the cultivators enjoyed eating Spirit Fruits and tasting Spiritual Tea, while interacting with other cultivators. Such opportunities for many Golden Core cultivators to gather weren''t common and served as an excellent occasion for networking.


    Although the cultivators were waiting for Li Shiming''s alchemy results, this was also an important part of the celebration''s proceedings.


    "Eh, this Spiritual Tea is quite good. Even though it lacks the Spiritual Energy of Third Grade Spiritual Tea, it''s certainly top-notch among the Second Grade!" a Golden Core cultivator exclaimed with admiration.


    The rest of the Golden Core cultivators also recognized the extraordinary aspects of the Second Grade Spiritual Tea. As cultivators who consumed Spiritual Tea regularly, they were quite knowledgeable about its quality.

 Chapter 437: 265 Spirit Pill

    Chapter 437: Chapter 265 Spirit Pill


    ¡°Elder Su, may I ask who crafted this Spiritual Tea?¡± A cultivator with a fondness for fine tea voiced the inquiry many were curious about.


    Such skill to brew Second Grade Spirit Tea with a flavor not inferior to Third Grade Spirit Tea, although the Spiritual Energy it contained was significantly less than that of the Third Grade, made it splendid for daily consumption and ordinary hospitality.


    ¡°This was crafted by Shiming during his leisure time!¡± Elder Su knew what was on the mind of the cultivator who asked and responded with a smile.


    His answer quelled the questioner¡¯s interest, and the other curious cultivators likewise refrained from further inquiries.


    Did they expect to ask an Alchemy Master to craft tea for them?


    If such an opportunity arose, it would be better to request Li Shiming to refine pills instead.


    Indeed, prompting Li Shiming to make tea would cost more than simply brewing Third Grade Spirit Tea directly.


    The cultivators shifted their conversation, laughing and sharing various amusing tales and secrets. With Elder Su and Elder Ma steering the discussion, the atmosphere remained vibrant throughout.


    Three two-hour periods passed, and Li Shiming had not yet emerged, which led some cultivators to glance toward the direction of his cave dwelling.


    They harbored doubts whether something had gone wrong, considering Li Shiming had only recently become an Alchemy Master, and this showcase might have resulted in a mishap.


    But doubt as they might, no one voiced their concerns.


    When four two-hour periods had elapsed, a cultivator could no longer restrain himself and looked to Elder Ma.


    As Li Shiming¡¯s mentor in Alchemy and himself an Alchemy Master, Elder Ma was well aware of Li Shiming¡¯s alchemic abilities.


    ¡°I wonder what Third-grade Spirit Pills Shiming is refining. It seems to be a complex one, hence the longer duration,¡± said Elder Ma, who did not worry at all about Li Shiming failing. As long as the task was within Li Shiming¡¯s capabilities, his skill had already surpassed his own.


    As Elder Ma spoke, the Formation surrounding the cave dwelling was activated.


    Li Shiming appeared somewhat fatigued as he stepped out, the continuous four two-hour sessions of pill refining having taken a toll on his spirit.


    Yet, his face wore a smile, and in his hand, he held a jade bottle.


    The nearly hundred Golden Core cultivators, along with other guests, all focused their gaze on the jade bottle he was holding.


    ¡°This time, I refined the Mountain-breaking Pills for my senior sister, and luckily produced three!¡± Li Shiming announced as he presented the jade bottle to Elder Ma.


    Three pills indicated a full yield, a most impressive result.


    Elder Ma took the jade bottle with a smile, opened it, and his divine thought swept inside, revealing an expectant look on his face.


    ¡°Keep one for yourself, and give the rest to Ye Jingxian!¡± Elder Ma said as he took out one ¡®Mountain-breaking Pill¡¯ and placed it into another jade bottle.


    During this process, the guests witnessed the green aura on the pills, signaling high-level ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills.¡¯


    ¡°Jingxian, come to collect the Spirit Pills!¡± Elder Su said with a smile to Ye Jingxian, who stood at a distance.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Ye Jingxian stepped forward, first bowing to Elder Su, before approaching Elder Ma to take the jade bottle.


    Opening the bottle, her face brightened with excitement.


    ¡°Junior brother, if senior sister successfully forms her Golden Core, I must properly thank you!¡± She loudly expressed her gratitude to Li Shiming with a bow.


    ¡°Jingxian, show the Spirit Pills to everyone present!¡± Elder Su reminded from the side.


    Ye Jingxian took out the two high-level ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills¡¯ with their verdant aura from the jade bottle, displaying them briefly before quickly putting them away.


    Such Spirit Pills shouldn¡¯t be exposed too long in the open air, as it would cause the spirit within them to dissipate, affecting their efficacy.


    ¡°Senior sister, there are three more types of Spirit Pills that will be delivered in a few days!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    Thinking that since he was to refine Spirit Pills anyway, making ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills¡¯ seemed rather dull, so he opted for ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills,¡¯ which also reflected his confidence in his Alchemy skills.


    Of course, his ability to maintain such a consistent level of quality was contingent upon performing the refining process in the space of his special workshop.


    Although the display of the three ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills¡¯ was brief, all the Golden Core cultivators were able to discern their quality.


    The three high-level ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills¡¯ still radiating the warmth of freshness were clearly just refined, and within the category of basic Third Grade Spirit Pills, ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills¡¯ were considered somewhat challenging. Shiming¡¯s success in producing three high-level pills in four two-hour periods sustained his rate of pill production and quality, akin to when he was a high-level Alchemist.


    This led all the cultivators present to feel that their visit was not in vain. Had it not been for the impropriety of discussing Alchemy on such an occasion, many among the Golden Core cultivators would have been eager to make requests to Li Shiming right then.


    Following this, numerous Golden Core cultivators approached Li Shiming for conversation. Although they had met him earlier during the welcome, Li Shiming¡¯s current performance warranted their increased regard.


    Some Golden Core cultivators were already regretting that their congratulatory gifts had been too meager; had they known about Li Shiming¡¯s level of performance beforehand, they would have certainly gifted more generously.


    ¡°The decision made within the temple was correct!¡± Zhi Ming Arhat conveyed to Zhi Kong Arhat using a soul transmission.


    Zhi Ming Arhat had once encountered Li Shiming, but he mistook him for having stealthily departed, caught by Li Shiming¡¯s strategy.


    Zhi Ming Arhat represented a faction in Qianye Temple that always argued for a strict approach regarding matters related to Li Shiming, but today he had a change of heart.


    To be an enemy of an Alchemy Master with such skill was not a rational act.


    If Li Shiming were to become a Golden Core cultivator, by the time he reached the Late-stage Golden Core, even Nascent Soul Cultivators might come seeking his refinement services.

 Chapter 438: 265 Spirit Pill_2

    Chapter 438: Chapter 265 Spirit Pill_2


    Originally feeling overwhelmed about the temple sending out a Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree, Zhi Ming Arhat had now come to an understanding and grasped the high-level considerations of the temple.


    In the Cultivation World, cultivators with both background and talent are especially respected.


    Li Shiming, having both a background and talent, was at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, yet all the Golden Core cultivators conversed with him very politely.


    Once all these cultivators had interacted with Li Shiming, the phase of the celebration involving him came to an end.


    The subsequent activities involved exchanges of Spiritual Objects and Cultivation Techniques, which Li Shiming, not being a Golden Core cultivator, did not need to participate in.


    Li Shiming, accompanied by Yin Shilan, Liang Yexuan, and Master Luo, who had been eyeing him, headed to Sword Holding Peak together.


    Since Master Luo was the mentor of Yin Shilan and Liang Yexuan was her best friend, Li Shiming led them into his cave dwelling.


    ¡°Master Luo, this is a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯!¡± Upon entering the cave dwelling, Li Shiming saw that Master Luo was hesitant to speak and, smiling, he promptly took out a jade bottle and handed it over, saying.


    Master Luo looked at the jade bottle, her hand trembling slightly as she reached out.


    She quickly adjusted her emotions, her disciple Yin Shilan was beside her, and she could not afford to make a fool of herself in front of her disciple.


    She accepted the jade bottle, her Divine Thought scanned the inside, sensing the spirituality of the advanced ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯, and she nodded in satisfaction.


    She hesitated briefly, then took out a storage bag and handed it to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming did not demur, as the Third Grade Array Flag was extremely useful to him, an essential item for self-defense even at the Golden Core Stage.


    For him, an Array Master having a Third Grade Array Flag in hand, the effects it could produce could influence Golden Core cultivators, whether defensively, in delusion or in attack.


    Of course, due to his inadequate realm and not yet being an Array Master, he could not heavily injure Golden Core cultivators using an attack formation, but confusing or defending was perfectly feasible.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought entered the storage bag, and there were ninety Third Grade Array Flags inside; he nodded at Master Luo.


    Seeing Li Shiming nod, Master Luo no longer hesitated and directly swallowed the advanced ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯.


    Differing from the effect of the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ on Li Shiming, Yin Shilan, and Liang Yexuan, who were all young, the transformation was not as shocking, although there was a change.


    But for Master Luo, after swallowing the advanced ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯, her face and all exposed skin were rapidly transforming.


    She was quickly growing younger, the traces of years on her rapidly erased by an invisible hand, leaving only her youthful appearance.


    ¡°Congratulations, Master!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, Master Uncle!¡±


    Yin Shilan and Liang Yexuan bowed and congratulated her simultaneously, astonishment flashing in their eyes.


    Li Shiming was also marveling at the magic of the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯, a single pill had transformed Master Luo, a middle-aged beauty, into a young girl, standing beside Yin Shilan and Liang Yexuan as if she were their sister.


    Master Luo casually conjured a water curtain, using it as a mirror to look at her reflection.


    In fact, her Divine Thought sweeping over herself was as effective as seeing with her eyes, but she preferred to see her current appearance with her eyes.


    After clearly seeing her reflection in the water curtain, any regret from giving away a hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags vanished, seeing her appearance revert to her youthful days, she would willingly give even ten times more.


    ¡°Shilan and Yexuan, have fun here, I¡¯m going to meet a few friends!¡± Master Luo was eager to share with friends, and more importantly, many of her friends were at the celebration, a rare opportunity for them to rejoice for her.


    When Master Luo returned to the celebration scene, she immediately dazzled the cultivators present.


    It was not that Master Luo¡¯s appearance was unparalleled, but the cultivators usually recognized each other by aura; often, concealing aura was more crucial than hiding appearance.


    So, even though Master Luo had returned to her youth, she was still recognized at a glance by the cultivators who knew her.


    It was precisely because there was a stark contrast between her recent appearance and her current countenance that many cultivators were astounded.


    Almost instantly, a group of female cultivators surrounded Master Luo, with barriers of Spiritual Power protecting them so that male cultivators outside could not disturb them.


    Due to the large number of female cultivators deploying the Spiritual Power barriers, an area protected by more than ten layers of barriers appeared at the celebration.


    Within the barriers, many female cultivators gazed at Master Luo with eyes filled with jealousy and admiration; these were all Golden Core cultivators, and among Golden Core female cultivators, relationships were generally close, making it easy to become friends when there were no conflicts of interest.


    Moreover, those who came to the celebration were all righteous Golden Core female cultivators, well-acquainted with each other, leaving fewer reservations after deploying the Spiritual Power barriers.


    Especially those few who were close friends with Master Luo, they went ahead and touched Master Luo¡¯s face and skin, prompting Master Luo to laugh and scold them playfully.


    There were also Golden Core female cultivators whose eyes flickered, contemplating how to obtain a ¡°Youthful Elixir.¡±


    Within Li Shiming¡¯s cave, he was showing Yin Shilan around his cave, with Liang Yexuan following behind like a little tail, not feeling out of place at all.


    ¡°The Spiritual Energy here is not right, very wrong!¡± Liang Yexuan suddenly exclaimed.


    At that moment, Li Shiming took Yin Shilan to the Cultivation Room, a typically private space, but for Yin Shilan, Li Shiming had also visited her Cultivation Room, so naturally the reservations were less.


    ¡°The Spiritual Energy here is configured according to the standards of a Golden Core Elder!¡± Li Shiming explained with a smile.


    He walked to the Third Grade Golden Lotus and carefully took out a water pouch, pouring two Spirit Cleansing Carps into the water.


    Initially, he was worried that the Spirit Cleansing Carps might not adapt to this place, but when they swam joyously around the Third Grade Golden Lotus and occasionally leaped excitedly out of the water, he realized he had worried needlessly.


    ¡°This is a Third Grade Golden Lotus, no wonder you¡¯ve cultivated to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, having such a treasure!¡± Liang Yexuan, who knew her stuff, exclaimed again.


    Yin Shilan and Li Shiming exchanged smiles, undisturbed by Liang Yexuan¡¯s outburst, both pondering what life together would be like in the future.


    There wasn¡¯t much to see in the cave, but Li Shiming was actually letting Yin Shilan know that this might be their joint cave after the Golden Core stage.


    Of course, if Li Shiming wished, he could reapply for a spirit mountain, and could even request an entire mountain range.


    But given his age, he wouldn¡¯t leave Elder Su too far behind until he was ready to take on disciples.


    After surveying the cave, Li Shiming always felt that Yin Shilan was preoccupied with something.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, don¡¯t keep things to yourself; let¡¯s face them together!¡± he said softly, trying to comfort her.


    ¡°Shiming, my parents and sister have sent a message through the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple; they want to come to the Beishu Continent and borrow a commercial Flying Boat from the Beishu Trading Company, but the manager of the Beishu Trading Company that father knew has been transferred, and they said they wouldn¡¯t interfere with matters concerning Sky Sea Island, so they haven¡¯t been able to proceed.


    You have some connections with the Beihai Trading Company, could you please ask someone to help clear this up?¡± Yin Shilan hesitated, then revealed her concerns.


    The situation in Sky Sea Island had become clear; the original seven major sects were being gradually absorbed by the Mingxin Sect, and many cultivators from the seven major sects, due to issues such as resources, chose to join the Mingxin Sect which held the majority of resources in Sky Sea Island.


    The Sky Sea Sect was in disarray, and several Golden Core cultivators saw no future and made their own choices.


    Elder Yin decided to take his Daoist couple, Elder Ren, and his daughter Ren Fei¡¯er to the Beishu Continent, but unfortunately, they had not been able to set off, and considering that Yin Shilan would worry, they sent a message through their connections to the Beishu Continent.


    The message, after several transfers, finally reached Yin Shilan.


    Yin Shilan, seeing the valuable gifts sent by the Beishu Trading Company to Li Shiming, thought to ask Li Shiming for help.


    ¡°This is a simple matter; I will ask the Beishu Trading Company to pick up Uncle Yin!¡± This was a very easy task for the current Li Shiming, and he agreed with a smile.

 Chapter 440: 266: Confession_2

    Chapter 440: Chapter 266: Confession_2


    But now it seemed unnecessary, because he had become an Alchemy Master.


    As long as the Alchemy Master¡¯s success rate for creating pills was high enough, there would be no shortage of various third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Take for example the resources for creating pills, after Li Shiming concocted four types of third-grade Spirit Pills for Ye Jingxian, he received one of each type for himself.


    In addition, with the compensation he received from Elder Ji¡¯s faction and the separate set of pill creation resources for his avatar Li Yuanba, he had enough to ensure he had seven Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills in hand.


    He also had materials for Mountain-breaking Pills sent to him by Beishu Trading Company, which allowed him to increase his stash by three more.


    And that was not the end; there would definitely be cultivators sending him materials for Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills to request his pill creation services.


    Because of the alchemical strength he demonstrated during the Alchemy Master celebration, he was entitled to select which third-grade Spirit Pill orders he preferred to fulfill first among the many requests.


    By the time he was ready to create pills, he estimated he would not be short of Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills, having more than enough to spend lavishly.


    Not long after his senior sister had departed, Li Shiming received a message from Elder Su inviting him to visit Heavenly Eye Peak.


    Having nothing else to tend to, Li Shiming transformed into a beam of sword light and headed towards Heavenly Eye Peak.


    Upon arrival at Heavenly Eye Peak, he found Elder Su waiting for him in the pavilion.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯ve summoned me!¡± Li Shiming approached and greeted respectfully.


    ¡°Sit, have some tea with me!¡± Elder Su chuckled, gesturing to the stone bench beside her.


    Following that, Elder Su personally poured Li Shiming a cup of third-grade Spirit Tea, the highest form of hospitality on her part.


    Despite the rich Spiritual Energy emanating from the third-grade Spirit Tea, Li Shiming felt somewhat overwhelmed, hesitating to take a sip.


    ¡°Not willing to drink the Spirit Tea I offer you? I¡¯ve called you here regarding alchemy matters. For now, don¡¯t rush into accepting alchemy tasks from external members of the sect. Instead, help concoct a batch of low-level third-grade Spirit Pills for our sect,¡± Elder Su said with a stern look in her eyes.


    ¡°This is part of my duties. The sect has nurtured me; naturally, I should serve the sect first!¡± Hearing this, Li Shiming was relieved and replied with a smile.


    ¡°Glad you understand. Also, the sect will allocate third-grade resources to you according to the standards of the Golden Core Elders. Just be aware of this. Don¡¯t waste the third-grade resources you receive, keep them safe for treating distinguished guests!¡± Elder Su added.


    Even though Li Shiming¡¯s share of third-grade resources from Beishu Trading Company that were meant for him and Elder Ma, his two mentors, he still felt Li Shiming was too extravagant with them.


    Using third-grade resources to entertain distinguished guests was a necessary etiquette for Golden Core cultivators because everyone understood the scarcity of third-grade resources. Using them to entertain guests showed significant respect from the host.


    Following Li Shiming¡¯s extravagant style, even with the resources from both Beishu Trading Company and Shushan Sect, as well as the yield from the third-grade Spirit Tea Tree, it would not be enough for his hosting needs.


    ¡°Master, I understand!¡± Li Shiming acknowledged, taking the concern to heart and listening intently.


    ¡°Lastly, a personal matter, when your third-grade Spirit Tea Tree produces tea leaves that have been properly roasted, remember to keep a portion for me; I¡¯ll exchange it with an equal amount of third-grade Spirit Tea,¡± Elder Su said, somewhat embarrassed.


    He had a penchant for exquisite teas and although third-grade Spirit Tea was precious, if Li Shiming roasted it, the tea¡¯s quality could be elevated even further.


    Of course, this was a bargain, but Li Shiming was his disciple, and he was determined to take advantage of this opportunity.


    Li Shiming had roasted second-grade Spirit Tea so well that all cultivators couldn¡¯t stop praising it. If he were to roast third-grade Spirit Tea, Elder Su was already excited at the thought.


    ¡°Once the third-grade Spirit Tea Tree produces leaves, naturally I will roast a portion as a mark of respect for you!¡± Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m after your Spirit Tea? I just want to change things up!¡± Elder Su said rather irritably.


    ¡°Of course, Master wouldn¡¯t!¡± Li Shiming quickly agreed, going along with the mood.


    ¡°Your senior sister Ye Jingxian is about to advance to Golden Core, and this is also thanks to your good fortune. I have some personal insights on forming the Golden Core; take this and read it. When your senior sister advances, observe according to these insights, and you¡¯ll gain even more experience!¡± Elder Su took out a Jade Scroll and handed it to Li Shiming with instructions.


    Elder Su had now made it clear that Li Shiming was someone with immense good fortune, which also seemed to influence the people around him.


    Senior sister Ye Jingxian had been stuck at Half-step Golden Core for many years without a breakthrough opportunity.


    But when she handed the resources for forming the core to Li Shiming and he refined for her the advanced ¡®Mountain-breaking Pill¡¯, her bottleneck began to develop a crack. Wasn¡¯t this due to Li Shiming¡¯s good fortune?


    Leaving Elder Su¡¯s place, before he could return to Sword Holding Peak, he was summoned by Elder Ma.


    Li Shiming walked into Dan Ding Hall and saw the massive Pill Furnace artifact, his eyes shining with envy.


    Now an Alchemy Master, he was well aware of the significant role a Pill Furnace artifact played in refining Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Using a Spiritual Artifact Furnace to refine Third Grade Spirit Pills, he couldn¡¯t fully utilize the power of the Red Sun Spirit Fire, thus he was stuck and couldn¡¯t improve his Alchemy skills, only able to refine lower-level Third-grade Spirit Pills with just one type of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine in the formula.


    ¡°What, you want to use a Pill Furnace artifact? Then advance to the Golden Core quicker!¡± Elder Ma saw the longing in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes and said with a smile.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve just advanced to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment!¡± Li Shiming replied, feeling a bit helpless.


    ¡°Anyway, the Pill Furnace artifact is in your hands now, it¡¯s up to you to put in the effort!¡± Elder Ma waved his hand and said.


    Elder Ma put aside the Spiritual Medicine he was holding and led Li Shiming to sit down in the guest area.


    A medicine boy brought over Spirit Fruit, and Li Shiming was surprised to find that it was the Third Grade Spirit Fruit.


    ¡°Go ahead, eat it. Don¡¯t bother bringing me any Spirit Fruits in the future. If I really want Third Grade Spirit Fruits, all I have to do is let a word slip, and people will bring them to me!¡± Elder Ma said, pointing at the Third Grade Spirit Fruits with a laugh.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t stand on ceremony; he took a Third Grade Spirit Fruit and began to eat it.


    The Spiritual Energy contained within the Third Grade Spirit Fruit was incredibly abundant. After eating one, his body was filled with the gentle Spiritual Energy unique to the fruit, which was nourishing his Daoist Body.


    Of course, his Daoist Body was of such a high level that the effect of the Third Grade Spirit Fruit was minuscule on him.


    Considering his current Pure Dao Body and the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill and Sword Demon Secret Manual ¨C two Body Refining Techniques he had perfected ¨C unless there was a major realm advancement, there was hardly any room for improving his Daoist Body.


    ¡°If you have time, I have some Spirit Pills here that I need you to help refine!¡± Elder Ma said with a smile, watching Li Shiming eating the Third Grade Spirit Fruit, revealing his actual purpose.


    Li Shiming started to regret eating the Third Grade Spirit Fruit, considering the two Masters¡¯ intentions; Elder Su had entertained him with Third Grade Spirit Tea and then asked him to refine Spirit Pills for the sect, whereas Elder Ma used Third Grade Spirit Fruits to receive priority for refining his Spirit Pills.


    ¡°Master, Master Su told me to refine low-level Third Grade Spirit Pills for the sect first!¡± Li Shiming explained helplessly.


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll talk to the sect about it, I can¡¯t help it since it¡¯s old friends asking for favors. They want to refine a set of Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills, all for their descendants. It just so happens you¡¯ll need these Spirit Pills too,¡± Elder Ma said, shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow Master¡¯s instructions!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile, taking up another Third Grade Spirit Fruit and nodding as he heard Elder Ma was willing to handle the sect matters for him.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a special case, I¡¯ve arranged for them to prepare additional rewards; don¡¯t go easy on them, they¡¯re all quite wealthy!¡± Elder Ma may have been seeking help from his disciple but was also increasing his disciple¡¯s gains.


    After all, those old friends wouldn¡¯t miss a bit of their wealth; giving a little wouldn¡¯t hurt them at all.

 Chapter 441: 267 Master and Disciple

    Chapter 441: Chapter 267 Master and Disciple


    Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Senluo Sect¡¯s Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Elder Jian had been paying close attention to Li Yuanba in these days. Also, as there had been no significant incidents recently, Elder Jian had stayed at Ten Thousand Sword Peak, guiding Li Yuanba in his cultivation.


    Elder Jian explained every detail of the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯, even the content meant for the Golden Core Stage had been taught in advance.


    This made Li Yuanba puzzled; it seemed as if Elder Jian was preparing to leave something behind.


    However, Elder Jian did not give him the reason, so he could only passively accept this legacy.


    During this period, Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation had made rapid strides; with the aid of a large number of top-tier spirit pills, his cultivation was twenty times more effective, and he had more time to practice flying swords each day.


    Although he had Jiang Chen as a trump card, under the training and influence of Elder Jian, he was becoming more and more like a true Sword Cultivator.


    Amidst his cultivation, in the Senluo Sect, he also heard of his true self, Li Shiming¡¯s, renown.


    He was somewhat surprised to find that Li Shiming, the Alchemy Master, seemed to bear no animosity from the cultivators of the Senluo Sect due to the nature of good versus evil, instead receiving unanimous praise.


    Had it not been for his identity, without the opportunity to meet Li Shiming, he believed the Devil Cultivators within the Sect would have found a way to join in the celebration of Alchemy Master Li Shiming and present their gifts.


    That day, as usual, Elder Jian explained the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ to Li Yuanba.


    He then quizzed Li Yuanba on the content he had explained before, and found that Li Yuanba had remembered all of it, without a single mistake, and couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, I have explained to you all the content of the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique up to the Nascent Soul Stage, including the points to note. You might wonder why I am in such a rush,¡± said Elder Jian, looking at Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t help but scratch his scalp; he was indeed very curious.


    ¡°For a long time to come, I won¡¯t be able to guide your cultivation!¡± Elder Jian spoke slowly.


    ¡°Master!¡± Li Yuanba exclaimed, fearing Elder Jian had encountered some sort of trouble.


    With Elder Jian¡¯s strength, only a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator could cause him trouble.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking. It¡¯s good news. I¡¯ve had a premonition recently and am preparing to go into seclusion to comprehend the Nascent Soul Dao!¡± Elder Jian said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Congratulations, Master!¡± Li Yuanba said joyously, bowing deeply.


    ¡°This has something to do with you too. Ever since I took you as a disciple, I¡¯ve felt the legacy of our Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion continue, and a great burden has finally been lifted from my heart. Thanks to this feeling, I¡¯ve made some breakthroughs,¡± Elder Jian chuckled.


    He was extremely satisfied with this disciple; Li Yuanba¡¯s talent was exceptional, whether in terms of foundation or learning ability. Even among the original members of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, he would be a top genius.


    Such a disciple had the potential to keep pace with him and might one day return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    Whether Elder Jian¡¯s attempt to ascend to the Nascent Soul was successful or not, he could attempt the breakthrough with peace of mind. Even if the breakthrough resulted in his demise, his disciple Li Yuanba had the potential to fulfill his wishes and return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion as a Nascent Soul.


    At least, he had passed down the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion¡¯s legacy here, and it would continue from generation to generation until one day it could be returned to the original Chongxiao Pavilion.


    Upon hearing Elder Jian¡¯s words, Li Yuanba was still somewhat astonished, as he had heard this sentiment expressed many times.


    It seemed like his good fortune was affecting those around him. The mentors of his original self, Li Shiming, and his senior sister had both been influenced, and now even his current master, Elder Jian, had found hope for a breakthrough because of him.


    ¡°Master, rest assured in your seclusion; as your disciple, I will strive on my own and will not let you down!¡± Li Yuanba pledged solemnly.


    ¡°I have confidence in you, but I do not trust the other cultivators in our Sect!¡± Elder Jian said, letting out a cold laugh as he looked beyond the mountains.


    Li Yuanba thought of Elder Lv and naturally understood what Elder Jian was referring to.


    ¡°This Ten Thousand Sword Peak is my private property, a gift by my mentor who mobilised several Nascent Soul Ancestors to seize it on my behalf. This Ten Thousand Sword Peak is of little significance to me, and I fear that once I go into seclusion, some sect elders might covet it. Though they wouldn¡¯t dare to take it by force with my mentor watching over, we must remain vigilant against their secret schemes!


    Your mentor may be incommunicado for an extended period during cultivation, so before I enter seclusion, I will transfer the inheritance of Ten Thousand Sword Peak to you. With control of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, even facing a Golden Core Elder, you can handle it while on the Peak,¡± Elder Jian said to Li Yuanba with a serious expression.


    ¡°Master, there¡¯s actually something I haven¡¯t told you!¡± Li Yuanba said with a bow after a moment¡¯s thought.


    ¡°If it concerns your secrets, then there¡¯s no need to mention them. What cultivator doesn¡¯t have a few secrets?¡± Elder Jian said with a smile, looking at him.


    To Elder Jian, what Li Yuanba wanted to share was unlikely to be a matter of great importance.


    ¡°Please look at this, Master!¡± Li Yuanba took out the design for the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure from the Space Ring that once belonged to Elder Lv, presented it before him, and said.


    He revealed the design of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure because he wanted to let Elder Jian know about the Sect¡¯s Golden Core Elders¡¯ intentions. Although Elder Lv had fallen, there was no knowing how many other Golden Core Elders were eyeing Ten Thousand Sword Peak. He was concerned that Elder Jian was underestimating how much the Sect¡¯s Golden Core Elders covet Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    ¡°It seems Elder Lv had been plotting for Ten Thousand Sword Peak for a long time. Just this design alone couldn¡¯t have been done by any ordinary Artifact Refining Master!¡± Elder Jian sighed after looking at the design for Ten Thousand Sword Peak.

 Chapter 442: 267 Master and Disciple_2

    Chapter 442: Chapter 267 Master and Disciple_2


    He had no interest in finding out how Li Shiming acquired the design for the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure; Elder Lv died on the battlefield during the Foundation Establishment Stage, so it was normal for his belongings to be scattered.


    To tell the truth, had it not been for Ancestor Lu¡¯s life-saving grace and his continuous care, Elder Jian would not have stayed in the Senluo Sect.


    Elder Jian stayed in the Senluo Sect to repay that kindness. He had promised Ancestor Lu that he would serve the Senluo Sect until he achieved the Nascent Soul, and after that, he would return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion and leave a legacy in the Senluo Sect.


    As a Sword Cultivator, he naturally could not fraternize with Devil Cultivators.


    This Ten Thousand Sword Peak was also something Ancestor Lu had fought for in order to keep him there, and he must repay this kindness.


    But over the centuries, Elder Jian had made remarkable contributions to the Senluo Sect, with countless enemy Golden Cores falling at his hand. He had a significant role in the current might of the Senluo Sect.


    Elder Jian had heard about the Golden Core Elders in the sect vying for the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, but he had turned a blind eye to their minor actions, knowing that nothing serious would happen with him around.


    However, after seeing the design for the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he realized that the Golden Core Elders of the sect were not just coveting it; they were treating the Ten Thousand Sword Peak like something to be divided up.


    He believed that if he failed to break through, or if he succeeded and left the Senluo Sect, Li Yuanba simply wouldn¡¯t have the strength to protect the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    At least until Li Yuanba¡¯s strength reached the late-stage Golden Core, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak would be extremely important for his cultivation of the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique.¡±


    Without the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent would have a very difficult time improving, and he might even die of old age in the Golden Core Realm, unable to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, I have prepared the materials for this design. Once you reach the Golden Core Stage, refine the Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a Magic Artifact to carry with you!¡± Elder Jian scrutinized the design once more and made his decision.


    Rather than benefiting outsiders, it was better for Li Yuanba to refine the Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a Magic Artifact himself.


    As for the saying that a Sword Cultivator has only one Magic Artifact, this Ten Thousand Sword Peak could be considered Li Yuanba¡¯s auxiliary artifact for cultivation, which would not affect the spirit of a Sword Cultivator.


    ¡°Master, Elder Lv had actually prepared all the materials a long time ago!¡± Li Yuanba took out a storage bag and handed it over.


    ¡°You¡¯re really getting a bargain!¡± Elder Jian took the storage bag and looked inside, shaking his head with a smile.


    The amount and variety of materials in the storage bag were so vast that even Elder Jian would need a significant amount of time to collect them all himself.


    He had been planning to delay his retreat to help Li Yuanba with this matter, even if it meant postponing his own cultivation.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Elder Lv had already collected all the materials, simply waiting for his departure to start refining the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    ¡°I will go to Three Saints Peak under the guise of serving you, Master, and then I will retreat there, not informing anyone on the outside. However, within a maximum of five years, the Golden Core Elders within the sect will confirm that I am attempting to break through, so you must try your best to break through the Golden Core within these five years,¡± Elder Jian continued.


    After saying this, Elder Jian gave Li Yuanba a look and added, ¡°Your progress is extremely fast. I don¡¯t know what help you¡¯ve found, but in five years, reaching the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment and attempting to break through to the Golden Core Stage shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Lately, Li Yuanba had been using top-grade Spirit Pills to speed up the efficiency of his cultivation.


    Outsiders couldn¡¯t see the strength he gained from cultivation, but Elder Jian, who had been explaining the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± to Li Yuanba almost daily, could certainly perceive if something was amiss with Li Yuanba¡¯s progress.


    Otherwise, Elder Jian would not have suggested breaking through to the Golden Core within five years. Under normal circumstances, five years would not even be enough time for a cultivator to break through from mid-stage to late-stage Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made deep connections with an Alchemy Master outside. My last trip was to exchange resources for cultivation Spirit Pills!¡± Li Yuanba explained, half-truthfully.


    He did not want to deceive his master, Elder Jian, but it was something he could tell no one.


    The relationship between him and his original self, Li Shiming, was his greatest secret.


    ¡°I still say the same thing, all of this is your opportunity, you don¡¯t need to explain anything to me. I only hope that when I come out of retreat, you are still in control of Ten Thousand Sword Peak and have become a Golden Core Sword Cultivator!¡± Elder Jian said with a smile, shaking his head.


    ¡°Master, how long will your retreat take?¡± Li Yuanba asked in pursuit.


    ¡°At least ten years, at most thirty. If I don¡¯t come out after thirty years, I may have already perished!¡± Elder Jian replied with a grave tone.


    Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t help but fall silent, recalling every moment he had spent with Elder Jian.


    From the time he passed Elder Jian¡¯s test and paid homage to the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique in front of the scroll, Elder Jian treated him as his own child.


    Although the time he spent with Elder Jian was not long, their affection was sincere, with no trace of self-interest involved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Being able to comprehend the Nascent Soul Dao is such a fortunate event. Look at how many cultivators in the Cultivation World spend their entire lives unable to reach this level, even if they could feel the state of the Nascent Soul Dao for just a moment, their centuries of cultivation would be worth it!¡± Elder Jian¡¯s eyes gleamed as he laughingly patted Li Yuanba on the shoulder.


    From the Qi Refinement Realm onwards, cultivators in the Cultivation World face one hurdle after another.


    Within the Qi Refinement Realm itself, there¡¯s a minor hurdle at each level, a medium hurdle every three levels, and a major hurdle blocking the path to Foundation Establishment at the Qi Refining Peak.


    Then comes Foundation Establishment, where each level presents its own bottleneck, each one an arduous path of cultivation.


    These hurdles cause many cultivators to fall by the wayside, with only one in a hundred making it to the Foundation Establishment Stage, not to mention those who can ascend to Golden Core.


    Every cultivator who is truly able to attempt breaking through to the Nascent Soul Dao is among the elite Golden Core cultivators of their sect.


    No wonder even someone as talented as Elder Jian feels a sense of poignancy when speaking about the difficulties of the Nascent Soul Dao.


    Elder Jian took Li Yuanba to the top of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, where five flying sword treasures were inserted into the rock.


    ¡°Today, I will hand over control of Ten Thousand Sword Peak to you. Do your best to preserve Ten Thousand Sword Peak, but if...¡± Elder Jian paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°if it becomes impossible, then abandon Ten Thousand Sword Peak to ensure your safety comes first!¡±


    ¡°I will retain Ten Thousand Sword Peak and wait for Master to come out of retreat!¡± Li Yuanba said resolutely.


    Elder Jian didn¡¯t try to persuade him further; the spirit of a Sword Cultivator is to never yield. If it were easy to give up, then he wouldn¡¯t be a Sword Cultivator.


    It was fortunate that Li Yuanba¡¯s Spiritual Thought had evolved into Divine Thought and, with help from Elder Jian, the original master of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he was able to imprint his spirit on the five flying sword treasures.


    After becoming the true master of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Li Yuanba could sense the entire situation of the peak through the five flying sword treasures.


    Before, when he was cultivating within Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he had some control, but he never had such a macroscopic perspective.


    The whole Ten Thousand Sword Peak seemed alive from the inside out, with Spiritual Energy and Sword Intent serving as the lifeblood. The myriad of flying swords of various grades inserted around Ten Thousand Sword Peak connected to form a complex network of energy links.


    The lifeblood composed of Spiritual Energy and Sword Intent flowed through the network formed by the myriad of flying swords, just like it would through blood vessels.


    Each flying sword on Ten Thousand Sword Peak is part of the whole, and no matter how poor the original quality of the sword, after countless years of nurturing, the quality of the swords became inseparably linked with Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Even a Golden Core cultivator within Ten Thousand Sword Peak would be incapable of destroying any of the swords, even the lowest quality magic artifact swords.


    Because although the target is the magic artifact sword, in reality, it is an attack on the entire Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Without the power to destroy the entirety of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, damaging any of the swords is impossible. Most distinctively, even if a sword were to be damaged, it can self-repair within Ten Thousand Sword Peak.

 Chapter 443: 268: Artifact Refining

    Chapter 443: Chapter 268: Artifact Refining


    At Shushan Sect, Li Shiming, aside from his once-daily alchemy practice compared to the previous five times a day, needed only around three to four two-hour periods to craft Third-grade Spirit Pills, and consequently, he had some extra time.


    He then began to look into the artifact refining legacy he had acquired before. Of course, the artifact refining legacies in his possession were of very low grade, but they were still sufficient for an introduction to the craft.


    In fact, using the Red Sun Spirit Fire, which was nearly at the Golden Core standard, to learn artifact refining was a tremendous waste.


    Especially since he was still using First-grade Materials for practice, resulting in the production of Magic Artifacts.


    Crafting Magic Artifacts was not difficult, but he soon recognized the limitations of the artifact refining legacy he had.


    The legacy of Loose Cultivator¡¯s artifact refining in his hands only contained records for a relatively small number of materials, for both First-grade and Second-grade refining materials, while most materials lacked relevant information.


    One couldn¡¯t blame the Loose Cultivator¡¯s refining legacy for these shortcomings; rather, it was due to the limitations inherent to Loose Cultivators themselves.


    Loose Cultivators had limited access to refining materials to begin with, as most superior resources were controlled by the major sects and powerful forces; whatever fell into the hands of Loose Cultivators were the leftovers disregarded by these major players.


    Of course, this did not mean that there were no superior materials available, but Loose Cultivators lacked the systematic legacy of major sects and had to rely on personal experience. Even if they were fortunate enough to encounter valuable materials, they dared not refine them on their own.


    If a Loose Cultivator failed while using high-quality materials or did not achieve the desired quality, the loss would be too great, so great that a Loose Cultivator couldn¡¯t afford it.


    As such, the artifact refining legacy that Li Shiming had soon became of little use to him after he got started on refining artifacts.


    Just as he was considering whether to use contribution points to exchange for a better artifact refining legacy from the sect, Sect Elder Zhang from Sword Holding Peak sent a visiting spell to the outside of his location.


    When Li Shiming saw the spell, he was slightly startled. He naturally knew Elder Zhang, who was a Golden Core Elder in Elder Su¡¯s lineage, but his relationship with Elder Zhang was just average.


    Being a junior, Elder Zhang had previously praised him only in words, and that was for the sake of his master, Elder Su.


    Afterward, Li Shiming became an Alchemy Master, and Elder Zhang¡¯s enthusiasm faded among the many Golden Core cultivators, leaving little impression on him.


    Although Li Shiming did not know why Elder Zhang was coming, based solely on Elder Zhang¡¯s relationship with Elder Su, he couldn¡¯t disregard the visit.


    Li Shiming activated the Mountain Protecting Array and welcomed Elder Zhang in.


    ¡°Shiming, it¡¯s rather presumptuous of me to come visit like this and disturb you, right?¡± Elder Zhang said with a proactive smile as soon as he met Li Shiming.


    This was a manifestation of Li Shiming¡¯s status; even Sect Elders were now interacting with him on equal footing.


    Elder Zhang had also chosen the time carefully, knowing that Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy practice hours were fixed, during which no cultivator would disturb him.


    His deliberate manner of speaking was to lower his stance and narrow the gap between them.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, you¡¯re too kind, it¡¯s not a disturbance at all!¡± Li Shiming smiled and invited him to the pavilion at the mountaintop, specially constructed for entertaining guests.


    Li Shiming brought out Second Grade Spirit Tea and spiritual spring water enhanced by Spirit Cleansing Carp, and brewed a cup of Spiritual Tea for Elder Zhang.


    ¡°The tea is excellent, as is the water! Since the ceremony, I¡¯ve been longing for your Spiritual Tea!¡± Elder Zhang did not rush to reveal his purpose of visit and complimented after taking a sip of the Second Grade Spirit Tea, his eyes lighting up.


    ¡°If you like it, Uncle Zhang, take some Spiritual Tea with you when you leave, and some spiritual spring water as well!¡± Li Shiming laughed and gestured.


    The Second Grade Spirit Tea was personally crafted by him and tasted exceptionally good, not to mention paired with the elevated quality of the spiritual spring, which he estimated was, aside from what the Nascent Soul Ancestor might have, the best within the sect.


    This was also the most suitable gift he could offer at the moment, without much concern for the quantity.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t be polite!¡± Elder Zhang said happily. With the atmosphere having warmed up, he then broached the main topic, ¡°I heard you¡¯ve recently been learning artifact refining?¡±


    Those who paid attention within the sect would have noticed Li Shiming¡¯s study of artifact refining.


    Li Shiming was no longer the same as before; many cultivators in the sect kept an eye on his every move.


    Recently, he exchanged contribution points for a batch of First-grade Refining Materials, and such affairs could hardly be concealed from the cultivators within the sect.


    He had no intention of keeping it a secret either, mainly because learning artifact refining was nothing to be ashamed of.


    ¡°Yes, just casually passing time!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, it¡¯s indeed time you should learn artifact refining. I¡¯ve just heard about your interest in refining, and I¡¯ve taken the liberty to come teach you. Although I¡¯m not an Artifact Refining Master, I¡¯m just a step away, mostly due to my lackluster talent in refining. However, my artifact refining legacy is top-notch!¡± Elder Zhang nodded and said.


    Elder Zhang understood Li Shiming¡¯s interest in learning artifact refining.


    It was commonplace for cultivators with confidence in advancing to the Golden Core Stage, and at Late-stage Foundation Establishment, to learn artifact refining as a secondary profession.


    Because once a cultivator reached the Golden Core Stage, they needed to prepare their own magic treasures.


    Magic treasures could be purchased or self-crafted. Typically, a cultivator¡¯s own lineage would have the methods for crafting the treasures, which would complement the main Cultivation Technique.


    A self-crafted magic treasure, in harmony with the primary Cultivation Technique and with closer spiritual linkage and better controllability due to personal crafting, are reasons why those Golden Core cultivators who could, would often prefer to craft their own magic treasures.

 Chapter 444: 268 Artifact Refining_2

    Chapter 444: Chapter 268 Artifact Refining_2


    Elder Zhang believed that Li Shiming was just like that, with the identity of an Alchemy Master, Li Shiming¡¯s success rate of forming a Golden Core would far exceed that of other Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Considering his success after achieving Golden Core, learning Artifact Refining was just a matter of course.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang, I was just looking for someone to guide me!¡± Li Shiming said with great joy in his heart.


    There were Artifact Refining inheritances available for exchange in the sect, but the truly good inheritances were passed down among the sect¡¯s full-time Artifact Refiners, with few being passed down externally, let alone exchanged for contribution points.


    It was like the Alchemy inheritance, where one could exchange contribution points for Alchemy inheritances within the sect, but the only chance to learn the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ was to receive it from Elder Ma.


    ¡°May I see the Magic Artifacts you have refined?¡± Elder Zhang asked with a smile after hearing Li Shiming¡¯s words.


    Li Shiming took out several First-grade Magical Artifacts he had refined and looked towards Elder Zhang somewhat sheepishly, waiting for Elder Zhang¡¯s evaluation.


    What he learned was the Artifact Refining inheritance of a Loose Cultivator, and he estimated that the First-grade Magical Artifacts he presented would hardly catch Elder Zhang¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Your purification technique is extremely rough, but your control of the flames is extremely fine, allowing the materials to be purified to their utmost. This is related to your Alchemy skills, but these are just First-grade Refining Materials. If you were dealing with Second or Third-grade materials, the Fire Control Techniques used in Alchemy would be inadequate!¡± Elder Zhang commented while examining the First-grade Magical Artifacts.


    Li Shiming was aware of his capabilities, assisted by an IBMz15, he could do the best in all kinds of processing techniques.


    But just as Elder Zhang had said, he also felt a weakness in his flame control.


    The Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique from the ¡®Shushan Pill Scripture¡¯ mainly improved the fine control of the Spiritual Fire, achieving precise temperature regulation and variation during Alchemy.


    And when using the Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique to refine Artifact Refining materials, precision in flame temperature like that needed for Alchemy was not required.


    During Alchemy, even a deviation of one-tenth of a degree in temperature could cause problems with the Dan Liquid in the Pill Furnace, while during Artifact Refining, it was acceptable to maintain the temperature within an error margin of one or two degrees.


    However, Artifact Refining required instantaneous temperature changes by thousands of degrees, which the Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique could not accommodate.


    ¡°Of course, I am being too demanding. If we consider you a beginner, these few First-grade Magical Artifacts are already perfect!¡± Elder Zhang then added.


    The potential of the material in the First-grade Magical Artifacts he held had been fully utilized; even if he himself had done the work, at most it would have been just like that.


    His earlier comments were partly to promote his own Artifact Refining inheritance and also to prevent Li Shiming from underestimating the art of Artifact Refining.


    He now felt the same way Elder Ma must have felt when teaching Li Shiming Alchemy for the first time; he had not even started, yet he already saw Li Shiming¡¯s astonishing talent in Artifact Refining.


    To use what is obviously a very low-level Artifact Refining technique and still produce such perfect First-grade Magical Artifacts.


    Elder Zhang could see traces of a Loose Cultivator in his Artifact Refining technique.


    But if a Loose Cultivator could refine a Magical Artifact to such a degree, even if it was just a First-grade Magical Artifact, it would have been enough to become famous on the Beishu Continent. Yet, he had never heard of any expert Artifact Refiner among Loose Cultivators using such a rough technique and still producing perfect Artifacts like Li Shiming.


    This was talent, Li Shiming¡¯s talent for Artifact Refining.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, what should I do?¡± Li Shiming did not rest on Elder Zhang¡¯s praise but sought to resolve the issues he encountered in Artifact Refining.


    He had heard too much praise ever since he started with Alchemy, with various forms of accolades echoing in his ears.


    He was almost immune to such praise, focusing more on self-improvement.


    ¡°My artifact refining inheritance is known as Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance, the family has produced three Artifact Refining Masters and nine high-level Artifact Refiners. In my generation, I am the only high-level Artifact Refiner left. With your talent for refining, receiving the Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance and becoming an Artifact Refining Master is merely a matter of time!¡± Elder Zhang was waiting for Li Shiming to ask questions, and he answered gravely.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, this is your family¡¯s legacy!¡± Li Shiming had not expected that the artifact refining inheritance mentioned by Elder Zhang was a family legacy, and he couldn¡¯t help but remind him.


    Although he very much wanted to learn the Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance, family legacies, especially those still being passed on within the family, are very rarely passed on to outsiders.


    It is a family¡¯s foundation for settling down and establishing itself, the crystallization of the wisdom of many generations.


    ¡°Shiming, the Zhang Family¡¯s inheritance has been passed down to this day. Currently, there are only three people with spirit root seeds, aside from myself. The other two possess the Four Spirit Roots and the Five Spirit Roots. It has been fifty years since our family has seen a child with spirit roots. It is better that this inheritance is passed on to you than left in my hands. All you need to do is protect the Zhang Family within your capacity, and perhaps many generations later, if a descendant with excellent spirit root talent emerges, you will be able to lend a hand!¡± Elder Zhang explained helplessly.


    Li Shiming now understood Elder Zhang¡¯s thoughts, which was a situation Cultivation Families most dreaded.


    Normally, because the bloodline of Cultivation Families carries the lineage of cultivators, the chances of spirit root seeds appearing in Cultivation Families are quite high.


    However, bloodlines can change. Marrying with ordinary people can greatly dilute the cultivator¡¯s bloodline, decreasing the likelihood of spirit root seeds appearing.


    The number of female cultivators in the Cultivation World is scarce, and those willing to form a Daoist couple are even fewer.


    Thus, many cultivators who wish to leave descendants choose to marry ordinary people, and it is better for cultivators with lower cultivation levels to do so.


    As a Golden Core cultivator like Elder Zhang, he could use a Secret Technique to conceive offspring when he first reached the Golden Core Stage, but after spending a long time in the Golden Core Stage, the body becomes thoroughly reformed by the Golden Core, and the chances of conceiving offspring become exceedingly low, even with the use of Secret Techniques.


    Not to mention that Golden Core cultivators attempting to have children during the Golden Core Stage can damage their bodies and even affect their future cultivation journey.


    Furthermore, losing Primordial Yang and Primordial Yin before reaching the Golden Core Stage can lower the chances of advancing to the Golden Core Stage, so truly talented cultivators are unlikely to have children lightly.


    Therefore, it is inevitable for Cultivation Families to encounter generations where there is no successive offspring with spirit root seeds, a period that may last decades, or even centuries. But as long as there are cultivators providing protection, there will eventually be descendants who inherit strong spirit root talents.


    Elder Zhang didn¡¯t know how many years it would take for the Zhang Family to produce another descendant with excellent spirit root talent. He needed a young cultivator with potential to provide protection for the family.


    Offering the family¡¯s artifact refining legacy in exchange for the protection of a young Alchemy Master for the family was something Elder Zhang was very willing to do.


    After a brief moment of contemplation in his mind, Li Shiming found it fairly easy to protect a Cultivation Family. After all, Elder Zhang was still a Sect Elder, and at least while Elder Zhang was alive, his protection was not needed.


    By the time Elder Zhang passed away, Li Shiming would surely have reached the Golden Core Stage, and casually protecting the Zhang¡¯s Cultivation Family would suffice.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, I accept the Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    Elder Zhang was also very happy. He took out a Jade Scroll and handed it to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming took the Jade Scroll and placed it on his forehead to check its content.


    The Jade Scroll contained an immense amount of content, showing the accumulation of the Zhang Family¡¯s knowledge in the field of artifact refining.


    There were descriptions of a vast array of refining materials, some of which Li Shiming had seen, but many more that he had never even heard of, all with detailed explanations.


    These explanations included the properties of the refining materials, their melting points during refining, and the effects they produce when combined with other refining materials. It was akin to an encyclopedia of artifact refining.


    Compared to the artifact refining legacy Li Shiming had received from the Loose Cultivator, that was like the doodling of a kindergartener, while the refining inheritance in his hands was as if it were a textbook from a prestigious university.


    Moreover, this Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance also recorded several secret techniques specifically used for refining, including ¡°Dragon Breath Explosion Fire Technique,¡± ¡°Hundred Turns Purification Technique,¡± and other refining methods.

 Chapter 445: 269: Onlooker

    Chapter 445: Chapter 269: Onlooker


    Since Li Shiming had received the artifact refining inheritance from Elder Zhang, Elder Zhang had been coming over at a set time each day to guide him.


    His skills in artifact refining had improved rapidly; within just a few days, he had already started to refine Spiritual Artifacts.


    What pleased Elder Zhang the most was the speed at which Li Shiming learned the techniques for applying runes.


    These runes are a method of embedding spells in rune form onto a Magic Artifact, thereby achieving the corresponding special effects.


    For instance, the basic runes that Li Shiming had learned a while ago included the Storage Spirit Rune, Acceleration Rune, Stability Rune, Delay Rune, Flame Rune, Frost Rune, Sharpness Rune, and so on.


    The Zhang family¡¯s refining inheritance had also added a lot of Foundation Establishment runes, and over countless years, cultivators had summarized the runes best suited for use on Spiritual Artifacts.


    Because of the materials used in their creation, it was possible to add Array Diagrams to the bodies of Spiritual Artifacts, making them stronger.


    In front of Elder Zhang, Li Shiming was always diligently learning to refine artifacts without showing any peculiar talents.


    He didn¡¯t want to show excessive talent in artifact refining, at best just a strong learning ability.


    He had never planned to refine for others; alchemy was already taking up several two-hour stretches of his day, reducing his cultivation time.


    With resources not being an issue, he saw no need to display his talents in artifact refining.


    Even so, Elder Zhang was still amazed by his abilities in artifact refining.


    In the realm of alchemy, Elder Ma had somehow managed it so that the cultivators seeking pills from the sect had been deferred. Recently, Li Shiming had been refining Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills each day.


    Moreover, with each batch of alchemy, along with one-third of the Spirit Pills, he would receive additional compensation, usually consisting of a portion of Third Grade Spirit Fruit or Spiritual Tea.


    Only after handling it himself did he realize that it wasn¡¯t that the alchemy resources were scarce, but that the Beishu Continent was simply too vast. The limited amount of alchemy resources available across all the cultivators on the continent made them seem extremely rare.


    The three great sects of the Righteous Path, along with the other major forces within its realm, controlled these alchemy resources.


    Because of Li Shiming¡¯s reputation, any cultivator who had alchemy resources wanted to do whatever it took to find him and have him help refine Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills.


    After all, among the alchemy masters currently willing to openly refine, only Li Shiming could guarantee the production of high-quality, full-yield batches of the four advanced Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    The high-level Spirit Pills offered a much greater enhancement for breaking through to the Golden Core stage than mid- and low-level Spirit Pills. To increase the probability of success in achieving a Golden Core, cultivators were willing to pay any price.


    Li Shiming believed that in a little while, he would be able to refine a top-tier set of Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-breaking Pills for himself.


    In his machine room space, the essence of medicine from each type of Spirit Pill was accumulating rapidly, soon to be enough for the creation of top-tier Spirit Pills.


    Li Shiming also understood why Elder Ma had said that as an alchemy master, he needn¡¯t worry about any resources.


    Now, he could freely enjoy Third Grade Spirit Fruits and Third Grade Spiritual Tea; having a cup of Third Grade Spiritual Tea every day was no issue, and occasionally he could enjoy a Third Grade Spirit Fruit as a treat.


    Additionally, in recent days, he had still made time to refine several batches of Second-grade Spirit Pills for the Beishu Trading Company, owing them a significant favor that needed to be repaid. As for the Third-grade Spirit Pills, they required too much mental effort and had to be placed behind the sect¡¯s alchemy tasks.


    ¡°Shiming, come here!¡± One day, while Li Shiming was refining a Spiritual Artifact, he received a message from his mentor, Elder Su.


    Fortunately, the refinement was being done in the machine room space, so he was able to continue the task by splitting part of his spirit into the space.


    He himself soared into the air, heading towards Heavenly Eye Peak.


    Just before reaching Heavenly Eye Peak, he saw that Elder Su and his second senior brother, Wan Zheng, were already waiting for him outside the peak.


    ¡°Master, second senior brother, sorry I¡¯m late!¡± Li Shiming hurried forward and greeted them.


    ¡°Not late, we knew you were busy, so we only called you after everything was prepared here. Let¡¯s go watch Jingxian make her pills!¡± Elder Su said with a smile as he helped Li Shiming up.


    Li Shiming noticed that only his second senior brother was present; his third senior brother, Lu Shi, and fourth senior brother, Xu Chuan, were not there.


    Assuming they had already gone ahead, he didn¡¯t mind, and followed Elder Su towards the mountain peak where his eldest senior sister¡¯s cave dwelling was located.


    The Mountain Protection Array around the mountain was already activated, just waiting for them to enter.


    At the top of the mountain, a Formation had been set up; Ye Jingxian was sitting within it, resting with her eyes closed, seemingly unaware of their arrival.


    Elder Su, along with Li Shiming and Wan Zheng, sat down cross-legged about thirty meters from the Formation.


    Li Shiming could see a look of concern in Elder Su¡¯s eyes.


    He then glanced at the Array under Ye Jingxian, which was a grand Array gathering Spiritual Energy. It cooperated with the mountain¡¯s Mountain Protection Array Formation, channeling all the Spiritual Energy generated by the mountain¡¯s spirit veins into the Array.


    At that moment, the Array had not been activated. Once it was, the Spiritual Energy in other parts of the mountain would be drained, which could affect the growth of the spirit fields over time.


    However, at this moment, compared to Ye Jingxian¡¯s alchemy, the spirit fields seemed trivial; if necessary, even if the spirit fields were destroyed, they would ensure she had the Spiritual Energy she needed.

 Chapter 446: 269: Onlooking_2

    Chapter 446: Chapter 269: Onlooking_2


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Brother come?¡± Li Shiming looked around and noticed that both Lu Shi and Xu Chuan were absent. He quietly sent a message to ask.


    ¡°Only cultivators in the late-stage of Foundation Establishment are qualified to observe the pill forming process!¡± Elder Su replied indifferently.


    ¡°It is said that the number of cultivators observing the pill forming process cannot be too many; having too many can affect the pill formation. Many cultivators, during the pill forming stage, besides having a protective senior, do not invite others to observe!¡± Wan Zheng quietly explained to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming noticed the gratitude in Wan Zheng¡¯s eyes when he looked at Ye Jingxian. Just inviting them to observe the pill forming process posed no small risk for Jingxian.


    But as the eldest senior sister, Ye Jingxian still invited two late-stage Foundation Establishment junior brothers, simply to let them witness the process of pill formation first-hand, to aid their own future pill forming attempts.


    While they were speaking, the formation beneath Ye Jingxian activated.


    The Spiritual Energy of the entire mountain peak flowed towards Ye Jingxian¡¯s location with the activation of the formation, forming a series of whirlwinds due to the movement of the Spiritual Energy.


    Her body slowly lifted off the ground, an effect caused by the support of the dense Spiritual Energy, just as a body would float in water, when the Spiritual Energy becomes too dense, the body is also lifted up.


    Li Shiming was nearly a hundred meters away from Ye Jingxian, but he could still hear the sound of Spiritual Energy flowing within her body, which was the sound of massive amounts of Spiritual Energy surging into her body.


    ¡°She should be taking the Vessel Protecting Pill now!¡± Elder Su whispered softly.


    This was him advising Li Shiming and Wan Zheng. Although the sect had teachings on the pill forming experience, how could that compare to watching the process unfold on site?


    Naturally, their conversation was conducted through voice transmission, so as not to affect Ye Jingxian.


    Ye Jingxian retained a sliver of consciousness, the terrifying influx of Spiritual Energy pushing her meridians to their limits. She popped a high-grade ¡®Vessel Protecting Pill¡¯ into her mouth and swallowed it.


    As the Vessel Protecting Pill went down, its medicinal power came into effect, with strands of medicinal essence winding around the walls of her meridians, repairing and reinforcing them.


    With sturdy meridians, a large amount of Spiritual Energy was guided through the main cultivation technique, transforming into Spiritual Power and entering the Spirit Lake.


    Today¡¯s cultivation was different from usual, the Spirit Lake was like a monster that devoured everything, no matter how much Spiritual Power there was, it was all absorbed into the lake.


    From Li Shiming¡¯s perspective, Jingxian¡¯s body overflowed with Spiritual Power, a slight mistake would cause her body to burst, and this was just the beginning of the breakthrough, not even the truly dangerous moment, yet it was already this perilous.


    Pain appeared on Ye Jingxian¡¯s face, she took another ¡®Vessel Protecting Pill¡¯, and only then did the pain on her face dissipate.


    ¡°We really owe Shiming a debt of gratitude. If he hadn¡¯t helped Jingxian refine two high-grade Vessel Protecting Pills, her first step would have encountered problems!¡± Elder Su¡¯s expression was extremely tense as he looked at Li Shiming and communicated through voice transmission.


    Although Ye Jingxian had also cultivated body refining techniques and was considered extremely strong amongst female cultivators, the step of drawing in Spiritual Energy into the body was wildly unpredictable. Perhaps it was precisely because she had built up such a strong foundation that she drew in even more Spiritual Energy during this step.


    If it weren¡¯t for the two high-grade Vessel Protecting Pills that Li Shiming had refined, Ye Jingxian¡¯s body would not have been able to withstand the process of drawing in Spiritual Energy and would have failed at the first hurdle.


    Elder Su felt thankful towards Li Shiming in his heart and was also happy for Ye Jingxian¡¯s fortune, seeing it as the influence of Li Shiming¡¯s good karma.


    He hoped that afterwards, Ye Jingxian would continue to be looked after by Li Shiming¡¯s good karma and achieve a successful advancement.


    Jingxian¡¯s body emitted a dazzling light, which was the overly converted Spiritual Power involuntarily radiating through her skin from inside her body.


    She then took another Spirit Pill. The Spirit Pill exerted its effect, and no more Spiritual Energy flowed into her body, but at this moment, the Spiritual Power inside her Spirit Lake was beyond saturation, a highly dangerous state.


    ¡°This is the Soul Stabilizing Pill, it briefly stabilizes the Spiritual Power within the body!¡± Elder Su continued to explain for Li Shiming and Wan Zheng.


    Jingxian continued to take Spirit Pills, a sharp look flashing in her eyes. Today¡¯s breakthrough process was not going according to plan; she had to make decisions.


    She was a heroine among women, decisive in character, and she made her decision immediately.


    She took out two high-grade ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills¡¯ and swallowed them, then placed two high-grade ¡®Resurrection Pills¡¯ into her mouth without swallowing them, keeping them for backup.


    ¡°Why is this child so reckless!¡± Elder Su suddenly stood up, his gaze shifting to Ye Jingxian while he complained in a hushed voice.


    But he did not interfere with Ye Jingxian¡¯s decision; this was the most crucial moment in Ye Jingxian¡¯s life, a choice of her own making.


    With the ¡®Mountain-breaking Pill¡¯ ingested, the spiritual power inside Ye Jingxian, which had originally been stabilized by the ¡®Soul Stabilizing Pill,¡¯ began to rapidly compress, forming a tiny point at the center of the Spirit Lake, with all the spiritual power being squeezed into this point.


    Ye Jingxian had a robust body, and she had adjusted her essence, energy, and spirit to optimal condition before her breakthrough.


    However, her body was now rapidly withering away, and the light in her eyes was slowly dimming¡ªsigns that a great deal of her life force and spiritual power was being extracted.


    Her life force and spiritual power, together with the spiritual power, were being compressed into that tiny point at the center of the Spirit Lake, where a Golden Core as small as a needle tip was in the process of forming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes flickered with shock; he had witnessed numerous experiences of Golden Core formation, but watching Ye Jingxian¡¯s life force and spirit disappear from her body still made him realize the dangers of cultivation.


    This step was a matter of life and death, completely dependent on how much life force and spiritual power the Golden Core would absorb during its formation process.


    Of course, before preparing for Golden Core formation, Ye Jingxian had also consumed a large number of Spirit Pills that boost life force and strengthen the spirit. While these Spirit Pills were precious, they could not compare to the Vessel Protecting Pill, Soul Stabilizing Pill, Resurrection Pill, or Mountain-breaking Pill, and could be exchanged for in the sect with contribution points.


    Even at this moment, Ye Jingxian was trying to slow down the rate at which the Golden Core extracted her life force and spiritual power, consuming various Spiritual Objects one after another to enhance both.


    However, with the Golden Core¡¯s relentless extraction, her body was becoming thinner and thinner, her once tall frame now skeletal.


    From Li Shiming¡¯s perspective, Ye Jingxian looked like a layer of dried skin wrapping a skeleton, and if such extraction continued, Ye Jingxian¡¯s life was sure to come to an end.


    Just as he was worrying, Ye Jingxian¡¯s body suddenly trembled with a breakthrough, and she swallowed the two high-grade ¡®Resurrection Pills¡¯.


    Within Ye Jingxian¡¯s body, the Spirit Lake had vanished, and a Golden Core emitting a golden light had stabilized.


    The Golden Core nourished her with its special energy, quickly restoring her body. Of course, the effect of the two high-grade ¡®Resurrection Pills¡¯ also played a part. Without the help of the ¡®Resurrection Pills¡¯ to repair her, the body could not have recovered to a significant degree in a short period, and that would be unable to withstand the troubles of the next round.


    Ye Jingxian now had a faint Golden Core pressure emanating from her; her eyes opened, and the spiritual power devoured by the Golden Core was transformed and returned to her even stronger, causing her spirit to not only remain intact but actually increase significantly.


    Disregarding that her body had not fully recovered, she placed her feet firmly on the ground and let out a loud shout, adopting a defensive stance.


    She didn¡¯t use any defensive Spiritual Artifacts, knowing that the upcoming Divine Thunder would ignore all defenses and directly target her body.


    She simply mobilized the scant spiritual power in the Golden Core, as well as her Body Refining Techniques, to continually enhance her body¡¯s defense.


    The ¡®Resurrection Pill¡¯ was still in effect, but the energy bestowed by the Golden Core slowly ceased.


    In the sky, there was no sign of dark clouds, yet the Cultivators present had extremely sensitive perceptions. Li Shiming felt his scalp tingle, sensing that something dreadful was brewing above his head.


    Without any warning, a golden thunderbolt appeared. The Mountain Protection Array and the Formation beneath Ye Jingxian¡¯s feet had no reaction, as though the golden thunderbolt did not exist.


    The golden thunderbolt passed through several layers of Formations, directly striking Ye Jingxian¡¯s body.


    The terrifying power of thunder and lightning struck the newly formed Golden Core body, and Ye Jingxian¡¯s body, from the outside in, was invaded by that golden light.


    After being struck by the lightning, Ye Jingxian¡¯s body slowly fell backward, and a black smoke, as if charred, rose from her.

 Chapter 447: 270: Congratulations

    Chapter 447: Chapter 270: Congratulations


    Elder Su had been waiting for this moment; with a single step, he was by Ye Jingxian¡¯s side.


    He took out a Third-grade Healing Spirit Pill and fed it to Ye Jingxian. After sensing her breath, a smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°How is the senior sister?¡± Li Shiming and Wan Zheng also came to Ye Jingxian¡¯s side, with Wan Zheng inquiring aloud.


    ¡°Our sect now has another Golden Core cultivator. Although there were many dangers during the process of forming the core, the outcome is still good!¡± Elder Su said with a smile.


    Since Ye Jingxian sensed the opportunity for a breakthrough, she had been in seclusion for a month, continuously consuming vast amounts of prepared resources. A full month of preparation was not in vain.


    Li Shiming, however, looked at Ye Jingxian, who was lying on the ground; there wasn¡¯t a spot of normal skin on her entire body, all of it was charred black.


    As he watched, Ye Jingxian let out a soft grunt.


    First, her fingers twitched, and Li Shiming saw the charred skin peel away, revealing skin white and smooth as jade.


    Li Shiming also sensed that Ye Jingxian¡¯s breath wasn¡¯t affected by the golden lightning; instead, after withstanding the golden lightning, her body seemed to have undergone a transformation, as if shedding its mortal shell for a new one.


    He knew about that golden lightning; it was a test by the forces of heaven and earth for the beings breaking through their shackles. Failing the test meant death, but success brought heaven and earth¡¯s reward, which substantially enhanced the Taoist Body.


    Golden Core cultivators, even without practicing Body Refining Techniques, have Taoist Bodies stronger than those of late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators who specialize in those techniques. This is the benefit of receiving the heaven and earth¡¯s reward.


    Having passed the test of heaven and earth, in a strict sense, Golden Core cultivators are no longer the same kind of beings as Foundation Establishment cultivators from thereon.


    While their appearance remains the same, the Taoist Body undergoes a vast change. Golden Core cultivators resonate more closely with heaven and earth and can fly without using any spiritual power, relying solely on their Taoist Body.


    Foundation Establishment cultivators need spells or magic artifacts to fly, but upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, flight becomes an instinct.


    While Li Shiming was contemplating this, the charred skin on Ye Jingxian¡¯s body began to fall off in large pieces as she moved, and her facial features returned to normal.


    ¡°Master, I succeeded!¡± Ye Jingxian, not minding the tears in her robe or the faintly visible skin, could only feel excitement. She spoke to Elder Su with fervor.


    ¡°Although I¡¯d like to scold you, you took some risks, I still have to be proud of you!¡± Elder Su replied with a smile, as if a kindly father.


    In fact, he wanted to praise Ye Jingxian¡¯s decisiveness, but with Li Shiming and Wan Zheng present, he couldn¡¯t assure that every risky attempt like Jingxian¡¯s would be successful.


    Normally, a breakthrough is a gradual process. The ¡®Mountain-breaking Pill¡¯ would be taken one by one, prolonging the time for the formation of the Golden Core. The process of absorbing spiritual power, life force, and spirit would be gentler, allowing Ye Jingxian to take more time to consume more Spiritual Objects.


    However, when Ye Jingxian noticed an anomaly in her condition, she instead took two high-grade ¡®Mountain-breaking Pills¡¯ at once, swiftly absorbing spiritual power, life force, and spirit after the Golden Core was formed, nearly exhausting her.


    Ye Jingxian stood up from the ground, her Golden Core aura spreading outward, causing Wan Zheng¡¯s body to sway.


    Li Shiming, on the other hand, didn¡¯t feel much of an impact, as his spiritual power and constitution had long surpassed that of a typical Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Jingxian didn¡¯t do it on purpose; she had just broken through and was still unable to contain her Golden Core aura.


    ¡°Zheng¡¯er, your spirit still needs to be tempered; otherwise, it won¡¯t support a breakthrough!¡± Elder Su, seeing Wan Zheng¡¯s state, spoke out to guide him.


    He then looked at Li Shiming but said nothing more.


    Elder Su had long since noticed the unusualness of Li Shiming¡¯s spirit and constitution. If Li Shiming hadn¡¯t grown up under his watchful eye, he might have thought Shiming was a spirit beast in human skin.


    Elder Su had great confidence in Li Shiming¡¯s future breakthrough into the Golden Core. This confidence stemmed from Shiming¡¯s foundation.


    If such a physique and spirit can¡¯t break through to the Golden Core, then what kind of preparations would be needed to achieve it!


    One could say that all Li Shiming was lacking now was the realm. His body and spirit had already reached and even surpassed the required standards for a breakthrough. He was just waiting for his realm to catch up before attempting the breakthrough upon sensing the opportunity.


    ¡°Congratulations to the senior sister on achieving the Golden Core Path!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile as he bowed to Ye Jingxian.


    Wan Zheng was also struggling to resist the impact of the Golden Core aura from Ye Jingxian, barely managing to bend down in salute.


    ¡°Junior brother, without your Spirit Pills, there wouldn¡¯t be a me at this moment!¡± Ye Jingxian sincerely bowed as she spoke.


    Only she, the person involved, knew how lucky this breakthrough had been. Every stage had been passed largely due to the support of high-grade Spirit Pills with effects superior to normal ones.


    ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from, senior sister? Isn¡¯t it natural for us to help each other? I¡¯ll need to rely on the senior sister¡¯s care in the future, now that you are a great Golden Core master!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    ¡°If anyone dares to bully you in the future, I¡¯ll go chop them for you!¡± Ye Jingxian said, thumping her chest.


    ¡°Alright, Jingxian, go and rest. Come to the sect to report tomorrow. In a few days, we¡¯ll celebrate your advancement to the Golden Core!¡± Elder Su, always upright, did not like to see a fine young woman acting like a valiant hero. He clapped his hands and interrupted their conversation with a grin.

 Chapter 448: 270 Congratulations_2

    Chapter 448: Chapter 270 Congratulations_2


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Ye Jingxian bowed and responded.


    ¡°Senior Sister, this is the congratulatory gift I prepared for you in advance, for you to use to entertain guests!¡± Li Shiming said, tossing a jade box to Ye Jingxian as he was about to leave.


    After everyone had left, Ye Jingxian opened the jade box and saw inside were twenty leaves of Third Grade New Tea, and one ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯


    Ye Jingxian covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from exclaiming aloud.


    Although she was a tall giantess reaching 2.2 meters, she was also a female cultivator who took her appearance very seriously.


    She had also learned through various channels that Li Shiming might still have a ¡®Youthful Elixir,¡¯ but she had never thought of asking for it.


    Because she was well aware that with her own wealth, she couldn¡¯t afford a ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯


    The publicly known information was that the Beishu Trading Company always used the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ in its promotions, causing the exchange value of spiritual objects for ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ to continually climb, reaching a level that astounded ordinary Golden Core cultivators.


    Privately, it was known that Master Luo from the Thousand Illusion Sect exchanged one hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags for one ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯


    One could imagine how high the value of a single ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ was, yet the congratulatory gift from Li Shiming included one.


    Ye Jingxian also understood why Li Shiming didn¡¯t plan to give the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ during the ceremony, as it would attract too much attention.


    Aside from the ¡®Youthful Elixir,¡¯ whose value was incalculable, the twenty leaves of Third Grade New Tea in the gift were also quite valuable.


    Based on the quality of the Third Grade New Tea, it should have been harvested from the Third Grade Spirit Tea Tree gifted to Li Shiming by Qianye Temple, and personally roasted by Li Shiming into Third Grade Spiritual Tea.


    This kind of Third Grade Spiritual Tea had become legendary among the righteous forces in the Beishu Continent.


    Since many cultivators had tasted the Second Grade Spiritual Tea roasted by Li Shiming at the Alchemy Master¡¯s celebration, his tea-roasting ability was almost regarded as equal to that of an Alchemy Master, which greatly increased the value of the Spiritual Tea he personally roasted.


    Li Shiming returned to Sword Holding Peak, he took out a Sword Blade Blanks of a Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword that he had refined in his machining space.


    This was a Spiritual Artifact that he had crafted while being distracted during the alchemy process of Jin Pill making conducted by Ye Jingxian.


    Since it was crafted by himself, he could use it directly without needing to refine it.


    However, he wouldn¡¯t switch flying swords, as he didn¡¯t need any more Spiritual Weapons.


    Normally, the Spiritual Weapons he used included the nine spiritual weapon flying swords of the Nine Palace Sword Formation, twelve grade three needle-type spiritual artifacts ¡®Wind-transforming Needles,¡¯ which were sent to him by his sentient incarnation, Li Yuanba, and a Thick Earth Shield Pearl.


    In addition, he had twelve Iron Corpses, eleven of which had three heads and six arms, and one further Life-taking Iron Corpse whose power far surpassed that of a regular Peak Iron Corpse.


    In the Foundation Establishment Stage, his power had indeed reached the very top, and with one hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags, he even dared to confront Golden Core cultivators.


    His learning of Artifact Refining wasn¡¯t for the Foundation Establishment Stage; Elder Zhao had only spoken half the truth about his reason for learning artifact refining.


    Li Shiming was indeed preparing to forge magic treasures after he entered the Golden Core Stage, but the main reason wasn¡¯t for himself, as the magical treasures in his hand were enough for use even in the Golden Core Early Stage.


    He was doing it for his sentient incarnation, Li Yuanba. Although Li Yuanba had the Lifebound Flying Sword left to him by Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi, since Yun Xingyi shared the right of use with Li Shiming, sentient Incarnation Li Yuanba could unleash the full power of that Lifebond Flying Sword once his power reached the Golden Core Stage.


    But Li Yuanba also needed to manage Ten Thousand Sword Peak, and having the designs left by Elder Lv, Li Yuanba also needed to posses a certain level of Artifact Refining skills to incorporate Ten Thousand Sword Peak as one of his personal magic artifacts.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s realm was still Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, but he needed to start preparations now.


    It¡¯s worth knowing that Li Yuanba had a vast amount of top-grade Spirit Pills, and even Li Shiming, with his triple spirit root seeds, managed to break through to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment in just a few years after using a large number of those top-grade Spirit Pills. Presumably, it did not take long for Li Yuanba to reach the Late-stage Foundation Establishment either.


    Light flickered in Li Shiming¡¯s hands as he was binding spells to the Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword; however, unlike with regular Magic Artifacts, the increase in power for a Spiritual Artifact was significant.


    He endowed the Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword with the spells ¡°Wind Breaking,¡± ¡°Light Splitting,¡± and ¡°Illusion¡±; additionally, the sword was enhanced with built-in Array Diagrams for speeding up and reinforcement.


    The material of this Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword was quite ordinary, merely the material used for crafting low-grade Spiritual Artifacts, but it actually reached the quality of a top-grade Spiritual Artifact. This was accomplished through his sheer skill in Artifact Refining, which significantly elevated the quality of the Spiritual Artifact.


    Having acquired the Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance was like opening a door for him, enabling him to effortlessly control previously unmanageable refining materials.


    Of course, he was also redesigning the weapons for Nezha and the other ten Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses using IBM z15, not planning to immediately produce for the Iron Corpses but rather designing them more meticulously.


    His ambitions were grand; he was not planning to prepare Spiritual Artifact-grade weapons for the Iron Corpses but rather aimed at the Silver Corpse Rank.


    Yes, his plan was to wait until he advanced to the Golden Core Stage, upgrade all the Iron Corpses to Silver Corpses, and then prepare an artifact for each Silver Corpse, similar to the mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling he had made before.


    This idea was not something a normal cultivator would consider. Just the requirement for third-grade refining materials alone was enough to leave a normal Golden Core cultivator without options.


    Normal Golden Core cultivators would find it challenging enough to prepare a few artifacts for themselves, let alone weapons of artifact quality for Silver Corpses.


    But as an Alchemy Master, particularly after advancing to the Golden Core Stage, Li Shiming would be able to produce higher grade Spirit Pills. Just in terms of Alchemy, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about a shortage of third-grade refining materials.


    Having finished binding spells to the Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword, Li Shiming transmitted information about the sword into an Array, awaiting its assimilation by a cultivator.


    He stored the Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword in a separate storage bag, which already contained five Spiritual Artifacts of similar quality.


    He took out a Minister Identity Card and sent out a message.


    All these Spiritual Artifacts would be collected by Beishu Trading Company and replaced with more refining materials.


    Li Shiming was now practicing Artifact Refining without the need to spend his own wealth; instead, he was actually earning wealth.


    Since he began refining Spiritual Artifacts, he had been selling the artifacts he made through channels provided by Beishu Trading Company.


    Initially, the Chief Manager of Beishu Trading Company, Lai Da, thought Li Shiming was disposing of looted items, essentially handling war loot.


    But upon receiving the Spiritual Artifacts and realizing they were all newly made, and considering Li Shiming¡¯s Late-stage Foundation Establishment level, Lai Da guessed where these artifacts were from.


    Lai Da actually wanted to persuade Li Shiming that spending this much time on this was less efficient than producing more Spirit Pills, but he still bought these Spiritual Artifacts at a high price and supplied Li Shiming with refining materials at possibly the lowest prices.


    To attract an Alchemy Master, this spending was trivial.


    Not to mention, the Spiritual Artifacts made by Li Shiming could not lose value even if purchased by Beishu Trading Company, because their quality was simply too good.


    Normally, Artifact Refiners needed extremely rare and precious materials to craft Top-grade Spiritual Artifacts of comparable quality, but Li Shiming only needed ordinary second-grade refining materials to do the same, giving his production of top-grade Spiritual Artifacts almost a wholesale-like feel.


    While waiting for the cultivators from Beishu Trading Company to come and collect the Spiritual Weapon Flying Sword, Li Shiming took out a second-grade high-level Spirit Pill.


    With a slight stir of his consciousness, the second-grade high-level Spirit Pill disappeared, having been swallowed in one gulp by the invisibly present Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, now a meter long, had achieved a strength equivalent to a second-grade Spiritual Beast at the early-stage Foundation Establishment.


    Ordinarily, a spiritual beast like the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake wouldn¡¯t be able to advance this quickly, but Li Shiming, having plenty of Spirit Pills, fed it with high-level Spirit Pills, which greatly accelerated the snake¡¯s growth rate.

 Chapter 449: 271 Treatment

    Chapter 449: Chapter 271 Treatment


    A large flying boat was flying over the sea, and the ocean below could be seen through the cabin windows.


    The Beihai was an extremely dangerous area, teeming with sea beasts, and it was equally perilous even while flying in the sky.


    Among the sea beasts, let¡¯s not even mention the third-grade Great Demons; even the second-grade ones possessed the ability to attack the sky.


    Yet this large flying boat was sailing safely, with no sea beasts attacking it.


    That¡¯s because there was a flag hanging in front of the large flying boat, emitting strange fluctuations, making all nearby sea beasts understand that this flying boat was under protection.


    In addition to the cargo hold, the two upper levels of this large flying boat were passenger cabins; the lower level was for economy-class passengers, mostly Qi Refinement or Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    The upper level consisted of ten suites, reserved for cultivators with status or those at the Golden Core Stage.


    Due to the chaos on Sky Sea Island, many cultivators were trying to leave, especially those associated with the Beihai Trading Company, and even mortals, were trying all means to board a Beihai Trading Company merchant flying boat.


    This was currently the only safe way to leave Sky Sea Island. Otherwise, one would be either oppressed by the Mingxin Sect with no escape, or forced to submit or be exterminated.


    In Suite No. 2 on the upper level of the trading company¡¯s flying boat, Elder Yin, Elder Ren, and Ren Fei¡¯er, a family of three, were resting.


    At that moment, the family of three sat in the living room, with both Golden Core Cultivators, Elder Yin and Elder Ren, having eyes full of confusion and concern.


    Beihai Trading Company, which had previously been out of reach, had unexpectedly approached them this time and provided them with a ship ticket.


    It was known that on Sky Sea Island today, a ship ticket for the Beihai Trading Company¡¯s merchant flying boat was exceedingly difficult to obtain; currently, the company was mainly taking away its own staff and their families left on the island.


    For other cultivators to embark on a Beihai Trading Company merchant flying boat was extremely difficult, mainly because the trading company also did not want any complications with the Mingxin Sect that had taken over Sky Sea Island, as the company was still primarily focused on business.


    Upon receiving the ship ticket, Elder Yin first thought that it must be because of her daughter, Yin Shilan, having secured her status as a True Inheritor of the Thousand Illusion Sect and having used that to secure a ticket for them.


    In recent days on Sky Sea Island, due to the coercion of the Mingxin Sect, the Sky Sea Sect and Xuanming Sect had effectively ceased to exist.


    Elder Yin and Elder Ren, both having left their respective sects, and the pair of Golden Core cultivators took their youngest daughter, Ren Fei¡¯er, relying on the cultivation they had accrued previously, but they knew this was not a long-term solution.


    With the Mingxin Sect¡¯s dominance, even the survival of the two Golden Core cultivators became increasingly difficult.


    Not to mention that the resources for Golden Core cultivation on Sky Sea Island had always been scarce, and now, almost akin to Loose Cultivators, how could Elder Yin and Elder Ren still obtain Golden Core resources? They had long thought of leaving.


    They had even planned to forcefully cross the Beihai if they could not wait for a merchant flying boat from the Beihai Trading Company. If it were just the two of them, they would have done so long ago, but with their young daughter, Ren Fei¡¯er, they needed to consider her and had been dragging their feet.


    Just when they were at a loss, the Beihai Trading Company sent them a ship ticket, and Elder Yin and Elder Ren hastily took Ren Fei¡¯er on board the Beihai Trading Company¡¯s merchant flying boat.


    But as soon as they boarded the boat, odd things happened, and that was what made both Elder Yin and Elder Ren both confused and worried.


    The person in charge of security on the merchant flying boat was a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator surnamed Jiang, whose strength was second to none on Sky Sea Island, except for the False Infant Elder Zang of the Mingxin Sect.


    Even the False Infant Elder Zang of the Mingxin Sect did not dare to make a move against a Beihai Trading Company¡¯s boat because while the Mingxin Sect was an unmatched force against the Seven Sects of the Sky Sea Island, the Beishu Trading Company was an entity with a Nascent Soul Ancestor, and just one Nascent Soul Ancestor could annihilate the Mingxin Sect.


    With Jiang cultivator¡¯s strength, along with the backing of the Beihai Trading Company, his status was far superior to that of the Golden Core Cultivator duo, Elder Yin and Elder Ren.


    Yet Jiang cultivator was extremely courteous towards Elder Yin and Elder Ren, and he even personally arranged Suite No. 2 for their family, the best one aside from Suite No. 1 where he himself resided.


    Moreover, servants from the Beihai Trading Company would deliver Spirit Food to them daily; although the Spirit Food was only second-grade, it was absolutely top-tier treatment during such a voyage.


    It was exactly because of Jiang cultivator¡¯s excessively kind attitude that they felt uneasy.


    Elder Yin was keenly aware that even if Yin Shilan was a True Inheritor of the Thousand Illusion Sect and had the sect¡¯s support, it wouldn¡¯t make a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator go to such lengths to please them.


    Even Elder Yin felt that Jiang cultivator was clearly trying to court their favor, and he was wise enough to know that with his and his wife Elder Ren¡¯s status, they should not have received such proactive friendliness from Jiang cultivator.


    Let alone the fact that the Sky Sea Sect and Xuanming Sect were essentially disbanded; even during their heyday, the combined status of the two Golden Core Elders would not attract Jiang cultivator¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Could it be that Lan¡¯er¡¯s status in the Thousand Illusion Sect has changed?¡± Elder Yin murmured quietly to himself.


    ¡°That child Lan¡¯er, aside from her focus on Formations, what else would she do!¡± Elder Ren shook her head and said.


    They knew their own child well. Yin Shilan had excellent talents, but she loved Formations exclusively, cultivating only to delve deeper into the study of Formations.


    But for Yin Shilan to have achieved any major breakthroughs in the field of Formations in just a few years was impossible; the study of Formations required the accumulation of time, and without decades or even centuries of relentless research, it was not possible to achieve the kind of success that would make a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator actively court one¡¯s favor.

 Chapter 450: 271 Treatment_2

    Chapter 450: Chapter 271 Treatment_2


    ¡°Then why...¡± Elder Yin paused here, as he didn¡¯t need to continue for Elder Ren to understand his meaning.


    Elder Ren shook his head helplessly; the level of hospitality provided by the Beihai Trading Company was so high that it made both Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators feel uneasy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until we see Lan¡¯er to ask,¡± Elder Yin said, no longer indulging in fruitless speculation.


    Ren Fei¡¯er was sitting beside them, paying no attention to her parents¡¯ conversation. She stared blankly at the scenery outside. The destruction of her sect and her subsequent wanderings had matured her considerably, calming her previously vivacious nature.


    Of course, part of this was also due to her having grown into a young woman over these years.


    Over these years, she had been searching for news about Li Shiming, but since the fall of the Sky Sea Sect, she had not seen him and only heard that he had gone to the Beishu Continent.


    Never would Elder Yin and Elder Ren imagine that Jiang cultivator¡¯s attitude from the Beihai Trading Company had anything to do with Li Shiming, who initially had only obtained an outer sect disciple position at the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Although they knew Li Shiming was extremely talented, his triple spirit roots limited his developmental potential, especially in a place teeming with talent like the Beishu Continent. Li Shiming¡¯s other talents were hindered by his spirit roots, making significant achievements in a short time unlikely.


    They guessed that Li Shiming was probably still relying on the protection of Yin Shilan, living within the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    The commercial Flying Boat took twenty days to cross the Beihai and stopped at the Ten Thousand Great Mountains for half a day to rest.


    Those not disembarking at the Ten Thousand Great Mountains stayed on the Flying Boat, taking the time to rest.


    They all knew this area was within the domain of the Devil Cultivator Senluo Sect, and as long as they remained on the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s Flying Boat, they would not be harassed by the Senluo Sect¡¯s Devil Cultivators, but once off the Boat, it was uncertain.


    Half a day later, after the commercial Flying Boat took off, Jiang cultivator visited Cabin Number Two again.


    Over the days, Jiang cultivator often visited, becoming familiar with Elder Yin and his wife.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, please take a seat!¡± Elder Yin said with a smile, inviting Jiang cultivator to sit down.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Jiang cultivator sat across from them and took out a jade box, from which he retrieved three leaves of spirit tea and brewed three cups of tea.


    ¡°Mr. Yin, taste this excellent tea. This is the top-grade Spirit Tea in the world!¡± Jiang cultivator said with a smile, pushing two cups of the Spirit Tea towards Elder Yin and Elder Ren.


    When the jade box opened, Elder Yin recognized the Third-grade Spirit Tea, an extremely rare Golden Core resource on Sky Sea Island. Aside from being brought out for significant events, the sect did not distribute such Golden Core resources on a regular basis.


    Seeing Jiang cultivator offering guests Third-grade Spirit Tea made him appreciate the wealth of the Beishu Continent and strengthened his confidence in coming here.


    He took a sip from the cup, his eyes lighting up. He looked at his wife beside him, and Elder Ren shared the same look of approval; this Third-grade Spirit Tea was the best they had ever tasted.


    ¡°What excellent tea. I¡¯m indebted to Mr. Jiang for the opportunity to taste such fine Spirit Tea!¡± he thanked Jiang cultivator with a smile.


    ¡°This batch was roasted by Li Keqing from our trading company. Li Keqing¡¯s tea-roasting skills are unmatched in the world, though it¡¯s hard to convince him to do so!¡± Jiang cultivator said with a hidden meaning in his laughter.


    The task of bringing back Elder Yin¡¯s family happened to be a request made by Li Shiming to the Beishu Trading Company.


    Even though Jiang cultivator was a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, he was still eager to make Li Shiming¡¯s acquaintance.


    Even though Li Shiming was currently unable to refine the Third-grade Spirit Pills that Jiang cultivator needed, everyone knew that establishing a good relationship with him would reap substantial benefits once he succeeded in making his Golden Core.


    Not to mention Li Shiming¡¯s tea-roasting skills, which, like his alchemy level, were now praised by cultivators.


    The Beishu Continent had spared no expense to convince Li Shiming to roast a small amount of Third-grade Spirit Tea Leaves into Spirit Tea.


    Jiang cultivator had acquired a portion and now brought it out to host Elder Yin and his wife, aiming to foster a relationship with Elder Yin. Should he establish a rapport with Elder Yin, it would be fully possible to approach Li Shiming through a personal connection in the future.


    ¡°Is Master Li Keqing very busy?¡± Elder Yin asked, puzzled.


    He had seen the terrifying influence of the Beishu Trading Company, even the Mingxin Sect had to yield the way for its trade routes.


    To know, the Mingxin Sect alone had the power to suppress the seven sects of Sky Sea Island without the ability to fight back, yet such a powerful sect still showed ample respect to the Beishu Trading Company.


    ¡°Master Li Keqing is an Alchemy Master, extremely busy on normal days. Asking Master Li Keqing to process tea can only happen when he is in good spirits and has free time. Not to hide from you, after such a long time, Master Li Keqing has only processed Spiritual Tea for our company, and no status higher than that can make him take action!¡± Jiang cultivator explained with a smile.


    He also noticed that it seemed Elder Yin and his wife were unaware of Li Shiming¡¯s matters.


    However, this did not affect his willingness to make their acquaintance; the relationship between Yin Shilan and Li Shiming was known throughout the Beishu Continent by any force that paid attention to Li Shiming.


    Elder Yin and his wife were Yin Shilan¡¯s parents, and had a tremendous influence on Li Shiming.


    Hearing that Master Li Keqing was an Alchemy Master, Elder Yin understood why he couldn¡¯t get Master Li Keqing to process the Spiritual Tea.


    The seven major sects of Sky Sea Island didn¡¯t have an Alchemy Master. Even if they occasionally obtained Third-grade Spiritual Medicine, they needed to go through the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s channels to request an Alchemy Master¡¯s assistance in crafting Spirit Pills.


    In this process, the seven sects of Sky Sea Island had to pay more compensation than cultivators on the Beishu Continent and still couldn¡¯t guarantee the success rate of crafting the Spirit Pills.


    Even so, the Golden Core cultivators of the seven sects didn¡¯t have any complaints. Without an Alchemy Master, Third-grade Spiritual Medicine was just a decoration, without any practical use.


    This made Elder Yin realize how noble the status of an Alchemy Master was, whether on Sky Sea Island or on the Beishu Continent.


    He had not expected that this Master Li Keqing was actually Li Shiming. Jiang cultivator did not tell him either. If he were told at this time, it would make their acquaintance interest-based, complicating the possibility of becoming good friends.


    ¡°Mr. Yin, Mr. Ren, below us is Jieshan Checkpoint. This is where Ten Thousand Great Mountains meet the outside world and also the limit of Senluo Sect¡¯s influence!¡± Jiang cultivator said with a smile as he noticed the scenery beneath the commercial Flying Boat.


    Elder Yin looked down and, with his perception of Spiritual Energy, could sense the presence of the Array.


    The commercial Flying Boat of Beishu Trading Company stopped for a moment outside the Array and deactivated its defensive Array, allowing the one below to scan and inspect the inside of the Flying Boat.


    ¡°Although our Flying Boat does not need to go through the checkpoint on the ground like ordinary cultivators, inspection is indispensable. As long as there are no unreported personnel on board, we can pass through!¡± Jiang cultivator explained to Elder Yin.


    That is what influence is. This is influence. The Senluo Sect is one of the six major sects of the Beishu Continent.


    Even Mingxin Sect, which acted unrestrainedly on Sky Sea Island, was expelled from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains by the Senluo Sect, showing that the Senluo Sect is much stronger than Mingxin Sect.


    Yet even a power like the Senluo Sect needed to grant favors to the Beishu Trading Company, making exceptions for it.


    Elder Yin thought about this and became somewhat restless. He didn¡¯t know why he could converse with Jiang cultivator as an equal or why he had gained the latter¡¯s goodwill.


    He was clear about his own status; on the Beishu Continent, he was practically an Independent Practitioner Golden Core.


    With the status of an Independent Practitioner Golden Core, for Jiang cultivator, a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator of the Beishu Trading Company, to take the initiative to befriend him, Elder Yin couldn¡¯t find any rationale for it.


    ¡°It seems it will only be after meeting Lan¡¯er that I can ask!¡± He thought once again.


    Nevertheless, he accepted Jiang cultivator¡¯s offered friendship, and sometimes he would even reciprocate with Spiritual Objects, which were not too exceptional in quality. With both parties interested in making a connection, by the time the commercial Flying Boat was approaching his disembarkation point, he and Jiang cultivator had become good friends.


    The commercial Flying Boat was not a direct flight; it made continuous stops along the way. Besides the regular docking points, the Flying Boat had added an extra stop on this trip, right outside the town near the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    The commercial Flying Boat landed outside the town, and Elder Yin¡¯s family of three disembarked.

 Chapter 451: 272: Meeting (Added for book friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 451: Chapter 272: Meeting (Added for book friend 171021102948988)


    ¡°Sister!¡± As soon as she disembarked from the Flying Boat, Ren Fei¡¯er spotted the long-awaited Yin Shilan. She had not seen her for years, and she sprinted toward Shilan, shouting loudly.


    Yin Shilan was also very excited, her eyes brimming with tears. She steadied Ren Fei¡¯er, then looked up at Elder Yin and Elder Ren.


    ¡°Daughter pays respects to father and mother!¡± She bowed deeply as she spoke.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er!¡± Elder Ren, although a Golden Core Elder, embraced Yin Shilan tightly with tears in her eyes, just like any mortal woman, upon seeing her daughter after such a long time.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, Mr. Jiang is here too. Come and pay your respects to Mr. Jiang!¡± Elder Yin suppressed his excitement and gently reminded her.


    Only then did Yin Shilan notice the Jiang cultivator standing beside the Flying Boat, his aura of a Late-stage Golden Core revealing his formidable strength.


    ¡°Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s True Disciple, Yin Shilan, pays respects to Senior Jiang!¡± She composed herself and greeted the Jiang cultivator.


    She treated the Jiang cultivator as a peer of Elder Yin and, given his strength, naturally showed him the courtesy due a junior.


    ¡°Mr. Yin, I won¡¯t stay long, please send my regards to Li Keqing!¡± The Jiang cultivator responded with the courtesy between equals, smiling as he spoke.


    He did not intend to intrude on the family reunion, but he needed to clarify his status so that Yin Shilan knew who had safeguarded her family¡¯s journey here.


    The Jiang cultivator bid farewell to Elder Yin and Elder Ren, boarded a commercial Flying Boat, and the Flying Boat soared away.


    At that moment, Elder Yin was confused. He understood the implication in the Jiang cultivator¡¯s words; he had been treated well because Li Keqing had made arrangements.


    And this Li Keqing seemed to have a very close relationship with Yin Shilan, close enough that the Jiang cultivator, being a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator, was willing to treat Shilan as his equal.


    However, having just reunited, he decided to suppress his questions for the moment.


    ¡°Father, I have already applied to the sect, and you, mother, and Fei¡¯er can stay in my cave abode for a while!¡± Yin Shilan came forward and spoke to Elder Yin after paying her respects.


    Even though she was a True Disciple, normally, it would not be possible to bring external sect Golden Core cultivators into the sect.


    External sect Golden Core cultivators are not allowed too close to the sect gates, and inviting them as guests would require an application from a Golden Core Elder.


    But Yin Shilan¡¯s status in the Thousand Illusion Sect had changed drastically with the public acknowledgment of her relationship with Li Shiming.


    Additionally, thanks to remarks from Alchemy Master Luo, permission was granted for Elder Yin and his family to stay at the sect gates.


    As Yin Shilan led her family into the sect, Elder Yin was amazed to see that all the sect cultivators they encountered along the way would greet her proactively; even those who would not typically meet them would approach just to have an interaction.


    Initially, Elder Yin thought it was because of Shilan¡¯s appearance, but he soon realized that these cultivators seemed eager to curry favor with her.


    Elder Yin thought of Alchemy Master Li Keqing and felt a weight in his heart.


    Could his daughter have met an extraordinary figure on the Beishu Continent, and what then was her relationship with Li Shiming?


    Speaking of Li Shiming, Elder Yin liked him very much. Apart from Shiming¡¯s slightly weaker spirit root seeds, he was quite satisfied with everything else about him.


    Elder Yin knew his daughter well; she was not one to be fickle-minded. He planned to talk to her privately about it.


    ¡°Sister, your skin is so good, why do I feel you look even younger than when you left the Heavenly Sea Sect?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er was initially enjoying the scenery of the Thousand Illusion Sect, but when her gaze shifted to Yin Shilan¡¯s face, she made a significant observation.


    Previously, she had been too excited to notice the changes in Shilan¡¯s appearance.


    Elder Ren also looked at Yin Shilan and realized that she indeed looked the same as in years past, with no signs of aging, and perhaps even younger due to better skin.


    Over the years, Ren Fei¡¯er had grown up, she was no longer the carefree girl from before, but had grown into a young lady.


    Ren Fei¡¯er standing beside Yin Shilan even made it seem as though Fei¡¯er was the older sister.


    Elder Ren understood that such a change was not normal, and that Shilan must have taken some Spiritual Objects to stay youthful.


    ¡°I have taken a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯!¡± Yin Shilan had nothing to hide from her family and explained with a smile.


    ¡°Youthful Elixir, is it that which allows cultivators to forever maintain a youthful appearance?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s voice rose significantly, her eyes sparkling as she asked.


    ¡°Are ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ available for sale on the Beishu Continent?¡± Elder Ren also asked.


    Any female cultivator would care about the ¡®Youthful Elixir,¡¯ especially after seeing the effects on Shilan, making both Fei¡¯er and Elder Ren long for it even more.


    Seeing her mother and sister¡¯s expressions, Yin Shilan sighed inwardly.


    Even with her relationship with Li Shiming, she could not ask for a ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯


    She knew the value of a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯; even her close friend Liang Yexuan had traded it for two rare Third Grade Array materials, which was the cheapest exchange she knew of.


    Her master, Alchemy Master Luo, had traded one hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags for a ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯ According to the Beishu Trading Company, the price of a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ had been driven up to an exorbitant level, and the price had not yet stabilized.


    ¡°This one was a gift from a friend; my master traded one hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags for a ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯ From what I estimate, to purchase a ¡®Youthful Elixir,¡¯ one would need to exceed the price my master paid!¡± Yin Shilan thought for a moment before answering.

 Chapter 452: 272: Reunion (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 452: Chapter 272: Reunion (Extra for book friend 171021102948988)_2


    As soon as she spoke, Elder Ren and Ren Fei¡¯er were stunned.


    Standing beside them, Elder Yin was even more perplexed. It was just a ¡°Youthful Elixir,¡± a second-grade Spirit Pill that offered no help to one¡¯s cultivation level. Why was it so expensive?


    One hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags were something that even if Elder Yin and Elder Ren pooled their entire wealth together, they couldn¡¯t afford to pay for, not to mention exceeding this value.


    ¡°Such a treasure is beyond our reach!¡± Elder Ren shook her head and sighed, her desire for the ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± vanished upon hearing its value.


    ¡°Sister, who is the friend that gave you a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er, however, hadn¡¯t given up and continued to inquire.


    ¡°Shiming came over recently and gave me a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯!¡± Yin Shilan replied with a slight blush on her face.


    ¡°How is Shiming doing now?¡± Upon hearing Li Shiming¡¯s name, Elder Yin couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Shiming has become an Alchemy Master. This time, being able to ask the Beishu Trading Company to bring you over was through Shiming¡¯s connections!¡± Yin Shilan answered with pride.


    In front of her family, she didn¡¯t hide her emotions.


    Her relationship with Li Shiming began when they were both insignificant; whenever Li Shiming had anything good, he thought of her, and now she had become the envy of many female cultivators.


    Having Li Shiming as a Daoist couple was considered optimum, both emotionally and materially.


    ¡°Could it be that the Mr. Jiang you mentioned, referring to Li Keqing, was talking about Shiming?¡± Elder Yin recalled an earlier conversation and hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Yes, Shiming is a Guest Elder of the Beihai Trading Company!¡± Yin Shilan answered affirmatively.


    ¡°I never imagined Shiming would achieve so much. Is he in the sect? I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time!¡± Now Elder Yin understood why Jiang cultivator had been so courteous. He too missed Li Shiming and inquired further.


    At this moment, the group had arrived at Yin Shilan¡¯s mountain peak, descended to the mountaintop, and she led her family members to sit down in the pavilion at the summit.


    ¡°Shiming didn¡¯t join the Thousand Illusion Sect. If he had, he could only be an outer disciple. Through his own effort, he won the favor of a Golden Core Elder in the Shushan Sect and became a Golden Core disciple, and later a true inheritor of Alchemy!¡± Yin Shilan started to share Li Shiming¡¯s growth story with Elder Yin.


    Elder Yin¡¯s heart was filled with emotion as he thought of the achievements Li Shiming had made over the years; he understood the effort required to attain such accomplishments.


    ¡°I originally thought Shiming was a rare talent on Sky Sea Island; it turns out he is equally talented on the Beishu Continent!¡± He was genuinely happy for Li Shiming and laughed contentedly.


    ¡°Shiming is indeed a good kid. He¡¯s been really good to Lan¡¯er!¡± Elder Ren, who had been quiet until now, nodded and said.


    As Golden Core cultivators, it had been incredibly difficult for them to journey to the Beishu Continent. Yet, Li Shiming, in pursuit of Yin Shilan, had crossed the Heavenly Sea to reach the Beishu Continent with only the strength of the Qi Refinement Realm¡ªillustrating the danger of his journey.


    Thinking about the extremely precious ¡°Youthful Elixir¡± that was given to Yin Shilan, Elder Ren realized how deep Li Shiming¡¯s feelings for her were.


    Elder Ren thought of this and glanced at Ren Fei¡¯er beside her.


    Seeing the glimmer in Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    She saw that Ren Fei¡¯er was once again taken with thoughts of Li Shiming. Initially, after Li Shiming¡¯s disappearance, Ren Fei¡¯er would think about him from time to time. However, after the Seven Sects were vanquished, and many of their disciples gathered together,


    during this period, Ren Fei¡¯er spent time with many cultivators of her age and gradually forgot about the existence of Li Shiming.


    Elder Ren knew her daughter¡¯s thoughts. To her understanding, Li Shiming probably saw Ren Fei¡¯er as nothing more than a younger sister back then.


    She had learned from her daughter about the past between Ren Fei¡¯er and Li Shiming; if the two had truly been in love, how could Li Shiming not share romantic moments with Ren Fei¡¯er, instead of telling her stories¡ªas if indeed treating Ren Fei¡¯er like a child to be pacified.


    If the seven sects had not been destroyed back then, perhaps after a few years of getting to know each other, this affection could have developed deeper,¡± who knows?¡±


    But Li Shiming and Ren Fei¡¯er were separated by the Beihai, and Ren Fei¡¯er herself had almost forgotten Li Shiming, so how could they pick up where they left off?


    More importantly, the feelings between Li Shiming and Yin Shilan were so deep that the current Elder Ren did not want Ren Fei¡¯er to affect Li Shiming and Yin Shilan¡¯s relationship.


    Thinking this, Elder Ren gently patted her younger daughter, a warning look flashing in her eyes.


    Ren Fei¡¯er saw her mother¡¯s warning and knew her little secret had been discovered; she lowered her head, not daring to meet her mother¡¯s gaze.


    Her mother was no ordinary person; Elder Ren was an elder of the Xuanming Sect, a true Demon Sect cultivator, and even regarded by her contemporaries from the seven sects as Evil Elder Ren, known for her shrewdness, something Ren Fei¡¯er could not compare to.


    Yet Ren Fei¡¯er felt a bit of reluctance; she didn¡¯t want to give up just yet, and the undetected gleam in her lowered eyes evaded Elder Ren¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Dad, what are your plans for coming here this time? If there¡¯s a need, I could ask Shiming to help!¡± Yin Shilan was thinking about how to settle her parents and sister, which also depended on Elder Yin and Elder Ren¡¯s opinions.


    By saying this, she was considering making use of Li Shiming¡¯s connections. If it was a minor matter, she could handle it herself.


    But to arrange for two Golden Core cultivators, especially her own parents, even if she was reluctant to trouble Li Shiming, she would have to ask for his assistance.


    ¡°Your mother and I have discussed it and want to establish a clan on the Beishu Continent. We plan to have another child to continue the family line!¡± Elder Yin said to Elder Ren, his eyes filled with tenderness.


    It¡¯s not easy for Golden Core cultivators to have children, and the price to pay is significant.


    Elder Yin and Elder Ren had already expended a great deal in having their two daughters, Yin Shilan and Ren Fei¡¯er; having another child meant that the two Golden Core cultivators were planning for retirement, completely devoid of any ambition to progress further.


    Yin Shilan wanted to persuade them but, seeing the tender harmony between her parents, she swallowed her words.


    She was aware of Elder Yin and Elder Ren¡¯s situation. Coming from Sky Sea Island, which lacked Golden Core resources, they became Golden Core cultivators with great difficulty and hardly made any further advancements.


    After realizing there was no hope in their cultivation, Yin and Ren had their two daughters.


    In truth, their main cultivation techniques did not allow for any further development.


    ¡°I need to discuss this with Shiming, but it should not be difficult. Buying a spirit vein within the Thousand Illusion Sect or Shushan Sect¡¯s territory, establishing a connection with the Beishu Trading Company, setting up a market, and with Shiming supplying some spirit pills, I do believe getting settled shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡± Yin Shilan said thoughtfully.


    With her status as a true inheritor of the Thousand Illusion Sect, she could buy a spirit vein within the sect¡¯s territory for her parents to establish a clan.


    However, she also had to consider setting up a business for her parents to ensure the new clan¡¯s longevity; otherwise, even with their savings, they would eventually use up all their resources.


    Additionally, without the support of a powerful faction, her parents could not just rely on her status as a true inheritor to suppress the Loose Cultivators¡¯ factions or compete with them for resources.


    All of this would be different with Li Shiming¡¯s involvement, allowing her parents to settle down without the worry of any troubles.


    ¡°Lan¡¯er, isn¡¯t it a bit much to trouble Shiming this way?¡± Elder Yin hesitated.


    He had indeed taken great care of Li Shiming in the past, but after so many years without contact, how much of that affection remained was uncertain.


    In his view, asking Li Shiming to help contact the Beishu Trading Company, establish a market, and provide spirit pills was asking a lot, and he was unsure if their past relationship could bear the burden.


    Furthermore, based on his life experience, the bond between him and Li Shiming would weaken each time he asked for a favor.


    ¡°Shiming and I have already agreed that once we both reach the Golden Core, we will become a Daoist couple!¡± Yin Shilan declared to her father, suppressing her bashfulness.

 Chapter 453: 273: Trade

    Chapter 453: Chapter 273: Trade


    The Chief Manager Lai and Li Shiming sat in the pavilion at the summit of Sword Holding Peak, each with a cup of Third Grade Spirit Tea in front of them. As the host, Li Shiming naturally provided the tea.


    ¡°Brother Shiming, just for this Spirit Tea, I should visit more often!¡± the Chief Manager Lai said with a laugh as he set down his cup.


    He was not merely being polite. Li Shiming was now very wealthy and had a substantial amount of Third Grade Spirit Tea, especially for entertaining honored guests, which he personally roasted.


    Last time, the Chief Manager Lai brought a batch of Third-grade Spirit Tea leaves and asked Li Shiming to roast them. After sending them back to the trading company, they were almost entirely divided among the Nascent Soul ancestors, with a little left for some Late-stage Golden Core store managers.


    Such Third Grade Spirit Tea was something the Chief Manager Lai was reluctant to serve casually to guests. Only at Li Shiming¡¯s could one always taste such quality.


    On the high-end market of the Beishu Continent, cultivators were offering high prices for Spirit Tea personally made by Li Shiming, and with the internal buzz within the trading company about the Nascent Soul ancestors¡¯ high regard for this tea, the value of Li Shiming¡¯s personally made Spirit Tea rose even further.


    Now Li Shiming, even without making Spirit Pills, could earn a vast amount of resources just by roasting Spirit Tea.


    ¡°Brother Lai, you¡¯re always welcome here!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    Every visit from the Chief Manager Lai brought him considerable benefits, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t reject his visits.


    ¡°Look at this, these are the resources my contacts are willing to exchange for the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ over the past few months!¡± Chief Manager Lai got down to business, placing several pieces of paper recorded with information in front of Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming examined the resources listed on the papers, which clearly recorded each cultivator¡¯s exchange offerings.


    He was quite astonished, for just the records on paper revealed the cultivators¡¯ frenzy for the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯.


    He felt once again that he had sold the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ to Master Luo too cheaply, not to mention the one he sold to Yin Shilan¡¯s close friend Liang Yexuan, which practically felt like a giveaway.


    Among them were Third Grade magical treasures, materials, various secret techniques and cultivation techniques, and even some special inheritances.


    Just the recorded data alone was an eye-opener for Li Shiming.


    However, he was no inexperienced cultivator. After obtaining Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance, he was extremely knowledgeable about various magical treasures and materials and knew their worth well.


    With his current situation, he had no need to look into the secret techniques and special inheritances.


    Not to mention whether obtaining these secret techniques and special inheritances would attract trouble, their use to him was now very minimal.


    His currently practiced and secondary cultivation techniques were among the top on the continent, and he had a rich array of attack methods. The only thing he lacked was realm.


    He finally set his sights on a list of Third-grade refining materials, the entry being the least common among the exchanged resources, the sole Third-grade refining material listed.


    ¡®Purple Lightning Nine-Turned Thunder Gold,¡¯ an exceedingly rare Thunder Attribute metal, ranked third grade, was a material for refining high-grade magical treasures.


    A flying sword made from ¡®Purple Lightning Nine-Turned Thunder Gold¡¯ had devastating effects, extremely effective against illusions, spirit-type spells, magic arts, poison arts, and more.


    If combined with the thunder contained within Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent, its efficacy could be considerably enhanced.


    Li Shiming currently wasn¡¯t lacking in magical treasures, but he needed stronger ones. While he had many ordinary magical treasures, he required powerful ones to suppress his enemies.


    If he hadn¡¯t already had plans for his life-bound magical treasure, this ¡®Purple Lightning Nine-Turned Thunder Gold¡¯ could have become his life-bound treasure.


    ¡°Brother Lai, let¡¯s settle on the ¡®Purple Lightning Nine-Turned Thunder Gold!''¡± Li Shiming pointed at the name on the paper and said.


    ¡°Brother Shiming, I need to clarify something; actually, that ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ was claimed by our Ancestor Ling from the trading company,¡± Chief Manager Lai said, noticing a slight change in Li Shiming¡¯s expression, he quickly continued, ¡°But rest assured, Ancestor Ling has said that he will bring you the materials you¡¯re interested in, and you won¡¯t be shortchanged!¡±


    Originally, the Chief Manager Lai didn¡¯t need to tell Li Shiming about this, as it could have been handled covertly.


    But considering Li Shiming¡¯s capabilities, if he were to discover that he had been deceived, it could lead to unnecessary trouble.


    The Chief Manager Lai knew that numerous eyes were on the Beishu Trading Company, just waiting for a mistake to snatch away Li Shiming, their guest elder.


    While the Beishu Trading Company was indeed powerful, other trading companies were not weak, especially those spanning continent-wide, their local strength just wasn¡¯t at par with the Beishu Trading Company.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend I wasn¡¯t aware of this matter,¡± Li Shiming said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor had lowered his dignity to trade with him through official channels, a courtesy for the sake of the Shushan Sect, so how could he demand more?


    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best, as it has been quite difficult for me as well,¡± Chief Manager Lai spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor coveting the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ meant there wasn¡¯t much to discuss about the trading company¡¯s internal rule of priority for Nascent Soul Ancestors; once an Ancestor had spoken, who could oppose?


    While conversing with Chief Manager Lai, Li Shiming¡¯s Identity Jade Disc received a message.


    After scanning it with his Divine Thought, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 454: 273 Trade_2

    Chapter 454: Chapter 273 Trade_2


    Yin Shilan¡¯s news had come at a fortuitous time, just as Brother Lai, the Chief Manager, was right across from them, making it easier to discuss certain matters.


    ¡°Brother Lai, I need a favor from you!¡± Li Shiming said to the Chief Manager Lai with a smile.


    ¡°Between you and me, just speak your mind!¡± the Chief Manager Lai agreed immediately without even considering what the matter was.


    Since Li Shiming had brought it up, it was certainly something the trading company could handle, or at least they would try their best to show their sincerity to Shiming.


    ¡°As you know, I was born on Sky Sea Island, and Yin Shilan¡¯s parents have come from there, planning to settle down on the Beishu Continent. I want to build a market for them and need assistance from the Beihai Trading Company!¡± Li Shiming made his request known.


    ¡°That can be arranged. Once the location is decided, I will send someone to discuss the construction of the market!¡± the Chief Manager Lai replied readily upon hearing this.


    Perhaps for an ordinary cultivator, this task would be extremely difficult, but for someone like the Chief Manager Lai, who held great authority, it was a simple matter.


    He also knew about Yin Shilan¡¯s parents, as he had a hand in bringing them over to the Beishu Continent.


    ¡°As for the location, if possible, you could help me choose. I need a location suitable for the cultivation of those at the Golden Core Early Stage. Whatever amount of Spirit Stones it takes, they¡¯ll come from me!¡± Li Shiming definitely knew about the Chief Manager Lai¡¯s capabilities and continued.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± the Chief Manager Lai took out his identification plaque, sent a message, and communicated with the other party.


    Li Shiming immediately replied to Yin Shilan, asking her to wait a moment as the matter was being handled.


    ¡°Brother Shiming, there is a Golden Core Spirit Vein on Inner Yang Mountain, which belongs to the trading company. Originally, there was a plan to build a Flying Boat docking point there, but the commercial road planning was never implemented. I have already applied to the trading company, and Inner Yang Mountain will be given to Brother Shiming. The trading company will build a Beishu Market there, taking only thirty percent of the profits!¡± the Chief Manager Lai quickly provided a solution.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather pay with Spirit Stones. Though I have never seen Inner Yang Mountain, I can tell from your description that its value is extraordinary!¡± Li Shiming hastily replied, gesturing with his hands.


    The mountain with the Golden Core Spirit Vein, even if placed within the Shushan Sect, is extremely precious.


    Not to mention helping to establish a Beishu Market, giving up the majority of the profits with a thirty to seventy split.


    You should know that any place named after the Beishu Market is a directly managed market by the Beishu Trading Company, and most of the Spiritual Objects there are handled by the Beishu Trading Company.


    It¡¯s almost like by helping to oversee the Beishu Market you can earn most of the profits, and there¡¯s nothing else you need to do.


    And with the name of Beishu Market, which cultivator would dare risk offending the Beishu Trading Company by targeting Inner Yang Mountain?


    The independent practitioners wouldn¡¯t dare, and sector cultivators have even less reason to do so.


    ¡°How about you help roast another batch of Spiritual Tea?¡± the Chief Manager Lai whispered with a chuckle.


    Seeing the expression on Chief Manager Lai¡¯s face, Li Shiming understood his idea.


    Apparently, the Chief Manager Lai planned to pay with Spirit Stones himself while having Li Shiming help roast a batch of Spiritual Tea that would belong to the Chief Manager Lai. This was his way of repaying the favor for sorting out this matter.


    ¡°Certainly, just send the spirit tea leaves over!¡± Li Shiming found himself at no loss, actually strengthening his cooperative relationship with the Chief Manager Lai.


    Within the Thousand Illusion Sect, Elder Yin watched as Yin Shilan relayed the matters they had discussed to Li Shiming, wondering how many days it would take before they could truly settle down on the Beishu Continent.


    Why most of the Golden Core cultivators on Sky Sea Island would rather stay there than move to the Beishu Continent was precisely because of survival issues.


    On Sky Sea Island, Golden Core cultivators are elders of the seven major sects, holding very high status.


    Though due to the resource constraints of Sky Sea Island, the Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t access sufficient Golden Core resources, they could at least live in safety.


    When they arrived on the Beishu Continent, they had to face issues of identity and status.


    Upon arriving on the Beishu Continent, they would become Independent Practitioner Golden Cores.


    Independent Practitioner Golden Cores seeking resources needed to compete with other Independent Practitioner Golden Cores.


    Coming from Sky Sea Island, a place scarce in Golden Core resources, they faced cultivators of the same realm from Beishu and could not gain much advantage. Instead, being unfamiliar with the place and lacking friends¡¯ support, they often found themselves in trouble.


    This time, had Yin Shilan not become a True Disciple at Thousand Illusion Sect and gained certain capabilities, Elder Yin and Elder Ren would not have considered settling on the Beishu Continent.


    Of course, before they came to the Beishu Continent, they were prepared. One plan was to settle on the Beishu Continent. The other was that if Yin Shilan could not provide much help, they would seek to affiliate with a power, losing their freedom, which was not what they wanted.


    For the sects on the Beishu Continent, it was rare to accept Independent Practitioner Golden Cores. Even if accepted, such Golden Core cultivators would not be allowed any power and would only serve as enforcers within the sect.


    Elder Yin was now only thinking about Li Shiming¡¯s agreement to help. In this regard, he was not too worried, considering the relationship between Li Shiming and Yin Shilan. Helping should not be a problem.


    It all depended on how much Li Shiming was willing to help. In this regard, Elder Yin did not have much confidence.


    ¡°Father!¡± Yin Shilan noticed Elder Yin was lost in thought and softly called out to remind him.


    ¡°Ah, what?¡± Elder Yin turned to look at Yin Shilan, only to see her smiling face.


    ¡°Father, Shiming has purchased Inner Yang Mountain and has made an agreement with Beishu Trading Company to establish Beishu Market, splitting the profits seventy-thirty!¡± Yin Shilan happily reported to Elder Yin.


    She had not expected Li Shiming to act so swiftly, arranging everything in less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.


    ¡°Where is Inner Yang Mountain?¡± Elder Yin, invigorated, quickly asked.


    At that moment, Yin Shilan took out a Jade Scroll and handed it over. Elder Yin¡¯s Divine Thought entered the Jade Scroll, quickly locating Inner Yang Mountain situated between Thousand Illusion Sect and Shushan Sect.


    Looking at nearby annotations, there were some resource production sites and a significant concentration of Spirit Veins.


    Having a significant concentration of Spirit Veins and resource sites meant many cultivators resided near the area, making it an excellent location for the market.


    ¡°Having a thirty percent share is not bad, and just having the sign of Beishu Market makes it worthwhile!¡± Elder Yin, recognizing what the name Beishu Market meant, said excitedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a share distribution; it¡¯s a thirty percent tribute!¡± Yin Shilan heard Elder Yin had misunderstood and quickly clarified.


    ¡°How could Beishu Trading Company agree to such a distribution?¡± Elder Yin almost blurted out but immediately thought of Li Shiming¡¯s status and shook his head, knowing it must have involved significant effort from him.


    ¡°Shiming said we could go to Inner Yang Mountain anytime; there are Beishu Trading Company people waiting there. Everything needed to establish the market will be handled by Beishu Trading Company. He currently cannot leave the sect, so he will not be going there!¡± Yin Shilan worried that Elder Yin might misunderstand Li Shiming¡¯s absence and was also explaining on his behalf.


    Yin Shilan did not tell Elder Yin about the trouble Li Shiming encountered the last time he left the sect, when even a Buddhist Venerable appeared.


    Thus, both of Li Shiming¡¯s master had advised him to leave the sect as seldom as possible, for fear of accidents.


    Especially since currently, numerous cultivators were watching Li Shiming. Although behind him stood Shushan Sect and Beishu Trading Company, and many Golden Core cultivators were willing to assist him, inevitably some cultivators with other intentions might attack him.


    By now, everyone knew Li Shiming was immensely wealthy; he was like a walking treasure. A single robbery could set someone up for a lifetime of cultivation.


    Others covet his Alchemy skills, intending to abduct him to refine pills for them, and there are forces opposed to Beishu Trading Company and Shushan Sect, seeking to eliminate Li Shiming.


    Generally speaking, under the current circumstances, Li Shiming could not leave the sect, at least not openly.

 Chapter 455: 274: Leaving the Sect

    Chapter 455: Chapter 274: Leaving the Sect


    In the Senluo Sect within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Yuanba silently watched as Elder Jian¡¯s figure disappeared into the clouds.


    His heart carried a heavy sense of reluctance, not knowing when they would meet again.


    In his hands, he held the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion scroll, which Elder Jian had entrusted him with before leaving, in case Elder Jian failed in his attempt to reach the Nascent Soul, it would be his duty to continue the lineage of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion on the Beishu Continent.


    The Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion scroll symbolized the Chongxiao Pavilion; it was also a token. If he had the opportunity to successfully reach the Nascent Soul, he could then return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion with the scroll in hand.


    Li Yuanba withdrew his gaze and carefully placed the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion scroll into his storage bracelet.


    During this time, Elder Jian had intensified his guidance, delaying many days before finally preparing to retreat to the Three Saints Peak today.


    Li Yuanba was aware that his time was limited, perhaps five years, or maybe just over two years. As soon as the Golden Core Elders within the sect suspected that Elder Jian had secluded himself to attempt the Nascent Soul, they would extend their hands towards the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    It was known that Elder Jian¡¯s attempt at the Nascent Soul wouldn¡¯t involve mere seclusion of less than ten years, not to mention the historically low success rate, with most cultivators ending up perishing in their pursuit.


    As a Sword Cultivator, Elder Jian faced even greater risks in his attempt at the Nascent Soul than ordinary cultivators.


    Li Yuanba believed that given the nature of the Golden Core Elders in the sect, they would start probing as soon as they received the news, subsequently increasing their disturbances until they confirmed Elder Jian¡¯s situation and swoop in to seize the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Therefore, he prepared to act immediately, both reforming the Ten Thousand Sword Peak and accelerating his own cultivation.


    Speeding up his cultivation was relatively simple: consuming top-tier Spirit Pills to enhance the effects of cultivation and using the Ten Thousand Sword Peak to strengthen his Sword Intent.


    Especially in strengthening his Sword Intent, since he had become the master of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, its influence on his Sword Intent had increased several times over.


    His Sword Intent had not been cultivated for long and was currently in a rapid phase of enhancement.


    Below Li Yuanba¡¯s feet appeared a white lotus, and then, over a hundred meters away, another white lotus appeared; his figure flickered once and appeared on the second lotus.


    Now, within the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he could use the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± unrestrainedly without worrying about being discovered by others.


    After a series of flashes, he appeared at the foot of Sword Holding Peak.


    Since he had taken control of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he could sense what made the Sword Holding Peak different from regular mountains.


    The Sword Holding Peak was not connected to the earth but placed on a base made of ground rocks, the entire peak was essentially separate from the ground yet connected through an array formation.


    Even more so, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak itself contained a spiritual vein, generating internally without any connection to the main spirit vein of the Senluo Sect.


    Naturally, the formations deployed on the Ten Thousand Sword Peak could also access the spirit energy from the sect¡¯s main spirit vein whenever needed.


    Li Yuanba took out an Artifact Refining Furnace, which was as tall as two men. Its base was equipped with an array formation ignited by Mid-grade Spirit Stones to provide the flames needed for artifact refining.


    This was a Spirit Artifact Refining Furnace he had exchanged for using contribution points. Lacking Spiritual Fire, he had to rely on the flames from the furnace for artifact refining.


    Currently, this Spirit Artifact Refining Furnace could only refine spiritual artifacts. Fortunately, the Artifact Refiner occupation did not have strict requirements. Once he achieved the Golden Core, he could use the core¡¯s fire for refining and freely create magical artifacts.


    As for Li Yuanba¡¯s skill in refining, it was thanks to the knowledge learned by the original Li Shiming, which was naturally shared with the clone, Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba lacked Spiritual Fire and a dedicated space, so many details were far from as refined as the original Li Shiming, but his skills in artifact refining were still much stronger than those of an ordinary Artifact Refiner, having learned from the top-tier ¡°Zhang¡¯s Refining Inheritance.¡±


    He took out a piece of second-grade refining metal from his storage bracelet, and once the flames in the Spirit Artifact Refining Furnace reached the required level, he placed the metal inside.


    After the second-grade refining metal softened, he started constantly using the ¡°Hundred Turns Purification Technique¡± to purify it.


    Eventually, the second-grade refining metal turned into a liquid state inside the Spirit Artifact Refining Furnace, reaching the purity required for refining. A shaping spell was cast, and the metal took the shape he needed.


    As the shaped second-grade refining metal flew out of the furnace, Li Yuanba held a Third Grade Sword Base in his hands, which transformed into an engraving tool, imprinting Array Formation Patterns onto the shaped metal.


    He then used an attachment technique to solidify various required magical effects onto the shaped metal.


    Li Yuanba held the newly formed spiritual artifact in his hands; the artifact looked bizarre and its function was unclear.


    He placed the spiritual artifact on a rocky area at the foot of the mountain. The shape of the artifact precisely clasped over a dozen swords embedded in the exposed rock, entirely covering it.


    This strange shape was custom-designed for the specific environment.


    The Array Formation Patterns embedded inside the artifact resonated with the formations of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, forming a whole with the artifact fixed on the surface of the rock.


    Li Yuanba examined his handiwork; this refining session had taken him two hours, and that was only because he had Divine Thought. Without it, the process might have taken twice as long.

 Chapter 456: 274: Leaving the Sect - Part 2

    Chapter 456: Chapter 274: Leaving the Sect ¨C Part 2


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll be busy later on!¡± He reluctantly observed the area covered by the spiritual artifact and then glanced at the rest of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, murmuring to himself.


    While it wasn¡¯t necessary to cover every place at Ten Thousand Sword Peak with refining materials, the rocks where the ten thousand flying swords were located and the main structural parts of Ten Thousand Sword Peak needed to be fully covered; even those unimportant areas that didn¡¯t require full coverage had to be reinforced with refining materials.


    What he needed to do next was to add a layer of refining material to the surface of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which would not only reinforce it but also lay the foundation for turning the mountain into a treasure.


    Of course, with his current ability in refining artifacts, all these tasks were just preparatory work. The most crucial third-grade refining materials were the core to transforming Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a treasure, and that would require him to become a Golden Core cultivator to achieve.


    He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind, focusing on the immediate task at hand, which was to prepare well.


    He tossed another piece of refining material into the Spirit Artifact Refining Furnace, commencing the second artifact refining session.


    In the days that followed, Li Yuanba almost worked day and night on cultivation and artifact refining. Stationed at Sword Holding Peak, he didn¡¯t need to publicly announce his seclusion because, unless there was a special event within the sect, he and Elder Jian would not take the initiative to make contact with other cultivators in the sect.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s primary cultivation technique, ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡¯ improved continuously under the steady supply of top-tier spirit pills.


    His cultivation conditions were almost identical to Li Shiming¡¯s; both were far beyond what Foundation Establishment cultivators typically enjoyed.


    The spiritual veins of Ten Thousand Sword Peak could support the cultivation of late-stage Golden Core cultivators, combined with an ample supply of top-tier spirit pills, the premier ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡¯ and the inherent sword intent in Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which augmented his own sword intent¡ªthese were Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation conditions.


    This lifestyle continued for two months until a new year arrived.


    A message came from Ancestor Lu, stating that the ancestor would enter seclusion in a month¡¯s time.


    This was Ancestor Lu showing extra care for Li Yuanba, knowing that Elder Jian had reached the stage of prepping for Nascent Soul breakthrough; otherwise, Li Yuanba would not have been informed of this.


    It was then that Li Yuanba remembered he needed to use this month to complete the sect missions that a disciple should undertake within the year.


    Normally, True Disciples like himself could ignore such missions, as it constituted an unwritten rule among them. Many True Disciples unwilling to waste time on missions would delegate their tasks to other disciples who had pledged loyalty to them to complete on their behalf.


    Since it was an unwritten rule, there was no formal sect regulation protecting it. If Elder Jian were still around, Li Yuanba wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any issues¡ªElder Jian could handle all inquiries.


    But now that Elder Jian had secluded himself, if other Golden Core Elders sought to stir trouble over this matter as a probe, it could put him at a disadvantage.


    Therefore, he decided to use this month to complete next year¡¯s missions while Ancestor Lu was still unsecluded and capable of deterring the other Golden Core Elders.


    Looking over the mission list, he chose three combat missions, which were the simplest ones. With the Senluo Sect¡¯s intelligence system, targets were already pinpointed, and he only had to go there to execute them to complete the missions.


    In the mission hall of Senluo Sect, Elder Yue¡¯s Identity Jade Disc vibrated slightly, a notification she had set for herself to be alerted whenever specific information she was interested in was found by her subordinates.


    After reading the message in her Identity Jade Disc, a faint cold smile appeared on Elder Yue¡¯s face.


    Like many Golden Core Elders in the sect, she coveted the Ten Thousand Sword Peak greatly. As a place of inheritance for sword cultivators touched by sword intent, the peak had been so influenced by it over time that it had become a Spiritual Object from inside out.


    Only a few valuable refining materials added to a mountain-sized Spiritual Object could transform it into a tremendously powerful treasure.


    Because of Elder Jian¡¯s strength, this kind of thought was mostly just a fancy for the Golden Core Elders.


    Only a few Golden Core Elders had made plans for it; Elder Lv was one, and Elder Yue was also among them.


    Elder Yue had a clear target in mind: Elder Jian was bound to attempt the Nascent Soul breakthrough. Once he secluded himself, Ten Thousand Sword Peak would become an unguarded, vacant spirit mountain.


    As soon as Ancestor Lu entered seclusion, she could make her move to refine Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Even if Ancestor Lu were to pursue the matter afterwards, Elder Yue had an ancestor above to shield him. As long as Elder Jian had not reached Nascent Soul, even if he emerged from seclusion unscathed and with his strength intact, with the treasure refined by Ten Thousand Sword Peak at his disposal, Elder Yue was confident in confronting Elder Jian.


    Elder Yue had always believed that Elder Jian¡¯s use of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was an immense waste.


    Once transformed into a treasure, its power could oppress even cultivators at the Golden Core Stage; there was no need to only regard it as an heirloom.


    Besides, transforming Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a treasure wouldn¡¯t affect its function as an inheritance.


    It was precisely because Elder Jian was a sword cultivator, devoted solely to the belief that one sword could break all spells, that he treated Ten Thousand Sword Peak in such a manner.


    Originally, the appearance of Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t affected Elder Yue¡¯s plan to watch and wait.


    But Li Yuanba nearly suppressed all of the True Disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage in the last encounter, which made Elder Yue sense a crisis.


    After Elder Jian took Li Yuanba as his disciple, Elder Yue thought that it would take at least decades for Li Yuanba to grow up, and Elder Jian, whose time was running out, would definitely attempt to reach Nascent Soul before Li Yuanba¡¯s growth.


    But who could have expected that Li Yuanba¡¯s growth speed would be so rapid, advancing his realm to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment in such a short period, and even his combat power was astonishing.


    Elder Yue didn¡¯t want to let Li Yuanba grow any further, fearing that by the time Elder Jian was ready to attempt Nascent Soul, Li Yuanba would take over as the next guardian sword cultivator of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Elder Yue was also clear that Ancestor Lu hadn¡¯t entered seclusion yet. With his cautious attitude, he naturally wouldn¡¯t personally take action against Li Yuanba at this time.


    He took out a communication plaque and sent out an order.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s figure turned into a streak of sword light, heading in the direction of the assigned target.


    Without the invisibility ability that his real body, Li Shiming, possessed, he didn¡¯t travel using ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ but the Sword Escape speed from Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique was also not slow.


    As for the sect¡¯s battle missions, during the initial time he joined the sect, he often carried out such tasks.


    He trusted the sect¡¯s intelligence network and made no delays on the way, arriving at the first target¡¯s location via a straight-line path.


    The target was a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, not a law enforcer. He didn¡¯t concern himself with why the cultivator was an enemy of the Senluo Sect, nor did he possess any mercy. In his heart, there was no right or wrong, no division between justice and evil in the Cultivation World, only entangled interests.


    The Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was within a Formation, his temporary cave abode. Although it was a temporary dwelling, he had lived there for a while, so the Formation was well-established.


    The Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator sitting in the cave suddenly opened his eyes; his body hair stood on end, a wave of heart palpitations rising from within.


    Even when he had encountered a Great Demon in the wilderness, he had never felt such emotions.


    He swiftly activated his defensive spiritual artifact, adding on a defensive talisman for good measure.


    Just then, the sword light appeared from the void, and the Formation that seemed very powerful to him couldn¡¯t even withstand a moment against this sword light.


    Li Yuanba possessed the Formation knowledge of his real body, Li Shiming, regarding all Formations activated by Array Plates as trash in their eyes.


    When Li Yuanba riding the Sword Escape reached the target, he didn¡¯t even pause. He swept over the Formation with Divine Thought and found its weak spot.


    His flying sword shot out, directly aimed at the Formation¡¯s vulnerability, which allowed him to break it with a single strike.


    Without the protection of the Formation, his flying sword continued towards the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Before the cultivator could mount a defense, the flying sword shattered his two layers of defense in a domineering and unreasonable manner, killing him on the spot.

 Chapter 457: 275 Golden Core

    Chapter 457: Chapter 275 Golden Core


    ¡°This is the third mission, it seems I¡¯ll be able to return to the sect soon!¡± Li Yuanba held a jade scroll in his hands and observed the map inside as he murmured softly.


    For the previous two missions, he didn¡¯t hesitate at all and struck as soon as he arrived.


    With his current strength, within the Foundation Establishment Stage, unless it was a true disciple from a major sect, none could stand against him in a fight.


    Even for true disciples of major sects, it depended on the type of inheritance received; ordinary inheritances couldn¡¯t withstand his continuous full-strength attacks.


    Being a Sword Cultivator, already deemed the foremost offensive force in the Cultivation World, let alone one who had inherited the top-tier ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡±.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s divine thought swept ahead, where a formation concealed a cave dwelling, which was the target of his mission.


    Just like before, without a moment¡¯s hesitation, his flying sword shot out toward the formation.


    The flying sword penetrated a gap in the formation, disrupting the spiritual power transfer within, causing the formation to collapse instantly.


    As the flying sword continued its assault inward, it suddenly changed direction and dodged to the side.


    At the same time, a white lotus appeared under Li Yuanba¡¯s feet; he vanished from the lotus, reappearing on another lotus one hundred and fifty meters away.


    A mallet-shaped magical treasure emitting black mist flew out from the cave dwelling, striking where he had vanished.


    This attack, accumulated with full power by a Golden Core cultivator, though hitting nothing, sent an energy wave sweeping outwards, creating a pit at the center and blowing away the soil several meters deep within a radius of dozens of meters, demonstrating the formidable power of the strike.


    Li Yuanba was both shocked and furious; he hadn¡¯t expected a Golden Core cultivator to ambush him here.


    Golden Core cultivators are also prideful; even if they intend to attack a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they would normally do it face to face. This sort of sneak attack meant there was no intention of leaving him alive.


    If it weren¡¯t for his practice of ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± and his constant cautious readiness, this Golden Core cultivator¡¯s strike could have taken his life.


    Even though he managed to dodge, the sheer danger of it sent chills down his spine.


    The moment the formation was breached, the Golden Core cultivator locked onto him with divine thought, and the subsequent strike was almost lethal, as the full oppressive force of a Golden Core was brought to bear on him.


    This technique of full realm suppression is extremely effective against significantly weaker opponents.


    Thankfully, ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± enabled him to disregard these effects, allowing Li Yuanba to narrowly escape this calamity.


    Li Yuanba was filled with both shock and rage, but Niu Ziru, who had been waiting for him for a long time, was equally astonished.


    Niu Ziru, an Independent Practitioner Golden Core from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, had wisely aligned himself with Elder Yue during Senluo Sect¡¯s major expansion a few years ago.


    A few days ago, Elder Yue assigned him the task of killing Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s name might not be well-known elsewhere, but in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, his notoriety was at its peak.


    Ever since Li Yuanba had killed several true disciples of the Senluo Sect previously, making the ambushing Foundation Establishment disciples of Senluo Sect too scared to move against him, his fearsome reputation as a Sword Cultivator was well established.


    Though Niu Ziru was a Golden Core cultivator, being from an Independent Practitioner background, he couldn¡¯t compare to the Golden Cores from major sects, whether in terms of cultivation techniques or magical treasures.


    He was self-aware, so upon receiving the task from Elder Yue, he chose the most secure method of assassination ¡ª a sneak attack.


    Other Golden Core cultivators might care about their dignity, but Niu Ziru, who had done all sorts of things coming from an Independent Practitioner background, had used countless strategies, deception, and tricks in his quest for the Golden Core.


    With information provided by Elder Yue, Niu Ziru had arrived at the mission¡¯s target location before Li Yuanba and had killed the target.


    Knowing Li Yuanba¡¯s method of operation, he stayed inside the cave dwelling of the mission target, waiting for Li Yuanba to walk right in.


    As expected, Li Yuanba appeared and attacked at full strength without scouting first.


    Niu Ziru used a secret technique to build up what he believed to be a lethal strike, but in reality, it harshly backfired.


    His strike mysteriously missed, with Li Yuanba vanishing right under his magical treasure.


    If he had been from a major sect, or even a medium-sized sect, he would have probably known about Divine Skills; unfortunately, coming from a humble background, Divine Skills were too advanced for him, and he was unaware of the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±.


    After the strike missed, he quickly maneuvered his mallet-shaped magical treasure to attack Li Yuanba again.


    Li Yuanba had stabilized from the initial shock of the ambush and used ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± again to dodge the attack from the mallet-shaped magical treasure while also taking the time to assess Niu Ziru.


    Niu Ziru¡¯s aura, after attacking with full force and with no attempt to conceal it, clearly showed the strength of an early stage Golden Core practitioner, significantly weaker than those from major sects, indicative of either a smaller sect or an Independent Practitioner background.


    Li Yuanba was unaware that Niu Ziru couldn¡¯t recognize ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±; after using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± once within the territory of the Righteous Path and being chased by Qianye Temple afterward, he had deemed ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± a forbidden technique that necessitated silencing those who witnessed it.


    If Niu Ziru had been a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator from a major sect, he would have had no recourse, but upon sensing Niu Ziru¡¯s true combat strength, he considered fighting him.

 Chapter 458: 275 Golden Core_2

    Chapter 458: Chapter 275 Golden Core_2


    This idea was extremely arrogant, as Golden Core Stage naturally suppresses Foundation Establishment Stage, just as Foundation Establishment Stage naturally suppresses the Qi Refinement Realm.


    His arrogance was based on the Divine Skill ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± which granted him much faster speed than his opponent in battle¡ªallowing him to attack or retreat and stand invincible.


    When Niu Ziru once again chased him with the mallet-shaped magical treasure, Li Yuanba and the white lotus at his feet disappeared together.


    The flying sword in the air dared not get close to the mallet-shaped magical treasure. The quality difference between the two magic artifacts was too great. Even with Sword Intent, the Spirit-level flying sword would be destroyed upon contact with the mallet-shaped magical treasure.


    So the flying sword avoided the mallet-shaped magical treasure from afar, circling around Niu Ziru like an eagle in the sky, waiting for an opportunity to attack.


    Niu Ziru¡¯s Divine Thought detected a change in the aura around him, and as he was recalling the mallet-shaped magical treasure, Li Yuanba and a white lotus appeared behind him.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Third Grade Sword Base transformed into a longsword brimming with Sword Intent and heavily slashed onto Niu Ziru.


    Niu Ziru had fortified himself with a defensive spell¡ªa seemingly thin layer of black mist that he had cultivated using many foul methods of the Devil Cultivator, creating a demonized defensive Secret Technique.


    To cultivate this Demon Defense Secret Technique, he had killed no less than a thousand cultivators, using their spirit blood and souls.


    This Demon Defense Secret Technique was extremely powerful, nearly equivalent to a normal defensive magic artifact in defensive power, and could also erode the opponent¡¯s magic artifact with its sinister energy.


    Of course, the more powerful the Demon Defense Secret Technique, the stronger the recoil, acting as a double-edged sword.


    As for why Niu Ziru did not simply create a defensive magic artifact like a normal Golden Core cultivator and save all this trouble,


    Although Ten Thousand Great Mountains were under the influence of the Demon Sect Senluo Sect, the Senluo Sect would pursue Niu Ziru if they knew he had used so many cultivators¡¯ lives to cultivate his Secret Technique.


    If such actions weren¡¯t restrained, no amount of cultivators in the vast Ten Thousand Great Mountains would suffice for such expenditure.


    Niu Ziru, too, wished to use a defensive magic artifact, but as an Independent Practitioner Golden Core, the mallet-shaped magical treasure he had was obtained through cunning and brutality.


    If it had been any other Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator, that strike on Niu Ziru¡¯s demonic defensive Secret Technique would not have harmed him but would have instead contaminated the Sword Cultivator¡¯s weapon.


    But after long-term cultivation of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent contained Supreme Yang Power, the nemesis of all Demon Cultivation Techniques.


    When the Third Grade Sword Base struck Niu Ziru¡¯s demonic defensive Secret Technique, it emitted a dazzling light, and countless struggling shadows appeared on the surface of the Secret Technique.


    The shadows, as if plunging into a boundless sea of fire, represented the effect of the Supreme Yang Sword Intent contained within the Third Grade Sword Base.


    The mallet-shaped magical treasure returned and struck at Li Yuanba, but by then, Li Yuanba had already vanished on the spot using ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± reappearing over a hundred meters away.


    A look of shock flashed in Niu Ziru¡¯s eyes; Li Yuanba¡¯s strike seemed to have not injured him, but it had erased one percent of his painstakingly cultivated Demon Defense Secret Technique.


    He was certain that without the protection of the Demon Defense Secret Technique, that strange longsword in Li Yuanba¡¯s hand, combined with his Sword Intent, would definitely have injured him.


    This was incredibly hard to imagine¡ªunless one was a half-step Golden Core cultivator, it was impossible for any Foundation Establishment cultivator to significantly affect a Golden Core cultivator, even if the latter just stood there without fighting back.


    Yet Li Yuanba, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, made Niu Ziru feel threatened.


    Niu Ziru no longer held back; he saw Li Yuanba as a formidable enemy.


    He took out a talisman, a Golden Core Stage talisman, which was the ultimate attack method for someone like him, an independent cultivator.


    Ordinary Golden Core spells could not hit the ghost-like Li Yuanba; one neededn¡¯t even consider it. Only a large-scale Golden Core spell could be effective,


    but with his cultivation level, he could not instantaneously deploy a large-area Golden Core spell and had to rely on a Golden Core Stage talisman.


    Before activating the talisman, his heart slightly twitched with pain for the resources spent, hoping that Li Yuanba indeed possessed the set of resources rumored to be capable of producing a Golden Core, which could compensate for the consumption in this battle.


    When Li Yuanba saw Niu Ziru take out the talisman, he continuously executed ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯. At the moment Niu Ziru activated the talisman, Li Yuanba retreated hundreds of meters within a breath¡¯s time.


    Once the talisman was activated, a gray fog rapidly expanded outward, coating everything it touched with a layer of deathly aura.


    The remaining wild grass on the ground turned into withered leaves in the gray fog and quickly turned into powder, blending into the similarly gray-black soil.


    Li Yuanba kept retreating as the gray fog pursued; it was only because the speed of ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ was fast enough that he did not come into contact with the gray fog.


    This gray fog covered an area with a radius of three hundred meters; indeed, the spell solidified in this talisman was the best method against enemies capable of high-speed movements.


    When Niu Ziru realized that the talisman had not achieved the expected effect, he chickened out. He never had the pride typical of a Golden Core cultivator, especially when confronting a True Disciple of the Senluo Sect.


    Even though he had accepted a task from Elder Yue of the Senluo Sect, he knew well that after the incident happened, Elder Yue would definitely not protect him.


    In fact, if he failed to complete the task, Elder Yue wouldn¡¯t let him off either.


    But he had no other choice; unable to kill Li Yuanba, he chose to flee far away.


    Otherwise, once Li Yuanba returned to his sect, without waiting for Elder Yue to come after him, the Senluo Sect would definitely not spare him, a Golden Core cultivator who dared to attempt an assassination of a True Disciple.


    Then, Golden Core cultivators from the Senluo Sect would take on the task, and like Li Yuanba easily killing those at the Foundation Establishment Stage, they would easily consider his life as part of their reward.


    Even his body would become material for Corpse Refining, and his spirit would be extracted as nourishment for Demon Cultivation Techniques.


    Thinking of this, Niu Ziru¡¯s figure fled in another direction.


    Seeing him try to flee, Li Yuanba first thought that this Golden Core cultivator intended to spread the word about ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, so Li Yuanba extinguished the white lotuses under his feet and his figure also vanished, reappearing in the direction chasing Niu Ziru.


    ¡°Cut!¡± A voice rang in Niu Ziru¡¯s ears, but faster than the voice was the Third Grade Sword Base.


    The Third Grade Sword Base slashed into Niu Ziru, Supreme Yang Sword Intent causing the struggling shadows on the Demon Defense Secret Technique to be burned again by the Supreme Yang Flame.


    Niu Ziru was going insane; his battle with Li Yuanba had lasted for three two-hour periods.


    Throughout these six hours, Li Yuanba¡¯s figure appeared close by from time to time.


    Despite all his efforts, he could not block even a single attack with his mallet-shaped magical treasure, because Li Yuanba¡¯s appearances were utterly unpredictable.


    Sometimes Li Yuanba would appear above his head, sometimes behind him, sometimes below his feet, appearing at random around Niu Ziru in every possible direction.


    Each appearance included a strike from the longsword transmuted from the Third Grade Sword Base, imbued with Supreme Yang Sword Intent.


    After each strike, he would immediately retreat without lingering, giving Niu Ziru no chance to retaliate.


    Niu Ziru was like a sluggishly moving elephant, and Li Yuanba, like an ant that could only bite off very little each time¡ªeven so, these bites didn¡¯t even qualify as wounds to the elephant.


    But Li Yuanba¡¯s relentless attacks kept on accumulating damage, causing Niu Ziru¡¯s injuries to gradually worsen.


    After six hours, Li Yuanba had attacked no less than a hundred times, causing Niu Ziru¡¯s Demon Defense Secret Technique to become almost completely transparent, ready to disperse at any time.


    Moreover, the Supreme Yang Sword Intent encapsulated in the Third Grade Sword Base, through numerous attacks, affected Niu Ziru¡¯s body; the Spiritual Power within him, influenced by the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, operated with a faint stinging sensation.


    If it weren¡¯t for Niu Ziru being a Golden Core cultivator, facing such a counteracting Supreme Yang Sword Intent, his internal Spiritual Power would have long since collapsed.

 Chapter 459: 276: Extinguishing the Pill

    Chapter 459: Chapter 276: Extinguishing the Pill


    Niu Ziru mobilized the Golden Core within his body, and a torrent of spiritual power surged from the core, directly driving his flying speed to increase.


    Even though he knew this method was of no use, he thought that as long as he could escape to the nearest gathering place of cultivators, he might be able to slip away amidst the chaos.


    In fact, if a Golden Core cultivator were to use flying spells, they could move even faster.


    But Niu Ziru had long stopped considering the use of any spells to accelerate his movement, as the instant-cast movement spells were ineffective, and those that could be cast in one or two breaths, with decent effects, were beyond his ability to perform.


    As soon as the pre-spell casting aura appeared on him, Li Yuanba would suddenly appear close to him, breaking his casting with the Third Grade Sword Base and Supreme Yang Sword Intent.


    And every time his spell casting was interrupted, he would suffer a certain amount of backlash.


    Even if the backlash was minimal, it would accumulate over many instances to a point where it could severely affect him.


    Not to mention that the Supreme Yang Sword Intent would exacerbate the effects of the backlash, causing Niu Ziru to suffer double the effect.


    No matter how Niu Ziru fled, his speed compared to ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ was like that of a toddler¡¯s, slow and unsteady.


    At this moment, Li Yuanba was like a fisherman, and Niu Ziru was like a fish hooked on his line, unable to escape from Li Yuanba¡¯s control no matter what.


    Li Yuanba was waiting for the moment when Niu Ziru was too weak to resist, then he would finish him off.


    ¡°Crack!¡± A sound of breaking emanated from Niu Ziru¡¯s body.


    Niu Ziru¡¯s complexion grew even uglier, a flash of panic evident in his eyes.


    He had never imagined that one day he would be pushed to such a state by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    The Demon Defense Secret Technique, which he had relied on the most, had ultimately been forcefully broken through by Li Yuanba¡¯s relentless strikes.


    And all of his own attacks, without exception, had missed their mark, this helplessness and resentment nearly driving him mad.


    How he wished he could land a single hit on Li Yuanba ¨C just one, which would be enough to severely injure or even kill Li Yuanba on the spot.


    But his mallet-shaped magical treasure missed with every attempt, rendering his vastly superior strength completely ineffective against Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Spare me, I am willing to swear a blood oath to be your lackey!¡± Niu Ziru yelled, abandoning all pride.


    In truth, by ambushing Li Yuanba as a Golden Core cultivator, he had already lost his face.


    Li Yuanba responded with a cold laugh, closing the distance once more and replying to Niu Ziru¡¯s plea with his sword.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Niu Ziru let out a piercing scream.


    On his back, a sword gash appeared, stretching over one foot long, though not much blood flowed from the wound.


    This strike, because Li Yuanba did not dare to exert full force and kept most of his strength to quickly use ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ to escape, resulted in a wound that was not too deep.


    Li Yuanba was well aware that even with the advantage he currently held, there was always the possibility that Niu Ziru could turn the tables.


    As long as Niu Ziru hadn¡¯t completely lost his fighting strength, there could be no relaxation in vigilance.


    Although this strike was not deep, barely cutting an inch beneath the skin, such a wound meant little to a Golden Core cultivator.


    But the damage from a cultivator¡¯s attack was never about the depth of the wound, it was about the invading energy contained within the injury.


    The most fearsome aspect of Li Yuanba¡¯s strike wasn¡¯t the spiritual power, as the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment spiritual power couldn¡¯t affect Niu Ziru much and would quickly be expelled by his own spiritual power.


    However, the Supreme Yang Sword Intent in this strike wasn¡¯t so easily expelled.


    Niu Ziru felt as if the area where he had been struck was burning, and even though his own spiritual power was many times stronger than Li Yuanba¡¯s, as it rushed towards the wound it was like pouring water onto a flame.


    It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t expel the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, but he needed time and to mobilize a large amount of spiritual power, enduring the continuous depletion, to drive the Supreme Yang Sword Intent out of his body.


    But how could Li Yuanba give Niu Ziru such an opportunity? Two breaths later, his thigh was pierced by another sword strike, with a similar depth and the same Sword Intent.


    In the time that followed, no matter how frantically Niu Ziru fought, he kept being wounded, and the number of gashes on his body increased while his complexion grew more and more pale.


    He felt death approaching. Lacking courage earlier, but now it surged within him ¨C he was born a Loose Cultivator, known for ruthless actions, and facing imminent death, his thoughts turned to mutual destruction.


    His eyes bloodshot, he shouted loudly and spat out his Golden Core, preparing to self-destruct.


    Li Yuanba, no novice in dealing with Golden Core cultivators, had guarded against this move. As the core was spat out and terrifying fluctuations of spiritual power filled the air, a white lotus emerged next to the Golden Core, followed by a hand pressing upon it.


    ¡°To hell with it, let¡¯s die together!¡± Niu Ziru saw Li Yuanba¡¯s actions and without even taking action this time, he just let out a roar.


    The energy in Li Yuanba¡¯s hand fluctuated wildly, and his figure used ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ twice in succession, moving the Golden Core three hundred meters away, then hurriedly used ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ twice more to reappear behind Niu Ziru.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Just as he reappeared behind Niu Ziru, the Golden Core exploded with a loud bang.


    The horrifying blast wave of spiritual power swept outward in an instant, turning everything in its path to dust.


    Li Yuanba thrust his Third Grade Sword Base into the heart of Niu Ziru, who had lost his Golden Core, while attempting to minimize his own profile, using Niu Ziru¡¯s body as a shield against the oncoming wave of spiritual power.

 Chapter 460: 276: Destroying the Pill_2

    Chapter 460: Chapter 276: Destroying the Pill_2


    Meanwhile, his body underwent a transformation, changing from a human form to a Corpse Refining, which increased his defensive power several times over.


    Without his Golden Core, Niu Ziru¡¯s physical defensive power plummeted to the extreme, naturally unable to withstand the fatal blow of the Third Grade Sword Base.


    In the moments before his life faded, disbelief still lingered in his eyes; he saw something incredible, Li Yuanba had actually transformed into a refined corpse.


    Unfortunately, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell anyone about this inexplicable and bizarre event ever again.


    Niu Ziru¡¯s body was hit by the shockwave from his own Golden Core¡¯s self-detonation. Even though he was three hundred meters away, the side of his body facing the blast continuously turned into a blood mist under the power of the spiritual force.


    However, with his body serving as a buffer, Li Yuanba had time to use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to flash a hundred meters away, and in this direction, Niu Ziru¡¯s body acted as a barrier, reducing the might of the spiritual force by ninety percent.


    The residual power of the spiritual shockwave made Li Yuanba¡¯s body sway, but it didn¡¯t cause him any harm.


    He was somewhat unaccustomed to the Corpse Refining body, so once the danger had passed, he immediately switched back to his human form.


    He flew to the site of the explosion, caught sight of Niu Ziru¡¯s fragmented corpse, which was largely destroyed by the spiritual shockwave; what remained was barely recognizable as a human.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Li Yuanba laughed heartily as he looked at the scene, his Sword Intent more active than usual within him.


    He had killed a Golden Core cultivator, no matter how weak that Golden Core cultivator was, for a Golden Core cultivator was still a Golden Core cultivator. Killing one from a higher realm was incredibly fulfilling.


    After using Sword Intent continuously for over six hours, and having slain a Golden Core cultivator almost exclusively with Sword Intent, his Sword Intent had been significantly honed, seemingly maturing a lot in the process.


    This time, his Sword Intent had benefited greatly, arguably equal to what he would¡¯ve achieved after several months of practicing Sword Intent at Ten Thousand Sword Peak. Additionally, his Sword Intent now contained a vague and indescribable will, a hidden benefit from slaying a Golden Core cultivator of a higher realm.


    Li Yuanba felt that when his Sword Intent next faced a Golden Core cultivator, the suppression due to realm would be even less significant; this was the effect of the mysterious will that had merged into his Sword Intent.


    This was normal, as a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Sword Intent grows fastest in battle, with Sword Cultivators maturing amid slaughter.


    His Divine Thought swept over and found a storage bag.


    The surface of the storage bag was slightly damaged, but fortunately, the space within the storage bag was intact.


    ¡°Really poor!¡± Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought entered the storage bag and he couldn¡¯t help but blurt out.


    For one, a Golden Core cultivator was actually using a storage bag that only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would use. Even though the bag¡¯s space was not small, being about one hundred cubic meters, it was still embarrassingly shabby.


    It is known that a True Disciple of a major sect would, after some time, be able to exchange contribution points for a storage bracelet, or perhaps a Golden Core Master would reward them with a storage bracelet.


    Secondly, the items inside the storage bag, the only thing of some value was a Mallet-shaped Magical Treasure.


    The Mallet-shaped Magical Treasure was useless to both Li Yuanba himself and to his original self, Li Shiming. They weren¡¯t poor enough to be without magical treasures; they have some standards when it comes to magical treasures.


    An ordinary magical treasure wouldn¡¯t catch his eye. The Mallet-shaped Magical Treasure was a Devil Cultivator treasure, and presumably, if Li Yuanba wanted to use it as a flying sword, a single Supreme Yang Sword Intent would destroy the heretical Array Diagram pattern within the treasure.


    And Li Shiming, being a Righteous Path cultivator, how could he possibly wield a Mallet-shaped Magical Treasure with such an ominous aura?


    As for the other items in the storage bag, Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought scanned them once and immediately gave up on keeping them, planning to trade them all away when the opportunity arose.


    It was only now that Li Yuanba truly understood the difference between a Loose Cultivator and a sect cultivator. Had Niu Ziru been a sect Golden Core cultivator, Li Yuanba would never have dared to slowly wear him down like this.


    After all, even if a Golden Core cultivator from a sect wasn¡¯t his match, such a long duration would be more than enough to summon a group of fellow sect members for assistance.


    It¡¯s precisely for Loose Cultivators like Niu Ziru that, after encountering danger, they could only attempt to escape by themselves.


    The Cultivation Techniques and magical treasures of Loose Cultivators are significant weaknesses. A mallet-shaped magical treasure serves both as offense and defense but is somewhat powerless; after all, it¡¯s not a defensive magical treasure. Replacing defense with offense is not effective against faster enemies.


    Li Yuanba was preparing to store away the storage bag. Collected storage bags would later be sent to his main body, Li Shiming, and would become a warehouse in the mechanical room space.


    He suddenly stopped his actions, his Divine Thought sweeping over an object that appeared in his hand.


    This was a Communication Token. Loose Cultivators were not like sect cultivators; for them to communicate with each other, they either had to apply for Communication Tokens from the sect in their domain or purchase them from large trading firms, relying on the trading firm¡¯s Communication Array to achieve the purpose of exchanging messages.


    The Communication Token in his hand bore the mark of the Senluo Sect; it was a token issued by the Senluo Sect.


    The Communication Token was bound to a specific owner and encrypted; even if other Cultivators acquired it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use this particular token.


    Li Yuanba scanned the Communication Token meticulously with his Divine Thought, while his mind connected with the distant main body, Li Shiming.


    On the other side, Shiming¡¯s mind stirred slightly as he commanded the IBMz15 to record the data scanned by the Divine Thought of his avatar, Li Yuanba.


    The Communication Token was covered with dense Array Formation Patterns that were anti-cracking; even a High-level Array Master would not be able to decipher them easily. Such an anti-cracking method was considered extremely secure.


    But Li Shiming himself was only a hair¡¯s breadth away from being an Array Master, and with the help of the IBMz15, he was arguably three parts stronger than an Array Master in deciphering formations alone.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the Communication Token from the Senluo Sect to be deciphered by Li Shiming.


    Li Yuanba invoked a Sword Intent, which, under the precise guidance of Divine Thought, jabbed at a certain point on the Array Formation Patterns on the Communication Token, severing the formations circuit there.


    His Divine Thought detected the removal of the restrictions on the Communication Token; he could now access the information inside it.


    He found the last communication data within the token; he saw the name of the person Niu Ziru last contacted.


    Since the Communication Token originated from the Senluo Sect, Elder Yue, proud of his status, did not conceal his identity. He probably never imagined that Niu Ziru, who worked for him, would fall, let alone that a Communication Token from the Senluo Sect would be cracked by a Cultivator.


    ¡°Elder Yue!¡± Li Yuanba knew who was after him, and he felt a surge of helplessness.


    Although he knew that it was Elder Yue who was after him, there was nothing he could do to Elder Yue.


    Although Elder Yue was not as powerful as Elder Jian in terms of strength, he was undoubtedly an Elder with real power in the Senluo Sect, and he also had the support of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Even more so, Elder Yue¡¯s power and influence surpassed that of Elder Jian. Elder Jian relied on his personal combat power within the Senluo Sect, whereas Elder Yue, in addition to his personal combat power, also had many Devil Cultivators who had pledged allegiance to him and were at his command.


    Being an outright enemy of such a powerful Golden Core Elder was undoubtedly very dangerous.


    If it weren¡¯t for Elder Yue not wanting to entangle himself with trouble, fearful that Ancestor Lu might notice something, or dispatch a Golden Core cultivator from within the sect, or take action himself, none of these outcomes would have occurred.


    Even if Li Yuanba managed to escape the attack from the Golden Core cultivator, he had also exposed the entrance-level Divine Skill, ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± of Divine Foot Skill.


    One can imagine that once ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± is exposed, with him being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator possessing Divine Skills, it implies he holds the legacy of Divine Foot Skill. Plus, the fact that he mastered and applied ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± so quickly will inevitably raise suspicions about him.


    Even if he had the protection from Ancestor Lu above, he could not guarantee the safety within his sect anymore.


    He wouldn¡¯t even dare to ensure that Ancestor Lu wouldn¡¯t covet the legacy of Divine Foot Skill. The more he understood about the Divine Skills, the more he realized how alluring the Divine Foot Skill was.


    He wasn¡¯t like Qianye Temple, a large sect that could openly acknowledge the possession of a Divine Skills legacy and yet have enough confidence to protect the legacy.

 Chapter 461: 277 Oblivion

    Chapter 461: Chapter 277 Oblivion


    Li Yuanba, preoccupied with his thoughts, returned to the dwelling of the final task target.


    Although the dwelling had been through a battle, it remained intact as no actual fighting had occurred inside.


    He also located the original owner of the place, the mission target from the Senluo Sect.


    The mission target, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, was now merely a corpse, carelessly tossed in a storage room.


    Regardless, having found the body meant that the task was complete, and after collecting the corpse, he set off to return to the Senluo Sect.


    Li Yuanba refused to linger outside any longer, aiming to return to the sect before Elder Yue discovered Niu Ziru¡¯s slip-up.


    It happened to be evening, allowing him to use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± without reservation, and he returned to the Senluo Sect in just a few hours.


    When it came time to hand in the task, he encountered no trouble, although his keen senses told him he was being watched by other cultivators.


    A cold laughter formed in his heart. Now that he had ample cultivation resources and his strength was rapidly increasing, his future looked bright. He would seek his revenge against Elder Yue once he became a Golden Core cultivator.


    After completing the tasks, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. The contribution points from the three missions might not have been much, but they were enough to sustain a year of undisturbed seclusion.


    Once back at Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he resumed his daily routine of ingesting top-grade Spirit Pills for cultivation, and spent his remaining time integrating the Artifact Refining materials into various parts of Ten Thousand Sword Peak as previously designed.


    The days that followed were both boring and fulfilling; boring because he resided alone on Ten Thousand Sword Peak with not a single outsider in sight, just him.


    Yet, they were fulfilling since, aside from allocating a small amount of time for cultivation, the rest of his day was filled with ceaseless activity and not a moment of leisure.


    Li Yuanba, cultivating the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± advanced rapidly in his cultivation, sensing daily the increase in Spiritual Power within his Spirit Lake.


    At the Shushan Sect, his main body, Li Shiming, was also extremely busy.


    It took him nearly three months to complete the Alchemy orders arranged by his master, Elder Ma, amassing twenty-nine Mountain-breaking Pills, Resurrection Pills, Vessel Protecting Pills, and Soul Stabilizing Pills, even including one top-quality elixir of each kind.


    Of course, this was the result of many years¡¯ accumulation of elixir ingredients by the three major righteous sects and the forces closely associated with Elder Ma. Generally, due to the importance of elixir resources, they prefer to enlist high-success-rate Alchemy Masters.


    Such Alchemy Masters rarely perform their craft, one must understand that even Alchemy Masters need to be in the right state to create Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Many Alchemy Masters lead relaxed lives precisely for the purpose of finding the ideal state for Alchemy, only committing to produce the more valuable Third-grade Spirit Pills when their condition is at its peak.


    Even an Alchemy Master like Elder Ma, who possesses the Alchemy teachings of the Shushan Sect, can only guarantee the success rate, not the quality of Third-grade Spirit Pills, highlighting the difficulty in producing such elixirs.


    Finding a genius Alchemy Master like Li Shiming who could manage both success rate and quality, they naturally did everything possible to prioritize bringing their most important Third-grade Spirit Pills resources to him.


    No one knew whether Li Shiming¡¯s current state would continue indefinitely, so they all wanted to take advantage of his peak Alchemy condition to create the elixirs from their resources.


    In these three months of continuous Third-grade Spirit Pill production, Li Shiming¡¯s Alchemy skills soared.


    Now, even without the workshop space, he could ensure full output and a certain quality for Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Of course, Alchemy outside the workshop space still significantly differed from that within, but as his experience accumulated, that gap steadily closed.


    During these three months, Li Shiming¡¯s gains in other areas were considerable.


    Today, within the realm of righteous cultivation on the Beishu Continent, he could be considered to have friends all over.


    Elder Ma introduced his friends to Li Shiming, who would then engage in direct conversations with him. Even Golden Core Elders with significant power from the large sects were extremely courteous to Li Shiming.


    Moreover, Li Shiming obtained many resources, particularly the Third-grade Corpse Refining materials he requested, which became compensation for many Golden Core cultivators seeking pills.


    For cultivators of lesser status on the Righteous Path, corpse refining could potentially become a point of criticism. However, for an Alchemy Master, it hardly mattered.


    The Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators were also willing to use Third-grade Corpse Refining materials as payment, as their value on the Righteous Path was much less than within the Demon Sect, making it a very cost-effective choice for them.


    After these three months, it was time for Elder Su¡¯s orders, his friends¡¯ requests that came from building relationships. Although they were all Third-grade Spirit Pills for Golden Core Early Stage practitioners, the pills were diverse.


    Fortunately, the Shushan Sect had collected plenty of Third-grade Pill Recipes. Even for some obscure Third-grade Spiritual Medicines, the Golden Core cultivators seeking pills would take the initiative to provide the necessary Elixir Recipes.


    During this time, he still produced numerous Second-grade Spirit Pills for the Beishu Trading Company. As for the Third-grade Spirit Pill orders from the Beishu Trading Company, those would have to wait until Elder Su¡¯s friends¡¯ orders were fulfilled before considering crafting Third-grade Spirit Pills for them.


    Besides, the Third-grade Spirit Pill orders from the Beishu Trading Company required verification by the Shushan Sect.

 Chapter 462: 277 Oblivion_2

    Chapter 462: Chapter 277 Oblivion_2


    Third-grade Spirit Pills are different from second-grade Spirit Pills; their impact on the strength of major sects like Shushan Sect is extremely clear, and so the Shushan Sect needs to control the distribution of Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    The alchemy skills of Li Shiming have taken on strategic significance for Shushan Sect, and as such, his status within the sect has risen steadily as he continues to produce Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    During this period, Elder Su and Elder Ma had talked to him multiple times, all explicitly showing the sect¡¯s emphasis on his safety.


    They hinted that he shouldn¡¯t venture out lightly, as his ability in alchemy was too important for the sect.


    It is known that although the orders Li Shiming accepted seemed personal, and the rewards went to him, many Golden Core cultivators, through these transactions, had strengthened their ties with the Shushan Sect.


    Even at the Golden Core level, Shushan Sect¡¯s standing had significantly improved.


    At Sword Holding Peak, where Li Shiming resided, there were set times for receiving visitors each day to discuss alchemy, some to pick up their Spirit Pills upon paying their dues, others to deliver alchemy materials.


    Since the reception hours were clear, it didn¡¯t really disturb his life.


    Apart from these times, his life was almost no different from being in seclusion.


    The conflict between the Righteous and Demonic forces was ongoing, but it didn¡¯t involve Li Shiming, as long as Shushan Sect wasn¡¯t facing annihilation, they would not send a Foundation Establishment Stage Alchemy Master into battle.


    Meanwhile, Li Yuanba, his split persona, was even less likely to be given orders in the absence of Elder Jian.


    Speaking of which, Elder Yin and Elder Ren, along with Ren Fei¡¯er, had settled in Inner Yang Mountain. With Li Shiming¡¯s invitation, the marketplace in Inner Yang Mountain developed quickly.


    The construction of formations for the marketplace and preparations for selling spiritual objects were completed in just a few months.


    Considering two Golden Core cultivators were residing on Inner Yang Mountain, along with the renowned Beishu Market, even if the settling infringed on some Loose Cultivators¡¯ interests, none would seek trouble during such times.


    Ren Fei¡¯er had been extremely bored these days. Although the construction of Inner Yang Mountain didn¡¯t require her involvement, she couldn¡¯t simply abandon her parents to play by herself while they built their home.


    Moreover, she was unfamiliar with the Beishu Continent and had no friends, and even her sister Yin Shilan had no time to keep her company.


    Yin Shilan was a True Disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect; a short visit to Inner Yang Mountain could be excused, but an extended stay would be hard to justify to the sect.


    It wasn¡¯t until the construction of Inner Yang Mountain was complete that Ren Fei¡¯er finally got her chance.


    Over this period, she had come to understand the local area. Located within the sphere of the Righteous Path, it offered high safety, even more so than her time on Sky Sea Island.


    It was precisely because of this safety that when she asked to leave home, both Elder Yin and Elder Ren didn¡¯t stop her but warned her not to stray too far.


    As soon as Ren Fei¡¯er left Inner Yang Mountain, she took out her Flying Boat and found the Shushan Sect¡¯s gate on the map, setting her course toward it.


    She was aware of her situation, so she chose a common route used by cultivators.


    This route had many Loose Cultivator¡¯s influences along the way, and with the esteemed name of Shushan Sect, safety was assured.


    After several days of flight, Ren Fei¡¯er finally arrived at the location of Shushan Sect¡¯s gate on the map.


    ¡°Halt, who goes there?¡± Before Ren Fei¡¯er could reach the gate, she was stopped by two cultivators wearing the Shushan Sect¡¯s Law Enforcement robes.


    As a cultivator not from Shushan Sect, Ren Fei¡¯er knew she couldn¡¯t enter on her own authority, so when stopped, she felt rather pleased.


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, I am here to find Li Shiming!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er bowed politely and responded.


    ¡°Do you have an invitation?¡± one Law Enforcement Monk asked with a solemn tone.


    Ren Fei¡¯er was taken aback; she hadn¡¯t expected that an invitation was necessary to meet Li Shiming.


    ¡°If there¡¯s no invitation, you need to contact Master Li directly and get his consent!¡± Another Law Enforcement Monk, seeing the expression on Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s face, knew she wasn¡¯t invited and shook his head as he spoke.


    Ren Fei¡¯er truly had no way to contact Li Shiming.


    The communication talisman she used on Sky Sea Island would, of course, be of no use on the Beishu Continent.


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, could you please pass on a message for me? Just say that an old friend from Sky Sea Island has come to visit!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er bowed once again, her voice carrying a hint of entreaty as she spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you. It¡¯s just that Master Li¡¯s time is extraordinarily precious. Not to mention us, even the Golden Core Elders within the sect wouldn¡¯t disturb Master Li without a significant matter. We don¡¯t even have the chance to meet Master Li ourselves!¡± The Law Enforcement Monk spoke politely, seeing that Ren Fei¡¯er was a female cultivator, and explained the situation to her very clearly.


    Ren Fei¡¯er felt extremely excited when she first set off for Shushan Sect from Inner Yang Mountain.


    And the closer she got to the gates of Shushan Sect, the more excited she became.


    After several years, she had almost forgotten about Li Shiming, who used to tell her stories every day. After arriving on the Beishu Continent and hearing about Li Shiming¡¯s reputation, the memories she had nearly forgotten came back to her clearly.


    She had prepared a plethora of words in her heart to convey to Li Shiming.


    She wanted to re-establish contact with Li Shiming; she was no longer the girl without a care in the world. She had experienced the decline of the seven major sects on Sky Sea Island, hiding every day, and the hardship of scarce cultivation resources.


    She didn¡¯t want to continue living like that. Though her parents had established a foundation on Inner Yang Mountain, compared to Li Shiming, the Alchemy Master, that foundation meant nothing.


    Even that foothold on Inner Yang Mountain was nothing more than something casually arranged by Li Shiming.


    During the few months Ren Fei¡¯er spent on the Beishu Continent, she heard tales of Li Shiming¡¯s exploits all the time. Whether from sect cultivators, merchants, or Loose Cultivators, everyone knew of Li Shiming.


    Whenever Li Shiming¡¯s name was mentioned, every cultivator showed a look of admiration and aspiration.


    But now that she had reached the gates of Shushan Sect, she couldn¡¯t even get a chance to meet Li Shiming, let alone discuss the other thoughts in her heart.


    Ren Fei¡¯er felt somewhat unwilling to give up; she stayed in the town outside Shushan Sect, hoping to meet Li Shiming if she kept vigil there.


    Staying in Gushan Town for one night with her heart full of thoughts, she wasn¡¯t exactly a Loose Cultivator; she had a good number of Spirit Stones and could afford to stay in one of the better inns in town.


    The next morning, when the inn¡¯s waiter brought her Spirit Food, Ren Fei¡¯er was looking out the window and saw a Flying Boat passing high above Gushan Town, the cultivators inside radiating an incredibly strong aura.


    Both of Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s parents were Golden Core cultivators, so she naturally sensed the Golden Core aura emanating from that boat.


    ¡°Noble guest, that¡¯s a Golden Core Elder visiting Master Li. Every day around this time, Golden Core cultivators pass by here!¡± The waiter explained with a smile when he saw Ren Fei¡¯er paying close attention to the Flying Boat in the sky.


    ¡°How do you know they are Golden Core cultivators?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er glanced at the waiter, who seemed to be only at the Qi Refining Second Level. She didn¡¯t believe the waiter could sense the cultivator¡¯s aura inside the Flying Boat.


    ¡°Master Li is an Alchemy Master, someone who can concoct Third-grade Spirit Pills. Apart from Golden Core cultivators, what other cultivators would have the qualification to meet his excellency?¡± The waiter spoke with a hint of pride and self-satisfaction.


    From the waiter¡¯s manner, one might mistakenly think he had a close relationship with Li Shiming.


    ¡°You can go now!¡± The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional. Ren Fei¡¯er felt as if these words were directed at her. She waved her hand to dismiss the waiter.


    The waiter bowed and left, seemingly unaware that his words might have offended someone.


    Ren Fei¡¯er stared blankly at the Flying Boat that was moving farther away, feeling the last glimmer of hope in her heart break at that moment.


    ¡°Big brother!¡± She called out softly, her eyes filled with nostalgia, ending with a sigh of helplessness.


    That day, she took a Flying Boat back to Sunshine Mountain, never to bring up the matter of finding Li Shiming again.

 Chapter 463 278: Growth

    Two years had passed in the blink of an eye, and throughout this time, friction between the righteous and demonic forces on the Beishu Continent continued unabated.


    Fortunately, it hadn''t sparked a major conflict. The biggest disturbance over these two years had been when two Arhats from Qianye Temple ventured deep into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of the Senluo Sect, who discovered and pursued them.


    The two Arhats from Qianye Temple possessed a special secret technique, which allowed them to successfully evade the large-scale pursuit launched by the Senluo Sect.


    Of course, this was also related to the unique geographical environment of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. It wasn''t dominated by the Senluo Sect or, rather, by human Cultivators alone; there resided equally powerful spirit beast clans.


    Once the two Arhats ventured into the territory of the spirit beasts in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, the Senluo Sect could no longer track them.


    Since then, the two Arhats from Qianye Temple seemed to have vanished, leading the Senluo Sect to suspect that they might have fallen to the spirit beasts in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Upon learning the Arhats appeared in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Shiming speculated about their intentions.


    However, Yuan Ba''s clone had been invisible on Sword Holding Peak, so even if the two Arhats truly came for Yuan Ba, their efforts were futile.


    In the second year, Yuan Ba, after choosing three tasks, didn''t immediately accept them but stealthily left his sect. He accepted the tasks only after reaching the vicinity of his targets and quickly completed them, thus swiftly concluding his second year''s assignments.


    For the rest of the time, Yuan Ba never left Sword Holding Peak again.


    During these two years, Li Shiming''s enthusiasm for alchemy had waned.


    He went from producing a furnace of Third-grade Spirit Pills daily to doing so only every ten days.


    Neither the Shushan Sect nor the Beishu Trading Company had any complaints about this.


    He proceeded this way following the advice of his master, Elder Ma.


    Initially, taking on a large number of tasks to create Third-grade Spirit Pills was partly to build a reputation, which is crucial for an Alchemy Master to attract private orders.


    On the other hand, it was to practice extensively, allowing him to gain more experience in crafting Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    However, maintaining a daily production pace of Third-grade Spirit Pills impacted other Alchemy Masters significantly.


    The situation was somewhat better for his master, Elder Ma, whose ability to produce Third-grade Spirit Pills was only affected at the lower grades, with the rest of his business continuing as usual.


    But not all Alchemy Masters could craft Spirit Pills from more than two types of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine, like Elder Ma, which led to conflicts with Li Shiming''s alchemical output.


    Moreover, Li Shiming''s alchemy success rate and quality nearly eliminated any opportunity for other Alchemy Masters to produce low-grade Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Who would want to entrust Spiritual Medicine, capable of producing three high-quality Third-grade Spirit Pills, to an inexperienced Alchemy Master?


    To prevent Li Shiming from inadvertently making enemies with other Alchemy Masters, as well as because he maintained perfection in his craft without the need for further practice, Elder Ma persuaded him to reduce the number of Third-grade Spirit Pills he produced.


    Of course, part of the reason was also the limited supply of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine from the three great sects of the Righteous Path, which couldn''t ensure that Li Shiming could produce a furnace of Third-grade Spirit Pills daily.


    Now, by crafting one furnace of Third-grade Spirit Pills every ten days, Li Shiming''s earnings hadn''t lessened but instead, the value of his services had multiplied several times, with Cultivators paying much more in favors and rewards than before.


    Sitting on a stone bench at the summit of Sword Holding Peak, Li Shiming gazed at the distant scenery.


    In front of him was a cup of Spirit Tea, its light vapor mingling with the fragrance of the Third-grade Spirit Tea, making one feel revitalized even without drinking it.


    Third-grade Spirit Tea had become part of his daily consumption, and this was partly why he had reached the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment in just two short years.


    Ordinarily, even with a supply of top-grade Spirit Pills, this would have taken several more years.


    But a daily cup of Third-grade Spirit Tea, along with various other cultivation aids, had enabled him to advance to the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment within two years.


    And because of the ''Five Elements Qi Absorption Array'' in his Spirit Lake, the Spiritual Power within had been purified to its peak early on, making him feel like he was only a step away from the Golden Core Realm.


    Yet, this single step felt as wide as a chasm; despite having reached his current realm a month ago, he had not progressed any further.


    He flicked a Peak of Second-grade Spirit Pill with his finger, sending it spinning through the air before it vanished.


    He stretched out his hand, swallowed the Peak of Second-grade Spirit Pill, and the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake brought its head under his palm, allowing him to stroke it.


    Presently, the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake was nearly at the same level as him, having reached the Peak of Second Grade, not far from becoming a Third-grade Demon.


    This Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake was probably the fastest-growing of its kind ever.


    No Cultivator except Li Shiming could afford the luxury of feeding top-grade Second-grade Spirit Pills to their pet beast without any reservation.


    Even wealthy Cultivators couldn''t ensure a supply of advanced Spirit Pills.


    It is worth noting that even the True Disciples of the Shushan Sect couldn''t guarantee access to the advanced Spirit Pills needed for their cultivation, let alone have extra to feed to their pet beasts.

 Chapter 464: 278: Growth_2

    Chapter 464: Chapter 278: Growth_2


    Li Shiming, when refining second-grade Spirit Pills, not only charged a third of the compensation but also used the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± to obtain twice the number of Spirit Pills, resulting in his yield from each refinement being more than double that of the Cultivator who provided the Spiritual Medicine.


    It was precisely because of these conditions that the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, which was fond of consuming Spirit Pills, grew rapidly.


    As for Li Shiming¡¯s own defensive capabilities, it could be said that relying solely on the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, he could become invincible among the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Due to the unique qualities of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, even Divine Thought could not detect it, and the snake¡¯s attacks could use intense poison to directly penetrate a Cultivator¡¯s defenses, making it impossible for any Foundation Establishment Cultivator to withstand the venom.


    It is estimated that if there were any Foundation Establishment Cultivator who became his enemy, they would die a perplexing death without him needing to lift a finger.


    Of course, given Li Shiming¡¯s current status, there was no need to worry about his combat power.


    The faction of Elder Ji, which used to oppose him within the sect, was now continuously showing goodwill toward him.


    It is believed that if Elder Ji dared to show even a sliver of animosity against him, other Cultivators of his faction would likely dissuade him en masse, or even betray Elder Ji for their own interests.


    Even though Li Shiming had reduced the number of pills he refined, his skill in Artifact Refining had greatly improved.


    Apart from not refining Magic Artifacts due to his realm limitations, he could readily refine all kinds of other Magic Artifacts and Spiritual Artifacts.


    Within the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s merchandise, Magic Artifacts branded with Li Shiming¡¯s mark, just like his Spirit Pills, became highly sought after by Cultivators.


    The Spiritual Artifacts produced by Li Shiming were able to be crafted two grades higher than the materials used, and the quality was second to none.


    If it were not for the limited quantity of Spiritual Artifacts he produced, he would even potentially impact the market.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll surpass me in no time,¡± Li Shiming said, stroking the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake and muttering to himself.


    Although the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake was rapidly increasing in strength, due to its young age and instinctual loyalty, its Wisdom was not high, and it did not understand what he said.


    This was an expression of his emotions, for by his estimation, if he continued like this, it was feared that he would not find an opportunity for a breakthrough in ten years.


    To tell the truth, not to mention ten years, even spending forty or fifty years to reach the Golden Core Stage would still make him extremely young.


    But he was not satisfied with that; knowing he was only one step away from the Golden Core Stage, he sought to cross that threshold as soon as possible.


    His usual interactions were with Golden Core cultivators, which had vastly broadened his horizons from before, and he knew that once he became a Golden Core cultivator, his Alchemy skills would receive even more attention.


    By then, not only Golden Core cultivators but even Nascent Soul Cultivators would seek his services, and only then would his influence truly grant him security.


    He took a sip of Third Grade Spirit Tea, feeling the fluctuations of Spiritual Power within his Spirit Lake from the ingestion, causing slight ripples, yet unable to increase the Spiritual Energy in the lake by even a bit.


    His Taoist Body had also reached its limit, a zenith achieved through cultivating the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± the Pure Dao Body meeting the theoretical limit of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The only effect of this cup of Third Grade Spirit Tea was to clear his mind a little; all other benefits were wasted.


    A white lotus appeared beneath his feet, and then his figure, along with the lotus, disappeared from sight.


    When he reappeared, he was already inside his cave abode, which had undergone significant changes compared to two years ago.


    Various ornamental and precious Spirit Plants and decorations made the main hall extremely luxurious.


    All these were gifts from Alchemy Seekers who came to request pills, and in gifting, these Alchemy Seekers had indeed thought of everything.


    Just to ascertain his preferences, even his three Senior Brothers had benefited greatly, each glowing with health and all their Spiritual Artifacts upgraded.


    The Eldest Senior Sister had just advanced to the Golden Core Stage and was in closed-door cultivation, thus missing out on many benefits.


    Ignoring the rare Spiritual Objects in the hall, he walked into the Cultivation Room.


    The Third Grade Golden Lotus had grown much larger than it was two years ago, a result of continuous nurturing with third-grade spiritual items. The two Spirit Cleansing Carps had grown to a sizable length, swimming dynamically in the Spiritual Spring.


    It was precisely because of the Third Grade Golden Lotus and the Spirit Cleansing Carps that the Spiritual Energy and environment inside the Cultivation Room were excellent. Whether he was cultivating or not, he spent most of his time in the cave dwelling here.


    He took out a Jade Scroll and began to read with his Divine Thought; it was an Array Formation Jade Scroll.


    Owing to the substantial contribution points received from the sect for refining Third-grade Spirit Pills, he had enough contribution to splurge on acquiring a great deal of Formation knowledge.


    However, the Formation knowledge did not lead him to a breakthrough to become an Array Master. It only caused his Array Formation Starlight Sea to expand once more, nearly doubling the number of stars within its galaxy.


    In the matter of breaking through to become an Array Master, he even sought the help of Yin Shilan to consult her master, Master Luo.


    According to Master Luo, a breakthrough to become an Array Master required an epiphany. With the presence of the IBMz15, Li Shiming could address any Formation knowledge through data analysis.


    This allowed Li Shiming to solve Formation puzzles more quickly, but it also deprived him of the chance to experience any epiphanies.


    Fortunately, this did not hinder his application of Formations. As of now, in the field of Formations, there was hardly any distinction between him and true Array Masters¡ªin fact, in many computational aspects, he even surpassed some Array Masters.


    While he was quietly contemplating Formation knowledge, he suddenly sensed something. His consciousness entered the computer room space and connected with the IBMz15.


    The IBMz15 projected the display onto his eyes, and he saw countless formulas and data flashing across the screen.


    ¡°It seems new experiments are needed!¡± He was very clear about the formulas and data, understanding the implications they held.


    This was a brand-new research project. He planned to deploy satellites in near-Earth orbit.


    The data on this subject, including all the technical aspects, was complete in the IBMz15, posing no substantial difficulty.


    But in practice, he had already failed five times, marking the highest number of failures in his research.


    Only five failures might not seem much, but keep in mind he had the support of vast amounts of data, buttressed by countless experimental trials of his predecessors.


    Under normal circumstances, there shouldn¡¯t have been consecutive failures at all.


    Yet, after five failures, from the data gathered, he made a startling discovery: the world he inhabited did not seem to be spherical.


    He remembered the first experiment, when he, seeking to minimize influences on the test, had taken the manufactured rocket to just below the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    He did not endow the rocket with any cultivation techniques, at most he utilized artifact refining methods to strengthen the material.


    Without any cultivation techniques, the rocket entered the Thirty-Three Heavens as he expected, and it was still able to constantly send real-time data back to him through the communicator.


    While the rocket appeared as a product of high technology, the great technological challenge lay in the rocket engine. The demand for chips, by contrast, was laughably low.


    The micro-scale chips he produced had a significant computational surplus when used in rockets.


    In his opinion, with materials strengthened through artifact refining techniques, the rocket should at least reach the technological capacity of rockets from his past world without utilizing cultivation techniques.


    Furthermore, with a complete accumulation of data, even if the world he was in wasn¡¯t quite the same, the probability of a successful launch was very high.


    But under the watchful eye of data, the rocket kept ascending, penetrated the Thirty-Three Heavens, and reached the designated orbital altitude.


    Then it flew farther and farther away, never returning.


    After this first experiment, Li Shiming thought the planetary data of the world he was in was not completely identical to that of the planets from his former life, so he recalculated based on the existing data.


    This led to the second, third, and up to the fifth experiment, but each time the rocket could not return to its predetermined position.


    Nonetheless, the rockets sent out in these five experiments were not a waste; they provided him with vast amounts of data. He reformulated the computational formula and used IBMz15 to calculate the near-Earth data appropriate for this world.

 Chapter 465: 279: Strength

    Chapter 465: Chapter 279: Strength


    Li Shiming was about a hundred miles outside the sect, a distance that could not really be considered leaving the mountain gate, for this area still fell within the highest surveillance range of the Sect Formation.


    Golden Core cultivators arriving here would be detected by the Sect Formation.


    He flew upwards, only stopping when he reached an altitude of ten thousand meters.


    At this point, the monitoring power of the formation below had weakened considerably, largely because the proximity to the Thirty-Three Heavens caused significant interference with Spiritual Power.


    From his Space Ring, he retrieved a fire rocket; since becoming a Guest Elder of the Beishu Trading Company, any of his needs were fully met by the company.


    The super-sized Beishu Trading Company could not be compared to the small trading companies he had collaborated with on Sky Sea Island.


    They delivered any item, be it Spiritual Objects or mundane items, in any quantity, as long as he could provide a name for them.


    This enabled him to create enough liquid hydrogen to carry out his experiments as he wished.


    As for the rocket¡¯s outer shell, such mundane metal was easily crafted, and with the reinforcement of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire, it was no worse than the aerospace alloys of his previous life.


    The huge rocket was secured by a launch pad, which was no ordinary object but a modified Flying Boat.


    The launch pad floated ten thousand meters in the air, with the massive rocket supported by it.


    Li Shiming checked the time, recalibrating the timing chip inside the rocket with the monitoring instruments.


    Since the experiment was a solo endeavor, there was no need to concern himself with any sense of ceremony.


    With a thought, he activated the rocket¡¯s engines, and flames spat downwards.


    All the clamps on the launch pad automatically released, and under the powerful thrust, the rocket slowly ascended.


    Conducting these tests here, he was not worried about other cultivators discovering them, for with his status and identity, some excessive personal hobbies would not cause any trouble.


    Besides, he had the reputation of being a genius Artifact Refiner on his side, so experimenting with Artifact Refining techniques was entirely normal for him.


    Once the rocket entered the domain of the Thirty-Three Heavens, its condition could only be inferred through monitoring instruments.


    Launching a rocket from ten thousand meters up had the advantage of saving a significant amount of fuel. Such a rocket launch pad capable of floating at such an altitude was unachievable with the technology of his previous life, without the use of Cultivation Techniques.


    Of course, due to the rocket being launched directly upwards, it consumed more fuel than a typical rocket launch would.


    However, according to calculations from the IBMz15, the fuel was sufficient for the rocket to reach the designated altitude.


    As the first stage of the rocket separated, it exited the dense atmosphere; Earth¡¯s gravity became exceedingly weak.


    The second stage engine ignited, propelling the rocket further upwards until it reached the designated altitude.


    Down below, Li Shiming¡¯s eyes flashed with astonishment as he closely monitored the data from the IBMz15, which was revealing part of the world¡¯s secrets to him.


    ¡°Activate the camera function!¡± he spoke solemnly to himself, manually triggering the action as the second stage of the rocket separated and the rocket¡¯s nose, maintained by the last bit of fuel, held its altitude.


    Although the previous five experiments had given him some idea of the facts, he still found it hard to believe the discovery confirmed by this test.


    The camera on the rocket was switched on, and with the remaining fuel being limited, he could not guarantee how long the rocket could maintain its altitude.


    Unlike his initial idea of deploying monitoring satellites in the high altitude atmosphere, after several experiments, he had lost much of his interest in setting up satellites. Instead, he was more interested in the pursuit of truth.


    The rocket held for thirty-five seconds before it began to fall back to Earth due to fuel exhaustion, and in the process of its rapid descent through the upper atmosphere, it turned into a ball of fire.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t show any lament over the sixth failure, nor did he feel pained at the loss of a rocket.


    Unlike in his previous life, in the Cultivation World, the value of mundane items was extremely low, and had it not been for his request, the Beishu Trading Company would not have taken such a low-value order.


    The major cost of a mundane rocket was the investment of his time.


    Indeed, the time of an Alchemy Master was exceedingly precious. The time he spent in the manufacturing facility he had established at Sword Holding Peak, with its spatial formation, was worth a billion times more than the materials used in his experiments.


    Li Shiming went to the projection room of the manufacturing facility. He transferred the recording from the monitoring instrument to the projection equipment.


    Including the entire manufacturing facility, everything here was different from the outside Cultivation World.


    Everything was built in the style he had controlled in his previous life; although the projection room was for his use alone, it was still designed like a small cinema.


    The decoration and the equipment within were the results of his years of effort.


    Items that seemed ordinary in his previous life had only been realized after painstakingly reconstructing the technology.


    Only in the Cultivation World, with the aid of Divine Thought and the vast amount of technical data in the IBMz15, could he hope to recreate the technology of his previous world single-handedly.


    Especially after he learned Artifact Refining, he no longer needed to use electric arc furnaces for many manufacturing processes and switched to using the Red Sun Spiritual Fire instead, which saved him a great deal of time, allowing him to accomplish so much in just two years.


    After taking his seat, images began to appear on the screen in front of him.

 Chapter 466 279 Strength_2

    The view was from a high angle overlooking the land, and what made his scalp tingle was that he didn''t see the edge of the world but only the entire Beishu Continent and some islands near the Beishu Continent, beyond which lay the ocean.


    Even knowing that this land was vast, he had no idea that a photograph taken from such a high altitude would capture only the Beishu Continent.


    At this height, in his previous life, one could have captured the outline of a planet.


    What shocked him even more was the curvature of the earth. He had believed the earth was flat, based on the data returned from numerous failed rocket launches that had been analyzed by the IBM z15.


    But according to this image, the earth still had a curvature, albeit very slight. If the land beneath his feet was still a sphere, he couldn''t even imagine how large this planet must be.


    He shook his head, realizing that his original satellite plan had to be abandoned, because based on this image, he needed to overturn all previous space research from his former life and establish a new theory of space tailored to this world.


    He was not short on time. Currently in the Foundation Establishment stage, he could live two hundred years, and once he broke through to the Golden Core, his lifespan would extend to five hundred years.


    He had plenty of time to reinvent a space theory that conformed to this world, but this would definitely not be achieved swiftly, so he decided to put aside his yearning for space for the time being.


    However, there was an alternative method: using drones at an altitude close to the Thirty-Three Heavens, some ten thousand meters up, to set up temporary low-altitude satellites.


    Few cultivators were willing to approach ten thousand meters, mainly because it was too dangerous¡ªcultivators'' control over such heights was not as precise as his.


    Most cultivators did not venture above three thousand meters in the air. Awe of high altitudes began from the early stages of being a cultivator, and only those in the Golden Core stage or higher ever ascended to the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    Given the scarcity of cultivators at the Golden Core stage and higher, plus the vastness of the sky, a drone fitted with array formation patterns to conceal spiritual energy fluctuations could communicate with the ground using only the radio waves of the previous era.


    These radio waves, unrelated to spiritual energy, were unlikely to attract the attention of cultivators, thus greatly reducing the risk of detection.


    Li Shiming shifted his research focus to long-endurance drones, and this task was simplified since he did not have to consider using only mundane materials.


    His skill in artifact refining was already great and, combined with his almost Array Master-level knowledge of formations and years of studying mechanical engineering and electronic science, he had merged the wisdom of both the previous world and the Cultivation World.


    The toughest problem of energy from his previous life was the easiest to solve here: spirit stones were small, yet stored a vast amount of spiritual energy within.


    If he used mid-grade spirit stones, their transformed power could keep a drone flying for several months.


    While Li Shiming was immersed in his research, Li Yuan Ba, his other self stationed in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, needed to emerge from seclusion once again.


    Two years, a very short period for any cultivator¡ªbut in just those two years, Li Yuan Ba had made rapid progress in his cultivation.


    Sitting next to the five treasure-grade flying swords at the summit of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Li Yuan Ba''s aura seemed to merge with that of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, his Sword Intent appearing as one with the Sword Intent of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    If a cultivator from the Senluo Sect recognized him, they would be astounded by the rate of his cultivation progress.


    His aura had now reached Late-stage Foundation Establishment, and in just two short years, he had advanced from Mid-stage to Late-stage Foundation Establishment, nearing the peak of Foundation Establishment¡ªa cultivation speed almost inconceivable.


    However, this cultivation speed occurred quite naturally, aided not only by a considerable amount of top-grade spirit pills but also because of the impact of annihilating Niu Ziru, a Golden Core cultivator, on his Sword Intent.


    Since that return to Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Li Yuan Ba''s Sword Intent had been increasing at an exceptionally rapid pace.


    Suddenly, a breeze began to stir atop Ten Thousand Sword Peak, growing stronger by the moment.


    If one were to sense it carefully, they would realize it wasn''t just wind but him detaching his Sword Intent from its connection with Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Ten Thousand Sword Peak had already become different from before; every position where a flying sword was planted was reinforced with Artifact Refining materials, and the reinforced parts of the ten thousand flying swords were integrated with the entire Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Aside from the core part which had not yet been completed, Elder Lv had devoted countless efforts to designing the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure design and collecting the refindered materials. Only the core Third-grade Refining Materials were not used, and all others were completed by Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba only needed to turn the core Third-grade Refining Materials into the core of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure as per the requirements, and then he could transform the Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a treasure.


    This task naturally had to wait until he reached the Golden Core Stage to proceed, and presently he had done everything that he could.


    Retracting the Sword Intent back into his body, he slowly stood up.


    His aura was not hidden at all; his sky-surging Sword Intent combined with his near Foundation Establishment Peak realm, his combat power had improved several times compared to two years ago.


    He had not expected that, in the absence of the limitations of the Sword Intent, the effects of cultivating with top-grade Spirit Pills would be so good.


    Even the Pure Dao Body of his original self, Li Shiming, seemed to be slower in cultivation speed than his.


    Both were cultivating with top-grade Spirit Pills to their maximum capacity; it just came down to the two Dao Body''s ability to absorb Spiritual Energy.


    And on Li Shiming''s side, the aid of the Third Grade Golden Lotus and the Spirit Cleansing Carp helped, not to mention that Li Shiming had even made Third Grade Spiritual Tea his daily drink.


    Yet, he still did not exceed the cultivation speed of Li Yuanba; the difference likely had to do with the Supreme Yang and Yin Body formed after Li Yuanba cultivated "Purple Qi Eastward."


    To balance this Supreme Yang and Yin, Li Yuanba maintained his human state during the day and cultivated the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique."


    At night he transformed into a Corpse Refining state, which didn''t require any Cultivation Technique to actively absorb Spiritual Energy; his body naturally absorbed the cold Yin energy of heaven and earth.


    This discovery came from two years ago when he transformed into a Corpse Refining state at night and perceived the change in his body.


    It seemed that because the top-grade Spirit Pills had made his human state''s Supreme Yang exceed the Corpse Refining state''s Yin, the transformation into Corpse Refining caused his body to instinctively balance itself, crazily absorbing the cold Yin energy.


    The next day, he noticed something unusual; the improvements in both his human and Corpse Refining states were entirely reflected in his realm enhancement, effectively giving him double the cultivation effect.


    It is important to note that during the day, his human state was undergoing cultivation with top-grade Spirit Pills, and at night, due to the time required for the pill effects to diminish, no top-grade Spirit Pills were consumed.


    Between the Yin and Yang, he was essentially consuming double the top-grade Spirit Pills each day to aid his cultivation, and naturally, this made his cultivation speed surpass that of his original form.


    It is indeed not Li Yuanba''s fault for not realizing this initially.


    Firstly, his Dao Body, transformed by cultivating "Purple Qi Eastward," was a type of Dao Body that had never appeared in any record before, and understanding this kind of Dao Body''s characteristics required a long time of personal exploration.


    Li Yuanba, embodying both life and death in one state, while not without precedent, certainly was not discovered in historical records as previously existing.


    Li Yuanba came about by accident, which was further influenced by Li Shiming''s lack of knowledge about cultivation, eventually turning the accident into a split identity.


    Moreover, due to the abilities of the original body, Li Shiming, the split identity Li Yuanba grew, and through "Purple Qi Eastward" achieved this unknown Dao Body.


    Secondly, although Li Yuanba had his own cave dwelling previously, it was within Ten Thousand Sword Peak. Even confident that Elder Jian would not discover anything within the dwelling, he dared not transform into a Corpse within the gaze of Elder Jian.


    Only now that he was cultivating alone, did he have the opportunity to switch between Corpse Refining state and human state at any time.

 Chapter 467: 280 Divine Skills

    Chapter 467: Chapter 280 Divine Skills


    Li Yuanba gave his Taoist body a name, calling it the ¡®Taiji Dao Body.¡¯ He had originally planned to name it the Yin Yang Dao Body, which would have been more fitting, but that sounded too unpleasant.


    ¡°It seems that Master¡¯s news can¡¯t be kept secret much longer!¡± he murmured to himself.


    Two years had passed, and Elder Jian had never appeared, which had already led to much speculation among the cultivators within the sect.


    Li Yuanba was still able to obtain some information within the sect; the information he got wasn¡¯t from befriending fellow disciples, but rather, he purchased it with spirit stones.


    There was a power within the sect that specialized in selling information, which he paid attention to after hearing other cultivators talk about it during mission assignments.


    Now, every few days, that information-selling power would reliably send him various news within the sect, and the price was not high, just around a hundred or so spirit stones per month.


    Recently, rumors about Elder Jian had been increasingly suggesting that more and more cultivators suspected Elder Jian had entered seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Even a Golden Core Elder took the initiative to visit Ten Thousand Sword Peak, wanting to enter, but was blocked by Li Yuanba.


    Although Li Yuanba was in Ten Thousand Sword Peak, even a Golden Core Elder might not be able to harm him, but if he could avoid trouble, he would not bring it upon Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    With his ability to freely command the sword intent of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, there, his combat power was roughly equivalent to confronting someone in the middle stage of the Golden Core.


    Originally, he had planned to seclude himself for all but the three annual sect assignments, not leaving Ten Thousand Sword Peak at all.


    But plans cannot keep up with changes, and his realm had reached a point where he must leave seclusion.


    He needed to find his original body, Li Shiming, to retrieve some Vessel Protecting Pills, Soul Stabilizing Pills, Resurrection Pills, and Mountain-Breaking Pills, to prepare for his later formation of the Golden Core.


    He had planned for this to take more than four years, but who would have thought that he would reach the expected realm in just two years.


    This time, Li Yuanba did not intend to tell anyone about his departure; he planned to leave quietly.


    It was still unclear whether Ancestor Lu had re-entered seclusion, but as long as there was no absolute confirmation that Elder Jian was secluding to breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage, no Golden Core Elder would dare to attack Ten Thousand Sword Peak¡¯s great formation.


    Therefore, the safety of Ten Thousand Sword Peak did not need to be worried about for the short term, but given the current situation, it probably could not be upheld for much longer.


    This was also the reason why he was in such a hurry; he needed to advance to the Golden Core Stage and completely transform Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a magical treasure to ensure its safety.


    As a sword cultivator, the importance of Ten Thousand Sword Peak to him goes without saying; without the sword intent of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, his sword intent could not be improved rapidly.


    The improvement of sword intent is even more difficult than the improvement of cultivation level to some extent; otherwise, the previous sect would not have invested massive resources and a long time to create a sword intent inheritance like Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    According to his estimation, Ten Thousand Sword Peak was extremely important for his cultivation at least until the late stage of Golden Core.


    Without Ten Thousand Sword Peak, his cultivation speed would greatly decrease.


    Although he planned to leave quietly, no matter how stealthily he acted, he was still unable to conceal it from the sect¡¯s great formation; what he needed to do was to leave the range of the sect¡¯s great formation as quickly as possible at night and then use the ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ to escape far away.


    Li Yuanba closed off Ten Thousand Sword Peak, fully activating the great formation into automatic defense mode.


    He himself turned into a sword light and flew towards the gate, by the time a few Golden Core Elders within the sect who were highly concerned about him realized he had left the gate, they were no longer able to locate him.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s figure intermittently appeared and disappeared in the night, with each step accompanied by the emergence of white lotuses, his stride now reaching two hundred meters.


    As he looked back towards the direction of the Senluo Sect¡¯s gate, a hint of helplessness appeared on his face.


    Who would have thought that as a True Disciple of Senluo Sect, he would always need to be cautious, for after all, the Demon Sect is the Demon Sect; no matter how peaceful it seems on the surface, the darkness hidden within is far more terrifying.


    Another reason he left quietly was because he didn¡¯t want any fellow disciples to know his cultivation level.


    Simply by occupying Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he had already aroused the envy of many fellow cultivators, and if it were to be revealed that his cultivation had improved to the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment in a mere two years, it was likely that even some Golden Core Elders with strong backgrounds might strike at him within the sect.


    Not until the gate was no longer in sight did he finally let down his guard; this time he planned to return to the territories of the Righteous Path forces, specifically to a location close to Shushan Sect, to meet with his original body, Li Shiming, in person.


    Atop a cliff in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, within a cave concealed by vines, two monks with barely any signs of life suddenly opened their eyes together.


    They were two Arhats from Qianye Temple, Zhi Xin Arhat and Wisdom Arhat.


    They appeared dusty as if they had been in the cave for a long time.


    Several years ago, Zhi Xin Arhat and Wisdom Arhat entered the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and were pursued by Senluo Sect.


    Senluo Sect believed the two Arhats to have fallen prey to spirit beasts and didn¡¯t expect them to be right near Jieshan Mountain Pass, having faked death using a Buddhist secret technique to disguise themselves as inanimate objects and lying in wait.


    After opening their eyes, Zhi Xin and Wisdom¡¯s vitality also manifested in their bodies.


    Although they had been in a death-like state for over two years, it took them only about ten breaths to recover; even the dust on their bodies was shaken off by the restoration of their spiritual power, leaving them immaculate.


    Zhi Xin and Wisdom maintained mental communication with one another through a secret technique, which was why they awoke simultaneously.

 Chapter 468: 280 Divine Skills_2

    Chapter 468: Chapter 280 Divine Skills_2


    ¡°¡±Senior Brother Wisdom, have you perceived something?¡± Zhi Xin Arhat had not spoken for a long time; he slowly began to inquire.


    He knew that if nothing had been discovered, Wisdom Arhat would not have awoken.


    ¡°That person has left the Senluo Sect¡¯s gates!¡± Wisdom Arhat replied indifferently.


    Zhi Xin Arhat did not doubt Wisdom Arhat¡¯s answer, because the reason why Qianye Temple sent Wisdom Arhat to search for the possible reincarnation of a Bodhisattva was because Wisdom Arhat had cultivated ¡®Fate Communication.¡¯


    Among the several Divine Skills of Buddhism, ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ is considered quite special.


    ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ does not reveal visions from thousands of miles away like Heavenly Vision, nor does it hear all sounds like Heavenly Ear Technique, and it certainly does not allow one to travel tens of thousands of miles in a day like Divine Foot Skill.


    Yet, ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ is the most mysterious Divine Skill; once it acquires the aura of a living being, it can deduce the past and future events of that being based on their aura.


    The reason Qianye Temple is so certain that Li Yuanba is the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva is largely due to ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ examining Li Yuanba¡¯s past.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s past is a blank slate, as if he never had a childhood and appeared as an adult from the beginning.


    Such an inability to view one¡¯s past normally only happens when a reincarnated Bodhisattva enacts measures to conceal their vulnerable early years, something not even a Venerable could do.


    ¡°He has practiced ¡®Step by Step Lotus.¡¯ You¡¯ll need to find out his path in advance, Senior Brother Wisdom!¡± Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s speech was now normal again, as he continued.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Wisdom Arhat nodded slowly, a divine light flashing in his eyes.


    After a moment, he showed signs of weariness and took out a Jade Scroll map to mark something on it, then closed his eyes to rest.


    ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ investigation into another¡¯s future, if not a significant event, is negligible in terms of energy consumption.


    However, detailed investigation into a specific area requires a significant price to be paid in order to gain information.


    Wisdom Arhat¡¯s ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ is almost always used for events critical to Qianye Temple, and since he is too important to the temple, they dare not let him exhaust himself excessively.


    Zhi Xin Arhat took the Jade Scroll, saw that a location had been marked on the map inside, along with an approximate time range.


    He calculated the timing in his mind; even though he had feigned death for a long time, his judgment of time remained extremely precise.


    He too closed his eyes to rest, aiming to recover his peak condition.


    ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ though only an introductory skill of Divine Foot Skill, still offers an unrivaled speed, and even for Golden Core cultivators, if they lack the means to kill Li Yuanba on the spot or the ability to trap him, it is almost impossible to catch him.


    Moreover, the two Arhats¡¯ mission was not to kill Li Yuanba; they wanted to take him back to Qianye Temple alive.


    Once Li Yuanba was brought back to Qianye Temple, using the resources of the temple, he would naturally gain innate wisdom and remember his past lives.


    Qianye Temple had paid such a great price also because they did not want the reincarnated Bodhisattva to fall into Devil Cultivation; for Buddhism, it meant not just the loss of a reincarnated Bodhisattva, but even the potential addition of a Devil Cultivation Nascent Soul on the other side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± After some time, Wisdom Arhat stood up and said.


    Zhi Xin Arhat also stood up, and the auras of the two Arhats once again became obscure and indistinct, a strange energy, akin to divine power, enveloped and protected them.


    Li Yuanba deeply enjoyed using ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ to travel, this speed, this boundless sensation, subtly resonated with his Sword Intent.


    Of course, he was extremely cautious along the way, expanding his Divine Thought to its utmost, detecting all potential dangers.


    Even while employing ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ he held back some strength, ready to unleash another ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ at any sign of danger, allowing him to quickly flee.


    Ever since Elder Yue targeted him and Independent Practitioner Golden Core Niu Ziru set traps for him, he knew that his enemies likely included those at the Golden Core Stage.


    His only means of self-protection against a Golden Core cultivator was the ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    He had been extremely careful and cautious. By his judgment, no one should have been able to track him, given his incredibly fast pace. Even if some cultivators noticed he had left the sect, they couldn¡¯t catch up to him.


    Nor had he mentioned his travel route to anyone; setting up an ambush on his path ahead was out of the question.


    He was confident that he would reach Jieshan Pass before dawn and pass through it.


    After multiple times deciphering the grand formations at Jieshan Pass by his true self, Li Yuanba, he could similarly break the formations and freely pass through the defenses of both the righteous and demonic grand formations.


    The moment his figure appeared on an outcrop of rock in the valley, he seemed to have entered some illusion, with countless deities and Buddhas appearing in his consciousness, drowning it with waves of Buddhist chant.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s silhouette stood on the rock, his feet supported by the white lotus that appeared out of nowhere, motionless.


    Zhi Xin Arhat had his hands held together in prayer, continuously reciting scriptures. He was actually quite close to the rock.


    He, too, had cultivated Divine Skills, and his practice was ¡°Telepathy,¡± a skill that could influence the minds of others.


    Since Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s Telepathy was only at the introductory stage, its influential range was limited.


    However, for Telepathy to be considered a Buddhist Divine Skill, it naturally has its unique aspects.


    The mental energy emitted by Telepathy, creating a protective shield, was not only capable of concealing both him and Wisdom Arhat¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern, but it could also block a cultivator¡¯s danger perception.


    The latter was even more important, as a cultivator¡¯s perception of danger is closely related to their mental strength.


    To shield this kind of danger perception was extremely difficult; the closer the distance and the greater the disparity in strength, the more intense the danger perception becomes.


    Zhi Xin Arhat used the mental energy of Telepathy to conceal himself and Wisdom Arhat about ten meters from the rock Li Yuanba would pass by. For a cultivator, ten meters was already within an absolute range where the slightest anomaly could trigger their perception.


    Li Yuanba had remained on the highest alert throughout his journey, with Divine Thought constantly scanning his surroundings. Yet, he failed to detect the two Arhats just ten meters away, demonstrating the terrifying aspect of Telepathy.


    Concealing oneself was not the greatest function of Telepathy; its utmost use was to influence the minds of others.


    Like now, any attack aimed at Li Yuanba could trigger the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± he had prepared for escape.


    But the net of mental energy from Telepathy had ensnared him in a trap designed for the mind; all the divine figures he saw and the Buddhist chants he heard were effects imposed on him by Zhi Xin Arhat.


    When Li Yuanba¡¯s mind was controlled, he lost control over his body, rendering all escape actions impossible.


    Zhi Xin Arhat was on the left, and Wisdom Arhat on the right. They slowly approached Li Yuanba, for whom the ten-meter distance was merely a step away for them.


    However, Zhi Xin Arhat wished to prolong the time Li Yuanba was under mental influence, making it more convenient to take him back later without considering any resistance from Li Yuanba.


    At the Shushan Sect¡¯s Sword Holding Peak, far away, Li Shiming¡¯s teacup-holding hand paused in mid-air.


    The very instant Li Yuanba¡¯s clone was mentally affected, Li Shiming¡¯s true self sensed it.


    A stream of consciousness followed the inexplicable spiritual connection between his true self and his clone, reaching into the body of Li Yuanba¡¯s clone.


    Upon entering Li Yuanba¡¯s body, Li Shiming immediately experienced the same mental illusion as his clone.


    Fortunately, IBMz15¡¯s early-warning feature detected the influence on his mind and issued a timely psychic-level alert, affording him the opportunity to retract his consciousness from Li Yuanba¡¯s clone.


    ¡°Damn it, why won¡¯t Qianye Temple leave me alone!¡± Li Shiming muttered angrily to himself.

 Chapter 469 281: Reflective Damage

    Li Shiming no longer transferred his consciousness, but Li Yuanba was still, fundamentally, his Life-bound Corpse Refinement. Despite Li Yuanba''s existence being too special, some control methods over the Life-bound Corpse Refinement remain unchanged.


    Li Shiming used the soul connection with Li Yuanba, allowing the IBMz15 to borrow Li Yuanba''s five senses to observe the situation over there.


    Then, through controlling the Life-bound Corpse Refinement, he directly bypassed Li Yuanba and remotely maneuvered his body.


    With a smile on his face, Zhi Xin Arhat, under the influence of "Telepathy," could affect Li Yuanba from such a close distance. Regardless of Li Yuanba being in the Golden Core Stage, as long as his cultivation level did not exceed Zhi Xin Arhat''s, he would be subject to the influence of "Telepathy."


    Not to mention that Li Yuanba was only in the late-stage Foundation Establishment; how could he resist the close-range attack of "Telepathy?"


    There had been no cultivator who, once trapped in the illusions of "Telepathy," could escape on their own. This was where Zhi Xin Arhat''s confidence lay.


    In fact, had it not been for Li Yuanba mastering the Divine Skill "Step by Step Lotus" and being recognized as the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, Qianye Temple would not have dispatched Zhi Xin Arhat and Wisdom Arhat.


    Zhi Xin Arhat and Wisdom Arhat, as inheritors of Divine Skills, were extremely rare even in Qianye Temple.


    It was only due to the frequent emergence of distinguished individuals in recent generations at Qianye Temple that they possessed such a foundation.


    Zhi Xin Arhat''s "Telepathy" and Wisdom Arhat''s "Fate Communication" were unique occurrences over a span of a thousand years; usually, they were well-protected within Qianye Temple.


    By using "Telepathy," Zhi Xin Arhat could not only pull Li Yuanba into a mental illusion but also sense Li Yuanba''s spirit and ascertain his current state.


    Therefore, he was sure that Li Yuanba would no longer be able to resist, and even Wisdom Arhat relaxed considerably. Wisdom Arhat knew the power of "Telepathy" and had absolute faith in Zhi Xin Arhat''s abilities.


    They were both closing in on Li Yuanba, yet they didn''t want to resort to using their treasures to bind Li Yuanba so quickly.


    For the sake of Li Yuanba, they had spent over two years in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Even as Buddhist monks, they craved the sensation of victory.


    "Careful!" shouted Wisdom Arhat suddenly, sensing an alert.


    "Fate Communication" issued a warning to him. He didn''t know the origin of this warning, but such a situation only occurred when danger was imminent.


    Zhi Xin Arhat was taken aback, and just as Wisdom Arhat issued the warning, Li Yuanba, who was supposed to be motionless, moved.


    Theoretically, in the Cultivation World, a cultivator controlled by "Telepathy" should not be able to regain control of their body before breaking free from "Telepathy."


    However, this did not include the clone, Li Yuanba. Indeed, Li Yuanba''s spirit was controlled by "Telepathy," trapped in an endless influence of divine and Buddhist forces.


    But Li Yuanba was still a Life-bound Corpse Refinement, and Li Shiming could completely bypass Li Yuanba and forcefully control the Life-bound Corpse Refinement through it.


    Furthermore, the IBMz15, which was not affected by "Telepathy," could clearly perceive the environment Li Yuanba was in, providing Li Shiming with a precise target while manipulating the clone, Li Yuanba.


    A longsword mysteriously appeared in Li Yuanba''s hand; the Third Grade material, combined with his strength reaching the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment, bordered the quality of the longsword between a Spiritual Artifact and a magical treasure.


    Enhanced by Li Yuanba''s Supreme Yang Sword Intent, the power of the Third Grade Sword Base could almost reach the edge of a treasure''s force.


    When the Third Grade Sword Base was swung with full strength, Li Shiming had mobilized all of Li Yuanba''s Sword Intent and spiritual power, slashing towards Zhi Xin Arhat.


    It was only because Wisdom Arhat had foreseen the danger and issued a warning that Zhi Xin Arhat was able to evade in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow as the Third Grade Sword Base came slashing down.


    Zhi Xin Arhat, having cast "Telepathy" and trusting in it, had not applied any defense to himself.


    Feeling humiliated to ambush a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Li Yuanba with the abilities of an Arhat, Zhi Xin Arhat would feel dissatisfied if he were overly cautious even when Li Yuanba was under complete control.


    Zhi Xin Arhat dodged the lethal strike, but his right arm was swept by the Third Grade Sword Base and detached from his body.


    Without pausing, Li Yuanba continued his actions; activating "Step by Step Lotus" while swinging his sword, he vanished on the spot. In the instant he disappeared, he didn''t forget to grab the severed arm.


    His entire chain of actions flowed like drifting clouds and flowing water. In front of the two Arhats, he not only wounded one of them but also managed to escape successfully.


    Everything happened too fast, and Wisdom Arhat made a mistake. Since he had a deep trust in Zhi Xin Arhat''s abilities, he mistook the danger for a threat coming from the perimeter.


    Thus, as Li Yuanba executed his sword strike, Wisdom Arhat was scanning the surroundings and did not focus his main spirit on his side.


    By the time Li Yuanba''s sword strike landed, and Wisdom Arhat turned to attack him, Li Yuanba had already disappeared using "Step by Step Lotus," causing Wisdom Arhat''s attack to miss.


    Once he escaped, Li Yuanba did not stop. His figure flickered forward, spanning a distance of two hundred meters.


    Seeing Li Yuanba flee into the distance, Wisdom Arhat did not pursue, knowing all too well the power of the "Step by Step Lotus" at the entrance level. Once Li Yuanba activated "Step by Step Lotus" with all his might, catching up to him would be impossible.


    Wisdom Arhat approached Zhi Xin Arhat and used his spiritual power to secure the area of Zhi Xin Arhat''s severed arm.

 Chapter 470: 281 Counter Damage_2

    Chapter 470: Chapter 281 Counter Damage_2


    He wasn¡¯t too worried about the severed arm injury of Zhi Xin Arhat, but rather concerned that if Li Yuan Ba forcibly detached himself from ¡°Telepathy,¡± whether Zhi Xin Arhat might suffer from a backlash of Divine Skills.


    On Li Yuan Ba¡¯s end, after executing ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± once more, he had escaped the range of ¡°Telepathy,¡± and his mind was no longer influenced by the illusions of ¡°Telepathy.¡±


    He regained control over his body and continued to use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± without pause, distancing himself from the two Arhats.


    It was only when he had continuously executed ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± and reached the area near Jieshan Mountain Pass that he finally stopped.


    Approaching Jieshan Mountain Pass, he no longer had to worry about the two Arhats pursuing him.


    Normally, several Golden Core Elders from the Senluo Sect were stationed here, and their formation could detect any Golden Core cultivators approaching in advance.


    ¡°Damn Qianye Temple!¡± Both the clone Li Yuan Ba and the original Li Shiming voiced simultaneously in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and at Sword Holding Peak of the Shushan Sect.


    Li Shiming dared not imagine what would happen if the clone Li Yuan Ba were taken back to Qianye Temple. Li Yuan Ba¡¯s existence was indeed very unique, but Li Shiming couldn¡¯t guarantee that nothing would be discovered when Qianye Temple started to analyze him.


    He was well aware that the so-called reincarnation was utterly nonsensical.


    The loss of the clone Li Yuan Ba had a tremendous impact on Li Shiming.


    It was impossible for Li Shiming himself to exclusively practice the Sword Cultivator¡¯s heritage, which required total dedication and persistence.


    However, the existence of Li Yuan Ba allowed Li Shiming to possess a certain degree of a Sword Cultivator¡¯s combat capabilities.


    Most importantly, Li Yuan Ba¡¯s external actions and handling of dangerous matters greatly ensured the safety of Li Shiming¡¯s original self.


    Li Shiming considered Li Yuan Ba as an extension of himself, no different from his own limbs, except that it was detached from his body.


    Qianye Temple intended to sever his limbs, which naturally infuriated him.


    Thinking of limbs, Li Yuan Ba couldn¡¯t help but glance at the right arm of Zhi Xin Arhat he had brought with him.


    When he took the arm, it was partly out of convenience, and partly because he knew that the loss of the arm would make it more difficult for Zhi Xin Arhat to regenerate the limb.


    Even if he had severed the arm, without taking it with him, Zhi Xin Arhat could still reattach it using a Spirit Pill for repairing limbs.


    As for the Sword Intent that lingered on the arm, having two Arhats present, dispelling it wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    But by taking away the arm, Zhi Xin Arhat would need to use a Spirit Pill to regenerate the limb¡ªand regrowing an arm to match the size of the original one, not to mention restoring it to integrate seamlessly with the rest of the body, would take more than a decade.


    During the time the limb remained unregenerated, Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s cultivation would be significantly impacted.


    Li Yuan Ba was about to destroy Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s right arm when he suddenly stopped his motion. On the fingers of the severed arm, he spotted a small and exquisite ring.


    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh; this was even more gratifying than severing Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s arm.


    One could say that his vendetta against the two Arhats for ambushing him was partly avenged with just that one sword strike.


    Not only had he severed Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s arm, but he had also taken Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s Space Ring.


    Of course, upon seeing the Space Ring, Li Yuan Ba also inferred that Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s status within Qianye Temple must certainly be extraordinary.


    You should know that even within the major sects, Golden Core cultivators typically used storage bracelets, and Space Rings were generally possessed only by a few powerful Golden Core cultivators in important positions.


    His Divine Thought swept over the Space Ring, but unfortunately, Zhi Xin Arhat had not fallen, thwarting his plan to break the Space Ring¡¯s restrictions and inspect the contents within.


    He was not in a rush. With the Space Ring in his hand, as long as he kept eroding its restrictions with his Sword Intent, someday he would be able to break them open.


    Li Yuan Ba slipped the Space Ring onto his own finger and began to think back on the entire experience of being ambushed.


    Throughout the journey, he was extremely cautious and careful, and choosing that particular valley had been an impromptu decision; even he himself did not know he would set foot on that rock. How, then, did those two Arhats come to know of it?


    He felt that it was no longer possible to conceal his movements. It was highly likely that the two Arhats possessed some sort of secret technique that allowed them to track from a distance, or rather, it wasn¡¯t tracking but predicting his course of action.


    ¡°Could it be Fate Communication?¡± he immediately guessed.


    After mastering the entry-level Divine Foot Skill ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±, both he and his main body, Li Shiming, had begun investigating Divine Skills.


    Especially Li Shiming, with his identity as an Alchemy Master, could easily inquire about such matters during discussions with Golden Core cultivators who sought pills. As long as it was within the Golden Core cultivators¡¯ knowledge, they would generously share their insights.


    He also learned some knowledge about Divine Skills from Qianye Temple, including the existence of the Divine Skill known as ¡°Fate Communication¡±.


    In terms of Divine Skills, the Buddhist sects had surpassed other cultivators in research.


    Other cultivators would only attempt to grasp Divine Skills upon reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, whereas the Buddhists simplified Divine Skills into a legacy that spanned from low to high levels, allowing cultivators with weaker powers to use Divine Skills to a certain extent.


    Of course, the number of Divine Skills that Buddhism could pass down in this way was limited, only four in total.


    But it was these four legacies of Divine Skills that gave Buddhist Venerables more opportunities to have Divine Skills for protection.


    It was precisely because Li Shiming was a well-known Alchemy Master of the Righteous Path that he could inquire about such confidential matters without much concern, and other cultivators were also willing to share these secrets with him to strengthen their friendship.


    Without Li Yuanba, it would be impossible to gather much information about Divine Skills.


    Li Yuanba then thought of the ability that had trapped him in the Array Formation Illusion. This ability wasn¡¯t an illusion of a formation; although his expertise in formations was not as profound as that of his main body Li Shiming, the idea that any formation could elude his perception was inconceivable.


    He had been plunged into the illusion in an instant, which shocked him even more.


    One must know that he had cultivated Divine Thought, and even if he was trapped in an Illusion Formation, making him lose his autonomy and completely controlling his body and mind with the illusion wouldn¡¯t have been easy.


    ¡°It must be Telepathy!¡± He thought of another Divine Skill, and his scalp tingled.


    Could it be that Qianye Temple, for the sake of an unconfirmed claim of him being a Buddhist reincarnation, had actually sent two Arhats with Divine Skills after him?


    The more he thought about it, the more he believed it to be true; how could his ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± be so easily controlled otherwise?


    His complexion darkened, and he almost considered returning to Senluo Sect right away, since he didn¡¯t know whether ¡°Fate Communication¡± would reveal his connection to his main body, Li Shiming. Even if they did not discover this particular detail, the probability of being detected by ¡°Fate Communication¡± would increase greatly if he came into contact with Li Shiming.


    However, he absolutely needed to get the Spirit Pill for successful pill formation, which was a crucial step for him to advance to a Golden Core cultivator.


    ¡°In that case, I might as well give them a bit of trouble first!¡± Li Yuanba murmured to himself in a deep voice.


    He took out a Jade Scroll and transferred the images of the Wisdom Arhat and Zhi Xin Arhat recorded through the IBMz15 onto it, and he also added their possession of ¡°Telepathy¡± and ¡°Fate Communication¡± to the Scroll.


    He did not care whether the two Arhats truly possessed the two Divine Skills; since he intended to cause trouble for them, he naturally described them as extravagantly as possible.


    He then took out a disposable flying sword, attaching the Jade Scroll to it, and cast ¡°Flying Sword Communication¡± towards the garrison at Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    He did not use his own identity; this was akin to sending an anonymous message, and his intended recipient was the Golden Core Elder stationed at the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    After completing these arrangements, his figure moved toward a nearby location.


    This place was a weak point in the great formation that his main body Li Shiming had exploited many times, a flaw within the formation that Li Shiming had taken advantage of repeatedly.


    Li Yuanba found it extremely easy to utilize as well.


    After passing through the formations of Senluo Sect and those of the Righteous Path, he once again arrived within the domain of the Righteous Path.


    He found the right direction and, using the cover of darkness, exerted his full power to deploy ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± and quickly disappeared into the distance.

 Chapter 471: 282: Meeting

    Chapter 471: Chapter 282: Meeting


    Dawn broke, and Li Yuanba didn¡¯t stop moving, although no longer using ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± he switched to Sword Escape, which greatly reduced his speed.


    He didn¡¯t move in a single direction but constantly changed his route to prevent his movements from being predicted by ¡°Fate Communication.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know if this was effective or not, but at least it was better than doing nothing, though it greatly affected his speed.


    He dared not linger in any one place, as ¡°Fate Communication¡± was like shackles, forcing him to be extremely cautious.


    That said, the territory of the righteous path was indeed much more stable. Li Yuanba encountered no trouble at all along the way.


    This might have been related to his complete lack of Devil Cultivator aura, and as a pure Sword Cultivator, there would hardly be any cultivators willing to provoke him.


    As he was about to reach his destination, he suddenly stopped moving.


    The reason Li Yuanba stopped was that he felt a slight change in the Space Ring on his finger.


    The prohibitions originally set on the Space Ring had mysteriously disappeared.


    This phenomenon indicated that the original owner of the Space Ring, Zhi Xin Arhat, had perished, causing the prohibitions on his Space Ring to automatically lift.


    Li Yuanba had planned to spend a long time breaking the seal, but it seemed that was no longer necessary.


    The death of Zhi Xin Arhat wasn¡¯t just because Li Yuanba had divulged his location; it was also related to the loss of his arm and the damage to his spirit.


    ¡°Telepathy,¡± or any abilities involving the psyche, including Divine Skills, once broken, would suffer backlash.


    Not to mention, when Zhi Xin Arhat was using ¡°Telepathy,¡± Li Yuanba forcefully broke the restriction of ¡°Telepathy¡± and severed his arm with a sword strike, exacerbating the effects of the backlash during its use.


    Wisdom Arhat intervened to save Zhi Xin Arhat, stabilizing his injuries.


    If it weren¡¯t for Li Yuanba passing their information to the Senluo Sect, perhaps Zhi Xin Arhat might have survived.


    The message sent by Li Yuanba was received by a Golden Core Elder of the Senluo Sect and met with great importance by the sect.


    Two years ago, when the two Arhats disappeared in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, and adding the information provided by Li Yuanba, in conjunction with sect intelligence personnel recognizing the identities of the two Arhats, a larger hunt than the one from two years earlier commenced.


    The injuries Zhi Xin Arhat suffered fundamentally prevented him from using secret techniques to conceal himself, leaving him no choice but to attempt an escape.


    In the end, the two Arhats made a decision: Zhi Xin Arhat alone lured away the pursuers, while Wisdom Arhat escaped on his own.


    Li Yuanba breathed a sigh of relief, a smug smile forming on his face.


    Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s unexpected demise was a welcome surprise and with the pursuit by the Senluo Sect, at least Wisdom Arhat would have no opportunity to use ¡°Fate Communication¡± to track him.


    Li Yuanba no longer hesitated. He hadn¡¯t expected that a simple tip-off would solve the trouble he was most worried about, and he turned into a sword light and flew downwards.


    In a valley, his figure entered and disappeared beside a stream.


    This place was close to Shushan Sect, and he used one hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags to set up a formation that would protect anyone inside from harm, unless they were attacked by a Nascent Soul Cultivator.


    ¡°Fellow, long time no see!¡± Li Yuanba greeted Li Shiming, who was sitting inside the formation, with a respectful hand gesture and a smile.


    ¡°Indeed, it has been a long time, fellow!¡± Li Shiming also smiled back at his doppelganger, returning the gesture.


    Even if such meetings had occurred many times before, he would still enact this ritual every single time.


    ¡°Vessel Protecting Pill, Soul Stabilizing Pill, Resurrection Pill, Mountain-Breaking Pill, three of each!¡± Li Shiming took out five jade vials and tossed them over.


    ¡°How about a bet to see who among us becomes a Golden Core first?¡± Li Yuanba caught the five jade vials and, without even looking, stashed them away and made a proposal.


    ¡°Is there any point?¡± Li Shiming questioned with a laugh.


    The main body and the doppelganger looked at each other and laughed heartily. Who else could understand the pride in Li Shiming¡¯s heart?


    In just a few short years of struggle, both he and his doppelganger had advanced from the Qi Refinement Realm to the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, an achievement that would be shocking for just one individual, yet he had managed it simultaneously for both his main body and doppelganger.


    Now, the main body and doppelganger each had their own prestigious positions in major sects as True Disciples, and both identities were quite special.


    Without mentioning Li Shiming, the identity of an Alchemy Master already transcended the need for him to act as a True Disciple. He was now just waiting for his breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, at which point the sect would elevate his status above most of the Golden Core Elders.


    Although Li Yuanba had few friends within the Senluo Sect, his status was none too low.


    A Sword Cultivator and True Disciple, sole master of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, backed by a Nascent Soul Ancestor, with a master who was attempting a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    As long as he could make it through this most difficult period, he would be able to soar high.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve obtained the Space Ring of a Qianye Temple Arhat, and it¡¯s only right to share it with you!¡± Li Yuanba, suddenly remembering, took off the Space Ring and tossed it to Li Shiming.


    It was only because the doppelganger and the main body were one and the same, that he could be so casual with a Space Ring from a Golden Core cultivator of a major sect without even checking it.


    Li Yuanba, as a Sword Cultivator, had very little need for external objects.


    Moreover, this was the Space Ring of a Qianye Temple Arhat. There might be items inside that could lead to being tracked by Qianye Temple, so it was best given to Li Shiming to handle.


    Li Shiming accepted the Space Ring and probed inside it with his Divine Thought.


    His discernment was so refined that not only was he unmatchable by cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but most Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t compare to him.

 Chapter 472: 282: Meeting_2

    Chapter 472: Chapter 282: Meeting_2


    His Divine Thought swept through the Space Ring, setting aside all the Spiritual Objects that were worth his attention.


    Those Spirit Pills, seen by ordinary Cultivators as incredibly precious, were to him hardly worth mentioning.


    ¡°This time, Qianye Temple must be going insane!¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    At first glance, he saw a heart-shaped relic. From the fluctuations it emitted, he felt the same kind of fluctuations as the Jade Foot Relics.


    This was a Divine Power Inheritance Relic. Although the Divine Power Inheritance Relics of Qianye Temple were not unique, and there must be other Divine Power Inheritance Relics, the value of each one was unimaginable.


    The so-called Divine Power Inheritance Relics were made when great Buddhist practitioners of Qianye Temple cultivated their Divine Powers to a certain degree and, upon passing away, transformed their comprehension of the Divine Powers into an inheritance for preservation.


    In the long history of Qianye Temple, the number of Buddhist practitioners with such abilities was also in the single digits.


    Even Li Shiming could not be sure whether the heart-shaped relic¡¯s Divine Power inheritance might be Qianye Temple¡¯s only ¡°Telepathy¡± inheritance.


    Of course, just because Qianye Temple might lose the Telepathy relic inheritance, it didn¡¯t mean that the Divine Power inheritance would really be cut off. It¡¯s just that the relic inheritance method of the Buddhist practitioners made it easier for their descendants to learn the Buddhist Divine Powers.


    If there were no Inheritance Relics, then the Buddhist Practitioners of Qianye Temple would have to, like other Cultivators, reach the Nascent Soul stage before they could start to grasp the Divine Skills from scratch based on their own understanding.


    In this way, the advantage once established by Qianye Temple in the aspect of Divine Powers would be completely gone.


    Li Shiming naturally did not care about Qianye Temple¡¯s inheritance issues of Divine Powers. Upon discovering that the heart-shaped relic had the same fluctuations as the Jade Foot Relic, he immediately moved it into the mechanical space with a thought.


    He knew very well that Qianye Temple had ways to track their Buddhist Inheritance Relics, and only by placing it in the mechanical space would it be truly safe.


    Although he was extremely interested in the ¡°Telepathy,¡± he had no intention of cultivating it right away.


    Unlike the Divine Foot Skill, ¡°Telepathy¡± involved the soul, making it many times more dangerous than Divine Foot Skill.


    According to the information he had, ¡°Telepathy¡± had never been practiced by Buddhist Practitioners at the Buddha Stage. The basic prerequisite for entering the training of ¡°Telepathy¡± was set at the Arhat Realm, which is the Golden Core Stage.


    Although Li Shiming was very proud of his own soul and spirit, he did not believe that he could surpass the Buddhist Practitioners who specialized in cultivating the soul and spirit, as they had a great advantage in this respect.


    He no longer focused on the heart-shaped relic. He was currently at the peak of the Foundation Establishment and was just waiting to break through to the Golden Core Stage. He would not risk damaging his soul out of curiosity, thereby reducing the chances of forming the Golden Core.


    After all, the ¡°Telepathy¡± Inheritance Relic was in his hands, and he could cultivate it whenever he wanted.


    However, thinking about the four inheritable Divine Powers of Qianye Temple, he already possessed two of the Divine Power inheritances and had mastered one of them.


    He still had one opportunity to learn the Divine Eye Skill inheritance from Qianye Temple. Perhaps he could achieve the feat of collecting all four major Divine Power inheritances of Qianye Temple.


    Li Shiming¡¯s gaze returned to the Space Ring, and the second Spiritual Object he focused on was a Golden Hoop. This was a head ornament for Buddhist Practitioners, and one that was kept in a Space Ring by Zhi Xin Arhat would certainly not be an ordinary treasure.


    He took out the Golden Hoop, and his Divine Thought swept over it.


    He was very knowledgeable in Artifact Refining, and he was well-versed in many Artifact Refining techniques.


    However, the Golden Hoop in his hand was not strictly speaking, a treasure.


    The Golden Hoop was crafted from Third Grade Material Zen Heart Gold. Judging from its crafting method and Artifact Refining techniques, it was not considered a superior creation.


    But the treasures of the Buddhist faith were never judged solely on the basis of their Artifact Refining techniques. This Golden Hoop was definitely infused with the long-term Buddhist teachings of a great Buddhist power, causing it to undergo a special transformation and transcend beyond the category of ordinary treasures.


    Li Shiming was curious. As he probed with his Divine Thought, he discovered that he could actually refine the Golden Hoop. How could this be possible for a treasure of the talisman level to be refined by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like himself?


    However, considering the unique nature of the Golden Hoop, this unimaginable aspect could be understood.


    It seemed that having lost its original owner, the Golden Hoop was imprinted with his Spiritual Imprint without much effort.


    Of course, there was still a significant gap from fully refining the Golden Hoop, but he was able to wield some of its power and knew the specific methods to use it.


    Speaking of the Buddhist Golden Hoop, it would remind one of the three Buddhist prohibitive measures, respectively known as the Prohibition Ring, Golden Hoop, and Tightening Ring, which are the most representative means of restraining cultivators in Buddhism.


    However, the Golden Hoop in his hand was of another kind, named ¡®Heart Hoop,¡¯ a treasure that enhanced the spirit.


    Li Shiming placed the Heart Hoop on his head, and although it looked a bit odd, he sensed that his Divine Thought had more than doubled in strength.


    What was most terrifying was that his enhanced Divine Thought now possessed a certain degree of aggressiveness.


    With the Heart Hoop on, if he encountered cultivators of lower realms, a single Divine Thought from him could cause their spirit to be injured. If he could learn an attack method based on Divine Thought, the power of the Heart Hoop would become even greater.


    In addition, wearing the Heart Hoop, the distance he could cover with ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ would also double.


    This was almost equivalent to the next stage of Divine Foot Skill, ¡®Inches Apart, Worlds Away,¡¯ which was an invaluable treasure for survival.


    Zhi Xin Arhat did not use the Heart Hoop when dealing with Li Yuanba.


    Of course, whether Zhi Xin Arhat used the Heart Hoop or not, the outcome was more or less the same when facing Li Yuanba at the Foundation Establishment Stage; whether or not he used the Heart Hoop, Li Yuanba had no chance to fight back.


    After pondering for a while, Li Shiming tossed the Heart Hoop to Li Yuanba.


    Compared to his main body, his clone Li Yuanba needed the Heart Hoop more. With the Heart Hoop, the distance covered by Li Yuanba¡¯s ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ would double, allowing him to truly have the ability to escape from the clutches of powerful Golden Core practitioners.


    Additionally, such auxiliary treasures were particularly suitable for Sword Cultivators to use.


    Li Yuanba was not one to be polite either, as fundamentally, they were one and the same. He took the Heart Hoop and immediately placed it upon his head, and then covered it with the Heroic Cloth to prevent it from appearing conspicuous.


    As for the matter of refinement, whether the main body Li Shiming or the clone Li Yuanba refined it, the effect was the same. The Spiritual Imprint was universal; all that was left was to fully refine the Heart Hoop when he returned.


    Li Shiming then took out a small flying sword. This jade sword, the size of a finger, was densely inscribed with numerous tiny Buddhist scriptures.


    This was a genuine magical treasure. Due to his realm, he was very curious about the power of this jade magical treasure sword, but it was not something he could easily claim ownership over, unlike the Heart Hoop.


    But from his Artifact Refining perspective, the quality of this flying sword among magical treasures was definitely of the highest tier.


    But that made sense; a Rohen like Zhi Xin from Qianye Temple, who had acquired Divine Skills, how could the treasures he possessed be ordinary?


    And through examining the Spiritual Objects within the Space Ring, Li Shiming could also judge Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s attitude towards magical treasures as preferring quality over quantity.


    Within the entire Space Ring, apart from the Heart Hoop, there was only this jade magical treasure sword.


    And strictly speaking, the only real magical treasure was the jade magical treasure sword.


    Li Shiming shifted his attention to the last Spiritual Object, which was a talisman, a talisman with an extremely peculiar aura that surpassed the quality of any he had seen before.


    Although he could not identify the real name of this talisman, its function was still discernible: it was a life-saving talisman.


    It was precisely because Li Yuanba¡¯s sword stroke was so timely, severing Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s right arm along with the Space Ring, that Zhi Xin Arhat hadn¡¯t been able to use this talisman to avoid being killed by the Senluo Sect.


    After a brief contemplation, he decided to ask around after returning, and he should be able to learn the details of this talisman.

 Chapter 473: 283: Corpse Refining (Added for book friend 171021102948988)

    Chapter 473: Chapter 283: Corpse Refining (Added for book friend 171021102948988)


    Li Yuanba returned to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains from the territory of the Righteous Path powers, and during this time, he still unpredictably changed his route to ensure that no one could predict his path.


    But he clearly worried in vain, for even until he reached the Ten Thousand Sword Peak of the Senluo Sect, he had not encountered any interception from Qianye Temple.


    As for actions within the Senluo Sect that aimed at targeting him, they couldn¡¯t even find his whereabouts, let alone take action. After learning that he had left the sect, they had been searching for him, but it wasn¡¯t until he returned to the sect that they finally learned of his exact location.


    Once back at the sect, he hid himself in the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Even the cultivators within the sect did not have the chance to see Li Yuanba, let alone know about his cultivation progress.


    He intentionally concealed this information, knowing that once he became a Golden Core cultivator, he wouldn¡¯t have to fear anything anymore.


    Shortly after returning to the sect, he received news about Zhi Xin Arhat and Wisdom Arhat.


    Zhi Xin Arhat had been killed, and a Venerable from Qianye Temple took charge to bring back Wisdom Arhat. It was rumored within the sect that Qianye Temple paid a significant price for this.


    No wonder Qianye Temple had no energy left to track Li Yuanba; Wisdom Arhat had been relentlessly chased by multiple Devil Cultivators in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and hadn¡¯t a moment of peace.


    By the time Wisdom Arhat was rescued, Li Yuanba had already returned to the Senluo Sect.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be even more troublesome in the future,¡± Li Yuanba murmured to himself, lightly tracing his left hand¡¯s fingers over a ring on his right hand.


    This ring was the Space Ring of Zhi Xin Arhat ¨C its origins, while not something that could be revealed within the Righteous Path¡¯s territory, were well-known within the Senluo Sect¡¯s territory, so there was nothing to worry about.


    The reason he said this was because the incident of him severing Zhi Xin Arhat¡¯s arm and taking the Space Ring was most certainly known to Qianye Temple by now.


    That is to say, Qianye Temple was aware that he possessed the Jade Foot Relics from the Divine Foot Skill inheritance and the heart-shaped Inheritance Relics from Telepathy.


    Even setting aside his reincarnation, just these two sets of Divine Power Inheritance Relics would be enough for Qianye Temple to not let him go.


    Of course, staying within the Senluo Sect, he was absolutely safe, but once he left the sect, Qianye Temple would relentlessly pursue and capture him.


    Having an enemy as powerful as the Qianye Temple, even though he was a True Disciple of the Senluo Sect and naturally at odds with Qianye Temple, he still felt immense pressure.


    Being an enemy of a sect and having a personal vendetta are two different things, especially since he was only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, which left him almost powerless before Qianye Temple.


    However, the pressure also provided him with motivation. The recent battle with the two Arhats, and the success in severing the arm of one Arhat, while fought in a very strange manner, still managed to increase the strength of his Sword Intent once more.


    Facing the suppression of the two Arhats and ultimately unleashing his Sword Intent was of utmost importance for the growth of his Sword Intent.


    He practiced the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique.¡¯ Once his Sword Intent grew, all that was left for his cultivation was the accumulation of Spiritual Power.


    In the month after returning to the sect, having consumed nearly a dozen top-notch Spirit Pills, he successfully brought his realm to the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    That night, the round moon hung in the sky, covering the Ten Thousand Sword Peak with a layer that looked like a blanket of white snow.


    The nearly four-meter-tall Corpse Refining creature stood under the moonlight, devouring the Yin Cold Energy drawn by the moon. The Corpse Refining creature¡¯s entire body was pitch black, with occasional flashes of silver light on its skin.


    This was the sign that the state of the Corpse Refining creature had reached the Iron Corps Peak. It was not unusual for such creatures to appear in the Senluo Sect, but this Iron Corpse had a Golden Hoop on its head, which looked particularly bizarre.


    This was indeed the state of Li Yuanba¡¯s Corpse Refining. During the day, he had consumed a top-notch Spirit Pill, completely filling his Spirit Lake without leaving any gap.


    His ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ was one of the top Cultivation Techniques in the Cultivation World, and because the Spiritual Power inside a Sword Cultivator was far purer than that of other cultivators due to the effect of the Sword Intent, he reached the extreme of Foundation Establishment Peak with his Spirit Lake filled, almost without needing to compress his Spiritual Power any further.


    At that moment, all he needed was a moment of enlightenment to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage and advance to the Golden Core Stage.


    Of course, those who can advance to the Golden Core Stage so smoothly wouldn¡¯t appear even once in a thousand years.


    The vast majority of Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators have to undergo continuous trials, enhancing both their bodies and spirits to the utmost, forming a special state with their internal Spirit Lake, known as Half-step Golden Core.


    In fact, Half-step Golden Core isn¡¯t a necessary step in the process of forming a Golden Core; it¡¯s more a compromise of helplessness. If direct formation of a Golden Core were possible, who would want to waste decades of time?


    Becoming Half-step Golden Core is some kind of consolation after wasting many years.


    Only half a step away from the Golden Core Stage, that half-step is extremely difficult; without the appropriate opportunity and the final insight, it might be the end of one¡¯s cultivation journey.


    Li Yuanba had his own ideas about forming his Golden Core. The talent of this body was exceptional, but which Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator¡¯s talent wouldn¡¯t be?


    He estimated that he would likely stay at the peak of the Foundation Establishment for quite some time and likely achieve Half-step Golden Core first before considering the formation of a Golden Core.


    He gave himself an estimated three years to form his Golden Core, and that was provided he had an ample supply of top-notch Spirit Pills and the support of a top-grade Cultivation Technique like the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ to achieve this goal.


    At night, as always, he practiced in his Corpse Refining state, a state of cultivation stemming from the innate instinct of Corpse Refining, absorbing the Yin Cold Energy between heaven and earth for its use.

 Chapter 474: 283: Corpse Refining (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2

    Chapter 474: Chapter 283: Corpse Refining (Added for book friend 171021102948988)_2


    Under the state of Corpse Refining, the Spirit Lake within his body disappeared, and when he faced the round moon, due to the day¡¯s cultivation results, he found that the Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang inside his body could not achieve balance while in the state of Corpse Refining.


    The Corpse Refining body actively attracted the Yin Cold Energy between heaven and earth into itself, to compensate for the imbalance caused by the lack of balance between Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang.


    Outside Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Elder Yue stood in the air; due to the Mountain Protection Array, he was unable to sense the situation inside the formation.


    For Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he was determined to have it.


    He knew much more secrets than the other Golden Core Elders in the sect; he knew there was a very high chance that Elder Jian had already entered seclusion to attempt breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm.


    He also knew about the agreement between Elder Jian and Ancestor Lu. It wasn¡¯t a matter of if Elder Jian failed to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, even if Elder Jian succeeded in advancing to a Nascent Soul Cultivator, he would not stay in the Senluo Sect.


    And if Elder Jian broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage, Ten Thousand Sword Peak would no longer be of use to Elder Jian.


    That is to say, the only competitor he needed to deal with for the ownership of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was Elder Jian¡¯s disciple, Li Yuanba.


    Now with Elder Jian in seclusion, and Ancestor Lu also in seclusion, he just needed to ensure not to harm Li Yuanba¡¯s life, even if he seized Ten Thousand Sword Peak, it would merely be an internal conflict within the sect, and his ancestor above him would be able to protect him.


    Refining Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a magical treasure would make him strong enough to replace Elder Jian as the strongest cultivator at the Golden Core Stage, which he believed would also be beneficial for the sect.


    After weighing the benefits and losses, Elder Yue made his decision.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t dare to lay a hand on Li Yuanba within the confines of the sect, but his previous arrangements had not been successful.


    Upon hearing that Li Yuanba had returned to the sect, he personally came to Ten Thousand Sword Peak, hoping to meet Li Yuanba and try to persuade him to relinquish Ten Thousand Sword Peak voluntarily through a transaction of benefits.


    Elder Yue cast a spell, yet received no response.


    He expanded his Divine Thought and discovered that the array of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was fully activated, showing just how vigilant Li Yuanba was about his own safety.


    ¡°Eh, why is there Yin Cold Energy gathering?¡± His Divine Thought sensed the change in the Yin Cold Energy, and he could not help but express his surprise in a murmur.


    As far as he knew, Elder Jian¡¯s disciple Li Yuanba was a pure Sword Cultivator with extremely high talent.


    Elder Jian selected his disciples based on their talent, and over the years, although the Senluo Sect had taken in many disciples with Sword Cultivation talent, these disciples, due to their origins in the Demon Sect, had learned some Demon Cultivation Techniques, and thus failed to catch Elder Jian¡¯s favor.


    It was not until Li Yuanba appeared, mastering Sword Intent at the early-stage of Foundation Establishment and primarily mastering the pure Sword Cultivation Technique, that he was chosen as a disciple by Elder Jian.


    ¡°Could it be that Li Yuanba is cultivating a demon technique?¡± Elder Yue speculated with malign intent.


    Thinking further, he realized it might indeed be possible. Li Yuanba had been attacked multiple times while traveling; especially the last time, he had enlisted the Loose Cultivator Niu Ziru to make a move, yet mysteriously, Niu Ziru vanished without success.


    It is possible that Li Yuanba, sensing danger and finding the Sword Cultivation Technique too slow, chose the demon technique instead.


    The Demon Cultivation Techniques progress rapidly, especially with sufficient talent and resources, they progress much faster compared to Buddhist or Taoist techniques.


    Moreover, the power of the Demon Cultivation Techniques is extremely strong, especially in their unfathomable and unpredictable nature, which makes them incredibly difficult for enemies to defend against.


    Thus, even some cultivators of the Righteous Path, upon obtaining the Demon Cultivation Techniques, couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and actively studied them to enhance their own combat capabilities.


    And in dangerous situations where their own combat capabilities were insufficient, the Demon Cultivation Techniques became the reluctant choice for many cultivators.


    With this realization, a cold smile appeared on Elder Yue¡¯s face.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll grant you your wish!¡± He murmured to himself softly.


    He took out his Identity Jade Disc and then, utilizing his authority, controlled the Sect Formation to channel a large amount of Yin Cold Energy towards Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    The Senluo Sect was a Demon Sect, many of its cultivators practiced demon techniques, which often required the assistance of Yin Cold Energy, hence the sect had a formation specifically designed to provide Yin Cold Energy.


    This formation transformed the Spiritual Power emitted by spirit veins into Yin Cold Energy, which was then directed through special channels to different caves that required Yin Cold Energy.


    Elder Yue wanted to accelerate Li Yuanba¡¯s progress in demon cultivation. He knew very well that the Yin Cold Energy in demon techniques conflicted with the Sword Intent of sword cultivators. Once Li Yuanba succeeded in demon cultivation, his identity as a True Inheritor of sword cultivation would be at risk.


    He mobilized a massive amount of Yin Cold Energy, which he could command, and directed it towards Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    After all, this act was not considered an attack but could rather be seen as a form of care for the younger generation.


    Li Yuanba had not anticipated such an event. While his corpse was fully engaged in absorbing Yin Cold Energy, suddenly, a vast amount of Yin Cold Energy surged towards him.


    The cultivation of his corpse state was inherently an instinctive act of absorption, beyond his control.


    It was only because he had the Taiji Dao Body that both his human state and his corpse state could autonomously absorb energy to maintain balance; otherwise, without a Corpse Refining Cultivation Technique, such cultivation effects in his corpse state would have been impossible.


    He realized something was amiss but it was already one step too late¡ªthe vast amount of Yin Cold Energy had been fully absorbed into his Corpse Refining Body.


    The refining body, already close to reaching four meters in height, expanded once more due to the overwhelming amount of Yin Cold Energy. If not for his robust corpse refining body, it might have burst under the pressure.


    In his fiery red eyes, a look of terror was evident. He tried to revert to his human state, but the overwhelming Yin Cold Energy within him prevented this transformation.


    What was more terrifying was that the Yin Cold Energy continued to pour in relentlessly; his corpse refining form kept on absorbing it.


    He tried to interfere with the changes inside his body, but the corpus of the refined corpse was entirely different from that of a human. Human cultivation techniques were utterly useless for the Corpse Refining Body.


    He now regretted not having sought out a Corpse Refining Cultivation Technique.


    During his two years in the Senluo Sect, he indeed found some corpse refining cultivation techniques, but they were of low grade and poor quality¡ªsimple techniques summarized by Demon Cultivators while refining corpses.


    Since the rate at which his corpse state absorbed Yin Cold Energy was satisfying, he hadn¡¯t bothered looking for a Corpse Refining Cultivation Technique.


    The Yin Cold Energy thrashed about within him. His powerful physical constitution in the corpse state allowed him to endure this tumultuous energy.


    A wildly explosive idea began to expand rapidly within Li Yuanba¡¯s heart; he felt an urge to charge into battle recklessly.


    Soon, he realized that this was due to the excessive accumulation of Yin Cold Energy influencing his mind and spirit.


    He quickly gathered his spirit, allowing his mind to clear, reducing the influence of the Yin Cold Energy.


    He hoped that the incoming Yin Cold Energy would soon cease. In a little while, it would be daytime when the Yin Cold Energy naturally diminishes, and perhaps then he might survive this ordeal.


    With his spirit cleared, his body withstood multiple strikes from the Yin Cold Energy, reaching the pinnacle of Iron Corpse Peak, his body shimmering with a silver glow.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s unintended actions allowed his Corpse Refining Body to instinctually cope with this unexpected event.


    The Yin Cold Energy, after countless collisions within him, transformed every bone, muscle, and inch of skin into silver, greatly enhancing his defensive power.


    Once the resilience of the corpse form met certain criteria, the Yin Cold Energy began to gather towards his heart.


    Above his heart, Yin Cold Energy collided fiercely; before one collision ended, more energy gathered from all over his body slammed into it.


    This onslaught, if his Corpse Refining Body had been even slightly weaker, would have completely shattered it.


    Perhaps it lasted a moment, or thirty minutes, or even two hours. Under the state of a cleared mind, Li Yuanba lacked any concept of time; he only felt a void-like substance forming above his heart.

 Chapter 475 284: Silver Corpse

    "What has happened now?" Elder Yue drew the Yin Cold Energy to Ten Thousand Sword Peak, only to find that the energy kept converging towards the summit, then seemingly vanished, which puzzled him.


    Even if one were to cultivate some Demon Cultivation Technique, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator shouldn''t cause such a disturbance.


    He began to suspect that a Devil Cultivator with a Demon Cultivation Golden Core had entered Ten Thousand Sword Peak, as this level of commotion would only occur if a Devil Cultivator with a Golden Core was cultivating.


    As he pondered this, a world-shaking, immense change was happening within the Corpse Refining Body of Li Yuanba at the summit of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    The substance that had appeared above the heart, like a black hole, was swallowing all the Yin Cold Energy within the body, akin to a whale gulping down everything.


    The swallowing force was so great that even the Yin Cold Energy drawn by Elder Yue was devoured by the black hole without waste.


    At the center of the black hole, a small pearl was forming, different from the golden color of the Golden Core, this pearl was silver-white, like metal.


    Li Yuanba never anticipated that the opportunity for his breakthrough would not come from his human state, but would instead arise within his Corpse Refining Body, which he had not cared much for.


    The Taiji Dao Body had appeared by sheer chance, and although it wasn''t as famous as Li Shiming''s Pure Dao Body, it was extremely compatible with Li Yuanba''s unique condition.


    Originally, the Corpse Refining Body merely harmonized the Yin Yang balance of the Taiji Dao Body, and without Elder Yue''s act of drawing forth a great amount of Yin Cold Energy, today it would have only reached the peak of an Iron Corpse.


    But Elder Yue, at just the right time, guided an overwhelming amount of Yin Cold Energy over, resulting in this accidental breakthrough.


    As the Corpse Pill appeared, the silver-white color of the Corpse Refining Body stabilized, unlike before when it seemed as unsubstantial as a castle in the air; now, the Corpse Pill was the source of this silver-white body''s power.


    From its emergence to complete stability, the silver-white Corpse Pill took only a moment to cease its absorption of the Yin Cold Energy.


    Li Yuanba, sensing the stability of his body and that the Yin Cold Energy no longer affected his mind, returned his focus inward, and immediately noticed the difference in his Corpse Refining Body.


    From his heart, an endless surge of power flowed through his body, giving him the sensation that he could kill his former self ten times over with a single punch.


    At first, he thought this might be a psychological inflation of the ego, but upon sensing the Corpse Pill in his heart, he realized that he had unwittingly transformed into a Silver Corpse Body.


    He looked at his hands, with their long nails, which were once pitch black; now, they were silver-white, and even the nails themselves shimmered with a silver light.


    At this moment, he was certain; he had indeed achieved the Silver Corpse Body.


    While contemplating this, he suddenly felt his scalp tingle, and a sense of extreme danger emerged spontaneously from the world around him.


    He thought of the terrifying tribulation of Celestial Thunder that comes with forming a Golden Core, but it was too late for preparation; the resources he had gathered for his human body''s Core Formation were now utterly useless.


    He watched as above his head a space opened, and a golden lightning bolt emerged from the void, striking him with an irresistible force.


    The horror of being torn and numbed, from the crown of his head to his heels, made him feel as if every muscle, every piece of skin, was being shredded by the Heavenly Thunder.


    Even the small Corpse Pill was surrounded by golden lightning transformed from the golden flash, always on the verge of collapse.


    He felt that his Silver Corpse Body would be destroyed by the Heavenly Thunder in the next instant, and he would perish as both body and Dao.


    Without any preparation, to rely on his freshly advanced Silver Corpse Body to resist the Heavenly Thunder meant an incredibly low chance of survival, almost making one''s hair stand on end.


    As per the ''Moonlight Corpse Scroll'', to advance an Iron Corpse to a Silver Corpse required Third Grade Corpse Refining Material and the right arrangement.


    But the Third Grade Corpse Refining Material was with his original body, Li Shiming; since Li Shiming had numerous corpses to refine and the importance of Jiang Chen''s clone, Li Yuanba, had diminished with his improved strength, he did not bring any Third Grade Corpse Refining Material from Li Shiming.


    Even with the Third Grade Corpse Refining Material, without the proper arrangement, without an Array to help an Iron Corpse resist the Heavenly Thunder, it would be useless.


    When Li Yuanba faced the Heavenly Thunder, he had no time to speak of making arrangements.


    This is also why, aside from those cultivated by cultivators, wild Silver Corpses are extremely rare to find.


    Even with fortuitous encounters, as soon as it comes time for an Iron Corpse to break through to a Silver Corpse, facing the Heavenly Thunder almost always means no chance of survival.


    Here it must be mentioned that if the danger posed by Heavenly Thunder to Buddhist Practitioners and Daoist cultivators is a ten, then to Devil Cultivators it''s a twenty, and to defenseless wild refined corpses, it''s a hundred.


    Without the aid of methods specially prepared by cultivators, without assistance from Third Grade Corpse Refining Materials, the odds of successfully advancing to a Silver Corpse may be less than one in ten thousand.


    Facing this life-or-death crisis, Li Yuanba tried to switch states, and this time he successfully switched from his Corpse Refining state to his human state.


    The Heavenly Thunder inside as well as the Corpse Refining Body disappeared, and as the Heavenly Thunder specifically targeted the Corpse Refining Body, it hadn''t harmed his human body along with the switch, perhaps also related to the evolution of Heaven and Earth Rules.

 Chapter 476: 284 Silver Corpse_2

    Chapter 476: Chapter 284 Silver Corpse_2


    Heavenly Thunder targets the body undergoing Corpse Refining as it breaks through its shackles; regardless of how well the body is hidden, it will still attract the attention of the Heavenly Thunder.


    Li Yuanba switched from his Corpse Refining state to his human state, which might have been perceived by the heavens and earth as an attempt to conceal his Corpse Refining body, hence the Heavenly Thunder continued to attack the Corpse Refining body in some unknown space.


    After switching to his human state, the injuries sustained by his Corpse Refining body were shared by his human state, turning them into bearable injuries.


    However, his current appearance was extremely desolate, with cracked skin all over his body and numerous scars internally.


    He quickly took out a top-grade healing Spirit Pill, which he had just obtained from Li Shiming, not expecting to use it so soon.


    The top-grade healing Spirit Pill was extremely effective; upon consumption, it transformed into a warm flow that entered his body, spread through his meridians, and visibly speeded up the healing of his injuries.


    He dared not maintain his human state for long, as he was unsure if the effects of the Heavenly Thunder had completely dissipated or if the promotion of his Silver Corpse was entirely complete.


    He immediately switched back to his Corpse Refining state, with the remaining power of the Heavenly Thunder still wreaking havoc, which reassured him somewhat that the promotion of his Silver Corpse had not yet ended.


    His Corpse Refining body was still able to endure because it had shared half of the damage with his human body, and the human body had consumed a top-grade healing Spirit Pill, continuously repairing the human state and consequently reducing the wounds on his Silver Corpse.


    Li Yuanba observed the damage to the Silver Corpse inflicted by the Heavenly Thunder, ready to switch back to his human state if the damage again became unbearable.


    Fortunately, he saw the power of the Heavenly Thunder diminishing; the golden lightning weakened and lost its destructive impact on the Silver Corpse, and the remaining trace of golden light was absorbed by the Corpse Pill.


    Li Yuanba, maintaining his Corpse Refining state and having endured the ordeal of the Heavenly Thunder, suffered severe damage all over his body but was extremely excited.


    The Corpse Pill was dispersing a strange energy throughout his body, repairing various wounds.


    He also discovered that, having endured the Heavenly Thunder, his soul had strengthened by at least twice.


    Heavenly Thunder acts as a limitation imposed by heaven and earth on creatures breaking their own shackles, but it is also a form of selection, rewarding those who endure its ordeal.


    Like the Corpse Pill that absorbed a trace of golden lightning and greatly increased in spiritedness, and his soul¡¯s enhancement, these are the rewards from heaven and earth for creatures that break through the shackles of life.


    Outside the mountain, Elder Yue stared blankly at Ten Thousand Sword Peak, having sensed the Heavenly Thunder.


    ¡°Could it be that Li Yuanba has reached the Golden Core Stage?¡± he wondered, quickly shaking his head to dismiss the thought as impossible.


    Li Yuanba had joined the sect only a few years ago, starting at the early-stage Foundation Establishment, and no matter how prodigious, he could not possibly have achieved Golden Core in just a few years.


    The sudden appearance of the Heavenly Thunder at night disturbed many cultivators, who flew out to Ten Thousand Sword Peak and saw Elder Yue.


    ¡°Elder Yue, has someone achieved Golden Core at Ten Thousand Sword Peak?¡± a Golden Core elder asked.


    ¡°How would I know, I just got here too!¡± Elder Yue hurriedly shook his head and replied.


    An impatient Golden Core Elder cast a Sound Transmission Technique into the formation to inquire about what had happened.


    Li Yuanba noticed that many fellow cultivators had arrived outside and knew that this was trouble sparked by the previous Heavenly Thunder.


    Several Sound Transmission Techniques dispatched by the formation reached him; aside from the earlier message left by Elder Yue wanting to meet him, all others were inquiries about what had happened.


    Li Yuanba thought for a while, ignored these Sound Transmission Techniques, and closed his eyes to rest again.


    The Silver Corpse¡¯s physique was extremely robust, and along with the effects of the Corpse Pill, his injuries were healing at a very fast pace.


    By the time it was dawn, the cultivators outside, receiving no response, thought of the reclusive nature of Elder Jian and Li Yuanba inside Ten Thousand Sword Peak and lost interest.


    Only Elder Yue did not give up; he continued to stand in the air, staring at Ten Thousand Sword Peak, wanting to know what had happened inside as soon as possible.


    He faintly felt that the Heavenly Thunder was very likely connected to his unauthorized mobilization of a large amount of Yin Cold Energy into Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    After dawn, Li Yuanba¡¯s Silver Corpse had almost completely recovered from its wounds. He stood up, and with one step, his figure turned ethereal and reappeared dozens of meters away.


    Although his speed was not as exaggerated as ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± it was still incomparable to other Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    The Silver Corpse could be compared to the realm of a Golden Core cultivator, especially among Devil Cultivators, where the Silver Corpse was even considered a primary combat force for many Demon Cultivation Golden Cores.


    Although the Corpse Pill inside him was extremely small, the combat prowess demonstrated by the Silver Corpse still made him understand the disparity between Golden Core and Foundation Establishment.


    He had a more intuitive understanding of the energy at the Golden Core Stage. Although the energy he felt was Yin Cold Energy, which had a somewhat different nature from that in a human state, the essence of the energy was similar.


    His gaze slightly unfocused, various insights arose from deep within his heart. That single step he took gave him substantial feelings about the energy at the Golden Core Stage.


    In fact, his human state was still some distance away from breaking through to the Golden Core; he hadn¡¯t even touched the bottleneck between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.


    However, with his insights, the path to breakthrough to the Golden Core in his human state had become a broad and unobstructed avenue.


    After a long time, his gaze refocused, and he switched back to his human state.


    The injuries in his human state had long been healed by top-grade healing Spirit Pills, and he hesitated not at all as if afraid that the insights he had just gained would disappear.


    Li Yuanba placed a high-grade Vessel Protecting Pill, high-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill, high-grade Resurrection Pill, and a high-grade Mountain-breaking Pill all in his mouth, ready to swallow them separately when needed.


    White lotuses appeared under his feet, his figure vanished in an instant, then reappeared inside the cave mansion, sitting at the exit of the spiritual vein in the Cultivation Room.


    Being the only cultivator on Ten Thousand Sword Peak, the entire spiritual vein of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was at his disposal.


    His Divine Thought controlled the Formation, directing the Spiritual Energy of Ten Thousand Sword Peak¡¯s spiritual vein towards this exit. He needed a massive amount of Spiritual Energy to break through.


    Luckily, the spiritual vein of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was already at the Golden Core Level, and since he was the only one using it, it was absolutely sufficient for his breakthrough.


    He swallowed a high-grade Vessel Protecting Pill from his mouth into his belly. He then began to cultivate the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡±; Spiritual Energy surged into his body from below.


    As if to balance his Taiji Dao Body, the moment he began cultivating the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± the influx of Spiritual Energy was many times faster than usual.


    All the flying swords of Ten Thousand Sword Peak emitted a soft hum. The Sword Intent contained within ten thousand flying swords, via the special Formation of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, converged towards his location.


    Spiritual Energy and Sword Intent surged into his body together. Even with the protection from the high-grade Vessel Protecting Pill, he still felt a piercing pain from his meridians due to energy pressing beyond their maximum capacity.


    Utilizing the insights he had just gained, he gained a clearer understanding of the energy mixture of Spiritual Energy and Sword Intent inside him, transforming his internal ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± into a circuit specially designed for breaking through the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The already full Spirit Lake, forcibly inundated with so much Spiritual Power, suddenly broke the balance.


    Under his deliberate control, a vortex of Spiritual Power formed within the Spirit Lake, and the surrounding Spiritual Power continuously absorbed the vortex, contracting and converging towards the center.


    Just when he felt that his meridians were at their limit, seemingly about to burst at any moment, the high-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill was swallowed into his belly.


    The violent Spiritual Power inside his body paused, and his body stopped absorbing the external Spiritual Energy, allowing his meridians to recover.


    The Spiritual Power had wreaked havoc in his Spirit Lake, barely maintaining itself as a swirling vortex. If he failed in his breakthrough, he would not even be able to maintain his Foundation Establishment realm.


    Of course, at this moment, Li Yuanba was beyond caring about such things. His entire consciousness was invested in the internal part of the Spiritual Power vortex, understanding he was only a fraction away from success.


    ¡°The moment has come!¡± When the Spiritual Power vortex reached a certain level, his consciousness stirred, sensing the arrival of the crucial moment.

 Chapter 477: 285: Pill Formation

    Chapter 477: Chapter 285: Pill Formation


    Li Yuanba swallowed the high-grade Mountain-breaking Pill, possibly because he had always been taking top-grade Spirit Pills, which made him almost completely resistant to drugs, maximizing the effect of the high-grade Mountain-breaking Pill.


    The energy turned into by the high-grade Mountain-breaking Pill seemed to be a primer, igniting the Spiritual Power Vortex.


    The Spiritual Power Vortex became even more violent, drawing all the spiritual power in his body into it. If the Spiritual Power Vortex lost control, it might be when his Taoist Body shattered.


    However, he wasn¡¯t particularly worried, as this was much safer compared to his previous Corpse Refining breakthrough.


    The breakthrough of his Corpse Refining body was entirely beyond his control, all being the instinctual reaction of the Corpse Refining body.


    At least with his human body, he could use Spirit Pills as a supplement and detect any problems in advance.


    The raging Spiritual Power Vortex continually compressed the spiritual power inward, and at the very center of the compressed Vortex, a qualitative change was taking place.


    When a tiny solid sphere appeared, all spiritual power, as if finding its direction, surged into the tiny solid sphere.


    At first, it was only spiritual power that flowed into the solid sphere, but then Li Yuanba felt his spirit, his vitality, and all the essence of his body being absorbed by the solid sphere.


    The original Li Shiming had witnessed the Great Senior Sister¡¯s process of forming her Golden Core, so he wasn¡¯t surprised by this occurrence.


    With a slight shift of his mind, he took out several Spiritual Objects and injected them into his body.


    These Spiritual Objects were for temporarily replenishing spirit and vitality and were collected on behalf of the original Li Shiming. These items weren¡¯t as precious as the four assistant Spirit Pills used in Golden Core formation, and it was quite easy for Li Shiming, with his status, to collect them.


    With several Spiritual Objects entering his body, his vitality and spirit were replenished.


    The Spiritual Objects he used were the best that could be found on the Beishu Continent, and thus the replenishing effect was optimal.


    Moreover, his soul was to some extent already at the Golden Core level, which was related to the fact that the Corpse Refining body endured the baptism of Heavenly Thunder during the breakthrough to the Silver Corpse Realm.


    So although his spirit continued to be absorbed by the solid sphere, the impact on his spirit was not as severe as it was for the Great Senior Sister, remaining within an acceptable range.


    While his strong body was being replenished with vitality from the Spiritual Objects, it was quickly becoming thin, muscles contracting, the skin drying out.


    However, his eyes became brighter still; he felt the nature of the solid sphere changing, from initially a pure solid state of spiritual power to now a Golden Core emitting a golden glow.


    Because it had merged with his vitality and spirit, the Golden Core had an extremely close connection with him.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s foundation was exceptionally solid; his cultivation of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± had long exceeded the standards of Body Refinement required for the Foundation Establishment Stage, not to mention the ¡°Purple Qi Eastward¡± that gave him the Taiji Dao Body.


    His breakthrough was easier than the Great Senior Sister¡¯s, at least not feeling life-threatening.


    When he felt his vitality nearing the warning line, the Golden Core stopped absorbing vitality, spirit, and spiritual power, and started nourishing the body instead.


    Li Yuanba looked extremely haggard now; his unparalleled face, due to the lack of skin and internal vitality, had already become as thin as a skeleton.


    But when the Golden Core began to nourish the body, his skin and all his insides began to swell up, with his unparalleled facial features returning.


    Aware of the importance of this period, he took the high-grade Resurrection Pill. Although he didn¡¯t need the high-grade Resurrection Pill to cope, he needed to recover as quickly as possible to his best condition.


    He didn¡¯t have much time to recover before he felt that presence of the might of Heaven and Earth again.


    A golden lightning bolt from the void struck down, hitting his body.


    The golden lightning carried a destructive force capable of annihilating everything, but its actual destructive power was not as great as imagined.


    His body did indeed sustain considerable damage, but compared to the damage suffered by his Corpse Refining body, it was almost as if the Heaven and Earth Rules were cheating on his behalf.


    He didn¡¯t know which aspect it was related to, be it the cultivation of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± or the Taiji Dao Body. But the moment he felt the golden lightning upon him, he knew he was secure.


    He let the golden lightning wreak havoc in his body; after all, such destruction was a form of strengthening. As long as he could endure the damage caused by the golden lightning, he would reap its benefits afterward.


    The reason why the golden lightning didn¡¯t cause too much destruction was due to his Supreme Yang Body.


    Heavenly Thunder itself is a supreme yang element of Heaven and Earth, hence its destructive power was multiplied against the Corpse Refining body. But when facing the Supreme Yang human body, its power naturally decreased significantly.


    The golden lightning caused a certain degree of damage to every part of Li Yuanba¡¯s body, especially his tiny Golden Core, which was surrounded by the golden lightning.


    The golden lightning continuously inflicted damage on the Golden Core, provoking a counterattack from it.


    If it were a normal Cultivator¡¯s Golden Core, at such a time it would contract as much as possible to only endure the time limit of the golden lightning¡¯s power.


    However, the Sword Intent condensed by the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± especially Li Yuanba¡¯s Supreme Yang Sword Intent, did not require his control to respond to the provocation of the Heavenly Thunder; it launched a counterattack against the golden lightning on its own.


    The Sword Intent within the Golden Core became golden sword light, actively striking towards the golden lightning.


    The golden sword light entangled with the golden lightning, momentarily defending against the lightning¡¯s damage to the Golden Core itself.

 Chapter 478: 285: Pill Formation_2

    Chapter 478: Chapter 285: Pill Formation_2


    As the deadline of the Heavenly Thunder arrived, the golden lightning¡¯s ferocity weakened, absorbed by the golden Sword Intent, which then retracted back into the Golden Core.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Li Yuanba burst out laughing, despite the damage caused by the Heavenly thunder, he felt extremely good.


    His soul had been enhanced once again. He did not know whether any other cultivator in the Cultivation World had undergone the baptism of Heavenly Thunder twice, but he indeed had accomplished this feat.


    This put his soul at the starting point of the Golden Core Stage, surpassing other early-stage Golden Core cultivators, which was extremely crucial for his future cultivation, the growth of his Divine Thought, and more.


    Within his body, a tiny Golden Core was closely linked to his body, becoming the source of energy for his body.


    The Spiritual Power he could now control was all drawn from this tiny Golden Core. Each strand of Spiritual Power was like solid-state Spiritual Power and naturally contained Sword Intent.


    Most uniquely, his Golden Core had inexplicably changed shape at the last moment and had become sword-shaped.


    A sword-shaped Golden Core, even in the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intend Technique,¡± had no recorded equivalent. If he hadn¡¯t felt that his Golden Core was normal, he would have suspected that there was a problem with his cultivation.


    ¡°This is the Golden Core Stage!¡± Li Yuanba muttered to himself, feeling the changes inside and outside his body.


    In terms of his soul, his soul had strengthened more than threefold, which made his spiritual strength surpass Li Shiming significantly, given that the weakest aspect during a Golden Core breakthrough is the enhancement of the soul.


    For most cultivators, the enhancement of the soul during the breakthrough to Golden Core is merely enough to possess Divine Thought.


    However, he had achieved Divine Thought back when he was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and in some ways, his soul¡¯s strength had reached the level of a Golden Core cultivator even then.


    The soul and spirit are closely related; the stronger the soul, the stronger the spirit.


    At this moment, his spiritual strength was likely even greater than that of mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, let alone the late-stage Golden Core cultivators. Elder Jian¡¯s spiritual strength was something he could not perceive before, thus he had no notion of its depth.


    In terms of Spiritual Power, the Spiritual Power drawn from the Golden Core was ten times more condensed than that at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    No wonder he felt that any strike from a Golden Core cultivator was unbearable before. This level of Spiritual Power was simply not something that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could withstand.


    Only after truly reaching the Golden Core Stage did he realize how dangerous his battle with the Independent Practitioner Golden Core Niu Ziru had been.


    Any strand of Spiritual Power from the Golden Core Stage, if it hit his body, would have been fatal.


    Of course, he had dared to face Independent Practitioner Golden Core Niu Ziru originally because he was absolutely sure that Niu Ziru would not hit him.


    In terms of the Taoist Body, back during mid-stage Foundation Establishment, his Body Refining Technique had been cultivated to the limit of the Foundation Establishment Stage, which was the effect of ¡°Purple Qi Eastward,¡± letting his Taoist Body exceed the Foundation Establishment Stage, but also reaching a certain bottleneck.


    Now, he felt that the previous bottleneck of his Taoist Body had disappeared, presenting great potential ahead in his Body Refinement.


    Unfortunately, the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± did not contain content on cultivating during the Golden Core Stage. He needed to find a new suitable Body Refining Technique for further cultivation.


    Outside Ten Thousand Sword Peak, once again, many cultivators had gathered.


    The consecutive Heavenly Thunders had peaked these cultivators¡¯ curiosity, but no matter how they used the Sound Transmission Technique, they received no responses.


    A few Golden Core cultivators with ambitions towards Ten Thousand Sword Peak had flickering gazes, as they seemed to be worried about some accidents occurring.


    ¡°Once Elder Jian and Li Yuanba come out, we¡¯ll know what happened!¡± Elder Yue said gravely.


    Although he suspected that Elder Jian had secluded himself for breakthrough to the Nascent Soul, they couldn¡¯t be one hundred percent certain, and considering the strange phenomena at Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which were far beyond what Li Yuanba could cause, Elder Yue spoke as such.


    Because of these concerns, the ambitious Golden Core cultivators only verbalized their doubts, and none dared to suggest breaking the formation.


    The cultivators discussed this for a long time before they slowly dispersed.


    Of course, although it seemed like all had left, many cultivators, even after returning to their dwellings, kept a special watch on Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    As soon as the great formation of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was activated, they would immediately come to investigate the situation.


    Elder Yue also left, not knowing what had happened at Ten Thousand Sword Peak, but it seemed it wouldn¡¯t be activated for a short period.


    Li Yuanba, of course, wouldn¡¯t leave Ten Thousand Sword Peak. Having become a Golden Core cultivator, if Elder Jian were still around, perhaps he would have gone with Elder Jian to the sect to handle the renewal of his Identity Jade Disc.


    It is important to know that the benefits and powers of a Golden Core cultivator in the sect are vastly different from those of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Truly speaking, the main combat force of a large sect is still composed of Golden Core cultivators, while Foundation Establishment cultivators often become mere cannon fodder.


    Once reaching the Golden Core Stage, the sect would invest more in Golden Core cultivators, various third-grade resources, corresponding authority, and Cultivation Techniques are opened, all targeted specifically at Golden Core cultivators.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t mind receiving these third-grade resources a bit later.


    Although he had already become a Golden Core cultivator, he didn¡¯t possess the strength that a Golden Core cultivator should have, which was extremely disadvantageous.


    The most important thing for him now was to immediately enhance his combat power.


    There were several ways to enhance combat power, the main Cultivation Technique was ready, the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ for the Golden Core chapter, as well as some Secret Techniques for Golden Core attacks, could now be started.


    Additionally, the most important magical artifact for Sword Cultivators was naturally the flying sword.


    In terms of magical artifacts, Li Yuanba and his original body, Li Shiming, had already given it some thought, with Li Shiming¡¯s Artifact Refining skills, after a while, once Li Shiming had formed his core, he could forge a flying sword magical artifact that was most suited for Li Yuanba.


    This was initially the plan of Li Shiming, but plans never keep up with changes, who would think, the avatar Li Yuanba would surpass the original body and become a Golden Core cultivator first.


    Even though Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation was stronger, reaching the Foundation Establishment Peak earlier, and he had prepared lots of Spirit Pills to assist in forming the core, some of which were even top-grade Spirit Pills.


    According to his plan, it would certainly be the original body becoming a Golden Core cultivator first, followed by the avatar Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Taiji Dao Body had disrupted the original plan.


    However, he still made a backup plan, which was the Lifebound Flying Sword of Sword Cultivation Golden Core Yun Xingyi.


    Yun Xingyi was the next strongest Golden Core Sword Cultivator in the Beishu Continent after Elder Jian. Had it not been for exploring a safe route in Beihai, accidentally entering the great formation area of Seven Star Island and being severely damaged by the collective strength of seven Golden Cores, Yun Xingyi with his combat abilities wouldn¡¯t have been defeated easily.


    The Lifebound Flying Sword used by such an existence of Sword Cultivation Golden Core was naturally top-tier.


    This point was also confirmed by Li Shiming after he learned Artifact Refining.


    At least, without obtaining any top-grade third-grade refining minerals, it was difficult for Li Shiming to forge a flying sword of the same quality as Yun Xingyi¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Additionally, Yun Xingyi¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword had been enhanced for many years using Sword Intent, which made it far surpass other flying sword magical artifacts.


    Importantly, back in the day Yun Xingyi intended to make Li Shiming a Body of Possession, even granting him the authority over the Lifebound Flying Sword for this purpose.


    And Li Yuanba, as an avatar of Li Shiming, equally shared the authority over the Lifebound Flying Sword.


    This made it such that after Li Yuanba refined the Lifebound Flying Sword, there wouldn¡¯t be a significant loss in its power due to a change in its master.


    Since the Lifebound Flying Sword recognized him, he and Li Shiming became the masters of this Lifebound Flying Sword after Yun Xingyi¡¯s demise.


    He took out the Lifebound Flying Sword, looking at the small Lifebound Flying Sword, hesitated briefly in his heart, but immediately made up his mind, a determined look flashing through his eyes.


    This choice was extremely important for his subsequent cultivation. The choices of Sword Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage related to choices for a lifetime, and the cost of changing Lifebound magical artifacts was too great; typically, no cultivator would choose to change their Lifebound magical artifacts.


    He chose Yun Xingyi¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword, so this Lifebound Flying Sword would accompany him for the rest of his life, even through the Nascent Soul Stage without change.

 Chapter 479: 286 Half a Step

    Chapter 479: Chapter 286 Half a Step


    Li Yuanba did not immediately refine Yun Xingyi¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword. His Golden Core was only recently formed, and if he forced the refinement of his Lifebound magical treasure, the fragile Golden Core would not be able to withstand it.


    Fortunately, he also brought a bottle of Third-grade Spirit Pills with him. This bottle of Third-grade Spirit Pills was given by his original self, Li Shiming, so that after forming his Golden Core, he could continue to cultivate using these pills without delaying precious cultivation time.


    Third-grade Spirit Pills: Li Shiming couldn¡¯t guarantee that all would be top-level Spirit Pills, but this bottle contained the Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pill ¡°Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill.¡±


    The ¡°Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡± is a common Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pill used by the Shushan Sect to aid those at the Golden Core Early Stage.


    Regarded by a major sect like Shushan as a Golden Core Stage Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pill, the ¡°Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡± naturally has its own characteristics.


    On one hand, the ingredients for the ¡°Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill,¡± controlled by the Shushan Sect, were sustainably mined.


    On the other hand, the ¡°Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill¡± had a very strong universality, considered to be a rather mild aid for early Golden Core cultivation.


    The bottle of Third Grade Advanced ¡°Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills¡± in his hand contained fifty pills, enough for him to consume for some time.


    In the following days, he took the advanced ¡°Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pills¡± daily to practice the Golden Core chapter of the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± strengthening the Golden Core within his body.


    Additionally, he continued to practice the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± but at this point, the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± no longer functioned for Body Refinement.


    The only use of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± during the Golden Core Stage was to refine the Third Grade Sword Base using the secret techniques within, enhancing its quality to become a true magical treasure.


    Of course, since the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± was originally a close-quarter sword cultivator¡¯s Cultivation Method, even if the Third Grade Sword Base was transformed into a magical treasure, it would still be a close-combat Longsword magical treasure, completely different from a flying sword.


    While Li Yuanba was diligently cultivating, there were other matters that could only be addressed after his Golden Core reached a certain reserve of spiritual power.


    His advancement to the Golden Core Stage had a significant impact on his original self.


    Within the Shushan Sect, Li Shiming suddenly ceased all his affairs and announced he would enter closed-door cultivation for a period of time.


    His sudden retreat caused no small stir.


    Although his orders were no longer as back-to-back as before, requiring him to make a batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills daily, the stream of Golden Core cultivators visiting him did not stop, as these visits were all prearranged.


    He only had a very short time in the mornings to receive guests, at most one or two clients during this period. This was meager compared to the vast number of cultivators wanting to establish connections with him, pushing appointments months into the future.


    However, even though Li Shiming¡¯s decision was sudden, it did not cause any complaints. The cultivators with appointments actively contacted the sect on their own to defer their schedules.


    His masters, Elder Su and Elder Ma, paid close attention to this matter. However, since he had sealed off Sword Holding Peak and was inside his cave dwelling, it was not appropriate to disturb him.


    Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation realm had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and he was troubled by the insights needed for Core Formation. His experience in cultivation was too short, meaning his accumulation of knowledge and power fell far short of other cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    In a normal situation, no matter how talented he was, it would take years of growth and experience to advance further.


    As for the breakthrough of his clone, Li Yuanba, it was mostly due to a combination of coincidences: the compatibility of the Taiji Dao Body and Elder Yue¡¯s assistance, plus his own good fortune, culminated in the remarkable feat of breaking through just as his power reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    Such breakthroughs without experiencing any bottleneck are exceedingly rare in the whole Cultivation World, scarcely occurring among tens of thousands of cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    Moreover, those cultivators who achieved this had decades of accumulation during their Foundation Establishment period.


    Since Li Yuanba is Li Shiming¡¯s clone, the insights into the Golden Core Stage that Li Yuanba gained after forming his Golden Core were completely transferred to Li Shiming.


    This allowed Li Shiming to gain his own insights into forming a Golden Core, which was the main reason for his sudden retreat.


    Of course, that¡¯s not to say that the insights into Core Formation of another could be universally applied. Each cultivator¡¯s enlightenment is different.


    The opportunity for Core Formation stems from each individual¡¯s unique perception of the world. Even if two cultivators practice the same Cultivation Method and live in an identical environment, their insights into Core Formation will be different.


    The insights that the clone Li Yuanba gained did not directly provide Li Shiming with a complete and personalized understanding of Core Formation, but they were not completely without merit either.


    Li Shiming sat in the Cultivation Room of his cave dwelling with his eyes tightly shut, merging his own situation with the insights gained by his clone, Li Yuanba.


    His situation was extremely unusual; the complexity of his Spirit Lake was likely unique among those at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± Thunder Attribute Five Elements Spiritual Power, primarily practicing the ¡°Five Elements Qi Refining Technique,¡± and supplementing it with the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± made the Five Elements Thunder Attribute Spiritual Power in his Spirit Lake highly spiritual.


    While this increased the power of the spiritual power in his Spirit Lake and gave it strong versatility¡ªwith a complete Five Elements foundation, most secret techniques could be freely cultivated¡ªit also made his breakthrough incredibly difficult. His insights into Core Formation needed to be much more complex than for other cultivators.


    He continuously operated IBMz15 to assist his brain in analyzing and organizing the insights into Core Formation. In just a few days, he achieved the equivalent of what would take other cultivators months or even years of seclusion and contemplation.

 Chapter 480: 286 Half-Step_2

    Chapter 480: Chapter 286 Half-Step_2


    This area was exactly where he excelled. After ten days of seclusion, although he still could not find the opportunity for his breakthrough, the aura emanating from his body had improved significantly.


    ¡°This counts as an unexpected joy!¡± Li Shiming, sensing the changes within the Spirit Lake inside him, couldn¡¯t help but shake his head resignedly as he talked to himself.


    The ten days spent researching the enlightenment needed for forming the Golden Core were not in vain. The enlightenment garnered by his clone Li Yuanba, as well as the study of his Golden Core after its formation, was knowledge that could not be conveyed to other cultivators.


    Such enlightenment and experiences, even if the master is willing to teach it to a disciple, are impossible to convey. Mainly, enlightenment can¡¯t be transferred through language or any other means.


    Even if a master doesn¡¯t withhold anything and summarizes their own insights through language for the disciple, the hollow words could even lead the disciple astray.


    Therefore, under normal circumstances, the enlightenment for Golden Core formation is something that cultivators must comprehend on their own. At most, a master can provide some guidance on the experiences of predecessors who have attained such enlightenment.


    No cultivator could share the enlightenment of their clone with a full spirit connection like Li Shiming could; this was nearly equivalent to having formed a Golden Core once himself.


    The benefit Li Shiming gained was that the Spiritual Power within his Spirit Lake was nearly semi-solid. Before, the Spiritual Power in the lake was at full capacity, and it was already purified through the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±.


    However, with his new understanding of Spiritual Power, it was compressed once again on top of the original basis, forming the current semi-solid Spiritual Power.


    The changes in the Spirit Lake, reflected on his person, were that his aura had improved. According to the standards of the Cultivation World, he was now Half-step Golden Core.


    Half-step Golden Core signifies a partial comprehension of Golden Core formation, yet the understanding is not complete.


    Half-step Golden Core ensures that the cultivator is on the right path; with continuous accumulation, the chances of forming a Golden Core are greatly increased.


    Although Li Shiming felt disappointed in his heart, he immediately recovered his spirits, thinking that he had progressed another half-step, leaving him only half a step away from becoming a Golden Core cultivator.


    He too wished for the luck that his clone Li Yuanba had, but such fortune was not so easily gained. It was only achieved under a series of coincidences.


    Since he had assimilated the Golden Core enlightenment from his clone Li Yuanba, it was time for his seclusion to conclude.


    He sent messages to his teacher, Elder Su, and Elder Ma, and also sent one to Lai Da, the Chief Manager of the Beishu Trading Company.


    ¡°Shiming, come to Heavenly Eye Peak!¡± He soon received Elder Su¡¯s reply.


    Li Shiming thought for a moment and realized that today was indeed Elder Su¡¯s monthly meeting day when disciples would all go to Heavenly Eye Peak.


    He emerged from his cave dwelling and flew up toward Heavenly Eye Peak.


    When he landed at the pavilion where they usually met, he found that his senior sister Ye Jingxian was also present.


    Ye Jingxian was always in seclusion and very rarely left her cave dwelling.


    ¡°You¡¯ve broken through to Half-step Golden Core?¡± Elder Su didn¡¯t need to use Divine Thought; since Li Shiming had just broken through to Half-step Golden Core and his aura was unstable, combined with the fact that Li Shiming had no intention of hiding it, Elder Su noticed it at a glance.


    His words were not questioning but conveyed a sense of disbelief.


    To say that Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation had rapidly advanced from the early stages of Foundation Establishment to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, and even the Peak of Foundation Establishment, within a few years was extremely rare, but considering that Li Shiming was an Alchemy Master, it could be understood, given that his cultivation resources were effectively limitless and he might have obtained some fortuitous encounters.


    In any case, Elder Su had long experienced the depth of Li Shiming¡¯s fortune, and this was acknowledged by almost all cultivators who were familiar with Li Shiming, including Elder Ma.


    But progressing from Foundation Establishment Peak to Half-step Golden Core was not simply about accumulating Spiritual Power; it was about an enhancement in the understanding of Spiritual Power.


    The reason it was called Half-step Golden Core was not only because it suggested a strength surpassing that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator but also because it implied that the comprehension of Golden Core formation was nearly half complete.


    It was precisely due to nearly half of the Golden Core enlightenment that the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment stage could loosen, allowing one¡¯s strength to approach the level of the Golden Core Stage.


    Senior Sister Ye Jingxian, although she had already become a Golden Core cultivator, her surprise was no less than that of several fellow brothers.


    She thought about her own experience of going from the peak of the Foundation Establishment to being a Half-step Golden Core and couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and chuckle bitterly. She had thought herself to be a genius, but compared to her junior brother Li Shiming, if she was a genius, then what was he?


    ¡°A monster!¡± was the word that came to her mind to describe Li Shiming.


    Elder Brother Wan Zheng¡¯s face showed a wistful expression. He had always been worried about Li Shiming surpassing him, but he never expected it to happen so swiftly. He was still at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment and he would need to know how many years it would take to reach the Foundation Establishment Peak.


    Yet in just a few years, Li Shiming not only caught up to him but also surpassed his realm, reaching that longed-for state of Half-step Golden Core.


    Even with Elder Su as his master, Wan Zheng couldn¡¯t guarantee that he would have the chance to become a Half-step Golden Core, let alone a Golden Core cultivator.


    He still needed to compete with many cultivators of the same stage for the resources to form his core, and he would have to defeat many peers to secure his own core formation resources.


    That was the material foundation; without having reached Half-step Golden Core, he didn¡¯t even want to think about joining such competition.


    Elder Brothers Lu Shi and Xu Chuan had long abandoned any thoughts of comparing themselves to Li Shiming, but still, they were shocked by the overwhelming momentum of his progress.


    ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve had some insights, and after a period of seclusion, I managed to break through to Half-step Golden Core. Unfortunately, this has also exhausted all my accumulated resources, and I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult to make further progress in a short time!¡± Li Shiming frankly responded.


    Elder Su¡¯s mouth twitched. If it weren¡¯t for Li Shiming¡¯s actual breakthrough to Half-step Golden Core, he would have wanted to ask him how long he had been cultivating and how he could have any cultivation accumulation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much left to teach you now. You should also reduce your alchemy work and take on more of the safer missions!¡± Elder Su suggested after some consideration.


    If Li Shiming were still at the peak of Foundation Establishment, he would never offer such advice, as alchemy was also a form of practice in controlling Spiritual Power.


    But Li Shiming had now become Half-step Golden Core, which indicated a clear direction on his Golden Core path. All he needed was an opportunity.


    Since Li Shiming had spent so long refining Spirit Pills without realizing the opportunity, it was time to put down the alchemy tasks and do something else, to see if other matters could trigger his insights.


    A normal Half-step Golden Core would take on dangerous combat missions, continuously honing themselves amidst life and death.


    Clearly, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t be allowed to do that; not to mention Elder Ma would not agree, the sect wouldn¡¯t allow such a thing to happen. If anything unexpected happened to Li Shiming, it would be a tremendous loss for their lineage, and even for the sect.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Li Shiming would certainly not disagree, for he still needed to listen to his master¡¯s advice regarding the experience of breaking through to Golden Core.


    ¡°Regarding your missions, don¡¯t take them on yourself, I will discuss them with Elder Ma!¡± Elder Su added after some thought, his worries still apparent.


    Li Shiming bowed in response, clearly seeing that his master cared about his safety even more than he did himself.


    In fact, with his current strength, he could almost be called number one in the Foundation Establishment stage.


    If it weren¡¯t for his esteemed identity as an Alchemy Master, constant life-death trials would be his best choice.


    ¡°Junior brother, it looks like you will catch up to me soon!¡± Ye Jingxian said to Li Shiming with a smile.


    She was happy for Li Shiming and harbored no jealousy. Her core formation was entirely due to the Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming.


    Additionally, if Li Shiming became a Golden Core cultivator, they would have hundreds more years to spend together. For her, this meant having a reliable companion on the path of cultivation, which was extremely important.


    With a companion like Li Shiming, an Alchemy Master on her path, she even felt confident about tackling the previously unimaginable realm of Nascent Soul.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t relying solely on him. Being a Golden Core cultivator herself, she believed she could be a support to Li Shiming.

 Chapter 481 287: Refinement through Sacrifice

    "Shiming, Jingxian came to me today, and her Golden Core is still not fully stable," Elder Su said with a smile to Li Shiming. "Lend her some Third-grade Spirit Pills for now, and she can replenish them for you later!"


    He naturally had Spirit Pills in his hand, but he did not have the Third-grade Spirit Pills suitable for Ye Jingxian.


    Without Li Shiming, he would have used some Spiritual Objects to exchange with Elder Ma, but with a disciple like Li Shiming, there was no need to owe favors to others, even if Elder Ma was his good friend.


    "Big Sister, you shouldn''t have gone to Master for this; you should have come directly to me!" Li Shiming said unhappily to Ye Jingxian, his tone filled with reproach.


    He took out a jade bottle and passed it over.


    He did not say anything about not needing to repay it. As an Alchemist, one must follow the rules of Alchemy, at least not to give Third-grade Spirit Pills on such occasions.


    If he were to give it away, it would also need to be privately, in solitude, so as not to break the alchemist''s rules.


    "Junior Brother, I did want to find you, but I was out of seclusion and you were in seclusion. If we hadn''t happened to meet here, perhaps by the time I entered seclusion, I wouldn''t have been able to see you!" Ye Jingxian took the jade bottle and replied with a smile.


    She was straightforward by nature and did not say any words of thanks. With the relationship she had with Li Shiming, there was no need for thanks.


    "This might be too much; I might need two or three years to repay you!" she said, opening the jade bottle and shaking her head slightly after seeing the Third-grade Spirit Pills inside.


    Inside the jade bottle, there were fifty Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills. Even with her Golden Core Early Stage strength, stabilizing her realm and undertaking missions would take a long time to accumulate enough contribution points.


    "Keep it. Improve your strength sooner and start working for the sect earlier!" Li Shiming said, waving his hand.


    Elder Su watched the exchange between his two disciples and nodded with great satisfaction.


    At Li Shiming''s age, he was already a Half-step Golden Core, so it was almost certain that he would become a Golden Core cultivator.


    In the future, with Ye Jingxian and Li Shiming supporting each other and each having a reliable cultivator of the same rank to rely on, this reassured Elder Su a lot about the future of these two disciples.


    The stronger the strength, the fewer the true friends one has; Elder Su had experienced this himself. Among the cultivators of his generation who joined the sect with him, only he achieved the Golden Core.


    Even among his own Masters and Disciples, he alone achieved the Golden Core. Although he later made many good friends, those he could call true friends were very few.


    "You three train hard. With Shiming''s help, if you still cannot achieve the Golden Core, it will greatly disappoint me!" he said, looking at the other three disciples in a grave tone.


    Although Li Shiming could not just give them Spirit Pills due to the rules of Alchemy, these three disciples could jump the queue anytime they wanted to refine pills, and the fees they paid were minimal.


    Such was a shortcut provided by an Alchemy Master, a condition that not any True Disciple could achieve.


    His words made Wan Zheng, Lu Shi, and Xu Chuan nod unanimously, expressing their resolved determination with firm gazes.


    Since Elder Su had designated Li Shiming to decide on mission matters, Li Shiming could only wait.


    At Ten Thousand Sword Peak of the Senluo Sect in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, after a month of cultivation, Li Yuanba''s Golden Core had expanded slightly. Although still very small, the energy inside it had doubled.


    Such a Golden Core was enough to sustain a battle in the Golden Core Stage, as well as to complete his own plans.


    Of course, his cultivation would not stop; he just added a few tasks during the leisure time of his cultivation.


    The first was to refine Yun Xingyi''s Lifebound Flying Sword, which had been with him for a long time since the Qi Refinement Stage.


    He took out Yun Xingyi''s Lifebound Flying Sword and placed it in front of him with Divine Thought.


    He took a deep breath, his mind activating the Golden Core breath, and then he sprayed a breath of Golden Core essence onto the Lifebound Flying Sword.


    The Lifebound Flying Sword trembled slightly, then calmed down.


    He sprayed another breath of Golden Core essence, and the Lifebound Flying Sword trembled again.


    When the third breath of Golden Core essence was sprayed out, Li Yuanba''s face had turned slightly pale; this essence greatly drained his Golden Core, and three breaths were his current limit.


    Finally, the Lifebound Flying Sword seemed to come alive, and as the Golden Core essence entered, the spirit contained in the essence surged towards the master-recognition pattern of the Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Even though Yun Xingyi had died, a trace of spiritual imprint remained within the master-recognition pattern.


    This trace of spiritual imprint, left behind from centuries of nourishing the Lifebound Flying Sword with Golden Core essence, did not completely disappear with the master''s death.


    It was this trace of spiritual imprint that restricted others from using this Lifebound Flying Sword effectively.


    However, when Li Yuanba''s spirit contacted this trace of spiritual imprint, the imprint did not resist at all but willingly accepted his spirit, allowing his spirit to successfully master the master-recognition pattern, and this spiritual imprint also merged into the spirit he infused into the Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Due to the integration of this spiritual imprint, Li Yuanba''s progress in refining this Lifebound Flying Sword jumped to eighty percent. The remaining twenty percent would need to be refined bit by bit over a long time.


    That is to say, he could now wield eighty percent of the power of this Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Desperate not to mind the consumption of his Golden Core, he looked at the Lifebound Flying Sword in front of him with joy gleaming in his eyes.


    All the information about this Lifebound Flying Sword, as he refined it, became known to him.

 Chapter 482: 287 Sacrificial Refinement_2

    Chapter 482: Chapter 287 Sacrificial Refinement_2


    The flying sword treasure is named ¡°Xingyi Sword,¡± and upon learning its name, he knew its creator was Yun Xingyi.


    The Xingyi Sword was crafted using ¡°Star White Yan Gold¡± of the third grade as the primary material, supplemented with more than ten types of various third-grade auxiliary materials, refined through a special technique.


    Yun Xingyi¡¯s artifact refining skills were not particularly brilliant; he merely brought out the properties of the top-tier third-grade material ¡°Star White Yan Gold.¡± Once Li Shiming reached the Golden Core stage and refined using the same ¡°Star White Yan Gold,¡± he would likely craft an even stronger flying sword treasure.


    However, the top third-grade ¡°Star White Yan Gold¡± was nowhere to be found, and with Li Shiming¡¯s current status as an alchemy master, obtaining such top-tier materials was impossible.


    Among third-grade materials, the lower quality ones were more common, while intermediate materials became scarce, and as for the top-tier materials, these were treasures that could only be encountered but not sought.


    Of course, as the lifebound flying sword of a sword cultivator, such treasures were not solely judged on material, but the long-term dedication of the sword cultivator in refining it was crucial.


    Though the crafting technique of the Xingyi Sword was not outstanding, centuries of dedication by Sword Cultivation Golden Core Yun Xingyi had endowed the Xingyi Sword with qualities surpassing ordinary treasures.


    Besides being sturdy and sharp, and extremely compatible with spiritual power, the Xingyi Sword also enhanced sword intent, a benefit gained from Yun Xingyi¡¯s centuries of refining.


    Li Yuanba found that the Xingyi Sword enhanced sword intent by 135%, which meant that when he used the Xingyi Sword to launch attacks, his sword intent would be more than doubled.


    He finally understood why sword cultivators were powerful. Currently, using the Xingyi Sword wasn¡¯t too conspicuous, but once his sword intent was sufficiently boosted, and increased over twice more, he guessed that few of his peers could withstand a single strike from him.


    He was very satisfied with his decision to make the Xingyi Sword his lifebound flying sword, as its power had exceeded his expectations after successful refining.


    The flying sword of a sword cultivator didn¡¯t need any fancy features such as cold ice, flaming fire, deadly poison, and so forth; none were as substantial as a sword cultivator¡¯s sword intent.


    Sword intent was indeed the foundation of a sword cultivator¡¯s ability to break all spells with a single strike, and the fact that the Xingyi Sword could enhance sword intent by 135% was more perfect than any other effect.


    Moreover, as he continued to refine the Xingyi Sword, the effect of enhancing sword intent would continue to grow.


    The Cloud One Sword no longer needed Divine Thought to support it; it moved as if alive in front of Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba opened his mouth and inhaled sharply, and the Cloud One Sword instantly shrank and flew into his mouth.


    The lifebound flying sword entered his body. This inhalation was a secret technique from the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± for retrieving one¡¯s lifebound flying sword, transforming it into an energy form and collecting it inside the body.


    This was the only opportunity in a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s life to convert a lifebound treasure into an energy form and withdraw it into the body.


    The difference between a lifebound treasure and other treasures lay herein; other treasures could also be strengthened through prolonged refining, but their enhancement effects were far less effective than those always inside a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s body.


    Li Yuanba had some concerns in his heart, though. Although he had refined the Xingyi Sword into his lifebound treasure, taking such a flying sword treasure into his body still made him feel like he might be injured.


    He introspected, and saw the Xingyi Sword just above the tiny Golden Core; the qi emitted by the Golden Core was nurturing the Xingyi Sword.


    Even without special refining practices, just the simple act of the Xingyi Sword being in this position meant it was continuously nourished by the Golden Core.


    Only after the Lifebound Flying Sword Xingyi had been refined and absorbed into his body did Li Yuanba feel somewhat confident; he now possessed the strength to battle a Golden Core cultivator.


    Of course, he could still only combat early-stage Golden Core cultivators, but when facing stronger Golden Core cultivators, he wouldn¡¯t be entirely helpless anymore.


    Li Yuanba extended his right hand, and a simplistic longsword appeared in it.


    This was the final form of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± a third-grade sword base crafted into a treasure.


    Surprisingly, although the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± could no longer enhance body refinement, it could still continuously improve the quality of the third-grade sword base, a process different from typical sword cultivators using a Golden Core to nurture a flying sword.


    The ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± enhances the quality of the Third Grade Sword Base according to the cultivator¡¯s physical constitution, even as it remains fused within the cultivator¡¯s body.


    By using the secret techniques of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± it was possible to strengthen the third-grade sword base within the body along with the cultivator¡¯s body, continuously enhancing its quality.


    ¡°The first thing to do after coming out of seclusion is to find a body refining technique!¡± Li Yuanba muttered to himself.


    This had been his plan all along, and now, to enhance the quality of the third-grade sword base, he needed a body refining technique even more.


    Although he was purely a sword cultivator, Li Yuanba had already possessed three treasures soon after he initially reached the Golden Core Stage.


    The Third Grade Sword Base had been the foundation he built during the Qi Refinement Realm, and besides the ¡®Mind Hoop,¡¯ an auxiliary marvel, there was his Lifebound Flying Sword Xingyi.


    He also planned to complete the final step of transforming Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a treasure, which essentially completed his set of treasures for the Golden Core Stage.


    He estimated that there were few cultivators in the Cultivation World who could possess four treasures upon first entering the Golden Core Stage, each with its unique features and formidable power.


    Only Li Yuanba, with the core of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure made from third-grade refining materials, could undertake this task currently; Li Shiming couldn¡¯t handle third-grade materials yet due to limitations in his realm.


    Li Yuanba placed the required refining materials in front of him and once again thanked Elder Lv in his heart.


    He was grateful for Elder Lv¡¯s generosity in gathering all the materials needed for the consecration of Ten Thousand Sword Peak; otherwise, even with Li Shiming¡¯s help in collecting such numerous and varied refining materials, it would not have been easy to gather them all.


    Li Shiming¡¯s primary identity ceased all other activities to lend his focus to the refining process here.


    This was the first time refining third-grade materials, and since there was only one batch of third-grade materials, any mistakes could mean a lot of time required to gather them again.


    What Li Yuanba lacked the most at the moment was time. He needed to refine Ten Thousand Sword Peak into his treasure to truly protect it.


    The artifact refining process went smoothly with the only trouble being that Li Yuanba¡¯s Golden Core was relatively weak, and the duration of the alchemic fire was somewhat short.


    However, thanks to the precise calculations of the IBM z15, all stages of the refining process were optimally scheduled, making the best use of the alchemic fire.


    Three days later, the core of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was successfully refined.


    Li Yuanba arrived at the rock where five treasured flying swords were implanted; he carefully positioned the newly refined third-grade core at the site of the five treasures, tightly integrating it with them.


    As the core was set, all the external spiritually active objects on the surface of Ten Thousand Sword Peak emitted a dazzling light.


    These lights interconnected, forming a large net that spread over the entire Ten Thousand Sword Peak, enveloping it completely.


    Li Yuanba traced complex patterns in the air with his finger, embedding them into Ten Thousand Sword Peak. With each pattern entered, a light pillar surged at each location on Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    These light pillars were nodes for the formation he had arranged, which were integrated into the existing nodes of Ten Thousand Sword Peak¡¯s grand formation, expanding it with each new node added.


    Unknown to Li Yuanba how much effort and time Elder Lv had spent, but the IBM z15 alone had consumed considerable computing power to simulate and optimize this grand formation afterward to achieve its purpose.


    With the continuous addition of formation nodes, Ten Thousand Sword Peak¡¯s grand formation became increasingly intricate, its spiritual power circuits immensely complex.


    Fortunately, the ongoing grand formation of Ten Thousand Sword Peak remained unaffected. The changes to Ten Thousand Sword Peak were concealed by the grand formation, not attracting the attention of other cultivators from the Senluo Sect.


    But the transformations within Ten Thousand Sword Peak were becoming more intense, and it seemed that this concealment might not last much longer.

 Chapter 483: 288: The Magic Treasure

    Chapter 483: Chapter 288: The Magic Treasure


    The Mountain Protection Array of Ten Thousand Sword Peak suddenly vanished, a consequence of the array¡¯s complete integration with the newly added formation nodes.


    Which meant the array had been deactivated, and all the cultivators who had been keeping an eye on Ten Thousand Sword Peak noticed the changes to it.


    Now, the surface of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was fully covered with countless mysterious patterns, and the spirit ore within the mountain had become the source of all energy, sustaining the complexity of the new formation that had multiplied several times over.


    Li Yuanba spat out several breaths of Golden Core energy in succession and, with the aid of this energy, imprinted his spirit mark at the core of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, effectively taking control of it.


    No sooner had he completed this than the fastest few Golden Core Elders had already arrived.


    Included among them was Elder Yue, whose eyes overflowed with disbelief as he looked at Ten Thousand Sword Peak and Li Yuanba, who stood atop the summit.


    The aura emitting from Li Yuanba¡¯s body was unmistakably that of the Golden Core Stage.


    Yet, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak that Elder Yue had coveted for many years had been refined into a magical weapon, branded with Li Yuanba¡¯s spirit mark.


    The plans Elder Yue and several other Golden Core Elders of the Senluo Sect had been making for many years dissipated before their eyes.


    If it were not for the fact that they were still within the bounds of the Senluo Sect, with many cultivators watching, he would have liked to slay Li Yuanba right there and then to vent his anger.


    The reason he had wanted to refine Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a magical weapon was due to its perfect foundation as a Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasure.


    Among all magical treasures, those that required the most materials and were the most difficult to refine were precisely the mountain peak type.


    The mountain peak type magical treasure¡¯s main body must be an exceedingly colossal mountain, and the materials that make up the mountain must also be suitable for Artifact Refining.


    A mountain peak completely composed of Artifact Refining materials, even the lowest grade, requires a staggering amount of resources.


    It¡¯s estimated that even emptying several large spirit ore veins would not yield enough materials to form the base of such a mountain peak type magical treasure.


    Not to mention this is just the preparation of the materials; the time required to transform these materials into a mountain peak through refining is measured in centuries.


    Having been nurtured by the Sword Intent for thousands of years, the original earth and stone of Ten Thousand Sword Peak had long been transformed into higher-grade spiritual materials, and with the countless artifact materials invested by the previous sword cultivator sect, it far exceeded what an ordinary cultivator could refine individually.


    Elder Yue had calculated that if he could refine Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he could become one of the strongest Golden Core cultivators beneath the Nascent Soul Stage.


    The reason it was ¡®one of¡¯ is because there are several Half-step Nascent Soul Golden Core cultivators in the Beishu Continent, whose strength has already surpassed that of the regular Golden Core Stage.


    Of course, there¡¯s also the premise that Elder Jian is indeed making a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage, otherwise Elder Jian¡¯s strength would still rank ahead.


    Li Yuanba sensed the gazes of many cultivators, but he didn¡¯t bother to pay them any attention.


    All his focus was on Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which was crucial to his cultivation, affecting his cultivation speed at the Golden Core Stage.


    Feeling the connection between himself and Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he smiled slightly and pointed towards the peak beneath his feet.


    ¡°Shrink!¡± he lightly called out.


    Countless patterns once again emitted a dazzling light, and the entire Ten Thousand Sword Peak began to shrink slowly as he made his call.


    This was the first shrinkage, so its pace was somewhat slow.


    In the future, it won¡¯t be so leisurely; it will grow or shrink easily at the behest of his mind, such is a magical treasure.


    Especially since Ten Thousand Sword Peak was refined by him, the first successful sacrifice refining meant he had thoroughly refined it and could exert one hundred percent of its power.


    What transpired with Ten Thousand Sword Peak was extremely magical, far beyond what the science of his former life could explain.


    This involved knowledge of space, formations, Spiritual Energy, and Artifact Refining among other things; were it not for Ten Thousand Sword Peak¡¯s base having a perfect foundation for Artifact Refining, such a magical treasure would not be successfully refined for hundreds of years.


    He had indeed taken a great advantage from Elder Jian, but since Elder Jian was his master, a master passing on Spiritual Objects to his disciple was reasonable in any sect.


    Ten Thousand Sword Peak continued to diminish until it finally transformed into a small peak about a foot tall, gently falling into his left hand.


    He held the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure in his hand, yet felt no weight at all; in fact, what appeared to be the mountain peak was merely an illusion, while the true mass of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was hidden within the void.


    ¡°I have seen all the Elders, fellow disciples!¡± Li Yuanba stood in the air, holding the Ten Thousand Sword Peak and smiling as he performed a courteous bow to the gathering cultivators.


    His keen senses had already detected the hostile gazes among them, and they were not few.


    However, he wasn¡¯t very worried; leaving aside other factors, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak in his hand was enough to deter most Golden Core cultivators.


    He estimated that even if there were Golden Core cultivators present who harbored thoughts against him, without knowing the exact power of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, they would not dare to strike at him.


    Perhaps they were all waiting for some Golden Core cultivator to take the lead and test out the power of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Li Yuanba too was hoping that some Golden Core cultivator would show initiative, allowing him to test the power of Ten Thousand Sword Peak with it.


    Although he had refined Ten Thousand Sword Peak, he did not yet know its true power.


    All he knew was that the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, once deployed, would generate a binding force to restrain cultivators, then the Ten Thousand Sword Peak would transform into a real mountain and descend upon the cultivator.


    With the weight of ten thousand jin pressing down, even a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator could not withstand such immense pressure.

 Chapter 484: 288: Magical Treasures_2

    Chapter 484: Chapter 288: Magical Treasures_2


    Not to mention that the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure also contained Sword Intent, which would be activated simultaneously when using the overwhelming pressure of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    ¡°Congratulations, Li Yuanba, fellow Daoist, on achieving Golden Core!¡± Elder Yue was momentarily stunned, the first to recover, and with a forced smile, he returned the courtesy.


    ¡°Congratulations to Li Yuanba, fellow Daoist!¡± the other cultivators also offered their felicitations in turn.


    Li Yuanba thought to himself what a pity it was that no Golden Core cultivators wanted to make a move to test him, preventing him from intimidating the many cultivators with the might of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb everyone¡¯s cultivation, but I need to go register and take my leave first!¡± he said with a light smile.


    After speaking, the Xingyi Sword flew out from within him, carrying him away.


    Elder Yue¡¯s gaze sharpened once more as all the cultivators present noticed the Xingyi Sword. It was a flying sword treasure, and from the way Li Yuanba activated it, one could conclude it was a Lifebound Flying Sword.


    ¡°Elder Jian really spares no expense for this disciple!¡± Elder Yue said with a hint of sourness.


    He thought that Li Yuanba¡¯s possession of such a Lifebound Flying Sword must have been prepared by Elder Jian for his disciple.


    Little did he know that Elder Jian was extremely poor; the difficulties of sword cultivation started right at the Golden Core Stage, making wealth almost an impossibility.


    Elder Yue calculated the cost of dealing with Li Yuanba and had other considerations in mind.


    Nevertheless, some Golden Core cultivators who had initially entertained thoughts of targeting Li Yuanba now withdrew their intentions.


    The strength Li Yuanba had revealed was not something an ordinary Golden Core cultivator could handle.


    Though the power of the Xingyi Sword was unknown, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure alone was trouble enough.


    The attack frequency of Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasures was very slow and consumed a great deal of Spiritual Power, which meant that under normal circumstances, they couldn¡¯t be used repeatedly.


    With Li Yuanba¡¯s realm, having just broken through to the Golden Core Stage, he could only muster a single strike with the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    This single strike needed a Golden Core cultivator to withstand it, and a single mishap could result in death and the destruction of one¡¯s Dao.


    As Li Yuanba flew, he returned the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure to his Space Ring, his mood exceedingly good.


    Within the Senluo Sect, because Elder Jian and Ancestor Lu were in seclusion, he had been surrounded by wolves for the past two years, each wanting to devour him in one bite.


    Yet today he stood before all the cultivators, with not a single Golden Core cultivator daring to make a move against him. While being inside the sect was part of the reason, attacks were forbidden within the sect; however, probing was still feasible. The fact that no Golden Core cultivator attempted to test him indicated that he had the capability to make Golden Core cultivators wary.


    Over the years, he had been pursued and nearly killed by Golden Core cultivators multiple times, but now, he had finally become a Golden Core cultivator himself.


    From this day forward, the sea was his to swim and the sky his to fly.


    As he contemplated, he arrived at the Palace of Darkness of the Senluo Sect, the place where sect affairs were handled.


    ¡°I pay respect to Master Uncle!¡± Upon entering the Palace of Darkness, he stopped a Foundation Establishment Stage manager, who sensed his Golden Core strength and bowed deeply in salute.


    ¡°I have just ascended to the Golden Core Stage; where should I go to carry out the formalities?¡± Li Yuanba asked indifferently, taking out his Identity Jade Disc as he spoke.


    ¡°Congratulations, Master Uncle, I will take you to Elder Situ!¡± The manager took a brief look at the Identity Jade Disc, realized it was a True Disciple¡¯s Identity Jade Disc, and hurriedly replied with a beaming smile.


    The manager had been wondering who this Golden Core Master Uncle, whom he had never seen before, was. The manager, although only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, had been overseeing numerous affairs and had been with the Senluo Sect for over a hundred years.


    While it might be possible not to recognize all Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he certainly would recognize any Golden Core cultivator.


    However, no matter how much the manager racked his brain, he couldn¡¯t find any Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator on the cusp of a breakthrough who matched the current Li Yuanba.


    He could only suppress the curiosity in his heart and, bringing Li Yuanba with him, proceeded towards the interior of the Palace of Darkness.


    ¡°Master Uncle, please wait a moment!¡± The manager arrived at a large door, bowed to Li Yuanba and spoke, then cast a spell towards the door.


    After a moment, a radiant spell flew out from within, caught by the manager¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡°Elder Situ is currently available, Master Uncle please enter on your own!¡± The manager opened the great door and stood aside, saying.


    As the door opened, the pitch-dark interior was revealed, concealing the scene within.


    Li Yuanba did not hesitate, aware that the Cultivation World possessed many methods, but inside the Palace of Darkness, there would be no traps or harm intended for sect cultivators.


    Upon stepping in, his vision blurred, and he found himself amidst a lake.


    His eyesight was exceptionally good. The lake was indeed real, while the distant, faint scenery was an illusion conjured by an Illusion Array.


    In the center of the lake was a small island, not large, but arranged with exquisite taste¡ªlittle bridges over flowing water, rock gardens, and cool pavilions.


    This Elder Situ had actually used a spatial formation inside the Palace of Darkness to create a lakeside island environment for himself.


    Even though Li Yuanba knew many cultivators had their own eccentricities, this was the first time he had come across someone who would use such means just to arrange a place for official business.


    It also implied that only those cultivators who had the ability to fly were considered eligible to enter, for reaching the small island in the center would be impossible by swimming¡ªthis design did not take into account the Qi Refining cultivators and ordinary people.


    Li Yuanba did not deploy his Xingyi Sword; he simply relied on the Golden Core Stage¡¯s innate ability to fly, approaching the small island.


    Upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, the very moment his Golden Core formed within him, his body was freed from gravity¡¯s constraints, and he could fly at will.


    Of course, without using any flying secret techniques, relying solely on the innate ability to fly at the Golden Core Stage meant that his speed would be much slower.


    Approaching the small island, he saw an elder seated in the pavilion, the elder¡¯s presence completely concealed, making it impossible for him to sense the elder¡¯s realm of power.


    He was secretly startled, knowing that he was already at the Golden Core Stage, and any cultivator who prevented him from sensing their realm had to be either adept in some secretive technique for concealing their cultivation or at least several times stronger than him.


    ¡°Li Yuanba pays respects to Great Elder Situ!¡± He did not dare to show the slightest arrogance, reining in the excitement from mastering several treasures after his Golden Core breakthrough, and saluted with extreme respect.


    ¡°Li Yuanba, Elder Jian¡¯s True Inheritor, Elder Jian has indeed accepted a good disciple, to think that you¡¯ve actually reached Golden Core!¡± Elder Situ looked up at Li Yuanba, a flash of surprise in his eyes. Pointing to the stone stool below, he said, ¡°From now on you¡¯re my junior brother. The sect also needs Golden Core Sword Cultivators like you. Take a seat and let¡¯s talk!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Great Elder!¡± Li Yuanba listened as Elder Situ¡¯s words were quite calm, allowing him to relax.


    He had also guessed Elder Situ¡¯s realm; if Elder Situ could call him a junior brother, then Elder Situ¡¯s realm would not be at the Nascent Soul Stage, thus it was very likely to be the Late-stage Golden Core.


    ¡°Give me your Identity Jade Disc first!¡± Elder Situ stretched out his hand and instructed.


    Li Yuanba placed his own Identity Jade Disc in front of him. The elder took Li Yuanba¡¯s disc and brought out another Identity Jade Disc, aligning the two Identity Jade Discs together and operated on them with his Divine Thought.


    Both Identity Jade Discs flashed simultaneously, which seemed to update the information from the old disc into the new one.


    ¡°This is your Golden Core Identity Jade Disc. You have just been promoted, and no tasks have been assigned to you yet. I see that your aura has stabilized, and you have developed combat capabilities since forming your Golden Core. You can no longer show the same disregard for sect tasks as you did during your Foundation Establishment Stage. The benefits the sect provides to a Golden Core cultivator also require a certain repayment!¡± Elder Situ was making a new Identity Jade Disc while also familiarizing himself with Li Yuanba¡¯s previous information.


    Li Yuanba probably completed the fewest tasks in the history of Senluo Sect for a cultivator who had formed their core. He had only been in the sect for a few years, in the beginning, he was diligent.


    But ever since being taken in as Elder Jian¡¯s disciple, he ceased doing any tasks and only in the past two years, after Elder Jian went into seclusion, did he start to perfunctorily meet the minimum standard of three tasks per year.


    If it were other sect cultivators, they would not concern themselves with Li Yuanba¡¯s actions, but Elder Situ was in charge of managing the sect¡¯s affairs. A Golden Core Sword Cultivator like Li Yuanba was precisely what Elder Situ hoped would participate more in tasks.


    The growth of a Golden Core Sword Cultivator lies in continuous combat which allows for rapid advancement. Elder Situ was also considering Li Yuanba¡¯s quicker growth.

 Chapter 485: 289 Welfare

    Chapter 485: Chapter 289 Welfare


    Li Yuanba left the Great Elder¡¯s presence and checked the information on his Identity Jade Disc; it had been updated to show that he was now a Golden Core cultivator of the Senluo Sect.


    If the sect were to assign him a certain task, his Identity Jade Disc would then display an Elder of a certain division.


    He didn¡¯t care much about becoming a Sect Elder. As for the powers within the Senluo Sect, he had no desire to compete for them.


    He found the right direction and flew towards the Book Collection Pavilion of the sect.


    Upon entering the Book Collection Pavilion, he went upstairs to the second floor. Then, under the astonished gaze of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he proceeded to the staircase leading to the third floor.


    This Foundation Establishment Cultivator recognized Li Yuanba, who, although very reclusive within the Senluo Sect, had been through numerous battles, especially the one two years ago, where he killed several True Disciples. This cultivator was one of the survivors.


    It was precisely because he recognized Li Yuanba that the Foundation Establishment Cultivator shrank back, trying to prevent Li Yuanba from seeing him while still sneakily watching his movements.


    After Li Yuanba ascended the stairs to the third floor, the cultivator almost cried out in shock.


    The third floor was protected by an Array, which only Golden Core cultivators could enter.


    Since Li Yuanba was able to go up to the third floor, there was only one possibility, and that was that Li Yuanba had become a Golden Core cultivator.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivator thought of his fellow disciples who were still considering revenge on Li Yuanba. Due to Li Yuanba¡¯s formidable strength, some of the True Disciples who had lost face last time, along with a number of strong late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, were planning to join forces and ambush Li Yuanba again to regain their lost honor.


    The cultivator took out his Identity Jade Disc and sent the news of Li Yuanba becoming a Golden Core cultivator to a close friend who was prepared to participate in the action.


    Afterward, this yet-to-be-formed ambush was dispelled by this single piece of news.


    Such is the Cultivation World, where strength is everything.


    Li Yuanba went up to the Technique area on the third floor. There were far fewer books and Jade Scrolls here compared to below, but still close to eight hundred in number.


    One must know that the Techniques in the third-floor area were all capable of being cultivated up to the Golden Core Stage at least.


    Back when he was in Sky Sea Island, the highest cultivation technique of the Sky Sea Sect was for the Golden Core Stage, yet here, in this Technique area, they were simply laid out for the taking.


    As long as one had enough contribution points, any sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivator could exchange for them.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Identity Jade Disc contained very few contribution points. He had completed many missions, but those were only Foundation Establishment Stage missions, and the contribution points he earned were quite far from what was needed to exchange for a Golden Core Stage Technique.


    Fortunately, he was rewarded by the sect when he advanced to the Golden Core Stage.


    He had the right to select two Golden Core Stage Techniques for free from the Book Collection Pavilion. After that, he would also need to go to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to collect a set of sect¡¯s Golden Core robe, a storage bracelet, a standardized magical treasure, and some third-grade resources.


    Normally, newly advanced Golden Core cultivators would first go to receive their storage bracelet and other item rewards, especially that standardized magical treasure.


    But Li Yuanba didn¡¯t care for those things, although he found some use for the third-grade resources. He wasn¡¯t so lofty as to forego collecting them; he was simply more eager to find suitable Techniques.


    He didn¡¯t need to exchange for his main cultivation technique; according to Elder Jian¡¯s judgment, the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± was one of the highest-grade techniques, not just in the Senluo Sect but across the entire Beishu Continent.


    What he needed was a Body Refining Technique, and it would be even better if he could find a self-cultivation Corpse Refining Technique.


    With such thoughts in mind, he had come to the Book Collection Pavilion.


    ¡°I have some questions to ask!¡± Li Yuanba didn¡¯t immediately start looking for the techniques he wanted. He had his own method for finding techniques in places like the Book Collection Pavilion. He approached the Golden Core cultivator on duty, smiling as he spoke.


    Though this Golden Core cultivator was merely in charge of guarding the Book Collection Pavilion, such a sect cultivator with a post would at the very least have the status of an Elder.


    Or rather, most Golden Core cultivators within a sect held the status of an Elder because they would more or less accept tasks arranged by the sect and partake in its affairs.


    Perhaps only a Nascent Soul Ancestor had the privilege to do as they wished. In the Beishu Continent, Golden Core cultivators were the backbone of a sect, while Nascent Soul Ancestors were its reliance.


    As Li Yuanba spoke, he passed over a small and exquisite jade bottle.


    The guarding Golden Core Elder was meditating with his eyes closed, slightly displeased to be disturbed.


    Guard duty on the third floor was the most leisurely. The instances of Golden Core cultivators exchanging techniques were rare, and given the naturally small number of sect Golden Core cultivators, the third floor was mostly empty.


    When the Golden Core Elder opened his eyes, he saw the jade bottle being passed in front of him.


    He received the jade bottle, briefly scanned it with his Divine Thought, sniffed it once more in disbelief, and then confirmed it was a Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pill.


    A Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pill, especially one not produced by the Senluo Sect, had limited value but was certainly a welcome gift.


    The ¡°limited value¡± here was in comparison to third-grade spiritual items, but as a reward for information, it was certainly of great value.


    ¡°This fellow seems unfamiliar. I am Elder Cai of the Book Collection Pavilion; may I ask for your esteemed name?¡± Elder Cai asked with a smile.


    ¡°Elder Cai, my name is Li Yuanba, newly advanced to Golden Core. Here is my Identity Jade Disc, I have come to select two techniques!¡± Li Yuanba handed over his Identity Jade Disc.


    ¡°You have two free techniques to claim; just tell me what I can do to help!¡± Elder Cai inspected the Identity Jade Disc, then handed it back while speaking.

 Chapter 486: 289 Welfare_2

    Chapter 486: Chapter 289 Welfare_2


    ¡°Elder Cai is in charge of the Book Collection Pavilion and is very familiar with the cultivation techniques here. I need a body refining technique and an autonomous cultivation method for corpse refining!¡± Li Yuanba gave a third-grade spirit pill in exchange for accurate information.


    ¡°Junior Li has come to the right person. We have one hundred and thirty-two body refining techniques here. If one does not consider the difficulty of cultivation but only the effects, the top-ranked one is this ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯!¡± Elder Cai, having received the gift, was naturally very enthusiastic in his response.


    He reached out his hand, and a jade scroll flew over from a nearby shelf.


    ¡°As I see that Junior Li does not carry the aura of devil cultivation techniques, you probably would not choose a devil body refining technique. This ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ is said to have been discovered by an ancestor of our sect when exploring an ancient mansion. This is up to the late-stage golden core cultivation method, and the method for the nascent soul stage needs to be exchanged with contribution points!¡± Elder Cai continued to introduce.


    Li Yuanba had few objections to Elder Cai¡¯s assessment.


    Elder Cai appeared to be of advanced age, and such insight was expected of him.


    Li Yuanba received the Jade Scroll of the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ and probed into it with his divine thought.


    Without going through the handover procedures, he could only see the introduction part of this cultivation technique.


    Just as Elder Cai had introduced, Cai almost repeated the introduction of the technique, but Li Yuanba noticed that Elder Cai had omitted something, that is, this body refining technique was a pure yang body refining technique.


    No wonder Elder Cai said to consider only the results of cultivation and not the difficulty, for it¡¯s likely that in the sect, cultivators who meet the conditions to practice the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ are extremely rare.


    Such pure yang body refining techniques like the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ naturally conflict with most of the devil cultivators in the Senluo Sect.


    ¡°If you are not satisfied, there are two other body refining techniques that are also quite good!¡± Elder Cai did not expect Li Yuanba to be interested in the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique.¡¯ He was simply arranging the introduction based on his analysis of the techniques on the third floor of the Book Collection Pavilion and introduced them to Li Yuanba in order.


    Such an introduction made him feel that he was worthy of the third-grade spirit pill that Li Yuanba had given.


    At the same time, such an introduction could also show his worth. After all, who could have such a familiarity with the cultivation techniques in the Book Collection Pavilion besides him?


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll choose the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ for the body refining technique!¡± Li Yuanba was thinking of his own Taiji Dao Body, which was a Supreme Yang Body in human form, and it matched perfectly with the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯.


    This answer made the words Elder Cai was about to say get stuck in his throat, creating a feeling of agitation that he was eager to express.


    ¡°You do have an eye for quality,¡¯ the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ is definitely the strongest body refining technique here!¡± Elder Cai calmed his emotions and said with a forced smile.


    ¡°Please introduce another technique for me, Elder Cai!¡± Li Yuanba then requested.


    ¡°Autonomous cultivation methods for corpse refining are extremely rare. There are only three recorded here. To pick the strongest out of the three autonomous corpse refining methods, it would certainly be the ¡®Evil Corpse Spirit Record,¡¯ but the ¡®Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡¯ requires the corpse being refined to have extremely high spirituality due to the complexity of the content. Without sufficient spirituality, the corpse is unable to cultivate it!¡± Elder Cai felt that Li Yuanba probably wanted the strongest technique, so he still started with the strongest one.


    It¡¯s normal for autonomous cultivation methods for corpse refining to be rare, as the growth of refined corpses is generally achieved through absorbing spiritual objects and in formations where yin cold energy gathers.


    Refined corpses capable of cultivating autonomously are exceedingly uncommon. Take the refined corpses by Li Shiming¡¯s side, for example. Although there are more than a dozen refined corpses on his side, none of them are capable of cultivating autonomously.


    The reason lies in spirituality. It¡¯s no problem for a master to control a refined corpse in combat, but to manipulate the energy inside the corpse to operate according to a cultivation method requires much more intricate control, something the refined corpse must do on its own.


    However, the wisdom of a refined corpse is almost exclusively pointed towards combat, with other aspects being at the level of severe intellectual disability, making it nearly impossible for such a being to cultivate sophisticated techniques.


    Of course, since there are autonomous cultivation methods for refined corpses, there must be corpses capable of cultivating such techniques.


    In the legends, it is said that there is an extremely low chance during the corpse refining ritual that a Corpse King with high spirituality will emerge. These techniques are meant for the Corpse King to cultivate.


    Therefore, as Elder Cai introduced the techniques to Li Yuanba, he occasionally glanced at Li Yuanba¡¯s waist, hoping to get a glimpse of what his refined corpse looked like.


    Of course, one couldn¡¯t see it that way, it was an instinctual action following an association.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll choose ¡®Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡¯!¡± Li Yuanba didn¡¯t even look this time and made his decision.


    In his opinion, what sort of spirituality in Corpse Refining could surpass his own? He wasn¡¯t afraid of any spiritual requirements, as long as it was a cultivation technique for refining corpses, that was fine.


    ¡°This ¡®Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡¯ is a complete set, capable of reaching the Golden Corpse Realm!¡± Elder Cai said as he reached out for a jade scroll again and introduced it.


    Methods like ¡®Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡¯ were quite different from the cultivation techniques that cultivators refined themselves and were much less significant in importance, requiring much less in terms of realm.


    He completed the procedures and placed the two jade scrolls into a nearby formation; a light enveloped the jade scrolls, which was the formation unlocking the restrictions on the scrolls.


    ¡°The jade scrolls cannot leave the sect, you must return them within a month!¡± As Elder Cai handed over the two jade scrolls to Li Yuanba, he reminded him.


    Li Yuanba was already aware of this; the sect was cautious with its cultivation techniques, rarely allowing them to be taken outside unless a cultivator personally memorized them.


    That is why the probability of finding cultivation techniques among Li Yuanba¡¯s spoils of war was extremely low.


    In the Beishu Continent, sect cultivators from major sects would carry jade scrolls with cultivation techniques either inherited from their masters, secretly copied by themselves, or purchased from outside; the techniques from the Book Collection Pavilion of the sects could not be taken out.


    However, he had acquired several complete methods from Sword Cultivation Golden Core Yun Xingyi, because Yun Xingyi¡¯s sect was relocating, and that¡¯s why the techniques were carried with him.


    Of course, some powerful sect cultivators would also carry important methods with them, which showed their complete confidence in their own strength, ensuring that no secrets would be leaked.


    Li Yuanba took the two jade scrolls and then went to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to collect a storage bracelet containing the equipment and resources allocated to him by the sect.


    The magic treasure was a flying sword of very ordinary quality, which is part of the welfare for Golden Core cultivators of a large sect; there were four types of magic treasures to choose from, all of similar quality.


    From the perspective of Artifact Refining techniques, they were all crafted by masters, but due to the use of only third-grade materials, which are the lowest, the quality of the magic treasures was somewhat unsatisfactory.


    He took this flying sword treasure according to the principle of not wasting what¡¯s free; later, he would decide whether to trade it or give it away, as he wouldn¡¯t be refining it himself.


    He feared refining a sword treasure of such quality would waste his time.


    The rest were third-grade Spirit Fruits and Spiritual Tea, which he received all at once as a three-year allotment.


    It seemed that whether it was a major sect of the Righteous Path or the Devil Path, the welfare was about the same.


    Considering that the Cultivation World had developed for tens of thousands of years, some rules had become fixed, so it was normal for major sects to have similar welfare.


    Li Yuanba returned to the location where Ten Thousand Sword Peak had been, took out the Ten Thousand Sword Peak treasure, and with a thought, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak treasure suddenly enlarged before him, returning to its normal form of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Since he wasn¡¯t using the Ten Thousand Sword Peak treasure for attack, the mountain body of Ten Thousand Sword Peak gently landed in its original place, perfectly aligned without any discrepancy.


    He entered the mountain, and the Mountain Protection Array activated.


    His cave dwelling and spiritual vein were all restored; aside from Ten Thousand Sword Peak being refined into a treasure, there was almost no difference from before.


    Of course, when he traveled in the future, he could take his cave dwelling along with Ten Thousand Sword Peak, no longer having to worry about other cultivators having designs on Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    And the Ten Thousand Sword Peak treasure also became an important protective treasure for him, even the strongest for a long time to come.

 Chapter 487 290: Going Out

    A large flying boat was sailing through the sky, marked with the insignia of the Shushan Sect, its interior was the epitome of luxury.


    On the first floor of the flying boat were two high-level alchemists and a dozen mid to low-level alchemists, while on the second floor there were only two people: Li Shiming and Golden Core Sword Cultivator Elder Zhao from the Shushan Sect.


    Elder Zhao''s task was to protect Li Shiming, for this trip was a mission arranged by the sect for Li Shiming.


    The mission was quite simple, to head to the Fire Cloud Valley and serve as the arbiter for this session of the Alchemists'' Conference.


    Speaking of the Alchemists'' Conference, it was an important exchange meeting within the alchemist community.


    Alchemists needed to continuously learn and accumulate experience as they grew, which required extensive communication.


    Under normal circumstances, alchemists were scattered across various sects and forces, and even within the same sect, alchemists who were not from the same lineage rarely exchanged insights.


    Therefore, such an Alchemists'' Exchange Meeting was an extremely important networking opportunity for every alchemist, and those who could participate were eager to do so.


    More importantly, the winners of the Alchemists'' Conference competitions would receive substantive rewards and be reviewed by Alchemy Masters, which had a tremendous promotional effect on their self-improvement.


    Li Shiming had never participated in an Alchemists'' Conference, not because it excluded him, but because it was held only once every ten years, and ten years ago he hadn''t even begun to dabble in alchemy.


    Of course, that was not the main reason; the Beishu Continent had not only this Alchemists'' Conference in Fire Cloud Valley but also other gatherings hosted by different forces.


    Li Shiming had not attended any such gatherings before, and they had never extended an invitation to him.


    Key to this was his level of alchemy; ever since he went public with his alchemy practice, he had never failed, producing full batches of high-quality pills every time.


    Even Alchemy Masters wouldn''t dare claim they could achieve the same level as him.


    If he were invited, other alchemists would likely be too intimidated to participate in the competition, and even Alchemy Masters would be hard-pressed to critique.


    "This flying boat of yours is really not bad!" Elder Zhao, relaxed and casually enjoying his Third Grade Spiritual Tea, enviously scanned the luxurious large flying boat.


    This large flying boat belonged to Li Shiming; originally a trophy of war he acquired from Elder Lv of the Senluo Sect, it was a treasure-class large flying boat.


    It was precisely because this treasure-class large flying boat had its own energy supply that, without the need for a Golden Core Stage strength, Li Shiming could control it.


    Li Shiming greatly liked this large flying boat; given his current identity and status, he no longer had to worry about attracting unwanted attention while using such a treasure-class large flying boat.


    This time, attending the Alchemists'' Conference and having to bring some of the sect''s alchemists with him, he decided to utilize the treasure-class large flying boat.


    Although Elder Zhao was a Golden Core Elder from the Shushan Sect, he couldn''t afford such a treasure-class large flying boat on his own wealth.


    The treasure-class large flying boat of Elder Lv from the Senluo Sect was the sect''s property, not Elder Lv''s personal possession; his personal possession was another smaller treasure-class flying boat.


    Only large sects possessed the financial power to build such massive treasure-class flying boats.


    "Elder Zhao is jesting," Li Shiming, accustomed to luxury, replied nonchalantly with a smile.


    "Shiming, I really lucked out by coming along this time. Look at this flying boat, and then the Spiritual Tea we''re drinking; had I known earlier, I would have studied alchemy too!" Elder Zhao said with a chuckle, shaking his head.


    Of course, he was joking; being a Sword Cultivator, any material possessions he acquired would be quickly sold to acquire materials beneficial to his Lifebound Flying Sword.


    The Lifebound Flying Sword of a Sword Cultivator was like a bottomless pit that could swallow up all the wealth one could muster.


    Luckily, the Lifebound Flying Sword of his other self, Li Yuanba, which was Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi''s Lifebound Flying Sword, had been nurtured for hundreds of years, meaning that, at least for the short term, there was no need to prepare materials beneficial to Li Yuanba''s Lifebound Flying Sword.


    "Having Uncle Zhao accompany me on this trip, it''s proper for me to see to your comfort," Li Shiming said with a smile, pouring more Spiritual Tea for Elder Zhao.


    Elder Zhao had always treated him very well, having saved his life in the past, and now he was tasked with his protection; how could he possibly shortchange the elder?


    The Spirit Fruits on the table in front of them were Third Grade, and the Spiritual Tea was also of Third Grade quality.


    "I see your Sword Intent has grown; you haven''t experienced combat, yet your Sword Intent can still strengthen so quickly. You really should have specialized in Sword Cultivation!" Elder Zhao straightened up and once again tried to persuade Li Shiming to switch his main cultivation technique.


    This wasn''t the first time he had made such a suggestion; almost every time they met, he would urge Li Shiming to consider it.


    Now that Li Shiming had reached the Half-step Golden Core Realm, he still didn''t give up on this idea.


    Li Shiming understood his meaning, which was for him to switch to the Sword Cultivation Technique as his main discipline after becoming a Golden Core.


    But Li Shiming had his own considerations; his Sword Intent was indeed strengthening continuously, which was a benefit from his other self, Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba''s Sword Intent had grown through several battles with Golden Core cultivators, and if it were to be quantified, with Li Yuanba''s Sword Intent increasing by a hundred points, then Li Shiming''s Sword Intent would correspondingly rise by thirty points.


    Additionally, since Li Yuanba had become a Golden Core cultivator, his Sword Intent was growing rapidly each day, which also led to continuous growth for Li Shiming.


    Since Li Yuanba was at the Golden Core Stage, with Sword Intent that could be considered rapidly strengthening, Li Shiming, while only benefiting from a tenth of that growth rate, saw even more remarkable progress since he was at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

 Chapter 488: 290: Going Out_2

    Chapter 488: Chapter 290: Going Out_2


    So even Elder Zhao, having not been in contact with Li Shiming for long, sensed the changes in Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent.


    ¡°Uncle Zhao, I just happen to have some questions about Sword Intent that I wish to consult with you!¡± Li Shiming did not want to elaborate on changing his main Cultivation Technique, and since he couldn¡¯t outright contradict, he shifted the topic.


    ¡°What do you mean by consult, just speak up if you have any questions!¡± Elder Zhao understood what Li Shiming meant, and followed along in the conversation.


    Elder Zhao also knew that advising Li Shiming to change his main Cultivation Technique was not appropriate, mainly because he didn¡¯t want Li Shiming to waste his talents as a Sword Cultivator.


    ¡°Look at my Sword Intent!¡± Li Shiming had always wanted to consult other Sword Cultivators about his Sword Intent, and he didn¡¯t want to let this opportunity slip by.


    He extended a finger, upon which the Sword Intent was strongly apparent, with strands of lightning flashing, making the Sword Intent appear even more fierce.


    ¡°This is?¡± Elder Zhao was startled, he used his Divine Thought to sense it, and finally even reached out to touch Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent contained the Power of Thunder and Lightning, a phenomenon Elder Zhao, as a Sword Cultivator, had never witnessed before.


    ¡°How did you manage this?¡± Elder Zhao temporarily lost the notion of persuading Li Shiming to switch paths; his thoughts were completely captivated by Li Shiming¡¯s Thunder Sword Intent.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I was cultivating the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯, and one day I suddenly had an insight, and thunder and lightning mingled with my Sword Intent!¡± Of course, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t possibly tell the whole truth, and in fact, he couldn¡¯t provide an accurate explanation himself.


    However, he thought the main reason was cultivating ¡®Purple Qi Eastward¡¯, utilizing the Farnese Reflector to absorb the Innate Violet Aura over two years.


    But the use of the Farnese Reflector to cultivate ¡®Purple Qi Eastward¡¯ was his secret and certainly not something he could share with outsiders, so he could only respond ambiguously.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be, although ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ is a decent thunder-based cultivation method, I have never heard of such a function!¡± Elder Zhao shook his head and muttered to himself.


    He glanced again at the Thunder Sword Intent on Li Shiming¡¯s finger, utterly puzzled.


    Li Shiming was somewhat disappointed; he had hoped to gain some insights from Elder Zhao, a senior Sword Cultivator, but instead, he found that Elder Zhao was plunged into confusion.


    Throughout the rest of the journey, Elder Zhao scarcely spoke to Li Shiming, absorbed in his thoughts. Whenever he approached Li Shiming, it was to have Li Shiming demonstrate his Sword Intent for reference.


    The journey was uneventful; they were within the territory of the Righteous Path, marked by Shushan Sect, and traveling in a Taoist treasure-grade large Flying Boat, clearly a conveyance for a Shushan Sect personage; no cultivator would dare intercept them.


    They did not hurry on their way and took three days to reach their destination.


    Looking at the map¡¯s marks, the place ahead was Fire Cloud Valley.


    The number of cultivators nearby was not small. Fire Cloud Valley was a mid-sized sect specializing in Alchemy, with an Alchemy Master presiding over its order, drawing many smaller forces to its vicinity.


    With Fire Cloud Valley at its center, a thousand-mile range had formed a cultivator gathering spot, all subordinately aligning with Fire Cloud Valley, making this mid-sized sect, in terms of mobilizable combat power, comparable to some larger forces.


    Upon reaching the outskirts of Fire Cloud Valley, Li Shiming cast a communication technique.


    He and Elder Zhao were representatives of the Shushan Sect, so they had to communicate formally.


    Shortly after casting the communication technique, an elderly but youthful-looking Golden Core Early Stage cultivator flew out from Fire Cloud Valley and approached the large Flying Boat.


    ¡°This is Master Tong Yun!¡± Elder Zhao introduced the newcomer to Li Shiming using a sound transmission method.


    Li Shiming nodded and, together with Elder Zhao, went to meet him.


    ¡°Junior Li Shiming pays respects to Master Tong Yun!¡± Li Shiming took the initiative to bow respectfully.


    ¡°Quickly, no need for such formalities. How could I deserve such a great courtesy from Master Li? I have always held great admiration for Master Li!¡± Master Tong Yun had no airs of a senior and returned the gestures very politely.


    Master Tong Yun had heard much about Li Shiming and was even more astonished upon meeting him in person.


    Li Shiming had already reached Half-step Golden Core, which, at his young age, indicated the height of his cultivation talent ¡ª feared to be unmatched by many cultivators in the Beishu Continent.


    His cultivation talent was extremely high, and his alchemy talent was even more so, needless to say.


    If it were not for Li Shiming¡¯s insufficient realm, which prevented him from concocting some complex third-grade spirit pills, perhaps the strength rankings of alchemy masters would have been overturned long ago.


    Even so, the alchemist community was indecisive about Li Shiming¡¯s ranking, currently placing him outside all alchemy masters without ranking him.


    It was estimated that once Li Shiming became a Golden Core cultivator, his alchemy ranking would leap to the forefront.


    ¡°I have seen Master Tong Yun!¡± Elder Zhao was very respectful towards Master Tong Yun, a true alchemy master capable of concocting most third-grade spiritual medicines.


    The status of an alchemy master in the cultivation world was inherently very high, so the respect shown by Elder Zhao was entirely normal.


    Master Tong Yun returned the greeting and then gestured for Li Shiming and Elder Zhao to enter into Fire Cloud Valley together.


    The three flew ahead, with a large flying boat carrying the alchemists from Shushan Sect following behind.


    After Li Shiming entered the formation of Fire Cloud Valley, he immediately felt the uniqueness of this place.


    The air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance, from which he discerned the scents of various third-grade spiritual medicines.


    He could analyze the names of the contained spiritual medicines just by their complex fragrances, relying mostly on the help of IBMz15.


    Fire Cloud Valley had set aside an area specifically to serve as the venue for the alchemist gathering, and other areas of Fire Cloud Valley were not open.


    However, with enthusiastic guidance from Master Tong Yun who, after leading the Shushan Sect¡¯s alchemists to the venue, also took Li Shiming and Elder Zhao for a tour of Fire Cloud Valley.


    Fire Cloud Valley, being a sect specialized in alchemy, revealed its characteristics everywhere.


    There were fields of medicinal herbs, ranging from low to high quality, tended by professional spirit plant cultivators.


    The fields contained first and second-grade spiritual medicines, and their planting area was the largest Li Shiming had ever seen.


    ¡°Is that the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit¡¯?¡± Li Shiming smelled the scent of a spiritual medicine and saw a swath of red clouds around the mountainside ahead, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask in surprise.


    The ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit¡¯ is a third-grade spiritual medicine, and he was aware of the growth environment for the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit,¡¯ which matched exactly with the scene before him.


    ¡°Master Li has great eyesight to know from such a distance that this is where the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit¡¯ is planted!¡± Master Tong Yun did not intend to conceal it, as the sect was based on Fire Cloud Valley precisely because of the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit.¡¯


    This was not a secret at all; all the major sects knew this.


    And the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit¡¯ harvested here, part of the spirit pills made from them would be sold to the three major Righteous Path sects.


    With the protection of the three major Righteous Path sects, there was no worry about other cultivators spying on this place.


    Of course, Fire Cloud Valley having the secret technique to cultivate the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit¡¯ was also a crucial reason for them to hold this location.


    Li Shiming did not request to enter into the red clouds, as that area, heavily fortified by formations, was certainly the most confidential part of Fire Cloud Valley.


    ¡°Truly a sect with a heritage of alchemy, being able to cultivate third-grade spiritual medicine by themselves is indeed awe-inspiring!¡± he remarked.


    ¡°That area of red mist is the reason why Fire Cloud Valley got its name and is also the essential condition for the growth of the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruit¡¯!¡± Master Tong Yun explained proudly.


    Afterwards, Master Tong Yun and Li Shiming began to exchange their experience on concocting ¡®Fiery Sun Heavenly Spirit Pills,¡¯ and they got along very well for a time.


    It was tough on Elder Zhao, however, who could not understand the exchange at all and could only fulfill his duty of protection.


    This visit lasted for two hours, and it was completely enjoyable for both host and guests.

 Chapter 489: 291: Grand Gathering

    Chapter 489: Chapter 291: Grand Gathering


    The hall prepared by Fire Cloud Valley for the Alchemist Conclave was immensely spacious; even the presence of over four hundred alchemists did not fill the hall, instead making it seem more vacant.


    The hierarchy among alchemists was extremely rigorous, with high-level alchemists at the front, followed by intermediate alchemists and then low-level alchemists.


    There were no other cultivators inside the hall, as all cultivators accompanying the alchemists had remained outside.


    Even Elder Zhao was not able to enter the hall; the world within the hall belonged entirely to the alchemists.


    Li Shiming, Master Tong Yun, and an alchemy master named Yun Ruo were the three alchemy masters at this grand event.


    As the host, Master Tong Yun presided over the event.


    The alchemists present, regardless of their rank, were all secretly observing Li Shiming, the legendary genius alchemy master.


    In recent years, Li Shiming¡¯s reputation had soared, overshadowing some of the veteran alchemy masters.


    Although Li Shiming could not produce Third-grade Spirit Pills for Middle Late Stage Golden Core cultivators, the majority of the cultivators in the Cultivation World were at the early stages of Golden Core or lower.


    The Second-grade and Third-grade Spirit Pills crafted by Li Shiming were of such high quality that every cultivator who used them praised them highly.


    Furthermore, with the promotional leverage of the Beishu Trading Company, Li Shiming¡¯s fame spread to all but the most secluded cultivators.


    It had taken only a few years for Li Shiming to learn alchemy and become an alchemy master.


    This rapid advancement made him an idol to all young alchemists, and it was no wonder his participation in this Alchemist Conclave drew so much attention.


    ¡°Master Li, let¡¯s have a spar when you¡¯re free!¡± Master Yun Ruo, paying no attention to the alchemists below, transmitted his voice to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was slightly startled. It was his first time meeting Master Yun Ruo today, and his demeanor was neither cold nor warm.


    He and Master Yun Ruo didn¡¯t seem to have any connection that would benefit either of them, yet it seemed as if he had somehow offended the other party.


    The term ¡®spar¡¯ used by Master Yun Ruo could be considered a challenge.


    The challenge among alchemists naturally involved comparing their alchemy skills, but Master Yun Ruo, being a Golden Core Stage alchemy master capable of crafting more difficult Third-grade Spiritual Medicines, seemed meaningless to compete with Li Shiming who had yet to reach Golden Core cultivator status.


    ¡°How would Master Yun like to spar?¡± Li Shiming would not refuse such a provocation. The opponent was an alchemy master from the Thousand Illusion Sect, with a status and position comparable to his mentor, Elder Ma. However, he was a practitioner of the Shushan Sect¡¯s alchemy lineage. When participating in the Alchemist Conclave, he represented not only himself but also the Shushan Sect.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we use this Alchemist Conclave to demonstrate a basic technique to all the alchemists here!¡± proposed Master Yun Ruo indifferently.


    Master Yun Ruo indeed did not share much background with Li Shiming, but that did not necessarily mean there were no grievances.


    Li Shiming had distributed three Youthful Elixirs in the Thousand Illusion Sect, which had elevated his reputation above that of Master Yun Ruo, especially recently as Li Shiming almost monopolized the business of crafting Third-grade Spirit Pills for Early Stage Golden Core cultivators.


    Not all alchemy masters excel at crafting complex Third-grade Spirit Pills, and Master Yun Ruo¡¯s specialty was similar to Li Shiming¡¯s, focusing on producing Third-grade Spirit Pills using a single type of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredient.


    If it weren¡¯t for Li Shiming reducing his alchemy businesses upon the advice of Elder Ma during his initial experience-gathering phase as an alchemy master, Master Yun Ruo¡¯s business would be even scarcer.


    However, this led Master Yun Ruo to believe that Li Shiming was too lazy to take on the work, creating a gap he could fill. Although he could not blame the cultivators who sought the pills, he harbored this resentment towards Li Shiming.


    He was clear that competing normally in alchemy with Li Shiming, no alchemy master in the entire Beishu Continent could match Li Shiming in crafting Third-grade Spirit Pills using a single type of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredient.


    But his suggestion was to craft Third-grade Spirit Pills using basic techniques, stripping away the benefits of any alchemy secret techniques and relying purely on foundational experience, in which he was confident he could surpass Li Shiming.


    In such a public setting, if he could defeat Li Shiming even once, Master Yun Ruo believed his reputation would be restored and, most importantly, his grievances would be appeased.


    ¡°Then I shall accept Master Yun¡¯s suggestion!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile, nodding in agreement.


    In terms of alchemy, he feared no challenge. As long as the alchemy was within his capability and with the support of IBMz15, he believed he could match anyone.


    Even without the advantage of the optimal lab space, IBMz15 had collected vast amounts of alchemy data.


    Upon hearing Li Shiming¡¯s agreement, a look of joy appeared on Master Yun Ruo¡¯s face. He transmitted his voice to Master Tong Yun, who was giving a speech.


    Master Tong Yun looked at Li Shiming and Master Yun Ruo with a puzzled expression, lingering a bit longer on Master Yun Ruo. He could not understand why Master Yun Ruo would want to offend Li Shiming, a potential giant in alchemy.


    An alchemy master who crafts Third-grade Spirit Pills for Early Stage Golden Core cultivators is still an alchemy master, as is an alchemy master who crafts Fourth-grade Spirit Pills for Early Stage Nascent Soul Ancestors. But can these two types of alchemy masters be considered the same?


    Li Shiming was the kind of alchemy master who had the potential to craft Fourth-grade Spirit Pills for Nascent Soul Ancestors in the future. Any discerning cultivator could see this clearly.

 Chapter 490 291: Grand Gathering_2

    Otherwise, why would Master Tong Yun, an old Alchemy Master, show such courtesy to Li Shiming?


    The crucial point was that Li Shiming was so young that even if his realm remained only at the Golden Core Stage, he would still have nearly five hundred years of life expectancy.


    Thinking of his descendants, one should not offend an Alchemy Master like Li Shiming, who possessed tremendous potential.


    But since Master Yun Ruo had made a choice, Master Tong Yun would not interfere or obstruct, lest he offend both Alchemy Masters.


    "Fellow Alchemists, I have some good news to share with everyone. Master Yun Ruo and Master Li will demonstrate Alchemy on-site for you all. The materials for the demonstration will be provided by our sect, and the Spirit Pill to be crafted is the ''Fiery Sun Heavenly Spirit Pill''!" Master Tong Yun announced loudly.


    With a buzz, all the Alchemists were thrilled.


    This was a live demonstration by an Alchemy Master, something most Alchemists could not even dream of witnessing in person, let alone seeing an Alchemy Master up close.


    Not to mention, this time they could see the legendary Master Shiming perform Alchemy himself. The miraculous success rate and the quality of the pills were to be showcased in front of all the Alchemists.


    "It''s so worth it to attend this grand gathering of Alchemists!" All the Alchemists thought in unison.


    "Master Li, please!" Master Yun Ruo said with a smile, standing up and courteously addressing Li Shiming.


    "Master Yun, please!" Li Shiming also stood up and replied.


    In the center of the great hall, two adjacent areas were designated, with each Alchemy Master occupying one to the left and right.


    Master Yun Ruo occupied the left, and Li Shiming the right, each bringing out their Pill Furnaces.


    The Pill Furnace brought by Master Yun Ruo was, of course, a treasure Furnace, but when Li Shiming brought out the "Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace", the Alchemists'' eyes burned fiercely.


    The reason was that among the Alchemists, most were merely Foundation Establishment Cultivators, capable of using Pill Furnaces of the same rank as Li Shiming''s "Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace".


    It wasn''t that Li Shiming didn''t possess better Pill Furnaces. He had received the "Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace" as a reward from his sect, an Alchemy Master''s treasure. Unfortunately, his current realm wasn''t sufficient to use it.


    Li Shiming using the "Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace" allowed the Alchemists to see an Alchemy Master using a Spiritual Artifact level Pill Furnace, increasing their immersion.


    Master Tong Yun sighed before producing two sets of materials for crafting the "Fiery Sun Heavenly Spirit Pill", allowing both parties to scan with Divine Thought to avoid any trouble from differences in material quality.


    Afterward, Master Yun Ruo and Li Shiming each selected a set of materials, sufficient to produce at most three "Fiery Sun Heavenly Spirit Pills." For Master Tong Yun, the value wasn''t significant, as the materials were produced internally by the sect and were readily available.


    In fact, he had voluntarily taken on the provision of materials for this competition, earning the favor of both Master Yun Ruo and Li Shiming.


    Master Tong Yun wasn''t young anymore. Though he was striving to cultivate the next generation of Alchemy Masters, the successors always seemed wanting, and he couldn''t guarantee that once he passed on his Spiritual Fire, there would be someone capable of sustaining Fire Cloud Valley.


    If such an Alchemy Master didn''t emerge, then Fire Cloud Valley would need to rely on previous favors to sustain itself until the next competently skilled Alchemy Master appeared.


    Fire Cloud Valley''s continued inheritance to this day was indeed related to the perseverance of generations of Spiritual Fire successors and their ability to foster relationships.


    Li Shiming chose one of the two sets of materials. He was familiar with the "Fiery Sun Heavenly Spirit Pill," as there were over ten crafting records in the IBMz15 database.


    Now that his realm had reached Half-step Golden Core, it had significantly improved his control over the Spiritual Fire and enhanced his Divine Thought.


    Turning to Master Yun Ruo, they nodded to each other, didn''t need a start announcement, and began channeling their Spiritual Fires into the Pill Furnaces simultaneously.


    Li Shiming''s Divine Thought enveloped the Pill Furnace. From the beginning of crafting the "Fiery Sun Heavenly Spirit Pill," all changes within the Pill Furnace continuously compared data with those within the IBMz15.


    Although controlling and responding in the outside world was slower compared to being in the room space, the improvement in his realm had shortened this gap.


    The Alchemists watching the alchemy process around them each came up with methods, unable to get too close to the two Alchemy Masters.


    However, since everyone was a Cultivator, they had many means at their disposal. Various flying methods allowed them to occupy every most advantageous observatory spot around, and maintaining a distance of at least ten meters from the two Alchemy Masters actually enabled each Alchemist to observe the alchemy process from different angles.


    Because both Alchemy Masters employed basic techniques without using any Alchemy Secret Techniques, it made the process very clear to every observer.


    The alchemy techniques used by the two Alchemy Masters were known to all Alchemists present; anyone who could be here had a not-so-low level of expertise, which only deepened their sense of participation.


    At the start, Master Yun Ruo immediately felt the difference that fame brought, as over eighty percent of the gazes fell on Li Shiming''s side.


    At this time, he was somewhat annoyed by the perception of the Golden Core cultivators, which enabled him to clearly discern the preferences of the attending Alchemists.


    Fortunately, his extensive experience in alchemy kept his mind mostly unaffected.


    Li Shiming did not pay attention to others; he did not want to lose, so he had to give it his all.


    Since Master Yun Ruo had proposed this challenge, he naturally had quite some confidence.


    Cries of astonishment were issued from the Alchemists watching on-site; even though Master Tong Yun issued warnings, they did not affect the Alchemists who were completely engrossed in the alchemy occurring before them.


    The Alchemists knew to be quiet, but who could blame them when they saw ordinary techniques repeatedly producing effects beyond their imagination?


    Nearing three two-hour periods, Master Yun Ruo sensed the formation of the Dan Liquid in the Pill Furnace; the alchemy was successful, and no further mishaps would occur. Only then did he turn his attention to Li Shiming''s alchemy process.


    When he smelled the fragrance emanating from the "Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace", his expression immediately tightened.


    The fragrance released by the "Three-Revolution Heavenly Treasure Furnace" was extremely pure, something that he could only achieve during his best alchemy sessions when luck was on his side.


    Keep in mind that was when he could freely use any Alchemy Secret Techniques, and only when he was in his optimal state for alchemy.


    His mind became unsettled at this realization, which affected the Dan Liquid inside his Pill Furnace. It started to churn.


    He hastily suppressed it; under his vast experience, he managed to control the Dan Liquid and did not fail on the spot.


    Not daring to be distracted again, he carefully started to extract the pills.


    However, with the furnace open and the Dan Liquid forming, he had tried to extract as much as possible and had suppressed the boiling Dan Liquid, leaving behind a quantity insufficient even for two Spirit Pills.


    He had misjudged the amount of the Dan Liquid; in forcefully extracting it, his Divine Thought seized two darkened Spirit Pills.


    The Alchemists present, upon seeing the two darkened Spirit Pills, immediately realized what had happened; there had been a mishap.


    Li Shiming also noticed the situation at Master Yun Ruo''s side; he often multitasked and thus was not disturbed by outside events, remaining focused on his alchemy.


    He shook his head, and at the final moment of extracting the pills, he lightly tapped with his finger, utilizing the "Hundred One-point Pill Technique"; he was prepared for failure, so as not to let Master Yun Ruo lose too disgracefully.


    What he had not anticipated happened; during his years of alchemy practice, "Hundred One-point Pill Technique" had almost become a necessary operation for every alchemy session.


    Thus, the deployment of the "Hundred One-point Pill Technique" almost became instinctive, finding in a split second the one in ten thousand chance that was spoken of as instinctive.


    A beam of light fell on the three Spirit Pills, and beside the three real Spirit Pills, three phantom Spirit Pills appeared, furiously absorbing the Spiritual Energy in the great hall, and quickly becoming solid. Ultimately, six Spirit Pills appeared before the eyes of all the Alchemists.

 Chapter 491: 292: Visitors

    Chapter 491: Chapter 292: Visitors


    Li Shiming watched speechlessly as he held the six high-level ¡°Fiery Sun Heavenly Spirit Pills¡± with his divine thought. He had intentionally used the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± to make this alchemy attempt fail, hoping to end the competition in a draw to save face for Master Yun Ruo.


    But who would have thought that his ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± would succeed on the first attempt outside the machine room space.


    ¡°Master Li, what a skillful move!¡± Master Yun Ruo believed it was done intentionally to humiliate him and suppressed his anger as he spoke solemnly.


    ¡°Master Yun, I used a secret technique, and it was not a fair victory. Let¡¯s consider this competition a draw!¡± Li Shiming, now with face saved, would not actually want to harbor deep grievances with a fellow Alchemy Master, especially one from the Thousand Illusion Sect, and he said this with a smile.


    His words made Master Yun Ruo pause, as Yun Ruo had not expected this intent from him.


    Moreover, Master Yun Ruo immediately realized why Li Shiming used the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique.¡± It turned out that upon seeing his own failure in alchemy, Li Shiming wanted to use the same technique to fail, thereby saving face for himself.


    Being an Alchemy Master, Master Yun Ruo knew all too well how low the success rate of a dividing technique like the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± was.


    He couldn¡¯t help but be moved by the fortune of both him and Li Shiming, that such a one in ten thousand chance would occur to them, leading to the current situation.


    ¡°Master Li, why speak of a draw? I am not a sore loser. I wonder if Master Li would like to make friends with me?¡± Master Yun Ruo said with a changed smile, bowing slightly.


    ¡°Master Yun, it would be my honor!¡± Li Shiming replied, bowing back with a smile.


    The two Alchemy Masters smiled at each other, putting an end to any resentment and leaving behind any prior tension.


    Master Tong Yun, watching from the side, was also very pleased. If these two Alchemy Masters had borne great enmity at his host location, it wouldn¡¯t have looked good for him afterward.


    Master Tong Yun resumed his hosting duties, and Li Shiming and Master Yun Ruo performed their respective roles as judges well, particularly Master Yun Ruo, who in good spirits occasionally offered pointers to outstanding alchemists, making the atmosphere of the event extremely lively.


    The Alchemists¡¯ Convention was to last three days, with the first day being for the exchange of Junior Alchemists, the second day for Intermediate Alchemists, and the third for High-level Alchemists.


    At the end of the first day¡¯s activities, Li Shiming stayed in the cave dwelling prepared for him by Fire Cloud Valley.


    Only he and Master Yun Ruo had such accommodations; other alchemists and accompanying cultivators were placed in temporary wooden houses without dedicated spirit veins.


    For cultivators, subpar living conditions were bearable, but spirit veins were essential; otherwise, they could only cultivate by consuming spirit pills.


    Fortunately, Fire Cloud Valley had not neglected their guests, providing each one a cultivation assistance spirit pill suited to their power level, which was enough to compensate for the three days they could not cultivate.


    Elder Zhao, a Golden Core cultivator, received a third-grade spirit pill. With nearly twenty Golden Core cultivators present, Fire Cloud Valley had brought out nearly twenty third-grade spirit pills, a significant expenditure.


    It was only possible for Fire Cloud Valley, with Master Tong Yun and assuming all attending were Golden Core Early Stage cultivators, that there were no worries about affording the necessary spirit pills.


    Elder Zhao went to meet his old friends, confident in the safety of Li Shiming within Fire Cloud Valley.


    He would not stay in the cave dwelling himself, and during these three days he was free to move as he wished, provided that he returned with Li Shiming to the sect at the end of the convention.


    Li Shiming was quite satisfied with the cave dwelling, which was connected to a Golden Core level spirit vein below.


    He did not cultivate but simply sat cross-legged at the spirit vein¡¯s outlet, reflecting on the day¡¯s learnings.


    Today may have been dedicated to Junior Alchemists, but with hundreds of them, each possessing distinct inheritances, they showcased their alchemy secret techniques without reservation in front of the Alchemy Masters, which was an eye-opening experience for Li Shiming.


    Considering the upcoming exchanges with Intermediate and High-level Alchemists that would reveal even more profound alchemy secret techniques, it was tremendously beneficial for him gathering alchemy data.


    Just as he was contemplating, a Sound Transmission Technique flew over.


    He furrowed his brow; although he was here to attend the Alchemists¡¯ Convention, interactions among cultivators had certain rules.


    This was the time most cultivators used for cultivation, and very few would disturb others during this period.


    He gestured with his hand and caught the Sound Transmission Technique with his divine thought to read it.


    ¡°Skywalk Trading Company!¡± Li Shiming recalled information about this company as the person outside his cave dwelling was a manager from Skywalk Trading Company coming for a visit.


    Being able to compete with Beishu Trading Company on the Beishu Continent, despite many advantages held by Beishu Trading Company, those that could survive were all large-scale trading companies with their own backgrounds.


    Take Skywalk Trading Company, for instance; it was an intercontinental company.


    Though its competitive strength on the Beishu Continent wasn¡¯t as great as Beishu Trading Company¡¯s, it controlled many resources not available on the Beishu Continent, allowing Skywalk Trading Company to maintain strong competitiveness.


    It was not surprising for them to seek him out; during his time at Shushan Sect, many acquainted cultivators had been approached, wishing to arrange a meeting with him on behalf of various trading companies.


    He had declined them all, as his cooperation with Beishu Trading Company was always enjoyable, and he had no desire to interact with other companies, simply wishing to gain Beishu Trading Company¡¯s assistance in collecting mundane resources.

 Chapter 492: 292: Visitors_2

    Chapter 492: Chapter 292: Visitors_2


    As the largest trading company on the Beishu Continent and a native business, gathering ordinary resources, they are definitely the best partner to cooperate with.


    Originally, Li Shiming didn¡¯t want to pay any attention to this Sound Transmission Technique, but considering that the other party was already outside his cave dwelling, he thought it better to meet such a major force.


    He went to the entrance of the cave dwelling and opened the passage.


    To his surprise, the visitor from Skywalk Trading Company was a Golden Core Female Cultivator, at the Early Stage of Golden Core.


    This Golden Core Female Cultivator was exceedingly enchanting, not at all like a businesswoman, but rather like a female cultivator from one of the three great Demon Sects, the Yin Yang Sect.


    ¡°Master Li, I apologize for the intrusion, my respects to you!¡± Fang Lu bowed, wearing a form-fitting robe that accentuated her curves as she bent, along with her captivating face, she had a tremendous allure to men.


    However, Li Shiming was not influenced by this seduction. His gaze was clear, for he had sensed a fluctuation of Spiritual Power Pattern when Fang Lu bowed, indicating that she had activated some Secret Technique.


    Perhaps, for a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator like Fang Lu, deploying a seductive Secret Technique had a very strong effect when targeting ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but this did not include Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming, being at Half-step Golden Core, had a spirit strength almost comparable to a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator.


    He practiced the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill; although he had not intentionally cultivated any Buddhist mental Cultivation Techniques, the long-term influence of Buddhist chants gave him strong resistance against such mental Secret Techniques.


    Moreover, Fang Lu was in Fire Cloud Valley; she dared not use her full strength in deploying the Secret Technique, to avoid detection by Fire Cloud Valley, so the Spiritual Power Pattern she mobilized was limited.


    According to Li Shiming¡¯s analysis, Fang Lu likely had no real malice in using this Secret Technique; it was an instinct. Such a Secret Technique, paired with Fang Lu¡¯s naturally seductive body, would gain the favorable impression of the other party at first meeting.


    ¡°I am also a guest here, please come in and let¡¯s talk in the hall!¡± Li Shiming said indifferently.


    He led Fang Lu into the hall and they took their seats as host and guest.


    Li Shiming only served Second Grade Spiritual Tea to entertain Fang Lu; his relationship with Skywalk Trading Company had not yet reached the level for offering Third Grade Spiritual Tea.


    ¡°Master Li, Skywalk Trading Company wishes to cooperate with you!¡± Fang Lu said with a light laugh as she sat down, directly stating her purpose.


    Li Shiming was not surprised by what Fang Lu mentioned, ever since he had become an Alchemy Master, many major forces had wanted to collaborate with him, but he had always been inside Shushan Sect, so not many had the opportunity to propose their requests face-to-face.


    ¡°Fang, you might know, I am a Guest Elder at Beishu Trading Company!¡± Li Shiming replied calmly.


    ¡°Skywalk Trading Company is not competing with Beishu Trading Company. We want to trade with other continents, which does not involve Beishu Continent or conflict with the interests of Beishu Trading Company, so it does not conflict with your role as a Guest Elder!¡± Fang Lu explained with a smile.


    Li Shiming was taken aback, he hadn¡¯t expected Fang Lu to say this.


    He knew that Skywalk Trading Company was a cross-continental trading company, but as far as he knew, managing cross-continental affairs required a Nascent Soul Ancestor, the level of goods transported by a Nascent Soul Ancestor would never include even the Spirit Pills produced by him as an Alchemy Master.


    To be able to engage a Nascent Soul Ancestor, only Fourth Grade Spiritual Items were sufficient, and the Spirit Pills that Li Shiming refined were merely Third-grade, and at the very bottom of that category.


    ¡°You are joking, Fang!¡± he said, shaking his head, not understanding.


    ¡°Master Li, you underestimate your value. If you agree to cooperate with Skywalk Trading Company, the company will help you sever the relationship with Beishu Trading Company as a Guest Elder, and we will offer you double the benefits of Beishu Trading Company to invite you to become our Guest Elder!¡± Fang Lu continued with a charming smile.


    Now, Li Shiming completely distrusted what Fang Lu said. If he really let Fang Lu help him sever the Guest Elder relationship with Beishu Trading Company, he would be completely offending Beishu Trading Company.


    With the influence of Beishu Trading Company on Beishu Continent, even Shushan Sect would have issues with him.


    He even worried that Beishu Trading Company, fearing he might join another trading company, would eliminate him, this uncontrollable threat.


    ¡°Fang, then there¡¯s nothing more to discuss!¡± Li Shiming picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and spoke.


    This kind of initial meeting, without using the best Spiritual Tea, and the host mentioning a refusal during a tea offering, made it quite clear, it was meant to signal her to leave.


    Fang Lu¡¯s smile faded, she was the Daoist couple of the head of the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Beishu branch.


    To say she was a Daoist couple wasn¡¯t entirely accurate, because the head of the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Beishu branch wasn¡¯t limited to just one Daoist couple.


    Her main job at the Skywalk Trading Company was to recruit talent.


    In this area, she had natural advantages, especially the cultivation technique she practiced, which made it very difficult for cultivators to refuse her recruitment methods.


    When Li Shiming first met Fang Lu, he thought she was a Devil Cultivator from the Yin Yang Sect, and he was quite accurate.


    Fang Lu indeed was from the Yin Yang Sect, but since she joined the Skywalk Trading Company, her previous identity had been concealed; she always presented herself as a representative of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    This was also the reason she could appear within the territories of the Righteous Path forces¡ªthe Skywalk Trading Company had whitewashed her background.


    Of course, although Fang Lu¡¯s background could deceive ordinary forces of the Righteous Path, it could not hide from the intelligence systems of the three major Righteous Path sects, so she dared not venture to the gates of these significant sects.


    Li Shiming had been with the sect¡¯s gates previously, and Fang Lu had no means of dealing with him, her numerous tactics rendered useless.


    Finally, upon learning that Li Shiming was attending the Alchemy Master Conference in Fire Cloud Valley, Fang Lu used the connections of the Skywalk Trading Company to find this place, and she could enter Fire Cloud Valley.


    Originally, Fang Lu planned that as long as Li Shiming was willing to cooperate, after obtaining the spirit pills refined by him, she would use these pills to sabotage the relationship between Li Shiming and the Beishu Trading Company.


    Li Shiming was bound by a contract with the Beishu Trading Company. Once his relationship with the Beishu Trading Company deteriorated, Fang Lu¡¯s Skywalk Trading Company could benefit from their conflict.


    Unfortunately, Li Shiming was very clear-headed, not at all the naive genius Fang Lu had imagined, giving her no opportunity to exploit.


    Upon seeing Li Shiming¡¯s gesture of sending guests away, anger surged through her, driven by malice¡ªafter all, she was a Devil Cultivator, her actions burdened with few scruples.


    At that moment in the cave¡¯s hall, only she and Li Shiming were present, and her cultivation was at the Golden Core Early Stage. Although her strength lay mainly in spiritual seduction, handling a Half-step Golden Core cultivator was effortlessly easy for her.


    As long as she could control Li Shiming, using the methods of the Yin Yang Sect, she could make him do whatever she wanted.


    As for consequences, if she could bring a genius like Li Shiming back to the Skywalk Trading Company, the Skywalk Trading Company would undoubtedly protect her at all costs.


    Moreover, no matter how talented Li Shiming was, he was still at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Even with great potential, potential alone could not provoke a conflict at the Nascent Soul level between Shushan Sect and the Skywalk Trading Company.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t a conflict at the Nascent Soul level, Fang Lu didn¡¯t need to worry about the consequences.


    ¡°Since Master Li would rather face punishment than toast, then come back with me!¡± Fang Lu¡¯s tone changed suddenly, her seductive power fully unleashed, the Xuanyin Su Nu Technique of the Yin Yang Sect completely activated, her charm instantly magnified tenfold.


    A pink aura expanded outward, about to envelop Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming, whose senses were extremely sharp, knew that Fang Lu was harnessing spiritual power the moment he detected her movement and realized she had aggressive intentions.


    He was extremely furious, believing that since she had come forward publicly during the Alchemy Master Conference, it would be appropriate to invite her into his dwelling as a guest.


    Who would have thought that a representative of the prestigious Skywalk Trading Company would resort to violence upon meeting?


    What was more terrifying, he was in the middle of the hall, which was not spacious. The expanding speed of the pink aura was fast, leaving him no space to dodge.


    Even if he used ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ there was no space in the area to perform it.


    A tawny shield appeared around him, naturally generated by the ¡®Thick Earth Shield Pearl.¡¯


    Unfortunately, the Xuanyin Su Nu Technique deployed by Fang Lu involved spiritual manipulation, and the ¡®Thick Earth Shield Pearl,¡¯ being a Foundation Establishment artifact, offered limited protection.

 Chapter 493: 293 Seduction

    Chapter 493: Chapter 293 Seduction


    The muddy yellow protective shield around Li Shiming blocked most of the pink, but a small amount of pink still penetrated into the shield.


    It seemed as if countless extremely beautiful women clad only in light gauze appeared before his eyes, dancing an enchanting dance, each movement designed to stir the heart.


    This was many times stronger than the charming technique Fang Lu used when they first met, to make Li Shiming feel favorably towards her. Had it not been for Li Shiming¡¯s already robust spirit, coupled with his experienced past, perhaps he would have already been deeply entrapped.


    However, he knew clearly that within a few moments, he feared he would not be able to keep his mind guarded.


    He did not know what method could firmly protect his mind, because the cultivation techniques he practiced did not defend against such attacks.


    After all, this was a spiritual attack from a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, which was not so easy to resist. His ability to hold on for a few moments was already quite remarkable.


    A torrent of all the cultivation techniques he had practiced flowed through Li Shiming¡¯s mind, and the only one he could think of was the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± a Buddhist Body Refinement Technique.


    Because of this Buddhist Body Refinement Technique, he had reached another realm.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    He let out an angry shout, his eyes glaring furiously, his body fully stimulated by the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± and enveloped by a faint golden glow.


    And behind him, a tall, angry-eyed Vajra Dharma Manifestation phantom appeared, glaring fiercely just like him, directed at Fang Lu.


    If Li Shiming still relied on his own spirit or spiritual power to resist Fang Lu, it truly wouldn¡¯t be enough. The gap between a Golden Core cultivator and a Half Golden Core was as big as that between a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and a Qi Refining Cultivator.


    A Foundation Establishment Cultivator could easily decide the life and death of a Qi Refining Cultivator, while a Qi Refining Cultivator trying to harm a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was nearly impossible.


    But the Dharma Manifestation was not a category of personal spirit or spiritual power. The ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was based on the angry-eyed Vajra, and its Dharma Manifestation mobilized a trace of the intimidating aspect of the angry-eyed Vajra¡¯s Dharma Manifestation.


    This trace of the angry-eyed Vajra¡¯s Dharma Manifestation power might not work against other Golden Core cultivator¡¯s techniques, but was incredibly apt against the Yin Yang Sect witch Fang Lu¡¯s seductive technique.


    The Buddhist cultivation techniques naturally restrained the demonic methods, and even though Li Shiming only mobilized a trace of the angry-eyed Vajra¡¯s Dharma Manifestation, it blocked the pink aura.


    ¡°Young master, you¡¯ve even learned those bald donkeys¡¯ methods, don¡¯t resist anymore, you won¡¯t last much longer!¡± Even though Fang Lu was slightly surprised at first, she quickly continued with a flirtatious smile.


    In her Profound Yin Su Girl Aura, a cultivator of Li Shiming¡¯s level couldn¡¯t resist at all, any method he tried was just a matter of holding on a little longer.


    A cold light flashed in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes, and taking advantage of the chance with the angry-eyed Vajra¡¯s Dharma Manifestation blocking for him, his Divine Thought entered the corpse refining space in the Space Ring.


    Subsequently, in the not so large hall space, appeared Nezha among eleven Peak Iron Corpses with three heads and six arms, including the Iron Corpse Jue Tu.


    The Iron Corpse Jue Tu appeared in front of Fang Lu, while the rest of the three-headed and six-armed iron corpses nearly filled the entire not-so-large hall.


    Fang Lu probably never expected that Li Shiming would carry so many iron corpses with him, and all of them peak Iron Corpses at that.


    If they were in an open area, the twelve iron corpses couldn¡¯t pose any threat to her, her speed was much faster than the iron corpses, as long as she could take out her magic artifact, she could kill all these iron corpses.


    But in the hall of this cave dwelling, there was little room, twelve iron corpses plus Fang Lu and Li Shiming clearly made the hall somewhat crowded.


    As soon as the iron corpses appeared, they immediately launched an attack.


    The six arms of the three-headed and six-armed iron corpses, with the continuous rotation of their bodies, kept tearing at Fang Lu¡¯s body with their sharp claws.


    With no space to dodge in the hall, Fang Lu could only block the iron corpses¡¯ attacks with her own defense.


    She initially did not take out her defensive magic artifact, and with Li Shiming¡¯s sudden summoning of twelve iron corpses, she wasn¡¯t quick enough to activate her defensive magic artifact when attacked.


    With her strength, even with the continuous attacks from the three-headed and six-armed iron corpses, she could calmly take out a magic artifact.


    But the problem lay with the Iron Corpse Jue Tu, whose attacks carried a terrifying murderous intent, built up by killing countless strong cultivators during its life and then cultivating from killing to reach Buddhahood, accumulating pure murderous intent.


    Such murderous intent, in a sudden attack, had a much stronger effect on the spirit.


    Because of the murderous intent in the Iron Corpse Jue Tu¡¯s attacks, Fang Lu, who was about to take out a magic artifact, paused momentarily.


    It was due to the influence of the murderous intent, which being of Half Golden Core Level, still only affected her as she was at the Golden Core Stage and couldn¡¯t truly harm Fang Lu.


    Li Shiming moved, the Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun, which had accomplished many great deeds before, appeared in his hands, and it was still of top-grade magic artifact level, with almost no changes.


    But the ammunition of the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± was different, advanced to half-artifact level after the Half Golden Core and Third Grade Sword Base, thus greatly enhancing its firepower when turned into ammunition.


    You should know that the power of the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± didn¡¯t solely depend on the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± itself; the electromagnetic propulsion had reached an extremely high standard, what was lacking was just an ammunition that could break through defenses.

 Chapter 494: 293 Enchantment_2

    Chapter 494: Chapter 293 Enchantment_2


    Without using her defense treasure, the power of the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± was more than enough.


    With a loud ¡°boom,¡± the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± emitted a dazzling light.


    Even though Fang Lu was acutely aware of the danger, she was surrounded by Jue Tu, the Iron Corpse, as well as a large number of Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses¡ªparticularly influenced by the murderous intent of Jue Tu, she reacted a fraction too slowly.


    That split second delay was the difference between life and death.


    In the confined space, it was a disadvantage for both Li Shiming and Fang Lu, and who would live or die depended on whose techniques were more fierce and swifter.


    The Third Grade Sword Base turned into a bomb and struck Fang Lu¡¯s body, breaking through her Spiritual Power Pattern defense and penetrating into her body, entering through the ribs, and hitting her heart.


    At such a close distance and with the assistance of IBMz15, how could Li Shiming possibly miss¡ªespecially when IBMz15 had calculated the attack route numerous times beforehand?


    The Third Grade Sword Base Bomb also contained Thunder Sword Intent; after being struck in the heart, Fang Lu managed to break free from the murderous assault, but it was all too late.


    She looked incredulously at the wound appearing on her lofty chest, feeling a sense of helplessness that should not be present in a Golden Core cultivator, drained of all strength. She tried to mobilize the last of her Spiritual Power, but the destruction of her heart, coupled with the paralyzing Sword Intent, rendered her unable to unleash even a final strike.


    At that moment, the entire cave shook¡ªthis was caused by a powerful cultivator attacking the defense of the cave from outside.


    The astonishing fluctuation of Spiritual Power that erupted within the cave must have been detected by the cultivators outside, hence such an action.


    Li Shiming casually put away the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡±; he didn¡¯t retrieve the Corpse-Refining, for with his current status, who would dare to comment on his refining such corpses?


    A moment after he put away the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡± the Array of the cave was forcibly broken.


    A figure rushed in through the breached door and caught sight of Li Shiming surrounded by a pile of refined corpses.


    This person was none other than Elder Zhao, who, although some distance from Li Shiming¡¯s cave, had been attentively monitoring the situation at Li Shiming¡¯s abode.


    Upon noticing that there was a visitor at Li Shiming¡¯s place, he followed to the outside of the cave.


    Invited by Elder Su and Elder Ma to protect Li Shiming¡¯s safety, he naturally did not take it lightly.


    Upon sensing the intense Spiritual Power fluctuations from within the cave, he did not hesitate to forcibly break the Formation of the cave.


    Seeing that Li Shiming was unharmed, Elder Zhao¡¯s worry subsided. Then, upon seeing the twelve Iron Corpses surrounding Li Shiming, he shook his head, abandoning the idea of persuading Li Shiming to switch to the Sword Cultivator path.


    His gaze finally rested on Fang Lu, who still stood, although her life force had vanished.


    The reason she could still remain upright was due to the Corpse-Refining surrounding her, their arms holding onto Fang Lu without release.


    ¡°Did you kill her?¡± Elder Zhao, with a flash of surprise in his eyes, asked incredulously.


    Even though Fang Lu was dead, her body¡¯s residual aura was enough for Elder Zhao to discern her cultivation level when she was alive.


    Fang Lu, like Elder Zhao, was a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator.


    And Li Shiming was only at Half-step Golden Core, yet he managed to slay a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator head-on.


    Such acts of slaying enemies beyond one¡¯s own cultivation realm are extremely rare in the Cultivation World.


    Usually, such deeds of slaying an enemy from a higher realm are achieved by lower-level cultivators holding powerful talismans or peculiar treasures that can unleash a lethal blow.


    But a talisman or peculiar treasure capable of killing a Golden Core cultivator in a single blow could only be made by a Nascent Soul ancestor; they are Fourth Grade Spirit Items, how could they fall into the hands of a Foundation Establishment cultivator so easily.


    ¡°She ambushed me, and I killed her in self-defense!¡± Li Shiming didn¡¯t want to elaborate too much; the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± was his trump card, and until he found a weapon of greater power, he had no intention of revealing it.


    ¡°Did you take her space ring and see if there¡¯s anything inside that could prove her identity?¡± Elder Zhao pondered briefly. He did not ask any more questions but pointed to the space ring on Fang Lu¡¯s finger.


    The spoils of the fight naturally belonged to Li Shiming, the one who had slain her.


    In this regard, Elder Zhao would not intervene. He could not afford the reputation of snatching the belongings of the younger generation.


    ¡°She said her name was Fang Lu and that she¡¯s from the Skywalk Trading Company!¡± Li Shiming spoke to Elder Zhao while using divine thought to retrieve the space ring.


    At this time, the master of the place, Alchemy Master Tong Yun, also rushed over. The formation here had been forcefully broken, and the incident had been reported to him.


    ¡°What has happened here?¡± Master Tong Yun asked in shock as he walked in. Upon seeing the corpse of Fang Lu, he asked in horror: ¡°Has Fang, a fellow from the Skywalk Trading Company, been killed?¡±


    ¡°Master Tong, I was about to ask you, how could Fang Lu, a member of the Skywalk Trading Company, gain access to Fire Cloud Valley?¡± Elder Zhao asked bluntly, upset because Li Shiming had almost been harmed.


    Though Master Tong Yun¡¯s status was indeed noble, Elder Zhao would not hesitate to slay him on the spot if something had happened to Li Shiming here.


    Fire Cloud Valley had invited Li Shiming; if Li Shiming encountered trouble within Fire Cloud Valley, it naturally pointed to an issue with Fire Cloud Valley.


    It was only because Li Shiming was still alive that Elder Zhao was merely questioning him.


    ¡°Fang Lu is the daoist couple of the Supervisor Feng Yi from the Skywalk Trading Company, and there¡¯s a cooperative relationship between Skywalk Trading Company and Fire Cloud Valley!¡± Master Tong Yun hurriedly explained, having guessed what had happened based on the state of the dwelling.


    He wasn¡¯t considering Fang Lu¡¯s death; instead, he was more concerned about Li Shiming being attacked.


    However noble Fang Lu¡¯s identity was, it didn¡¯t compare to Li Shiming¡¯s current standing.


    ¡°Fang Lu, the Fang Lu from the Yin Yang Sect? You actually allowed a devil cultivator to enter Fire Cloud Valley and attack an alchemy master who was attending the Alchemy Conference?¡± Elder Zhao also remembered who Fang Lu was and nearly roared his words.


    He finally understood why Fang Lu had attacked Li Shiming. Such devil cultivators were extremely radical in their actions, and they might act on a whim if something displeased them.


    Fang Lu was a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, and in facing Li Shiming, a Half-step Golden Core cultivator, she must have been confident that she could control him.


    ¡°This matter has nothing to do with Fire Cloud Valley; we also had no idea that Fang Lu would do such a thing. The fact that Fang Lu is a devil cultivator of the Yin Yang Sect is also news to me!¡± Master Tong Yun certainly knew he couldn¡¯t admit to this matter and repeatedly denied any responsibility.


    ¡°Uncle Zhao, it was my carelessness. Fang Lu said she was from the Skywalk Trading Company and wanted to discuss business with me. I thought since we were in Fire Cloud Valley and it was the time of the Alchemy Conference, nothing would happen. But I didn¡¯t expect Fang Lu to use enchanting techniques on me after I refused to join the Skywalk Trading Company,¡± Li Shiming interrupted Elder Zhao¡¯s interrogation, then explained.


    ¡°Devil cultivators have peculiar temperaments; it¡¯s normal that you lacked experience!¡± Elder Zhao said, shaking his head.


    He looked at Fang Lu¡¯s corpse again and glanced at the Corpse Refining in the hall, realizing that Fang Lu probably wouldn¡¯t rest in peace even in death.


    After all, Fang Lu had encountered Li Shiming, who took great interest in refining corpses; she would likely become one among the many he refined.


    He wasn¡¯t concerned with Li Shiming refining corpses, considering the esteemed status of an alchemy master and their typically weaker combat capabilities, having additional means of self-protection was justified.


    Of course, when Elder Zhao looked at Fang Lu¡¯s corpse again, his judgment of Li Shiming, the Alchemy Master¡¯s combat capabilities being weak, wavered.


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that Elder Zhao took action, or else if something had truly happened to Master Li, Fire Cloud Valley would have committed an unforgivable error!¡± Master Tong Yun assumed that Fang Lu had been killed by Elder Zhao and spoke with lingering fear. He thought of another matter and quickly reminded them, ¡°Elder Zhao, Master Li, that Supervisor Feng Yi has a False Infant cultivation. He¡¯s one to hold grudges, and I fear trouble may follow!¡±


    ¡°No need to wait for him to come; the Shushan Sect is not to be trifled with. I will report back to the sect, and surely our sect will confront the Skywalk Trading Company!¡± Elder Zhao was not too worried about the False Infant Supervisor Feng Yi of the Skywalk Trading Company and spoke in a grave tone.


    Forget about a False Infant; even a Nascent Soul Ancestor wouldn¡¯t be a concern, as several Nascent Soul Ancestors from the Shushan Sect could easily suppress the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Besides, Li Shiming was the Guest Elder of the Beishu Trading Company. Now that he had made enemies with the Skywalk Trading Company for not joining them, if the Beishu Trading Company did not intervene, how would they continue to operate in the future?

 Chapter 495: 294 Backlash

    Chapter 495: Chapter 294 Backlash


    Between heaven and earth, a thousand mountains formed a Buddhist lotus. This was the location of the greatest Buddhist sect on the Beishu Continent.


    Each peak was a petal of the lotus, and the thousand peaks together made up a thousand petals. At the heart of the lotus, an imposing ancient temple stood tall¡ªthis was the Qianye Temple.


    Within a room of the Qianye Temple, the Wisdom Arhat sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, with Venerable Huike standing behind him.


    The room was exceedingly quiet. Ever since Venerable Huike had brought the Wisdom Arhat back from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, this was the first time the Wisdom Arhat prepared to use ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ for divination again.


    The main reason was that the previous injuries the Wisdom Arhat had sustained were not light, and using ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ for prediction necessitated his body and mind to be in an optimal state to avoid any obstruction.


    Qianye Temple was prepared to employ a Venerable to bring back Li Yuanba; they truly wished not to suffer the loss of another Arhat in this matter.


    The losses for Qianye Temple this time could be described as immense. The Zhi Xin Arhat cultivated ¡®Other¡¯s Heart Knowledge¡¯, and with the demise of Zhi Xin Arhat, combined with the loss of the Inheritance Relics of ¡®Other¡¯s Heart Knowledge¡¯, if they could not recover the Inheritance Relics, it was feared that ¡®Other¡¯s Heart Knowledge¡¯ would not reemerge in Qianye Temple for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.


    Whether it was the suspected reincarnation of a Bodhisattva or the inheritance relic of ¡®Other¡¯s Heart Knowledge,¡¯ both were worth Qianye Temple dispatching a Venerable to intervene.


    And Venerable Huike, who had mastered the Divine Foot Skill ¡®Steps Between Worlds,¡¯ could reach anywhere in the world with his cultivation as a Venerable.


    As long as the Wisdom Arhat could use ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ to predict the whereabouts of Li Yuanba, his capture would be inevitable, and even the Senluo Sect would be unable to prevent it.


    A faint Buddha¡¯s light emerged upon the Wisdom Arhat¡¯s body, his eyes strangely darkened, as ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ was fully activated.


    At this moment, Li Yuanba was traveling with two Golden Core cultivators from his sect, his sect mission being to change guard at a nearby island known as Northern Island.


    This task required half a year, where the three Golden Core cultivators would replace the current Golden Core cultivators stationed at Northern Island.


    Li Yuanba had his own reasons for choosing this mission.


    With the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, it was as if he carried his cave abode with him, and with his current combat strength, even if he encountered several enemy Golden Core cultivators, there was nothing to worry about. The Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure alone possessed sufficient deterrent power.


    Even without using the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, simply treating the Ten Thousand Sword Peak as a massive defensive formation could withstand attacks from several Golden Core cultivators.


    As a Golden Core cultivator of the Senluo Sect, he needed to actively accept missions, as Elder Situ had pointed out.


    Once he had accumulated enough contributions, he could apply within the sect to become an Elder overseeing certain affairs, which would make things much easier for him.


    Almost all Golden Core Elders did this, and he didn¡¯t wish to make himself an exception.


    Anyway, the pressures inside the sect had become a thing of the past, and no Golden Core Elder coveting the Ten Thousand Sword Peak would dare to attempt to seize the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure from a Golden Core Sword Cultivator.


    All of a sudden, Li Yuanba had a feeling of being watched, and his sharp Sword Intent surged upward, startling the two Golden Core cultivators traveling with him.


    The two Golden Core cultivators were at first shocked, and then they immediately took out their treasures, cautiously scanning their surroundings.


    Finding nothing, they then turned their attention back to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t know who might be trying to peek at him, but he trusted his senses, and his terrifying Supreme Yang Sword Intent slashed towards the sensed location.


    He didn¡¯t know whether it would be effective, but a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Sword Intent has the reputation of ¡®one sword breaks ten thousand methods,¡¯ which is not just a rumor but a fact written in the blood of enemies by sword cultivators.


    There was nothing in the void, but the faint feeling of being observed seemed to come from a certain place within the emptiness. His Supreme Yang Sword Intent swept through that area, and the faint feeling of being watched disappeared along with the Sword Intent.


    Back in Qianye Temple, the Wisdom Arhat spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale as gold paper.


    As an Arhat who had cultivated ¡®Fate Communication,¡¯ he had only mastered the most basic part of ¡®Fate Communication.¡¯


    He had dared to use ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ to predict Li Yuanba¡¯s future without any misgivings because Li Yuanba¡¯s strength was one major realm lower than his.


    But he had never anticipated that Li Yuanba¡¯s strength would have a qualitative breakthrough in such a short period of time, rising to a Golden Core cultivator.


    What was most critical was that Li Yuanba¡¯s soul was incredibly strong, which led to severe backlash for the Wisdom Arhat.


    In fact, Li Yuanba¡¯s soul had always been his greatest weakness, a weakness that was relative.


    When Li Yuanba was being refined into a Life-bound Corpse Refinement, the original body was in a special state of suspended animation.


    That inexplicably successful refinement allowed Li Yuanba¡¯s Corpse Refining spirit to inherit the soul energy of the original body, making his soul about the standard of a regular genius, not particularly remarkable.


    Later, Li Yuanba cultivated Spiritual Thought during the Qi Refinement Realm and Divine Thought during the Foundation Establishment Stage, which did enhance his own soul somewhat. However, the top geniuses of great sects had the same opportunities, leaving his soul never standing out.


    Especially compared to his original self, Li Shiming, Li Yuanba¡¯s soul appeared even more insignificant.


    But after Li Yuanba formed his Golden Core, his soul was transformed. It was far stronger than that of other Golden Core cultivators of the same realm.


    This was related to him undergoing the baptism of Heavenly Thunder twice during his Golden Core formation.


    Each Heavenly Thunder baptism strengthened his soul. Had it not been for his unusual state of being both human and Corpse Refining, which led to the formation of the peculiar Taiji Dao Body, he wouldn¡¯t have had such an immense opportunity.

 Chapter 496: 294 Backlash_2

    Chapter 496: Chapter 294 Backlash_2


    Now that his weakness of having a frail soul was remedied, the Wisdom Arhat used ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ to predict his future. If his soul had remained weaker than that of the Wisdom Arhat, perhaps he would still be blindly manipulated by the Wisdom Arhat.


    Even though the Wisdom Arhat cultivated techniques that enhanced his soul and spirit, making them stronger, he was still unable to compare with Li Yuanba who had withstood the Heavenly Thunder twice.


    This situation was like the Wisdom Arhat using ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ to try to predict the future of a cultivator who was at a higher realm than the Arhat himself. How could the Wisdom Arhat not suffer blood vomiting as a backlash!


    Venerable Huike placed a hand on the Wisdom Arhat¡¯s body, without any hesitation, and scanned his entire body with his Divine Thought.


    After a moment, he took out a third-grade Spirit Pill and forcibly fed it to the unconscious Wisdom Arhat.


    The Wisdom Arhat had lost consciousness, and this backlash had injured his spirit, a type of injury that was extremely troublesome.


    Third-grade Spirit Pills were the best in the temple for treating injuries to the spirit, and also the most expensive among the third-grade pills, but Venerable Huike did not hesitate to use them.


    After a good while, the Wisdom Arhat regained consciousness, his eyes dull and lacking their usual brilliance.


    ¡°Wisdom, what has happened? How could such a backlash occur?¡± Venerable Huike, seeing that the Wisdom Arhat had awakened, asked in a deep voice.


    With his protection, and being inside the Qianye Temple, the Wisdom Arhat¡¯s use of ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ should have faced no disturbances. Therefore, the problem must have originated from the target of the spell.


    Could it be that a Nascent Soul Ancestor happened to be by Li Yuanba¡¯s side and disrupted the Wisdom Arhat¡¯s ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ spell?


    With the capability of ¡®Fate Communication,¡¯ unless it is the person being subjected to the spell, even a Golden Core cultivator nearby would not be able to detect the spellcasting, only a Nascent Soul Ancestor would notice something was amiss.


    ¡°Venerable, it¡¯s Li Yuanba who has formed his Golden Core!¡± The Wisdom Arhat said with a look of terror in his dull eyes, his tone incredulous.


    No matter how talented he was, Li Yuanba should not have formed his Golden Core so quickly.


    Though there have been one-in-a-million cultivators who directly formed their Golden Core from the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage, every one of those cultivators had undergone a very lengthy period of growth during the Foundation Establishment Stage and had sufficient accumulation to achieve this.


    Qianye Temple had detailed intelligence on Li Yuanba; from the first time he appeared, to his joining the Senluo Sect. Knowing exactly when Li Yuanba became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and when he joined the Senluo Sect was precisely why they were shocked by Li Yuanba¡¯s rapid formation of his Golden Core.


    ¡°The gift of a reincarnated Bodhisattva is indeed extraordinary; it seems we must welcome back the reincarnated Bodhisattva sooner rather than later!¡± Venerable Huike mused for a moment before speaking.


    By then, Venerable Huike no longer harbored any doubts about Li Yuanba being the reincarnated Bodhisattva. If not for the status of the reincarnated Bodhisattva, how could someone master Divine Foot Skill in such a short time, constantly advance in realm, and form a Golden Core in just a few years.


    He believed that if Li Yuanba came to Qianye Temple and practiced the Buddhist cultivation techniques, his advancement in realm would be even quicker.


    Li Yuanba would also be able to recover his past life¡¯s innate wisdom faster and become a new Venerable of the Buddhist path, or even return to the status of a Bodhisattva.


    ¡°I have disappointed you, Venerable; I was unable to see Li Yuanba¡¯s future!¡± the Wisdom Arhat said remorsefully.


    ¡°Rest well. For the injuries you¡¯ve sustained, I will apply for Spirit Pills for you to recover as soon as possible!¡± Venerable Huike said, gesturing in a consoling manner.


    Although the absence of ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ would greatly increase the difficulty of Qianye Temple¡¯s search for Li Yuanba, once Li Yuanba¡¯s identity as the reincarnated Bodhisattva was confirmed, the priority level of the mission to retrieve him would also increase.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought scanned a certain area of the void multiple times, then he released his Divine Thought to sweep through the surrounding space, scanning every inch, yet finding nothing.


    He slowly exhaled a breath and withdrew his Sword Intent back into his body.


    ¡°Junior Li, did you detect something?¡± He Wei, seeing Li Yuanba relax, finally spoke up.


    He and another Golden Core cultivator named Liu Gang were both at the Golden Core Early Stage, on the same level as Li Yuanba, and they had formed their Golden Cores for several decades, but he always maintained ample respect for Li Yuanba.


    There was no way not to show respect, the man before them was a Golden Core Sword Cultivator.


    Not to mention the Sword Intent that Li Yuanba had just released, which caused the Golden Core inside him to tremble involuntarily. If he were to be enemies with Li Yuanba, not to speak of actual combat, even before any battle occurred, he would already be at a disadvantage.


    This made He Wei and Liu Gang regard Li Yuanba as another Elder Jian. For the hundreds of years before Elder Jian entered seclusion, he had suppressed multiple generations of Golden Core cultivators in the Senluo Sect.


    In their eyes, Li Yuanba was Elder Jian¡¯s disciple, who would take his place and suppress the Golden Core cultivators of the Senluo Sect for hundreds of years once again.


    ¡°I just sensed someone spying!¡± Li Yuanba explained, then waved his hand and continued, ¡°It might be a mistake in my perception, let¡¯s continue on our way!¡±


    He Wei and Liu Gang exchanged a glance. They didn¡¯t believe Li Yuanba¡¯s perception was wrong, for the Sword Intent and Divine Thought he had just displayed far surpassed theirs.


    However, since Li Yuanba didn¡¯t want to elaborate, they also didn¡¯t ask further.


    ¡°Is there any danger on Northern Island?¡± Seeing that the two Golden Core cultivators had a good attitude, and considering that he would be guarding Northern Island with them for the next half a year, Li Yuanba took the initiative to ask.


    He accepted the mission to guard Northern Island because it was not high-level, suitable for Golden Core Early Stage cultivators to pick up.


    He didn¡¯t want to gain an abundance of resources through the mission; he just wanted to accumulate enough contribution points early to apply to become an Elder somewhere, which would afford him more free time.


    ¡°The danger level on Northern Island is very low, the sea beasts in the ocean won¡¯t breach the contract with humans. At most, there will be one or two Great Demons causing trouble. With Junior Li here, dealing with them should be even more effortless!¡± He Wei replied with a smile.


    ¡°I will still rely on the help of both of you. I¡¯ve just advanced to the Golden Core stage not long ago and lack a lot in experience!¡± Li Yuanba replied, downplaying his abilities.


    ¡°With the grand formation on Northern Island, there¡¯s not much need for us!¡± Liu Gang responded with a laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed a downside of being at the Golden Core stage. When at the Foundation Establishment stage, approaching a grand formation would not be detected, but at the Golden Core stage, one gets noticed. I wonder if there is any cultivation technique that could avoid that?¡± Li Yuanba took the opportunity to inquire.


    ¡°Secret techniques that can hide oneself from detection by grand formations are quite rare; they¡¯re core cultivation techniques held within the sect. I know that the Sky Concealing Secret Technique can conceal one¡¯s aura and avoid detection by various grand formations. However, just the contribution points required for the Sky Concealing Secret Technique exceed two hundred thousand, not to mention the extremely stringent cultivation conditions. I for one wouldn¡¯t learn such a technique just to hide my aura!¡± Liu Gang knew quite a bit, and he responded with a laugh.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s question, of course, had its purpose. Previously he hadn¡¯t thought much about it, but after becoming a Golden Core, he started considering the future trips to the territories of Righteous Path forces.


    If he didn¡¯t master a secret technique capable of concealing his presence, it¡¯s likely he would be discovered even before nearing the grand formations at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, let alone sneaking across.


    Though he didn¡¯t need to contact his main body, Li Shiming, for a long time, such matters were unpredictable. If Li Shiming needed his help, he would have to go immediately.


    With Master Elder Jian in seclusion, he didn¡¯t have friends within the sect on his own, so if he wanted to learn about these secrets, he could only get the information from fellow Golden Core cultivators in the sect.


    Indeed, after establishing a relationship with the two Golden Core cultivators, these minor issues got resolved without any trouble at all.


    It was a pity that the Sky Concealing Secret Technique was too expensive. Had he known this earlier, he might have used one of his two free chances to learn a cultivation technique to acquire the Sky Concealing Secret Technique in advance.


    But on second thought, the Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique and Evil Corpse Spirit Record were more important. These two techniques were the foundation for enhancing one¡¯s strength.


    Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, he lost the advantage he once had as a True Disciple. There were far fewer missions available for selection at the Golden Core stage. For instance, battle missions that could quickly earn contribution points weren¡¯t even visible to him.


    It wasn¡¯t that the sect distrusted his strength, but those missions were usually taken on by Golden Core Elders with higher status within the sect.

 Chapter 497: 295: Fourth Grade

    Chapter 497: Chapter 295: Fourth Grade


    Li Yuanba was heading to Northern Island for his first sect mission as a Golden Core cultivator, and meanwhile, Li Shiming had also collected Fang Lu¡¯s body in Fire Cloud Valley.


    Although Elder Zhao did not stay inside the cave, he never left its vicinity and guarded outside the entrance.


    Moreover, he had sent a message back to the Shushan Sect because no matter what, an alchemy master of the Shushan Sect had almost been kidnapped by the people of Skywalk Trading Company using seduction techniques, which was not something he could decide on alone.


    There were still two days left of the alchemist assembly at Fire Cloud Valley, and Li Shiming, being an alchemy master, could not leave.


    If he were to hurriedly leave in fear of retaliation from Skywalk Trading Company, it would not only cause him to lose face but also disgrace the Shushan Sect.


    Not to mention, hundreds of alchemists were still at the assembly, and if they were to flee due to an attack, the entire Beishu Continent would soon hear of the incident.


    Li Shiming did not go to persuade Elder Zhao. Instead, since Elder Zhao was assigned by the sect to protect him, and almost faced mishap but managed to handle it on his own, Elder Zhao did not exert much effort.


    Elder Zhao himself would not agree to stop guarding outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s another troublesome matter!¡± Li Shiming sighed, shaking his head.


    He now felt the burdens of being entangled in the Martial World, where the troubles of his clone, Yuan Ba, had just been resolved with his formation of a Golden Core, and now new troubles had arisen here.


    Who would have thought that in such a supposedly safe place within the territory of the Righteous Path, at the gates of Fire Cloud Valley, a Golden Core cultivator would attack him?


    Fortunately, Fang Lu was not skilled in combat; her abilities were mostly used in seduction, and her true combat strength was not outstanding among the early Golden Core stage.


    Otherwise, Li Shiming would not have solved the issue with Fang Lu so easily. Of course, when he dealt with Fang Lu, he had not used all his techniques, not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because Fang Lu had fallen before he needed to use them.


    By his side, the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake maintained its invisibility. With its intensely toxic breath, a single bite on the unprepared Fang Lu meant certain death.


    Additionally, Li Shiming did not use the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± technique, which was a lifesaving measure. These all indicated how weak Fang Lu¡¯s combat abilities were.


    Li Shiming held Fang Lu¡¯s space ring in his hand, without much expectation for the Spiritual Objects inside it.


    With his wealth, even acquiring space items from other cultivators, including Golden Core cultivators, was merely a matter of curiosity.


    His Divine Thought easily entered the inside of the space ring, which was one hundred meters in length, width, and height¡ªsimilar in size to the space rings he possessed.


    Inside, there were many Spiritual Objects. Though Fang Lu was a cultivator, her space ring still contained a lot of women¡¯s items.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought swept past cosmetics imbued with spiritual power and several alluring garments. His attention was drawn to the magical treasures.


    The battle had ended too quickly. It ended so swiftly that Fang Lu didn¡¯t even have time to retrieve her magical treasures.


    Therefore, her magical treasures were still inside the space ring: a Seven-Colored Radiant Skirt, a hand drum magical treasure, and a Green Jade Treasure Boat magical treasure.


    All three magical treasures were of high quality, all high-grade magical treasures, showing the background of Skywalk Trading Company and the Yin Yang Sect. Fang Lu¡¯s wealth was indeed substantial.


    The number of magical treasures is not about having more but better ones. The value of one high-grade magical treasure could top ten mid-grade ones, and its power could easily crush that of mid-grade treasures.


    Having three high-grade magical treasures was rare even among major sects for a Golden Core cultivator.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought swept over the three magical treasures, and he discovered that none of them were life-bound magical treasures.


    After realizing this, his Divine Thought swept over Fang Lu¡¯s corpse, finding a Golden Core that had become dull and devoid of energy due to her death. Since Fang Lu was dead, only the empty shell of the Golden Core remained, its spiritual power long dissipated.


    Had Fang Lu not died recently, even the shell of the Golden Core would not have been preserved but would have also dissipated as energy.


    His divine sense found her life-bound magical treasure in an energetic state, and he also understood why Fang Lu hadn¡¯t used her life-bound magical treasure immediately¡ªit was a sheer gauze garment.


    A sheer gauze life-bound magical treasure was not like the normal Seven-Colored Radiant Skirt magical treasure in the space ring but was merely a thin layer of gauze.


    Of course, being a magical treasure, it certainly had its unique functions. Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t refine the gauze magical treasure as he was unaware of its true effects, but just from the material of the magical treasure, it was clear that it had no defensive capabilities whatsoever.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t understand the rationale of the Yin Yang Sect¡¯s witch for choosing a gauze garment as a life-bound magical treasure, possessing neither offensive nor defensive power.


    However, upon reflection, perhaps this gauze magical treasure could work in conjunction with the cultivation techniques Fang Lu practiced, enhancing the effects of her techniques considerably.


    There were specialized methods to extract life-bound magical treasures from a fallen Golden Core cultivator¡¯s body, and having been in contact with¶à so many Golden Core cultivators, Li Shiming knew such methods well.


    Since the master had perished, with a light tap of his finger, Fang Lu¡¯s energetically formed life-bound magical treasure, the gauze garment, was extracted, and he casually collected it along with the other magical treasures.


    Among the few treasures, perhaps only the Green Jade Treasure Boat was useful, but he already possessed a similar Flying Boat magical treasure.


    His Divine Thought returned to the space ring, sweeping over a pile of Spirit Pills.


    His brow furrowed as among the Spirit Pills, there were many that looked nauseating to even glance at. He had previously refined Spirit Pills for the Yin Yang Sect through Beishu Trading Company, but he had never accepted a commission for these kinds of Spirit Pills used internally within the sect for male and female affairs.

 Chapter 498: 295: Fourth Grade_2

    Chapter 498: Chapter 295: Fourth Grade_2


    His Divine Thought skipped over the Spirit Pills, even if there were third-grade Spirit Pills inside, he wouldn¡¯t be interested.


    ¡°What is this?¡± His Divine Thought scanned a wooden box, and just the sight of the box caused his heart to skip a beat, and he muttered to himself.


    Because the material of the wooden box was third-grade Nourishing Spirit Wood, a kind of spirit wood that could lock in Spiritual Energy.


    Any Spiritual Object worth preserving with third-grade Nourishing Spirit Wood would have to be at least third-grade. To say that even ordinary third-grade Spiritual Objects were an understatement in terms of value compared to the wood, because third-grade Nourishing Spirit Wood was among the more valuable within third-grade Spiritual Objects.


    Li Shiming carefully used his Divine Thought to open a slit in the third-grade Nourishing Spirit Wood Box, simply allowing his Divine Thought to enter without letting any Spiritual Energy leak from inside.


    In his Divine Thought, a small humanoid fruit was protected by a magical treasure within the third-grade Nourishing Spirit Wood Box.


    ¡°Red Infant Ginseng Fruit, how could Fang Lu have this thing?¡± Li Shiming¡¯s voice grew louder this time, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was in the confines of his cave dwelling, which isolated him from the outside, this exclamation might have attracted a lot of trouble.


    The Red Infant Ginseng Fruit was a fourth-grade item, something only Nascent Soul Ancestors were qualified to come into contact with.


    More crucially, it was not a Spiritual Medicine but a natural Spiritual Object that could increase the success rate of forming a Nascent Soul by twenty percent.


    A twenty percent increase in the Nascent Soul formation rate would drive any Golden Core cultivator insane. Even Nascent Soul Ancestors, upon learning of the existence of the Red Infant Ginseng Fruit, would fight to snatch it.


    Besides the effect of increasing the Nascent Soul formation rate, the Red Infant Ginseng Fruit could also somewhat improve the quality of the Nascent Soul inside a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    No matter how much it could enhance the quality of the Nascent Soul, even a slight effect would be worth a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s attention.


    Upon seeing the Red Infant Ginseng Fruit, Li Shiming¡¯s first reaction was not that he had struck it rich but rather a frown.


    ¡°Big trouble, huge trouble!¡± he murmured to himself.


    He didn¡¯t believe that Fang Lu, a mere Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, could possess a natural Spiritual Object like the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit.¡¯


    In his judgement, the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ should belong to the Skywalk Trading Company, and he had no idea how it ended up inside Fang Lu¡¯s Space Ring.


    Of course, Li Shiming was unaware that the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ in Fang Lu¡¯s possession was exchanged by Supervisor Feng Yi of the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Beishu Continent division.


    Supervisor Feng Yi, at the Fake Infant Stage, wanted to enhance his own strength. Self-cultivation would not yield any results, the only option was to nurture oneself with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.


    And the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ was one of the few Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that could enhance the quality of a Fake Infant. Supervisor Feng Yi paid a huge price to obtain it from another continent and had it sent to the Beishu Continent through the channels of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Fang Lu handled this matter, retrieving the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ for Supervisor Feng Yi and took a detour to meet Li Shiming after learning of his whereabouts.


    Although Li Shiming didn¡¯t know the origin of the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit,¡¯ he understood that with such an item in his possession, Skywalk Trading Company would never let him off.


    But to hand over the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ was also something he was unwilling to do. Merely the fact that it could increase the Nascent Soul formation rate by twenty percent, such a top-tier Nascent Soul Treasure of the Cultivation World, now that it had come into his hands, he wouldn¡¯t give it away.


    Fortune that comes one¡¯s way should not be ignored, lest one suffers the consequences of inaction.


    The matter of the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit,¡¯ he didn¡¯t plan to tell anyone.


    Now that he was a Half-step Golden Core, achieving the Golden Core was within reach. Given his alchemy capabilities, he believed his cultivation speed during the Golden Core Stage wouldn¡¯t be slow. He was confident that in a few years, he would need the help of the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit.¡¯


    He stored the third-grade Nourishing Spirit Wood Box in the workroom space and, after some thought, also wore Fang Lu¡¯s Space Ring on his finger, transferring the items out and selecting a few everyday Spiritual Objects to put into the Space Ring.


    With the Space Ring, which had an internal space for Corpse Refining, he moved some Spiritual Objects he didn¡¯t want others to see into the workroom space.


    He now wore two Space Rings on his hand, openly displaying Fang Lu¡¯s Space Ring.


    He decided that no matter who inquired, he would adamantly deny ever having seen the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit,¡¯ even preparing himself for a situation where someone might search his Space Ring.


    ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ hidden in the spacecraft, no one will find it.


    Li Shiming was well aware of how precious the resources for Nascent Soul advancement were. Just look at the competition between his master Elder Su and Elder Ji. If it wasn¡¯t for the sect¡¯s suppression, they would have come to a life-and-death stand-off long ago.


    Even so, Elder Ji still used all his connections to prevent Elder Su¡¯s injuries from healing, aiming to eliminate his ability to compete.


    It was Li Shiming¡¯s sudden appearance that not only procured the critical Spiritual Medicine for Elder Su¡¯s treatment but also became the straw that broke Elder Ji¡¯s hope.


    Of course, even now Elder Su had not achieved a hundred percent victory. In the vast Shushan Sect, for many years, only one set of Nascent Soul resources could be prepared for the sect¡¯s Golden Cores. Before the final deadline, any Golden Core cultivator within the sect who met the standard had a chance to compete for that spot.


    As far as Li Shiming knew, among these Nascent Soul resources, there was no ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯. Instead, they were several Spiritual Objects and Spiritual Medicines a notch below the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯.


    It stands to reason that even if the Shushan Sect obtained treasures like the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯, they would not be used for Nascent Soul advancement; instead, they would be taken by the Nascent Soul Ancestors to enhance their own strength.


    That is to say, the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ in his hands was more valuable than the Nascent Soul advancement resources prepared by the Shushan Sect for its Golden Cores.


    The ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ was the most valuable Spiritual Object he had obtained, and it was also the first fourth-grade spiritual item.


    In the next two days, Li Shiming became much more cautious. He did not rest in his cave dwelling.


    At night, he found a place in Fire Cloud Valley on his own and set up a Concealing Array with one hundred and eight third-grade Array Flags, not even notifying Elder Zhao so as to avoid being ambushed by powerful cultivators in his cave.


    Inside the cave dwelling, he left a large amount of high-explosive explosives, and the detonation device was connected to the cave¡¯s Formation.


    Since he couldn¡¯t explain the matter concerning ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ to the Shushan Sect, their response to Fang Lu¡¯s attack on Li Shiming resulting in Fang Lu¡¯s death was merely to send an inquiry to Skywalk Trading Company, demanding an explanation and proposed measures.


    Given the immense power of the Shushan Sect on the Beishu Continent, such an inquiry was an extremely serious matter.


    One misstep in the response and the Shushan Sect would take even further action against Skywalk Trading Company.


    However, the Shushan Sect was ignorant of the matter concerning the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ and thus misjudged the situation.


    Upon learning that Fang Lu had been killed and that the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ had been lost, Supervisor Feng Yi nearly went mad.


    Without any delay, he used the fastest Flying Boat Magical Treasure to make his way to Fire Cloud Valley.


    As for the inquiry from Shushan Sect, the staff from Skywalk Trading Company would deal with it.


    For Supervisor Feng Yi, even at the risk of becoming an enemy to the Shushan Sect, he had to retrieve the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯.


    Supervisor Feng Yi was closing in on four hundred and fifty years old. Remaining at the Fake Infant Stage wouldn¡¯t extend his life span, which at most was five hundred years.


    Five hundred years is the utmost limit, but due to injuries, impurities formed by spiritual medicines in the body, and other impacts, almost no Golden Core cultivator actually reaches the full life span of five hundred years without any deficit.


    False Infants are those who have forcefully elevated their power to Nascent Soul Level by a special method, and because of this forced elevation, despite their increased strength, their lifespan remains the same as that of Golden Core cultivators.


    Of course, False Infants are not without means to elevate themselves. As long as they enhance the quality of their False Infant, their power as well as their lifespan will correspondingly increase.


    Concerning his lifespan, for Supervisor Feng Yi, no situation could prevent him from retrieving the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯.


    He regretted letting Fang Lu retrieve the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯ for him. He did not doubt Fang Lu¡¯s loyalty since Fang Lu himself was far from ready to use the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯. It is even uncertain whether Fang Lu could reach the Late-stage Golden Core in his lifetime.


    He was preoccupied with other matters, and thus he sent Fang Lu, whom he trusted the most.


    There had been no issues in previous retrievals of fourth-grade spiritual items, but this time, a problem arose involving his own fourth-grade spiritual item.

 Chapter 499: 296: False Infant

    Chapter 499: Chapter 296: False Infant


    The night at Fire Cloud Valley still featured faint red lights flickering; that was where the ¡®Fiery Sun Sky Fruits¡¯ were planted, and it was also the most noticeable landmark of Fire Cloud Valley in the evening.


    Thirty li away from Fire Cloud Valley, a person was observing the distant valley.


    His aura was obscure, making it impossible for others to sense his realm; furthermore, even the Sect Formation that was very close at hand could not detect his presence.


    This man was Supervisor Feng Yi, a powerful being of the Fake Infant Realm.


    Though his strength was exceedingly formidable, he had no intention of attacking the Sect Formation of Fire Cloud Valley by force; he didn¡¯t even want Fire Cloud Valley to become aware of his actions.


    While Fire Cloud Valley was not a major sect, its influence was extremely terrifying, with connections established through alchemical pills over countless years, spread throughout the entire Beishu Continent.


    Offending the Shushan Sect would render the Skywalk Trading Company unable to move an inch within the sphere of influence of the Shushan Sect; offending Fire Cloud Valley, however, could lead to unexpected trouble anywhere on the Beishu Continent.


    Besides, if Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s actions were not discovered and he managed to retrieve the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯, not only would it avoid offending Fire Cloud Valley, it would also prevent the Shushan Sect from learning about his move against Li Shiming.


    Of course, even with a forceful attack, the Sect Formation of Fire Cloud Valley would be able to withstand him for some time, allowing Fire Cloud Valley to send out a distress signal.


    Given the relations of Fire Cloud Valley, it would be enough to call upon a Nascent Soul Ancestor for assistance, and then his trouble would be even greater.


    Supervisor Feng Yi sat down cross-legged. With a light wave of his hand, an Array Plate appeared beside him, emitting beams of light that covered his figure, swiftly causing him to vanish from sight.


    This was a Fourth-grade Array Plate made by an Array Master, with one singular effect: concealment.


    This was no ordinary concealment, but one that created an isolated space within the Fourth-grade Array Plate, cutting off everything inside from any connection with the outside world.


    Feng Yi¡¯s expression was calm. He closed his eyes slowly, and above his head, a small figure leaped out from his body.


    The tiny person bore the same features as Feng Yi but was a mere one inch tall. Upon closer inspection, every detail of the body was proportionally scaled down, with no difference from Feng Yi himself.


    Even the clothes on the tiny figure were the same as those of Feng Yi at that moment; this tiny being was indeed Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant.


    The False Infant is actually a Nascent Soul too, albeit an imperfect one.


    Once the False Infant emerged from Feng Yi¡¯s body, his face betrayed a hint of nervousness, as if he was extremely afraid of the outside world.


    A normal Nascent Soul could leave the body of the Nascent Soul Ancestor for short periods during the day, but a False Infant was far too weak compared to a normal Nascent Soul and could only leave the body at night.


    Even so, the False Infant still had to be cautious of the faint spiritual winds, undetectable by the average cultivator, that were benign to both cultivators and mortals alike in ordinary environments.


    Yet this ubiquitous, faint spiritual wind posed a deadly threat to the disembodied False Infant.


    The False Infant hopped onto Feng Yi¡¯s hand, glanced over the Space Ring on the finger, and retrieved a piece of clothing.


    This clothing was a magical artifact. The False Infant blew a breath of spiritual power onto the clothing, which instantly wrapped around the False Infant¡¯s body.


    With the protection of this magical artifact, the False Infant¡¯s face finally displayed a relieved expression.


    The False Infant then took out a talisman and did not retrieve anything else.


    It wasn¡¯t that the False Infant didn¡¯t want to bring more items, but Feng Yi intended to sneak into Fire Cloud Valley and thus couldn¡¯t carry objects with strong spiritual power.


    The vestment robe on the False Infant was a special Nascent Soul treasure, crafted specifically for Nascent Souls and thus usable by them.


    If the False Infant had taken a powerful magical artifact, it would likely be detected by Fire Cloud Valley¡¯s Sect Formation as soon as it left the range of the Array Plate.


    Fire Cloud Valley was by no means a poverty-stricken sect; its Sect Formation was also quite ingenious, extremely sensitive to the aura of cultivators.


    The False Infant stepped out of the formation. At merely one inch in size, it was difficult to notice the False Infant in the darkness, let alone in broad daylight.


    Combined with the effect of the vestment robe, not a trace of the False Infant¡¯s aura leaked out.


    The False Infant arrived outside the Sect Formation of Fire Cloud Valley. Its nimble eyes observed the defensive shield hidden in the void, its gaze colored with mockery.


    Shortly after Skywalk Trading Company started its cooperation with Fire Cloud Valley, the company took advantage of this relationship to send in an Array Master to scrutinize and study the Sect Formation of Fire Cloud Valley.


    In the hands of Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant was an Array Breaking Talisman created by that Array Master specifically for the Sect Formation of Fire Cloud Valley.


    This was an Array Breaking Talisman made by an Array Master just for breaking through a tiny slit in Fire Cloud Valley¡¯s Sect Formation, small enough for the False Infant to slip through freely.


    Of course, once it was used, if Fire Cloud Valley were to discover the breach in the Formation, they would immediately strengthen the Sect Formation to repair the vulnerability.


    Although Feng Yi was the Supervisor of the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Beishu Continent division, using such an Array Breaking Talisman was still an act of overstepping his authority.


    All intelligence gathered by the Skywalk Trading Company in the Beishu Continent served more important purposes.


    But Feng Yi no longer cared about that. What could be more important than retrieving the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯?


    He no longer had time to search for other Spiritual Objects as remarkable as the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯. Without decades of time, great fortune, and the expenditure of vast wealth, how could such objects be obtained again?

 Chapter 500: 296: False Infant_2

    Chapter 500: Chapter 296: False Infant_2


    For the ¡°Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡±, Supervisor Feng Yi had paid far too much.


    After consuming the ¡°Red Infant Ginseng Fruit,¡± he would be able to live several more decades, which would give him time to seek other Spiritual Objects that could prolong life.


    At Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s level, immortality had become a luxury, but he absolutely did not want to die. Even if there was a mere sliver of hope, he would fight with all he had to grasp it.


    The False Infant channeled a strand of Spiritual Power, and the Array Breaking Talisman emitted a soft glow, landing on the Sect Formation¡¯s defensive shield.


    The Array Breaking Talisman transformed into a circle composed of countless Array Formation Patterns. These patterns linked up with those on the Sect Formation¡¯s defensive shield without triggering any fluctuations in the Formation.


    In the center of the circle created by the Array Breaking Talisman, a small opening appeared where there was no Sect Formation defensive shield.


    Without the slightest hesitation, the False Infant passed through the opening and entered the interior of Fire Cloud Valley.


    The False Infant waved a small hand toward the location of the Array Breaking Talisman, causing the circular form to hide itself.


    This Array Breaking Talisman could last for the duration of thirty minutes, giving him thirty minutes to enter Fire Cloud Valley and find Li Shiming.


    The False Infant looked towards the unobstructed view of Fire Cloud Valley, his little face filled with a ferocious expression.


    This time he had come not just for the ¡°Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡± but also for revenge for Fang Lu¡¯s death.


    Since he had sent Fang Lu to retrieve the ¡°Red Infant Ginseng Fruit,¡± it showed his trust in her, which is extremely rare in the Cultivation World.


    Trust between cultivators is very hard to come by, with each party filled with schemes.


    Fang Lu was his subordinate, as well as his Daoist couple, his lover, a spy he had planted in the Yin Yang Sect years ago.


    Fang Lu did some work for the Skywalk Trading Company in the Yin Yang Sect and exposed some flaws, which led to her partial separation from the Yin Yang Sect and her return to his side, where she earned his trust.


    Every time he thought of Fang Lu¡¯s death, Supervisor Feng Yi could not contain his rage.


    On the False Infant¡¯s tiny face, the anger made him look not the least bit frightening, but rather somewhat cute.


    Clearly, Supervisor Feng Yi was very well informed about Li Shiming, and the False Infant headed straight for the cave dwelling prepared for Li Shiming in Fire Cloud Valley.


    Of course, Li Shiming was not in the cave dwelling; he was in a Formation, wearing an eyepatch and observing something.


    In the sky at different altitudes, two drones were suspended, monitoring everything below.


    One drone at an altitude of ten thousand meters used its low-light camera to monitor a range of a thousand li.


    At a thousand meters, another drone had multiple functions activated on its camera, keeping an eye on the outside of Fire Cloud Valley.


    When Supervisor Feng Yi arrived thirty li outside of Fire Cloud Valley, he was detected by the drones.


    Although Supervisor Feng Yi used some Secret Technique to hide his presence, he didn¡¯t hide his body heat.


    It wasn¡¯t that there were no means to hide one¡¯s body heat, but few cultivators chose to do so, or perhaps they didn¡¯t think to hide their body heat.


    That¡¯s because Formations cannot detect body heat; they sense the presence of cultivators.


    Of course, for a cultivator to hide their body heat is quite easy¡ªa simple low-level ice attribute Spell would suffice.


    But obviously, like most cultivators, Supervisor Feng Yi had not considered the possibility of body heat revealing his position and had absolute confidence in his Secret Technique.


    Li Shiming observed the position where Supervisor Feng Yi vanished. Using the surveillance of the two drones, he did not detect Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s figure elsewhere and deduced that he must have used some Formation to conceal himself.


    He too had patience, and he had the two drones keep watch over that position, waiting for Supervisor Feng Yi to reappear.


    Yet, he had not detected the presence of Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant. The drones, especially the one a kilometer away, which wielded various functions including infrared and low-light imaging, were unable to observe the inch-small False Infant that emitted no heat whatsoever.


    Therefore, when Supervisor Feng Yi entered Fire Cloud Valley, Li Shiming remained unaware of the enemy¡¯s presence.


    The movement speed of the False Infant was extremely fast, a point one could imagine since it was entirely composed of energy, and not a physical entity.


    Thus, in movement, the False Infant did not need to consider the restrictions of a physical body; it could also utilize flying secret techniques, reaching multiples of the theoretical speed when using such methods.


    The False Infant floated through the darkness like a ghost, deftly evading the valley¡¯s array surveillance, and arrived outside Li Shiming¡¯s cave dwelling.


    Elder Zhao was sitting not far from the cave dwelling, his Divine Thought constantly active, guarding the entrance.


    Today was the last day; tomorrow morning, all the Alchemists participating in the grand event would bid farewell to the three Alchemy Masters. This ceremony was to thank the three Alchemy Masters for their assistance over the past three days, after which Li Shiming would be able to return to the Sect.


    Elder Zhao, in his Golden Core Stage, would not be troubled by a lack of sleep for an entire year; to ensure Li Shiming¡¯s safety, he had ceased his own cultivation.


    The previous attack by Fang Lu had caused him to lose face; he could not allow Li Shiming to be endangered again.


    But even he did not know that Li Shiming¡¯s figure was not in the cave dwelling; to keep Elder Zhao from discovering, Li Shiming had left ahead of time right after the day¡¯s festivity had ended, actually hiding in a distant location.


    Elder Zhao suddenly sensed danger. His Lifebound Flying Sword had just barely stirred from within his Golden Core when he felt his body stiffen and he collapsed.


    The False Infant appeared from behind Elder Zhao, not killing him. It recognized Elder Zhao and, although killing one more Elder Zhao, in addition to Li Shiming, wouldn¡¯t be significant, it had other thoughts, other ways to avenge Fang Lu.


    If it controlled Li Shiming, making him obedient, then Li Shiming¡¯s life and death would be in its hands. After exploiting Li Shiming¡¯s value, it could take his life or torture him to death.


    Before making a final decision, Supervisor Feng Yi did not wish to kill Elder Zhao; killing the Elder would almost certainly guarantee a deadly feud with Shushan Sect, leaving no room for negotiation.


    The False Infant stood outside the cave dwelling, where to it, the dwelling¡¯s formation was almost akin to nothingness.


    It stretched out its small hand, and with a light grasp, the dwelling¡¯s Formation was shattered without even a warning signal, broken by fearsome force.


    At all the formation nodes inside the dwelling, the Spiritual Objects that served as formation flags turned to powder. The False Infant¡¯s strength was simply too great, and with one blow, the formation was destroyed from the inside out.


    The False Infant looked satisfied with its own work as it floated into the dwelling.


    Not sensing Li Shiming¡¯s presence, it heard a faint burning sound.


    Though the sound was extremely faint, to the False Infant¡¯s keen senses, it was as loud as thunder.


    Without the fluctuations of Spiritual Power, without a sense of danger, even upon hearing the burning sound, the False Infant had not the slightest intention to evade.


    Cultivators are dismissive of mortal objects, never believing such things could harm them.


    Yet, the False Infant¡¯s gaze fell upon a curious object above, a small cylindrical item encased in a mundane metal shell; the front was a meticulously polished piece of crystal glass, looking incredibly intricate.


    With a beckoning gesture, the mundane object flew into its small hand; it observed the object closely, intrigued.


    After a while, it applied a bit of force, and the object fell apart, revealing an even more curious interior.


    The False Infant looked around but could not discern anything particularly special about the object; it was merely somewhat peculiar.


    ¡°So, why isn¡¯t Li Shiming here?¡± the False Infant, Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s agent, murmured to itself.


    Having gone to great lengths to infiltrate Fire Cloud Valley, one would expect a foolproof plan, only to find the dwelling empty and Li Shiming nowhere in sight.


    Supervisor Feng Yi thought of Elder Zhao outside; the False Infant was about to turn back to interrogate Elder Zhao, when at that moment, a red light flashed simultaneously at his feet and on the walls around him.


    Suddenly, with a thunderous boom, the high explosives placed all around the dwelling detonated. Without the protection of the defensive array, the dwelling¡¯s interior was first swept by intense heat and shockwaves. Then unable to withstand the explosion, the blast wave broke through the dwelling¡¯s entrance and rushed outward.

 Chapter 501: 297: Husk

    Chapter 501: Chapter 297: Husk


    Li Shiming looked at the bizarre scene displayed on the screen with a horrified expression; it depicted the sequence from when the False Infant entered the cave dwelling until it destroyed the surveillance probe.


    Indeed, what the False Infant had removed from above the cave dwelling was the surveillance probe, and when the False Infant held the surveillance probe in its hand, Li Shiming had a close-up view of the False Infant through a specific lens.


    ¡°Nascent Soul Emergence!¡± Li Shiming unconsciously spoke out what he had seen.


    It was said to be the special ability of a Nascent Soul Ancestor; even if the body was destroyed, as long as the Nascent Soul remained intact, it could find an opportunity for Body Seizing and reincarnation.


    Moreover, an emerging Nascent Soul, often moving with near-instantaneous speed, made it extremely difficult to capture after it had emerged.


    Therefore, the chances of completely killing a Nascent Soul Ancestor were incredibly slim, for an escaping Nascent Soul could always find a way to reincarnate and seek revenge.


    Usually, without the certainty of capturing the opponent¡¯s Nascent Soul, Nascent Soul Ancestors would not fight each other to the death.


    Li Shiming¡¯s knowledge about the Nascent Souls of Nascent Soul Ancestors was limited; it was mainly too distant for him. What he did know, he had overheard in conversations with Golden Core cultivators.


    His brain immediately started analyzing. First off, Nascent Soul Emergence was very dangerous, and it was rare for Nascent Soul Ancestors to resort to it.


    It was known that the physical death of a Nascent Soul Ancestor was not true death; the death of the Nascent Soul was the actual demise.


    Once emerged, the Nascent Soul was incredibly fast, yet highly fragile.


    Nascent Soul Emergence was generally a desperate act to save one¡¯s life.


    Many Nascent Soul Ancestors would prepare vessels for Body Seizing in advance so that after an emergency when their bodies were destroyed, the emerged Nascent Soul could immediately rush to the prepared vessel and reincarnate.


    Considering the identity of this Nascent Soul, the first person Li Shiming thought of was naturally Supervisor Feng Yi of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Perhaps other cultivators wouldn¡¯t think that the Supervisor would come a million miles to pursue vengeance over the assassination of Fang Lu.


    After all, Li Shiming was an Alchemy Master of Shushan Sect, and either of these identities, whether that of the sect or the master, would make Skywalk Trading Company cautious.


    Yet Li Shiming understood that for the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯, it was highly likely that Supervisor Feng Yi had personally come over.


    At this time, within the cave dwelling in Fire Cloud Valley, only Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant could possibly be present.


    Just then, an explosion resounded throughout Fire Cloud Valley, and over forty Golden Core cultivators, including those attending the grand event and those from within the sect, simultaneously flew out towards the location of the explosion.


    Supervisor Feng Yi had never imagined that an almost foolproof method would be thwarted by an explosion within the cave dwelling.


    Although the False Infant¡¯s defensive power was extremely weak, this weakness was relative to a Nascent Soul Ancestor; such an explosion could hardly harm the False Infant.


    The False Infant was hit by the powerful blast wave of the explosion but was protected by an energy shield outside its body.


    The False Infant didn¡¯t even need to use its vestment robe; no matter how intense the explosion, the impact on the False Infant from such a mundane explosion was minimal.


    Although the explosion didn¡¯t significantly affect Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant, the sudden blast revealed its presence under the watchful eyes of over forty Golden Core cultivators.


    The blast wave wasn¡¯t strong, but it still affected the False Infant¡¯s movement, preventing it from leaving the scene immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Nascent Soul!¡± a Golden Core cultivator exclaimed.


    Though numerous, each of the Golden Core cultivators showed a look of panic and terror in their eyes.


    The reason Nascent Soul cultivators are referred to as Ancestors is out of respect for them and supreme belief in their strength; the term ¡®Ancestor¡¯ indicated that the proud cultivators would bow their heads and set aside their dignity before them.


    ¡°Supervisor Feng Yi, why is your Nascent Soul here?¡± Master Tong Yun recognized Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant and sharply questioned it.


    Though Fire Cloud Valley was not a major sect, it was not a place where a False Infant could lightly dishonor it.


    Fire Cloud Valley had existed for so long; although it might not be able to withstand a Nascent Soul Ancestor, it was not an easy matter for a False Infant to contend against Fire Cloud Valley.


    Supervisor Feng Yi quickly calculated in his mind; he sensed a terrifying presence awakening within Fire Cloud Valley.


    It was a powerful existence that could contest him, something he hadn¡¯t expected to find within Fire Cloud Valley.


    ¡°What have you done to Master Li?¡± Master Tong Yun immediately asked, his voice filled with alarm.


    He saw Elder Zhao lying unconscious on the ground and the completely destroyed cave dwelling; that was Li Shiming¡¯s cave dwelling, prepared by Fire Cloud Valley for him.


    With no trace of any cultivator¡¯s presence inside the cave dwelling, he feared that Li Shiming had been killed.


    As the host of the Alchemist¡¯s event, if Li Shiming were to be killed in Fire Cloud Valley, not only would the perpetrator Supervisor Feng Yi be in trouble, but Fire Cloud Valley would also face difficulties.


    He could hardly imagine what Shushan Sect would do upon hearing the news.


    Shushan Sect, being a Righteous Path sect, might not temper its fury just because it is part of the Righteous Path. In the history of Beishu Continent, too many sects had been annihilated for offending Shushan Sect.


    ¡°Fang Lu was killed here; I came to investigate the details!¡± Supervisor Feng Yi didn¡¯t plan to fight; he uttered a lie that even he didn¡¯t believe.


    He had been caught red-handed.

 Chapter 502: 297: Husk_2

    Chapter 502: Chapter 297: Husk_2


    Using his Fake Infant Body, he arrived at Li Shiming¡¯s cave dwelling, knocked out Elder Zhao, and Li Shiming¡¯s dwelling was destroyed. Anyone who saw the situation could easily deduce what had happened.


    Additionally, considering that Cultivator Fang Lu from the Skywalk Trading Company had previously attacked Li Shiming unsuccessfully and was instead killed, Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s actions could be explained.


    Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s decision not to act immediately actually provided a moment of relief to Master Tong Yun, who signaled to the Golden Core cultivators of the sect with his eyes.


    All Golden Core cultivators from Fire Cloud Valley shifted their positions, and, in a moment, they merged with the Sect Formation. Perhaps they couldn¡¯t defeat Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant, but with the help of the formation, they now had a strong ability to protect themselves and a certain capability to counterattack.


    At the moment the explosion occurred, Li Shiming had already put away the one hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags.


    He activated the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± and disappeared into the darkness.


    Under normal circumstances, if he used the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± to hide himself, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the observation of Supervisor Feng Yi.


    However, the problem was the disruption caused by the explosion, coupled with the chaotic energy stirred up by the simultaneous appearance of over forty Golden Core cultivators, which prevented Supervisor Feng Yi from detecting the faint spiritual power fluctuations in the distance.


    Once invisible, Li Shiming immediately used the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± and moved towards the outside of Fire Cloud Valley while still hidden.


    Normally, leaving the valley was much easier than entering it, and with his understanding of formations, by the time he reached the defensive shield of the formation, he could see the spiritual power pathways.


    With the data from the IBMz15, the formation at the entrance of Fire Cloud Valley had already been thoroughly researched and analyzed by the IBMz15. This was intentional, and even before this, he had gone through the formation multiple times in order to release drones.


    His Divine Thought flicked through the spiritual power pathways, creating a crack in the formation.


    Although the crack was too small for a cultivator to pass through, ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was a divine skill that could traverse it as long as there was a spatial connection.


    He appeared outside of Fire Cloud Valley, his feet appearing and simultaneously vanishing upon a white lotus.


    His target was thirty miles away; after determining that the Fake Infant belonged to Supervisor Feng Yi, he immediately made his decision.


    With his near Gold Core strength, not to mention fighting against Supervisor Feng Yi, even a mere wisp of aura leaked from Supervisor Feng Yi could suppress him to the point of immobility, and a flick of a finger could crush him to death.


    He had witnessed the might of the False Infant; it was an invincible power that he couldn¡¯t forget since the day the Sky Sea Sect had been breached.


    Previously, he had hidden himself with the one hundred and eight Third Grade Array Flags to prevent being trapped in his own cave dwelling.


    But when Supervisor Feng Yi actually arrived, he knew that hiding within the array formed by the one hundred and eight flags wouldn¡¯t be enough to protect himself.


    The array formed by Third Grade Array Flags could at best withstand an attack from a Golden Core cultivator, and he estimated it couldn¡¯t even withstand a single strike from a False Infant.


    He couldn¡¯t guarantee that the False Infant wouldn¡¯t detect the array formed by the Third Grade Array Flags, and if discovered, he would surely die.


    Therefore, he chose the only chance for survival, which was the last location where Supervisor Feng Yi had appeared.


    If Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant had appeared in Fire Cloud Valley, then it was highly likely that Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body was left thirty miles away at that spot.


    Supervisor Feng Yi probably never expected that his whereabouts would be discovered by Li Shiming.


    This was something no one would have expected, that a False Infant cultivator could be monitored by Li Shiming at the Half-step Golden Core Realm¡ªtheir cultivation levels were as different as heaven and earth.


    Under normal circumstances, even if Li Shiming just glanced at Supervisor Feng Yi from afar, he would be detected by Supervisor Feng Yi.


    But the cameras in the sky were different. Even if Supervisor Feng Yi sensed something, he wouldn¡¯t think he was being watched, primarily because the surveillance was through drone-mounted cameras. The perception of being watched by Supervisor Feng Yi was extremely weak, resembling more the birds in the sky rather than the actions of a cultivator.


    Most importantly, Supervisor Feng Yi simply didn¡¯t believe he could be under surveillance by another cultivator. With his speed, having rushed over thousands of miles without informing anyone, how could he possibly be monitored?


    Li Shiming¡¯s figure appeared thirty miles away at the target location, his divine thought detecting the presence of the formation.


    In the span of three breaths, he found a way to break the formation.


    It wasn¡¯t that his formation skills were exceptional enough to easily crack a fourth-grade array, but rather that the formation had been set up using a fourth-grade Array Plate.


    No matter how formidable the formation was, with the formidable computing power of the IBM z15, the spirit-less formation laid out by the fourth-grade Array Plate could easily be computed by him, the spiritual power patterns calculated within three breaths to find a solution.


    Li Shiming took another two breaths to appear inside the formation.


    He saw Supervisor Feng Yi seated cross-legged with closed eyes. Upon glimpsing Feng Yi, his body wobbled twice, nearly collapsing to the ground.


    This was due to the oppressive aura emanating from Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body. Because of the formation¡¯s protection, along with the False Infant¡¯s exit from the body, Feng Yi¡¯s usual concealed aura could no longer be hidden, spreading out the terrifying presence of the False Infant unreservedly.


    Li Shiming was at the Foundation Establishment stage, facing the False Infant Supervisor Feng Yi. Even with no False Infant within Feng Yi¡¯s body, the mere physique almost overpowered Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s formidable physical resilience, coupled with his powerful spirit, managed to withstand the aura emanating from Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body.


    His face showing distress, just the aura alone was hard for him to bear, he had underestimated the body of Supervisor Feng Yi without his False Infant.


    He immediately took out his strongest offensive measure. The ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡± capable of killing Golden Core cultivators, was drawn, and he aimed the muzzle at Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body.


    The bomb transformed from the Third Grade Sword Base, propelled by the electromagnetic force within the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡± accelerated and shot out.


    The Third Grade Sword Base Bomb struck Supervisor Feng Yi at the center of his forehead. Worrying that Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body might have some defensive magic artifact, Li Shiming had aimed at the unprotected forehead.


    Upon collision with Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s forehead, the Third Grade Sword Base Bomb disintegrated into countless fragments.


    These fragments transformed into energy in the air, flying back into Li Shiming¡¯s body.


    Li Shiming stared dumbfounded at Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s forehead. His pride, the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun,¡± enhanced by the Half-step Golden Core enhancement of the Third Grade Sword Base, only left a white mark on Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s forehead.


    Yes, even Li Shiming¡¯s utmost attack failed to break Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s skin.


    A sense of futility rose from within him, and this was only a False Infant, far inferior to a real Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant had even departed, leaving behind only an empty shell, which Li Shiming found utterly unassailable.


    He knew all too well that he only had one chance to strike. If the shell of Supervisor Feng Yi couldn¡¯t be dealt with in one hit, the False Infant would sense its shell being disturbed and immediately rush back.


    ¡°The last resort!¡± Li Shiming gritted his teeth, resisting the influence of Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s aura on his divine thought, and wrapped up Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body.


    Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body vanished, appearing inside the server room space.


    This was a risky move, but it was the last method he could think of to sever the connection between Supervisor Feng Yi and the False Infant.


    If he couldn¡¯t kill Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s body, he would have to rely on the spatial separation of the server room to prevent the False Infant from returning to its shell.


    Li Shiming¡¯s divine thought swept over the fourth-grade Array Plate, making it disappear. He maintained the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± for invisibility and used the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to escape into the distance.


    In Fire Cloud Valley, the indecisive False Infant Supervisor Feng Yi, who was deliberating whether to fight or explain, suddenly sensed something amiss with his shell.


    Though the False Infant had many concerns before, there were no difficulties when it decided to leave; Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t even discern its trajectory and lost sight of the False Infant¡¯s figure in an instant.


    The movement of the False Infant was swift, only delayed for a moment at the defensive shield of the grand formation because it needed to reactivate the Array Breaking Talisman and pass through the small hole left by it.

 Chapter 503: 298: Annihilation of the Infant (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)

    Chapter 503: Chapter 298: Annihilation of the Infant (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)


    The distance of thirty miles, with the speed of the False Infant, would take no more than a dozen breaths to reach.


    However, halfway there, the False Infant suddenly came to a halt.


    Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant was unable to sense the existence of its original body; when the Nascent Soul Emerges, it attaches the soul to the Nascent Soul, leaving the original body an empty shell.


    He relied on the special connection between the False Infant and the body, which enabled him to lock onto the position of his body.


    Not being able to sense the body could mean only one thing: the body was destroyed.


    Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s one-inch tall False Infant let out an angry roar towards the sky, his resentment having reached an uncontrollable level.


    He wasn¡¯t a true Nascent Soul Ancestor; the False Infant had many disadvantages, including not being able to attain the lifespan that should be afforded to a Nascent Soul Ancestor, and the inability for the False Infant to seize another body again.


    Because he took a shortcut at the time of Nascent Soul formation, forcibly creating a False Infant, the False Infant was an imperfect Nascent Soul and naturally lost many functions of a true Nascent Soul.


    Having stopped to let out his roar took Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant two breaths, but he soon calmed down; his priority was to find out who had tampered with his body.


    He would grind to dust the cultivator who destroyed his body, yet that would hardly quench the hatred searing his heart.


    With over four hundred years of cultivation, though his prospects dimmed after walking the path of the False Infant, he could use the connections of the Skywalk Trading Company, leveraging vast wealth to exchange for the fourth-grade ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡¯, showing how much he treasured life.


    The terror of life and death is great, and the cultivator who destroyed his body cut short his life prematurely.


    Although he still possessed the False Infant, even if protected by the vestment robe and magical treasures, it could not exist long in the daylight.


    It was not a matter of simply finding shade to avoid sunlight for preservation; during the day, the intensity of the Gang wind increased significantly. A real Nascent Soul could withstand it, but a False Infant would continually deplete its very essence in such conditions.


    It could be said that Supervisor Feng Yi was now at his wits¡¯ end, focusing solely on seeking revenge, to kill the cultivator who had destroyed his body.


    After a few breaths, the False Infant arrived at the original location of the body, where the fourth-grade Array Plate had also disappeared along with his body.


    The False Infant unleashed its extremely sensitive perception and quickly sensed an obscure aura.


    Without the slightest hesitation, it pursued that faint trace.


    Li Shiming¡¯s ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ was indeed remarkable, but it still wasn¡¯t enough before the False Infant, whose trail was easily discovered.


    Supervisor Feng Yi believed that unless the cultivator was a Nascent Soul Ancestor, they could not escape his pursuit.


    Because the speed of the False Infant was only slightly slower than that of a Nascent Soul. Unless a Nascent Soul Ancestor refrained from Nascent Soul Emergence, they could not match the speed of the emerging False Infant.


    It goes without saying that the speed of an emergent False Infant is unparalleled beneath the Nascent Soul, and a Nascent Soul Ancestor in a normal state would find it challenging to compete.


    But Supervisor Feng Yi could not have anticipated that Li Shiming was using ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, which belonged to ¡®Divine Foot Skill¡¯¡ªit was not considered a flying secret technique but was instead a more profound Divine Skill, the fastest method of movement in the world.


    Although Li Shiming only had a rudimentary grasp of the ¡®Divine Foot Skill¡¯s¡¯ ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, he was still slightly faster than the False Infant.


    However, Li Shiming would not be able to shake off Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s pursuit in a moment, as the False Infant followed the trace, lagging by merely ten miles behind Li Shiming.


    Because Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant harbored not the slightest concealed killing intent, Li Shiming ahead sensed the danger.


    Li Shiming exerted his full strength using ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, initiating a prolonged airborne chase between the two, with one escaping and the other pursuing.


    At this moment, he regretted not keeping the ¡®Constriction Ring¡¯ for himself and giving it to his incarnation, Li Yuanba, instead. He had assumed his original body would be safer, while Li Yuanba faced great danger.


    Unexpectedly, Li Yuanba advanced to the Golden Core Stage while he himself had drawn the deadly enmity of the False Infant.


    If he had the ¡®Constriction Ring¡¯, he could double the distance covered with each use of ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, and he was confident he could quickly escape Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s pursuit.


    Li Shiming dared not get too close to Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant, unaware of its precise attack range. He judged by his sense of danger that drawing any closer could make him vulnerable to an attack from the False Infant behind.


    The two were in entirely different leagues in terms of strength, and Li Shiming¡¯s sole reliance was on ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s capabilities, should the False Infant draw near, not to mention an attack, even a mere glance from the False Infant would be enough to end his life.


    In their chase, Li Shiming¡¯s deployment of the ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ allowed him to become invisible in darkness, enabling him to move effortlessly in the night environment.


    Meanwhile, the pursuing False Infant, only an inch in size and with flight speed so swift, was especially hard to spot as an energy body.


    Even if it flew past Foundation Establishment Cultivators nearby, none would take notice.


    Li Shiming chose not to seek help, not for lack of desire, but because the False Infant behind left him no opportunity.


    Any slight delay could affect the speed of the ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, with most of his mental focus dedicated to its execution, allowing no room for negligence.


    Besides, even if he sought assistance from the Shushan Sect, the likelihood of them dispatching a Nascent Soul Ancestor in a short time was exceedingly slim.


    Having spent several years within the Shushan Sect, he had encountered its upper echelons and was privy to many of its secrets.

 Chapter 504: 298: Annihilation of the Infant (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)_2

    Chapter 504: Chapter 298: Annihilation of the Infant (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)_2


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Shushan Sect spent the vast majority of their time in secluded meditation, and it would take a matter pertaining to the life and death of the sect to disturb them into action.


    Li Shiming might be important, but to request the aid of a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Shushan Sect to save him would require one to be idle, or else they simply would not have the time to rush to his rescue.


    Li Shiming was still managing to hold on, thinking that perhaps if the pursuit behind him dragged on for an extended period without catching up, they might give up and leave on their own.


    This chase had been ongoing for six hours, with Supervisor Feng Yi ignoring all else, determined to kill Li Shiming before the False Infant perished.


    Li Shiming had harnessed the computing power of the IBM z15 to calculate an escape route for him, as he did not want to be impeded by a formation due to an ill-chosen path.


    The Cultivation World harbored many forces, each with its own Mountain Gate Formation.


    For the most part, breaking through these Mountain Gate Formations was not much of a challenge for Li Shiming, but if he encountered one on his path, he would have no time to stop and decipher it.


    He didn¡¯t even need to bother calculating how to break through; even a momentary delay by a formation could allow the pursing False Infant to draw near.


    The entry-level Divine Foot Skill ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was still incapable of utterly overwhelming the speed of the False Infant. Though he had an advantage, it was not significant enough to entirely shake off the False Infant.


    Thus, the escape route he chose took him away from the domain of various sects¡¯ mountain gates, and he moved in circles within a broad range.


    If Supervisor Feng Yi had any sense, he would notice that the pursuit path formed a circle with a radius of hundreds of miles.


    Li Shiming did not venture outside the monitoring range of the high-altitude drones. By pinpointing his position and enlarging the image behind him, he managed to keep track of the pursuing False Infant through the drone¡¯s surveillance.


    After being chased by the False Infant for two hours, he noticed something was off about it.


    Having pursued for so long, the False Infant should have realized that it had no advantage in speed and that catching up with him was nearly an unrealistic prospect.


    So why did the False Infant persist in its relentless chase instead of choosing to leave?


    With dawn approaching, Li Shiming felt a sinking feeling. Once the day broke, the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± wouldn¡¯t be able to provide invisibility in daylight.


    And under such pursuit, he had no chance to find shadows to maintain the invisibility conferred by the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique,¡± as that would drastically reduce his speed.


    The high-altitude drones were unable to display the face of the False Infant, or he would have been able to see its condition clearly.


    At this moment, the False Infant was glowing red all over, its clear eyes also turned red, its face was utterly crazed, and it had long been devoid of any sanity.


    After six hours of pursuit, Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s desire for revenge had transformed into his final obsession.


    He had forgotten the time, his identity, and all other affairs, fixating only on slaughtering the enemy before him.


    For in his last moment of clarity, he understood that his death was certain. Without a physical body and not being a true Nascent Soul Ancestor, he couldn¡¯t resort to Body Seizing with a False Infant.


    Over four hundred years, he had put in so much effort, advancing step by step to reach today, only for the enemy before him to end his cultivation journey, to end his life.


    He was unwilling to accept this, overwhelmingly so, and this unwillingness turned into resentment, breeding demons in the heart and extinguishing the last bit of rationale, leading the False Infant into madness.


    Otherwise, with his shrewdness, he would have ceased the pursuit long ago upon realizing the futility of catching up.


    Li Shiming looked toward the east, where the sky was exceptionally dark at that moment, but he knew that any second now, the big sun would rise, rendering his ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± ineffective, and revealing his figure deploying ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to the world.


    He was aware of the consequences should other cultivators discover his use of ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡± Thinking of his other self Li Yuanba, it was precisely because he possessed ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± that he was captured by Qianye Temple.


    Given Qianye Temple¡¯s obstinacy, it was likely that he would become another target just like Li Yuanba had been.


    Perhaps Qianye Temple would regard him as a reincarnated Buddha¡¯s son, thinking of taking him back to Qianye Temple.


    Despite knowing the potential risks, he couldn¡¯t afford to stop, for even the briefest moment¡¯s pause would allow the pursuing False Infant to catch up and kill him.


    With a sigh in his heart, he was already considering his next moves.


    As he pondered, at the line where heaven and earth met, a spot of red light emerged, followed by the sudden leap of the great sun.


    The ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± deployed by Li Shiming instantly became ineffective, and he stood upon the white lotus like a Buddha¡¯s son descending to the mortal world.


    Meanwhile, the False Infant in hot pursuit behind him was shone upon by the first ray of sunlight between heaven and earth, causing its entire body¡¯s red glow to ascend and form a red mist that towered dozens of meters above it.


    Even the demon-possessed False Infant could not withstand the irradiation of this first ray of sunlight from the world.


    Within the world¡¯s first ray of sunlight was the Innate Violet Aura, an energy of the utmost yang from between heaven and earth.


    The False Infant, like ice before a great fire, had its energy dispersed by the utmost yang Violet Aura into an ascending red mist that reached dozens of meters high.


    The sun¡¯s rays continued to shine upon the False Infant, and although no longer imbued with the Innate Violet Aura, the great sun itself is the utmost yang existence of the world, an energy feared by the False Infant.


    The demon-possessed False Infant let out piercing screams while still in pursuit of Li Shiming.


    Because of its flight, the red mist above the False Infant formed a splendid red glow.


    This red glow was extremely beautiful, yet profoundly deadly. Everything it touched, including trees, rocks, and so on, turned into dust.


    This was the False Infant¡¯s final splendor, as it quickly weakened.


    Li Shiming, of course, noticed this; during day time, the ten thousand-meter unmanned zone made it easier to discern the condition of the False Infant.


    He finally understood what had happened. The legends had always stated that ¡®Nascent Soul Emergence¡¯ was dangerous, so if that held risks, then the emergence of a lesser being like the False Infant must surely be even more perilous.


    Before long, merely after ten breaths¡¯ time, the False Infant stopped.


    Li Shiming also ceased using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±. During such a short period in an uninhabited area, he had not been discovered by other cultivators using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±, but the red glow here was bound to draw attention eventually.


    Since the False Infant had stopped, he no longer needed to use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±. As long as he maintained a distance of ten li, he did not have to worry about being attacked by the False Infant.


    The white lotus beneath him vanished, and he stood midair, looking at the False Infant ten li away.


    Now, he no longer needed the aid of a regular telescope; at a distance of ten li, his eyesight was clearer than through an ordinary telescope.


    He saw the False Infant¡¯s blood-red eyes and its face like a fierce ghost. At that moment, the False Infant was only half an inch in size, its vestment robe clinging closely to its shrinking body.


    Because red mist was still rising from the False Infant, it was like a cracked water jar, no longer being filled, while its contents kept flowing out, soon to be completely drained of its energy.


    The False Infant did not stop pursuing him because it wanted to, but because it could no longer move.


    Finally, the eyes of the False Infant no longer glowed red, and Supervisor Feng Yi regained control over the False Infant.


    ¡°You¡¯re merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!¡± Supervisor Feng Yi saw his enemy clearly and let out the most unwilling voice of his life.


    He, a formidable False Infant Cultivator, had fallen at the hands of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, fallen to the hands of an existence he once saw as insignificant, which he could not accept.


    With lingering resentment towards Li Shiming, the last half-inch figure also dissipated into red mist under the sunlight.


    A delicate robe fluttered in the air as it fell with the disappearance of the False Infant.


    Before the robe could hit the ground, Li Shiming reached out and caught it in his hand.


    He looked at the robe in his hands with disbelief, as well as the spot where the False Infant had vanished. There had once been a powerful cultivator of the Beishu Continent.


    And he had actually killed a False Infant Cultivator. If it weren¡¯t for the tactile sensation from the magical artifacts in the robe, if it weren¡¯t for the absence of spiritual imprints within the robe, he would hardly believe that Supervisor Feng Yi had really perished.


    Even if he had employed cunning, even if good fortune had played its part, he truly relied on himself to resolve a great trouble.

 Chapter 505: 299 Inventory

    Chapter 505: Chapter 299 Inventory


    After using the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± for a long time, it wasn¡¯t the leisurely mentality he had when traveling on the road, but rather a matter of life and death velocity.


    Li Shiming felt exhausted, and this exhaustion was mainly from his spirit; he definitely did not want to experience being hunted by a False Infant Cultivator again.


    He took out a Fourth-grade Array Plate and re-established ownership of it.


    After tossing out the Fourth-grade Array Plate, it instantly transformed into a Formation named ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array¡± upon touching the ground.


    He then took out eighteen Third Grade Array Flags and placed them at the specific nodes on the ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array.¡±


    Originally, because the ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array¡± was set up using an Array Plate, it was a lot less spiritual in nature, but with the addition of the eighteen Third Grade Array Flags, its spirituality greatly increased.


    He was extremely satisfied with this ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate,¡± after all, it was a Fourth-grade Array Plate.


    A Fourth-grade Array Plate was a Spiritual Object that only a Nascent Soul Ancestor would qualify to possess. Even though the ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡± was not adept at defense but rather used for concealing oneself, its defensive power was enough to withstand an attack from a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    With this ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate,¡± he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by Golden Core cultivators in the future. Combined with ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to widen the gap and using the ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array¡± for self-protection.


    Sitting within the ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array,¡± Li Shiming finally took a long breath, relaxing both his spirit and body.


    No matter how it looked today, seemingly without even fighting, the dangers were even more severe than any incident he had ever encountered before.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t fight, but that he simply didn¡¯t have the qualifications to act against a False Infant.


    If he hadn¡¯t made a decisive move and found the corpse of Supervisor Feng Yi, he couldn¡¯t guarantee his ability to evade Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s assassination attempts within Fire Cloud Valley.


    He bet right, and he succeeded. He survived, and Supervisor Feng Yi died.


    Thinking of Supervisor Feng Yi, Li Shiming cast his spirit into the Space of the engine room.


    In the not so large room of the Space, the corpse of Supervisor Feng Yi was still sitting in a meditative posture.


    This corpse was alive, and had not lost its vitality due to the destruction of the False Infant.


    The situation of Supervisor Feng Yi was very rare; the body of a False Infant Cultivator was both a container and protection for the False Infant.


    Normally, the spirit would only leave the body voluntarily as a cultivator, unless, like this time, Supervisor Feng Yi chose to secretly infiltrate Fire Cloud Valley, capturing Li Shiming to retrieve the treasures, that he would actively project his False Infant.


    Under normal circumstances, a cultivator¡¯s body would be destroyed before the False Infant or Nascent Soul, and it would be rare to see a situation where the False Infant or Nascent Soul perishes while the body remains intact.


    What Li Shiming saw was merely a vessel of False Infant, an empty corpse without a soul.


    Within the Space, he could conduct a meticulous observation with micron-level precision from a God¡¯s-eye view.


    Hence, even if he used Divine Thought to scan this body outside, he¡¯d be unable to look closely or sense much due to the powerful aura exuded by the corpse.


    But within the Space, he didn¡¯t have these concerns.


    ¡°Hiss!¡± When he started to observe the skin of the body, he inhaled a cold breath.


    Under micron-level observation, he noticed countless tiny patterns interlinked on the surface of the skin.


    These tiny patterns, composed of crystal-clear Spiritual Power, enveloped every cell on the skin. Under Li Shiming¡¯s observation, this surpassed the category of a human body; it was almost half-energized.


    He also thought back to when the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± failed to pierce this body¡¯s skin, which spoke volumes about the defensive power under these tiny patterns.


    This was just the skin; when he sensed deeper into the body, every cell he could detect was also covered with the tiny patterns.


    He did not know the strength of this body, but the defensive prowess it exhibited was stronger than any Body Refinement technique used by Golden Core cultivators.


    If he could employ such a powerful body, though it had lost the False Infant and thus did not possess its strength, it would be much easier to deal with Golden Core cultivators; not even a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator could break through the defense of this body.


    ¡°What a pity!¡± Li Shiming had no intention of trying to control this body; at least with his current realm, it was impossible to even attempt to control this False Infant¡¯s body.


    Being Half-step Golden Core was still just at the Foundation Establishment stage, and with such a realm, dreaming of controlling a False Infant¡¯s body was simply delusional.


    After scanning the body, he found Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s spatial items, which were an exceedingly plain ring.


    At least from the outward appearance of the ring, it didn¡¯t seem like a space item. All the Space Rings he had seen before were similar in shape, differing only in some pattern designs.


    But this simple ring had no discernible patterns and was carved from some kind of stone.


    The craftsmanship of the ring was not sophisticated, merely smooth round, raising fears that it might break upon the slightest touch.


    Yet when Li Shiming¡¯s spirit touched it, he sensed something strange; he could observe the ring in the Space with a God¡¯s-eye view, but when he tried to contact it with his spirit, the ring was as if non-existent.


    With a thought, the plain ring was taken off the finger of the corpse in the Space.


    He looked at his palm and couldn¡¯t see the plain ring. If not for the tactile sensation, he would have thought there really was nothing there.


    The ring itself had an Invisibility function. He wore the ring on his finger then extended his Divine Thought into it.


    His Divine Thought was easily absorbed by the ring and efficiently claimed ownership of it.

 Chapter 506: 299 Inventory_2

    Chapter 506: Chapter 299 Inventory_2


    The original owner Supervisor Feng Yi, although still alive in body, had his soul annihilate along with the False Infant, so the ownership of the ring was automatically revoked.


    After Li Shiming claimed ownership of the ring, he understood what the ring was.


    ¡®Mustard Seed Ring¡¯, a super-large space ring with an internal space of one trillion cubic meters.


    The Mustard Seed Ring itself is not considered a spiritual treasure or a magical treasure but a rare treasure, incredibly scarce even within the Cultivation World.


    It was only because Supervisor Feng Yi was in charge of the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s operations on the Beishu Continent that he was assigned this Mustard Seed Ring to transport large quantities of goods.


    Once the Mustard Seed Ring recognized a new owner, it would automatically hide in the void as per the owner¡¯s will, becoming undetectable to touch, Divine Thought, or any other of the five senses.


    It was only after the owner perished that the Mustard Seed Ring could be sensed by Divine Thought.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought entered the Mustard Seed Ring and he was astonished by the space inside; a space ten thousand meters in length, width, and height which his Divine Thought could not fully grasp if not for the ring¡¯s unique properties.


    The first feeling he had after perceiving the inside of the Mustard Seed Ring was vast, extreme vastness,


    He originally thought that, as a supervisor of Skywalk Trading Company, Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s spatial items would be filled with precious Spiritual Objects.


    However, to his perception, the Spiritual Objects within the Mustard Seed Ring were pitifully scarce, nothing like what one would expect from a False Infant Cultivator¡¯s spatial possessions.


    Li Shiming did not know that Supervisor Feng Yi had traded away most of his less important Spiritual Objects in order to purchase the ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit,¡¯ thus acquiring the funds to exchange for it.


    Of course, although the Spiritual Objects were few, those that Supervisor Feng Yi had kept were extremely valuable.


    A False Infant in the Cultivation World is considered on par with a Nascent Soul Cultivator, and despite being the weakest among them, it still ranks among the top existences in the realm of cultivation.


    Moreover, as the branch supervisor of such an intercontinental company as Skywalk Trading, Supervisor Feng Yi had access to a level of Spiritual Objects far beyond what ordinary False Infants, or even Nascent Soul Ancestors, could compare with.


    ¡°Is this the legendary top-grade spirit stone?¡± Li Shiming exclaimed when his Divine Thought swept over twenty-three spirit stones, sensing the surging Spiritual Power within them.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was inexperienced; spirit stones were an easily obtainable resource for him.


    With his abilities as an Alchemy Master, if he chose to sell the Spirit Pills he refined for spirit stones, he could quickly amass a huge amount of them.


    But what was referred to here did not include top-grade spirit stones, only low-grade and mid-grade.


    For in the Cultivation World, top-grade spirit stones were not in circulation, not used as currency.


    This might have to do with Li Shiming¡¯s own perspective; after all, no Cultivator at the Golden Core Stage had the chance to encounter a top-grade spirit stone.


    Legend has it that top-grade spirit stones were used among Nascent Soul Ancestors and were incredibly difficult to mine.


    In a large spirit stone mine, only a minuscule amount of top-grade spirit stones would be found at the core.


    The twenty-three top-grade spirit stones before him represented a tremendous fortune, items worthy of trade with a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Of the twenty-three top-grade spirit stones, twenty were red and three were green. The red spirit stones contained fire attribute Spiritual Power, while the green ones had wood attribute Spiritual Power.


    He had previously heard about top-grade spirit stones but never comprehensively; it wasn¡¯t until he saw them with his own eyes that he understood how different they were from mid and low-grade spirit stones. Top-grade spirit stones are classified by the Five Elements Attribute.


    Next to the twenty-three top-grade spirit stones, there were two magical treasures, a sword and a ruler.


    Li Shiming first examined the Jade Ruler Treasure, and under his Divine Thought scan, he found it was made of fourth-grade materials, a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure used by Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    All the magical treasures he had seen before were forged from third-grade refining materials; this was the first time he had encountered one made with fourth-grade refining materials.


    He did not know if he would be able to refine such a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure after he achieved his own Golden Core.


    Another magical treasure was a flying sword short like a dagger; he sensed that its material was also of the fourth grade.


    At this moment, Li Shiming felt some regret. He shouldn¡¯t have been so hasty to let his alter ego, Li Yuanba, refine the Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Even though the Lifebound Flying Sword that Li Yuanba had refined, the Xingyi Sword, had been strengthened for several hundred years by the Sword Cultivation Golden Core, Yun Xingyi, and Li Yuanba could perfectly inherit the Cloud One Sword and wield all of its might,


    there was still a significant gap in the material quality, which placed the Xingyi Sword far behind the fourth-grade flying sword.


    Perhaps in the initial phase after refinement, the Xingyi Sword might lead by virtue of Yun Xingyi¡¯s several hundred years of strengthening, but the fourth-grade quality possessed even greater potential, allowing the fourth-grade flying sword to eventually surpass it.


    What puzzled Li Shiming was that neither the fourth-grade Jade Ruler nor the fourth-grade flying sword were Lifebound Magical Treasures.


    He then took out the Vestment robe magical treasure; he couldn¡¯t judge its grade, but he also found that it was not a Lifebound Magical Treasure either.


    That is to say, among the three magical treasures he received from Supervisor Feng Yi, none was Feng Yi¡¯s Lifebound Magical Treasure.


    He poured his divine thought into the mechanism space, scanning within Feng Yi¡¯s shell without finding any existence of a Lifebound Magical Treasure.


    The truth was that Supervisor Feng Yi had never refined a Lifebound Magical Treasure. As a branch manager of the Skywalk Trading Company, he used his position to access more magical treasures than other cultivators.


    After becoming a False Infant Cultivator, he got rid of all his Golden Core stage treasures and then continually used the treasures sold by the company for himself first. The reason he had not refined a Lifebound Magical Treasure was that he wanted to find the most suitable treasure before doing so.


    The magical treasures of Supervisor Feng Yi were continuously updated and became stronger¡ªhis ambitions grew, and he kept dreaming of a better Lifebound Magical Treasure, which led to the current situation.


    After looking for a while and not finding a Lifebound Magical Treasure, Li Shiming gave up searching.


    He projected his divine thought into the Mustard Seed Ring and used his divine thought to retrieve a jade bottle.


    This was the only jade bottle in the Mustard Seed Ring, and its material was of the third grade; had it not been unrefined, he might have considered it a magical treasure.


    The jade bottle was carved with an Array that, along with the material, sealed the spirit within.


    His divine thought passed through the Array and into the interior of the jade bottle.


    ¡°This is Heavenly Immortal Milk!¡± Although he was no longer the youth of his earlier days, whether it was Formation, Alchemy, or Artifact Refining, he had considerable expertise, and his knowledge had greatly expanded in these fields.


    While he had not encountered Heavenly Immortal Milk personally, the Shushan Sect provided introductions to various top resources in the Cultivation World that were necessary for a True Disciple to master; otherwise, one might not recognize top Spiritual Objects when encountering them. Heavenly Immortal Milk was among them.


    The grade of the Heavenly Immortal Milk was fourth-grade, and it was currently the most effective Body Refinement Spiritual Object.


    Any Spiritual Object of the fourth grade belonged to extremely rare resources, only found in the hands of Nascent Soul Cultivators.


    The jade bottle contained twenty drops of Heavenly Immortal Milk; for a fourth-grade quality, this quantity was already very substantial.


    In truth, neither the top-grade spirit stones nor the Heavenly Immortal Milk belonged to Supervisor Feng Yi, but were assets of the Skywalk Trading Company, although such fourth-grade Spirit Items were in his custody.


    It was just that Li Shiming¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t the best; had he killed Feng Yi and obtained the Mustard Seed Ring during the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s five-yearly trade fair, it would have been an immense fortune.


    Nevertheless, even now, what he had obtained was too much¡ªfor him, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if any of the Spiritual Objects he obtained today were revealed, they would spell big trouble.


    The three magical treasures, top-grade spirit stones, and Heavenly Immortal Milk, even the earlier ¡®Red Infant Ginseng Fruit,¡¯ were rare treasures even to a Nascent Soul Ancestor, who would not care about his status as an Alchemy Master.


    Lastly, he took out a Jade Scroll and his expression slightly changed after seeing its contents.


    Li Shiming stored all the precious treasures, including the Mustard Seed Ring, into the mechanism space. Although the Mustard Seed Ring had the effect of concealing itself, he still didn¡¯t want to wear it on his finger.


    With his status and strength, he was not yet capable of protecting such precious items.

 Chapter 507: 300 Jade Scroll

    Chapter 507: Chapter 300 Jade Scroll


    Li Shiming held only the Jade Scroll in his hand, unable to calm down for a long time.


    The content within the Jade Scroll was too shocking; it was a mere Jade Scroll, but it contained extremely detailed information about the entire Beishu Continent.


    The level of detail was such that it even included records of the major Sect Formations.


    All of the spirit ores, Spirit Plants, and the various powerful Loose Cultivator forces were categorized and recorded within.


    Li Shiming himself was highly knowledgeable about Formations, just a whisker away from entering the realm of an Array Master.


    Although he was not too familiar with the Sect Formations of other sects, he knew the Sect Formations of both the Shushan Sect and the Senluo Sect very well.


    The Jade Scroll did not contain detailed materials about these two major Sect Formations. It only recorded some of the Formation information that was explored, but an Array Master could deduce the operation of the Formations from these clues, which was of great assistance in breaking through the Formations.


    Furthermore, inside the Jade Scroll was a contact method for Cultivators from all forces, ranging from the Qi Refining cultivator to the Golden Core cultivator, nearly a thousand in total.


    Such a list did not require much guesswork to confirm that it was a roster of intelligence personnel.


    Although Skywalk Trading Company needed to establish itself on the Beishu Continent, the resources required to deploy so many intelligence personnel across the six major sects and throughout Beishu were far beyond what the Beishu division of Skywalk Trading Company could manage.


    In Li Shiming¡¯s view, this was clearly military intelligence. The information within the Jade Scroll was enough for an invading enemy to strike precisely at important positions on the Beishu Continent.


    He felt a signal from his Identity Jade Disc and discovered that there were already dozens of messages on it, all from Elder Zhao and the other two Alchemy Masters asking about his whereabouts.


    Previously, during his escape, he had not paid attention to the messages on his Identity Jade Disc.


    Now, it was the relentless Elder Zhao who sent a message to confirm whether Li Shiming was still alive.


    ¡°Elder Zhao, I am fine and will return to the sect on my own!¡± Li Shiming sent a message back and without further explanation put away the Identity Jade Disc.


    In Fire Cloud Valley, Elder Zhao had already come to. With so many Alchemists and the two Alchemy Masters present, it did not matter that he was merely knocked unconscious; he could have been revived even from grave injuries.


    He held the Identity Jade Disc in his hand, his face filled with guilt, and he was consumed with regret.


    The incident of Li Shiming killing Fang Lu in his dwelling was reported to the sect by him. The sect had rebuked Skywalk Trading Company for it, and there were follow-up actions.


    But Elder Zhao never imagined that Skywalk Trading Company would be so overbearing that Supervisor Feng Yi, a False Infant Cultivator, would dare to attack Li Shiming.


    Because of the explosion in Li Shiming¡¯s dwelling, no one knew whether he was alive or dead up to this point.


    And as Supervisor Feng Yi, with his False Infant, left at ease, the Shushan Sect suffered a great loss of face. Even if they retaliated later, if they lost Li Shiming, an Alchemy Master, the Shushan Sect would inevitably be significantly affected.


    Just as he was feeling extremely anxious, the Identity Jade Disc in his hand transmitted a message. His Divine Thought swept over the Identity Jade Disc, and the color of guilt on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of elation.


    ¡°Is there news from Master Li?¡± Master Tong Yun and Master Yun Ruo, who were right beside him, saw Elder Zhao¡¯s expression and asked in unison.


    ¡°Li Shiming is alive; he will return to the sect!¡± Elder Zhao replied with a smile.


    The two Alchemy Masters, out of concern for Li Shiming¡¯s disappearance, had mobilized all nearby Cultivators to search for him. Elder Zhao would owe them a favor, as would the Shushan Sect.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. If anything happened to Master Li, it would be a huge loss for the community of Alchemists!¡± Master Yun Ruo said with a long sigh of relief.


    He held great respect for Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills. It wasn¡¯t just because of the contest, but more so because of their interactions over the two days following the event, which revealed Li Shiming¡¯s profound insights into alchemy.


    Even he had benefited from Li Shiming¡¯s explanations.


    Leaving aside the situation in Fire Cloud Valley, Li Shiming was using the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± in combination with ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to rapidly make his way back to the sect through the shadows on his path. As for those Alchemists from the various sects, they were being led back by Elder Zhao.


    Aside from worrying about another attack from Skywalk Trading Company, he had to return to the sect as swiftly as possible because of the Jade Scroll he now carried.


    Upon returning to the sect, he promptly arrived outside Heavenly Eye Peak and sent a Sound Transmission Technique request to be seen.


    Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to wait long. In just thirty minutes, Elder Su sent a response and opened a passage through the Heavenly Eye Peak¡¯s Formation.


    Li Shiming passed through the passage and entered Heavenly Eye Peak. He landed in the pavilion and quietly waited.


    Without making him wait too long, just ten breaths after he entered the pavilion, Elder Su arrived.


    ¡°I heard from Xiao Zhao that you got into trouble. Your fortune is something people both love and fear!¡± Elder Su¡¯s gaze swept over Li Shiming¡¯s entire body. After making sure he was uninjured, he shook his head helplessly.


    The talk of Li Shiming¡¯s fortunes started with Elder Su and was acknowledged by many Cultivators.


    Elder Su believed that Li Shiming¡¯s profound fortune had led to his achievements today, but it also meant that trouble seemed to find him every time he ventured out.


    Normal cultivation missions should be part of every Cultivator¡¯s daily routine.


    Yet look at Li Shiming. Elder Su had specifically chosen the safest of assignments for him, to attend the Alchemy Convention.


    The Alchemy Convention could be described as the safest place, teeming with Alchemists from all the righteous forces of the Beishu Continent, a place where no Cultivator would dare to cause trouble, as doing so would mean offending the Alchemists of nearly all the righteous forces.

 Chapter 508: 300 Jade Scroll_2

    Chapter 508: Chapter 300 Jade Scroll_2


    Yet even on such a safe mission, Li Shiming had encountered trouble.


    It was said that this was because of Li Shiming¡¯s fortune. Although False Infant Cultivators were not true Nascent Soul Ancestors, they were not so easily encountered either.


    But this time, Li Shiming was attacked by a False Infant Cultivator. The odds of this happening were so small, no wonder Elder Su considered it an ill-fated result of fortune.


    ¡°After killing Fang Lu, I was restless, so I didn¡¯t tell anyone and left the cave dwelling arranged by Fire Cloud Valley, secretly hiding elsewhere. I didn¡¯t expect that it really saved my life!¡± Li Shiming half-truthfully explained the reason he had survived.


    He did not tell Elder Su about resolving the issue with Supervisor Feng Yi. Such matters, if spoken of, were impossible to explain.


    A Foundation Establishment cultivator killing a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator could be attributed to the effects of a treasure on his person.


    Given his wealth as an Alchemy Master, it was perfectly normal for him to possess some life-saving means.


    But to say a Foundation Establishment cultivator killed a False Infant Cultivator, let alone Elder Su not believing it, even if Li Shiming hadn¡¯t actually done it, he himself wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard of that Feng Yi. He is incredibly astute, so why would he attack you just for a Fang Lu, resulting in a complete break with the Shushan Sect?¡± Elder Su asked gravely.


    Li Shiming did not speak; instead, he handed over the jade scroll.


    Elder Su took the jade scroll and his divine thought probed inside; soon, his expression changed dramatically.


    ¡°Where did this come from?¡± he asked solemnly.


    The influence of Skywalk Trading Company in the Beishu Continent might not amount to much, but the Skywalk Trading Company was an intercontinental trading company that collected a lot of important intelligence unrelated to commerce, which was not a good thing.


    ¡°I killed Fang Lu, then found it on him!¡± Li Shiming recounted the excuse he had already prepared.


    Elder Su nodded slightly as he once again probed the jade scroll with his divine thought, confirming its contents repeatedly.


    ¡°No wonder Feng Yi wanted you dead. With such important things falling into your hands, they must never be spoken of,¡± Elder Su shook his head and continued, ¡°Such significant items should have been reported to the sect the moment you obtained them. Why did you stay there and attend the Alchemist Convention instead?¡±


    His tone was full of reproach and worry. If Li Shiming had not been alert, this time he might have really been in serious trouble.


    To think that a False Infant Cultivator had made a move this time. Not even Elder Zhao, that Sword Cultivation Golden Core, had any power to resist and was knocked unconscious.


    ¡°It was only after seeing Feng Yi¡¯s False Infant attack my dwelling that I thought to thoroughly check the items left by Fang Lu, and that¡¯s when I found this jade scroll!¡± Li Shiming had to use a lie to explain.


    ¡°You should not undertake any more tasks recently; wait for the sect to deal with this matter first!¡± Elder Su looked at his disciple and wearily instructed.


    Li Shiming was already at half-step Golden Core and needed to experience some things, but under the current circumstances, it was no longer feasible for Li Shiming to go out.


    Elder Su even considered confining Li Shiming within the sect forever, never allowing him to venture out again as his fortune created too much influence; every trip brought troubles, each bigger than the last.


    Of course, along with the trouble came rewards. The jade scroll in Elder Su¡¯s hand was part of Li Shiming¡¯s fortune.


    If the information on the jade scroll were verified, then Li Shiming¡¯s contributions this time would be immense. Not just the Shushan Sect, but other major sects would also need to thank Li Shiming.


    Elder Su went to discuss the matter with the higher-ups of the Shushan Sect, carrying the jade scroll, while Li Shiming returned to his own Sword Holding Peak.


    Sitting in the cultivation room, Li Shiming felt the dense spiritual energy nourishing his body. The rewards this time were substantial, but the only thing usable was the ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk.¡±


    And since he was already at the half-step Golden Core, taking ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± at this time was too wasteful, as his Body Refining Techniques had reached the highest bottleneck of the realm. Unless he advanced to Golden Core, taking ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± would not significantly benefit him.


    On the other hand, Li Yuanba¡¯s avatar was in need of ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk,¡± such a treasure.


    Regrettably, it was impractical either for Li Yuanba¡¯s avatar to come over or for Li Shiming himself to go there; they could only wait for an opportunity.


    Li Shiming felt helpless, possessing treasures that could enhance his strength while his realm limited his ability to use them.


    He sat down cross-legged and activated the IBMz15 to start studying the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡± Since he couldn¡¯t go out now, he could only try to achieve pill formation by continuously enhancing his understanding of the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique.¡±


    Li Yuanba¡¯s avatar had already taken over the defense of Northern Island.


    Northern Island was a large island, and the formations laid out were extremely ingenious. Besides being defensively secured, it also provided communication isolation within a five hundred li radius.


    Such a large island naturally housed more than just three Golden Core cultivators; there were also twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivators and many Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Moreover, Northern Island was the largest resource exchange and safety rest area in this sea region. The Senluo Sect provided shelter for cultivators living in this sea region; these cultivators would extract resources from the sea and sell them nearby on Northern Island.


    Of course, the primary function of Northern Island was to guard against the sea beasts in the ocean. Though there was a peace treaty, not all sea beasts were entirely controllable.


    There were always some sea beasts, granted the opportunity, that became Great Demons and, unrestrained, would instinctively invade the continent.


    Northern Island was tasked with defending against the chaos of the Great Demons in this sea region and protecting the coastline of both the sea region and the Beishu Continent.


    This task was not heavy; mainly, the time commitment was quite lengthy. Seeing that the Senluo Sect had only sent three Golden Core Early Stage cultivators, like the previous three stationed Golden Core cultivators at the early stage, showed the high security level here.


    Sea beasts would not deploy in large numbers; one or two Great Demons were manageable with the three Golden Core Early Stage cultivators and the grand formation of Northern Island.


    The three Golden Core Early Stage cultivators were not Loose Cultivators; all were Golden Core cultivators from large sects, none weak in strength.


    However, among cultivators, strength was respected, which was also the case on Northern Island.


    He Wei and Liu Gang, two Golden Core cultivators, were very respectful toward Li Yuanba, a newly ascended Golden Core cultivator, placing their standing behind him.


    ¡°Junior Li, Northern Town Square on Northern Island needs someone to preside over it; why don¡¯t you go?¡± He Wei suggested with a smile.


    Northern Town Square was very important; there, multiple trading companies purchased various resources and also sold everything a cultivator needed. Due to the richness of this sea region and being the only market nearby, even cultivators from a vast area along the coast traded there, making Northern Town Square¡¯s outputs quite high.


    Presiding over Northern Town Square then became a lucrative post. Although the outputs of Northern Town Square would be divided among the three Golden Cores as a perk of guarding the island, the benefits obtained from directly managing Northern Town Square would be even greater.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that; you all decide among yourselves who will preside. I¡¯ve just formed my Golden Core recently and need to seclude myself for a while. Should a Great Demon attack, I will definitely contribute!¡± Li Yuanba waved his hand and declined.


    He truly did not care for those benefits.


    For just a bit of profit, he had to diligently guard the market. Such an assignment might be an attractive extra income for an ordinary sect cultivator, but he was not in need of such petty cash; what he lacked was time for cultivation.


    He Wei and Liu Gang exchanged glances, with joy apparent on their faces.


    ¡°Since Junior Brother has plans, then we won¡¯t bother you. Rest assured and focus on your cultivation. The profits that belong to you will not be short, and except for a Great Demon that we cannot hold off, we will definitely not disturb your cultivation!¡± He Wei said with a smile.


    Who wouldn¡¯t like a companion like Li Yuanba, who did not vie for power or profit and yet was powerful?


    After a straightforward exchange, order on Northern Island was established, and Li Yuanba also found a place, unleashing the treasure of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.

 Chapter 509: 301: Garrisoned

    Chapter 509: Chapter 301: Garrisoned


    Ten Thousand Sword Peak, a mountain peak that appeared suddenly, every cultivator on Northern Island knew that this was the treasure of a Golden Core cultivator stationed by the Senluo Sect, who had not shown himself in public since his arrival three months ago.


    Every affair of Northern Island was managed by two other Golden Core cultivators, and thus, numerous rumors existed about the Golden Core cultivator on Ten Thousand Sword Peak who had never made an appearance.


    Despite the variety of rumors, all believed that the Golden Core cultivator on Ten Thousand Sword Peak possessed unparalleled strength, as the Sword Intent from the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure that ascended regularly each day was proof enough to leave many cultivators in fear.


    In three months¡¯ time, Li Yuanba had used up all of his Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, the ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill.¡¯ These pills were already scarce, and when he had last met with his original self, Li Shiming, he had not anticipated that he would be able to form his Golden Core so quickly on this side.


    Having consumed all the Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, his realm had stabilized in the middle ranks of the early-stage Golden Core. In terms of realm alone, he was already comparable to Golden Core Early Stage cultivators who had been cultivating for ten years.


    The majority of Golden Core cultivators could not possibly consume as many Third-grade Advanced Spirit Pills as he did.


    Even if the sect offered Third-grade Spirit Pills for exchange, the number available from the sect was limited, and the required contribution points were incredibly high. Golden Core cultivators of the sect had to complete many duties to exchange for just a few Third-grade Spirit Pills for their cultivation.


    In fact, for the Golden Core cultivators of the sect, the most common way to obtain Third-grade Spirit Pills for cultivation was to explore areas rich in Spiritual Energy and find the main ingredients for making Third-grade Spirit Pills, the Third-grade Spiritual Medicine.


    Sending the Third-grade Spiritual Medicine to an Alchemy Master allowed them to obtain Third-grade Spirit Pills at the smallest cost, which was far better than slowly accumulating contribution points and exchanging a considerable amount of those for the limited Third-grade Spirit Pills offered by the sect.


    Of course, lands rich in Spiritual Energy were extremely perilous; the safe places were either controlled by major sects as resource cultivation areas, or had been cleared out repeatedly by Golden Core cultivators, making the chance of finding Third-grade Spiritual Medicine extremely low.


    Li Yuanba himself knew that the Ten Thousand Great Mountains contained regions where Third-grade Spiritual Medicine grew, predominantly in areas occupied by spirit beasts where many high-grade resources were found.


    But even as a Sword Cultivator who deemed his combat prowess to be quite acceptable among Golden Core cultivators, he still dared not enter the territory of spirit beasts in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    To venture there, a group of several Golden Core cultivators would need to go together. Li Yuanba did not have any trustworthy friends within the sect, so he had no plans to seek adventure there.


    After running out of the Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills ¡®Turtle Marrow Essence Boosting Pill,¡¯ Li Yuanba discovered that his cultivation had become extremely slow in adding to the growth of his internal Golden Core.


    This slow pace of growth, compared to his previous use of the Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, was nearly enough to drive one to despair.


    No wonder most Golden Core cultivators in the Cultivation World remained in the early stages of the Golden Core; only one out of ten cultivators reached the Middle Stage of the Golden Core, while those who made it to the Late-stage Golden Core were even rarer, with only one in a hundred achieving this level.


    It must be known that every cultivator who succeeded in forming a Golden Core possessed exceptional talent and had favorable circumstances, enabling them to break through the masses of Foundation Establishment cultivators to become Golden Core cultivators.


    Li Yuanba sensed that without the aid of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, it would be impossible for him to break through to the Middle Stage of the Golden Core without over a hundred years of arduous cultivation.


    That was just to reach the Middle Stage; reaching the Late-stage Golden Core would demand an even longer time.


    The lifespan of Golden Core cultivators could reach up to five hundred years, seemingly providing ample time for cultivation.


    However, for Golden Core cultivators, hoping to rely solely on cultivation for strength enhancement beyond around four hundred years of age was wishful thinking, as their bodies would start to decline after that age, with strenuous cultivation efforts serving merely to maintain the slowing of this inevitable decline.


    This meant that, in reality, Golden Core cultivators truly have only about four hundred years for cultivation progress, reduced further by the time already spent in the Qi Refinement Realm and Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Most Golden Core cultivators achieve their Golden Core around the age of one hundred, having spent several decades in the Foundation Establishment Stage, leaving them with only three hundred years left for cultivation as Golden Core cultivators.


    Li Yuanba, possessing the Taiji Dao Body, could achieve twice the effectiveness in his cultivation compared to ordinary Golden Core cultivators, even without relying on external items.


    By day, he practiced as a human body, cultivating the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡¯ and then at night, he transformed into a Corpse Refining form to rapidly compensate for the imbalance between human and undead forms by cultivating the ¡®Evil Corpse Spirit Record,¡¯ doubling his cultivation effectiveness daily.


    Even with such talent and the most superior cultivation technique, he would need over a hundred years to break through to the Middle Stage of the Golden Core; for other Golden Core cultivators who do not use external items, this period could require two to three hundred years.


    Furthermore, Golden Core cultivators could not always cultivate; they needed to handle sect duties, delaying their cultivation time. Additionally, long-term stagnation of realm advancement could induce inner demons, causing the vast majority of Golden Core cultivators to be forever stuck in the early stages of the Golden Core without making any progress.


    Li Yuanba, however, was not troubled by this concern. After realizing his slowed cultivation pace, he continued his routine cultivation without deviation.


    He dedicated a substantial amount of time over three months to the Body Refining Technique ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique.¡¯ He had chosen the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ because it was a Pure Yang Body Refining Technique.

 Chapter 510: 301: Garrisoned_2

    Chapter 510: Chapter 301: Garrisoned_2


    After the initial practice, he found that the ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± was extremely compatible with his Taiji Dao Body.


    When cultivating the ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± in the Supreme Yang state of a human body, there was no need for any spiritual objects to assist him, and he could achieve satisfactory results.


    In three months, the ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± was making progress, and when he operated it, his skin shone like jade, and both his strength and defense were rapidly increasing.


    The cultivation of the ¡°Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡± for his Corpse Refining body was even smoother. This cultivation technique, which required a sufficiently spiritual Corpse Refining to practice, came naturally to Li Yuanba. In addition to balancing the Yin Yang imbalance caused by practicing the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± during the day, the Corpse Refining body was also continuously strengthening each night.


    There were three months left in his six-month sect duty, and he would need to consider the issue of cultivation resources after that.


    The reason he took on the six-month duty was to gain a certain amount of contribution points while also solidifying his early-stage Golden Core realm and forming a certain level of combat power.


    He planned to take on some short-term missions that were both dangerous and offered higher contribution points after completing this task, aiming to quickly accumulate a large amount of contribution points to exchange for the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique.¡±


    Without a concealing technique like the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique,¡± he simply couldn¡¯t pass through Jieshan Mountain Pass¡¯s grand formation.


    Compared to Foundation Establishment cultivators, Golden Core cultivators posed a certain threat, so the grand formation had extremely strict precautions against Golden Core cultivators. Without top-notch concealing techniques, approaching the formation would result in being detected.


    ¡°Eh!¡± He stopped thinking and looked outside.


    He was in a cultivation room within his cave dwelling and could not see what was happening outside.


    But Ten Thousand Sword Peak was a treasure he had refined, and its formation¡¯s perception was equivalent to his eyes. Following his heart¡¯s command, he saw what caused the drastic fluctuations of spiritual power just now.


    A huge Spirit Turtle was battling with He Wei, while Liu Gang stood by, ready to intervene at any moment.


    The grand formation of Northern Island was fully activated, and the Spirit Turtle had not entered the range of the grand formation, so the formation couldn¡¯t assist He Wei.


    After observing for a moment, Li Yuanba knew that his fellow sect members were in trouble.


    The Spirit Turtle was in the Great Demon Realm, of the same realm as his fellow sect members, but it was clear that the turtle¡¯s strength was superior.


    He Wei¡¯s spear-type treasure hit the Spirit Turtle multiple times, but it just couldn¡¯t break through its defense, forcing He Wei to constantly dodge and not daring to take the attacks head-on.


    Li Yuanba initially thought his fellow sect members would gang up on the Spirit Turtle for a while and, after running out of options, send him a message asking for help.


    However, after He Wei attacked several times in succession without any success, Li Yuanba received a distress message from Liu Gang.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t hesitate; this was his duty to the sect. Since he hadn¡¯t contributed much usually, it was natural to lend a hand amid trouble.


    He flashed out of his cave dwelling, with a wave of his hand, Ten Thousand Sword Peak transformed into a tiny mountain and landed in his palm, and he flew towards the battlefield.


    ¡°Junior Li, I don¡¯t know where this Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon came from, please lend a hand!¡± Liu Gang hurriedly said upon seeing Li Yuanba arrive.


    Li Yuanba had not heard of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle before, but from the battle he had just observed, he could tell that the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon¡¯s defensive power was astonishing.


    With a wave of his hand, the Xingyi Sword shot out, heavily striking the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon with the Supreme Yang Sword Intent imbued within the sword.


    The Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon shuddered, abandoning the battle with He Wei and turning its gaze towards Li Yuanba.


    This sword seemed to have enraged the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon, its eyes filled with furious wrath.


    ¡°Be careful of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon¡¯s Earth Attribute spells!¡± He Wei shifted to the side and shouted loudly in warning.


    Li Yuanba felt his body grow heavier, as if he had entered a Gravity Field, which slowed his movement speed and even made his reactions a bit slower.


    It was only the robust physique of a Golden Core cultivator that allowed one to withstand the Gravity Field; a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have all their bones shattered and perish under such pressure.


    What terrified him most was the effect of that sword strike just now.


    That strike had been executed with the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± and though it wasn¡¯t his full strength, he had used eighty percent of his power.


    With such a sword strike, he was confident that even a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator would not escape unscathed if hit.


    But when this sword strike hit the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon, it had only enraged it, and Li Shiming didn¡¯t even receive feedback of injury from the Xingyi Sword.


    The Xingyi Sword flew back, splitting into a beam of sword light that carried him to speed up and avoid a beam of earthy yellow light spit out by the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon.


    He sensed an astonishing Earth Attribute Spiritual Power reaction, knowing that if he were hit by this earthy yellow light beam, even if he had a defensive treasure, it would be contaminated by the Earth Attribute Spiritual Power, greatly losing its spirit.


    This Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon clearly only had the strength of the Early Stage Great Demon, equivalent to a cultivator¡¯s Golden Core Early Stage, but its strength was far beyond imagination.


    ¡°Slash!¡± With the help of the differentiated sword light, Li Yuanba could use Sword Escape to accelerate and reduce the influence of the Gravity Field.


    The Xingyi Sword kept slashing out, hitting the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon time and again, only to further enrage it.


    ¡°Junior Li, the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon cannot be killed. Without the attack power of a Late-stage Golden Core, it¡¯s impossible to break through the defense of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon. Just drive it away!¡± He Wei, seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s continuous attacks, couldn¡¯t help but remind him once more.


    Liu Gang, on the other hand, had retreated far away, seemingly very fearful of Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent, lest he be affected by it.


    It was known that the Xingyi Sword could enhance the effect of Sword Intent by 135%, making the Supreme Yang Sword Intent used this time more than twice as strong as the last time Li Yuanba used it to expel the ¡°Fate Communication¡± from Qianye Temple.


    The Supreme Yang Sword Intent naturally countered demonic techniques, which suggested that Liu Gang¡¯s cultivation involved some sort of demonic technique, hence his great fear of the Supreme Yang Sword Intent.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as his continuous sword strikes also made him realize how formidable the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon¡¯s defensive power was.


    On its shell, glowing with earthy yellow light and intricate patterns flashing, the Xingyi Sword hadn¡¯t even touched the shell itself before being blocked by the earthy yellow patterns.


    Had it not been for the harassment of the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, he guessed that even a hundred slashes would not cause any reaction in the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon.


    But after the Supreme Yang Sword Intent passed through the earthy yellow patterns and the shell, the impact it could have on the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon was minimal, unable to truly harm the demon itself.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s try the power of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak!¡± Li Yuanba thought to himself.


    Since he had successfully refined the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, he had never truly utilized it, using it only as a cultivation space.


    The Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon in front of him was the perfect target to test the power of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak. The demon moved slowly but possessed an extremely strong defense.


    ¡°Suppress!¡± He shouted loudly, a miniature Ten Thousand Sword Peak appearing in his hand, which he then threw out.


    Upon throwing, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure flew above the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon, then instantly transformed into the full status of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, heavily pressing down on the demon.


    The Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon seemed to sense the dreadfulness of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak as well; it tried to flee but a Gravity Field several times stronger than the one it produced enveloped it from below the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, making its movements even slower.


    The Ten Thousand Sword Peak fell from the sky, heavily pressing onto the back of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon, which hadn¡¯t managed to escape in time, pushing it from the sky to the sea surface and then pressing it further downward.


    The seawater surged outward, creating waves tens of meters high, crashing against the formation of Northern Island.


    The Ten Thousand Sword Peak continued to press down, only stopping after pushing the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle Demon all the way to the seabed.


    He Wei and Liu Gang, who were observing the battle at the side, were stunned by the might of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak. There had always been rumors within the sect about refining the Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a powerful treasure.


    But having the chance to witness its power with their own eyes, both Golden Core cultivators were left feeling their scalps go numb and their minds roiled with excitement.

 Chapter 511: 302: Silver Corpse

    Chapter 511: Chapter 302: Silver Corpse


    Only by witnessing the strength of the Third Grade Demon Vajra Giant Turtle in person could one understand the terrifying might of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    The moment the mountain peak appeared, the space around the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle was locked down, and then the entire mountain descended with an unmatched force.


    Let alone He Wei and Liu Gang, who were two Golden Core Early Stage cultivators, even if there were Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators present, they would be astonished by the might of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Of course, Li Yuanba, who stood in the sky, was not having an easy time either. A third of the Spiritual Power in his Golden Core was depleted; the strike from the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure had drawn a third of his spiritual power.


    The sensation of such a massive one-time extraction of spiritual power made him extremely uncomfortable.


    This was still under the circumstance that he controlled his spiritual power from flowing entirely into the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, not releasing its full might. He guessed that even all the spiritual power in his Golden Core would not suffice to unleash the full power of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    With a third of the spiritual power within his Golden Core depleted, his combat strength was reduced by nearly half.


    He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head; the power of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure was indeed great, but using it required extreme caution.


    It was best to keep it as a trump card, for the consumption it caused was simply too great, significantly reducing his self-defensive capabilities.


    Li Yuanba reached out with his Divine Thought through the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure to sense the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle crushed beneath the mountain; the turtle¡¯s life had vanished, yet its shell remained intact.


    The death of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle was not due to being crushed by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, but rather due to the gravity imposed inside and out by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, coupled with the Sword Intent from the swords gathered by the treasure infiltrating and destroying the turtle¡¯s innards.


    The gravity exerted by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure acted not only on the outside of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle but also applied gravity to every part of the turtle¡¯s body.


    Perhaps the turtle¡¯s shell was hard enough, but the inside of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle¡¯s shell could not possibly possess such astonishing defensive power, not to mention that the turtle¡¯s Earth Attribute defenses were broken the moment the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure descended.


    What was more fatal was the Sword Intent. The Sword Intent formed by tens of thousands of flying swords pierced into the belly of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle, forcibly tearing through and damaging its innards.


    Of course, only Li Yuanba was aware of these details. Because the area beneath the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure was influenced by the Gravity Field, the Divine Thought of the two cultivators nearby could not probe it. Hence, they only saw the might of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure and were unaware of the specifics.


    ¡°This is the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure!¡± He Wei murmured in amazement.


    ¡°Has the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle been killed?¡± Unable to use Divine Thought to sense the situation, Liu Gang asked aloud.


    He was just seeking confirmation, well aware that given the might of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle must surely be dead.


    Li Yuanba laughed and, without revealing the weakness inside him from using the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, beckoned and retrieved the treasure.


    The Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure suddenly disappeared from the sea and transformed into a small mountain in the palm of his hand.


    At the same time, his Divine Thought lifted the corpse of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle. Although the massive body had lost its life force, a faint earthy yellow light still flickered slightly over it.


    ¡°Congratulations, Junior Li, the shell of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle is a high-grade material for crafting defensive magical artifacts!¡± He Wei said, looking at the corpse of the turtle with undeniable envy.


    Even though he had also participated in the battle, he had no intention whatsoever of claiming a share of the spoils.


    It was not only the Demon Sect; even in the Righteous Path sects, strength was revered above all. It was all the more reason, given that he had sought help from Li Yuanba, that the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle was entirely Li Yuanba¡¯s kill.


    Therefore, while He Wei envied in his heart, he harbored no covetous thoughts. The combat power of Li Yuanba prevented him from harboring other notions.


    ¡°Junior Li, may I ask if you have any use for the Demon Core of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle?¡± Liu Gang couldn¡¯t hold back and inquired.


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu desires the Demon Core?¡± Li Yuanba glanced indifferently at Liu Gang and asked.


    Liu Gang had merely stood by during the recent battle, not lifting a finger. How could he, after witnessing his combat strength, make such an unreasonable request?


    It should be noted that the Demon Core of a Third Grade Demon was the main ingredient in crafting Third-grade Spirit Pills, capable of substituting for Third-grade Spiritual Medicine.


    However, due to the extreme rarity of Third Grade Demon Cores and the few Golden Core cultivators that could slay Third Grade Demons to obtain them,


    Generally, a Third Grade Demon was considered on the same level as Golden Core Stage Cultivators, but Third Grade Demons usually possessed some kind of special Talent Ability. Coupled with the fact that Third Grade Demons had constitutions far exceeding that of Golden Core cultivators, this meant that in terms of combat power, Third Grade Demons were normally stronger than cultivators of the same stage.


    Even for the powerful beings among Golden Core cultivators who possessed the strength to conquer Third Grade Demons, slaying one was an exceedingly difficult task.


    Thus, on the Beishu Continent, Third Grade Demon Cores were not treated as the primary resource for crafting Third-grade Spirit Pills; instead, the more abundant Third-grade Spiritual Medicine was used.


    Of course, Third Grade Demon Cores were not only used for crafting Third-grade Spirit Pills; many Secret Techniques required the use of Third Grade Demon Pills as well.


    ¡°Junior Li, the Earth Attribute of the Vajra Giant Turtle aligns perfectly with a Secret Technique I practice, and I wish to trade spiritual objects for this Demon Core!¡± Liu Gang hastily explained.


    His relationship with Li Yuanba was not at the point where such precious spiritual objects could simply be gifted, and his desire for the Demon Core was considered in terms of a trade.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t really care about the Third Grade Demon¡¯s Demon Core. If he had the Third Grade Demon Core, he would have just made an extra batch of Spirit Pills, and moreover, with the state of his true form, Li Shiming, on the other side, he would not be able to use the Third Grade Demon Core to craft Spirit Pills in the short term.

 Chapter 512: 302: Silver Corpse_2

    Chapter 512: Chapter 302: Silver Corpse_2


    The Demon Core of a Third Grade Demon is used to refine Spirit Pills for Golden Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators to consume. Despite requiring just one type of third-grade main material, to refine a Demon Core of a Third Grade Demon requires the strength of the Golden Core Stage.


    However, upon reflection, given that Liu Gang did not participate in the battle at all just now, Li Yuanba did not wish to have too much contact with such a cultivator.


    Whether a Devil Cultivator or not, within the sect, when cultivators undertake a common task, those who seek to gain benefits without contributing are despised by others.


    Although Li Yuanba has been in seclusion himself, he is always called upon for major events, just like he dealt with the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle today.


    This was a matter agreed upon by the three of them; it wasn¡¯t that he was neglecting his duties.


    ¡°Junior Brother Liu didn¡¯t join the battle just now not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because he mainly practices Corpse Refining. His Silver Corpse is ineffective against the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t participate!¡± He Wei, who was at the side, saw Li Yuanba¡¯s thoughts and explained with a smile, on behalf of Liu Gang.


    Liu Gang also realized this and with a wave of his hand, he summoned a Silver Corpse to prove that what He Wei said was true.


    The Silver Corpse was entirely silver-white in color, and from its aura, it should have just entered the Silver Corpse Rank.


    Cultivating a Silver Corpse is extremely resource-consuming, requiring a massive investment of third-grade resources. Liu Gang being at the Golden Core Early Stage, it was normal for his Silver Corpse to have limited strength.


    Li Yuanba nodded. Indeed, this Silver Corpse could deal with other enemies without an issue, but it was no match for the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle they just faced.


    ¡°If there is a set of materials for promoting an Iron Corpse to Silver Corpse, I would be willing to trade this Demon Core!¡± Li Yuanba stated his condition.


    Liu Gang displayed a look of delight. The materials to promote an Iron Corpse to a Silver Corpse, which included third-grade Corpse Refining materials, were as valuable as a Third Grade Demon Pill. However, they were far less rare in comparison.


    This is Senluo Sect, after all, where materials for promoting an Iron Corpse to a Silver Corpse are the easiest to obtain.


    Whereas the Demon Core of a Vajra Giant Armored Turtle is a rare find that comes about only once every several decades. Had it not been for the good fortune of encountering Li Yuanba today, who knew how long it would take before another opportunity like this would arise.


    ¡°Junior Li, when I promoted my Silver Corpse, I happened to have a set of unused promotion materials on me!¡± While speaking, Liu Gang took out several wooden boxes from his storage space and handed them over.


    Li Yuanba also felt a surge of joy. To be honest, given his strength, the increase in combat power from training a refined corpse was limited.


    However, his Corpse Refining General was special, being refined from the body of the Sword Cultivation Golden Core Yun Xingyi, granting the General a natural trace of Sword Intent.


    He intended to cultivate the General into a Silver Corpse, but when he last interacted with his original self Li Shiming, he did not obtain the third-grade Corpse Refining materials needed for the promotion. It wasn¡¯t that Li Shiming lacked them, but rather that Li Shiming needed them more.


    At the time, he did not anticipate that it would be he who would break through to the Golden Core Stage first. More importantly, being a Sword Cultivator, he had less urgent need for a Silver Corpse than Li Shiming did.


    Now having the opportunity to obtain the promotion materials needed for the General was indeed an unexpected delight.


    Li Yuanba did not hesitate. He swept his Divine Thought over the carcass of the Vajra Giant Armored Turtle and took out the Demon Core to present in front of Liu Gang.


    Liu Gang carefully accepted the Demon Core, placing it into a special box reserved for storing valuable Spiritual Objects.


    Li Yuanba also accepted the set of materials Liu Gang gave for promoting an Iron Corpse to a Silver Corpse, and their trade was concluded.


    Both Liu Gang and He Wei refrained from mentioning Li Yuanba¡¯s need for Iron Corpse to Silver Corpse promotion materials despite being a Sword Cultivator, as it involved the secrets of a cultivator, which are not to be discussed without a certain level of friendship.


    Back on Northern Island, Li Yuanba released Ten Thousand Sword Peak and once again entered his own cave dwelling.


    Within the cave dwelling, he began to arrange the Formation for promoting the Iron Corpse using the materials he had acquired from Liu Gang.


    Above Northern Island, Li Yuanba, who had the least presence, also had the smallest reputation. Many cultivators thought he was just there to while away his days but, after this battle, no cultivator dared to underestimate Li Yuanba any longer.


    The cultivators on the island looked towards Ten Thousand Sword Peak with eyes of reverence.


    In the previous battle, even though the island¡¯s cultivators were some distance from the battlefield, they were also affected by the imposing manner of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure as it descended.


    However, these cultivators showed no fear; instead, they felt joy and relief.


    With a powerful Golden Core cultivator stationed on Northern Island, capable of slaying a Third Grade Demon, it was even more advantageous for them to gather resources around the island.


    After half a day¡¯s preparation, a formation had been established inside the cave dwelling, guiding spiritual energy into it and setting it into operation.


    Threads of Yin Cold Energy began to fill the room, and Li Yuanba summoned General, placing him at the center of the formation.


    The advancement from Iron Corpse to Silver Corpse is as perilous as a human cultivator¡¯s ascension from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core.


    Having experienced the process of his own corpse refining state advancing to Silver Corpse, Li Yuanba was more aware of the dangers than other cultivators.


    But he had great confidence in General¡¯s advancement; this was related to the fact that General¡¯s original body was of Golden Core grade, and with the aid of Third Grade Corpse Refining Material, the risks for General¡¯s ascension were much smaller than normal corpse refining.


    General lay at the center of the formation, his body covered with patterns drawn by Li Yuanba. These patterns were crafted from Third Grade Corpse Refining Material, supplemented by other corpse refining materials.


    Li Yuanba had originally planned to leave General in the formation until he absorbed enough Yin Cold Energy before coming over to oversee the process.


    Normally, the transition from Iron Corpse to Silver Corpse could take anywhere from several days to several years, depending on the corpse¡¯s condition.


    This is also why cultivators choose cauldrons with exceptional talent for immortality when refining corpses.


    Ordinary corpses can also be piled up to the current realm¡¯s peak using a large amount of refining materials, but advancing to the next stage is extremely difficult.


    After countless years of cultivation experience and research by numerous cultivators, it was found that the better the quality of the corpse itself, the easier the advancement.


    Therefore, almost every cultivator who refines corpses chooses cauldrons with top-notch talent; otherwise, pouring a large amount of resources into a corpse may not keep pace with the cultivator¡¯s own strength enhancements.


    Li Yuanba was about to leave; before General¡¯s breakthrough, he still had to continue his own cultivation to improve his strength.


    However, before he could return to his own cultivation room, he sensed fluctuations in energy coming from General¡¯s direction.


    A white lotus appeared under his feet, and then his figure, along with the white lotus, vanished. When he reappeared, he was beside General.


    The energy fluctuations from General¡¯s body were extremely evident, and seeing his condition, Li Yuanba knew that these were signs of an impending breakthrough.


    When he had first refined General, because of his own realm, he essentially repressed General¡¯s level to the rank of Iron Corpse, making the initially refined General a peak existence of the Iron Corpse rank.


    This was because he had been impatient at the time and needed General¡¯s combat power to protect himself; otherwise, he could have waited until he became a Golden Core cultivator and then used Third Grade Corpse Refining Material to refine Yun Xingyi¡¯s body, which would have resulted in a Silver Corpse directly.


    Yun Xingyi was an extremely powerful Golden Core cultivator of the Beishu Continent, and even as a refined corpse, Yun Xingyi¡¯s talent could still shine through.


    The energy within General was converging rapidly to one spot, and his aura was growing stronger by the moment.


    The patterns on General¡¯s body were continuously restoring his energy, equivalent to the Spirit Pills used during human ascension to the Golden Core.


    Corpses have a higher tolerance for energy, so their breakthroughs do not require the assistance of Spirit Pills. When the energy contained within spiritual objects is stimulated, it can be absorbed by the corpse.


    From this perspective, the advancement of corpses is simpler than that of humans, requiring fewer resources.


    At least there is no need for an Alchemy Master¡¯s involvement, which reduces a lot of trouble.


    Li Yuanba stood beside General, anxiously monitoring his condition.


    He was unable to intervene in General¡¯s advancement; the breakthrough of a corpse is a self-directed action, and the master¡¯s assistance in the advancement of their corpse only extends to external factors, as they cannot intervene in the internal changes.


    Although General¡¯s aura was improving, the Yin Cold Energy and Sword Intent within him were weakening, with the rise in aura coming from the point where the Yin Cold Energy and Sword Intent converged.

 Chapter 513: 303: The Situation

    Chapter 513: Chapter 303: The Situation


    ¡°What is happening over by Junior Li?¡± He Wei, who was in conversation with Liu Gang, suddenly turned towards the direction of Ten Thousand Sword Peak and asked.


    A rising aura at Ten Thousand Sword Peak was so powerful that even the Formation there could not conceal it, faintly seeping through from within.


    Liu Gang¡¯s face, however, showed a puzzled expression; he was extremely familiar with the aura of an Iron Corpse advancing to a Silver Corpse.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that just half a day after parting, there had already been an advancement from Iron Corpse to Silver Corpse on Li Yuanba¡¯s side.


    Considering Li Yuanba¡¯s own combat strength, even without a Silver Corpse he was extremely formidable; adding a Silver Corpse would merely compensate for his shortcomings in close combat.


    He didn¡¯t know how strong Li Yuanba¡¯s close combat skills were; he was judging based on the strength of normal Sword Cultivators.


    Of course, pure Sword Cultivators wouldn¡¯t rely on anything other than their Lifebound Flying Swords, but they had all witnessed Li Yuanba using the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, which he had broken away from that norm, so what did another Silver Corpse matter?


    ¡°Junior Li¡¯s Corpse Refining is breaking through, we shall see if he succeeds!¡± Liu Gang replied in amazement.


    ¡°It seems our gap with Junior Li is growing even larger!¡± He Wei said, sighing.


    Luckily, both men were well aware of their limits and didn¡¯t compare themselves to Li Yuanba, hence there wasn¡¯t much bitterness.


    Even though they were Devil Cultivators, the huge gap in strength prevented them from harboring any scheming thoughts.


    ¡°Eh!¡± As the aura from Ten Thousand Sword Peak grew stronger, Liu Gang sensed Sword Intent within Jiang Chen¡¯s aura and exclaimed involuntarily.


    His heart was in turmoil; he was primarily a Corpse Refiner, and his understanding of Corpse Refining far exceeded that of He Wei beside him. The Sword Intent in Jiang Chen¡¯s aura indicated that this Corpse Refining possessed special abilities.


    This type of Corpse Refining was the ultimate goal for any cultivator engaging in Corpse Refining.


    Just like Elder Lv in the past, although he possessed the combat strength of a Silver Corpse and had refined more than ten Iron Corpses at the peak, he still remained vastly interested in refining Jue Tu into a Corpse after encountering him.


    Jue Tu was a Corpse that possessed special abilities, a favorite among Devil Cultivators for Corpse Refining materials.


    However, such Corpse Refining materials were exceedingly rare; after all, every such Corpse belonged to top talents in any sect, and to slay such beings and snatch their corpses was immensely difficult, not to mention having to face the revenge from their sect afterward.


    Of course, if one was lucky enough to acquire such a cauldron and refine it into a Corpse with special abilities, the combat strength of the refined Corpse would far surpass ordinary ones.


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that Li Yuanba, even as a Sword Cultivator, is thinking of refining a Silver Corpse!¡± Liu Gang thought to himself. He didn¡¯t disclose this secret, as he didn¡¯t want Li Yuanba to know that the secret of Jiang Chen had leaked from him.


    Li Yuanba, with unimaginable resources and power, was best left unprovoked; otherwise, it would be very troublesome.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s body swelled to nearly four meters; he opened his mouth bristling with sharp teeth and tightened his entire body as he let out a piercing howl upwards.


    The markings on his body, made from Third Grade Corpse Refining Material, were growing dim, the energy within mostly absorbed by him.


    Inside his body, a small Corpse Pill had formed, made possible with the supplementation of the Third Grade Corpse Refining Material; otherwise, his body¡¯s Yin Cold Energy, Sword Intent, and Spirit would have been completely drained by the tiny Corpse Pill.


    As the Corpse Pill gradually stabilized without further draining Jiang Chen¡¯s energy, he used the Corpse Pill as the core and actively absorbed the Yin Cold Energy within the Formation surrounding him to replenish his own depletion.


    Li Yuanba watched Jiang Chen anxiously, his Divine Thought constantly manipulating the Formation, transforming as much Yin Cold Energy as possible for Jiang Chen to absorb.


    He was in control of the Formation, which was more effective than if it operated automatically. All he could do to assist had now been done.


    Everything now depended on Jiang Chen himself to withstand the trial from heaven and earth.


    Before Jiang Chen had much time to recover, a terrifying presence descended from above the cave, causing hearts to palpitate.


    Jiang Chen instinctively contracted his body, preparing his strongest defense against the impending attack.


    Indeed, Li Yuanba had allowed Jiang Chen to advance within the cave of Ten Thousand Sword Peak partly to block external prying and partly to lessen the threat of Heavenly Thunder.


    Ten Thousand Sword Peak was a treasure, especially a top-tier Golden Core Stage one.


    Perhaps the Formation and force field of Ten Thousand Sword Peak itself could influence the ferocity of the Heavenly Thunder; even a slight reduction could increase Jiang Chen¡¯s chances of successful advancement.


    Clearly, Li Yuanba had overthought; the process of advancing from an Iron Corpse to a Silver Corpse through centuries of development¡ªif there were any exploitable loopholes, cultivators would have discovered them long ago, not waiting for him to find them.


    A bolt of Heavenly Thunder passed through the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure¡¯s Formation and force field, ignoring all defenses of the cave and directly striking Jiang Chen.


    Purple lightning enveloped every inch of Jiang Chen¡¯s body. As a Corpse Refining subject, Heavenly Thunder was naturally a formidable enemy, almost instantly reducing Jiang Chen¡¯s aura to a faint trace.


    Li Yuanba sat cross-legged not far away; although close to Jiang Chen, he was not directly affected by the Heavenly Thunder.


    Yet his expression was extremely grim. When the Heavenly Thunder struck, he had connected to Jiang Chen¡¯s soul, protecting Jiang Chen¡¯s spirit of Corpse Refining with his own.


    The chance of a Corpse failing under the assault of Heavenly Thunder was extremely high. Li Yuanba used the ¡°Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡± Secret Technique.

 Chapter 514: 303: The Situation_2

    Chapter 514: Chapter 303: The Situation_2


    According to the ¡°Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡±, when a corpse undergoes Heavenly Thunder, as long as the spirit of the refining corpse and the Corpse Pill are well-protected, the corpse can have the highest chance of surviving the Heavenly Thunder calamity.


    The spirit of the refining corpse can be protected by the cultivator¡¯s own spirit through a secret technique, but the Corpse Pill cannot be assisted in any way.


    The ¡°Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡± was obtained from Elder Lv, who, judging by the large number of Peak Iron Corpses he cultivated, must have considerable confidence in this secret technique; otherwise, why would he spend a vast amount of resources to cultivate so many Iron Corpses?


    It is known that more than ten Iron Corpses are not as strong as a single Silver Corpse; by cultivating more than ten Iron Corpses, Elder Lv was likely thinking of transforming all the Iron Corpses into Silver Corpses.


    The ¡°Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡± is not among the corpse refining scriptures of the Senluo Sect; Li Yuanba surmised that it is probably Elder Lv¡¯s private legacy.


    This phenomenon is common in many large sects. Sects reward cultivators who contribute their family inheritances, but not all sect cultivators are willing to hand over the scriptures they obtain, instead treating them as their own lineage¡¯s legacy.


    In the field of corpse refining, Elder Lv¡¯s ¡°Moonlight Corpse Scroll¡± is considered one of the stronger inheritances among several within the Senluo Sect.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s entire body was trembling; he had endured some of the soul damage from Jiang Chen, which was only possible because his soul was strong enough to avoid much harm to his spirit while using the secret technique.


    His spirit strength far surpassed his own realm; he had undergone Heavenly Thunder twice and received heavenly rewards twice, which enhanced his spirit on both occasions.


    Although his spirit was helping Jiang Chen to endure the damage, his mind was focused on Jiang Chen¡¯s Corpse Pill.


    The surface of the Corpse Pill was covered with purple lightning, and cracks had already begun to form; he feared that in the next moment the Corpse Pill would shatter into pieces.


    Just as he was worried, strands of Sword Intent emerged from the Corpse Pill, resisting the purple lightning.


    At a certain instant, the power of the Heavenly Thunder vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.


    Following that, the heavens and the earth rewarded the beings who had passed the trial. Jiang Chen, charred black from head to toe, felt every single cell in his body vibrating with joy.


    Especially the Corpse Pill, which had passed the Heavenly Thunder trial, experienced a significant enhancement in energy, Sword Intent, and spirit within; it emitted energy, Sword Intent, and spirit to restore the refining corpse.


    Heavenly Thunder had drained everything from Jiang Chen¡¯s refining corpse, but the Yin Cold Energy, Sword Intent, and spirit flowing out from the Corpse Pill were giving him a comprehensive enhancement.


    Although Jiang Chen, who had survived the Heavenly Thunder calamity, had less energy, Sword Intent, and spirit within him than before, their quality had significantly improved. And with the existence of the Corpse Pill, everything inside him was rapidly recovering.


    Jiang Chen had become a Silver Corpse; Li Yuanba did not let him leave the formation. Jiang Chen still needed some time to recover in order to stabilize his Silver Corpse Realm.


    ¡°Junior Li¡¯s corpse refining has succeeded!¡± Liu Gang whispered to He Wei.


    Without his reminder, how could He Wei not know? The sudden arrival of Heavenly Thunder had shocked and bewildered all the cultivators on Northern Island.


    Most cultivators on Northern Island were at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with no Golden Core cultivators present, so they did not understand what had happened.


    It was only because the heavenly might arrived abruptly and departed just as quickly that it did not cause much impact.


    ¡°To succeed on the first try, I didn¡¯t expect Junior Li to have talent in the art of corpse refining as well!¡± He Wei shook his head in speechless admiration.


    Although Liu Gang also possessed a Silver Corpse, he nodded in agreement.


    Only cultivators who have personally refined a Silver Corpse can understand the difficulty of cultivating one.


    Liu Gang himself was very weak in combat, and even his magical treasure was a basic one rewarded by the sect; he had devoted all his resources and efforts to corpse refining, spending the vast majority of his contribution points on materials and secret techniques for refining corpses.


    Even so, he failed twice before succeeding in refining a Silver Corpse.


    This process took over fifty years, which was considered rather short; he was lucky to have succeeded after only two failures.


    But looking at the present Li Yuanba, how long had it been since Li Yuanba started his training? Not only was he a Sword Cultivation Golden Core, but he had also cultivated a Silver Corpse with special abilities.


    Jiang Chen was promoted to a Silver Corpse, but this advancement did not significantly impact Li Yuanba¡¯s combat abilities. Without much joy, Li Yuanba immersed himself back into cultivation.


    In the past three months, the biggest event on the Beishu Continent was the affair of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    The Jade Scroll that Li Shiming handed over to his master, Elder Su, led to a united front against the Skywalk Trading Company under the efforts of Shushan Sect. Not only the three major sects of the Righteous Path, but also the three major sects of the Demon Sect and various forces of the continent joined the campaign.


    Perhaps conflict between the Righteous and the Demon Sects will never end, but when facing an external threat, the Beishu Continent would become united, jointly confronting the adversary.


    The information recorded on the Jade Scroll let the sects of the Beishu Continent learn about the espionage activities of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    The company¡¯s strongholds were destroyed, numerous personnel were captured. In just a few months, the Skywalk Trading Company went from being one of the continent¡¯s leading trading companies to being despised by all, like a rat crossing the street.


    The cultivators who had been bribed within the sects were also identified one by one and dealt with physically.


    For the sects, betrayal is the greatest sin.


    It could be said that after these three months, the imprint of the Skywalk Trading Company on the Beishu Continent was almost erased. Of course, there might still be some hidden spies from the company.


    However, with the united efforts of the Righteous and Demon Sects, it was impossible for the Skywalk Trading Company to take any further actions on the Beishu Continent.


    The beneficiary of this operation was the Shushan Sect, as it was they who produced the evidence. The major sects owed a favor to Shushan Sect.


    This favor would benefit Shushan Sect in future exchanges, through various means.


    The pursuit of the Skywalk Trading Company continued, mainly because Supervisor Feng Yi had not been captured.


    As a False Infant existence, only a Nascent Soul Ancestor could deal with Supervisor Feng Yi, which is why the major sects intensified their investigative efforts.


    Even in recent years, the six major sects had a Nascent Soul Ancestor on guard, ready to deploy and eradicate threats at a moment¡¯s notice.


    What no one expected was not that Supervisor Feng Yi was avoiding confrontation, but that Supervisor Feng Yi, the False Infant powerhouse, had already been slain by Li Shiming. Such an outcome would not only be disbelieved by the Nascent Soul Ancestors but by all the cultivators on the continent as well.


    Atop Sword Holding Peak, Li Shiming had not left the mountain since participating in the Fire Cloud Valley Alchemy Gathering.


    According to Elder Su, as long as Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s whereabouts were unknown, Li Shiming would not be allowed to leave the sect.


    Probably the person who hated Li Shiming the most was Supervisor Feng Yi himself. Li Shiming¡¯s single Jade Scroll had led to the complete disappearance of the Skywalk Trading Company from the Beishu Continent, turning Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s centuries of effort into mist.


    Li Shiming knew that Supervisor Feng Yi had perished, but he couldn¡¯t reveal the truth and could only stay at the sect¡¯s mountain gate as Elder Su had requested.


    In the pavilion at the top of Sword Peak, a third-grade Clear Spirit Mingxin Incense was burning, its sparse smoke confined by the Formation within the pavilion and unable to spread.


    Li Shiming sat at the stone table with an ancient zither in front of him.


    Finding himself unable to break through his bottleneck quickly and unable to leave the sect to seek an opportunity, he had found another method.


    That was to cultivate his spirit, using his zither practice to elevate his state of mind, thereby seeking that slight chance for breakthrough.


    His study of the ancient zither was not random; he had not yet cultivated the legacy he had received from the Six-fingered Sound Demon.


    Previously, due to lack of time, he had not practiced the Six-fingered Sound Demon¡¯s legacy. Now that he had reached the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment Stage, his daily cultivation was just to maintain the stability of the Spiritual Power within his body, with no possibility of further improvement.


    Additionally, the task of Alchemy had been adjusted to once every ten or so days, reducing the amount of Alchemy he performed made his involvement more precious and also reduced the impact on other Alchemy Masters.


    Therefore, he had a lot of free time to learn the legacy of the Six-fingered Sound Demon.


    Learning the ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡¯ was not complicated. With the help of IBMz15, all the theoretical aspects of learning became exceptionally simple. What he needed to do was to connect theory with practice.

 Chapter 515: 304: Aftermath

    Chapter 515: Chapter 304: Aftermath


    The conditions under which Li Shiming cultivated the ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡¯ must have been more luxurious than even what the Six-fingered Sound Demon had back in the day.


    During his cultivation, he constantly burned Third Grade Clear Spirit Mingxin Incense to stabilize his heart and soul, aligning with the mindset required by the ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual.¡¯


    He also added a sound-shielding layer within the mountaintop Formation so as not to let the sound of the zither affect his followers.


    He still couldn¡¯t use a treasure-grade ancient zither and was using the ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡¯ instead. Although he had just begun to inherit the legacy of the Six-fingered Sound Demon, the sound of the ¡®Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡¯ was lethal to cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Regrettably, the state of mind he aspired to achieve remained unattained, and the bottleneck before him stood as firm as a boulder.


    As the tune of ¡®Annihilation Melody¡¯ ended, Li Shiming slowly emerged from the influence of the zither, standing up with a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.


    The breakthrough of his other self, Li Yuanba, had stimulated him, and being attacked by the False Infant had made him extremely eager to enhance his strength.


    In this perilous Cultivation World, without substantial power, he didn¡¯t even dare to leave the sect¡¯s gates.


    Whereas other Half-step Golden Core cultivators were out making a name for themselves, he could only hide within the sect, a circumstance tied to his identity.


    As an Alchemy Master, any cultivator bold enough to challenge him either had extreme combat prowess or a powerful backing.


    The Shushan Sect regarded him as the hope of the future, waiting for him to become a Golden Core cultivator so that he could produce higher-grade Third-grade Spirit Pills for the sect, ensuring his safety from any danger again.


    Li Shiming returned to his cave dwelling, where the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯ coiled in one corner. The high-quality Spiritual Energy here, created by the Spirit Cleansing Carp and the Third Grade Golden Lotus, was the ¡®Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s¡¯ favorite environment.


    However, Li Shiming ignored the high-quality Spiritual Energy, as there was no room left for improvement in his body.


    The Spiritual Power within the Spirit Lake was almost tangibly dense, saturating not only the lake but every part of his body, his physique having reached its ultimate state.


    He hadn¡¯t even taken the Fourth-grade ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk¡¯ he obtained, for there was no need; to consume it now would merely waste its potent effects.


    His physique had benefited from the cultivation of ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡¯ along with consuming Third Grade Spirit Tea and Spirit Fruit for several years. These third-grade consumables had pushed his physique to the utmost limit, being the best nourishing Spiritual Objects for someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    So for the past few months, he had stopped using Third Grade Spirit Tea and Fruit. Unable to leave the sect, he used his free time to study Formation Knowledge besides learning the ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know what would trigger his advancement, so he kept trying.


    After all, whether it was the ¡®Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡¯ or Formation knowledge, he would have to delve into them sooner or later.


    Having witnessed the Spiritual Objects within Supervisor Feng Yi¡¯s Mustard Seed Ring, his horizons were greatly widened, and his attitude towards any current third-grade spiritual items was vastly different, even though he was still at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Whether for Li Shiming himself or for his alter ego, Li Yuanba, both were in a relaxed state, and time quickly passed with another three months about to fly by.


    One day, as Li Shiming played the ancient zither in the pavilion, savoring the improvement in his state of mind brought by the music,


    he suddenly interrupted the melody. Despite the detrimental effect this abrupt stop might have on his cultivation session, he halted his playing.


    His eyes lost their divine light, leaving them incredibly hollow.


    Yet his mind, making use of the inexplicable connection to the soul of his other self, Li Yuanba, leaped through the vast distance to enter his other body.


    Li Yuanba had also been abruptly interrupted during his cultivation, disturbed by the unexpectedly violent surge of Spiritual Energy, which nearly overwhelmed his control as he absorbed it.


    It was lucky he had already become a Golden Core cultivator with a stable realm, otherwise, he might have been significantly affected.


    His eyes flew open, and with a flash, he exited the cave dwelling, casually gathering the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    He saw He Wei and Liu Gang flying towards him, both Golden Core cultivators with fear written all over their faces.


    Although these two were considered weak among Golden Core cultivators, that was only in relative terms. As Golden Core cultivators of the mighty Senluo Sect, they might be less powerful within their sect, but they were still formidable on the Beishu Continent.


    The fear evident on their faces suggested some terrible event had occurred.


    ¡°Junior Li, hurry and join us in controlling the protective island Formation!¡±, He Wei said in a panic.


    ¡°Why is the Spiritual Energy so violent?¡±, Li Yuanba followed the two Golden Core cultivators towards the core area of the Northern Island¡¯s Formation, questioning as he flew.


    ¡°An unknown Nascent Soul Ancestor is in conflict with a fourth-grade sea beast in the sea, and Northern Island is suffering from the aftermath of their battle!¡±, Liu Gang answered, his expression filled with horror.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s heart sank with shock. He understood why Liu Gang mentioned an unknown Nascent Soul Ancestor; because the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Beishu Continent would normally never battle fourth-grade sea beasts.


    All the fourth-grade sea beasts surrounding the Beishu Continent had peace treaties signed with the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the six major sects, acknowledging each other¡¯s existence, without initiating hostilities.


    Furthermore, in the Cultivation World, it was a rule that fights involving Nascent Soul Ancestors could not take place on land. They were allowed to battle, of course, but in the Thirty-Three Heavens, where such battles would not wreak irreparable damage to the land.

 Chapter 516: 304 Aftermath_2

    Chapter 516: Chapter 304 Aftermath_2


    While pondering, the three of them arrived at the core of the formation.


    They were there to perform guarding duties and had been granted the authority to control the formation.


    Since Li Yuanba was the strongest, He Wei and Liu Gang asked him to take the central position to oversee the formation, with each of them assisting.


    Now was not the time for modesty, and Li Yuanba took his place at the heart of the formation without any hesitation.


    Before He Wei and Liu Gang could intervene, his Divine Thought and hands moved simultaneously, activating the formation. The violent Spiritual Energy within Northern Island calmed, indicating that the formation had withstood external influences.


    ¡°Junior brother, have you also studied formations?¡± He Wei and Liu Gang exchanged glances, He Wei asking incredulously.


    He Wei and Liu Gang were just about to act when they realized that after Li Yuanba activated the formation, they could no longer intervene.


    Li Yuanba was extremely familiar with the formation; the two Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed in controlling the formation, and any hasty intervention might backfire.


    This deeply impacted He Wei and Liu Gang; they were not as strong as Li Yuanba, partly because he was a Sword Cultivator, and not as equipped as Li Yuanba, because he had an excellent mentor, Elder Jian, the strongest Sword Cultivator among the Golden Core cultivators.


    In the field of Corpse Refining, Li Yuanba possibly had an extraordinary talent.


    But them being unable to comprehend that Li Yuanba also had an in-depth study of formation techniques left the two Golden Core cultivators baffled.


    Having been Golden Core cultivators for decades, they too had the time to delve into various Cultivation Techniques.


    Since achieving their Golden Cores, cultivators gain a relatively extended lifespan, allowing them the luxury of time to study Cultivation Techniques.


    Knowledge of formations is one of the essential Cultivation Techniques that any Golden Core cultivator must study; despite its difficulty, they must grasp the basic concepts.


    Yet, these two Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t believe that their decades of study in formations were inferior to Li Yuanba, who had just achieved his Golden Core.


    They couldn¡¯t understand how Li Yuanba had used his time.


    Li Yuanba had to cultivate his Sword Cultivation Technique, refine magical treasures, and create Corpse Refinements; each of these tasks demanded significant amounts of time, yet Li Yuanba still had the energy to study formations and master them to such an extent.


    ¡°I studied them in my spare time!¡± Li Yuanba replied while solemnly adjusting the formation.


    Through the formation, his perception expanded countless times, allowing him to sense the situation outside Northern Island.


    Due to the distance of the fight, he couldn¡¯t see the course of the battle between the two Nascent Soul Realm beings, but the increasingly violent Spiritual Energy and a towering hundred-meter wave in the distance spoke volumes about the ferocity of the battle.


    Especially that hundred-meter wave, carrying a momentum that was truly heart-stopping, was not just any ordinary wave but the aftermath of the battle involving two Nascent Soul beings.


    He Wei and Liu Gang, situated at the core of the formation, were also aware of the distant developments and knew that danger was getting closer.


    They dared not speak anymore to avoid disturbing Li Yuanba, the only thing they could do was continuously channel their Spiritual Energy into the core of the formation, hoping to enhance its power even slightly.


    At that moment, Li Yuanba wasn¡¯t alone in the fight; his original self, Li Shiming, had sensed the trouble here and had already sent his consciousness over to take over the operation of the formation.


    In just three breaths¡¯ time, being in the core of the formation and with sufficient authority, Li Shiming quickly became deeply familiar with the formation.


    The effect of a formation controlled by a cultivator nearly at the rank of an Array Master was completely different from that of a few novices.


    Under the sea, where the hundred-meter wave passed, low-level sea beasts and mortal fish alike were pulverized by the force.


    The immense force contained within the hundred-meter wave alarmed Li Shiming, who was close to Li Yuanba¡¯s body.


    Had it not been for the presence of this formation, he would have feared he might have had to use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to escape thousands of miles away with the controlled avatar Li Yuanba.


    Sea beasts with some intelligence dove deep to the sea floor to avoid the catastrophe above.


    The merciless wave swept along its path, unlucky low-level Foundation Establishment cultivators caught outside met their demise as the wave crashed into them, turning them into a mist of blood and disappearing into thin air.


    The cultivators on Northern Island were like those awaiting the apocalypse, staring intently at the sea outside the formation.


    The aura of death enveloped the entire Northern Island, and their only hope was that the three Golden Core cultivators could protect the island¡¯s great formation.


    The cultivators did not flee because they had nowhere to flee to.


    The speed of the massive waves was much faster than the flying speed of the cultivators, and not many cultivators were capable of achieving extreme flying speeds at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Rather than running away, it was better to stay within the formation.


    The massive wave crashed against the formation, and the great formation of Northern Island emitted a brilliant glow, showing the cultivators the protective shield outside the island as it was struck by the massive waves.


    The patterns on the formation shield flickered, and the whole formation shield constantly writhed, allowing the impact of the massive waves to be mitigated and redirected by this movement.


    The massive wave that struck the formation shield shattered, but the formation shield did not break.


    The cultivators inside the island could not contain their excited howls; they had survived.


    Those among them who had some knowledge of formations could tell that the reason the formation could withstand the impact of the massive waves was largely due to an Array Master who was highly skilled in formations taking action.


    What they did not know was the extreme manipulation that Li Shiming had performed in such a short time.


    He Wei and Liu Gang were dumbfounded as they watched Li Yuan Ba, who they had just seen coordinating his Divine Thought and hands constantly, issuing hundreds of commands to the formation just moments before the massive wave struck the formation shield.


    The hundreds of commands made the formation shield come alive, dissolving the force of the massive waves into nothingness.


    ¡°There are more massive waves!¡± He Wei exclaimed before they could rejoice for long.


    Within the range of the formation¡¯s sensitivity, fifteen more massive waves were surging towards Northern Island, each one stronger than the last.


    He Wei¡¯s face was ghastly pale; he could almost imagine what they were about to face.


    Their mission to guard the island had not ended, and they could not leave Northern Island.


    But now, both He Wei and Liu Gang were contemplating leaving, for they could not believe that the great formation of Northern Island could withstand the next fifteen massive waves.


    Those were not just massive waves, they were clearly shockwaves triggered by the combat presence of a Nascent Soul, which, despite releasing its energy continually along the way due to the distance, were still more than the great formation of Northern Island could withstand.


    ¡°Fellow seniors, please input all your Spiritual Power!¡± Li Yuan Ba¡¯s voice was deep and forceful, exuding confidence.


    It was Li Yuan Ba who spoke, but in reality, it was a command from Li Shiming himself.


    Li Shiming, using Li Yuan Ba¡¯s body and Divine Thought, had completely merged with the formation, utilizing all of the CPUs to join in the computational control of the formation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow the junior brother¡¯s instructions!¡± He Wei and Liu Gang gritted their teeth and said in unison.


    In the Cultivation World, where power is respected and abilities esteemed, Li Yuan Ba had both the strength and capability; his fellow sect members would naturally follow his orders when no other options were available.


    The fifteen massive waves arrived swiftly, and the cultivators inside the island, who were cheering and glad for having survived, saw the continuous massive waves, overwhelmed by the power each carried.


    Some cultivators were bewildered, some cried, some went mad, some were aggrieved, displaying a variety of reactions.


    Facing the approaching death, apart from a few cultivators with resolute wills, the rest were filled with despair.


    Li Shiming sensed the power of the massive waves; any one of them had the force exceeding a full-strength strike from a Golden Core Peak cultivator.


    Normally, the great formation here might be able to withstand a full-strength strike from a Golden Core Peak cultivator, but it absolutely could not bear fifteen such strikes consecutively.


    But that would be without his control; with his control, the situation would be drastically different.

 Chapter 517: 305: The Master

    Chapter 517: Chapter 305: The Master


    Above the vast sea, two giants were engaged in battle.


    It was something Li Yuanba would have been unable to see, otherwise he would have recognized one of the combatants as the same illusionary giant that had intercepted the rocket carrying Li Shiming himself in the sea years ago.


    When reaching the Fourth-Grade Realm, regardless of the type of sea beast, they could all transform and manifest a human-like Nascent Soul Dharma Form.


    Moreover, the human body was recognized by heaven and earth as the optimal Taoist Body. Spirit beasts and sea beasts alike evolved towards this goal, able to freely switch between beast and human forms at the Fourth-Grade Realm, but their Nascent Soul Dharma Form would always take human shape.


    The other giant also possessed a Nascent Soul Dharma Form; it seemed their battle was the result of a sudden encounter.


    Yet, it was evident that both parties were exercising great restraint, fighting in a probing manner and not entering a stage of life-or-death conflict.


    Even though they were both greatly restrained, the shockwaves from their casual blows were enough to change the color of the sky and raise towering waves upon the sea surface.


    ¡°Scram from my territory!¡± the Fourth-Grade Sea Beast with a Nascent Soul Dharma Form projected its will. This was not communicated through language, but rather through spirit-induced fluctuations, the most direct form of communication between living beings.


    This method of communication did not require consideration of language barriers; any recipient could clearly understand the ideas the other wished to convey.


    The Fourth-Grade Sea Beast with a Nascent Soul Dharma Form had an agreement with the Beishu Continent. It occupied this part of the ocean and coexisted peacefully with the Beishu Continent, also protecting the marine area from invasions by external enemies.


    These external enemies referred to other Fourth-Grade Sea Beasts or human Nascent Soul Ancestors; no power wished to be approached by potentially hostile Fourth-Grade Sea Beasts and Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    It was precisely the guard provided by the Fourth-Grade Sea Beasts around the Beishu Continent that had prevented many unnecessary invasions.


    Of course, the Beishu Continent did not prohibit entry to Nascent Soul Ancestors. If Nascent Soul Ancestors wished to enter Beishu, they had to do so from a designated location, rather than sneaking in surreptitiously.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao was extremely vexed; he was a Supreme Minister of Skywalk Trading Company. He was tasked by Skywalk Trading Company to investigate the situation after receiving news that its Beishu division had been annihilated by numerous powers.


    Since he was there to investigate, he did not use the official channels, but rather intended to infiltrate secretly.


    No sooner had Patriarch Weng Zhao approached the Beishu Continent than he encountered interception by the Fourth-Grade Sea Beast.


    After a brief struggle, he realized that the combat power of the Fourth-Grade Sea Beast before him was on par with his own, making victory impossible.


    Of course, forcing his way into Beishu Continent wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but having engaged in combat, the continent was already alerted to his arrival and hence, there was no chance of sneaking in unnoticed.


    While Patriarch Weng Zhao was still contemplating his next move, an aura from the direction of Beishu Continent was drawing near.


    His expression changed, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he turned and fled, his colossal Nascent Soul Dharma Form vanishing into thin air.


    He had no confidence in facing two Nascent Soul Stage powerhouses at once, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to put himself in jeopardy over the affairs of Skywalk Trading Company, when he was but a Supreme Minister there.


    Wave after wave crashed against the grand formation surrounding Northern Island, the formation¡¯s light flickering continually, with mysterious Array Formation Patterns appearing and disappearing in the sky.


    Each wave sent shivers down the spines of the cultivators on the island, their lives hanging on the seemingly fragile protection of the formation¡¯s barrier.


    Yet the formation¡¯s barrier was surprisingly robust, each wave seeming capable of shattering it, but each one dissipated after being met with the continuous flashing of the formation¡¯s light.


    By now, everyone knew what was happening¡ªa Formation Master was at the control, securing the safety of Northern Island.


    Northern Island was like a rock in the midst of the ocean, and no matter how powerful the waves, they turned to dust before it.


    Li Yuanba was sitting cross-legged at the central position of the formation¡¯s core, a mist of white vapor rising above his head.


    This was a sign of his brain being overused. Though the bulk of the computations were conducted by Li Shiming himself along with the IBMz15, ultimately, all operations were enacted by Li Yuanba¡¯s body.


    As such, Li Yuanba¡¯s brain was working at full speed. No matter how strong his spirit was, the sole control of the grand formation and its ongoing fine-tuning to the limits was pushing his brain close to its breaking point.


    Far away, at the top of Sword Holding Peak within Shushan Sect, although Li Shiming had lost his sight, a smile graced his face. Above his head, the Array Formation Starlight Sea manifested, with mysterious star patterns operating in special ways.


    Li Shiming at that moment was in a state of enlightenment, and such a state in the Cultivation World had never been seen before, making it a rare historical occurrence.


    In the period of remote connection with his avatar, he experienced an epiphany regarding formation techniques.


    While controlling his avatar, Li Yuanba, to operate the Northern Island formation amidst attacks that surpassed its limits, such an experience could be said to be exceedingly rare for any Formation Master.


    Li Shiming was essentially making trouble for himself. When he had first created the Array Formation Starlight Sea, it was entirely based on his own ideas rather than following a formal Formation Master heritage.


    If he had followed a formal Formation Master lineage and studied accordingly, the Starlight Sea would not have taken on a star chart form.


    The complexity of the star chart form of the Array Formation Starlight Sea surpassed that of any Array Master¡¯s, making his advancement to Array Master infinitely more difficult.


    With his depth of knowledge and the help of the IBMz15, he should have achieved Array Master status already, but it was the profound intricacies of the star chart Starlight Sea that had kept him trapped at this bottleneck for so many years.

 Chapter 518: 305 Master_2

    Chapter 518: Chapter 305 Master_2


    Of course, this was also because he didn¡¯t place too much emphasis on the role of an Array Master, believing that even without one in the Array Formation Starlight Sea, his control over formations would not be weaker than that of an Array Master.


    Because the IBM z15 could replace the role of the Array Formation Starlight Sea, the Array Formation Starlight Sea, in his view, acted like an auxiliary calculator, recording the operations that Array Masters had experienced, allowing the easy recall of previous results when encountering the same formations.


    In this regard, the IBM z15 even did a better and swifter job than the Array Formation Starlight Sea.


    Above Li Shiming¡¯s head, the Array Formation Starlight Sea grew increasingly bright with swathes of starlight.


    Fifteen huge waves were blocked by the grand formation of Northern Island, which had consumed more than half of its energy, temporarily unable to replenish it.


    He Wei and Liu Gang were also exhausted, having invested over eighty percent of their Spiritual Power into the grand formation.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made it through!¡± He Wei exclaimed excitedly, waving his hands. Though exhausted, he was thrilled, having narrowly escaped death.


    Liu Gang, drenched in sweat, started to laugh, his laughter far from as loud as the cheers rising once more from Northern Island, even more intense than the previous time.


    Li Yuanba closed his eyes to rest, with the white mist above his head slowly dissipating.


    On the other side, above the head of Li Shiming¡¯s original body, the Array Formation Starlight Sea filled the cultivation room he was in, still expanding continuously.


    Due to the expansion of the Array Formation Starlight Sea, the originally tiny stars grew larger, revealing some planets orbiting the starlight, where the stars were suns, and the planets revolved around these suns.


    If looked at even more closely, it could be observed that both suns and planets were composed of complex Array Formation Patterns, and they shared a symbiotic relationship with each other.


    With a ¡°boom,¡± a tremor occurred deep within Li Shiming¡¯s soul, as well as in the Array Formation Starlight Sea above him.


    The countless stars and planets in the Array Formation Starlight Sea were interconnected by beams of light, and if someone from his previous life saw this, they would recognize it as the star map of the Milky Way.


    Further away, many more galaxies existed faintly.


    Just the star map of the Milky Way alone could be described as vast; every star and planet here was the transformation of the astral knowledge that Li Shiming had learned.


    His brief period of cultivation had been extraordinarily rich in experiences.


    Starting from his first exposure to formations at the Sky Sea Sect on Sky Sea Island, he had continually learned about astral knowledge.


    Then, on the Beishu Continent, after joining the Shushan Sect, he was exposed to the formation legacy of the Shushan Sect.


    He even took advantage of being an Alchemy Master, using alchemy to gain more formation knowledge, and his alter ego, Li Yuanba, had passed on the formation knowledge of the Senluo Sect to him; one could say the total amount of formation knowledge he acquired was no less than that of any seasoned Array Master.


    If it were a normal Mage, even with these conditions, they could not have mastered all this formation knowledge in such a short time.


    But Li Shiming was different, with the existence of the IBM z15, his speed of learning any knowledge was extremely fast; he skipped the lengthy learning process and directly obtained the learning outcomes.


    Countless pieces of formation knowledge finally bore fruit today, forming a complete system of formations, which also belonged to Li Shiming¡¯s own formation system.


    From now on, Li Shiming could compile his own formation system into a legacy, officially joining the ranks of numerous formation heritages.


    Of course, reaching his current achievements didn¡¯t signify the end of research in formations, as looking at those far-off galaxies that were faintly visible indicated that even more formation knowledge would be needed to fill them in.


    Li Shiming slowly opened his eyes, divine light flickering and fading within them, as the star map above his head retracted into his body.


    His spirit had increased by a full thirty percent, which was a significant mental enhancement considering he had already reached his limit.


    Originally, he had thought that there would be no more improvements in his spirit, whether he consumed third-grade Spiritual Objects or practiced mental-enhancement Cultivation Techniques; none had provided any further assistance to his spirit.


    ¡°What a pity!¡± He sighed ruefully after a moment of elation.


    Although he had become an Array Master, which certainly delighted him, this epiphany had not influenced his cultivation bottleneck, the barrier between Half-step Golden Core and Golden Core Stage standing firm like an immovable mountain.


    Even though he had broken through the array formation bottleneck, which greatly enhanced his spirit, it didn¡¯t provide him with the opportunity for a realm breakthrough.


    He didn¡¯t know how much longer he would need to break through to the Golden Core stage, mainly because the breakthrough of his clone, Li Yuanba, was too swift, swiftly enough to seriously agitate his original body.


    On Northern Island, He Wei and Liu Gang, who had not been excited for long, once again revealed looks of horror in their eyes.


    A wave over two hundred meters high appeared again within the detection range of the formation, and this time, the might carried by the wave surpassed the total of the previous fifteen waves.


    ¡°Junior Brother, can you still hold it off?¡± He Wei asked with a slightly trembling voice.


    Even though Li Yuanba had created miracles multiple times, He Wei still lost confidence when facing such a gigantic wave.


    ¡°Run as fast as you can, and use all lifesaving means!¡± Li Yuanba said, shaking his head with a bitter smile.


    In his hand, there was a talisman that could enable one to flee tens of thousands of miles in a short time, a lifesaving talisman. Without revealing ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± such lifesaving talismans were the fastest means of escape.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to escape!¡± Liu Gang took a deep look at the lifesaving talisman in Li Yuanba¡¯s hand and said solemnly.


    Not all cultivators had lifesaving talismans in their possession. Although a minority of the True Inheritors had such talismans, those sect cultivators without much background had a very low chance of obtaining them.


    The making of lifesaving talismans was extremely troublesome, and the materials consumed were disproportionately expensive. These were talismans piled up with precious materials, where talking about cost-effectiveness was out of the question, let alone normal consumption.


    In the great sects, only the most core cultivators of the sect could obtain them.


    For Golden Core cultivators like He Wei and Liu Gang, although they were promoted to the Golden Core stage, their potential was far inferior to those of the Foundation Establishment stage¡¯s core true inheritors.


    Perhaps for He Wei and Liu Gang, the early Golden Core stage could be the endpoint of their lives, and only if they were luckier might they have the chance to reach the middle stage of Golden Core.


    However, those who possessed lifesaving talismans, the core true inheritors of the sect, were the seeds of the late-stage Golden Core, and even had a slight chance of attempting a breakthrough to Nascent Soul.


    Li Yuanba said nothing and would not take out his own lifesaving talisman for Liu Gang.


    He Wei also took out a lifesaving talisman from his side. The lifesaving talisman he got wasn¡¯t given by the sect, but was something he obtained through a trade with a considerable amount of resources.


    Liu Gang¡¯s resources were exhausted by his Corpse Refining, and he hadn¡¯t prepared for this scenario.


    A look of regret appeared on Liu Gang¡¯s face. Lifesaving talismans were indeed precious, but not utterly unobtainable. Just like the lifesaving talisman He Wei had, with enough resources, one could trade for them from some core true inheritors.


    Just as Li Yuanba and He Wei were about to activate their lifesaving talismans, a terrifying presence enveloped Northern Island.


    Li Yuanba, sensing this familiar presence of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved and put away the lifesaving talisman in his hand.


    ¡°My great-grandmaster has arrived!¡± he said with ease.


    Upon hearing his words, He Wei carefully put away the lifesaving talisman, while Liu Gang sat down on the ground without any grace, breathing heavily.


    No one could blame Liu Gang, as the continuous life-threatening crises of the day were indeed too stimulating.


    The two hundred meter high wave, when still five hundred meters away from Northern Island, was blocked by a force of energy. In the presence of this energy, the wave turned into a docile lamb, calmly blending into the sea.


    Ancestor Lu¡¯s figure appeared above Northern Island, his gaze directed towards the depths of the ocean.


    He didn¡¯t need to go forward; just standing there was enough to deter the Nascent Soul Ancestors who wanted to infiltrate into the Beishu Continent.


    Without forming a deadly feud, Nascent Soul Ancestors would not battle each other, as combat between them involved great consumption for both sides.


    The older the age, the harder it is to recover from the consumption of such fights, and a battle between Nascent Soul Ancestors could affect their lifespan.

 Chapter 519: 306: The Ancestor

    Chapter 519: Chapter 306: The Ancestor


    Ancestor Lu was likewise feeling rather gloomy; he had just entered seclusion and had yet to delve into deep cultivation when he was roused by the sect.


    Such occurrences were rare, indeed¡ªevents that would disturb a Nascent Soul Ancestor on the Beishu Continent were exceedingly uncommon.


    Typically, Golden Core cultivators were more than capable of handling general affairs.


    Yet, concerning an instance with a False Infant powerhouse, every major sect had to have a Nascent Soul Ancestor ready for immediate action. The other Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Senluo Sect had entered deep cultivation, and it was also Ancestor Lu¡¯s turn for duty, so the sect woke him up.


    Therefore, at least until he received confirmed news from Supervisor Feng Yi, Ancestor Lu could not re-enter seclusion for cultivation.


    Though he felt considerable irritation, when an external Nascent Soul Ancestor attempted an invasion, he still chose to observe.


    Battles among Nascent Soul Ancestors should be avoided if possible; it was only that Patriarch Weng Zhao and the Fourth-grade Sea Beast encountered each other at sea and engaged in combat.


    If Patriarch Weng Zhao dared to initiate a Nascent Soul level battle on the mainland, he would then face the united efforts of all the Patriarchs from the six major sects, ready to exterminate him.


    The destructive power unleashed in a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s battle would cause irreparable harm to the land; only those with sworn deadly feuds would resort to such actions.


    Ancestor Lu sensed that Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s presence had vanished. He sent a distant message to the Fourth-grade Sea Beast, by way of greeting.


    Withdrawing his mind, he sensed Li Yuanba and also noted that Li Yuanba had formed his Golden Core. The bad mood that had plagues him suddenly lifted.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, you¡¯ve formed your Golden Core!¡± he said, laughing as he passed through the Sect Formation to where Li Yuanba was.


    His clearance was naturally the highest, and all Sect Formations would open for him.


    ¡°I have seen Ancestor!¡± Li Yuanba hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.


    As for He Wei and Liu Gang, they bowed their heads, not daring to look at Ancestor Lu¡¯s true face, and only addressed him as ¡°Ancestor,¡± saying nothing else.


    That was normal; in the sect, the Golden Core cultivators who had a private audience with a Nascent Soul Ancestor were few. A Nascent Soul Ancestor was the foundation of the sect, and it was rare for them to leave seclusion and walk among others for hundreds of years.


    Ancestor Lu paid no attention to the two Golden Core cultivators; his eyes saw only Li Yuanba, his direct disciple.


    Of course, he was overjoyed. It had not been long since he gave the resources for forming the Golden Core, hoping that Li Yuanba would succeed within several decades.


    Unexpectedly, after just a few years, upon their reunion, Li Yuanba had already become a Golden Core cultivator, and judging by his aura, he was stable at the Golden Core Early Stage, in no way inferior to Golden Core cultivators who had cultivated for more than a decade.


    ¡°Good, good, it seems that your master¡¯s lineage will indeed be carried forward!¡± Ancestor Lu said with gratified mirth.


    Li Yuanba invited Ancestor Lu to sit on one side, while He Wei and Liu Gang knew there was nothing for them here, and with a bow, they took their leave.


    ¡°I must also thank the ancestor for your timely rescue!¡± Li Yuanba bowed in gratitude.


    ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t come, you would have been fine; however, witnessing your research on formations opened my eyes!¡± Li Yuanba¡¯s advancement to Golden Core cultivator caused Ancestor Lu to hold this disciple in even higher regard, and he spoke with increased affection.


    ¡°I take a great interest in formations, so I have conducted more research!¡± Li Yuanba replied modestly.


    Since his true self, Li Shiming, attained the title of Array Master, Li Yuanba had shared in Li Shiming¡¯s knowledge of formations and insights. Although he lacked the aid of the Array Formation Starlight Sea, he could call upon Li Shiming¡¯s Array Formation Starlight Sea and IBMz15 at any time, practically equating him to an Array Master.


    These details he did not share with Ancestor Lu; the formation capabilities he had already displayed were quite astonishing enough.


    ¡°Though I do not practice the way of the Sword Cultivator, I don¡¯t agree with your master¡¯s approach to focusing solely on swordsmanship, excluding all else. Observing your Sword Intent, you haven¡¯t fallen behind in the way of the Sword Cultivator, and you¡¯ve even managed to study formations in addition. You must forge your own path!¡± Ancestor Lu nodded slightly as he spoke.


    These were words that perhaps should not have come from him, as he had always disagreed with the philosophy of Elder Jian.


    A traditional Nascent Soul Ancestor would explore various skills essential to a cultivator¡¯s survival.


    However, Elder Jian was a practitioner of the sword, confronting all troubles with the belief that ¡°one sword could break ten thousand spells.¡±


    Ancestor Lu knew all too well the saying ¡°what is too rigid is easily broken,¡± yet Elder Jian was a stubborn traditional Sword Cultivator, persisting in his own beliefs.


    Unable to persuade his own disciple, he could only offer guidance to his grand-disciple, hoping to prevent him from taking unnecessary detours.


    In truth, neither Elder Jian nor Ancestor Lu was wrong; different philosophies would cultivate different cultivators.


    Pure Sword Cultivators, for the most part, fall along their path, and the philosophy of ¡°one sword breaks ten thousand spells¡± becomes helpless against an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.


    Li Yuanba was a Sword Cultivator. Though he practiced many arts beyond swordsmanship, his Sword Intent remained sharp due to multiple instances where he had slain enemies far superior to him; forging a Sword Intent that far exceeded that of ordinary Sword Cultivators.


    ¡°Yes, Ancestor. How fares my master?¡± Li Yuanba, hearing Ancestor Lu mention his master Elder Jian, couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern.


    ¡°His situation is still normal; forming the Nascent Soul is not something that happens overnight!¡± Ancestor Lu replied with a smile, then changed the subject, ¡°Ten Thousand Sword Peak was refined into an artifact by you, and I had already discussed this with your master. He is too stubborn, refusing to wield any artifact other than his Lifebound Flying Sword. That¡¯s what led to such coveting from those juniors within the sect. You did well; Ten Thousand Sword Peak is the heritage treasure of your lineage, how could it possibly fall into the hands of others!¡±

 Chapter 520: 306 Ancestral Elder_2

    Chapter 520: Chapter 306 Ancestral Elder_2


    Li Yuanba was somewhat surprised that Ancestor Lu actually knew about the Golden Core cultivators from his sect coveting Ten Thousand Sword Peak. Thinking that Ancestor Lu was paying attention to Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Li Yuanba figured that if those Golden Core cultivators really got their hands on it, Ancestor Lu¡¯s retaliation would teach them a lesson about how to conduct themselves.


    ¡°Refining Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a magical treasure, I¡¯ve discussed it with my master, and he agrees with me doing so!¡± Li Yuanba knew that Ancestor Lu did not care about him refining treasures on his own, but still, he explained.


    ¡°He really lets go when it comes to his own disciples!¡± Ancestor Lu complained a little.


    Li Yuanba pretended not to hear, what could he as a grand-disciple do when Ancestor Lu made a few remarks about his own disciples.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve advanced to the Golden Core, I was in such a rush that I didn¡¯t bring anything good with me. This token, take it with you. If some old fogey wants to make a move on you, just show them this token!¡± Ancestor Lu seemed to remember something, took out a token, and tossed it over as he spoke.


    ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Li Yuanba caught the token and expressed his gratitude.


    Holding the token, he could feel the aura within it, which was the same as Ancestor Lu¡¯s; the patterns on it were extremely complex, the material used to make the token was third-grade, but it wasn¡¯t a magical treasure.


    In some ways, this token was more precious than any Golden Core Stage magical treasure because it represented Ancestor Lu.


    Being an enemy to the cultivator holding the token was the same as being an enemy to Ancestor Lu.


    Of course, most Golden Core cultivators would not recognize this token, but Nascent Soul Ancestors would definitely recognize its origin and the owner of the aura within the token.


    Having the token by one¡¯s side would, at the very least, cause some Nascent Soul Ancestors to have second thoughts when encountering it.


    The behavior of Nascent Soul Ancestors who have reached their stage is completely uninhibited and unrestrained. This is part of the cultivation process and the Nascent Soul Ancestors are following their true nature.


    But it is precisely this attitude that is most dangerous. A mostly unrestricted Nascent Soul Ancestor, if they wish to kill, can be utterly unreasonable.


    ¡°Be more careful in the recent period, and try to take on missions that are closer to the sect¡¯s gates!¡± Ancestor Lu stood up, preparing to leave, then used soul transmission to instruct Li Yuanba before departing.


    This was his way of taking care of Li Yuanba. While Li Yuanba was involved in the major trends of the Beishu Continent, he was in too low a position to be aware of many secrets.


    Without waiting for Li Yuanba to respond, Ancestor Lu¡¯s figure disappeared.


    At Sword Holding Peak in Shushan Sect, Li Shiming was pondering. He previously felt that the killing of Supervisor Feng Yi went very smoothly.


    After remotely controlling the clone Li Yuanba and experiencing the aftermath of a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s battle, only then did he realize how lucky he was with the assassination of Supervisor Feng Yi.


    Although Supervisor Feng Yi was only a False Infant, according to the consensus of the Cultivation World, a False Infant is just slightly weaker than a Nascent Soul but still counts as a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.


    On Northern Island, the clone Li Yuanba only experienced the aftermath of the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s battle. The real battlefield was in the vast depths of the distant sea, but even so, the remnants of the battle were still enough to easily annihilate him.


    It can only be said that Li Shiming was extremely fortunate. Originally, Supervisor Feng Yi used the method of False Infant Projection to act stealthily, not to alarm any cultivator.


    If the full combat power of Supervisor Feng Yi was unleashed, it was really uncertain if Li Shiming¡¯s beginner-level ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± could have escaped.


    Mainly because, when body and False Infant were fused, the attack range was extremely far, far surpassing the state when the False Infant was projected.


    When the False Infant was projected, Supervisor Feng Yi didn¡¯t carry any offensive magical treasures. If he had carried the Fourth-grade Jade Ruler or Fourth-grade Flying Sword with him, the two Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures could have certainly killed Li Shiming from a distance.


    Li Shiming, reflecting on his recent mindset, admitted that one must always remain in awe of Nascent Soul Ancestors; otherwise, one might die without even knowing how it happened.


    After adjusting his mindset, he resumed his work on creating talismans.


    This wasn¡¯t to increase his means of attack, since, with the sect¡¯s protection, the chances of him actually needing to take action were already rare.


    He was creating talismans to harness the abilities of an Array Master, among which there was a talisman named ¡°Array Breaking Talisman.¡±


    The ¡°Array Breaking Talisman¡± does not have a fixed method of drawing but instead, the Array Master transfers a part of their ¡°Array Formation Starlight Sea¡± onto the talisman paper using talismanic techniques, embedding their own research on breaking formations, allowing the ¡°Array Breaking Talisman¡± to break through any breakable formations recorded within the ¡°Array Formation Starlight Sea.¡±


    Of course, due to the different materials of the talisman paper, the knowledge about breaking formations that the ¡°Array Breaking Talisman¡± can withstand also varies.


    Li Shiming was extremely wealthy, and he naturally chose the best materials for talisman paper, and even the talismanic ink was the highest quality he could use.


    The talisman paper was stored in the machine room space, where the entire process of creating the talisman took place, and with the machine room¡¯s space ability to control at a micrometer level, the talismans created could reach the maximum limit that the talisman paper could withstand.


    His ¡°Array Breaking Talismans¡± wouldn¡¯t be sold, all of them were stored by him as strategic-level materials.


    At the same time, creating talismans was also a process of cultivating one¡¯s character and mental state.


    Through making talismans, he hoped to find an opportunity for a breakthrough.


    Since he couldn¡¯t go out anyway, he could try every possible opportunity.


    Besides making talismans, he continued his learning and research on technology.


    Each day, he dedicated six two-hour periods to studying and researching technologies from his previous life, and in the factory area developed within the spatial formation in the belly of Sword Holding Peak, with the help of Divine Thought, he alone could work as if he were dozens of people.


    At present, the machinery in the factory area had shifted from heavy industry to electronic industry.


    The electronic components that Li Shiming used to process individually in the machine room space were now completely self-sufficient.


    As for heavy industry, the huge furnaces and hydraulic molding machines had been phased out.


    With Artifact Refining techniques and the Red Sun Spiritual Fire, he could completely replace many heavy industries from his previous life, which also greatly saved space within the spatial formation.


    The research on microchips continued unremittingly, a task he had never stopped, but transitioning from microchips to nano-level chips involved many difficulties he needed to confront.


    However, the microchips were sufficient for his use; whether for drones, missiles, or various mechanical equipment¡¯s program-controlled systems, their computational power could cope.


    The research on weapons from his previous life was also making rapid progress.


    The research on weapons was limited to just that¡ªresearch. Until he became a Golden Core cultivator who couldn¡¯t refine weapons at the level of magic artifacts, he wouldn¡¯t make weapons meant for facing enemies again.


    The ¡°Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling¡± he¡¯d made before was no longer able to meet his combat needs.


    And the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± wasn¡¯t truly considered a complete weapon of combat¡ªthe ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± required a long charging time, and the energy system wasn¡¯t integrated into its own system.


    Although the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± could penetrate the defenses of a Golden Core cultivator, that was under the condition that the Golden Core cultivator was incapacitated and without a defensive magic artifact.


    If the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± were actually used in combat, its effectiveness would be almost null, as a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s sense of danger would allow them to dodge in advance, leaving the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± unable even to hit the enemy, let alone kill them.


    Once Li Shiming advanced to the Golden Core Stage, the ¡°Top-grade Magic Device Electromagnetic Gun¡± would lose its usefulness completely, just like the ¡°Mid-grade Magic Weapon Gatling,¡± unable to satisfy the demands of his increasing combat power.


    Li Shiming¡¯s research focus was on how, after advancing to the Golden Core Stage, he could combine weapons from his previous life with formations and Artifact Refining techniques of the Cultivation World to create conventional weapons capable of threatening enemies at the Golden Core Stage.


    For this goal, more than half of the knowledge he studied and researched each day was related to weapons.


    Additionally, his research included deep applications of Spirit Stones, particularly after he became an Array Master, on how to develop new formations that allowed the most enduring, safest conversion of Spirit Stones into electricity within the smallest space.


    All his research was paving a new path, one no cultivator had ever set foot on before.

 Chapter 521: 307 Elder

    Chapter 521: Chapter 307 Elder


    Li Yuanba, He Wei, and Liu Gang had completed the handover of their duties on Northern Island, and the three Golden Core cultivators who came to replace them looked extremely troubled.


    Whoever knew that a originally safe and easy task actually involved the danger of facing a Nascent Soul Ancestor would have the same expression as those three newcomers.


    On the contrary, Li Yuanba and his two comrades, having experienced the danger, were in a rather good mood.


    The danger had passed and the task was handed over, all they needed to do was return to the sect.


    Moreover, since they had successfully guarded Northern Island, the rewards for this mission would be significantly increased.


    It¡¯s known that if Northern Island had been destroyed, rebuilding it would not be a simple task, requiring a tremendous amount of resources.


    Li Yuanba, He Wei, and Liu Gang left Northern Island together, their shared life-and-death experience had fostered some friendship between them.


    Of course, He Wei and Liu Gang were somewhat deliberate in befriending Li Yuanba, given his strong combat capabilities and even stronger background.


    In the Demon Sect Senluo Sect, having a good relationship with Li Yuanba, who had a strong background, was extremely important for the two Golden Core cultivators.


    So on the way back, He Wei and Liu Gang shared the sect news they knew with Li Yuanba, and the three of them had quite a pleasant talk.


    Upon returning to the sect, Li Yuanba noticed a change in the attitude of the sect cultivators.


    Every Golden Core cultivator he met would express goodwill toward him.


    Naturally, he knew the reason¡ªAncestor Lu was not in seclusion but guarding the sect entrance.


    With the strength of Ancestor Lu, perhaps even a slight malevolent thought from a Golden Core cultivator toward Li Yuanba could be perceived by Ancestor Lu.


    Therefore, regardless of their true feelings, the sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators had altered their attitude toward Li Yuanba.


    As soon as Li Yuanba returned to the sect, Elder Situ sent a message asking him to come over.


    Standing on the small island in the center of the lake in that special room of Palace of Darkness, Li Yuanba met Elder Situ.


    ¡°I¡¯ve reviewed the report of the mission at Guardian Island. You played a significant role in this task. The sect will not treat a meritorious cultivator unfairly; you¡¯ve passed the evaluation period directly and become a Sect Elder!¡± Elder Situ said with a smile.


    This time, the battle between the Fourth-grade Sea Beast and the Nascent Soul Ancestor destroyed two guardian islands in that sea area, leaving only Northern Island intact.


    Although it was due in part to Ancestor Lu¡¯s timely arrival, more importantly, it was Li Yuanba who controlled the Formation and shielded Northern Island from the impacts of several battles under the hands of the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    The mission report was a synthesis from Li Yuanba, He Wei, and Liu Gang, along with the cultivators of Northern Island, plus the battle records of the Formation.


    The Senluo Sect had a complete set of rules for mission rewards. Li Yuanba¡¯s contributions were substantial this time, and he received an increased reward.


    Li Yuanba was somewhat surprised; he had become a Sect Elder after just one mission.


    Sect Elders are considered part of the upper echelon of the sect and can participate in sect affairs.


    Of course, there are distinctions among Sect Elders depending on the affairs they handle. The real high-ranking members are the Golden Core Elders responsible for core sect matters.


    Li Yuanba remained silent, waiting for Elder Situ to continue with the assignment.


    ¡°The sect has decided to send you to Jieshan City to guard it. You must manage your time wisely and ensure that sect affairs do not interfere with your cultivation. Cultivators must prioritize their cultivation, as power and benefits are built on the foundation of strength!¡± Elder Situ said while gesturing.


    Guarding Jieshan City is a task with many external duties, not just a normal guarding duty but a long-term one.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s past represents the sect¡¯s management of Jieshan City, where a massive amount of resources are circulated daily, and his position doesn¡¯t even require him to actively request them, as he will have the resources allocated to him.


    Such a favorable task naturally attracted many Golden Core Elders.


    However, recently, Li Yuanba¡¯s master, Ancestor Lu, was guarding the sect, and Li Yuanba had demonstrated outstanding Formation controlling capabilities at Northern Island.


    Formation controlling capabilities are crucial for protecting an important city; thus, the sect¡¯s upper echelon assigned this task to Li Yuanba.


    ¡°The corresponding authority has been granted to you. You can use the Identity Jade Disc to control the great Formation of Jieshan City. When necessary, you need to participate in protecting Jieshan Mountain Pass. Jieshan City and Jieshan Mountain Pass protect each other!¡± Elder Situ stopped his motions and seriously instructed.


    Under normal circumstances, Jieshan Mountain Pass is guarded by three Golden Core Elders, plus one from Jieshan City, making four Golden Core Elders stationed near Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Whether Jieshan Mountain Pass conceals any additional combat forces is a sect secret, but he believed such an important place definitely wasn¡¯t guarded solely by three Golden Core Elders.


    So despite Jieshan City being a junction with Righteous Path forces, its security is even safer compared to other guarding points.


    ¡°I will follow the sect¡¯s arrangements, thank you, Great Elder!¡± Li Yuanba said with a bow and a smile.


    ¡°Your very first task nearly went awry; I arranged the task on Northern Island myself. I will personally provide you with some compensation, whether it be resources or cultivation techniques. Feel free to ask, don¡¯t be shy!¡± Elder Situ waved his hand as he virtually helped Li Yuanba up.


    Elder Situ indeed intended this as compensation, considering he almost caused the death of Ancestor Lu¡¯s grand-disciple, and while his fault was minor, he did not want Ancestor Lu to bear a grudge.

 Chapter 522: 307 Elder_2

    Chapter 522: Chapter 307 Elder_2


    The longer he stayed in the sect, the more clearly he understood Ancestor Lu¡¯s protective nature.


    Take Elder Jian, for example, a pure Sword Cultivator, who managed to survive among the numerous Devil Cultivators of the Demon Sect. Apart from Elder Jian¡¯s strength, it was Ancestor Lu¡¯s almost unreasonably protective attitude that kept him safe.


    Especially to facilitate Elder Jian¡¯s cultivation, Ancestor Lu personally invited several Nascent Soul Ancestors to annihilate a medium-sized sword cultivation sect and seize back Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    After that incident, the voices daring to target Elder Jian completely disappeared.


    In the event at Northern Island, Ancestor Lu¡¯s private meeting with Li Yuanba made it clear to many high-level members of the sect the degree of Ancestor Lu¡¯s attention towards Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Since the Great Elder said so, then I really won¡¯t be polite!¡± Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes brightened. He was still thinking about how long he would need to stay in Jieshan City to accumulate enough contribution points to exchange for the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique,¡¯ but Elder Situ brought it up proactively.


    ¡°I want the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯!¡± he subsequently voiced his request.


    ¡°You really know how to choose!¡± Elder Situ laughed and shook his head.


    The ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ was a cultivation technique not publicly exchangeable in the sect; it required a certain level of contribution to the sect before one could exchange it using contribution points.


    However, Li Yuanba¡¯s identity was not an issue. After all, with a good master and a great grandmaster, despite his short time in the sect, he was absolutely a legitimate cultivator of the Senluo Sect.


    ¡°It just so happens I have the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ here. You need to record it down within the sect and then destroy the jade scroll. You cannot take the jade scroll out of the sect. I believe you won¡¯t make a mistake in this regard!¡± Elder Situ said as he took out a jade scroll and tossed it over.


    Li Yuanba caught the jade scroll, placed the jade scroll at his glabella, and his divine thought entered into it.


    The content of the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ was vast and consisted mainly of complicated secret patterns. He connected his consciousness to his real body, Li Shiming, who used the IBM z15 to assist with the memorization, and in just a short time, he had recorded all the contents of the jade scroll.


    It was only thirty minutes, but in front of Elder Situ, with a slight movement of spiritual energy, the jade scroll turned into dust.


    Elder Situ was slightly astonished but did not ask further. At the Golden Core Stage, every cultivator had their little secrets.


    Having a strong memory was nothing unusual; the sect had multiple cultivation techniques that aided in memorization, allowing cultivators to memorize a technique within a short period.


    ¡°Although you have the task of guarding Jieshan City, I still suggest you take on more sect missions near Jieshan City to earn contribution points and exchange them for cultivation resources!¡± Elder Situ said this, guiding Li Yuanba as an elder.


    Although Elder Situ was also at the Golden Core Stage, being in the late-stage Golden Core, he had the qualifications in terms of age, experience, or the sect¡¯s identity, to instruct Li Yuanba.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take note!¡± Li Yuanba had his own plans, but he didn¡¯t retort, sensing Elder Situ¡¯s concern.


    Regardless of the reason behind Elder Situ¡¯s concern, it indeed was a kind gesture from Elder Situ.


    Li Yuanba left the Palace of Darkness. He didn¡¯t linger at the gate; Ten Thousand Sword Peak was with him, and he thought that the sooner he settled down, the more time he¡¯d have to cultivate.


    More importantly, Jieshan City bordered the territories of the Righteous Path forces. Once he had the authority, he could bring things over from the Righteous Path¡¯s side without the need for stealth like before.


    A sword light flew out from the gate, heading towards Jieshan City.


    Li Yuanba was very familiar with Jieshan City, a city with a heavy commercial atmosphere and relatively significant importance.


    The peculiarity of this city was that it housed shops belonging to the three major sects of the Righteous Path, serving as a channel for resource exchanges between the Senluo Sect and the three major sects of the Righteous Path.


    When he arrived, he didn¡¯t even meet with the previous Golden Core Elder. He didn¡¯t know who the previous Golden Core Elder was, but he suspected that the previous elder¡¯s mood might not be too good.


    Anyone who had an important task snatched away and a well-managed place of profit taken from them would not be in a good mood.


    Li Yuanba arrived at the front gate of Jieshan City Guardian Mansion, the residence of the Jieshan City Guardian Cultivators and also the center for the city¡¯s grand formation and daily management.


    Just as he reached the front gate, a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment middle-aged man, who was stationed at the gate, hurriedly came forward to greet him.


    ¡°Subordinate Yue Xing pays respects to Elder Li!¡± Yue Xing behaved with extreme respect.


    ¡°Still, we should verify the Identity Jade Disc according to the rules, to prevent any problems!¡± Li Yuanba waved his hand and said.


    He was about to take over Jieshan City and certainly would not make any procedural errors that could cause unnecessary trouble.


    He did not want to commit embezzlement, but neither did he want to be duped.


    ¡°Please present the Identity Jade Disc, Elder Li!¡± Yue Xing was slightly startled, then bowed again and said.


    Li Yuanba took out the Identity Jade Disc; Yue Xing did not need to take it to check, as he had subordinate access rights in Jieshan City and could directly verify the permissions of Li Yuanba¡¯s Identity Jade Disc.


    ¡°Elder Li, your permissions have been confirmed. You will take over all affairs of Jieshan City, and I am the steward of the city, previously in charge of specific affairs of Jieshan City. You may dismiss me at any time!¡± Yue Xing said this with a nervous heart.


    Yue Xing had obtained this position because he had some background in the sect.


    But no matter his background, he could not compare to a big shot capable of expelling the former Guardian Golden Core Elder.


    What made Yue Xing particularly aware of Li Yuanba¡¯s powerful background was that the former Guardian Golden Core Elder did not dare to tamper with anything before leaving and did not even take the decorations he had added to the Guardian Mansion.


    This demonstrated the formidable background of Li Yuanba, so powerful that it made the former Guardian Golden Core Elder dread him.


    ¡°The previous arrangements remain unchanged; keep up the good work. Once I have settled in, report to me the past affairs of Jieshan City!¡± Li Yuanba waved his hand and said.


    He did not care whether Yue Xing had any connection with the former Golden Core Elder; he did not plan to manage Jieshan City directly. If Yue Xing did a good job, he would continue to employ him; if not, he would replace him.


    He believed that many Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the sect would want to work here; he just needed to announce it, and a large number would sign up.


    ¡°Elder Li, let me introduce you to the Guardian Mansion!¡± Yue Xing, having calmed down, said even more respectfully.


    The Guardian Mansion was divided into two parts; the front part was managed by Yue Xing and consisted of an administration involving some mortals and Qi Refining Cultivators, mainly responsible for overseeing the operations of shops in the city and for tax collection.


    Of these taxes, ninety percent was handed over to the sect, and the remaining ten percent was kept as administrative costs for Jieshan City.


    The main use of the administrative funds was small, chiefly going to the Guardian Golden Core Elder; this was an openly known benefit.


    Do not underestimate this ten percent; this place is the only resource exchange channel recognized by both the Righteous and Demon paths, and even ten percent of the taxes collected is quite substantial.


    The front part of the Guardian Mansion was nothing special, but once Li Yuanba passed through a gate protected by a formation, he entered the living area of the Guardian Golden Core Elder.


    Since there were mortals in the town, the environment suitable for a Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s cultivation was deadly to them.


    Therefore, the latter part was a space created by a spatial formation, isolated from the outside world.


    The space contained a Golden Core Stage Spiritual Vein to supply for the cultivation needs of the Golden Core Elder.


    The space also included a one-mu plot of Second Grade Spirit Field planted with various spirit flowers, not only to enrich the colors of the space but also to regulate Spiritual Energy.


    Beside the spirit field was a Spiritual Spring, in which spirit fish swam.


    The few buildings were also made of spiritual materials; although different in style from typical cave dwellings, they were in no way inferior in effect.


    The whole space was arranged very dynamically, clearly showing that the original owner had put a lot of thought into it.


    Even three Second Grade Spirit Tea plants and five Second Grade Spirit Fruit Trees were left behind, not to mention the many Spiritual Objects used as decorations inside the buildings, all of which were quite valuable when added together.

 Chapter 523: 308: Takeover

    Chapter 523: Chapter 308: Takeover


    Not long after Li Yuanba moved into the Guardian Mansion, Yue Xing delivered the accounts to him.


    These were the past accounts of Jieshan City. Because mortals were involved, the accounts were on paper, and with years of accumulation, a small storage bag was filled to the brim.


    ¡°Leave them here, and come back in two hours to take them away!¡± Li Yuanba waved his hand and instructed Yue Xing.


    Yue Xing bowed and turned to leave.


    However, in his heart, Yue Xing couldn¡¯t help but shake his head; he didn¡¯t believe that Li Yuanba, a Golden Core cultivator, could review these accounts within two hours, let alone identify any problems.


    Although the spirit of a Golden Core cultivator was strong, specialization matters in professions. A strong spirit could only increase the speed of analysis and calculation, but it was incapable of detecting hidden issues within the accounts.


    Li Yuanba took out an account book. His mind connected with his true body, Li Shiming, and borrowed the IBMz15.


    The IBMz15 opened financial software, and then Li Yuanba used Divine Thought to scan the account book, feeding transaction data into the financial software.


    Scanning the account books with Divine Thought was almost instant, completing a book in a few breaths. All the account books in the small storage bag were scanned within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.


    The financial software then automatically analyzed, clarified the previous accounts, and clearly highlighted any errors and omissions.


    He was startled to discover that there were indeed many inaccuracies in the original accounts affecting significant resources, but at the end of the accounts, just from two days ago, an entry was made that rectified all previous issues.


    ¡°It seems no further investigation is needed!¡± He understood that the previous Guardian Golden Core Elder had used his own resources to correct the accounts. The reason was clear; it was because of Li Yuanba¡¯s master, Ancestor Lu, who was guarding the sect gate without seclusion and had also taken special interest in Li Yuanba.


    At the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of the benefits attributed to Jieshan City. The share of profits allocated to him could allow him an extra portion of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine each month.


    Do not underestimate a portion of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine. Given its value, it could be exchanged for a considerable amount of ordinary resources.


    This was only possible because of Jieshan City¡¯s unique position as a hub for resource exchange with the outside world, situated in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful towards Elder Situ. Of course, he also understood that if Ancestor Lu hadn¡¯t been guarding the sect gate, such favorable benefits might not have fallen into his hands.


    ¡°Elder Li, several major shopkeepers in the town have come to see you!¡± Two hours later, Steward Yue Xing came in and reported with a bow.


    In fact, these shopkeepers had been there for a while, but knowing that Li Yuanba was examining the accounts, Steward Yue Xing had stopped them from disturbing him.


    Only when the time was up did he come in to announce their presence.


    ¡°Take the account books away, and also, let the shopkeepers in!¡± Li Yuanba threw the small storage bag over and said, just as Steward Yue Xing had taken two steps to leave, he added, ¡°Since the accounts are now balanced, make sure not to make any mistakes in the future. My eyes cannot tolerate any sand!¡±


    Steward Yue Xing¡¯s body shuddered, his heart filled with shock.


    He was well aware of the issues with the accounts.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the former Golden Core Elder, who had spent several days carefully auditing all the accounts before leaving and even used his own funds to correct mistakes, the accounts would have become a problem for the next incumbent, Li Yuanba.


    As for how many of the mistakes in the accounts were due to corruption by the former Golden Core Elder, and how many were manipulations by his subordinates, that was difficult to ascertain.


    Subtly warned by Li Yuanba, Steward Yue Xing had resolved that he must not allow any issues to arise under Li Yuanba¡¯s supervision.


    In just two hours, so many accounts had been scrutinized, and coupled with Li Yuanba¡¯s influential background, even the former Golden Core Elder had preferred to lose money rather than anger Li Yuanba over the accounts; a mere steward like him certainly wouldn¡¯t fare well if he erred.


    Nine shopkeepers entered, which included not only those from the three major sects of the Righteous Path but also from Senluo Sect¡¯s own shop and from some larger forces of both Righteous and Demonic paths.


    Medium forces¡¯ shopkeepers didn¡¯t have the privilege to be here.


    The old shopkeeper from the Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s Ju Chang Shop, upon seeing Li Yuanba wearing a bronze mask, flashed a hint of confusion in his eyes.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s appearance was always peculiar, perpetually covered by a mask.


    Previously, Li Yuanba had traveled to the Righteous Path¡¯s territory through channels managed by the Ju Chang Shop. Cultivators have excellent memory, and he recognized Li Yuanba at a glance upon meeting him again.


    However, the old shopkeeper doubted his memory because Li Yuanba, just a few years ago, was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could he possibly have become a Golden Core cultivator so quickly, further becoming an elder of the Senluo Sect, entrusted with managing Jieshan City, a position of such importance.


    Li Yuanba smiled and nodded at the old shopkeeper. It was like meeting an old acquaintance; that nod and smile immediately made the shopkeeper realize he had not recognized the wrong person.


    The nine shopkeepers were there to give gifts, which were congratulatory presents to celebrate Li Yuanba¡¯s position overseeing Jieshan City.


    It was also a way to foster relations, hoping to conduct their business peacefully under Li Yuanba¡¯s management.


    With the power held by Li Yuanba, a slight dissatisfaction from him could affect any shop¡¯s business.


    All cultivators assigned to manage shops in Jieshan City were without exception, experienced and astute.


    One by one, the shopkeepers came forward to greet him, introduced themselves, and presented their gifts.

 Chapter 524: 308: Takeover_2

    Chapter 524: Chapter 308: Takeover_2


    The entire process did not take long, primarily because the identities of the two parties did not match. The shopkeepers were all Foundation Establishment Cultivators without prospects, while Li Yuanba was a Golden Core Elder, creating a gap in status that made the meeting essentially a courtesy visit.


    Li Yuanba accepted the congratulations gift and reassured the shopkeepers with his words, signaling he would not cause trouble in Jieshan City.


    He was not much concerned about the profit; what he valued more was the connection between Jieshan City and the forces of the Righteous Path.


    Manager Xin Shun, please stay!¡± Li Yuanba called out as the nine shopkeepers were leaving.


    Manager Xin Shun was the shopkeeper of his own sect¡¯s shop, and Li Yuanba, being his direct superior, had the authority to dismiss him with a single word.


    Manager Xin Shun respectfully stopped, wondering if Li Yuanba was interested in his position and wanted to replace him with his own person.


    Manager Xin Shun, would it be possible to exchange some Spiritual Objects through the shop¡¯s channels?¡± Li Yuanba asked straightforwardly, with no intention of hiding his thoughts.


    In Jieshan City now, he held significant power, even the Jieshan Mountain Pass would give him face, otherwise, how could they cooperate in defense?


    Manager Xin Shun, relieved that he was not being replaced, felt his unease dissipate.


    Elder, as long as the quantity of Spiritual Objects is not too large, there wouldn¡¯t be an issue. In fact, by greasing some palms, even some forbidden Spiritual Objects can be exchanged!¡± Manager Xin Shun answered honestly.


    Such matters were unknown to Li Yuanba, who had just arrived, but over time, someone would surely inform him. Therefore, Manager Xin Shun, eager to curry favor with Li Yuanba, did not hold back any secrets.


    Do your job well, and I will notify you when needed!¡± Li Yuanba waved his hand and said.


    Manager Xin Shun bowed and left.


    The day after Li Yuanba took charge of Jieshan City, he received welfare benefits fitting a Golden Core Elder of the Senluo Sect, which surprised him with the sect¡¯s efficiency.


    The welfare for the elders had increased somewhat, consisting of several servings of Third Grade Spirit Tea and Spirit Fruit, enough for three years.


    The nine shopkeepers had brought third-grade spiritual items as congratulatory gifts. Although not exceedingly precious, they were certainly valuable.


    Since he had not changed anything, Jieshan City calmly transitioned through the power handover, and commercial activities were unaffected.


    He selected three items from the congratulatory gifts and transformed into a streak of sword light, flying toward the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Outside the Jieshan Mountain Pass, he cast a Sound Transmission Technique, and soon the formation opened a passage allowing him entry.


    Brother Jiang, Brother Meng, Senior Brother Shi, I apologize for the intrusion, please forgive me!¡± As soon as Li Yuanba entered the Jieshan Mountain Pass, he saw three Guardian Golden Core Elders come out to greet him and he promptly stepped forward to bow.


    The three Golden Core Elders stationed to guard the Jieshan Mountain Pass were all at the Middle Stage of Golden Core, their combat abilities ranked high among the sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators.


    Yet all three Golden Core Elders came out to greet him, indicative of the importance they placed on Li Yuanba.


    Of course, much of it was because Li Yuanba had shown great respect by visiting with gifts the day after taking over Jieshan City.


    Junior Brother Li, having a Sword Cultivator like you nearby, allows us to rest much easier!¡± Jiang Pu responded with a smile and returned the gesture.


    Among the three Golden Core Elders stationed at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, Jiang Pu was the most senior and could speak on behalf of all three.


    Jiang Pu¡¯s words were not mere politeness. The original Golden Core Elder of Jieshan City had been transferred, impacting the security of the Jieshan Mountain Pass, so they could not help but take it seriously.


    Jiang Pu used internal sect connections to learn about Li Yuanba¡¯s circumstances.


    Upon learning that Li Yuanba was newly promoted to Golden Core and had been assigned to Jieshan City right after completing a task, he was quite displeased.


    However, after hearing about Li Yuanba¡¯s performance on Northern Island, especially his few interventions that showed his mastery over formations and formidable combat power, Jiang Pu had a change of heart.


    Especially considering the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure in Li Yuanba¡¯s possession, equating to the combat power of a Late-stage Golden Core, not to mention that as a Sword Cultivator, Li Yuanba was inherently powerful.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, this is a small gift, I¡¯ll be needing the care of the three seniors in the future!¡± Li Yuanba said as he presented the gift.


    ¡°What need is there for gifts when you come here? Come inside!¡± Jiang Pu said with a smile, inviting him in while the other two Golden Core Elders also seemed very pleased.


    It wasn¡¯t because of the gift but rather Li Yuanba¡¯s attitude that pleased them.


    Li Yuanba had a chat with the three Golden Core Elders for a while, and they, intending to look after him, shared some information about the Golden Core Realm, which proved very beneficial to him.


    Li Yuanba had recently entered the Golden Core Realm and, with Elder Jian in seclusion early on and no one to guide him, had been figuring out many cultivation issues on his own; having the advice of the three veteran Golden Core Elders made his future cultivation smoother.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, in the future I might have some personal items I¡¯d like to bring through Jieshan Mountain Pass, I hope the three seniors can look after me!¡± Li Yuanba noted that it was about time to switch the topic to his real purpose for this visit.


    Some things need to be frankly discussed; he too was a Golden Core cultivator and knew that with the pass¡¯s gateway, under the Divine Thought and Formation of a Golden Core cultivator, any concealed Spiritual Objects would be detected.


    Thus, to smuggle Spiritual Objects stealthily without prior notification could lead to trouble later.


    Of course, even if Li Yuanba didn¡¯t notify them and they knew the items were his, there¡¯s a very good chance they wouldn¡¯t interfere; but with notification, there would definitely be no trouble.


    ¡°Haha, junior, rest assured, we guard the Jieshan Mountain Pass, and a small amount of Spiritual Objects moving through is quite normal. Some of the resources we three need for cultivation are also exchanged directly from there!¡± Jiang Pu laughed.


    Jiang Pu actually misunderstood Li Yuanba, thinking he just wanted to save some expenses to obtain more resources.


    The resources of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains complement those of the Righteous Path; the resources from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains would double in price when reaching the Righteous Path, and vice versa.


    This is referring to the official channels. Official channels on either side involve service charges, shops seeking profit, and powers that levy taxes.


    Consequently, the selling price of resources after passing through the checkpoints naturally increases a lot.


    In private dealings, however, the various costs are omitted, and the prices thus lower.


    ¡°Actually, Jieshan Mountain Pass also has some unofficial income, even if you hadn¡¯t come we would have informed you!¡± Meng Sheng chimed in beside him.


    Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t help but be curious, looking towards Meng Sheng who spoke.


    ¡°We have a private connection with the Guardian Golden Core on the other side; there are some deals involving third-grade spiritual items that don¡¯t go through the official channels, and the profits from these transactions are split equally between the guarding Golden Cores, almost equivalent to the income standard of a guarding mission!¡± Meng Sheng said with a smile.


    If Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t come, it wouldn¡¯t have taken long for the relationship between both parties to become close; though he wouldn¡¯t be short of benefits, the timing would be uncertain.


    Maybe a delay of several months, or perhaps one to two years.


    Now that the relationship was close, there definitely would be a share for Li Yuanba in this profit belonging to the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    You should know that Jieshan City, where Li Yuanba was, also played an important part in this chain of benefits.


    Therefore, Li Yuanba felt more confident about future resource movements.


    He wanted to enhance his strength faster, which required the resources from his counterpart Li Shiming¡¯s side; previously, to obtain resources he or Li Shiming himself needed to arrange a meeting.


    Whether it was him or Li Shiming himself, they each had their troubles.


    His entanglements with Qianye Temple seemed to have calmed down, but he was well aware that once Qianye Temple made a move, escaping would be incredibly difficult, thus he needed to avoid leaving the protection of the formation as much as possible.


    As for Li Shiming¡¯s side, it was almost like a curse that trouble would find him whenever he left the sect, so Shushan Sect had restricted him from leaving.


    This caused a temporary discontinuation of contact between him and his counterpart Li Shiming until his transfer to Jieshan City presented a chance to reconnect.


    When leaving the Jieshan Mountain Pass, Li Yuanba and the three Golden Core Elders scheduled the next time they would meet. The three Golden Core Elders also regularly discussed cultivation, a practice beneficial for Golden Core cultivators¡¯ training, and they were willing to include Li Yuanba, which was their way of acknowledging his joining their ranks.

 Chapter 525: 309 Reinforcements

    Chapter 525: Chapter 309 Reinforcements


    Manager Xin Shun carefully held a sealed jade box in his hand and extended it towards Li Yuanba across from him.


    The jade box had been sent over through the shop¡¯s channels from the other side.


    Li Yuanba took the jade box, and without any hesitation, he first checked the seal on the box in front of Manager Xin Shun. After finding nothing amiss, he opened the jade box.


    Inside the jade box were two bottles, each containing ten third-grade Spirit Pills. This was his first time testing the delivery of third-grade Spirit Pills through this channel.


    Twenty third-grade Spirit Pills meant a considerable stake for this channel. Had he not already contacted Jieshan Mountain Pass beforehand, the delivery might have been intercepted midway.


    The original body, Li Shiming, could not leave the sect, but he had followers, especially a follower named Ye Lingyun. With the help of Foundation Establishment Pills provided by Li Shiming, she had successfully advanced to become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Ye Lingyun brought the jade box to the other side of Jieshan Pass. She did not use Li Shiming¡¯s name but instead used the name of the Ye Family, a quite notable Cultivation Family, which made things more convenient.


    Additionally, Li Yuanba had already taken care of the channel on his end, so the entire process of transporting the jade box was not risky at all.


    Manager Xin Shun was not surprised to see the third-grade Spirit Pills. Upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, almost all Golden Core cultivators primarily seek cultivation resources, among which third-grade Spirit Pills are most crucial, relating to significant matters of cultivator training.


    As for why they obtained third-grade Spirit Pills from Righteous Path forces, it was quite normal. The Senluo Sect also had an Alchemy Master, but the Sect¡¯s Alchemy Master was best at refining Demon Cultivation Spirit Pills and rarely refined ordinary Spirit Pills.


    So, for the cultivators of Senluo Sect practicing Righteous Path cultivation techniques, Spirit Pills were relatively scarce.


    ¡°Elder indeed has means to have purchased Spirit Pills refined by Master Shiming,¡± Manager Xin Shun said as he glanced at the mark on the jade bottles and complimented.


    The reputation of Master Shiming, the alchemy master, was continuously rising along with the distribution of his refined Spirit Pills.


    Even the Ten Thousand Great Mountains were aware of Li Shiming¡¯s name. Manager Xin Shun, who managed cultivation resources, certainly recognized Li Shiming¡¯s mark.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard this time!¡± Li Yuanba put away the third-grade Spirit Pills and waved his hand.


    Manager Xin Shun knew what he meant and bowed before leaving the Guardian Mansion.


    Twenty third-grade Spirit Pills were enough for Li Yuanba to cultivate for nearly two months. He had no plans to frequently use this channel for transporting resources.


    In the following days, he experienced the peace of Jieshan City.


    All matters did not require his attention. Deacon Yue Xing was competent, and under his careful management, Jieshan City ran smoothly without any mishaps.


    With resources secured, his cultivation followed a standard routine. During the day, he practiced ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± and ¡°Sky-reaching Sword Qi Technique¡±, and at night, he practiced ¡°Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡±, and his cultivation began to ascend relatively quickly.


    A month after he took over the task of guarding Jieshan City, he was refining his Lifebound Flying Sword Xingyi when he suddenly felt a reaction from his Identity Jade Disc.


    His Divine Thought swept over the Identity Jade Disc and found a distress message sent from Jiang Pu.


    Without any hesitation, his figure soared into the sky, and Xingyi Sword carried him as a streak of sword light towards Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    As he approached Jieshan Mountain Pass, he sensed Jiang Pu¡¯s presence.


    Jiang Pu was hovering above Jieshan Mountain Pass, his energy fully deployed and enveloping the area below.


    The other two Golden Core Elders, however, had disappeared somewhere, which puzzled Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Junior Li arrived just in time, with Junior Brother¡¯s help, there¡¯s no need to worry about trouble!¡± Jiang Pu saw Li Yuanba¡¯s arrival, and the worry on his face lessened. He greeted Li Yuanba.


    ¡°What has happened?¡± Li Yuanba looked at Jieshan Mountain Pass, and with his senses, he did not detect any traces of fighting below.


    ¡°The Earth Evil Sect¡¯s rats are smuggling through the grand array at the pass. Brother Meng and Senior Brother Shi have already gone in pursuit. I called Junior Brother here to help guard Jieshan Mountain Pass, to prevent it from being breached due to weak defenses!¡± Jiang Pu replied with a wry smile.


    The Earth Evil Sect was one of the three major Demon Sects, on par with Senluo Sect and Yin Yang Sect.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the cultivators from the Earth Evil Sect would enter the Ten Thousand Great Mountains from here since the Earth Evil Sect is far from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains!¡± Li Yuanba, realizing he was only there to help guard Jieshan Mountain Pass and not to fight, relaxed and said.


    His time in the sect was too short, and he had scarcely heard about the matters between Senluo Sect and the other two major Demon Sects.


    From Jiang Pu¡¯s tone, it seemed that the relationship between Senluo Sect and the Earth Evil Sect was not good, even hostile.


    ¡°The core Inheritance Techniques of the Earth Evil Sect, ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯, require the absorption of Earth Evil Qi during the Golden Core Stage, and the best Earth Evil Qi is the Mountain Evil Qi of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Absorbing the Earth Evil Qi would greatly deplete the spiritual nature of an area, which is like undermining the foundation of our Senluo Sect. Thus, preventing the Earth Evil Sect from entering the Ten Thousand Great Mountains is a strict matter for our sect!¡± Jiang Pu explained, shaking his head.


    With Li Yuanba¡¯s arrival, Jiang Pu was no longer overly anxious. With the two of them, both Golden Core Elders at Jieshan Mountain Pass, they were well-equipped to handle most troubles.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any problems with Brother Meng and Senior Brother Shi, right?¡± Li Yuanba thought of the two Golden Core Elders who had gone in pursuit and asked somewhat uneasily.


    Although it had only been a little over a month, he had already formed a good fellowship with the three Golden Core Elders at Jieshan Mountain Pass.

 Chapter 526: 309 Reinforcement_2

    Chapter 526: Chapter 309 Reinforcement_2


    Whether it was exchanges on cultivation or using power to obtain resources, the four Golden Core Elders got along extremely well. Even in Jiang Pu¡¯s view, Li Yuanba was somewhat easier to talk to than the previous Golden Core guardian of Jieshan City.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s attitude towards resource matters was non-contentious. Although he did not vie for them, no one ever underpaid him for what was rightfully his.


    ¡°Junior Brother Shi has a Tracking Spirit Rat. That Earth Evil Sect Golden Core, merely at the Golden Core Early Stage, cannot escape their tracking!¡± Jiang Pu confidently reassured the two Golden Core Elders, answering with a smile.


    As the two were conversing, they simultaneously looked towards the other side of the checkpoint, where three Golden Core auras were rapidly approaching.


    ¡°I knew they would come over to stir up some trouble, making us lose face!¡± Jiang Pu helplessly spread his hands.


    He wasn¡¯t worried, however, as Li Yuanba¡¯s combat strength was good. With Li Yuanba¡¯s help, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for the three Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators to cause any trouble this time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have a collaboration with them?¡± Li Yuanba, recalling a recent profit-sharing occasion, asked, puzzled.


    During that profit-sharing, he had received a Third-grade Spiritual Medicine. Given his Golden Core Early Stage cultivation, it was enough for him to request an Alchemy Master to concoct a batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    And the profit-sharing was distributed among several Golden Core cultivators guarding both sides of the checkpoint, with all those involved in resource smuggling, regardless of whether they were from the Righteous or Evil Path, receiving a share.


    This shows that although the two sides were enemies on the Righteous and Evil spectrum, they also shared mutual connections.


    ¡°Collaboration is collaboration, but interest and hostile relations do not conflict. The Righteous Path will take any opportunity to take some advantage, whether by destroying grand formations or seriously injuring our cultivators. As long as it doesn¡¯t involve the Righteous Path calling in reinforcements from the inland, all is within fair rules.


    We are cultivators¡ªalways ready for battle!¡± Jiang Pu explained to Li Yuanba.


    As they spoke, the three auras had already reached outside the grand formation. Jiang Pu nodded to Li Yuanba and flew towards the direction of the three auras, with Li Yuanba closely following him.


    ¡°Brother Ying, Brother Xin, Brother Mu, are you not staying over there for tea? Why have you come here?¡± Jiang Pu joked.


    If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Pu¡¯s formidable aura and the black air shrouding the spears by his side, ready to strike at any moment, one might have thought this was a friendly encounter based on his words alone.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we here to have tea with you?¡± said Ying Hou, the leader, with a forced smile that barely hid his hostility.


    His gaze fell on Li Yuanba, whose Sword Intent caught his attention even though he relaxed upon sensing Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation level.


    The three incoming Righteous Path Golden Cores were all mid-stage cultivators.


    With three against two, and the fewer being at a lower cultivation stage, the Righteous Path had a significant advantage. How could Ying Hou not be pleased?


    The Golden Core cultivators stationed on both sides of the checkpoint were separated by a distance of two hundred miles. Usually, they were extremely bored and could not leave at will.


    Hence, any opportunity for a mutual attack to heavily strike at the other side was their greatest pleasure.


    Additionally, the sects behind both sides would offer substantial rewards for successful strikes against the other.


    Checkpoint is the face of the sect; striking at the enemy¡¯s face is a great way to boast about the sect¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Is this a newcomer? Has the Senluo Sect run out of people, sending a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator over?¡± Another one, Xin Tong, spoke even more harshly, his continuous questioning making Jiang Pu¡¯s expression turn particularly ugly.


    ¡°Junior brother, this Xin Tong has an especially foul mouth. When we start fighting later, don¡¯t hold back!¡± Jiang Pu turned to Li Yuanba and said.


    He didn¡¯t use sound transmission; he wanted Xin Tong on the opposite side to hear it.


    ¡°Same old rules, first a fight, injuries on own account!¡± Ying Hou didn¡¯t wish to gain an advantage from just words and spoke sternly.


    He signaled to Mu Peng, who had been silent until now, and the two Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators charged at Jiang Pu together.


    ¡°Newcomer, let me teach you how to fight!¡± Xin Tong said snarlingly to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s response was a Lifebound Flying Sword, and just as Xin Tong¡¯s words ended, the Xingyi Sword shot out, slashing towards Xin Tong.


    Xin Tong was well-prepared, blocking the Xingyi Sword with a shield talisman.


    The moment the Xingyi Sword collided with the shield talisman, the hidden Sword Intent within it burst forth.


    Li Yuanba realized that Xin Tong underestimated him. However, he felt no annoyance¡ªbeing underestimated by an enemy was advantageous.


    Thus, he did not fully reveal his Sword Intent, only allowing the Sword Intent of the Xingyi Sword to maintain the standard expected of a Golden Core Early Stage Sword Cultivator.


    However, Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent had long surpassed the level of an Early Stage Golden Core Sword Cultivator. Not to mention the enhancement from the Xingyi Sword; a 135% increase in Sword Intent allowed his own Sword Intent to reach more than double its power when fully unleashed.


    Xin Tong¡¯s combat experience was indeed rich, and he did take Li Yuanba seriously. Though he spoke lightly, his defensive talisman was ready and primed as soon as the Xingyi Sword was launched.


    This was originally infallible, but he had not anticipated the formidable might of the Xingyi Sword.


    With a ¡°boom,¡± the Xingyi Sword struck the shield talisman. The Supreme Yang Sword Intent far exceeded Xin Tong¡¯s expectations, piercing through the spiritual power layer of the shield and penetrating into its interior.


    Xin Tong only felt a pain in his head. The fully refined shield talisman¡¯s inner spirit imprint was mostly erased by the attack, leaving only a trace that greatly reduced his control over the talisman to an almost unmanageable degree.


    Startled, he instinctively retreated with all his might while transforming his flying sword talisman from offense to defense, positioning it in front of him.


    He could no longer care about his shield talisman, for the Sword Intent of the Xingyi Sword caused all his Divine Thoughts to feel a sharp pain.


    The attacks of the Xingyi Sword were relentless, like a tidal wave; the shield talisman only held for a moment before completely losing control and falling downward.


    In the process of falling, Li Yuanba still had enough strength to catch the shield talisman with his Divine Thought.


    Xin Tong successively took out three talismans from his storage bracelet, all of third-grade. They transformed into three layers of Spiritual Power Shields around him.


    Understanding the peril he was in, he spared no expense, utilizing all available life-saving methods.


    The Sword Lights from the Xingyi Sword split into three; one slashed at the flying sword talisman while the other two intricately bypassed it, chasing down Xin Tong.


    Although splitting the Sword Light reduced its attack power, the Sword Intent within was barely diminished.


    Only because the flying sword talisman was Xin Tong¡¯s lifebound talisman, it could still endure despite being repeatedly slashed by one of the Xingyi Sword¡¯s Sword Lights.


    But Xin Tong¡¯s three layers of Spiritual Power Shields were already broken through two layers, and the last one was on the verge of being shattered.


    Powerful Sword Intent was the nemesis of these kinds of Spiritual Power Shields, ¡°a sword breaks ten thousand spells¡±: the vast majority of this reputation came from the Sword Intent¡¯s dominance over magical arts.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s aura was filled with murderous intent, and the Sword Intent of the Xingyi Sword also carried an extreme killing intent.


    He rarely fought cultivators of a comparable realm, and battling Xin Tong allowed him to fully display the elegance of a Sword Cultivator.


    Recent adversities had left him frustrated, making Xin Tong the perfect target for venting his anger.


    During the confrontation with the Third Grade Demon Vajra Giant Turtle, the Xingyi Sword had proved ineffective; only the help of a Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure resolved the fight, causing him to doubt the power of his flying sword.


    Not to mention when defending Northern Island, he hadn¡¯t even seen the enemy. The mere aftermath of the battle had overwhelmed him.


    This battle allowed Li Yuanba to truly grasp the might of a Golden Core Sword Cultivator. In direct combat, the prominent Mid-stage Cultivator Xin Tong, who was a realm higher, was almost powerless against his Xingyi Sword.


    In just a while, Xin Tong¡¯s defeat was inevitable.


    Li Yuanba also truly recognized the strength of Sword Cultivators, dispelling his doubts about the flying sword, a critical realization.


    ¡°Junior Brother Mu, I¡¯m going to help!¡± Elsewhere, Ying Hou noticed Xin Tong¡¯s plight, shouted sternly, and retreated from his own battle to fly towards the battlefield of Li Yuanba and Xin Tong.

 Chapter 527: 310: Face

    Chapter 527: Chapter 310: Face


    Ying Hou¡¯s arrival on the battlefield did not improve the situation.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s three sword lights split again, becoming six, their power weakened further, yet they still made it difficult for Xin Tong to continue.


    Even Ying Hou, who had just joined the fight, had to switch from attack to defense, because the Sword Intent within the sword light was too fierce, and not defending with full effort could be fatal.


    The two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators were being completely overpowered by Li Yuanba, an Early-stage Golden Core cultivator.


    Fortunately, with Ying Hou¡¯s assistance, Xin Tong was able to hold off defeat a little longer.


    Li Yuanba was merciless towards his enemies, and upon realizing he could not defeat Xin Tong and Ying Hou right away, he prepared his killing move.


    He stretched out his right hand, and a small mountain peak appeared in his palm.


    Jiang Pu, who was dealing with the Righteous Path¡¯s Mu Peng with ease and had spare energy to observe the other battle, had a sudden change in expression when he saw Li Yuanba take out the small mountain peak.


    He certainly knew what that small mountain was, a powerful treasure capable of suppressing a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, and against the less fortunate Golden Core cultivators on the Righteous Path, if struck by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, it would certainly be a death sentence.


    ¡°Junior Li, hold back, don¡¯t kill them!¡± Jiang Pu shouted.


    As Jiang Pu shouted for them to stop, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure had already left Li Yuanba¡¯s hands, transforming into a huge mountain peak in mid-air, covering Ying Hou and Xin Tong, the two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators.


    Ying Hou and Xin Tong, the two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators, felt a tightness all over as a heavy force field descended upon them, binding their bodies and leaving them unable to move.


    Above their heads, the terrifyingly massive Ten Thousand Sword Peak threatened to fall and grind them into dust at any moment.


    The sense of impending death made them want to explode with power, but under the force field of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, even their Golden Cores could not be easily utilized.


    Just as the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure was about to fall, Li Yuanba heard Jiang Pu¡¯s words, but the treasure was easy to release yet difficult to retract, so he could only shift the attacking position of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure away.


    A thunderous explosion followed by flying dirt and rocks filled the sky with dust.


    Jiang Pu, who was fighting earlier, along with the Righteous Path¡¯s cultivator Mu Peng, stopped their combat, staring blankly at the ground.


    Because of the force field from the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, Ying Hou and Xin Tong, the two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators, felt as if they were pulled into the earth alongside the falling treasure.


    To the onlookers, it looked as though they were crushed into the ground by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    The battlefield went silent until the dust was blown away, revealing the disheveled figures of Ying Hou and Xin Tong on the ground, covered in dust from head to toe.


    This was a rare sight for cultivators, who were usually protected by a Spiritual Power Pattern, keeping dust and the like at bay.


    Their disheveled appearance indicated that under the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure¡¯s might, they had completely lost the ability to defend themselves.


    ¡°Are you two alright?¡± Jiang Pu asked with concern.


    This tone of concern made even Li Yuanba wonder if Jiang Pu was about to join the Righteous Path forces, not at all something a Golden Core Elder of the Demon Sect Senluo Sect should say.


    ¡°Good thing you called out in time. Didn¡¯t you explain the rules to him?¡± called out Ying Hou, whose fear from his narrow escape was still evident.


    Jiang Pu also felt helpless; he didn¡¯t want to lose face, which was why he had called for Li Yuanba¡¯s help.


    But how could he have known that Li Yuanba would be so fierce, battling two Mid-stage Cultivators without needing the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, and even suppressing them.


    And the last moment when he took out the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure for a lethal attack, Jiang Pu had been closely watching, thus he immediately issued a warning when he saw Li Yuanba take it out.


    ¡°Junior Li is new here. However, you were about to make us lose face this time. It¡¯s good nothing happened, just be more careful in the future!¡± Jiang Pu responded with pride.


    ¡°You have the audacity to call him a junior, he is much stronger than you!¡± Ying Hou, having recovered, retorted with disdain as he began to fly.


    Jiang Pu knew Ying Hou was in a bad mood and simply smiled without responding.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Li, for holding back!¡± Ying Hou gave a bow to Li Yuanba out of gratitude.


    Li Yuanba, unaware of the context, did not know how to respond and simply returned the bow.


    ¡°Junior Li, we stand off against each other year-round, and if we fought to the death every time, we wouldn¡¯t know how many times we¡¯d have died by now. The rule here is that the Golden Core defenders may be injured, but their lives should not be harmed. Mainly because if these two died, the replacement Golden Core defenders would have to re-establish contact, and who knows how long it would take to reopen the trading routes!¡± Jiang Pu did not hide the truth and explained with a laugh.


    For the sake of benefits and cultivation resources, compromises are always necessary.


    If Li Yuanba had killed Ying Hou and Xin Tong today, the Righteous Path would certainly retaliate, undoubtedly sending a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator over.


    Once the battle started, both sides would deploy many Golden Cores, resulting in losses for both parties.


    Furthermore, the hard-earned cooperative relationship would also disappear, and the difficulty of re-establishing such a relationship would increase manifold, incongruent with the interests of both parties.


    Li Yuanba finally understood the relationship on both sides of the Jieshan Mountain Pass¡ªcooperation was the mainstay, while the face-saving conflicts were just embellishments.


    Such great sects, while verbally advocating that the Righteous and Demon paths cannot coexist, had more than just conflict among their cultivators; there were also human emotions and worldly wisdom.


    Recalling the profit he had received earlier, he felt the restraint he showed just now was nothing significant.


    ¡°We admit defeat today!¡± Ying Hou bowed to Jiang Pu and Li Yuanba.


    While bowing to Li Yuanba, he purposely lingered a bit longer, to show his respect for Li Yuanba.

 Chapter 528: 310: Face_2

    Chapter 528: Chapter 310: Face_2


    After saying those words, the three Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators turned and left.


    It was only then that Li Yuanba realized he had also captured a shield treasure, but by the time he wanted to speak up, it was too late; the speed at which the three Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators flew away was incredibly fast.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, how should we deal with this treasure?¡± Li Yuanba turned to Jiang Pu and asked.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s yours to keep!¡± Jiang Pu replied with a smile.


    His mood was excellent. Rumors were just rumors, and after witnessing Li Yuanba¡¯s combat prowess with his own eyes, he was even more pleased with Li Yuanba¡¯s addition to their ranks.


    The strength Li Yuanba displayed this time not only caused the Righteous Path to lose face, but more importantly, the Senluo Sect would certainly receive a favorable share of the spoils. In the Cultivation World, power was the ultimate truth.


    ¡°Or perhaps Brother Jiang could handle it for me and see if Mr. Mu would like to retrieve it?¡± Li Yuanba casually tossed the shield treasure to Jiang Pu as he spoke.


    Jiang Pu caught the shield treasure. He had dealt with Mu Peng for quite some time and was extremely familiar with the treasures possessed by Mu Peng after many years of opposition.


    This shield treasure was a High Grade Magical Treasure, and in terms of both material and power, it was quite impressive among treasures.


    Yet Li Yuanba¡¯s attitude toward this shield treasure was, to say the least, somewhat nonchalant, if not disdainful.


    But then again, Li Yuanba was a Sword Cultivator, and besides his Lifebound Flying Sword, he had another powerful treasure, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, whose might was enough to suppress any Golden Core cultivator. With such formidable treasures in hand, how could he value this shield treasure?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact Mu Peng later and have him offer something to exchange for this treasure!¡± Jiang Pu laughed and agreed.


    Li Yuanba stayed at Jieshan Mountain Pass, and as for Jieshan City nearby, given its proximity to Jieshan Mountain Pass and the Senluo Sect¡¯s high regard for the area, there had been no cultivator bold enough to cause trouble in the city for many years.


    The Golden Core Elder guarding Jieshan City rarely needed to take action, so its safety was not a concern for him.


    Two days later, Meng Sheng and Shi Can, the two Golden Core Elders, finally returned.


    ¡°Let that guy get away!¡± Shi Can exclaimed angrily upon his return.


    Meng Sheng, however, was not angry and just smiled without a word.


    ¡°The two of you together couldn¡¯t catch that guy?¡± Jiang Pu asked in surprise.


    With their tracking methods, two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators pursuing a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator¡ªlet alone cultivators capable of guarding the Jieshan Mountain Pass, who were among the strongest in the Golden Core Middle Stage¡ªshould have easily managed.


    With such a great disparity in strength, it was unexpected that they still let the opponent escape.


    ¡°That guy burned his lifeforce to escape. It will probably take him decades to recover. Besides, this injury to his origin will likely ruin his future prospects!¡± Meng Sheng answered with a smile.


    It was Shi Can who insisted on a ¡®dead or alive¡¯ capture, but as for the pursuit, Meng Sheng was quite satisfied with the outcome.


    ¡°The Righteous Path didn¡¯t come to make trouble, did they?¡± Not wishing to dwell on the pursuit any longer, Shi Can changed the subject.


    ¡°Junior Li almost killed Ying Hou and Xin Tong on the spot. If I hadn¡¯t stopped them in time, I¡¯m guessing the Jieshan Mountain Pass would already be preparing for battle by now!¡± Jiang Pu said with a laugh.


    ¡°Impressive tactics, brother. It¡¯s about time someone taught them a lesson. Still, it¡¯s better not to kill if we can avoid it. Our cultivation resources depend entirely on the distribution of spoils!¡± Shi Can said, turning to Li Yuanba with surprise.


    A single battle at the Jieshan Mountain Pass had greatly enhanced Li Yuanba¡¯s reputation. Both Righteous and Devil factions were now aware of Li Yuanba, the powerful Golden Core Sword Cultivator, and they began to regard him as another Elder Jian.


    Of course, with his risen fame came some troubles. Gaining renown in the Cultivation World was not easy; the fastest way was to defeat a well-known cultivator and take their place in reputation.


    On the fifth day after Li Yuanba returned to Jieshan City, he received a Sound Transmission Technique.


    The cultivator who sent the Sound Transmission Technique called himself the Red-eyed Blood Demon, which made Li Yuanba take notice. He had encountered many cultivators who went by their names, but it was rare to see a cultivator known by a title.


    In the rules of the Cultivation World, those who earned a recognized title were without a doubt regarded as the strongest.


    The Red-eyed Blood Demon sent a challenge letter, proposing a meeting five miles outside of Jieshan City.


    Li Yuanba wasn¡¯t worried about any traps; at a signal from him, the Golden Core Elders of Jieshan Mountain Pass would come to his aid. Jieshan Mountain Pass was not far, and help could arrive within thirty breaths¡¯ time.


    He didn¡¯t believe that there was any Golden Core cultivator powerful enough to prevent him from lasting thirty breaths.


    Moreover, Sword Cultivators need continuous battles to rapidly enhance their Sword Intent, and he had no intention of giving up such a challenge.


    He flew to the agreed-upon location, where quite a number of cultivators had already gathered to watch and wait.


    It seemed that the Red-eyed Blood Demon had not only challenged him but had also spread the word, which was why there were spectators.


    ¡°Elder Li has arrived!¡±


    ¡°Why is Elder Li still wearing a mask?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he damaged his face while cultivating devilish arts?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Elder Li is a Sword Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t a Sword Cultivator cultivate devilish arts?¡±


    To confront his formidable enemy with even greater caution, Li Yuanba was also wearing his Heart Brace on his head.


    The Heart Brace enhanced his Divine Thought, making his senses extremely sharp; he could clearly hear even the faintest discussions among the onlooking cultivators.


    He ignored their words and looked instead at a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator standing apart from the others.


    The strongest of the spectators was at most at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment; he guessed that few Golden Core cultivators would bother to watch out of idleness.


    ¡°The Red-eyed Blood Demon?¡± Li Yuanba asked the Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, his voice deep.


    He didn¡¯t underestimate his opponent; knowing that despite his victories over Ying Hou and Xin Tong, two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators of the Righteous Path, the Red-eyed Blood Demon still challenged him, he must possess the strength to rival.


    He had no reason to think that Golden Core Early Stage cultivators were weak; he himself was one, yet he had the power to kill Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    ¡°Indeed, are you the Sword Cultivator Li Yuanba?¡± The Red-eyed Blood Demon looked at Li Yuanba with excitement flashing in his eyes.


    He had been passing by and had heard of Li Yuanba¡¯s reputation, which prompted him to propose the duel.


    As for Li Yuanba single-handedly defeating two Mid-stage Golden Core cultivators of the Righteous Path, the Red-eyed Blood Demon scoffed at that. Such fame-grabbing stunts sounded too fake to take seriously.


    However, this also worked in his favor, as he had only recently advanced to the Golden Core Early Stage himself. His Red-eyed Blood Demon reputation also needed to be built up; hitching a ride on Li Yuanba¡¯s fame would let all cultivators know the name of the Red-eyed Blood Demon.


    Pleased with his thoughts, he took out his Ghost Banner Treasure. Using a Ghost Banner Treasure as his Lifebound artifact made him unquestionably a Devil Cultivator.


    No wonder the Red-eyed Blood Demon held himself in high regard: Lifebound artifacts like Ghost Banners have tremendous potential, and their power depends on how well the fierce ghosts within are cultivated.


    The fierce ghost in his Ghost Banner was a Third Grade Fierce Ghost, the type of enemy Golden Core cultivators least wanted to face.


    ¡°An equitable battle!¡± Li Yuanba, sensing the Red-eyed Blood Demon¡¯s confidence, performed a cultivator¡¯s salute and said solemnly.


    ¡°An equitable battle!¡± The Red-eyed Blood Demon nodded, about to wield his Ghost Banner Treasure.


    The most significant combat characteristic of a Sword Cultivator is speed; a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword is one of the fastest magical treasures.


    Almost at the instant both agreed to fight, the Xingyi Sword shot out, its terrifying Supreme Yang Sword Intent unleashed without restraint, sweeping out with force, further enhanced by the Strange Treasure Heart Brace atop his head, which more than doubled Li Yuanba¡¯s spirit.


    This made his Xingyi Sword even faster; before the Red-eyed Blood Demon¡¯s Ghost Banner Treasure could be fully activated, the Xingyi Sword was already close to the Red-eyed Blood Demon.


    But the Red-eyed Blood Demon discovered something that shocked him: the Third Grade Fierce Ghost inside his Ghost Banner Treasure seemed to be afraid of something and wouldn¡¯t obey his command to fight.


    It was this moment of delay that allowed the Xingyi Sword to reach the Red-eyed Blood Demon.


    Without pausing, the sword light passed through the Red-eyed Blood Demon¡¯s body; behind the trajectory of the Xingyi Sword, the Red-eyed Blood Demon¡¯s body split into two halves.

 Chapter 529: 311: Reputation

    Chapter 529: Chapter 311: Reputation


    Li Yuanba was stunned. To tell the truth, he had immense respect for his opponent, which is why he had not held back at all when he executed the Xingyi Sword; he truly gave it his all.


    But the fact that the Red-eyed Blood Demon had been slain without even taking a single hit was something he couldn¡¯t accept.


    The Xingyi Sword made a turn in the air and flew back to his side, gently swaying its blade.


    At this moment, the cultivators observing around the battlefield were still stunned by the Sword Intent radiated by the Xingyi Sword, and it took a full tea time before the cultivators recovered.


    Watching the corpse of the Red-eyed Blood Demon and Li Yuanba collecting the spoils of war, the cultivators were shocked once again.


    The saying goes, seeing is believing, and no matter how much Li Yuanba¡¯s strength was described in rumors, it was nothing compared to witnessing his combat process firsthand.


    Although the Red-eyed Blood Demon was not a Golden Core cultivator from the Senluo Sect, he came from a mid-sized sect and his reputation among Loose Cultivators was extremely prominent.


    He sought out Li Yuanba for a duel to let his own reputation reach major sects like Senluo Sect, and perhaps it could serve as an opportunity to attract the attention of Senluo Sect and thus defect to them.


    But what he never expected was that he wouldn¡¯t be able to take even a single sword strike from Li Yuanba, and his duel turned into a joke.


    Of course, the capabilities of the Red-eyed Blood Demon were actually quite good. It¡¯s just that he had the misfortune of encountering Li Yuanba.


    With the Third Grade Fierce Ghost in his Ghost Banner Treasure, most Golden Core cultivators who had no means to deal with it would be unable to defeat him.


    But Li Yuanba¡¯s Supreme Yang Sword Intent was simply too unique, an absolute nemesis for Devil Cultivators.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost, upon sensing the Supreme Yang Sword Intent contained within the Xingyi Sword, didn¡¯t even have the courage to fight.


    This was partly because the Red-eyed Blood Demon himself didn¡¯t have sufficient control over the Third Grade Fierce Ghost; with the realm of Golden Core Early Stage, controlling a Third Grade Fierce Ghost was quite strenuous.


    It didn¡¯t seem like a big issue usually, but in times of danger, this shortfall could be fatal.


    If the Red-eyed Blood Demon had been able to summon the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, even if the Fierce Ghost couldn¡¯t last long under the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, it would have been better than being killed on the spot.


    As long as the Third Grade Fierce Ghost could hold out for a moment, the Red-eyed Blood Demon could have conceded the duel.


    In such duels, voluntary concession usually meant that it wouldn¡¯t lead to a fight to the death.


    Li Yuanba was also helpless. He didn¡¯t intend to kill the Red-eyed Blood Demon, but he had always fought against extremely strong cultivators, and who could have expected that he would encounter a Golden Core cultivator who couldn¡¯t even withstand a single strike?


    And yet this Golden Core cultivator was so confident, confident to the point that Li Yuanba had to strike with all his might.


    Shaking his head, Li Yuanba paid no attention to the cultivators watching around. He took the Red-eyed Blood Demon¡¯s storage bracelet and the Ghost Banner Treasure, then turned and headed back to the Jieshan City Guardian Mansion.


    As for the corpse of the Red-eyed Blood Demon, his attack had been a bit too harsh, with the Supreme Yang Sword Intent causing severe damage to the corpse, especially since the remaining Supreme Yang Sword Intent continued to erode it, rendering it unusable even as materials for Corpse Refining, let alone being refined into a Silver Corpse.


    Back at the Guardian Mansion, Li Yuanba curiously examined the Ghost Banner Treasure. As for the storage bracelet of the Red-eyed Blood Demon, he lost interest after a sweep of his Divine Thought.


    The likelihood of finding any Spiritual Objects that might catch his eye in the space belongings of a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator not from a major sect was almost negligibly small.


    The only thing that sparked a bit of research interest in him was the Red-eyed Blood Demon¡¯s life-bound Ghost Banner Treasure.


    Unfortunately, that life-bound Ghost Banner Treasure had greatly lost its Spirit, and even if re-cultivated, it could at most exert half of its power.


    Fortunately, the power of the life-bound Ghost Banner Treasure itself wasn¡¯t the most important; it was the Third Grade Fierce Ghost within that was the main combat force.


    When Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought entered the life-bound Ghost Banner Treasure, he sensed the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    A formidable Third Grade Fierce Ghost, in front of which even an ordinary Golden Core cultivator without targeted spiritual attack methods would have to flee, was now trembling under Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought.


    Sword Intent was inherently the nemesis of all techniques, not to mention the Sword Intent carrying Supreme Yang, which naturally repressed the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    ¡°You sure have quite the spirit,¡± said Li Yuanba with a laugh, sensing the emotions of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    Corpse Refining, Fierce Ghosts, and ghosts generally lacked high Wisdom, much like Li Yuanba¡¯s Silver Corpse General, which, despite being a Silver Corpse, only had the Wisdom of a child.


    Furthermore, because the Silver Corpse General mostly loved to sleep, it seemed more like a combat machine than a living being.


    However, this Fierce Ghost, being of the same tier as the Silver Corpse General, clearly had significantly more spirit.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for its much higher spirit, perhaps it would have obeyed the Red-eyed Blood Demon¡¯s command to fight in the previous battle.


    This spirit could sometimes be beneficial, but it could also lead to errors. A fighting machine with its own emotions would naturally consider its own safety.


    Li Yuanba took a liking to this Third Grade Fierce Ghost, but it wasn¡¯t because he wanted it for himself; having such a thing by his side could be disastrous if his Supreme Yang Sword Intent were to sweep over it inadvertently, likely resulting in certain death.


    He thought of a Cultivation Technique in the Senluo Sect that allowed the use of soul bodies like Fierce Ghosts and ghosts to control other beings¡¯ bodies, thereby exhibiting a certain combat capability.


    It was most commonly used to combine soul bodies with Refining Corpses for combat, significantly enhancing their fighting ability.

 Chapter 530: 311: Reputation_2

    Chapter 530: Chapter 311: Reputation_2


    But he thought of the original Li Shiming¡¯s Fake Infant Dao Body supervised by Feng Yi. The Fake Infant Dao Body was still alive, yet due to the limitations of its own realm, it couldn¡¯t utilize the Fake Infant Dao Body to fight.


    ¡°This Third Grade Fierce Ghost might still be too weak!¡± He sensed the situation of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost again and made his judgment.


    Through Li Shiming, he could feel the might of the Fake Infant Dao Body. In his estimation, even if the Third Grade Fierce Ghost used a Secret Technique, it would probably not dare to possess the body of the Fake Infant Dao Body.


    However, this was a direction, as long as he continued to cultivate the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, once it could safely possess the Fake Infant Dao Body, he would be able to wield the combat power of the Fake Infant Dao Body.


    Li Yuanba was aware of the capability of the Fake Infant Dao Body. Even though he was now a Golden Core Sword Cultivator with formidable combat strength, facing the Fake Infant Dao Body head-on, it would be extremely difficult to breach its defenses.


    He could hardly imagine having any opponents in the Golden Core Stage that could contend with him once he harnessed the power of the Fake Infant Dao Body.


    He didn¡¯t believe that wielding the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure truly made him invincible. Although the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure was extremely troublesome to refine, there would definitely be treasures of similar power within the long-standing great sects.


    Such powerful treasures would only be inherited by the most central successors of the great sects.


    It¡¯s just like the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which was passed down to Li Yuanba by Elder Jian. Li Yuanba benefited from the profound foundation of a large sect like the Senluo Sect; otherwise, coming from a medium or small-sized sect, how could a disciple so freshly inducted get his hands on something as excellent as the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    Li Yuanba wasn¡¯t too worried about the improvement of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost¡¯s strength.


    As long as he sent the Ghost Banner Treasure to Li Shiming, Li Shiming had enough resources to enhance the strength of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    Of course, the premise of all this was that Li Shiming needed to form his Golden Core. Without reaching the Golden Core Realm, even a treasure couldn¡¯t recognize its master, let alone control the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    Li Yuanba used his Divine Thought to calm the Third Grade Fierce Ghost and then stored away the Ghost Banner Treasure.


    In the following half-month, his life was very stable. With a single sword strike, he killed the Red-eyed Blood Demon, dissuading any Golden Core cultivators who had the idea of challenging him.


    After another half-month, another fearless Golden Core cultivator came to challenge him, but the result was still the same¡ªhe was slain with a single sword stroke.


    After this, no more Golden Core cultivators came forward to issue a challenge, and Li Yuanba finally had some real peace.


    At the Shushan Sect, it took Li Shiming several months; he learned a lot of knowledge.


    He became an Array Master in the field of formations. In talisman crafting, he could draw Second Grade talismans without a single failed attempt. On the path of the zither, he also successfully made his entry, becoming a cultivator who mastered sound attacks.


    Even in the field of Spirit Plants, he raised his own level to high-grade. The reason why he couldn¡¯t advance further was that his realm wasn¡¯t sufficient to master the higher spells of Spirit Plants.


    During the bottleneck at the peak of Foundation Establishment, he went through all the knowledge he had wanted to learn but never had the time to before.


    Unfortunately, he was still at Half-step Golden Core and still couldn¡¯t grasp the opportunity for the final half-step.


    One day, after sunrise, he didn¡¯t feel like doing anything at all.


    He didn¡¯t practice the zither, didn¡¯t draw talismans, didn¡¯t engage in alchemy, didn¡¯t take care of his Spirit Plants, and didn¡¯t conduct scientific research. Gazing at the sky, he suddenly felt the desire to visit the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    A Half-step Golden Core could forcibly reach the first layer of the Thirty-Three Heavens. Although one couldn¡¯t stay for long, there wouldn¡¯t be any danger to life.


    Ascending to the skies also meant leaving the sect, but the high skies above the sect, even without the protection of the Sect Formation, were under the Sect Formation¡¯s surveillance.


    Apart from cultivators of their own sect, no cultivators from other sects would dare to fly in the skies above the Sect Formation. That would be an act of provocation against the sect, and being killed would lead to no one raising objections.


    Without informing anyone, Li Shiming spurred his flying sword, ascending rapidly.


    At ten thousand meters high, when he released his Divine Thought, he sensed the existence of the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    The fierce winds raged overhead, but an invisible membrane blocked them, preventing the winds from affecting the space below the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    Li Shiming stood ten thousand meters high, gazing down at the landscape below, while at the same time, channeling the Spiritual Power within his body to form a protective barrier around himself.


    He took a deep breath and ascended several meters, feeling as though he had passed through a membrane.


    Afterward, he felt a fierce wind raging around him. This was no ordinary wind but a type of mystical wind that could affect both the bodies and souls of cultivators.


    The wind, blasting against his body, caused his Spiritual Power shield, which was maintained by Spiritual Power, to dissipate almost instantly without even lasting a single moment.


    His body was exposed to the raging wind, which ignored the physical aspect of his body and penetrated into him, attempting to blow away his internal Spiritual Energy.


    What was even more terrifying was that the wind was also blowing away at his soul.


    The realm of a Half-step Golden Core enabled his internal Spiritual Power to be as solid as reality, and although the wind was fierce, it would not be able to blow away his Spiritual Power in a short time.


    As for his soul, it was even stronger due to its inherent resilience, allowing it to withstand the wind far longer than it would take to blow away the internal Spiritual Power.


    This gave him time to experience the legendary Thirty-Three Heavens. This place was just the One Layer Heaven, but already it was a place where ordinary cultivators could not tread.


    He attempted to release a fireball, a most common spell. Given his realm of Half-step Golden Core, it had considerable power.


    This lowest-tier Fire Bomb Skill, which he could execute instantaneously, was impossible to even condense into a spell pattern within the One Layer Heaven.


    If even this lowest-tier Fire Bomb Skill couldn¡¯t be executed, there was no need to mention the higher-level spells.


    Unless his Spiritual Power became more condensed, it would be dispersed by the wind within the One Layer Heaven. It seemed that should he enter the Golden Core Realm, his Spiritual Power would be able to exist independent of his body in such environments.


    He took out a drone from the space within. The drone had no cultivation techniques within it; he had not even used the Spirit Stone Batteries he had recently made progress researching, but had stuck with the most primitive batteries instead.


    He had researched the Thirty-Three Heavens before, but those were done from outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, sending objects into it without being able to directly observe the changes within.


    Now that he could spend a short time in the One Layer Heaven, the idea of conducting new experiments came to him.


    The drone was taken out and activated, and the fearsome wind could not affect the drone.


    He had known this, but after personally experiencing the depth of the wind¡¯s terror, he felt even more keenly the peculiarities of the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    The Thirty-Three Heavens seemed designed to contain Spiritual Energy, leaving all non-Spiritual Energy objects untouched by the wind.


    He conducted a few more experiments, such as trying to arrange a formation to isolate the wind of the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    However, he soon realized that no matter what he did, once he entered the Thirty-Three Heavens, the wind would penetrate it. Even his Space Ring almost got breached by the wind.


    If it were not for his quick reaction, pulling the Space Ring into his cabin¡¯s space in time, the Spiritual Objects inside might have all been destroyed.


    It was only because his power was too weak to protect his own Space Ring that such a situation occurred.


    For the sake of experimentation, he lost several Second Grade Array Flags. He did not dare to use Third Grade Array Flags for the experiments as they were simply too precious to risk.


    With his realm, he was not yet capable of crafting Third Grade Array Flags on his own. The Third Grade Array Flags he had were traded with Spirit Pills, numbering a total of one hundred and eight, the exact amount required to set up a complete formation.


    After persisting in the One Layer Heaven for the duration of thirty minutes, Li Shiming had no choice but to retreat from the One Layer Heaven.


    If he stayed within the One Layer Heaven any longer, the wind would blow the Spiritual Power out of his body, and his Body Refinement and Cultivation Realm would decline. At a critical time like Half-step Golden Core Realm, such an event could affect his chances of advancing to the Golden Core.


    He dared not take such matters lightly and chose to withdraw proactively a little before reaching his limit.

 Chapter 531: 312 Heavenly Demon

    Chapter 531: Chapter 312 Heavenly Demon


    Just as Li Shiming exited from the One Layer Heaven, a shadowy figure appeared out of the void and pounced towards him.


    Even though his Divine Thought detected the shadowy figure, he was still unable to evade it, for the speed of the shadowy figure was too fast, faster than when he used ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    It was as if in a single thought, the figure had pounced onto him.


    At the very same moment, his body withdrew from the One Layer Heaven.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Li Shiming heard a grating laugh inside his head, a laugh filled with arrogance, extreme excitement, and a cruelty towards life that shouldn¡¯t belong to any normal being.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Li Shiming shouted sternly.


    Spiritual Power surged within him, and he fully activated the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± and the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± bringing his body¡¯s defense to the utmost extreme.


    In his hands, he also held a ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate,¡± ready to protect himself with it at the first sign of trouble.


    Beneath him was the monastery, and his actions were enough to sustain him until the arrival of a Sect Elder.


    Soon enough, he discovered that the enemy was not outside his body, but within his own soul.


    Turning his inner vision, he sensed the shadowy figure that had pounced on him and then disappeared. He saw a familiar yet horrifying silhouette.


    This familiarity did not come from him but from his clone, Li Yuanba, who, when he had joined the Senluo Sect, had once endured the trial of the Heavenly Demon Inquiry.


    What Li Shiming sensed in his soul was indeed a Heavenly Demon.


    This Heavenly Demon came from beyond the heavens and was lucky enough to break through the perimeter of the Thirty-Three Heavens and enter into the One Layer Heaven.


    Even Golden Core cultivators rarely entered the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    Li Shiming¡¯s understanding of the Thirty-Three Heavens was limited, mostly derived from not entirely accurate texts.


    The monastery and the vast majority of Golden Core cultivators were extremely secretive about the Thirty-Three Heavens, with few detailed descriptions, and they would not lightly venture into the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    There were countless warnings passed down through generations, and the dangers therein were kept secret due to some taboo.


    In fact, it¡¯s Heavenly Demons that are the greatest danger within the Thirty-Three Heavens. Heavenly Demons are blocked by the Thirty-Three Heavens, and very few can break through into its inner realms, let alone break through again into the mortal realm.


    But ¡®very few¡¯ does not mean ¡®none.¡¯ Sometimes, spatial rifts created by cosmic changes allow Heavenly Demons to break through the barriers.


    Li Shiming was not lucky. According to his master, Elder Su, his karmic fortune was just too profound.


    This fortune wasn¡¯t entirely beneficial, as evident from him, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, encountering a powerful being in the Fake Infant Stage during one of his rare outings¡ªan event which also counted as karmic fortune.


    Today, it was just a whim that made him want to take a look inside the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    Who could have imagined that such an action during the span of thirty minutes could lead to an encounter with a Heavenly Demon.


    Heavenly Demons could not easily break through the Thirty-Three Heavens to enter the mortal realm.


    However, as Li Shiming was exiting the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Heavenly Demon entered his body, using it as a vessel to successfully enter the mortal realm.


    After entering the mortal realm, the Heavenly Demon did not leave Li Shiming¡¯s body.


    Heavenly Demons come to the mortal realm to attach themselves to cultivators with deep potential, controlling them to become their puppets.


    The prodigious depth of Li Shiming¡¯s potential was immediately discovered by the Heavenly Demon after it entered his body.


    The excessively young body possessed the cultivation of a Half-step Golden Core. Not to mention, his body contained the complete Five Elements Spiritual Power and even had the attribute of thunder and lightning, while his body was also the rare Purity Body.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Taoist Body was so outstanding that upon entering it, the Heavenly Demon felt as ecstatic as if it had hit the jackpot.


    Even when Heavenly Demons have the chance to enter the mortal realm, without a cultivator¡¯s body as a container, they would be eradicated by the Heaven and Earth Rules.


    The time granted by the Heaven and Earth Rules for a Heavenly Demon to stay in the mortal realm is very short. It¡¯s not easy for a Heavenly Demon to find a suitable vessel in such a brief time, so how could it possibly give up Li Shiming¡¯s perfect Taoist Body.


    That laughter was a display of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s immense delight. Following its laughter, the Heavenly Demon prepared to devour Li Shiming¡¯s soul, to make him its puppet.


    Upon sensing the Heavenly Demon, Li Shiming immediately understood his predicament.


    In the Cultivation World, many legends circulated about Heavenly Demons.


    Some legends say that if a cultivator¡¯s state of mind has issues, regardless of cultivation level, they might align with a Heavenly Demon, and once a connection is established, the Heavenly Demon will descend into the cultivator¡¯s soul, turning the cultivator into a devil.


    Other legends claim that a devil possessed by a Heavenly Demon would continue to kill and rapidly increase their strength.


    Regardless of which legend, they all illustrate the terror of Heavenly Demons.


    In a flash of thought, Li Shiming mobilized the IBMz15, and Buddhist chants resounded from the depths of his soul.


    The appearance of Buddhist chants only caused the Heavenly Demon¡¯s actions to pause momentarily, before it continued with the intent to devour his soul.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough!¡± Li Shiming knew these measures were not sufficient to affect the Heavenly Demon.


    A huge ethereal figure manifested behind him, a true embodiment of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡±


    Out of the many cultivation techniques he had practiced, this was the only one capable of manifesting a true embodiment.


    Of course, the main reason for this was that not all cultivation techniques could manifest a true embodiment. Only those related to faith could possibly summon existences that were either genuinely real or constructed by collective belief into being through true embodiment.

 Chapter 532: 312 Heavenly Demon_2

    Chapter 532: Chapter 312 Heavenly Demon_2


    Behind him was the Angry-eyed Vajra¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sure if the Angry-eyed Vajra truly existed, but the one he manifested through his true intentions indeed carried a trace of the Buddhist Vajra¡¯s might.


    The illusion of the Angry-eyed Vajra glared at Li Shiming, its gaze piercing through Li Shiming¡¯s body and focusing on the Heavenly Demon.


    Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seals appeared around the illusionary Heavenly Demon from all directions, forming a cage that sought to trap the demon.


    Being the natural nemesis of the Heavenly Demon, even a mere incarnation of a genuine Buddhist Vajra weakened the demon significantly, reducing its powers to a hundredth in the human realm.


    The Heavenly Demon let out a roar. Its ethereal form flickered as it attempted to escape the prison of the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seals.


    But no matter how the Heavenly Demon moved, the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seals adjusted accordingly, maintaining the confinement.


    Such a huge commotion in the sky inevitably caught the attention of the Golden Core Elder in charge of the sect¡¯s grand formation.


    Recognizing his identity and seeing him manifest a form with true intention, the Elder chose not to intervene.


    It was because of Li Shiming¡¯s unique identity that the Golden Core Elder showed him such respect, yet it also meant that Li Shiming lost the chance of receiving help from the sect.


    Otherwise, the sect would have some means to help Li Shiming if they discovered he was possessed by the Heavenly Demon.


    The Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal tightened further and soon shrank into a cage without a single gap.


    Just as a surge of joy rose in Li Shiming¡¯s heart, he realized that because his own realm was too low, and his training in the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the might of the Angry-eyed Vajra manifested from his true intention was also only at the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    Therefore, although this manifestation of the Angry-eyed Vajra could trap the Heavenly Demon, it could not completely kill it; it could only continue to weaken the demon.


    Li Shiming encountered the greatest trouble¡ªthat the duration of the Angry-eyed Vajra¡¯s manifestation through true intentions was limited, lasting only a few two hours, a duration he could sustain only because he was at the Half-step Golden Core Realm.


    Given the rate at which the Heavenly Demon was being weakened, the Angry-eyed Vajra manifestation would dissipate first.


    If the Angry-eyed Vajra manifestation disappeared, the Heavenly Demon would be able to devour his soul and recover fully.


    Li Shiming thought of the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± that he had primarily practiced before planning to switch to dual cultivation.


    He had found a higher-ranked ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± but he still couldn¡¯t give up the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± primarily because it was a Thunder Skill.


    Thunder Skill is among the most powerful in the arts of the Cultivation World, one of the few Cultivation Techniques that could match a Sword Cultivator.


    So even though practicing the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± might affect his cultivation speed, he still insisted on training it.


    ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embody!¡± he declared in a deep voice.


    As he softly spoke, countless bolts of lightning surged from Spirit Lake, flowing through his meridians and permeating his body.


    Every part of his body was filled with electricity; ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embody¡± was originally meant to enhance a cultivator¡¯s resistance to thunder and significantly increase control over lightning for a short period.


    But used in this situation, the lightning became a weapon against the Heavenly Demon.


    Perhaps because both the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal and the lightning originated from Li Shiming himself, the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal neither rejected nor resisted the lightning but allowed it to pass through unimpeded.


    The lightning did not attack the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal either, smoothly penetrating the cage.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A piercing and shrill cry, like the grating sound of metal scraping, resounded in Li Shiming¡¯s soul, causing his entire body to tremble involuntarily.


    While on Sky Sea Island, Li Shiming had learned a technique called ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear,¡± reportedly crafted to mimic the cries of the Heavenly Demon.


    He could now confirm that ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear¡± was nowhere near the real scream of the Heavenly Demon; the direct and intense influence on the soul exerted by the demon¡¯s scream was several levels stronger than ¡°Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear.¡±


    His soul was strong enough to withstand the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howl without any harm, though it did make Li Shiming somewhat dizzy and his body trembled as an instinctual response.


    He forcibly endured the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howls, continuously mobilizing the lightning in Spirit Lake, constantly activating ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embodiment.¡±


    The reason the Heavenly Demon howled so miserably was precisely because ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embodiment¡± had taken effect, causing it significant damage.


    After ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embodiment¡± persisted for a few moments, Li Shiming found his control over thunder and lightning had greatly improved.


    Every streak of lightning within him was connected to his senses; the lightning was like his eyes, his hands, his tongue, his nose. He could see, touch, taste, and smell everything the lightning touched.


    He had practiced ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embodiment¡± many times and felt that he had mastered its instantaneous activation, which he considered the pinnacle of mastery in this technique.


    But he now realized that he had never truly mastered ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embodiment.¡± Whether it was fighting the Heavenly Demon or the appearance of the Heavenly Demon that provoked an anomaly in the lightning, he now had a deeper understanding of ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embodiment¡± and ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡±


    Previously, the lightning that passed through the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal was irregular. After his control over thunder and lightning increased, this lightning became a part of his body, carrying his senses and subject to his precise control.


    The lightning no longer chaotic, became ordered, forming another cage of electricity around the Heavenly Demon within the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal.


    Although Li Shiming¡¯s power could not compare to the might of the Angry-eyed Vajra, assembling a formation composed of dense, moving streaks of lightning wasn¡¯t a problem using the lightning as nodes.


    Of course, this involved unimaginable calculations, which even he, as an Array Master, could not achieve. But with the addition of the computational power of IBMz15, what was originally a highly improbable operation became reality.


    The damage of the lightning to the Heavenly Demon was not high, but its persistence was its strength.


    And the cage of lightning could indeed trap the Heavenly Demon. Given the amount of lightning in Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Lake, it could last for several days without a problem.


    If during this time Li Shiming further cultivated the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± to replenish it, the duration could be extended indefinitely.


    Only then did Li Shiming feel at ease; he had never expected to trap the Heavenly Demon so smoothly.


    The Heavenly Demon was not so easily trapped. Even with his current understanding of the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± and his control over thunder and lightning, had he not trapped the Heavenly Demon with the true manifestation of the Angry-eyed Vajra first, the demon would have escaped before the lightning cage was completed.


    Li Shiming opened his eyes and looked around. He was ten thousand meters above the sect¡¯s gate. If he stayed any longer, many cultivators within the gate might notice him.


    He didn¡¯t know how the sect would handle a Heavenly Demon possession, and as he was capable of dealing with the situation himself, he didn¡¯t want the sect to intervene.


    Because he couldn¡¯t guarantee that the sect wouldn¡¯t kill the Heavenly Demon along with him, even though this possibility was very low, he dared not risk it.


    He retracted the true manifestation of the Angry-eyed Vajra, carefully sensing the state of the Heavenly Demon during this process.


    After the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal cage disappeared, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s resistance noticeably increased, but under the restraint of the lightning cage, apart from being severely punished by the lightning, it couldn¡¯t stir up any trouble.


    Without the true manifestation of the Angry-eyed Vajra, he wasn¡¯t so conspicuous.


    He activated Sword Escape, flew downward, and returned to Sword Holding Peak, immediately entering the Cultivation Room in his dwelling.


    He didn¡¯t know if the fourth-grade ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡± would be effective against the Heavenly Demon, but either way, it was his most powerful formation.


    He set up the ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate,¡± placing himself in an isolated space.


    With ¡°Heavenly Thunder Embodiment¡± from the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± he needed not worry about being possessed by the Heavenly Demon, but he also didn¡¯t want the demon to escape.


    This ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡± was a barrier he had set up. Although he didn¡¯t know if it would be effective, as long as it could delay the Heavenly Demon¡¯s escape, it would be enough.


    If the Heavenly Demon broke out of his body, in such a confined space, he could release more lightning without worrying about overstimulating the lightning and damaging his Taoist Body.

 Chapter 533: 313 Opportunity

    Chapter 533: Chapter 313 Opportunity


    The howling of the Heavenly Demon persisted, initially causing him dizziness and trembling in his body.


    Yet, a cultivator¡¯s body has strong adaptability; when the Heavenly Demon was unable to cause more damage, and he continued to be exposed to its howls, Li Shiming surprisingly began to adapt to the howlings of the Heavenly Demon.


    At the same time, IBMz15 recorded the soundwave characteristics of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howl and a series of reactions, which was possible only because the Heavenly Demon was within him, allowing him such a profound perception, enabling IBMz15 to record with almost no omissions.


    It was estimated that not many cultivators would have such an opportunity to make records while bearing the possession of a Heavenly Demon.


    Days passed, and several cultivators who wanted to see Li Shiming received no response, signaling to the sect¡¯s members that Li Shiming had entered seclusion.


    For cultivators, going into seclusion was nothing strange, especially for someone like Li Shiming, who was a Half-step Golden Core cultivator.


    Being only half a step away from the Golden Core Stage meant that whenever a Half-step Golden Core cultivator had some insights, they would go into seclusion, searching for that sliver of a breakthrough opportunity.


    No cultivator knew that Li Shiming was contending against the Heavenly Demon.


    To say it was a contention would be an understatement, it was more like an overwhelming suppression; the Heavenly Demon didn¡¯t have the slightest chance to resist. At its strongest state, it had been dulled by the Golden Ten Thousand Character Buddha Seal of the Angry-eyed Vajra, and since then, the Heavenly Demon had become weaker and weaker.


    Once the Heavenly Demon was trapped in a cage of lightning, it completely lost any chance of escape.


    To Li Shiming¡¯s delight, every time the Heavenly Demon weakened, his spirit grew stronger.


    At first, he did not notice, as the damage to the Heavenly Demon was not severe and the continuous harm caused an extremely slow enhancement of his spirit. This enhancement was so gradual that it took him several two-hour periods to realize the changes in his spirit.


    Li Shiming had long since ceased to be a novice in the Cultivation World. The most noticeable talent of a cultivator was the spirit root seeds, but if one wished to go further on the path of cultivation, the spirit was even more important.


    A strong spirit could support leaps in a cultivator¡¯s realm, while a weak spirit would halt any progress at the limit of one¡¯s soul.


    And strengthening the spirit with Spiritual Objects was extremely rare, with effects often unsatisfactory, usually only providing a minimal increase in the spirit, and would lose effectiveness after prolonged use.


    The real opportunity for rapid soul enhancement came when a cultivator ascended to a higher realm, receiving the rewards of the Heaven and Earth Rules.


    Li Shiming had not yet ascended to the Golden Core, but he had obtained a spirit enhancement exceeding that of ascension.


    This phenomenon made him not want the Heavenly Demon to die early; the longer the Demon persisted, the greater the benefits he would receive.


    Five days, ten days, twenty days, all the way to the fortieth day, his spirit had strengthened nearly by half, while the Heavenly Demon had become so ethereal it was almost transparent.


    The howling of the Heavenly Demon was extremely weak; after enduring forty days of lightning assault, Li Shiming could not help but admire the Heavenly Demon¡¯s perseverance, as its howling had never ceased.


    Perhaps this was the only means of attack left to the Heavenly Demon after being trapped in the cage of lightning; even if it was futile, the instinct of the Heavenly Demon compelled it to keep casting.


    Now, if compared in terms of research on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howl, Li Shiming could certainly claim to be the foremost in the entire history of the Cultivation World.


    If Li Shiming¡¯s strength had been stronger, the Heavenly Demon would not have been able to endure so long, and it would have been expelled and sealed away early on. If his strength were weaker, the Heavenly Demon could have broken through the cage of lightning and escaped.


    His strength just happened to be at a point that allowed him to obtain the most extensive data on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howling.


    During these forty days, he was unable to do other things, but he conducted research on the data of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howling, combining ¡®Devil¡¯s Sound into the Ear¡¯ with other spiritual cultivation techniques.


    The technique he renamed ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ had a direct effect on the soul, a cultivation technique created one hundred percent based on the howling of the Heavenly Demon.


    IBMz15 had recorded the howling of the Heavenly Demon for forty days. Various comparisons and analyses were made from every aspect; as long as Li Shiming could imagine it, everything that could be perceived through Divine Thought and the five senses ¨C sound, energy, spirit ¨C had been recorded.


    The final ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ technique could unleash half the might of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howl. The reason for only half its might was due to the limitations of Li Shiming¡¯s vocal organs.


    Even with IBMz15¡¯s control over his vocal organs, it was impossible to fully replicate the sound-producing effect of the Heavenly Demon.


    But Li Shiming was extremely satisfied. This was a cultivation technique he had created himself, and moreover, it was a spiritual attack technique.


    Ever since his power reached the Half-step Golden Core Realm, the spiritual attack techniques he had studied and cultivated in the past had lost much of their significance.


    Because the enemies that could be harmed by those spiritual attack techniques could be effortlessly dealt with using spells, Spiritual Artifacts, Corpse Refining, or even Divine Thought alone.


    And opponents who were slightly stronger were not affected by those former spiritual attack techniques.


    ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯, this technique, was different. The howling of the Heavenly Demon was effective against cultivators of any realm, and its power depended on the strength of Li Shiming¡¯s own spirit.


    With Li Shiming at the Half-step Golden Core Realm, activating ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ could affect cultivators in the same realm of Half-step Golden Core. When he breaks through to the Golden Core, he would then be able to influence Golden Core cultivators of the same realm.


    Moreover, as his Taoist Body improved, his ability to mimic the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howling would also increase, fundamentally enhancing the power of ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯.


    The nearly transparent Heavenly Demon made Li Shiming think it was about to be destroyed, disappearing under the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯.

 Chapter 534: 313 Opportunity_2

    Chapter 534: Chapter 313 Opportunity_2


    But just as the Heavenly Demon¡¯s howling ceased and the demon became nearly completely transparent, leaving only a faint and elusive silhouette, the lightning bolts lost their effect on such a state of the Heavenly Demon.


    No matter how much Li Shiming intensified the lightning¡¯s attacks, they could no longer harm the Heavenly Demon.


    This state of the Heavenly Demon seemed to be devoid of vitality, like an empty shell, but this was a Heavenly Demon, after all. If it couldn¡¯t be completely annihilated, it might recover someday.


    Li Shiming did not know that the Heavenly Demon could undergo such a transformation; he reveled in the continuous enhancement of his soul, believing that with his own power he could annihilate the Heavenly Demon.


    Li Shiming sensed the transparent Heavenly Demon; it existed in his perception, but when he tried to sense it with lightning, it felt like nothing was there.


    This was why the lightning could not harm the Heavenly Demon¡ªthe demon in this state was more void than substantial. The only tangible aspect was the perceived silhouette of the transparent Heavenly Demon, which turned into nothingness upon contact.


    Even in this state, Li Shiming could not extract the Heavenly Demon from his own soul.


    To have the Transparent Heavenly Demon remain within his soul was a significant risk.


    He thought of the engine room space, and with a slight motion of his mind, the Transparent Heavenly Demon disappeared from his soul and appeared within the engine room space.


    The engine room space¡¯s utterly unreasonable storage capacity, to a certain extent, broke the rules of Heaven and Earth, and it was by defying these rules of Heaven and Earth that it could achieve such a feat.


    His mind entered the engine room space and saw the Floating Transparent Heavenly Demon, still enveloped by the lightning-formed Formation cage.


    This lightning-formed Formation cage, constructed by Li Shiming manipulating the lightning, was even stronger outside the body than inside.


    Unfortunately, the lightning cage still could not harm the Transparent Heavenly Demon, who remained as insubstantial as ever.


    Even when Li Shiming sent his flying sword into the engine room space, attempting to harm the Transparent Heavenly Demon physically, it proved that physical means, or the ways of Spiritual Power Pattern or Sword Intent, could not harm the Heavenly Demon in its transparent state.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the formation of the Transparent Heavenly Demon was extremely rare, requiring a cultivator to use the minimal amount of damaging attack to slowly deplete the energy within the demon.


    Until the energy within the Heavenly Demon was completely depleted, precisely at the point of emptiness, yet without the excess force to break the demon¡¯s shell.


    If there were energy inside the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell, it could be destroyed along with the energy, but if the shell had no energy at all, simply an empty shell, then the shell¡¯s insubstantial properties would make it immune to all attacks.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t even know the kind of miracle he had wrought; he had played the Heavenly Demon to its limits.


    No wonder it was considered a stroke of luck, as being possessed by a Heavenly Demon seemed like a tremendously unlucky event.


    Yet, he had gained many benefits from the Heavenly Demon; his soul had strengthened by half, he created the ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡±¡ªa mental attack technique, and he gained a deeper understanding of the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡±


    Lastly, there was the shell of the Transparent Heavenly Demon; its use was still unknown, but it was an artifact left by the Heavenly Demon, a being that could cause headaches for cultivators at any level in the Cultivation World.


    Now, Li Shiming no longer needed to worry about the Heavenly Demon. In the engine room space, he set up a lightning cage using electrically charged lightning, with a single charge of Thunder Spirit Power lasting several days.


    In the future, as long as he kept replenishing the Thunder Spirit Power, he could keep the Heavenly Demon trapped until he found other ways to deal with it.


    With the threat of the Heavenly Demon removed, his body relaxed; for forty days, both his soul and body had been in a state of tension, and now he could stretch both his mind and body.


    At that moment, his mind was pondering the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡±; he finally understood why he had not been able to break through to the Golden Core Realm.


    He had cultivated the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique,¡± one of the top-tier cultivation techniques in the Cultivation World.


    His deep understanding of the Five Elements Spiritual Power, coupled with his mastery in formations, should not have kept him trapped in the bottleneck of the Golden Core Stage for so long.


    The main reason he had been stuck in the Half-step Golden Core Stage for several months was his insufficient grasp of the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.¡±


    Thunder Skill was one of the most powerful and complex techniques in the Cultivation World, and its difficulty was the largest barrier in its cultivation.


    Thunder Skill required a certain aptitude for cultivation, which was a prerequisite for its practice, but even more important was the comprehension of the Thunder Skill. Without sufficient comprehension, the cultivation speed of Thunder Skill would be profoundly slow.


    Li Shiming had always been pursuing his comprehension of the Five Elements. Even though his understanding of the Five Elements was enough to break through the Golden Core bottleneck, he continued to explore in this direction. If it hadn¡¯t been for the need to confront the Heavenly Demon this time, he wouldn¡¯t have known how long it would take to find the right direction.


    A look of surprise appeared on his face as he felt his bottleneck loosening.


    With just a bit more cultivation, he was confident that he could break through the bottleneck.


    He did not immediately go into seclusion again, unlike Li Yuanba of the Senluo Sect, for whom the Elder Jian was in seclusion and otherwise had no other entanglements.


    He had Elder Su, three senior fellow disciples, Elder Ma, and the attention of his sect.


    Previously, when his senior sister had breakthrough, he had gone to observe. If he were to have a breakthrough, he would also need to report to Elders Su and Ma, and if there were Late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples, they could also come to observe.


    He had enjoyed the benefits, but at the same time, he needed to take on his own responsibilities.


    So he cast two communication techniques, sending them to Elders Su and Ma respectively.


    Moments later, Elder Su and Elder Ma arrived at his cave dwelling.


    ¡°Master!¡± Li Shiming respectfully greeted the two masters who had helped him the most.


    ¡°Shiming, has your bottleneck loosened?¡± Elder Ma, more anxious than Elder Su, asked eagerly before Li Shiming had even finished his salutation.


    Elder Su smiled and did not compete with Elder Ma to ask questions.


    There was no need to ask more; Li Shiming¡¯s aura, somewhat different from before his seclusion, had become less stable, which was enough to suggest that his bottleneck had loosened.


    It was worth noting that Li Shiming, in his Half-step Golden Core Stage before, had an extremely stable aura, a stability that was due in part to the bottleneck.


    Both Elders Su and Ma had gone through this period and had observed other Golden Core cultivators in the sect during their breakthroughs, so they could judge Li Shiming¡¯s current state very accurately.


    Of course, part of the reason was also that Li Shiming did not hide his aura in front of his two masters, as there was no need for him to hide.


    Elder Ma¡¯s urgency stemmed from Li Shiming¡¯s status as an Alchemy Master. Once Li Shiming broke through to the Golden Core Stage, he could refine Third-grade Spirit Pills using two types of Third-grade Spiritual Medicines as main materials. This was just immediately after the breakthrough, but once his Golden Core Realm stabilized, he would be able to refine most of the Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    By then, Li Shiming would be a true Alchemy Master, unlike now, where he bore the title of Alchemy Master but could only refine Third-grade Spirit Pills using one type of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main material.


    ¡°I have had some insights during my recent seclusion and feel that if I organize what I¡¯ve learned, I might be able to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core in about a month!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    He did not mention the matter of the Heavenly Demon; he had already dealt with it, and discussing it further would require too much explanation.


    ¡°Until you break through, I will be watching over you, ensuring that no one disturbs you!¡± With a smile full of satisfaction, Elder Su spoke after receiving confirmation from Li Shiming.


    His eldest disciple, Ye Jingxian, was already in the Golden Core Stage, and now his youngest disciple was on the verge of a breakthrough.


    Normally, for a cultivator to train a disciple who becomes a Golden Core cultivator in their lifetime is considered quite an achievement. Two of his disciples were set to become Golden Core cultivators, while the other three still had plenty of time to grow and possibly attempt the breakthrough.


    Just this sense of achievement alone made Elder Su extremely proud.


    Thus, even if it affected his own cultivation, he decided not to go into seclusion until Li Shiming had broken through, as Li Shiming was not only his most important disciple but also the most important disciple in the Shushan Sect.

 Chapter 535: 314: Beginning

    Chapter 535: Chapter 314: Beginning


    Li Shiming did not rush his breakthrough, instead giving himself a month to reflect slowly and consolidate the insights he had previously gained.


    This is also what most cultivators do before a breakthrough, as advancing in this manner significantly increases the chances of success.


    Although Li Shiming was confident in his upcoming breakthrough, this was still his physical body, the foundation of his cultivation, where not a single flaw was permissible, let alone any hurried mistakes that could harm the fundamental.


    It was only with his avatar, Li Yuanba, that he was comparably more casual, as it was just an avatar, after all.


    That month, he abandoned all other affairs, reviewing his understanding of the Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique and the Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique to deepen his mastery of these two cultivation techniques.


    Outside his residence on Sword Holding Peak, the formation at Heavenly Eye Peak was activated to its limit, encapsulating Sword Holding Peak within it.


    Sword Holding Peak was indeed a mountain within the Heavenly Eye Peak range, where Elder Su, regardless of the consumption of spiritual energy, could cover the entire mountain range with Heavenly Eye Peak¡¯s formation.


    In reality, Elder Su was being overly cautious. Even under normal circumstances, within the Shushan Sect, with the Sect Formation in place, no cultivator would dare to run wild.


    Elder Su¡¯s actions also let other cultivators in the sect know that Li Shiming was about to break through to the Golden Core Stage.


    This news excited all the Golden Core cultivators within the sect, especially those in the Middle and Late Stages of Golden Core.


    Previously, the Golden Core Early Stage cultivators were fine. They could enjoy the Third Grade Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming, which were the best among high-quality Third Grade Spirit Pills.


    However, due to Li Shiming¡¯s limited cultivation realm, the Middle and Late Stage Golden Core cultivators could only watch helplessly.


    Even recently, many Middle and Late Stage Golden Core cultivators had started to store the rare Third-grade Spiritual Medicines they obtained, instead of hastily seeking an Alchemy Master to refine them into spirit pills.


    They were waiting for Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough. If Li Shiming could refine Third-grade Spirit Pills for them after his advancement, not only could the quantity of spirit pills be guaranteed¡ªallowing them to receive two Third-grade Spirit Pills from one batch¡ªbut the quality would also be assured. Given Li Shiming¡¯s track record of never failing, the pills he refined would likely be much more potent than those produced by other Alchemy Masters.


    Every Third-grade Spiritual Medicine is obtained by Golden Core cultivators through great risks and efforts. Naturally, they all hoped for more and better-quality spirit pills and thus wished for Li Shiming to advance to the Golden Core Stage as soon as possible.


    Within the Shushan Sect, even Elder Ji, who originally opposed Li Shiming, had abandoned the idea of being his enemy.


    Opposing Li Shiming could very likely cause Elder Ji¡¯s influence within the sect to disintegrate.


    A month quickly passed, and Li Shiming, sitting cross-legged in his cave dwelling, opened his eyes, which sparkled with five types of radiance and occasional flashes of lightning.


    Yet, his heart was calm, feeling that he was in the best state after a month of adjusting.


    He cast several communication techniques, then his figure flew to a clearing at the summit of Sword Holding Peak.


    There, a formation for gathering Spiritual Power had already been arranged to ensure sufficient spiritual energy during his advancement.


    He sat at the center of the formation, waiting with a clear mind.


    Soon, Elder Su and Elder Ma appeared, followed by three Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, among whom was Li Shiming¡¯s second senior brother, Wan Zheng.


    Wan Zheng¡¯s feelings were complex as he observed Li Shiming¡¯s ascension to Golden Core. When Li Shiming entered the sect, he was at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, and he remained there through the early, middle, and late stages of Li Shiming¡¯s Foundation Establishment.


    Eventually, Li Shiming surpassed him, reaching Half-step Golden Core, and he no longer wanted to compare himself to Li Shiming.


    And yet, seeing Li Shiming today still subconsciously made Wan Zheng compare himself to him, making him wonder what he had really achieved in nearly a century of cultivation.


    The two Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators that Elder Ma brought were his disciples.


    Such opportunities to observe a Golden Core advancement ceremony firsthand were incredibly rare, and without deep connections, it would not be possible for others to attend.


    The more cultivators present as spectators, the greater the risk of complications.


    Even a slight problem could jeopardize a cultivator¡¯s advancement, which is a critical event that absolutely must not encounter any issues. Therefore, Li Shiming had invited only Elder Su, Elder Ma, and their qualified disciples to observe.


    Not only Li Shiming but in the future, whether for Wan Zheng or Elder Ma¡¯s disciples, they would likewise need to invite the closest cultivators to their ascension to the Golden Core Stage.


    This is a tradition of the sect, handed down from generation to generation.


    Elder Su, Elder Ma, and the three Late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples were all very quiet, staying far from the formation, fearing that their presence might affect Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough process.


    Li Shiming did not speak, nor did he even open his eyes; in this situation, the advancement was of utmost importance.


    He did not want to let a simple greeting disturb the state of mind he had adjusted over the past month, something his two mentors understood.


    Shortly after the observing cultivators arrived, Li Shiming waved his hand, and five Third Grade Five Elements Array Materials were thrown by him, landing on the ground.


    These landing points were very special, forming a simple Five Elements Qi Absorption Array without conflicting with the existing formation for gathering Spiritual Power.

 Chapter 536: 314: Beginning_2

    Chapter 536: Chapter 314: Beginning_2


    Elder Su and Elder Ma¡¯s discernment was extraordinary; upon witnessing Li Shiming¡¯s array formation skills, they exchanged a look, their eyes filled with astonishment.


    Just by this ability alone, Li Shiming¡¯s level in array formation was probably comparable to that of an Array Master.


    Moreover, what they couldn¡¯t understand was why Li Shiming needed five pieces of third-grade Five Elements Array Materials for his advancement.


    They were all puzzled, not to mention the three late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples, who were full of questions in their eyes. However, since discussions were not allowed on the scene, they could only watch.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s current identity, he didn¡¯t mind exposing some special features within him.


    Given his status as an Alchemy Master, even if he practiced forbidden techniques at Shushan Sect, the sect would still accept him.


    As long as he didn¡¯t commit treason or similar grave offenses, the sect would continue to protect and value him dearly.


    The ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ formed by the five pieces of third-grade Five Elements Array Materials linked up with the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ within his Spirit Lake.


    In order to replace the second-grade Five Elements energy nodes in the Spirit Lake with the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯, there was no other way that he knew of, except using the Power of Heaven and Earth Rules that came just before a major breakthrough. This was the result of the IBMz15¡¯s documentation on the research of forming the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ within the Spirit Lake during the Qi Refinement breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    This was also the reason why he needed to quietly consolidate what he had learned and adjust his mental state for a month, as his previous recklessness had filled his breakthrough with uncertainties.


    Previously, without a master¡¯s guidance and with his soul hailing from another world, accruing completely different thoughts from the people of this world, he had the courage to recklessly experiment, resulting in the formation of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ within his Spirit Lake.


    Whether the formation of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ in the Spirit Lake was good or bad was too early to say.


    For the time being, the benefits of the Spirit Lake¡¯s ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ were clear: whenever he reached a minor realm¡¯s breakthrough, no matter how much Spiritual Power he had, its quality could be transformed into the pure Five Elements Spiritual Power that could only be possessed at the peak of that minor realm.


    Perhaps Li Shiming was creating a new Cultivation Technique, which would be a great boon for future cultivators.


    But for Li Shiming, the innovator, the process was fraught with risks; a single misstep could lead to complete destruction, with no chance of recovery.


    Having reached this stage, he no longer had a second path to choose; he could only continue down the road paved by the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯.


    Indeed, it was only because he had sufficient talent to become an Alchemy Master that he even considered gathering five pieces of third-grade Five Elements Array Materials as a pre-breakthrough preparation, a feat beyond the reach of an ordinary cultivator.


    Not to mention that even the True Disciples of a large sect, with Golden Core Elders as their masters, would find it extremely difficult to obtain third-grade materials, let alone five specific pieces of third-grade Five Elements Array Materials.


    For most Golden Core Elders, the five pieces of third-grade Five Elements Array Materials were worth nearly half of their entire fortune in Spiritual Objects, and they wouldn¡¯t just hand them over to disciples.


    Golden Core Elders often have more than three disciples, and some even have as many as over ten.


    If they were to provide such cultivation resources for their disciples, the Golden Core Elders might as well sell themselves.


    Amid the perplexed gazes of Elder Su, Elder Ma, and the three late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples, Li Shiming began his formal advancement.


    Li Shiming took out a purple-glowing third-grade Meridian Protecting Pill and placed it into his mouth. At the sight of that purple glow, Elder Su¡¯s gaze turned towards Elder Ma.


    Although Elder Su didn¡¯t speak, Elder Ma clearly understood the meaning in his eyes.


    It¡¯s true that Li Shiming, as an Alchemy Master, could refine third-grade Meridian Protecting Pills, and his skill level had already surpassed that of Elder Ma.


    But Li Shiming had been an Alchemy Master for too short a time, and the total number of times he had fired up the alchemy furnace to refine third-grade Meridian Protecting Pills was far less than Elder Ma.


    The purple glow signified top-grade Spirit Pills, which could only very occasionally emerge during a lengthy process of alchemy.


    Considering the time and the number of refinements, the likelihood of Li Shiming personally refining a top-grade third-grade Meridian Protecting Pill was too low, whereas Elder Ma might have had such an accumulation.


    Add to that Elder Ma¡¯s high regard for Li Shiming, if he had a top-grade third-grade Meridian Protecting Pill, he would definitely put it into Li Shiming¡¯s hands to aid in his Golden Core breakthrough.


    Elder Ma also remained silent, shaking his head to indicate that this was none of his concern.


    As for top-grade third-grade spirit pills, he had only ever produced one during the scheduled third-grade spirit pill refinement when the sect¡¯s fixed third-grade resources were available.


    And for spirit pills like the third-grade Meridian Protecting Pill, which could not be refined in large quantities at once, he had never produced a top-grade version of them.


    The only top-grade third-grade spirit pill he ever refined, he had kept as a treasure to boast about to other alchemy masters.


    ¡°This is too extravagant!¡± This was the thought of the three late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples who were observing.


    Although they knew how rare top-grade third-grade spirit pills were, they didn¡¯t fully understand their value as clearly as the two Golden Core elders did.


    Li Shiming¡¯s aura became extremely unstable, his half-step Golden Core aura suddenly spiking and then just as suddenly dropping.


    Because of his greed, he had started running both the ¡°Five Elements Qi Refining Technique¡± and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± at the same time within his body.


    His actions naturally couldn¡¯t escape the senses of Elder Su and Elder Ma, and Elder Ma¡¯s gaze toward Elder Su carried a hint of dissatisfaction.


    Elder Su knew what Elder Ma meant, he was being questioned about his way of teaching disciples who were attempting to break through important stages with two different cultivation techniques at the same time.


    There is a significant difference between breaking through with one cultivation technique and with two.


    For instance, in Li Shiming¡¯s situation, if he were to use the ¡°Five Elements Qi Refining Technique¡± for his breakthrough, then his Golden Core would have the Five Elements spiritual power as its core. Once he became a Golden Core cultivator, even if he were to later practice a Thunder Skill, its power couldn¡¯t compare to that of a cultivator whose core was formed with Thunder cultivation technique.


    The Golden Core is the source of power for a Golden Core cultivator; without the Golden Core as a foundation, it is impossible to successfully cultivate a technique of different attributes from those of the Golden Core unless one is prepared to abandon their current core and start anew.


    Elder Ma saw Li Shiming¡¯s greed, a common fault among many cultivators.


    After all, many top-tier cultivation techniques each have their focus; the Five Elements spiritual power allows a cultivator to learn almost any secret technique, while the power of the Thunder Skill could make a cultivator the strongest in their realm.


    In fact, as early as the early-stage Foundation Establishment, a cultivator would have chosen their main cultivation technique and, regardless of changes, would only switch to a better cultivation technique of the same attribute, so as not to start all over.


    Elder Su was also helpless, as this was not something he could be blamed for, since his guidance to disciples was consistent.


    They were guided once almost every month.


    However, Li Shiming was advancing too quickly, so quickly that the number of times he had received guidance from Elder Su was very limited.


    Elder Su¡¯s teaching method is quite common among Golden Core cultivators; considering the decades from early Foundation Establishment to late Foundation Establishment, it almost allows a master to explain in detail any problems encountered during cultivation.


    What took other cultivators decades to achieve, Li Shiming did in less than ten years, reaching the brink of Golden Core.


    This pace of cultivation limited the amount of teachings from Elder Su that Li Shiming received.


    Now, it was too late for any guidance from Elder Su, even if he wanted to guide Li Shiming, he couldn¡¯t do so at such a moment, for it might disrupt the slim chance of breakthrough success.


    Li Shiming activated both the ¡°Five Elements Qi Refining Technique¡± and ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique,¡± and Spiritual Energy surged into his body from the formation.


    He had entered a state of advancement, an unforeseen opportunity that allowed him to absorb Spiritual Energy at an unimaginable rate.


    First, the Spiritual Energy of the Spirit Gathering Array flowed into him, but soon the Spirit Gathering Array couldn¡¯t keep up with the rate at which he was absorbing the Spiritual Energy.


    With a mere thought, Sword Holding Peak¡¯s grand array directed all the Spiritual Energy from every part of the array toward the peak, delivering it to him.


    Within his body, the Five Elements Qi Absorption Array within the Spirit Lake was running at full capacity, processing the spiritual power transformed by the two techniques and purifying it again.

 Chapter 537: 315 Process

    Chapter 537: Chapter 315 Process


    Even when the second-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± within Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Lake operated at full capacity, it couldn¡¯t help him transform the cultivated Spiritual Power into pure Spiritual Power.


    This left his meridians filled with Spiritual Power, which kept accumulating more and more, that even though he had taken a top-grade third-rank Vessel Protecting Pill, he still felt a faint pain throughout his meridians.


    He knew how to deal with this situation, but he couldn¡¯t guarantee that his judgment was correct, or that his earlier idea would succeed.


    At this point, all he could do was to proceed according to his previous idea.


    The second-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± within the Spirit Lake connected with the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± outside his body, he intentionally drew the energy of the third-grade Five Elements Array Materials from the five nodes of the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± into his body, based on his own research on formations.


    If it were a normal situation, he would not have been able to do this at all.


    But now it was different. He was in the state of ascension, with the rules of Heaven and Earth lingering around him, allowing him to absorb a vast amount of Spiritual Energy, for his Spirit Lake to accommodate more Spiritual Power.


    It was also because of the influence of the rules of Heaven and Earth, that he had some confidence he could upgrade the grade of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± within his Spirit Lake.


    Under his conscious guidance, the energy from the five nodes of the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± traveled along the connection lines between the two ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Arrays,¡± entering the nodes of the corresponding ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in the Spirit Lake.


    The speed of purifying Spiritual Power in the second-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± within his body increased rapidly as the Five Elements Energy in the nodes of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± grew, and the light from the five nodes of the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± around him was dimming.


    The events happening to him made Elder Su and Elder Ma look at each other in dismay, not knowing what kind of problem had occurred.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma were broadly knowledgeable, yet they had never seen what was happening to Li Shiming.


    Moreover, Li Shiming was in the middle of ascending, so the two elders didn¡¯t dare use Divine Thought to observe him, they could only judge based on experience with their eyes.


    Without any experience to offer help, the two elders couldn¡¯t understand what Li Shiming was doing.


    And precisely because they didn¡¯t understand, the two elders became even more worried.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma hadn¡¯t been very concerned about Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage initially.


    Although Li Shiming¡¯s spirit root seeds were not good, his fortune was indeed too profound; while there were both good and bad aspects, a profound fortune definitely provided an advantage in breaking through bottlenecks.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma optimistically thought that if someone with as profound a fortune as Li Shiming couldn¡¯t break through to the Golden Core Stage, then that profound fortune would be false.


    But it was only when Li Shiming actually began his breakthrough that they realized, no matter how profound his fortune was, it could not endure Li Shiming¡¯s recklessness.


    Look at how Li Shiming was ascending: first, he operated two Cultivation Techniques at the same time, greedily trying to gain the effects of both techniques¡¯ enhancement for his Golden Core.


    And now, he conjured a bizarre Five Elements Formation, seemingly absorbing the energy of the Five Elements Array.


    Elder Su even thought that if Li Shiming succeeded in ascending to the Golden Core, that would be the real surprise.


    He had already begun considering, if Li Shiming¡¯s ascension failed, how to console his spirits so that Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t fall into a slump.


    Li Shiming had no idea about his masters¡¯ thoughts; at that moment, his entire mind was immersed in the ascension, as the second-grade Five Elements Energy within the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in his body was being replaced by the third-grade Five Elements Energy.


    This replacement process took a quarter of an hour, after which the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in his Spirit Lake was upgraded to a third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡±


    With the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± improved to the third grade, the speed of Spiritual Power within increased significantly. The Spiritual Power he absorbed, cultivated, and transformed was easily purified by the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± turning into the purest Five Elements Spiritual Power.


    With the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± obstacle gone, Li Shiming¡¯s rate of Spiritual Energy absorption increased once again. At this time, all the Spiritual Energy of Sword Holding Peak was drained, leaving only the spirit veins within the cave dwelling, which barely sufficed for Li Shiming¡¯s absorption, thanks to the enhancement of the third-grade golden chains and the Spirit Cleansing Carp.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma watched as the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± lost its spiritual nature, turning into mundane objects, but found that this had no impact on Li Shiming¡¯s ascension; on the contrary, it intensified the reaction of the Spiritual Power within him, which they saw as a good sign.


    But in an instant, they noticed that trouble was brewing again. Li Shiming¡¯s peak was supplied with an individual spirit vein that could sustain a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s full-force cultivation.


    Yet such a spirit vein showed signs of being insufficient to support Li Shiming¡¯s absorption.


    They couldn¡¯t imagine why Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Lake could absorb Spiritual Energy so rapidly. Even though it was because of the ascension state, influenced by Heaven and Earth Rules, Li Shiming¡¯s rate of Spiritual Energy absorption still exceeded that of a Golden Core cultivator.


    Li Shiming also didn¡¯t know why, after absorbing so much Spiritual Energy, plus the conversion of the Spiritual Energy into Spiritual Power by the two Cultivation Techniques, and entering into the Spirit Lake.


    Based on what he saw during his eldest senior sister¡¯s breakthrough, and the information provided by the sect, Spiritual Power should be contracting in his Spirit Lake at this stage, with the center of contraction being where the Golden Core embryo formed.


    But until now, despite absorbing more than twice as much Spiritual Energy as his eldest senior sister had, his Spirit Lake still showed no signs of Spiritual Power contraction.


    Just as he was uncertain about what to do next, the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± underwent a mutation.


    One could say that no cultivator had ever attempted to incorporate a Formation into the interior of their Spirit Lake, forming an array within the Spirit Lake was a product of his undirected experimentation, without any master¡¯s guidance.

 Chapter 538: 315 Process_2

    Chapter 538: Chapter 315 Process_2


    He hadn¡¯t gone mad from his practice, perhaps due to the deep fortune that was on his side.


    Now the consequences of his reckless actions had emerged. The five nodes of the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± began to absorb different types of Five Elements Spiritual Power. At the same time, the Spiritual Power produced during cultivation, once converted by the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±, was no longer expelled but directly absorbed by the five nodes.


    Other cultivators had only one Spiritual Power convergence point, but Li Shiming now had five such points in his Spirit Lake, corresponding to the five nodes of the Five Elements in the third-grade ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±.


    Li Shiming felt as though he was going insane; he didn¡¯t know what the outcome would be if he continued to absorb energy in this manner.


    But he soon discovered another serious problem standing in his way.


    There wasn¡¯t enough Spiritual Energy. A spirit vein reserved for Golden Core cultivators was actually insufficient to support Li Shiming, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, in his breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage. This was something nobody had anticipated.


    With the current rate of absorption, even mid-grade Spirit Stones wouldn¡¯t suffice, mainly because the speed at which Spiritual Energy could be drawn from the mid-grade Spirit Stones couldn¡¯t keep up with his rate of absorption.


    He did have top-grade Spirit Stones, but these were divided by attributes, and he only had top-grade Spirit Stones of two attributes. He dared not absorb them at random, as an imbalance in the Five Elements Spiritual Power within his body could have unimaginable consequences.


    It was at that moment he thought of something.


    With a slight stir of his Divine Thought, a golden orb appeared before him.


    As he cultivated the ¡°Five Elements Qi Refining Technique¡± and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡±, a continuous stream of Spiritual Energy was drawn from within the golden orb, far surpassing the supply of the spirit vein.


    For a time, this golden orb satisfied his need for Spiritual Energy.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Golden Core!¡± Elder Su rubbed his eyes and whispered in disbelief.


    He could no longer remain silent; he couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer.


    A Golden Core, which unfortunate Golden Core cultivator had been killed, their Golden Core seized.


    As a Golden Core cultivator himself, Elder Su was as shocked as if a tempest had struck; he couldn¡¯t imagine how Li Shiming, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, could possess the Golden Core of a Golden Core cultivator.


    Seizing the Golden Core of a Golden Core cultivator wasn¡¯t an easy feat; the bond between a Golden Core and its cultivator was not easily severed, and at least Elder Su knew of no such method that could break it.


    To seize the Golden Core of a Golden Core cultivator and maintain a copious amount of Spiritual Power within required that the Golden Core be taken while the cultivator was still alive, forcibly severing the bond between them.


    This was not something an ordinary cultivator could do, not even a Golden Core cultivator could achieve it; only a Nascent Soul Ancestor possessed such capability.


    Yet even for a Nascent Soul Ancestor, seizing a Golden Core was no simple task, especially since a Golden Core cultivator could cause the Golden Core to self-destruct with just a thought.


    And if one killed a Golden Core cultivator to take their Golden Core, the Spiritual Power within would continually dissipate, resulting in a useless object.


    It was precisely because such Spiritually potent Golden Cores were so difficult to obtain, coupled with the hostile attitude of any Golden Core cultivator toward the act of stealing a Golden Core, that such items were so rare in the Cultivation World that Elder Su, despite living for hundreds of years, had never seen one with his own eyes.


    ¡°Did this young man personally slay a Golden Core cultivator?¡± Elder Ma also asked in a low voice.


    ¡°He did, and not long ago. However, judging by the depth of Spiritual Power within this Golden Core, it is unlikely to be that Golden Core female cultivator¡¯s Golden Core!¡± Elder Su thought of Fang Lu, whom Li Shiming had slain, and compared her to the Golden Core before him as he answered.


    Elder Ma, focused on his Alchemy, was learning for the first time that Li Shiming had personally slain a Golden Core cultivator. His casual inquiry had been met with such a response.


    ¡°This Golden Core has an extremely sharp aura, faintly carrying Sword Intent, likely belonging to some Sword Cultivation Golden Core cultivator!¡± Elder Su continued.


    The more he spoke, the less confident he became. He did not dare to use his Divine Thought and was basing his speculation solely on the aura emanating from the Golden Core, which he too doubted.


    In fact, his guess was correct; this was indeed the Golden Core of a Sword Cultivation Golden Core cultivator, the Golden Core of Yun Xingyi.


    No one would probably believe that Li Shiming, during his Qi Refinement Realm, had slain a Golden Core cultivator, who was a well-known Sword Cultivator on the Beishu Continent.


    With the Spiritual Energy provided by the Golden Core, the suction at the five nodes of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ inside Li Shiming¡¯s Spirit Lake became more and more powerful, and the five nodes began to show signs of Spiritual Power contraction.


    ¡°Could it be that I am going to form five Golden Cores?¡± He felt his scalp go numb in waves. Could it really be possible for someone to have five Golden Cores existing simultaneously in this world?


    By now it was impossible to halt the ascension. The Spiritual Energy within Yun Xingyi¡¯s Golden Core was being absorbed by him continuously, and the five points of Spiritual Power contraction greedily absorbed the Five Elements Spiritual Power, all flickering with electric light.


    The state within his body was beyond his imagination; the possibility of simultaneously forming five Golden Cores was becoming ever more likely.


    His demand for Spiritual Energy also grew increasingly large. The Spiritual Energy in Yun Xingyi¡¯s Golden Core, which was supplying five Golden Cores, was slowly becoming insufficient.


    If Yun Xingyi had been at his prime, his Golden Core would naturally be full of Spiritual Power, but when Li Shiming killed Yun Xingyi, Yun Xingyi was in a critically injured state and was preparing for Body Seizing.


    At that time, the Spiritual Power within Yun Xingyi¡¯s Golden Core was pitifully scarce.


    Of course, no matter how scarce it was, the Golden Core could still provide all the Spiritual Energy needed for two or three cultivators to form their own Golden Cores without a problem.


    Yet Li Shiming needed to absorb Spiritual Power for no less than five Golden Cores, which caused Yun Xingyi¡¯s Golden Core to be drained in a short span of time.


    Almost the instant Yun Xingyi¡¯s Golden Core was emptied, Li Shiming took out another golden orb.


    To be able to ascend to the Golden Core Stage, he really had to bring out all of his reserves.


    By this time, Elder Su and Elder Ma were stunned. Was this their disciple, a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator?


    Even though Li Shiming was an Alchemy Master, a highly skilled Alchemy Master who could quickly gain wealth,


    which Golden Core cultivator would pay with their own Golden Core to obtain Spirit Pills? A Golden Core is grown and nurtured by countless Third-grade Spirit Pills; its value is immeasurable.


    Of course, that is referring to the Golden Core within a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s own body. As for Golden Cores obtained through plundering, the true methods of utilization are only known by Devil Cultivators, and due to the extreme rarity of Golden Cores, their actual value is also not clearly defined.


    Look at Li Shiming, a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who for the sake of absorbing Spiritual Energy, casually brought out two Golden Cores.


    This suggests that at least two Golden Core cultivators¡¯ deaths were related to Li Shiming; otherwise, how could he have possibly obtained the most valuable Golden Cores of Golden Core cultivators?


    Although Elder Su and Elder Ma were shocked in their hearts, they had no other thoughts.


    As mentioned before, Li Shiming was far too important to the Shushan Sect. It didn¡¯t matter that Li Shiming had only taken out two Golden Cores to help his breakthrough; if Li Shiming used these two Golden Cores to practice devilish techniques, the sect would turn a blind eye.


    The three Late-stage Foundation Establishment Disciples who were observing Li Shiming¡¯s ascension process were now doubting life itself, staring blankly as the previous Golden Core fell to the ground, shattering into pieces, with a new Golden Core taking its place.


    This was a Golden Core, the very thing that the three Late-stage Foundation Establishment Disciples had sought their whole lives, only to watch Li Shiming treat as if it were an ordinary Spiritual Object, expendable.


    Especially the second senior brother, Wan Zheng, who scrutinized Li Shiming closely, from top to bottom, left to right, trying to determine whether the person before him was his junior or some great devil in disguise.


    But no matter how closely he looked, Li Shiming was still the Li Shiming he knew, the one who would smile happily upon receiving a gift from him when he first entered the sect.


    He then glanced at the expressions of his master, Elder Su, and Martial Uncle, Elder Ma. If there was anything wrong with Li Shiming, these two would definitely notice.


    The result was that he saw the same shocked expressions on the faces of Elder Su and Elder Ma, with no other emotions or actions, implying that Li Shiming was indeed his junior brother.


    ¡°How could I have ever thought of comparing myself with my junior brother!¡± Wan Zheng felt a wave of emotion within himself.

 Chapter 539: 316 Heavenly Thunder

    Chapter 539: Chapter 316 Heavenly Thunder


    Li Shiming took out another Golden Core, which belonged to the Six-fingered Sound Demon. The Spiritual Energy within this particular Golden Core was even scarcer.


    Fortunately, his demand for Spiritual Energy had lessened significantly at this point. As a massive amount of Spiritual Energy surged into his body, it was transformed into Five Elements Thunder and Lightning Spiritual Power by the two cultivation techniques, entering into five distinct Spiritual Power convergence points.


    At this moment, the center of the five Spiritual Power points all exhibited a solid gold Spiritual Power.


    He realized this was the formation of the Golden Core about to complete, but the actual number of Golden Cores whether indeed five, still gave him an intense feeling of unreality.


    The consecutive two Golden Cores, even if they were excessively depleted ones, contained Spiritual Energy that at least accumulated over a hundred years of a Golden Core cultivator.


    Whether it was Yun Xingyi or the Six-fingered Sound Demon, both were veteran Golden Core Stage cultivators. Yet, the Spiritual Energy within their two Golden Cores became the foundation for Li Shiming to form five Golden Cores.


    Otherwise, even with the Golden Core Spirit Veins and Spirit Gathering Array, given his demand to form five Golden Cores, the Spiritual Energy of Sword Holding Peak would definitely not be sufficient for his absorption.


    If the Spiritual Energy were insufficient, then advancement would be out of the question.


    If this attempt at advancement failed, the damage he would sustain was simply incalculable because of the uniqueness of his Spirit Lake, and normal methods of repairing the Spirit Lake might all be useless.


    He felt the absorption of Spiritual Energy by the five Golden Cores gradually stabilize, but following that, the vitality and spirit within his body were drawn into the five Golden Cores.


    In terms of physique, he could say that he was unmatched among Foundation Establishment cultivators. Apart from mastering ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯, he had also consumed a large number of third-grade spiritual items, pushing his physical condition to the limits of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Therefore, even though the five Golden Cores absorbed the vitality from his body, his body could barely endure it.


    Of course, on the surface, his condition looked terrifying.


    His body visibly slimmed down at a seeable pace, which was the manifestation of the rapid depletion of vitality within his body.


    But as the superficial fat in his body was consumed, the depletion of vitality in his muscular parts noticeably slowed down.


    Because the vitality in his muscles was extremely abundant, a result of large quantities of third-grade spiritual items combined with two Body Refining Techniques; indeed, just in terms of physical condition, he surpassed many Golden Core cultivators.


    What made Li Shiming feel the most uncomfortable was his spirit being devoured by the five Golden Cores.


    For an ordinary cultivator, let alone having their spirit devoured by five Golden Cores, even one could be unbearable.


    Yet, his spirit was so strong that it could rank among the top in the history of all Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Cultivation World.


    Moreover, he had a method that would allow his spirit to endure for a while longer, making the devouring of his spirit the easiest hardship to overcome.


    Above his head, a brilliant Array Formation Starlight Sea appeared, the mysterious and profound specks of starlight not only represented the intricacies of the formation, but they were also the manifestations of his spirit.


    As the five Golden Cores devoured his spirit, he could use the spirit stored in the Array Formation Starlight Sea as a substitute. The only caution was not to let the Array Formation Starlight Sea deplete too much, causing it to collapse.


    ¡°Array Master?¡± Elder Su and Elder Ma exclaimed in unison.


    Immediately, they both stopped speaking; such disturbances could affect Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough process and distract him.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma exchanged glances, a helpless smile of resignation in both their eyes. Just how much had this kid hidden?


    For other cultivators, if they could become an Array Master, they would have already leveraged this status for benefits.


    As for Li Shiming, had it not been for today¡¯s advancement matter, who knows how long his identity as an Array Master would have remained concealed.


    An Array Master, although not as sought after as an Alchemy Master, still held a prominent status within the sect.


    The major arrays of the sect required an Array Master for setup, and important maintenance work also needed an Array Master to perform.


    It can be said that an Array Master is an indispensable talent within a sect, and the number of Array Masters has always been very few.


    Each major sect has a multitude of arrays, and compared to the number of arrays that need an Array Master¡¯s intervention, there are far too few Array Masters.


    Not to mention the Golden Core Elders and Nascent Soul Ancestors, some of whom also have needs related to arrays, which also require an Array Master to operate.


    Li Shiming felt his body becoming increasingly weak. Ever since he began cultivating, he had never felt like this.


    He seemed to be plummeting from a cultivator to a mortal, even worse than a mortal at that.


    Fortunately, his spirit was still under control, not allowing his mind to lose rationality and keeping him fully aware of what was happening.


    The five Golden Cores grew slightly, the cost being that the Golden Core of the Six-fingered Sound Demon became dull and lusterless, his body almost reduced to skin and bones, and the starlight in the Array Formation Starlight Sea above his head dimmed.


    Suddenly, Li Shiming sensed a signal from the five Golden Cores and without any hesitation, he swallowed a Soul Stabilizing Pill that emitted a purple glow.


    For Li Shiming taking out a top-grade third-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill, Elder Su and Elder Ma already didn¡¯t feel much surprise.


    After all the shocks and horrors they had already experienced, the appearance of a third-grade top-grade Soul Stabilizing Pill seemed trivial.


    Upon ingestion, the Soul Stabilizing Pill immediately turned into energy, stabilizing the Spiritual Power within his body, and no more external Spiritual Energy entered his body.

 Chapter 540: 316 Heavenly Thunder_2

    Chapter 540: Chapter 316 Heavenly Thunder_2


    He then continued to take the Top-grade Third-Grade Rejuvenation Pill and the Third-grade Top Breaking Mountain Pill, and by then, even the dullest person would understand that he must have found some method of crafting top-grade spirit pills.


    Yet, given Li Shiming¡¯s status, even his alchemy master, Elder Ma, wouldn¡¯t dare inquire afterward, let alone mention it.


    Elder Su glanced at his disciple, Wan Zheng, while Elder Ma also cast a look with a warning at the two disciples he brought. It was clear to the three late-stage foundation establishment disciples what this meant.


    Li Shiming was very close to them, and the stronger Li Shiming became, the better it was for them.


    Even without the master¡¯s admonition, they wouldn¡¯t reveal Li Shiming¡¯s secrets.


    The five golden cores ceased to devour spiritual power, life vitality, and spirit; under the influence of the Breaking Mountain Pill, strange changes were happening within them.


    The aura around Li Shiming suddenly surged significantly, his power leaping from half-step golden core to early-stage golden core.


    Then, the now-stabilized five golden cores expelled spiritual power, life vitality, and spirit, which differed greatly in quality from what had been previously absorbed.


    At this moment, the five golden cores expelled spiritual power, life vitality, and spirit of the golden core stage, the simultaneous release notably boosting Li Shiming¡¯s aura once again.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma clamped their mouths shut tightly. Although they didn¡¯t employ their divine thought, they also noticed some signs on Li Shiming but wouldn¡¯t discuss it in front of the three disciples.


    To their senses, something was unusual about the golden cores inside Li Shiming; this surge in aura far exceeded the normal enhancement a golden core provides to a cultivator overall.


    Truthfully, under normal circumstances, the spiritual power, life vitality, and spirit exuded by the golden core at this moment should not be too much but simply of a higher quality.


    This was meant to allow the cultivator to recover to a certain state to cope with the upcoming heavenly thunder.


    However, Li Shiming¡¯s condition was quite irregular; the amount of spiritual power, life vitality, and spirit released by the golden core was excessive, enough not just to restore his state but also to significantly enhance it.


    They were already regretting bringing their three disciples to observe this as Li Shiming¡¯s advancement process had no need to be observed. If their other disciples were to face as many twists as Li Shiming¡¯s, likely none would survive the advancement process.


    At this moment, the Top-grade Third-Grade Rejuvenation Pill was also taking effect, its medicinal power combining with the life vitality expelled by the five golden cores to restore his physique.


    His body swelled, muscles inflating from shriveled beginnings, and his skin regained its elasticity and luster.


    He activated the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯, seeking to maximize the opportunity of ample life vitality entering his body to enhance his physique to counter the upcoming heavenly thunder.


    He could hardly imagine what sort of heavenly thunder his five golden cores would face.


    With full activation of the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯, the true form of the Angry-eyed Vajra naturally manifested, a massive angry-eyed Vajra phantom appearing behind him.


    As the golden cores formed, the constraints on Li Shiming¡¯s physique disappeared. If his physique was to naturally recover with the life vitality of the golden core stage being expelled, most of the golden core¡¯s vitality would be consumed in self-recovery, with limited enhancement to his physical strength.


    However, with him activating the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ and the augmentation from the true form of the Angry-eyed Vajra, the life vitality of the golden core stage in his body had a much greater effect.


    Since the life vitality of the golden core stage expelled by the five golden cores was ample, and his body¡¯s recovery was efficiently managed under the effect of the power generated by the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯, it didn¡¯t need to consume golden core stage life vitality for quick repairs.


    Thus, all the golden core stage life vitality was used by the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ for upgrading his body¡¯s level.


    In fact, this process should not have been carried out at this stage but after passing through the heavenly thunder ordeal, completed by the rewards of the Heaven and Earth rules.


    At that time, the cultivator¡¯s physique would naturally evolve to that of the golden core stage, while currently, the precious golden core stage life vitality was meant for self-repair, to withstand the heavenly thunder.


    Were it not for Li Shiming having five golden cores, he would not dare to practice ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ at this moment; who could blame him since the life vitality of the five golden cores of the golden core stage was ample enough.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma already wanted to tell their disciples not to take Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough as a reference because doing so would be entirely meaningless.


    For thirty minutes, the scene was extremely quiet; everyone was waiting. Even in the skies beyond the Heavenly Eye Peak mountain range, cultivators hovered, unable to see the situation at Sword Holding Peak, yet they could witness the appearance of the heavenly thunder.


    The heavenly thunder signified that Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough process had reached the final step and was also the end of Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough.


    Afterwards, it would be known whether Li Shiming had successfully broken through. This matter was extremely important for many Golden Core cultivators, as well as for the Shushan Sect.


    Li Shiming paid no attention to the outside world; he was fully operating the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill, to combat the heavenly thunder, there wasn¡¯t much else he could do.


    Having ascended to the Golden Core once as his clone Li Yuanba, he had experienced the heavenly thunder twice, each time extremely perilous.


    His body contained five Golden Cores; he didn¡¯t know what intensity of heavenly thunder the five Golden Cores would withstand.


    But he was very clear that the Heaven and Earth Rules would definitely not let go of him, an aberration; what he was about to face would be the most challenging ordeal.


    Under the watchful eyes of Elder Su, Elder Ma, three Late-stage Foundation Establishment Disciples, and many sect cultivators from the outside world, the sky above Sword Holding Peak suddenly darkened.


    Then, a thick bolt of golden lightning struck down directly. While all the cultivators were shocked by the thickness of this golden lightning, there were four more thick golden lightning strikes in succession.


    In the space of a breath, five thick bolts of golden lightning had fallen.


    All the cultivators were stunned, and quite a few were even thinking if Li Shiming had committed an outrageous act to provoke such divine punishment at this time.


    This was no longer about surviving a tribulation; this was simply flagellation of a corpse!


    Yes, flagellation of a corpse, no one believed that Li Shiming could still be alive under the divine punishment of five thick golden lightning bolts.


    Let alone five thick golden lightning bolts, the Golden Core cultivators watching the heavenly thunder fall, who had all endured the heavenly thunder¡¯s baptism, naturally knew how terrifying the heavenly thunder was.


    The heavenly thunder they endured in the past was not as powerful as half of any one of these five heavenly thunders, and yet it had almost killed them.


    At the instant the heavenly thunder appeared, Li Shiming felt as if everything in the world had slowed down.


    The Angry-eyed Vajra Phantom behind him roared at the heavenly thunder, generating a massive amount of Vajra force from its anger, which coursed into his body.


    The heavenly thunder pierced through everything, striking him directly.


    His body, from the inside out, every cell was attacked under the heavenly thunder.


    ¡°Heavenly Thunder Possession!¡± Li Shiming instinctively felt a life-and-death crisis and activated the secret technique, the Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique.


    This enhanced his resistance to electricity, and he hoped it would allow him to survive the heavenly thunder.


    The ¡°Heavenly Thunder Possession¡± indeed reduced the damage of the heavenly thunder to his body, even the tiny bolts of electricity formed by the heavenly thunder inside him were countered by the electricity summoned from his five Golden Cores.


    This was a unique aspect of the Thunder Skill, which indeed had some advantages in countering heavenly thunder.


    But before he could rejoice, a series of heavenly thunders followed, shattering all the electricity he had summoned using ¡°Heavenly Thunder Possession.¡±


    His body, from the inside out, skin, muscles, innards, and bones, were all ravaged by the electrifying baptism. If it weren¡¯t for his life force being enhanced beforehand by the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill, equating to having already become a Golden Core Body, he might have died on the spot.


    Of course, what kept him from dying instantly were the five Golden Cores that had not been destroyed. The Golden Core is the foundation of a cultivator, and although the damage his body sustained was lethal, his body still contained the power of top-grade third-grade Spirit Pills.


    The power of the third-grade top Rejuvenation Pill had not yet dissipated, ensuring that his life force had not completely extinguished.

 Chapter 541: 317 Golden Core

    Chapter 541: Chapter 317 Golden Core


    Elder Su and Elder Ma¡¯s expressions were extremely grim; in their perception, Li Shiming¡¯s life force was exceedingly weak and could extinguish at any moment.


    This had already exceeded their imaginations. Under the onslaught of five such powerful Heavenly Thunders, it was a miracle that Li Shiming hadn¡¯t died instantly.


    Now it all depended on whether Li Shiming¡¯s life force could last until the power of the Heavenly Thunder subsided; this was of crucial importance.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind was very clear. After feeling that the Heavenly Thunder was too strong, he had retracted most of his spirit into the control room space. He used the distant connection to his clone, Li Yuanba, to judge his original body¡¯s condition.


    If the body was attacked by the Heavenly Thunder, and the spirit in the control room space left, it would be attacked immediately by the Heavenly Thunder, depriving him of the ability to maintain sufficient cognitive capacity.


    The Angry-eyed Vajra Phantom behind him still roared angrily, with Vajra power continuously entering his body. Coupled with the power of the Third-Grade Top Rejuvenation Pill, his body was maintained in a near-death state.


    Under normal circumstances, the Golden Core would definitely be unable to withstand such Heavenly Thunder.


    Yet Li Shiming¡¯s five Golden Cores were not considerably damaged by the bombardment of five Heavenly Thunders.


    The most important factor was the thunderous energy contained within the five Golden Cores.


    The five Golden Cores themselves had thunder attributes, so the effect of Heavenly Thunder was naturally weaker. Moreover, the five Golden Cores maintained the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯. Although this array had no defensive capability, it allowed the five Golden Cores to share each other¡¯s energy.


    The brunt of each Heavenly Thunder was aimed at one Golden Core, and the others endured relatively less attack, allowing them to aid the core under targeted attack.


    Li Shiming had no idea how much time had passed; under the Heavenly Thunder, he seemed to lose all sense of time.


    This period seemed exceedingly long, but no matter how long, it would pass eventually.


    Finally, he felt the power of the Heavenly Thunder inside his body dissipating, and his body, nearly destroyed to char by the Heavenly Thunder, was springing to life with vitality.


    This life force was like a spring, nourishing his injured body. Under its influence, his body was reviving as if dead wood was meeting the spring.


    This was not ordinary recovery, but a substantial enhancement of his physical constitution. He had already reached the constitution of the Golden Core Stage, and now it had been enhanced again.


    His spirit was also rewarded by the heavens and earth, strengthening continuously. It seemed that the tribulation of Heavenly Thunder was so powerful that the reward given was even more generous.


    If measured by quantity, he felt that the enhancement of his spirit was about two and a half times that of the two bouts of Heavenly Thunder tribulations endured by his clone, Li Yuanba.


    In other words, his five Golden Cores had endured five rounds of Heavenly Thunder tribulation. Although extremely dangerous, the reward after enduring was fivefold.


    The rewards of the heavens and earth, more potent than any Spirit Pill, had healed Li Shiming¡¯s near-death injuries in a matter of moments.


    After the power of the Heavenly Thunder subsided, he recalled his spirit back into the control room space. He slowly opened his eyes, and the spiritual enhancement made his eyes shine almost tangibly.


    Only now did he have the chance to feel the Golden Cores within his body.


    The five Golden Cores were the five nodes of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯, and his Spirit Lake had vanished long before.


    The interior of each Golden Core corresponded to one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and each Golden Core also contained the attribute of thunder.


    Although there were five Golden Cores, he did not feel it affected his control over Spiritual Power.


    With a mere thought, he could freely summon the Spiritual Power from any one or several Golden Cores. Because of the existence of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯, even though the attributes of the Spiritual Power within the Golden Cores differed, the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ could convert the attribute of the Spiritual Power as needed, maintaining a balance of Spiritual Power within the five Golden Cores.


    ¡°Five Golden Cores, is that normal?¡± Li Shiming asked himself. He couldn¡¯t provide an answer.


    Of course, the formation of five Golden Cores constituting the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ had its benefits. He no longer needed to consider finding Fourth Grade Five Elements Array Materials.


    The five Golden Cores had replaced the energy of the Third Grade Five Elements Formation, becoming the nodes of the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯.


    But as for the path of cultivation ahead, he had no idea how to proceed. Did he have to cultivate five Nascent Souls?


    He shook his head vigorously. Even cultivating a single Nascent Soul was extremely difficult, not to mention five. Look at how many talented cultivators there were in the Cultivation World; how many of them could truly become Nascent Soul Ancestors?


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about the future when it comes; it¡¯s too early now!¡± He suppressed his uncertainty about the future. No matter what, he had successfully reached the Golden Core Stage, with five hundred years of life ahead. He had plenty of time to consider the path to Nascent Soul.


    ¡°Master, I made it!¡± Li Shiming said to Elder Su and Elder Ma with a smiling look as he saw their concerned gazes.


    ¡°Shiming, you nearly scared us to death!¡± Elder Su said with slight annoyance.


    He really wanted to chastise Li Shiming. Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough had too many mistakes, they had given him the materials for forming a Golden Core, the experience that Shushan Sect had summarized.


    But look at Li Shiming; from the beginning of Golden Core formation, mistakes abounded.


    For a cultivator, deviating from the normal path is a mistake, and cultivators didn¡¯t have many chances to err.


    A single mistake could prevent a cultivator from ever rising again, becoming a cautionary example in the Cultivation World.

 Chapter 542: 317 Golden Core_2

    Chapter 542: Chapter 317 Golden Core_2


    If Li Shiming were to fail at forming his Golden Core, he would become one of the examples of failure, and the most notorious one at that.


    Li Shiming scratched his head in embarrassment. There were indeed some things that were hard to explain; his audacity in those days had been far too great.


    People say that the older you get in the Martial World, the more timid you become. This saying is absolutely true.


    In his early days of cultivation, having never received teachings from a master, he had based most of his cultivation concepts on his own conjectures.


    As a result, he ended up with a ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± inside his body, and at the time of Golden Core formation, he formed five Golden Cores arranged in a ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array.¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± Li Shiming bowed his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever try to emulate him. Even if you had a hundred lives, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to take such risks!¡± Elder Su turned and instructed the three Late-stage Foundation Establishment Disciples.


    In fact, there was no need for his instructions; just thinking about the five Heavenly Thunders that had struck earlier sent shivers down the souls of the three disciples.


    Even though Li Shiming had successfully advanced to the Golden Core Stage, they had no intention of regarding him as a role model.


    Li Shiming was fortunate, but they didn¡¯t believe their own fortune was as great as his.


    ¡°You should go into seclusion for a while to stabilize your realm. Elder Ma and I still have to go out and explain the matter of the five Heavenly Thunders!¡± Knowing that Li Shiming needed rest, Elder Su gestured for the disciples to follow him and leave, but before leaving, he gave Li Shiming further instructions.


    The outside world was probably in chaos by now; the impact of the five Heavenly Thunders was too great.


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Master!¡± Li Shiming said with a bow.


    Elder Ma nodded at Li Shiming. He did not speak; Li Shiming was only his Registered Disciple, and it was Elder Su¡¯s place to speak at a time like this.


    Soon, only Li Shiming was left on the peak of Sword Holding Peak.


    Golden Core Stage, a realm in Sky Sea Island he had once only aspired to, he had now attained it.


    A lifespan of five hundred years would be enough for a family in the mortal world to pass on its legacy for more than a dozen generations.


    Although mortals could live to a hundred at most, generational inheritance was calculated every thirty years. Thirty years per generation is the time it takes for a child to grow to adulthood, and after reaching thirty, a person slowly ages.


    A Golden Core cultivator, within the secular world, is akin to an immortal being.


    When his alter ego, Li Yuanba, advanced to the Golden Core Stage, perhaps because the advancement went too smoothly, or perhaps it was because the advancement of a clone did not actually grant a lifespan of five hundred years, he did not have the same feeling as he did now.


    He was unable to determine if the death of the main body would mean that the clone, Li Yuanba, would continue to live; it was most likely that he would die as well.


    However, after the main body formed a Golden Core, it truly meant a lifespan of five hundred years.


    Even with Li Shiming¡¯s temperament, he sat cross-legged in his cave dwelling for several two-hour periods before he finally calmed his mind.


    He needed to plan his cultivation for the upcoming period. He was not worried about his Body Refining Techniques; he could continue practicing the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± that corresponded to the Golden Core stage.


    As for the other Body Refining Technique, the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual,¡± his clone, Li Yuanba, had already practiced it. Having a close-range longsword magical treasure was a significant advantage. The best aspect of this magical treasure was that it could enhance itself as his physical body strengthened.


    This was akin to a growing magical treasure, and coupled with its unique property of merging with the body, it served as one of his ultimate life-saving measures.


    In terms of Cultivation Techniques, he continued to practice two simultaneously, with the ¡°Five Elements Qi Refining Technique¡± as the primary technique and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± as the secondary technique.


    Furthermore, he had to study the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual,¡± a Sound Cultivation Technique. Combined with his created ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± Secret Technique, it would greatly amplify the power of the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual.¡±


    Most importantly, the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡± could initiate a wide-reaching group attack through a magical ancient zither. It was a particularly difficult soundwave attack to defend against. If supplemented by the ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± Secret Technique, it could even generate a wide-ranging, group spiritual attack.


    Of course, to achieve the effect of a wide-ranging, group spiritual attack, he still needed to figure out how to integrate the ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± Secret Technique into the soundwave attack of the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual.¡±


    His thoughts then turned to Alchemy. With a flicker of his spirit, the Red Sun Spirit Fire flew from within his body and landed in his hand.


    This time, upon advancing to the Golden Core, the Red Sun Spiritual Fire also benefited; the very essence of the Spiritual Fire grew somewhat larger.


    Through the ¡°Spirit Flame Control Fire Technique,¡± Shiming perceived that the quality of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire was undergoing a transformation. He believed it wouldn¡¯t take long before it could be elevated to a Third-grade Spirit Fire.


    This was to be expected, as such spirit fires that bond with their owner are closely linked to the master¡¯s realm.


    However, after advancing to the Golden Core, the connection between the Red Sun Spiritual Fire and him had become irrevocably bound; just now, when he summoned the Red Sun Spiritual Fire, he did so from above the fire attribute Golden Core.


    For the moment, the Red Sun Spiritual Fire simply lingered above the fire attribute Golden Core. After some time when his realm had stabilized, the Red Sun Spiritual Fire would be able to enter the fire attribute Golden Core.


    Then, even if other cultivators wished to seize the Red Sun Spiritual Fire, they would be unable to do so, for the Red Sun Spiritual Fire that he released would consist only of the flame portion, while its core would forever remain inside the fire attribute Golden Core.


    Once the Red Sun Spiritual Fire entered the fire attribute Golden Core, both the Red Sun Spiritual Fire and the fire attribute Golden Core would reap significant benefits.


    The Red Sun Spiritual Fire would be nurtured by the fire attribute Golden Core, quickening its growth.


    And with the presence of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire, the fire property quality of the Golden Core was bound for an immense enhancement.


    Had it not been for Li Shiming¡¯s five Golden Cores, which were arranged as nodes of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± formation, capable of automatically balancing the spiritual power within, the addition of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire into the fire attribute Golden Core might have led to an imbalance of spiritual power among the five Golden Cores.


    Now, with the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± in place, there was no such concern.


    Once the Red Sun Spiritual Fire advanced to Third-grade, he would consider refining Spirit Pills that primarily used two types of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredients.


    Moreover, to enhance his Artifact Refining level, it was necessary for the Red Sun Spiritual Fire to reach Third-grade, or for the Golden Core to be able to stably emit pill fire.


    According to the experiences of his clone Li Yuanba, for the Golden Core to stably emit pill fire might require over a month of cultivation.


    He also needed to start considering the matter of his life-bound magical treasure, first taking out the Fourth-grade Flying Sword he had obtained from Supervisor Feng Yi of the False Infant Sealing Instrument. It was the highest-grade flying sword magical treasure he had seen so far.


    However, when his Divine Thought entered the Fourth-grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure, he realized that his current spiritual power was not sufficient to bond with this Fourth-grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure.


    Inside the Fourth-grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure, there was something indescribable. While he was unable to perceive it during the Foundation Establishment Stage, now at the Golden Core Stage, he could sense it but didn¡¯t know what it was.


    All he knew was that whatever was inside the Fourth-grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure was of a much higher level. At least, it was beyond what his current spiritual power could master.


    ¡°No wonder only Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators are allowed to handle Fourth-grade Magical Treasures!¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    If he couldn¡¯t bond with this Fourth-grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure, there was even less hope for the other Fourth-grade Jade Ruler.


    Actually, even if he could have bonded with the Fourth-grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure, he wouldn¡¯t have considered it for his life-bound magical treasure.


    Because he had long harbored his own ideas for his life-bound magical treasure, having decided on it a long time ago.


    His mind entered the server room space, where the IBMz15 was running.


    He looked at the IBMz15, this large server that had traveled through time with him.


    Though the IBMz15 appeared similar to its counterpart from his previous life, its essence had long since diverged.


    After the transition, the IBMz15 experienced some inexplicable changes; it seemed unchanged on the surface, but it had become indestructible.


    He had discovered this much earlier. It¡¯s common knowledge that large servers have a lifespan, with server components typically lasting 3-5 years.


    Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that a large server would immediately break down after that time, but once the lifespan is reached, the performance starts to decline, and the likelihood of malfunctions increases.


    But the IBMz15 that accompanied Li Shiming through his travels did not exhibit this problem. This IBMz15 had been operational for over ten years, and its components were still as good as when they first transcended time.


    To a certain extent, the IBMz15 could no longer be considered a mere mortal instrument. Since it wasn¡¯t, he thought of trying to refine it. After all, whether successful or not, the IBMz15 wouldn¡¯t suffer any damage.

 Chapter 543: 318: Magical Treasure

    Chapter 543: Chapter 318: Magical Treasure


    The lifeline magic weapon is the most important magical tool for a cultivator, and even though a cultivator may possess many magical tools, none can shake the importance of the lifeline magic weapon.


    A cultivator¡¯s lifeline magic weapon is unique; the bond between it and the cultivator is exceptionally close, nurtured by the Golden Core for years, which makes it grow much more than any other magical tools.


    Generally, cultivators choose either their strongest offensive or defensive magical tool to be their lifeline weapon, and this choice relates to their self-identification.


    For sword cultivators, their lifeline magic weapon is, without a doubt, the lifebound flying sword.


    Some cultivators who cherish their lives will choose a defensive tool as their lifeline weapon, which provides them with extremely strong defensive power.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t set specific boundaries for himself; with his sword cultivation golden core avatar Li Yuanba for offense, he didn¡¯t need to worry much about insufficient attack power.


    Of course, his avatar Li Yuanba is currently separated from him, affiliated with the realms of good and evil respectively, but he was looking to the future, not the present.


    Li Shiming wanted to attempt to refine the IBMz15 into his lifeline magic weapon, but he wasn¡¯t sure whether it would be successful, mainly because the IBMz15 was too peculiar.


    He decided to try it out; if successful, that would be great, but if he couldn¡¯t refine the IBMz15 as his lifeline magic weapon, he would have to choose another.


    The ¡®Five Elements Qi Refining Technique¡¯ includes a method to refine a lifeline magic weapon. Every cultivation method with a legacy comes not just with methods of cultivation, but also a comprehensive suite of secret techniques.


    His divine thought entered the server room space, transforming into a master recognition pattern; refining a lifeline magic weapon requires imprinting it with the owner¡¯s mark.


    Within the server room space, a master recognition pattern formed of spiritual power emerged and, guided by his intentions, flew towards the IBMz15.


    He quietly sensed the state of the IBMz15, waiting for it to change.


    But after the master recognition pattern was cast, there was no reaction from the IBMz15 at all.


    He didn¡¯t give up, reasoning that since the IBMz15 had come to this world with him and was bound to him in a special way, it might be possible to deepen this connection and make it his lifeline magic weapon.


    Most crucially, he felt an inexplicable strong conviction about refining the IBMz15 into his lifeline magic weapon.


    He wouldn¡¯t be discouraged by the unsuccessful attempts with the master recognition pattern; he would keep trying until he had truly exhausted all options.


    Li Shiming¡¯s spiritual power was formidable, but after casting hundreds of master recognition patterns in succession, he still felt fatigued.


    He stopped his efforts, vaguely sensing something had changed.


    In his consciousness that surveyed the server room space, the IBMz15 was still in its original place, seemingly unchanged, but he had the feeling that the IBMz15 was different from before.


    The IBMz15 had lost something; although it could still boot up and operate, it seemed to lack something.


    As for what exactly was missing, even with his microscopic-level inspection, he could not find out what it was.


    His spirit returned to his physical body, and in the center of the Five Elements Qi Absorption Array formed by five Golden Cores, an ethereal IBMz15 appeared.


    This ethereal IBMz15, like an inanimate object, indeed felt to him like his lifeline magic weapon.


    He thought that if extracted from within, this lifeline magic weapon couldn¡¯t kill a person even if used to hit them, but if it couldn¡¯t be activated, then hitting people might be its only use.


    Li Shiming thought of something; a slight intention and five currents flowed from the five Golden Cores into the ethereal IBMz15.


    With the boost of electrical energy, the ethereal IBMz15, despite being in an energy state, began operating like a normal large-scale server.


    A moment later, the ethereal IBMz15 booted up normally, with a startup time so fast that not even a desktop computer could match, let alone a large server.


    But considering that the IBMz15 had become his lifeline magic weapon, now transformed into an energy state within him, such speedy startup was to be expected.


    At the very moment the IBMz15 booted up, Li Shiming felt his brain connect with the IBMz15, a connection completely different from before.


    Previously, he had used his five senses as external peripherals for the IBMz15, but now he was fused with the IBMz15, his brain becoming one of its CPUs.


    He felt as if his consciousness split into 191 parts, with each of the IBMz15¡¯s 190 CPUs becoming an actual brain, plus his original brain, giving him a total of 191 brains.


    This wasn¡¯t simply multitasking, but the real physical brains.


    Each brain could multitask independently without affecting the others.


    He even could feel that his previous use of the IBMz15¡¯s performance hadn¡¯t even reached 1%.


    Now, whenever he thought of certain knowledge, all related data previously stored in the IBMz15 would be instantly retrieved and analyzed; the entire process completed in an instant.


    Needless to say, his memory had also improved significantly: everything his eyes saw, ears heard, nose smelt, and all his perceptions could now be stored in real-time in the IBMz15 to be called upon whenever needed in the future.


    The IBMz15¡¯s assistance with formation techniques was most evident, and thinking of this, he summoned his Array Formation Starlight Sea.


    The Array Formation Starlight Sea, somewhat dim due to previous spiritual extraction, brightened slightly when it appeared as it established a connection with the IBMz15.


    The IBMz15, as if discovering a new plugin, integrated the Array Formation Starlight Sea as an extension of itself.


    The previously dim Array Formation Starlight Sea began to recover some of its brightness in mere moments.

 Chapter 544: 318: Magical Treasure_2

    Chapter 544: Chapter 318: Magical Treasure_2


    Li Shiming sensed for a moment, and he couldn¡¯t describe his current control over the Formation; he looked at the Formation in the Cultivation Room of the cave dwelling and saw through the Spiritual Power Pattern of the Formation without any hesitation.


    The Spiritual Power Pattern even indicated the location to break through the Formation but of course, the Formation in the Cultivation Room of the cave dwelling wasn¡¯t enough to serve as a reference, as it was one he had laid out himself.


    However, during the process of observing the Formation in the Cultivation Room, the feeling of penetrating the Formation was just like looking at the scenery on a normal day; all the secrets of the Formation lay there, visible without the need for any contemplation.


    He extended a Divine Thought and quickly followed with a second, a third, all the way to the one hundred and ninety-first Divine Thought.


    In terms of Divine Thought, he felt the strength of his lifebound Magic Artifact, the IBMz15.


    Normally, a Cultivator¡¯s Divine Thought can be dispersed, but once dispersed, it equates to the Cultivator using multitasking to control it, and no matter how strong the multitasking ability is, it cannot compare with focusing on one task at a time.


    In normal times, a Cultivator may utilize multitasking with Divine Thought, but in battle, where even a slight influence could determine victory or defeat, a Cultivator¡¯s Divine Thought remains singular.


    Even if it¡¯s not singular, that would involve using related Secret Techniques to control multiple Divine Thoughts with one.


    Like the Nine Palace Sword Formation he used to use, it was controlled by handling the Central Palace Sword to manipulate the other eight flying swords.


    There aren¡¯t many cultivators who can freely control nine flying swords, and usually, it¡¯s achieved through practicing the Divine Separation Technique, but the number of Divine Separations one can have is also limited.


    The Divine Thoughts issued by Li Shiming were from each CPU of the IBMz15, plus his own brain, each issuing a Divine Thought.


    It means each brain controls a single Divine Thought, and each Divine Thought is in a state of full concentration.


    This lets him control 191 Magic Artifacts during battle, and that¡¯s not even the most he can handle; with practice of the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique,¡¯ he could control thousands of Magic Artifacts.


    As his spiritual power continues to grow, and as he delves deeper into practicing the ¡®Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique,¡¯ the number of Magic Artifacts he could control would keep increasing.


    Although possessing more controllable Magic Artifacts isn¡¯t necessarily better, the overwhelming number of Magic Artifacts does hold a great advantage in a Cultivator¡¯s battle.


    Of course, this thought is still but a fantasy for him at present; reaching the Golden Core Stage, the Magic Artifacts useful to him would be at the level of Magic Treasures, and from the beginning of his journey in cultivation, the Magic Treasures he acquired from slaying numerous Cultivators were not few.


    But for him to produce 191 Magic Treasures, that would at least not be feasible in a short term, let alone thousands of Magic Treasures.


    Even with so many Magic Treasures, whether his spirit could bear it is also a question mark.


    The study of the lifebound Magic Artifact IBMz15 still needs long-term experimentation to fully understand its functions; this is a long-term endeavor.


    In the following month, Li Shiming didn¡¯t do anything else but wholeheartedly devoted himself to cultivation.


    He had stored quite a few Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills since whenever he produced Spirit Pills, just the payment alone was more than what the cultivators providing the Spiritual Medicine received.


    The ¡®Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡¯ made his Alchemy yields extremely rich, enabling him to support both himself and his clone, Li Yuanba, for their cultivation.


    Of course, thinking of continuing to use top-grade Third-Grade Spirit Pills for cultivation in the Golden Core Stage was impossible, mainly because the appearance of such Spirit Pills required the accumulation of ten alchemy sessions to produce one, and that¡¯s only with the continuous production of the same kind of Spirit Pill.


    Apart from the period when he first became an Alchemy Master and consecutively produced Elixirs for Cultivators¡ªfour kinds of Third-Grade Spiritual Medicine¡ªthe chances to continuously produce the same Spirit Pills were rare.


    During the time Li Shiming was in seclusion, Shushan Sect was bustling with activity, and the five Heavenly Thunders during his pill formation had become a hot topic among the Cultivators.


    In the end, Elder Su came forward and claimed that because Li Shiming was inexperienced with the pill formation process, he released four Corpse Refinings during the formation, intending to redistribute the might of the Heavenly Thunder, which resulted in the simultaneous descent of five thunders.


    Some believed this explanation, while others did not, but no Cultivator would try to test it.


    Because the risk of forming a ¡®Golden Core¡¯ is extremely high, and if one were to use ¡®Corpse Refining¡¯ to share the burden of the ¡®Heavenly Thunder,¡¯ they may have the means to survive the additional lightning that Li Shiming would face, but the rest of them would not.


    As for Li Shiming¡¯s affair with ¡®Corpse Refining,¡¯ it became known to outsiders shortly after he slew the ¡®Golden Core¡¯ Fang Lu in the ¡®Fire Cloud Valley.¡¯


    And Li Shiming has many ¡®Corpse Refinings,¡¯ which is considered an anomaly among the ¡®Righteous Path.¡¯


    However many ¡®Corpse Refinings¡¯ Li Shiming has, no cultivator would accuse him of anything, for his ¡®Corpse Refining¡¯ indeed saved his life and helped him slay ¡®Golden Core¡¯ Fang Lu.


    Being an ¡®Alchemy Master,¡¯ what is wrong with using some means to save one¡¯s life? Who would care about an ¡®Alchemy Master¡¯ having more means to preserve his life?


    Li Shiming is not known for his combat abilities, and many cultivators see this nothing more than Li Shiming being too cowardly to fight on his own, creating many corpse refinements to protect himself instead.


    After various pieces of news were compared, the five ¡®Heavenly Thunders¡¯ that struck during Li Shiming¡¯s core formation were forcefully explained away, and eventually, the issue subsided.


    Afterward, the most discussed topic was whether Li Shiming could continue his miraculous alchemy capabilities and maintain his record of never failing to produce ¡®Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.¡¯


    Compared to ¡®Golden Core Early Stage cultivators¡¯ who mainly consume ¡®Third-grade Spirit Pills¡¯ made from ¡®Third-grade Spiritual Medicine,¡¯ those at the ¡®Middle Late Stage Golden Core¡¯ who hold the most power within the sect have been extremely attentive to Li Shiming¡¯s growth.


    Finally, when Li Shiming formed his ¡®Golden Core,¡¯ they naturally thought of having Li Shiming craft ¡®Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills¡¯ for them.


    With the same ¡®Third-grade Spiritual Medicine,¡¯ if Li Shiming can maintain his former level, then the effects of the ¡®Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pill¡¯ he produces could match several made by other ¡®Alchemy Masters.¡¯


    This ¡®other Alchemy Master¡¯ in the sect is actually Elder Ma, but because of Li Shiming¡¯s mentor-disciple relationship with Elder Ma, no one would say it out loud.


    Elder Ma himself wouldn¡¯t mind, for although the quality of his ¡®Third-grade Spirit Pills¡¯ isn¡¯t as high as Li Shiming¡¯s, when compared to other ¡®Alchemy Masters,¡¯ it¡¯s still respectable, and he would not lack alchemy tasks should he wish to accept them.


    Li Shiming is but one person, plus he had long ago announced his principles of conducting alchemy, which opens the furnace only for geniuses, thus limiting his pill production and the number of cultivators that could be accommodated.


    The biggest question now is whether Li Shiming can maintain his alchemy level, so the ¡®Middle and Late Stage Golden Core¡¯ elders in the sect are all watching for when Li Shiming emerges from seclusion.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma stand outside Li Shiming¡¯s ¡®Cultivation Room,¡¯ having waited for a month now, and today is the day Li Shiming is set to leave his seclusion.


    They had to come, their old friends had sought them out and interpersonal relations made it impossible to decline.


    The formation of the ¡®Cultivation Room¡¯ opened, and Li Shiming stepped out slowly.


    At the sight of Li Shiming, both Elder Su and Elder Ma were taken aback, barely believing their eyes.


    It was extremely rude, but they extended their ¡®Divine Thought¡¯ to explore, and after a sweep over Li Shiming, their expressions returned somewhat to normal.


    The aura of Li Shiming, who had just left the ¡®Cultivation Room,¡¯ was indeed peculiar; based solely on his aura, it was undoubtedly that of the ¡®Golden Core Early Stage Peak.¡¯


    How long had Li Shiming been cultivating for it to be possible that he reached the ¡®Golden Core Early Stage¡¯ in just one month?


    No matter how precious the ¡®Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures¡¯ are, they couldn¡¯t achieve such an effect.


    It was only after they probed with ¡®Divine Thought¡¯ that they realized Li Shiming¡¯s aura did reach the ¡®Golden Core Early Stage Peak,¡¯ but the total volume of ¡®Spiritual Power¡¯ Li Shiming possessed was only that of a ¡®Golden Core Early Stage¡¯ that had just stabilized.


    Although reaching a stable ¡®Golden Core Early Stage¡¯ prowess in just one month could be considered extremely quick cultivation, recalling Li Shiming¡¯s identity as an ¡®Alchemy Master¡¯ and the ¡®Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills¡¯ at his disposal, it was still understandable.


    This was more believable than him reaching ¡®Golden Core Early Stage Peak¡¯ in just one month, which is why Elder Su and Elder Ma¡¯s expressions returned to normal.


    However, even though their expressions normalized, the shock in their hearts was not so easily quelled. After all, the current power of Li Shiming could definitely be considered on par with a cultivator who had practiced for decades at the ¡®Golden Core Early Stage.¡¯

 Chapter 545: 319: Alchemy

    Chapter 545: Chapter 319: Alchemy


    Li Shiming¡¯s ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± inside his body had undergone transformation. Though it changed from using Five Elements Array energy as its nodes to five Five Elements Golden Cores, its effect was not diminished but rather enhanced.


    Every strand of spiritual power he cultivated was purified by the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± turning it into the purest Five Elements Thunder and Lightning Spiritual Power.


    This pure Five Elements Thunder and Lightning Spiritual Power was the most genuine strength he could produce at his current realm, that is, Golden Core Early Stage Peak Spiritual Power.


    This was why, despite countless uncertainties in his cultivation due to the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array,¡± he still felt that what he invested was worthwhile.


    At any realm, he could reach the combat power of his current realm; the only difference was the total amount of spiritual power.


    But in battles between cultivators, it was rare to run out of spiritual power; either one wins or one is defeated and flees¡ªthere is rarely a situation where spiritual power is insufficient.


    ¡°Master, I have seen you!¡± Li Shiming greeted his two masters with a bow.


    ¡°Your aura seems stable; have you refined the ¡®Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯?¡± Elder Ma asked with a smile.


    Li Shiming of course understood the meaning behind Elder Ma¡¯s question; the ¡°Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡± was a Pill Furnace Treasure given to him by the sect, as soon as he became an Alchemy Master.


    When Elder Ma inquired about the ¡°Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace,¡± he was actually asking whether Li Shiming was capable of using the ¡°Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡± to refine pills.


    After one month of cultivation, Li Shiming¡¯s Red Sun Spiritual Fire had been upgraded to third-grade, and after refining his IBMz15 life-bound magical treasure, he had also refined several other magical treasures.


    His life-bound magical treasure didn¡¯t possess any combat strength, nor could it provide defense, so if he wanted to protect himself, it was natural for him to refine multiple magical treasures.


    With his discernment, some of the treasures he had obtained before no longer appealed to him.


    Indeed, treasures that he acquired from Loose Cultivators or ordinary Golden Cores truly didn¡¯t seem remarkable in his eyes anymore. Refining such treasures would only add to his spiritual burden.


    Li Shiming currently had six magical treasures that he had refined in addition to his IBMz15 life-bound magical treasure.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was greedy, but from the number of magical treasures he had, refining only six was the result of very selective choices.


    Naturally, the ones he deemed worthwhile were all extraordinary treasures.


    First, there were two treasures obtained from Elder Lv of the Senluo Sect, one being the Jade Flying Sword ¡°White Feather Sword,¡± a Swordsmanship Magical Treasure, and the other being the Flying Boat Magical Treasure ¡°Meteor Ink Boat.¡±


    Elder Lv was an influential Elder of the Senluo Sect, and the magical treasures he used would certainly not be mediocre, with the White Feather Sword being readily transformable into combat power.


    ¡°Heart Sword,¡± this Jade Flying Sword, was acquired from Zhi Xin Arhat of Qianye Temple¡¯s Space Ring. Both its quality and power were extremely formidable.


    The Silver Light Sword and the Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella, these were two ancient treasures from the relics of the Five Qi Sect. Due to severe dissipation of the spiritual essence in both treasures, they required a long nurturing period for restoration.


    Previously inspected by Elder Su, both treasures needed years of repair, but with his five Golden Cores, each nurturing session¡¯s effect was five times that of an ordinary cultivator. He estimated that within a year, he could restore the full might of both treasures.


    ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡± an upgraded version of the ¡°Earth Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡± or rather a hereditary magical treasure of the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡± lineage.


    The Six-fingered Sound Demon once relied on the ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡± to counter the pursuit of large sects. Although he met a rather tragic end, it demonstrated the dreadful power of the ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡± combined with the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual¡± inheritance.


    Lastly, there was the ¡°Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace,¡± a Pill Furnace Treasure. He was able to refine it alongside the simultaneous nurturing of five Golden Cores, or else he wouldn¡¯t have been able to use any of the treasures comfortably within a month.


    ¡°Master, I would like to request the Elixir Recipe and accompanying Spiritual Medicine for the ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pill¡¯ from the sect,¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    ¡°It seems you are well-prepared. Starting with the ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pill¡¯ as a practice run is a good choice; I have already prepared everything for you.¡± Elder Ma didn¡¯t mention anything about a request and directly produced the needed Spiritual Medicine for the ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pill.¡¯


    The ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pill¡¯ was a Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pill consumed by Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators. Moreover, the main ingredients of the ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pill,¡¯ two types of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine, had a source controlled by the Shushan Sect. Although the production was extremely low, it was stable.


    A set of ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pill¡¯ Spiritual Medicine, even if Li Shiming failed on his first attempt at refining a Third-grade Spirit Pill with two types of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredients, it wouldn¡¯t cause too great a loss.


    Most importantly, this Spiritual Medicine belonged to the sect. Unlike private Third-grade Spiritual Medicine, the sect could bear the losses incurred by Li Shiming, an Alchemy Master practicing his skills.


    ¡°Seems like I won¡¯t need to leave today!¡± Seeing that Elder Ma had already prepared the Spiritual Medicine, Li Shiming shook his head and laughed.


    Refining a Third-grade Spirit Pill with two types of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredients, at the very least, took four to five two-hour periods. By the time he successfully completed refining, it would already be midnight.


    ¡°Try refining the pill first. I believe with your level, nothing should go wrong, and many Golden Core Elders in the sect are waiting for the results of your pill refining!¡± Elder Ma said with a wave of his hand.


    Li Shiming took the Spiritual Medicine back to his cave abode, and the Formation once again protected the entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m still a bit too anxious. I¡¯m just worried that during the refining process he might run short on spirit or spiritual power,¡± Elder Su said softly after Li Shiming had left.


    ¡°You¡¯re letting your concerns cloud your judgment. Shiming¡¯s alchemy talent is extremely rare in the world. With his fortune, had he not demonstrated his alchemical talents, he might have met with misfortune long ago!¡± Elder Ma replied with a smile.

 Chapter 546: 319 Alchemy_2

    Chapter 546: Chapter 319 Alchemy_2


    Speaking of Li Shiming¡¯s lucky fate, Elder Su also couldn¡¯t help but sigh speechlessly.


    What is luck? Just look at Li Shiming¡¯s process of advancing to the Golden Core Stage, and you will understand what luck is¡ªnumerous dangers brought numerous opportunities.


    The process of forming his core, seemingly destined for failure, actually not only succeeded but also left him with a robust foundation.


    Consider Li Shiming¡¯s encounters during his travels; it was common for a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage to be attacked by a Golden Core cultivator, and he even encountered powerful beings at the Nascent Soul Stage twice.


    It must be noted that he traveled very infrequently, yet the incidents he experienced during these few trips were incomparable even to those cultivators who had been outside for many years.


    Just as Elder Ma said, if Li Shiming were not an Alchemy Master protected by the Shushan Sect, when would he have peace?


    The process of refining the ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pill¡¯ encountered hardly any trouble, and the entire alchemy process went extremely smoothly.


    Once again, Li Shiming felt wise about his decision to use IBMz15 as his destiny Spell tool; during alchemy, his computational abilities and reflexes were many times faster than before when he was connected to the IBMz15 in the server room space.


    The energy-transformed IBMz15 didn¡¯t need to worry about overheating issues; to increase computing power, simply increase the electricity input.


    Under his Divine Thought, any slight change within the ¡®Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯ would be detected and immediately reacted upon.


    This time, he conducted his alchemy in the server room space, where micron-level control still had an extremely important role even though he had reached the Golden Core Stage using the IBMz15 as his destiny Spell tool¡ªyet at the microscopic level, it was still impossible to achieve micron-level control in the outside world.


    When he used the ¡®Dividing Pill Formula,¡¯ three virtual Spirit Pills manifested above the three ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pills,¡¯ and afterward, Spiritual Energy infused the pills.


    He used two jade bottles to each hold three ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pills¡¯; the three ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pills¡¯ resulted from the ¡®Dividing Pill Formula¡¯ were not to be revealed as they were crucial for accumulating cultivation resources.


    Moreover, his reputation in the realm of alchemy was already well established, so there was no need to use the ¡®Dividing Pill Formula¡¯ to boost his fame any further.


    Looking at the time, five two-hour periods had passed.


    He picked up a jade bottle and walked out of the cave, the sky had already darkened outside, and Elder Su and Elder Ma were still waiting.


    ¡°Master, I have not failed your expectations!¡± he handed over the jade bottle.


    Elder Ma took the jade bottle, opened it, and immersed his Divine Thought; soon his face lit up with a smile.


    Elder Su also immersed his Divine Thought and laughed aloud along with Elder Ma.


    Inside the jade bottle, all three ¡®Green Feather Star Pointing Pills¡¯ were Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, each of the highest quality among Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, as always.


    This matched Li Shiming¡¯s characteristic in alchemy. Now on the Beishu Continent, any Third Grade Spirit Pill of the highest quality would undoubtedly be recognized as crafted by Li Shiming.


    Other Alchemy Masters might also be able to produce Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, but his Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills existed on an entirely different level, surpassing all other Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills in quality.


    ¡°Shiming, let¡¯s discuss your alchemy schedule. Do you have any plans?¡± Elder Ma asked with a smile.


    Elder Ma would not order Li Shiming around; Li Shiming had grown up and, though still his Registered Disciple, had surpassed him in status.


    ¡°How about firing up the furnace once every ten days?¡± Li Shiming suggested after some thought.


    ¡°I know alchemy consumes your cultivation time, but not to mention the external branch, even many elders within our own sect are already waiting with Spiritual Medicine for your alchemy. How about this, limit it to two months. After two months, you fire up the furnace every three days, and after those two months, switch back to every ten days,¡± Elder Su suggested from the side.


    Both masters dared not let Li Shiming fire up the furnace every ten days; if so, just the elders within the sect would have to wait a long time for their turn.


    Some relationships were deeply intertwined with the two masters, so having Li Shiming start alchemy ahead of schedule was also a favor.


    ¡°Master Ma, this won¡¯t affect you, will it?¡± Li Shiming asked, looking towards Elder Ma.


    He planned to start the alchemy furnace every ten days partly to accommodate his training schedule, and partly out of consideration for Elder Ma.


    With his level of Refining Spirit, once he fully unleashed his alchemical skills, he feared it would significantly reduce the alchemy work available for Elder Ma, consequently affecting Elder Ma¡¯s earnings.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. After so many years of alchemy, I¡¯ve long wanted a rest. Besides, do you really think I could completely stop? If you¡¯re making Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills at the Golden Core Middle Stage, then I¡¯ll still be the one making them at the Golden Core Early Stage!¡± Elder Ma said, waving his hand and laughing.


    The two masters, having received Li Shiming¡¯s definitive response, then left Sword Holding Peak.


    Li Shiming stood at the summit of Sword Holding Peak; his gaze around him was exceptionally sharp, as if he could see through everything.


    Indeed, the scenery he observed differed from what a typical Golden Core cultivator saw.


    Firstly, there was the Formation: in his eyes, it consisted of many Spiritual Power Patterns and energy nodes.


    The most ordinary evening breeze he sensed¡ªupon first noticing it, he calculated the wind¡¯s speed, direction, path, and projected routes, among other elements.


    Upon seeing a spirit tree, he knew exactly how many leaves it had, how many branches, how many veins each leaf contained, and the flow paths of Spiritual Energy within the tree.


    The world in his eyes was extremely complex, so much so that a typical cultivator would feel dizzy just by taking a glance.


    But after a month of adaptation, he had managed to process the information he saw normally.


    Li Shiming extended his hand and in the air, he meticulously drew an intricate Spell Pattern. Three breaths later, the Spell Pattern was completely formed; the Thunder Spirit Power from the five Golden Cores inside him flowed into the Spell Pattern.


    Just before the Spell was about to be executed, he waved his hand, stopping its release.


    He was very satisfied with his casting speed. Three breaths may seem like a long time.


    In the battles of Golden Core cultivators, three breaths could let an opponent attack many times.


    But one must realize that the Spell he was executing was a Thunder magic for the Golden Core Stage called ¡®Heavenly Thunder Strike Technique¡¯, a Third Grade Technique rarely used in face-to-face combat.


    Because the casting time for a Third Grade Technique is simply too long; though its power is immense, the preparation time allows an opponent either to strike first, disrupting the casting process, or to escape beyond the Spell range.


    That¡¯s why normally, Third Grade Techniques are crafted into talisman papers, using Third Grade spirit ink on Third Grade Talisman Paper to encapsulate the Technique.


    During combat, the talisman can complete the casting process without hindering the cultivator¡¯s ability to fight.


    The Spell Li Shiming had just performed was called ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯, from the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯. It was the most intricate among the Third Grade Techniques, and three breaths was the theoretically fastest casting speed achievable.


    And yet, after only three days of practice, he reached the theoretical maximum speed for ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯.


    This was not due to ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯ being simple¡ªquite the contrary. According to the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯ records, reaching the theoretical maximum speed of three breaths, without hundreds of years of continuous practice, was unachievable.


    Almost no Thunder Cultivator would spend hundreds of years practicing a powerful, yet requiring more than three breaths preparation time, Technique.


    The reason Li Shiming achieved what others needed hundreds of years to master in just three days was due to his life-bound magic weapon, IBMz15.


    No matter how complex the casting process, no matter how precise the Spiritual Power operation required, no matter how strict the margin for error, with the assistance of his life-bound magic weapon IBMz15, Li Shiming only needed a very short practice time to meet the most perfect casting requirements.


    Although three breaths is long, other Third Grade Thunder magic Spells like ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡¯¡ªa single-target attack Spell from the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯¡ªhe practiced to the theoretical fastest speed of one breath, which already counts as a combat power in face-to-face battle.

 Chapter 547: 320: Strength

    Chapter 547: Chapter 320: Strength


    The silver-white body, standing four meters tall before Li Shiming, made him feel the terrifying might of this artificial being.


    Yet his face bore a smile, for the Silver Corpse in front of him was his own.


    It was a spoils of war given to him by Elder Lv of the Senluo Sect, and this Silver Corpse had been staying in the Corpse Refining space of his Space Ring before, since he couldn¡¯t claim it due to his lack of the Golden Core Stage cultivation.


    Once he reached the Golden Core Stage and stabilized his strength, he claimed the Silver Corpse.


    The process of claiming it was without any trouble, a Silver Corpse placed in the Corpse Refining space, devoid of any consciousness, wouldn¡¯t resist the claim at all.


    In the Corpse Refining space, there were also twelve Iron Corpses, among which Nezha and the other ten Iron Corpses had been modified into a form with three heads and six arms, and another Iron Corpse, Jue Tu, was a special corpse refinement, using unparalleled killing intent as a weapon.


    All twelve Iron Corpses had reached the peak of Iron Corpse strength, and Li Shiming had also devoted a lot of effort to these twelve Iron Corpses.


    Now that he had become a Golden Core cultivator, the refinement of peak Iron Corpses was nearly useless to him, and he needed to elevate the twelve Iron Corpses to Silver Corpses in order to provide him with combat support.


    But he understood the difficulty of elevating Corpse Refining through two experiences from his other self, Li Yuanba: one being Li Yuanba¡¯s corpse body refinement advancement, the other being Jiang Chen¡¯s promotion.


    Under normal circumstances, it¡¯s fortunate if one or two out of these twelve Iron Corpses managed to get promoted.


    Otherwise, why would Elder Lv prepare so many Iron Corpses if not to anticipate failures in promotion?


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t want any loss among these Iron Corpses, each one chosen by Elder Lv was the best for corpse refining material.


    As the de facto Elder of the Senluo Sect with authority, Elder Lv often encountered genius cultivators with single spirit root seeds. Originally, the ten Iron Corpses in the Corpse Refining space were all cultivators with single spirit roots.


    In any case, with Li Shiming¡¯s status, it was impossible for him to obtain so many single spirit root cultivator corpses; each single spirit root cultivator was important talent to a sect.


    He wasn¡¯t a Devil Cultivator, even less likely to kill those with whom he had no grievance, for the sake of refining corpses.


    Li Shiming stowed the Silver Corpse. This Silver Corpse itself was quite powerful, with strength comparable to a Golden Core Middle Stage.


    This gave him a decent shield for close combat. Of course, if a Golden Core cultivator actually breached the defense of the Silver Corpse and engaged him in close combat, that cultivator would then discover his true close combat ability.


    He summoned all of the Iron Corpses, and the twelve Iron Corpses appeared before him.


    He divided his Divine Thought into twelve parts, individually controlling each of the Iron Corpses, and took out twelve Third Grade Array Flags, handing one to each of the Iron Corpses.


    The twelve Iron Corpses each stood at twelve nodes, their Third Grade Array Flags combined with the Iron Corpses themselves, forming a Formation.


    ¡®Nine Revolutions Thunder Storage Array,¡¯ a simple Thunder attribute Formation, its most special feature was that the power of thunder and lightning within the Formation was adjustable.


    The ¡®Nine Revolutions Thunder Storage Array¡¯ could control the Power of thunder and lightning from one-rotation to nine-rotations, each level inducing a different level of thunder and lightning force.


    As the ¡®Nine Revolutions Thunder Storage Array¡¯ was formed, the one-rotation Formation activated, strands of the Power of thunder and lightning materialized within the Formation, encompassing the entire bodies of the twelve Iron Corpses.


    The Power of thunder and lightning and the Yin Cold Power inherent in the Iron Corpses were naturally conflicting elements, even the mere one-rotation level of Power of thunder and lightning could inflict certain damage on them.


    The Iron Corpses shuddered, their bodies ravaged by the Power of thunder and lightning.


    This was the second time the Iron Corpses endured the baptism of the ¡®Nine Revolutions Thunder Storage Array¡¯. The previous day, after staying in the Formation for three two-hours periods, they returned to the Corpse Refining space to recover.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t possibly allow the Iron Corpses to suffer too much damage; his goal was an experiment rather than letting the Iron Corpses be annihilated by the Power of thunder and lightning.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± A smile appeared on his face, in his perception, compared to yesterday¡¯s data, the twelve Iron Corpses had undergone some positive changes.


    For other cultivators, discerning slight differences from subtle changes over the course of two days might be difficult.


    But Li Shiming possessed the life-bound magic treasure IBMz15; he could observe exceedingly fine data, with any slight changes recorded and analyzed by the IBMz15.


    After only the second encounter with the ¡®Nine Revolutions Thunder Storage Array,¡¯ the Iron Corpses¡¯ endurance against the Power of thunder and lightning had improved slightly, a change measurable behind three decimal points in the data. However, as long as there was improvement, there was hope.


    His plan was clear: to continually increase the resistance of the Iron Corpses to the Power of thunder and lightning through the ¡®Nine Revolutions Thunder Storage Array.¡¯


    Only when the Iron Corpses¡¯ resistance was strong enough to withstand Heavenly Thunder would he allow them to promote.


    In his possession were also two corpses of Golden Core cultivators. One was given to his alter ego Li Yuanba by Elder Jian, the corpse of a Body Refining Arhat from Qianye Temple¡ªa top-notch corpse for refining.


    This Arhat specialized in Body Refinement, and once his body was refined into a Silver Corpse, its combat capabilities would at least match the Silver Corpse meticulously cultivated by Elder Lv for many years.


    The other was the body of the female cultivator Fang Lu. To have reached Golden Core cultivator status, Fang Lu¡¯s talent was not insignificant. More importantly, being a female cultivator corpse, once refined, it would present different variations to Yin Cold Energy as compared to male corpse refinements, which greatly interested Li Shiming.

 Chapter 548: 320 Power_2

    Chapter 548: Chapter 320 Power_2


    However, he was not in a hurry to refine the corpses from the two Golden Core bodies into Corpse Refining. He planned to wait until his strength increased further before proceeding.


    Refining a corpse is not only related to the original strength of the body but also to the realm of the Sacrificial Refiner himself.


    For the body of a Body Refining Arhat, if he started refining it now, he feared that the best outcome would be the strength of an early-stage Silver Corpse. Waiting until his own realm advanced to the middle stage of the Golden Core, he would need to use a large amount of resources to raise the strength of the Silver Corpse.


    Currently, he was not lacking in combat power. The combat prowess of a mid-stage Silver Corpse, together with the twelve prepared reserve Silver Corpses, was already enough to handle any troubles.


    In addition, he had a hidden combat power, the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake was not far from advancing to the third-grade. Once the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake ascended to the third-grade, it could potentially bring about the downfall of any Golden Core cultivator under a surprise attack.


    A communication technique came flying in, and he casually received it, sensing the information within.


    He glanced at the ¡®Nine Revolutions Thunder Storage Array¡¯ and then turned to leave the cave dwelling.


    As long as he did not leave Sword Holding Peak, the connection between him and the Iron Corpse ensured that his personal magic treasure, the IBMz15, would automatically monitor the twelve Iron Corpses and prevent any issues from arising.


    The visitor was his attendant Ye Lingyun. Ever since Ye Lingyun became a Foundation Establishment cultivator, one of her duties had been to transport materials for him.


    Ye Lingyun had the freedom to enter and exit Sword Holding Peak at will, but entering the peak¡¯s summit still required sending a spell to Li Shiming.


    ¡°My lord, this is the Spiritual Medicine sent from the Beishu Trading Company!¡± Ye Lingyun said respectfully, presenting a storage bag.


    Today, Ye Lingyun¡¯s status was completely different from before. She had been the first among the attendants to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage, making her stand out.


    With this advantage, she had become Li Shiming¡¯s external liaison.


    Li Shiming took the storage bag and scanned its contents with his Divine Thought. It contained materials for three Third-grade Spirit Pills, fulfilling an order from the Beishu Trading Company.


    Apart from refining pills for the Golden Core Elders of the sect, orders from the Beishu Trading Company would also be delivered after receiving the sect¡¯s approval.


    As a Guest Elder for the Beishu Trading Company, he took advantage of their offerings, particularly obtaining many research materials related to technology through them.


    In his previous life, those research materials might have been considered precious, but in this world, anything that was not a Spiritual Object held little value.


    The Beishu Trading Company not only didn¡¯t profit from collecting and transporting mundane objects for Li Shiming, but it also incurred quite a loss.


    ¡°This vial of Third-grade Spirit Pills should still be delivered through the previous channel to that place!¡± Li Shiming nodded, taking out a jade bottle from his Space Ring and instructing Ye Lingyun.


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Ye Lingyun replied, receiving the jade bottle.


    She didn¡¯t need to ask; she knew where the Third-grade Spirit Pills in the jade bottle were headed. She would transport them through the channel periodically.


    As for the fact that her master had connections with Devil Cultivators, it wasn¡¯t something she, as an attendant, should inquire into.


    Besides, even if Li Shiming had some dealings with Devil Cultivators, knowing his status and position, it wouldn¡¯t be significant if the sect were to find out.


    Ye Lingyun¡¯s accomplishments were all thanks to her master.


    Before becoming Li Shiming¡¯s attendant, she was only considered to have average aptitude within her Cultivation Family, and with her talents in cultivation, she probably would have remained in the Qi Refinement Realm for her entire life, with little chance of advancing to Foundation Establishment.


    After following Li Shiming, although she and the other two attendants were busy daily, taking care of the spirit fields on a mountain peak, they enjoyed cultivation resources that even the True Inheritors of the sect could not match.


    They were supplied with Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming himself every month.


    The Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming, regardless of their grade, were coveted by countless cultivators outside.


    It was precisely these Spirit Pills that allowed her, a cultivator with modest resources at the Qi Refinement Realm, to successfully break through and become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    It wasn¡¯t just her¡ªher two followers had also reached the peak of Qi Refinement, and had been given Foundation Establishment Pills by the senior.


    However, Ye Lingyun was not worried about competing with her two followers. She had already seized the initiative, managing many of the senior¡¯s important affairs. Even if the other two followers successfully advanced, they would only become her assistants.


    Li Shiming sent Ye Lingyun away and delivered three batches of Spiritual Medicine into the space of the machine room.


    Within the machine room space, the Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace blazed with Red Sun Spiritual Fire. A Divine Thought processed the three batches of Spiritual Medicine, and then alchemy began.


    During the alchemy, Li Shiming seemed as if he had nothing to worry about. A white lotus appeared beneath his feet, and he vanished and reappeared within the underground factory area.


    Nowadays, he didn¡¯t need to concentrate fully on alchemy. A single Divine Thought used for alchemy was equivalent to his previous undivided attention.


    In the factory area, over a hundred Divine Thoughts flew out, operating various machines within the factory zone.


    Especially in the chip area, after refining the IBMz15 as his life-bound magical artifact, he had made continuous and significant achievements in research, with the chip being the most notable.


    The research materials for the chip were readily available; all he had to do was to create qualified production machines based on the research data.


    In his previous life, even with countless human and material resources put into the research of nanometer-scale chips¡ªand with existing research achievements¡ªthe progress was still very difficult.


    This was due to insufficient basic industry. Many machines couldn¡¯t be researched not because of lack of knowledge but because the basic industry was inadequate to manufacture the materials required for the machine parts.


    One aspect in which this world was much stronger than his previous one was in the richness of materials.


    Affected by Spiritual Energy, many Spiritual Objects had emerged. For example, in the realm of metals, spiritual metals possessed characteristics far beyond ordinary metals. Moreover, with the synthesis science from his previous world, the combination of various spiritual metals and ordinary metals resulted in metals far surpassing those of his previous life.


    Previously, Li Shiming had spent a great deal of time on metal synthesis experiments.


    Finding the right alloy proportions required countless experiments.


    This task, with the help of his life-bound magical artifact IBMz15, had made tremendous progress.


    One hundred ninety-one brains were equivalent to one hundred ninety-one researchers, supported by the computational power of IBMz15. Not even the top researchers from his previous world could compare to any of these one hundred ninety-one brains.


    Currently, he had completed about eighty percent of the research work on nanometer-scale chips, and soon he would be able to trial-produce the first generation of nanoscale chips.


    After being busy in the factory zone for ten hours, he ceased today¡¯s research work and wrapped up his tasks for the day.


    Meanwhile, in his machine room space, the first batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills was produced. He took four of the six Spirit Pills and placed them into a jade bottle to be sent out, with the four Third-grade Spirit Pills as his payment.


    Following that, the second batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills began to be refined. Nowadays, alchemy no longer affected his daily affairs.


    Even if he were to engage in battle, the alchemy within the machine room space would not be disturbed. Out of the one hundred ninety-one brains, only one needed to be allocated to carry out the alchemy.


    ¡°It seems I need to refine a few more Pill Furnaces!¡± thought Li Shiming as he left the underground factory area.


    In his opinion, having only one ¡°Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡± magical artifact was too few; he could only operate one furnace at a time.


    If he had several more Pill Furnace magical artifacts, he would be able to refine several batches of Spirit Pills at the same time.


    In fact, even an Alchemy Master like Elder Ma would not use the Divine Separation and Thought Transformation Technique to refine Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    The refinement of Third-grade Spirit Pills was extremely complex; even dedicating one¡¯s full attention to the process, issues could still arise, let alone refining several batches of Third-grade Spirit Pills at the same time.


    Third-grade Spiritual Medicine was too precious, and the losses incurred from an increased failure rate were far more significant than any time saved during alchemy.


    But Li Shiming was different. With one hundred ninety-one CPU cores on his life-bound magical artifact IBMz15, each core acting as one of his brains, he could, in fact, operate one hundred ninety-one furnaces at the same time if it weren¡¯t for the limitations of the Red Sun Spiritual Fire and the Pill Furnace magical artifacts.

 Chapter 549: 321 Jieshan

    Chapter 549: Chapter 321 Jieshan


    Jieshan City Guardian Mansion, Li Yuanba had the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure in front of him, which had transformed into a height of five meters.


    With his eyes closed in meditation, he practiced the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique.¡± Countless Sword Intents flowed from the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, swirling beside him, and in conjunction with the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± they enhanced his Sword Intent.


    Inside his body, a force of elixir strength spread and transformed into strands of Spiritual Power that flowed into his Golden Core through the transformation of the Cultivation Technique.


    The potency of the Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pill had noticeably boosted the Spiritual Power within his Golden Core.


    Over the recent months, his strength had been rapidly increasing, and he had no need to worry about a shortage of cultivation resources.


    With a communication channel set up with his original self, Li Shiming, cultivation resources were being sent over periodically.


    Of course, he symbolically sent back some Spiritual Objects, which were either battle spoils he found useless or unique Spiritual Objects from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains given by his subordinates.


    With sufficient cultivation resources, his strength was in a rapid growth phase.


    His status at the Jieshan Mountain Pass had become stable through several battles. Whether it was the three Golden Core Elders from the Senluo Sect or the three Golden Core Elders from the other side on the Righteous Path, all of them showed him respect.


    This respect was earned through his strength; last time, he had nearly slain two Righteous Path Golden Core Elders.


    Since he had restrained himself, the two Righteous Path Golden Core Elders owed him a favor, ensuring that the goods flowing through his channels never faced any difficulties.


    Once a cycle of the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± finished, the elixir strength within his body was not consumed but naturally enhanced his physique.


    If it were other Golden Core cultivators, they would not waste this elixir strength so lavishly. Instead, they would use Secret Techniques to store this residual power for later use, regardless of how modest the remaining elixir strength was, considering it was from a valuable Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pill.


    Li Yuanba thought differently, believing that enhancing his physique was extremely important, so a bit of wasted elixir strength was acceptable.


    He waved his hand at the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure in front of him, which shrank before falling into his palm and was stored inside his Space Ring.


    Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure did not need to be fully unleashed; its currently five-meter-tall state provided enough Sword Intent for his cultivation needs.


    Everything in Jieshan City was favorable except for the inconvenience of fully releasing the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure. There simply wasn¡¯t enough space within the city to do so, and placing it outside the city would remove it from Jieshan City¡¯s great defensive array.


    Thus, he came up with this compromise, which fortunately did not delay his cultivation.


    He stood up, part of his spirit remaining with the Golden Core, where the Xingyi Sword was being nurtured. Under his deliberate control, the nurturing speed was noticeably superior to that of the Golden Core¡¯s natural rate.


    Therefore, whenever he was free, he would leave a portion of his spirit at the Golden Core.


    In this aspect, he greatly envied his original self, Li Shiming, who, with his hundred and ninety-nine brains, could focus simultaneously on many tasks.


    While practicing the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡± Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t send out his spirit to nurture the Xingyi Sword.


    Of course, the current nurturance effect for the Xingyi Sword was weak, mainly because the Xingyi Sword itself was already very powerful, though the task of nurturing the Lifebound Flying Sword was one of persistent effort.


    The former master of the Xingyi Sword, Yun Xingyi, had spent hundreds of years refining the sword. With Li Yuanba¡¯s Golden Core Stage lifespan, the refinement he undertook would build on Yun Xingyi¡¯s efforts, starting from a considerably higher level. Perhaps in a few hundred years, the power of the Xingyi Sword could be several times its current potency.


    However, enhancing the Lifebound Flying Sword¡¯s power is not an overnight achievement; nurturing the Lifebound Flying Sword would be his daily routine.


    Additionally, he still needed to find ways to acquire more ¡°Star White Yan Gold,¡± the primary material for the Xingyi Sword.


    To enhance the Lifebound Flying Sword, it requires absorbing the essence within the third-grade ¡°Star White Yan Gold.¡±


    Many Golden Core cultivators wouldn¡¯t undertake this expense because absorbing the essence of the primary material of a magical artifact is meant to prepare the artifact for an upgrade in quality.


    Non-Sword Cultivator Golden Core cultivators would choose to abandon their original Lifebound artifacts upon advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    This action would cause damage to their spirit, and all the nurturing done during the Golden Core Stage would go to waste, but compared to the costs involved in elevating a Lifebound artifact¡¯s grade using a substantial amount of primary material, these losses are negligible.


    Thus, most cultivators upon reaching the Nascent Soul Stage would choose to refine new Lifebound artifacts using fourth-grade materials.


    But Sword Cultivators are different. The Lifebound Flying Sword greatly influences a Sword Cultivator¡¯s battle power. Without their Lifebound Flying Sword, a Sword Cultivator¡¯s combat strength could drop drastically.


    When Li Yuanba wielded the Xingyi Sword, just the sword¡¯s amplification of his Sword Intent alone was as high as 135%, which means without the Xingyi Sword, his Sword Intent would lose nearly half of its power.


    Since Sword Intent is, aside from Spiritual Power, the most important means of attack for a Sword Cultivator and the foundation for the ability to break myriad techniques with a single sword strike.


    Therefore, even if a Sword Cultivator becomes a Nascent Soul Cultivator, they often keep their Golden Core Stage Lifebound Flying Sword and find various ways to enhance it, regardless of the high costs involved.


    Regarding the ¡°Star White Yan Gold,¡± Li Shiming was already considering it on his side. ¡°Star White Yan Gold¡± is extremely rare, even for an Alchemy Master, and getting hold of it is somewhat troublesome.


    As an Alchemy Master, the easiest resources Li Shiming could obtain were third-grade Spiritual Tea, Spirit Fruit, Spiritual Medicine, and some third-grade materials. However, the particularly precious resources among them had to be acquired through the Beishu Trading Company or the Shushan Sect.

 Chapter 550: 321 Jieshan_2

    Chapter 550: Chapter 321 Jieshan_2


    Acquiring precious resources from the Beishu Trading Company and the Shushan Sect required a corresponding price.


    Li Shiming was also waiting for an opportunity. Once his realm improved further and he could concoct Fourth-Grade Spirit Pills for the Nascent Soul Ancestor, perhaps these Third-Grade precious resources could be easily obtained.


    Li Yuanba was planning to look for Yue Xing to inquire about the recent situation in Jieshan City when a message arrived on his Identity Jade Disc.


    After reading the message, he discovered it was an invitation from Jiang Pu, his fellow, to meet at Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    During his time in Jieshan City, he experienced the lifestyle of a normal Golden Core cultivator.


    Guarding Jieshan City daily brought certain benefits. Daily cultivation improved his strength, and occasionally, he met with a few Golden Core fellows to share cultivation experiences.


    Especially, the exchanges with fellow Golden Core cultivators enhanced his knowledge through repeated interactions.


    The three Golden Core cultivators participating in the gathering were all at the Golden Core Middle Stage, their hundreds of years of life experiences were not something Li Yuanba could compare with.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised by Jiang Pu¡¯s invitation, as such invitations came every so often.


    He cast a communication technique to Yue Xing, informing him to head to Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    The reason the guarding duty at Jieshan City was considered a cushy job was that the affairs were very relaxed here, near Jieshan Mountain Pass, where three Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators were stationed.


    Stirring up trouble in Jieshan City meant considering the threat of the three Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators at the pass.


    And the benefits of Jieshan City were extremely ample. Even without being greedy, quite a few resources came into one¡¯s hands, plus the gray income from cooperating with the three Golden Core Elders at the pass made this task coveted by most sect cultivators.


    Li Yuanba left Jieshan City. His flying speed was not fast as he was getting used to keeping a portion of his mind in his Golden Core, constantly nourishing the Xingyi Sword.


    Even with his slow flying speed, it didn¡¯t take long to reach Jieshan Mountain Pass since it was not far from Jieshan City.


    The grand formation was already open to him, but he quickly discovered that the meeting place was not within Jieshan Mountain Pass, but in a buffer zone two hundred li between Jieshan Mountain Pass and Righteous Gate.


    ¡°What a refined taste you all have!¡± Li Yuanba saw Jiang Pu, and there were not just three Golden Core Middle Stage Elders from Senluo Sect, but also three Golden Core Elders from the Righteous Path.


    ¡°Junior Li, come over quickly, Brother Ying has secured some spirit deer meat from our sect and invited us to share it!¡± Jiang Pu laughed loudly and gestured.


    Li Yuanba looked toward the middle of the Golden Core Elders, where some cut meat was placed, emitting a rich wave of spiritual energy.


    He had heard about spirit deer, a type of spiritual beast raised by cultivators. The meat of the spirit deer was not only delicious but also beneficial for a cultivator¡¯s Taoist Body.


    Spirit deer normally consumed Spirit Grass, and mature spirit deer were classified as Second-grade Spiritual Beasts.


    Spirit deer were difficult to raise, with a long growth period spanning decades just for the sake of culinary delight. Aside from large sects maintaining spirit deer to entertain honored guests, ordinary cultivators would not keep them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve indeed cleaned up, thanks to Brother Ying!¡± Li Yuanba laughed towards Ying Hou.


    Ying Hou was a Golden Core cultivator of the Righteous Path, but their interactions, especially after that battle, had not only unaffected their friendship but had made their connections even closer.


    If other cultivators saw this situation, they would probably drop their jaws in disbelief.


    Golden Core cultivators from both righteous and demonic paths sitting together, laughing and talking without any reservations.


    After Li Yuanba sat down, Jiang Pu poured him a cup of Third Grade Spirit Wine. In addition to the spirit deer meat, there were also several plates of Third Grade Spirit Fruits in front of him, prompting him to scrutinize the expressions of the Golden Core Elders.


    This gathering not only encompassed the Righteous Path¡¯s three Golden Core Elders but also included a much larger array of offerings, equivalent in value to the consumption across five or six such gatherings.


    It was known that during regular gatherings, the Golden Core Elders would take turns providing the hospitality items, and no one would suddenly present so many items at once.


    The items currently being offered likely came from the six Golden Core Elders present, but since he hadn¡¯t been notified about contributing to this round of hospitality, there must have been some reason.


    However, he didn¡¯t sense any ill intentions, so he just played ignorant and thanked Jiang Pu with a smile.


    As usual, this gathering had more Golden Core Elders, and they began by exchanging insights on cultivation.


    Although the differences in Righteous and Demonic Cultivation Techniques and the restrictions of their sects prevented the Golden Core Elders from delving too deeply into certain secrets, every word from a Golden Core Elder was somewhat helpful to those present.


    Especially for Li Yuanba, these experiences were of the greatest help.


    Li Yuanba also shared some experiences related to Sword Cultivators, an area in which he specialized, which garnered the attention of the other Golden Core Elders.


    At the peak of the heated discussion, Jiang Pu and Ying Hou exchanged glances, quietly shared their thoughts, and reached a consensus.


    ¡°Junior Li, do you have a way to acquire Spirit Pills from Master Li of the Shushan Sect?¡± Jiang Pu asked.


    Li Yuanba was slightly stunned as he noticed the inquiring looks from the other five Golden Core Elders.


    However, it was understandable for Jiang Pu and the other Golden Core Elders to have this doubt, as through the Jieshan Mountain Pass channel, the Righteous Path had sent Third-grade Spirit Pills multiple times, and the vases even bore Li Shiming¡¯s mark.


    Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t intended to keep this matter a secret. On the Beishu Continent, there weren¡¯t many Alchemy Masters who could stably produce Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, and among them, only Li Shiming had the largest output of Third Grade Spirit Pills. This couldn¡¯t be concealed from the Golden Core Elders on both sides.


    These six Golden Core Elders had only now approached him; he felt that their patience was quite strong.


    ¡°Although I share the same surname as Master Li of the Shushan Sect, I have no actual connection with him!¡± Li Yuanba shook his head and said.


    Upon hearing this, disappointment appeared on the faces of the six Golden Core Elders.


    Regardless of whether Li Yuanba was telling the truth, they all discerned the refusal in his words.


    Given their equivalent statuses and positions, it was nearly impossible for them to force Li Yuanba to do anything, so with Li Yuanba¡¯s refusal, their hopes of benefiting from the situation were dashed.


    ¡°However, I do have a good friend on the Righteous Path who knows Master Li, and I got the Spirit Pills from Master Li through that friend!¡± Seeing the expressions of the Golden Core Elders, Li Yuanba continued with a smile.


    Jiang Pu¡¯s eyes lit up. Since Li Yuanba admitted to having a connection, there was hope for them to benefit.


    ¡°Could I request that your friend intervenes and asks Master Li to concoct pills for us?¡± Jiang Pu eagerly asked.


    Aside from Li Yuanba, the rest of the Golden Core Elders present were all in the Golden Core Middle Stage and were wealthy cultivators.


    They also had usual collaboration with an Alchemy Master, who had crafted their previous Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    However, according to information from the Shushan Sect and the Beishu Trading Company, Li Shiming¡¯s transition to the Golden Core Stage hadn¡¯t diminished his alchemic prowess at all, and his production of Third-grade Spirit Pills for Golden Core Middle Stage still maintained a guaranteed output of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.


    In comparison with the Alchemy Masters who collaborated with the six Golden Core Elders present, Li Shiming¡¯s Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills were of superior quality, and the yield was guaranteed, almost ensuring that each batch of Spirit Grass would yield two Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.


    Whereas their collaborating Alchemy Master¡¯s skills fluctuated, and on a bad day, the alchemy could even fail, often yielding only one Third-grade Spirit Pill per batch of Spirit Grass, with no guaranteed quality.


    ¡°I can only manage to secure pills for personal use among the present company; I can¡¯t craft for other cultivators, as even my friend needs to expend favors!¡± Li Yuanba thought for a moment and then replied.


    ¡°Of course, apart from the fee for Master Li¡¯s efforts, we will reward both you and your friend generously!¡± Jiang Pu said happily.

 Chapter 551: 322: Reunion

    Chapter 551: Chapter 322: Reunion


    In the days that followed, it was the most closely knit period of relations between the Righteous and Devil factions at the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Through Li Yuanba¡¯s connections, six Golden Core Middle Stage Elders from both factions delivered their Third-grade Spiritual Medicine and Elixir Recipes to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba then sent them through channels to Ye Lingyun, who in turn delivered them to Sword Holding Peak of the Shushan Sect.


    Even the three Golden Core Elders of the Righteous Path held no intention to probe.


    They were well aware that if they wished to keep this channel open, they must maintain the status quo. If their probing was discovered, it might very well sever the ties with Li Yuanba.


    Whether they believed in the existence of Li Yuanba¡¯s friend or not, upon receiving the first two successfully refined Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills and sensing the abundant Spiritual Energy within, their only thought was to stabilize their relationship with Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba gained considerable benefits from this, not only solidifying the channel at Jieshan Mountain Pass but also earning extra handling fees.


    The profits for him and his friend weren¡¯t much, but these were considerations fit for a Golden Core cultivator; they couldn¡¯t be too shabby, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be acceptable. Coupled with the rewards from Master Li Shiming, he was effectively receiving three shares.


    The six Golden Core Elders were also clear that they produced Alchemy in small quantities and that their agreement with Li Yuanba was not public knowledge.


    If this cooperative relationship could stabilize, it would become a long-term partnership, crucial for their cultivation.


    No Golden Core Elder would risk damaging such a relationship; they would only strive to uphold it fully.


    Half a year passed, and Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation of the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ reached minor accomplishment. He eagerly needed Fourth-grade ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk¡¯ to advance his Body Refinement cultivation.


    Additionally, the Third Grade Fierce Ghost within the Ghost Banner Treasure in his possession had been weakening due to the lack of a master¡¯s offerings and needed to be delivered to Li Shiming soon.


    Therefore, he sent a message to both sides of the Jieshan Mountain Pass, requesting passage.


    In the past, anyone wishing to cross the Jieshan Mountain Pass, especially a Golden Core cultivator, would either smuggle themselves through special channels or go through official procedures under the supervision of the other side.


    With the strength to cause a certain level of destruction, the tense and hostile relationship between the Righteous and Devil factions made passage extremely challenging for their Golden Core cultivators.


    Indeed, Li Yuanba could have slipped through by using the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ to hide his presence and evade detection by the formations of both sides.


    With his level of prowess in Formation, passing through the Formation would not be difficult.


    However, as the guardian of Jieshan City, his departure needed to be reported. Moreover, due to the profitable alliance he had formed with the Golden Core Elders on both sides over the past six months, passing through the Jieshan Formations of both factions was no longer a significant issue.


    Besides, he would only stay on the other side for three two-hour periods before returning, which the Righteous Path did not find worrisome, doubting that he could accomplish much in such short time.


    Three two-hour periods would scarcely suffice to fly to any critical location, let alone cause substantial damage to the Righteous Path.


    In fact, the three Golden Core Elders of the Righteous Path suspected that Li Yuanba was crossing the pass to meet with his friend, whom they believed to be the cultivator connecting them to Master Shiming.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s previous intelligence had been thoroughly investigated; the only record of his arrival in the Righteous Path¡¯s territory had been several years ago, which they surmised was when he made that influential connection.


    Since the relationship between friends requires maintenance, the three Golden Core Elders were highly supportive of Li Yuanba¡¯s meeting, as it also pertained to their own interests.


    Once everything was arranged, Li Yuanba rode his Sword Escape to the Jieshan Mountain Pass, where the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Formation had already opened a passage for him.


    While crossing the Formation, he nodded to Jiang Pu, the Formation guardian, who smiled and waved back.


    After passing through the Formation of the Senluo Sect and flying over a two-hundred-Baili buffer zone, he arrived at the external boundary of the Righteous Path¡¯s Formation.


    The moment Li Yuanba approached the Formation, his Golden Core aura was detected, but with Golden Core Elders like Ying Hou supervising, they swiftly confirmed his identity and opened a passage for him.


    ¡°Mr. Li, if you¡¯re short on time, you¡¯re welcome to stay longer and return tomorrow, no problem,¡± Ying Hou smiled as Li Yuanba crossed the passage.


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Ying, but I¡¯ll try to return on time to avoid causing you any trouble,¡± Li Yuanba replied with a smile.


    Fortunately, there were no other cultivators at the pass; otherwise, who would believe this was a conversation between opposing Righteous and Devil Golden Core cultivators?


    As Li Yuanba passed through the Righteous Path¡¯s Formation, he was surprised to find that it didn¡¯t even initiate a scan, a sign of respect and trust for him.


    After leaving the Formation, he quickened his Sword Escape towards the inner regions of the Righteous Path¡¯s territory.


    Once he was out of the Formation¡¯s sensing range, he activated the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ and found a place to stop.


    Before long, a figure arrived, stepping on a white lotus ¨C it was Li Shiming from the Shushan Sect.


    Upon arriving, Li Shiming casually tossed the Fourth-grade Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate, enclosing both of them within the Formation.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, long time no see!¡± Li Shiming greeted his own incarnation according to the etiquette between cultivators.


    No matter how many times he experienced this, the strange feeling of facing his incarnation never dissipated.


    It was like looking into a mirror, except the other self in the mirror was a real, autonomously moving entity.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, long time no see!¡± Li Yuanba returned the cultivator¡¯s greeting.

 Chapter 552: 322: The Meeting_2

    Chapter 552: Chapter 322: The Meeting_2


    Li Shiming took out a wooden table from his Space Ring and poured some prepared Third Grade Spiritual Tea. Li Yuanba sat across from him, removed his mask, and picked up a cup of the tea.


    ¡°Meeting again, we both have formed Golden Cores, and you, fellow, have four more than I do!¡± Li Yuanba said after taking a sip of the tea and setting down the cup.


    ¡°Only three more,¡± Li Shiming immediately corrected.


    Li Shiming and Li Yuanba, although being the body and avatar of the same person, had relatively independent thinking capabilities, which was why such a dialogue could take place between them.


    Li Yuanba chuckled as he sensed the information transmitted by his body, Li Shiming.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s three!¡± he nodded in agreement.


    His Taiji Dao Body possessed both the Supreme Yang Body of humans and the Yin Body of Corpse Refining. The human Supreme Yang Body had one Sword Cultivation Golden Core, and the Corpse Refining Yin Body had one Corpse Pill. However, the Sword Cultivation Golden Core and the Corpse Pill would not exist at the same time; they would only appear when he switched between the body and avatar.


    The two sat opposite each other, earnestly finished their cups of Spiritual Tea.


    Li Shiming placed a storage bag on the table, and Li Yuanba also took out a storage bag and placed it on the table soon after.


    The two exchanged smiles and picked up the other¡¯s storage bag.


    ¡°You should also take this Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate. I face danger less often, and with my current Array Mastery, I can unleash power equal to the Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate even with Third Grade Array Flags!¡± Li Shiming said, pointing at the ¡®Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡¯ on the ground.


    This was something he had long considered. The fourth-grade ¡®Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡¯ was the strongest defensive measure he had.


    If he had not become an Array Master, perhaps he would have kept the fourth-grade ¡®Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡¯ with him for protection.


    But now he was an Array Master, and with the presence of his Lifebound treasure IBMz15, his strength in the field of Array formations was such that few Cultivators in this world could match him.


    ¡°Take care, fellow!¡± said Li Shiming as white lotuses appeared under his feet, and then his figure vanished from sight.


    Li Shiming had practiced the Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique, which allowed him to use shadows to become invisible and perform ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ within the range of his Divine Thought, even in broad daylight.


    In this respect, Li Yuanba, as a Sword Cultivation Golden Core, had a much less versatile Cultivation Technique.


    But as for the strength of Li Yuanba¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword, if Li Shiming had to face him in direct combat, it¡¯s really hard to say who would win and who would lose.


    With a wave of his hand, Li Yuanba collected the ¡®Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡¯ from the ground.


    Although the ¡®Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡¯ had been refined by his body, Li Shiming, due to the intrinsic connection between the body and the avatar, Li Yuanba could directly use it without needing to refine it.


    Li Yuanba glanced at the time; his meeting with his body, Li Shiming, had taken just one hour, most of which was spent sitting quietly and sipping tea.


    He didn¡¯t stay long within the territories of the Righteous powers, remembering the not insignificant troubles he had with Qianye Temple.


    Fortunately, since the time he realized he was being probed by Qianye Temple¡¯s ¡®Fate Communication¡¯, broke its effect with Sword Intent, the temple seemed to have understood that tracking him through ¡®Fate Communication¡¯ was futile and appeared to have stopped pursuing him.


    He sometimes felt lucky that there was no Arhat from Qianye Temple stationed at the Righteous Gate of Jieshan Mountain Pass; otherwise, whether he could have secured a safe passage like he did now would be questionable.


    He might have to be cautious every day, fearing the various tactics of Qianye Temple and not daring to expose himself outside of the Great Formation.


    A sense of warning arose in his heart as he approached the Righteous Gate.


    Cultivators usually have some premonition of danger, and the stronger their spirit, the more accurate this premonition becomes.


    He felt puzzled. With his understanding of Ying Hou, Xin Tong, and Mu Peng, the three Guardian Golden Core Elders, they didn¡¯t seem like the kind who would betray him.


    They were the Elders of a large sect at the mid-stage of the Golden Core Realm. Although their agreement with Li Shiming was made in private, given their character, it was unlikely that they would tear up the agreement without reason.


    Li Yuanba activated the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique,¡± which allowed him to remain undetected by the Righteous Gate¡¯s Formations. He entered the range of the Righteous Path Formation.


    Just then, a communicator within his Space Ring responded.


    This communicator was the one he used to contact Ying Hou, and it was not employing the communication formations of the major sects but rather the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s communication formation.


    The benefit of this communicator was that as long as one was within the six great sects or the less remote areas of the Beishu Continent, it was possible to make contact with others through this communicator.


    His Divine Thought swept over the communicator, and a message was received.


    ¡°Mr. Li, two Great Arhats from Qianye Temple have arrived. We will open the pathway at the fifth subsidiary formation for you. Return through it as quickly as possible!¡±


    ¡°What you think about comes to pass,¡± muttered Li Yuanba with a shake of his head.


    No sooner had he thought of Qianye Temple than two of its Great Arhats had arrived.


    Great Arhat, this was a term of respect for those whose strength had reached the late-stage peak of the Arhat Realm, corresponding to the revered title of Great Elder for those at the late-stage peak of the Golden Core Realm.


    In any major sect, there were very few cultivators at the peak of the late Golden Core Realm. These were Nascent Soul seeds, the most important foundation of a sect.


    Such beings, unless they no longer hoped to advance due to lifespan issues, would deal with some sect affairs; otherwise, they would be focused on cultivating in seclusion.


    Just like Li Yuanba¡¯s master, Elder Jian, who was actually a Great Elder, it¡¯s just that Elder Jian¡¯s own name had such great fame that he did not need to use the title of Great Elder to enhance his status.


    The Great Arhats of Qianye Temple, their strength was not much inferior to Elder Jian. Given Qianye Temple¡¯s foundation, it was even possible they were hiding a Great Arhat with strength comparable to Elder Jian.


    This was entirely possible, as the depth of Qianye Temple¡¯s foundation, especially in terms of cultivation techniques, was among the upper ranks of the six great sects.


    Even if Li Yuanba had the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, he had no confidence in battling a Great Arhat, let alone two Great Arhats.


    Qianye Temple took him so seriously that they sent two Great Arhats to deal with him, a cultivator who had just advanced to the Golden Core.


    In fact, he had misjudged Qianye Temple¡¯s level of interest in him. If it weren¡¯t for the six great sects¡¯ recent involvement in the matter of Skywalk Trading Company, requiring the presence of strong Nascent Soul Ancestors from each major sect to stand guard, perhaps a Venerable would have come for him at this time.


    Because the Supervisor of the False Infant Sealing Instrument from the Skywalk Trading Company had gone missing and had not yet been found.


    Senluo Sect had spread rumors of a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Skywalk Trading Company once appearing near the Beishu Continent, which made each major sect have no choice but to call upon the Nascent Soul Ancestors to stand guard.


    Every major sect had several Nascent Soul Ancestors. In normal times, Nascent Soul Ancestors were often in seclusion or acting independently; even though the sect might have Nascent Soul Ancestors, to have one actively take charge might require waiting many days in advance for an Ancestor to emerge.


    Of course, in case of an emergency, a Nascent Soul Ancestor could also be summoned forthwith, but that would only happen if the sect faced an existential crisis, or else one could expect the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s fury.


    So, knowing that there was a potential threat from a False Infant and possibly a Nascent Soul, the major sects naturally called forth the Nascent Soul Ancestors in advance.


    The six great sects were also aware that merely relying on the Fourth-grade Sea Beasts in the sea to block a Nascent Soul Ancestor was almost impossible.


    If the Fourth-grade Sea Beasts could block a Nascent Soul Ancestor once, it was already quite commendable. It served as an advance warning to the major sects about the situation, which was also the reason for the alliance between the major sects and the Fourth-grade Sea Beasts.


    Under the current circumstances, the six great sects could not guarantee whether the Nascent Soul Ancestor had already entered the interior of the Beishu Continent.


    If that Nascent Soul Ancestor did not enter the range monitored by the various Formations and employed a concealing secret technique, it was indeed impossible to definitely detect the Ancestor¡¯s whereabouts.


    The Fourth-grade Sea Beasts managing to block a Nascent Soul Ancestor once was quite an achievement, equivalent to providing the major sects with a prior alert, which was also the reason for their alliance with the Fourth-grade Sea Beasts.

 Chapter 553: 323 Arhat

    Chapter 553: Chapter 323 Arhat


    Li Yuanba changed the subject, the fifth Array Plate is located one hundred miles next to the Righteous Gate.


    The great Formation of Jieshan Mountain Pass is composed of connected Arrays, and the fifth Array Plate refers to this particular individual Array.


    He cast a spell, and Ying Hou, who presided over the Formation, should receive it.


    Ying Hou let him pass through the fifth Array Plate to set his mind at ease.


    If he passes through the Righteous Jieshan Mountain Pass, and if Ying Hou and the others really betray Li Yuanba, or if the Great Arhat of Qianye Temple discovers him, then given the defenses of the Righteous Jieshan Mountain Pass, it would be very difficult for Li Yuanba to escape.


    But it¡¯s different at the location of the fifth Array Plate. If Li Yuanba senses danger, he can employ his methods to flee at any time.


    Three breaths after he cast the spell, a passage opened in the fifth Array Plate in front of him.


    He did not hesitate, using Sword Escape to fly into the fifth Array Plate.


    This was trust in Ying Hou and his team, and also in his own competency with Formations.


    Although Li Yuanba was not an Array Master, nor did he have the IBMz15 with him, he could call upon the resources from his true self, Li Shiming, at any moment. Whether it¡¯s the Array Formation Starlight Sea or the computing power of his life-bound magic treasure IBMz15, it could all provide him assistance.


    If the Righteous factions really intended to use the great Formations against him, they would be utterly disappointed.


    Not to mention that he had already conducted a thorough study of the Righteous factions¡¯ great Formations, even without much research, with the Formation capabilities he could mobilize, forcibly breaking through the great Formations would not take long.


    After passing through the great Formation, he did not encounter any trouble, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.


    This was not because he could leave the Righteous powers safely, but because Ying Hou and the other two Righteous Golden Core Elders, who were his friends.


    Although interests were involved, at the Golden Core Stage, it was very difficult to form connections without the involvement of interests.


    Even cultivators from the same sect would not waste valuable time to make connections if there were no interests involved.


    Just like Li Shiming¡¯s master, Elder Su, Elder Su had a good relationship with a group of Golden Core Elders, but that was based on the fact that they all belonged to the same lineage within the sect. One could tell if Elder Su had made any effort to connect with Golden Core Elders of other lineages within the sect.


    Elder Su barely had enough time for cultivation, and his relationship with other Golden Core Elders in the sect, with whom he had no interests, was mediocre at best.


    He quickly passed through the two-hundred-mile buffer zone, greeted the Guardian Golden Core Elder from Senluo Sect at Jieshan Mountain Pass, and returned to Jieshan City.


    He took out a storage bag, and without opening it, he already knew what was inside.


    The most valuable thing in the storage bag was the Fourth-grade ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk¡¯. The rarity of ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk¡¯ made it necessary for him to retrieve it personally.


    The second most valuable item was the ¡®Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡¯. As a Fourth-grade Array Plate, it could fend off any attack from a Golden Core Stage cultivator as long as no Array Master was involved.


    There were also a pile of resources. Ten jade vials contained Third-grade Spirit Pills, and with these pills, he would not need to transport Third-grade Spirit Pills through the Jieshan Mountain Pass channel for a long time.


    In fact, the amount of Third-grade Spirit Pills transported recently was quite large, which was the reason the six Golden Core Elders from the Righteous and Demonic factions had approached him.


    Li Yuanba had access to a considerable quantity of Third-grade Spirit Pills refined by Master Shiming, which meant he must have had contact with Master Shiming.


    Having accepted the ten jade vials of Third-grade Spirit Pills, he would have sufficient cultivation resources for a long time, and thus could minimize the impact caused by the Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    The rest were Third-grade Spiritual Tea, personally roasted by Li Shiming, and some products that combined technology with cultivation.


    The Third-grade Spiritual Tea personally roasted by Li Shiming was just as famous in the Beishu Continent as the Third-grade Spirit Pills he refined.


    Moreover, as Li Shiming rarely roasted Third-grade Spiritual Tea, which appeared only in limited quantity within Shushan Sect and Beishu Trading Company, the value of such tea far exceeded the actual worth of the Third-grade Spiritual Tea itself.


    Li Yuanba took a portion of the Third-grade Spiritual Tea and divided it into six parts; these were gifts for the six Golden Core Elders from both the Righteous and Demonic factions.


    He would personally deliver it to the Senluo Sect side, while Manager Xin Shun would send them to the Righteous Gate through channels.


    The remaining items in the storage bag were related to Corpse Refining. The power of the Silver Corpse needed to be increased, which also required consumption of Third Grade Corpse Refining Material, and solely relying on Li Yuanba¡¯s ability, he could only slowly accumulate such materials.


    ¡°Yue Xing, summon Manager Xin Shun over!¡± Li Yuanba sent a message to Deacon Yue Xing.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Deacon Yue Xing to arrive outside with Manager Xin Shun.


    Li Yuanba went outside; since these two were his direct subordinates, there was no need for courtesies. There was no need to invite them inside, so they spoke outside.


    ¡°These three gifts, Manager Xin Shun, I¡¯d like you to deliver them separately to fellow cultivators Ying Hou, Xin Tong, and Mu Peng!¡± he instructed as he took out three sealed jade boxes.


    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡± Manager Xin Shun bowed and accepted the three sealed jade boxes.


    Having been in Jieshan City for a long time, he was well aware of the connections between the Golden Core Elders of both sides of the Pass, and many private transactions of resources were also conducted through his trading company.


    ¡°Also, find out if the two Arhats from Qianye Temple stayed at the Gate or left, and in which direction they went, if they did. Try to gather as much information as possible!¡± Li Yuanba gave further instructions.

 Chapter 554: 323 Arhat_2

    Chapter 554: Chapter 323 Arhat_2


    ¡°My subordinates have difficulty tracking the whereabouts of the two Arhats, so it¡¯s not certain that they can gather accurate information. Please forgive me, Elder!¡± Manager Xin Shun didn¡¯t make any guarantees but bowed his body as he spoke.


    His subordinates were mostly Qi Refining Cultivators, far from being in the circles of the Arhats, not to mention lacking the authority to freely investigate around that checkpoint.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that after all these years, you have no sources of intelligence over there!¡± Li Yuanba said in a heavy voice.


    He knew some things, of course, but they had little impact, so he turned a blind eye.


    This Manager Xin Shun controlled the Senluo Sect¡¯s commerce in Jieshan City, and in the process of dealing with the goods, he had also derived some benefits.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t oppose the fact that Manager Xin Shun profited a bit, but after allowing him to gain those benefits, he expected Xin Shun to do a good job when it mattered. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t mind replacing the manager.


    At least for the recent period, he was untouchable within the Senluo Sect¡ªafter all, his master¡¯s grandmaster, Ancestor Lu, was currently guarding the sect gate.


    Otherwise, why would Elder Situ deliver the lucrative post of managing Jieshan City into his hands if not for Ancestor Lu¡¯s attention to him?


    ¡°Elder, I will handle it right now!¡± Manager Xin Shun, frightened by Li Yuanba¡¯s threatening tone, no longer argued and took up the task.


    Over the years of cooperating with the other side, how could he not have some connections? And these connections were solidly built on mutual benefits.


    ¡°Yue Xing, send this gift back to the sect for Elder Situ¡¯s hands!¡± After Manager Xin Shun departed, Li Yuanba gave instructions to Deacon Yue Xing.


    With Ancestor Lu above, relationships still needed to be maintained by himself.


    To keep his current position as the Guardian of Jieshan City, he needed Elder Situ¡¯s support.


    Actually, if Li Yuanba wanted to probe into the whereabouts of the two Great Arhats from Qianye Temple, he could have asked Ying Hou, one of the three Golden Core Elders, which would have been more direct and faster.


    But he didn¡¯t want to put the three Golden Core Elders in a difficult position; he needed to consider them.


    The message was to warn him to avoid any accidental encounters with the two Great Arhats, to prevent danger.


    But if he were to leak the itinerary of the two Great Arhats to him, that would be betrayal. As Elders of the Righteous Path, they couldn¡¯t commit an act of betrayal against the path.


    Manager Xin Shun didn¡¯t keep Li Yuanba waiting for long¡ªwithin two hours, he had sent news.


    There was no sight of the two Great Arhats leaving from the rear, and it was also uncertain whether the two Great Arhats were still within the Righteous Path¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass, as they had not shown themselves since their arrival.


    Li Yuanba felt a slight heaviness in his heart upon receiving this information.


    The two Great Arhats couldn¡¯t possibly be at the Jieshan Mountain Pass for cultivation¡ªits Spiritual Energy wasn¡¯t suitable for Great Arhats.


    Having left Qianye Temple, they must have had an important matter to attend to.


    Li Yuanba felt that it was probably aimed at him, and he needed to prepare for a possible attack.


    He didn¡¯t notify Jiang Pu and the other two Golden Core Elders. Although they shared a supportive relationship with Li Yuanba, they were not able to handle an attack from two Great Arhats.


    He took out a mind-constricting band and put it on, then took out several Second Grade Array Flags to set up a Qi-preserving Formation, which could maintain a particular energy signature for an extended period.


    The Formation¡¯s function was singular¡ªobtained from a Qi Refining Cultivator seeking Golden Core advancement by Li Shiming himself.


    Its sole purpose was to sustain an energy signature indefinitely, constantly nurturing it with Spiritual Energy.


    Li Yuanba did not know which method the two Great Arhats would use to locate him, and he definitely didn¡¯t want to be found.


    After setting up the Qi-preserving Formation, he channeled a strand of his energy into the heart of the Formation.


    Then, without notifying anyone and under the cover of the darkening sky, he used the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ to conceal his energy and left Jieshan City.


    As for the responsibility of guarding Jieshan City, the sect would believe it was the attack by the two Great Arhats that caused the breach and would not hold him accountable.


    Cultivators faced with an invincible enemy have the option to flee immediately.


    Even the monastery would not expect a Golden Core Elder to staunchly defend a city against an enemy beyond their match.


    Li Yuanba left Jieshan City and, ten miles outside the city, deployed a Fourth Grade ¡®Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate¡¯; inside the Sumeru Mustard Seed Array, a separate space is self-contained, making him undetectable to anyone except a Nascent Soul Ancestor scanning closely.


    He also released a drone powered by a spirit stone motor, the latest research accomplishment of his true self, Li Shiming. The spirit stone is transformed into stable electricity by a small Thunder Array, allowing the drone to fly for extended periods.


    The spirit stone motor also supplied energy to various devices on the drone, extending its maximum flight duration up to a hundred days.


    This was still an initial product. Once Li Shiming mastered the technology to automatically replace the spirit stones, it could become possible for the drone to remain airborne for years.


    This model of drone, designed for reconnaissance, could reach an altitude of ten thousand meters. The Array Master Li Shiming himself had inscribed the array formation patterns, equipping the drone with a Concealing Array, making it undetectable to cultivators.


    Of course, the invisibility function is relative¡ªif a cultivator knew a drone was in a certain area and used Divine Thought to search, it would still be possible to find it.


    However, the likelihood of this was exceedingly low. The drone used a combination of cultivation and technology, with an extremely weak Spiritual Energy reaction, mainly because the energy needed by the drone itself was not high.


    Most of the energy used was in the form of electricity, a type of energy from the mortal world that cultivators would not notice. Coupled with the Concealing Array, the drone was very secure.


    Previously, the drones were solely used by Li Shiming himself, but this encounter finally allowed Li Yuanba to also benefit from the technology.


    As the drone took to the sky, its high-precision camera and micrometer-level chips displayed the entire area on his visor.


    Li Yuanba was certain that Qianye Temple had a special passage through Jieshan Mountain Pass; many Arhats had already smuggled themselves into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains before.


    He was unclear what route the two Great Arhats would take to smuggle themselves through; even though he had stayed at Jieshan City for some time, he could not fully grasp the situation at Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Besides the six Guardian Golden Core Elders from both sides at Jieshan Mountain Pass, there were other forces, such as the commercial branches of various sects and the combined forces of medium-sized sects, each with their own channels.


    The drone switched to night vision and activated infrared thermal imaging.


    Li Yuanba controlled the drone from his visor, narrowing its surveillance range to a fifty-mile radius around Jieshan City, where every life form within this range would be flagged.


    By the third watch of the night, outside the Formation of Jieshan City Guardian Mansion, two figures appeared.


    These figures emerged so abruptly that if Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t been closely monitoring the Guardian Mansion, he would have missed their appearance.


    The drone hadn¡¯t detected these two figures in advance, neither with its infrared thermal imaging nor with night vision. They remained undetected until they chose to reveal themselves.


    This discovery shocked Li Yuanba. The drone¡¯s night vision and infrared thermal imaging only worked when cultivators did not guard against such methods.


    Clearly, these two figures were very cautious, not only achieving Invisibility but also concealing their body heat.


    Through the drone¡¯s night vision, Li Yuanba saw two bald heads.


    These bald heads were especially prominent when seen from the sky.


    He could be one hundred percent certain that these two bald figures were the two Great Arhats from Qianye Temple.


    He immediately produced his Identity Jade Disc and reported to the sect the infiltration of the two Great Arhats from Qianye Temple into Jieshan City.


    Having discovered the two Great Arhats in advance let Li Yuanba account for his duty as the guardian of Jieshan City. It wasn¡¯t feasible to expect Li Yuanba, a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, to confront two Great Arhats.


    As to how to deal with these two Great Arhats, it would be up to the sect to decide.

 Chapter 555: 324: Swing and a Miss

    Chapter 555: Chapter 324: Swing and a Miss


    Wisdom Arhat and Zhi Hai Arhat, the true essence of Qianye Temple, were at the peak of the Golden Core realm. With sufficient talent and massive resource investment from Qianye Temple, they awaited their final sprint.


    For the past decades, they had not ventured outside, instead remaining within the monastery in seclusion, hoping to comprehend the opportunity for a breakthrough.


    However, a sudden mission disrupted their cultivation. The temple¡¯s higher-ups requested that they bring back Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba of Senluo Sect, a newly appointed Golden Core Elder, was recorded in Qianye Temple¡¯s archives as highly likely to be a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva.


    Besides, having mastered the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± of Divine Foot Skill in a very short time, something considered impossible in Qianye Temple¡¯s logs unless one was a reincarnated Buddhist elder.


    Qianye Temple¡¯s understanding of Buddhist Divine Powers was profound. Though many monks in the temple possessed Buddhist Divine Powers, only Qianye Temple knew the true cost of cultivating such monks.


    Each monk who mastered the Buddhist Divine Skills was selected from numerous geniuses and underwent specific cultivation before starting the rudimentary learning of Divine Skills.


    This targeted cultivation alone required decades or even centuries.


    Moreover, Qianye Temple had made several attempts to bring back Li Yuanba, deploying multiple Great Arhats without success, which aligned with the high fortune associated with the reincarnation of Buddhist Bodhisattvas, allowing them to naturally avoid danger.


    Li Yuanba being stationed in Jieshan City by Senluo Sect actually presented an opportunity to Qianye Temple.


    To most cultivators, Jieshan City, near the Jieshan Mountain Pass aiding each other and protected by a major formation, seemed extremely safe.


    But in truth, Qianye Temple had opposed Senluo Sect for many years and had invested much effort studying the Jieshan Mountain Pass and Jieshan City.


    This time, to deal with Li Yuanba, Qianye Temple focused its research on the great formation of Jieshan City.


    Wisdom Arhat and Zhi Hai Arhat, through the trade channels of Qianye Temple based at the righteous Jieshan Mountain Pass, crossed the checkpoints of both sides without notifying anyone, not even the three Guardian Golden Core Elders of the righteous path like Ying Hou.


    Both Great Arhats possessed a special Concealing Technique from Qianye Temple, where Buddhist monks excel even more than the Demon Sect, and not even the three Golden Core Elders of Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass could detect their stealthy entry.


    They maintained the Concealing Secret Technique until they entered Jieshan City and approached the Guardian Mansion before revealing themselves.


    Even when they revealed themselves, they did not trigger the formation.


    Had Li Yuanba not set up drones in the sky, he might still be unaware of the arrival of the two Great Arhats.


    ¡°I¡¯ll seal the space. We only have five breaths; retreat immediately after a successful entry!¡± Wisdom Arhat said to Zhi Hai Arhat, taking out an Array Plate and communicating via aural transmission.


    Wisdom Arhat threw the Array Plate, which immediately activated and enveloped the Guardian Mansion.


    This Array Plate was meant to prevent Li Yuanba from using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to escape. As for capturing Li Yuanba, as a Great Arhat, Zhi Hai Arhat would find handling a novice Golden Core cultivator, even a Sword Cultivator, extremely easy.


    As soon as the Array Plate was activated, the great formation of Jieshan City was alerted, and alarms echoed throughout every corner of the formation.


    Within Jieshan City, ordinary people and Qi Refining Cultivators hid inside buildings, while all Foundation Establishment Cultivators came out.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators, when faced with crises, were responsible for participating in the defense of Jieshan City.


    Zhi Hai Arhat¡¯s palm turned golden and pressed lightly against the formation at the Guardian Mansion. The formation, originally capable of resisting attacks from Golden Core cultivators, was forcibly breached with a light touch.


    The formation, which Li Yuanba had previously considered quite good, only managed to delay Zhi Hai Arhat for a split second.


    Zhi Hai Arhat¡¯s form turned into an afterimage, ignoring the cultivators in front of the Guardian Mansion who were alerted and rushed into Li Yuanba¡¯s residence at the back.


    His Divine Thought had already locked onto Li Yuanba¡¯s Qi. Within a breath¡¯s time, he arrived at the location of the Qi, only to see another formation.


    With another casual strike, the formation was destroyed, and his expression turned grim.


    As he broke through the Qi storage formation, the aura left intentionally by Li Yuanba quickly dissipated after losing the enhancement of the storage formation.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been duped, Li Yuanba isn¡¯t here!¡± Zhi Hai Arhat transmitted to the outside Wisdom Arhat.


    ¡°Mission failed, retreat!¡± Wisdom Arhat commanded without hesitation.


    They did not come to destroy Jieshan City, as it was not just the domain of Senluo Sect but also included the domain of the three great righteous sects, including Qianye Temple.


    This place hosted many cultivators from the three great righteous sects, mostly lower-level merchants, but this resource channel was still crucial to the three sects.


    The two Great Arhats did not pay attention to other cultivators in Jieshan City. Since they could not detect Li Yuanba¡¯s Qi, they knew their visit had been in vain.


    Since the formation was not being manipulated by Li Yuanba and given their familiarity with Jieshan City¡¯s great formation, the formation could not stop the two Great Arhats.


    The two Great Arhats left forcefully, and many Foundation Establishment Cultivators in Jieshan City sensed the terrifying presence of the two. Those who were closer were completely subdued, their bodies unable to move an inch.

 Chapter 556: 324: Swing and a Miss_2

    Chapter 556: Chapter 324: Swing and a Miss_2


    No one knew what had happened; the cultivators of Jieshan City could only let the two Great Arhats leave without any means to stop them.


    Qianye Temple had a detailed plan for this mission and also had contingency measures for failure.


    After flying out of Jieshan City, they once again concealed their aura, planning to sneak back to the Righteous Path¡¯s territory through a channel that had been prepared earlier.


    However, as soon as they approached the city¡¯s grand Formation, they discovered that it was in a state of full activation, a state that did not permit anyone to pass through.


    Even though the presence of the two Great Arhats remained undetectable, trying to return through the originally planned smuggling channel was now impossible.


    This was one of Senluo Sect¡¯s responses after Li Yuanba had informed his sect that he had discovered the trace of the two Great Arhats from Qianye Temple.


    By sealing off the Formation at Jieshan Mountain Pass, they had locked the two Great Arhats within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    These were Great Arhats, after all; killing two Great Arhats was indeed a means for Senluo Sect to significantly weaken Qianye Temple¡¯s foundation.


    The Great Arhats are those who have hope of becoming Venerables, having emerged from countless competitors to become the core of their sects after hundreds of years of tempering.


    No longer could they be called mere geniuses; their status in Qianye Temple was exceedingly high, the strongest presence beneath the Venerables.


    Most crucially, they had mostly realized their potential, with just the final step remaining¡ªif successful, they would become one of the strongest existences on the Beishu Continent.


    Thus, upon receiving Li Yuanba¡¯s message, Senluo Sect immediately ordered the sealing of the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    ¡°Strange, how could Senluo Sect react so quickly?¡± Wisdom Arhat said with a surprised and questioning expression.


    Their movement was extremely rapid, precisely to deny Senluo Sect any time to respond.


    They had penetrated deep into Senluo Sect¡¯s territory, and as long as they were quick, they would not encounter any trouble.


    Senluo Sect would never have imagined that Qianye Temple would deploy two such Great Arhats.


    Great Arhats of this calibre, who relate to the foundation of the sect, are not ones to take risks lightly.


    ¡°I sense danger, let¡¯s leave quickly!¡± Zhi Hai Arhat said in a deep voice, looking towards the distance.


    Wisdom Arhat obviously understood that if Zhi Hai, a Great Arhat, felt danger, then the reinforcements from Senluo Sect must be approaching.


    And these reinforcements were a Nascent Soul Ancestor, and only a Nascent Soul Ancestor could make a Great Arhat feel threatened.


    Both Great Arhats flew swiftly in one direction; since they could not pass through Jieshan Mountain Pass, they would first find a place to hide and wait for further orders from Qianye Temple.


    They had not noticed that there was a drone hidden thousands of meters above, tracking their movement.


    As they were concerned about the arrival of the Nascent Soul Ancestor, they had not employed their Concealing Secret Technique but instead flew away at full speed.


    When using the Concealing Secret Technique, they could not fly at full speed. The Great Arhats had not cultivated the Divine Foot Skill; their expertise was in the Flying Escape Technique. At full flight speed, they could not maintain the Concealing Secret Technique.


    Their choice was understandable; the Concealing Secret Technique they employed could deceive both Golden Core cultivators and Formations of their own level.


    But this did not include the Nascent Soul Ancestor, whose power was on a different level. No Golden Core cultivator would think that their Concealing Secret Technique could completely fool a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Therefore, for the two Great Arhats, the priority was to distance themselves from this place and the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    This allowed Li Yuanba to observe the two Great Arhats¡¯ movements through the drone. As long as they did not escape thousands of kilometers away in a short time, adjusting the camera to keep them in focus was all that was needed for the drone thousands of meters high.


    Qianye Temple would not truly expose two Great Arhats to danger; they had prepared several emergency measures.


    About a thousand li away from Jieshan Mountain Pass, the two Great Arhats stopped; they dared not delve any deeper.


    They arrived in front of a huge boulder, and Zhi Hai Arhat moved the boulder aside to reveal a carefully arranged cave dwelling beneath.


    The formation and various facilities in this cave abode could not have been built in a short time; this place was a safe house established in advance by the Qianye Temple as a second set of emergency plans.


    The carefully arranged formation could completely conceal the auras of the two Great Arhats.


    Set amid the vast expanse of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, even a Nascent Soul Ancestor could not manage to inspect every inch of the land without a clear target.


    ¡°Quick, escape!¡± Li Yuanba was watching as the two Great Arhats disappeared at a certain location when he received a message from Ying Hou¡¯s communicator.


    It seemed that Ying Hou had learned of the disappearance of the two Great Arhats from the righteous path¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass; however, Li Yuanba did not expect Ying Hou to send him a warning at this time.


    Although the warning from Ying Hou was late, the favor was something Li Yuanba needed to remember.


    ¡°No worries!¡± Li Yuanba replied with a message; he did not say much through the communicator, as it was ultimately relayed through the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s communication array. Who knew whether it could be traced by someone, potentially bringing trouble to Ying Hou¡¯s side.


    Inside the Jieshan Mountain Pass of the righteous path, Ying Hou, upon seeing the reply, had the look of concern fade from his face.


    Although the righteous path and the demonic path were enemies, the interest-based relationship he had formed with Li Yuanba was equally tight.


    In the recent months, he had transformed the Third-Grade Spiritual Medicine he obtained through Li Yuanba¡¯s channel into Third-Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, leading to growth in his cultivation that had nearly come to a standstill.


    On one side was the allied Qianye Temple, and on the other was Li Yuanba, closely related to his own cultivation and resource enhancement.


    Without betraying the alliance of the righteous path, he was not stingy in offering help within his power to Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Mr. Li is unharmed!¡± he said with a smile to the two Guardian Golden Core Elders, Xin Tong and Mu Peng, standing beside him.


    It was likely that even the two Great Arhats from the Qianye Temple did not know that all three Guardian Golden Core Elders at the Jieshan Mountain Pass of the righteous path were extremely concerned about Li Yuanba¡¯s life and death.


    The message sent by Ying Hou was a collective decision of the three Golden Core Elders.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, Qianye Temple is acting without any restraint!¡± Xin Tong exhaled in relief, though with a slight complaint.


    The act of Qianye Temple smuggling without their knowledge irked all three, and this feeling of distrust was one of the reasons they informed Li Yuanba.


    ¡°These two Great Arhats, they are too concerned about Mr. Li!¡± Mu Peng followed, adding his opinion.


    While it was true that Li Yuanba possessed the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, which none of them could withstand, the idea that he warranted Qianye Temple dispatching two Great Arhats was an exaggeration.


    ¡°Let us not speak of this matter any longer, as long as Mr. Li is safe, that is what matters!¡± Ying Hou waved his hand, wary of eavesdroppers.


    The three Golden Core Elders changed the subject and refrained from discussing the grievances between Qianye Temple and Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba did not let his guard down due to the departure of the two Great Arhats; who could be certain that Qianye Temple had not sent other Arhats as well?


    He knew the sect would definitely take action; they would not allow Qianye Temple to act so outrageously in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    The strength of the two Great Arhats, on the side of the Jieshan Mountain Pass, would be no match unless they alerted a possible hidden force. Otherwise, combining all the forces of the Senluo Sect on this side would still be insufficient against the two Great Arhats.


    He didn¡¯t have to wait long; shortly after the two Great Arhats went into hiding, he spotted a figure on the drone that almost captured it on camera.


    That speed was too fast; even with Li Yuanba putting on the headband and exerting all his strength to perform ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± he could approximately match that speed.


    Li Yuanba, who was employing ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± with the headband enhancing the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± nearly doubling the distance, only under such conditions could he catch up to that kind of speed.


    Based on the direction from which the figure came and its unobstructed flying style, it was likely to be reinforcements dispatched from the Senluo Sect¡¯s monastery.


    Li Yuanba no longer concealed himself, retracting the ¡°Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate,¡± and flying towards Jieshan City.


    ¡°Yue Xing, and all the Shopkeepers, take care to maintain order in Jieshan City!¡± he announced loudly, empowering his voice with Spiritual Power.


    His voice spread throughout Jieshan City, and the cultivators, who were panicking due to the enemy¡¯s attack and the disappearance of the Golden Core Elders, began to calm down and follow the commands of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

 Chapter 557: 325: Demon Buddha

    Chapter 557: Chapter 325: Demon Buddha


    ¡°Yuan Ba, come here!¡± Just as Li Yuanba returned to Jieshan City and took control of the situation, a voice rang in his ear.


    His heart leaped with joy, for it was the voice of Ancestor Lu.


    His recent smooth sailing in the Senluo Sect and obtaining such a significant defensive task were all thanks to Ancestor Lu.


    This was a significant pillar of support for him in the Senluo Sect, and the timely arrival of Ancestor Lu when he was attacked at Qianye Temple had brought him peace of mind.


    Any lingering worries had dissipated along with it.


    The voice came from within the Guardian Mansion. Li Yuanba flew back to the mansion and saw Ancestor Lu in the great hall.


    ¡°Yuan Ba pays his respects to Ancestor Lu!¡± Li Yuanba stepped forward and bowed in greeting.


    ¡°It seems you were somewhat prepared, I don¡¯t have to worry about how to explain to your master now!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a smile.


    Upon receiving the sect¡¯s notification, Ancestor Lu didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and flew to Jieshan City at full speed.


    He placed great importance on Li Yuanba. Not only was Li Yuanba his direct disciple, but he also possessed astonishing talent. With Yuan Ba¡¯s potential, demonstrated by his advancement to Golden Core at such a young age, he definitely had the potential to reach for the Nascent Soul stage.


    Moreover, Li Yuanba was the sole heir of the lineage of Elder Jian. Elder Jian had spent many years searching for this one disciple and even passed on the inheritance of Ten Thousand Sword Peak to Li Yuanba.


    If anything truly happened to Yuan Ba, Elder Jian¡¯s lineage would likely end.


    Ancestor Lu was still very pleased after seeing Li Yuanba unharmed.


    ¡°Disciple has some connections with those of the Righteous Path. They informed me in advance about the two Great Arhats from Qianye Temple, which allowed me to make preparations!¡± Li Yuanba did not intend to hide anything, and he explained the reason behind his knowledge.


    ¡°Qianye Temple has crossed the line this time. They must be taught a lesson!¡± Ancestor Lu nodded in agreement.


    Despite the six great sects being divided into the Righteous and Demon Sects, with constant friction between them,


    the relationship between Senluo Sect and the Righteous Path¡¯s Shushan Sect and Thousand Illusion Sect was actually quite good, in contrast to the more strained relationships among the three Demon Sects.


    This was also related to the geographical locations of the three Demon Sects. The three Righteous Path sects occupied a central region of the Beishu Continent, while the three Demon Sects were located on three distinct edges, disconnected from each other.


    There was little trust to begin with among the Demon Sects, and apart from facing major issues concerning the Righteous and Demon factions, the sects seldom cooperated.


    For example, there was some agreement between the Senluo Sect and the three Righteous Path sects; none of them wanted to engage in excessive conflicts.


    A full-scale war between the six great sects of the Beishu Continent was almost impossible.


    That¡¯s because each of the six great sects had a significant number of Nascent Soul Ancestors. If a Nascent Soul Ancestor made a move, it could result in the destruction of an entire region, much like a nuclear threat in a previous life.


    Nascent Soul Ancestors were the equivalent of nuclear weapons in this cultivation world. Without the certainty of victory, they dared not launch a full-scale war.


    No major sect wanted to see its environment destroyed and lose the supply of cultivation resources.


    ¡°Ancestor, I have discovered where the two Great Arhats are hiding!¡± Hearing that Ancestor Lu was unwilling to let the matter go lightly, Li Yuanba shared what he knew.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite bold, daring to investigate the traces of the Great Arhats. Lead me there!¡± Ancestor Lu looked at Li Yuanba and said with a slight smile.


    The Great Arhats were the strongest existences below Nascent Soul, and Ancestor Lu was simply reminding Li Yuanba after seeing that he was unharmed.


    Li Yuanba took the lead with Ancestor Lu following behind, flying out for a hundred li.


    ¡°You¡¯re too slow this way. Tell me the direction, and I¡¯ll take you there!¡± Ancestor Lu, impatient with Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Escape speed, said in a slightly irritated tone.


    In fact, Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Escape speed was not slow, but it all depended on who one was compared with. Compared to a Nascent Soul Ancestor like Ancestor Lu, naturally, it was slow.


    Of course, Li Yuanba had not revealed ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯; otherwise, he might have been able to show Ancestor Lu what true speed was.


    Ancestor Lu grabbed Li Yuanba, who could only reluctantly point in one direction.


    Ancestor Lu¡¯s flight was extremely domineering, relying solely on unparalleled Spiritual Power to propel himself. The air ahead was shattered by the Spiritual Power in advance, and during the high-speed flight, Li Yuanba felt no wind at all.


    ¡°They¡¯re in the middle of that mountain peak, near that large stone!¡± As they approached the target location, Li Yuanba pointed to the large stone on the mountain peak.


    The two Great Arhats had vanished here, so they must be hiding somewhere nearby.


    ¡°Qianye Temple is going to suffer a painful blow this time!¡± Ancestor Lu burst into laughter. He didn¡¯t need Li Yuanba¡¯s guidance anymore; as he approached the mountain peak, he sensed the presence of the cavern dwelling.


    Especially since the cavern dwelling had the clear style of Qianye Temple, and each sect had its own Formation features.


    This was related to the types of resources available within the territories of the different sects. The Array Masters within each sect focused their research on Formations that used more of their unique material resources.


    Moreover, among the six great sects, only Qianye Temple has Formations with distinct Buddhist characteristics.


    ¡°Amitabha, on behalf of my teacher Venerable Huijing, I, the elder disciple, am willing to withdraw from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and offer a Pure Bottle Liquid as compensation to Li Yuanba,¡± the voice of Wisdom Arhat sounded from within the cavern dwelling.


    Inside, Wisdom Arhat and Zhi Hai Arhat looked dismayed.


    It never crossed their minds that the two Great Arhats would be trapped by Ancestor Lu in the cavern dwelling.


    They couldn¡¯t fathom how their whereabouts had been exposed. They had been cautious to check for any pursuit along the way.

 Chapter 558: 325 Demon Buddha_2

    Chapter 558: Chapter 325 Demon Buddha_2


    With their level of cultivation, it was impossible for them to be tracked by cultivators without being detected, unless it was a Nascent Soul Ancestor doing the tracking. But if a Nascent Soul Ancestor was indeed tracking them, he would have rather dealt with them on the spot.


    Now trapped inside the cave dwelling, they had no possibility of escape.


    ¡°You are disciples of Venerable Huijing, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve never gotten along with Huijing, so what could he do if I slew his two disciples?¡± Ancestor Lu had no intention of forming any rapport with the two juniors, and he spoke without any regard for consequences.


    Li Yuanba felt it even more profoundly, Ancestor Lu stood in the air; a terrifying energy had already enveloped the entire mountain.


    This was not a formation but rather Ancestor Lu using his unparalleled strength to forcibly seal the entire mountain with spiritual power.


    No matter what methods the two Great Arhats had, trying to escape from the spiritual power seal of a Nascent Soul Ancestor was completely impossible.


    Ancestor Lu reached out and lightly tapped a large rock; the rock suddenly exploded into dust, revealing the cave entrance behind it.


    The strike did not end with the rock turning into dust, as the spiritual power continued to surge towards the cave entrance and instantly broke the formation of the cave dwelling.


    Even Li Yuanba sensed the unstable aura of the two Great Arhats, fluctuating due to their emotional turmoil, indicating that they had not yet reached the stage where they regarded death as a return home.


    Wisdom Arhat took out a string of buddha beads, and as he activated his Divine Thought, an illusory figure appeared from within the beads.


    ¡°Greetings to Benefactor Lu. My disciples have offended you. Please spare them!¡± The illusory old monk gave a Buddhist salute to Ancestor Lu.


    ¡°Huijing, you should just take in two new disciples since I¡¯ll be sending these two early to meet the Buddha!¡± Ancestor Lu replied with a sneer.


    He seemed unaware that Venerable Huijing¡¯s illusory figure was continuously forming Buddha seals with his hands. Li Yuanba saw it, but such a conversation was beyond his place to interject.


    Venerable Huijing felt helpless as he knew that Ancestor Lu was unlikely to spare the two Great Arhats.


    Another Nascent Soul Ancestor might have considered negotiating to save face, but since Li Yuanba was Ancestor Lu¡¯s disciple...


    The two Great Arhats had acted against Li Yuanba, and whether it was a matter of preserving face or maintaining his dignity and teachings, Ancestor Lu was determined to eradicate anyone who dared to challenge his lineage.


    Venerable Huijing was using an energy avatar, which could combat Golden Core cultivators or even False Infant Cultivators.


    But when facing a real Nascent Soul Ancestor like Ancestor Lu, it was all but futile.


    Therefore, Venerable Huijing put all his energy avatar¡¯s spiritual power into trying to carve a path of escape for his two disciples.


    He spoke to draw Ancestor Lu¡¯s attention; every additional Buddha seal he formed increased his disciples¡¯ chance of escape.


    While he spoke, a golden light burst from the hands of Venerable Huijing¡¯s energy avatar, and countless golden Buddha seals shot towards the distance, colliding with Ancestor Lu¡¯s previously set spiritual power.


    The golden Buddha seals erupted from Venerable Huijing¡¯s energy avatar like a needle, and although Ancestor Lu¡¯s enveloping spiritual power on the mountain was strong, it was, after all, dispersed.


    The golden Buddha seals swiftly traveled through Ancestor Lu¡¯s spiritual power, forming a golden corridor; the two Great Arhats displayed joy, ready to make their exit through it.


    The two Great Arhats understood clearly that they each held life-saving talismans. As long as they could escape from Ancestor Lu¡¯s spiritual power seal and each took a different direction using the talismans, at least one of them could survive.


    When facing a Nascent Soul Ancestor, paying a price was inevitable.


    Just as the golden Buddha seals were about to break through the spiritual power seal, no change showed on Ancestor Lu¡¯s face, nor did he contemplate any remedial actions.


    At that moment, a golden figure appeared in front of the golden Buddha seals and struck heavily with a punch.


    With a loud ¡°boom¡±, Li Yuanba felt the violent shockwaves dispersing from the point of impact. Fortunately, he was beside Ancestor Lu, where the shockwaves dissipated as they neared.


    But other directions were not so lucky. The shockwave swept through, turning rocks and trees into tiny fragments.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s gaze was fixed unblinkingly on the golden figure; it was a monk cloaked in gold, yet he was very clear that this was no monk from Qianye Temple.


    Perhaps this golden monk had been a monk of Qianye Temple in life, but at this moment, his identity was that of a Golden Corpse.


    This was the first time he had encountered a Golden Corpse, yet he had recognized it instantly.


    Unlike other refined corpses, the Golden Corpse did not possess the terrifying fangs or claws that surpassed human features, nor was it taller than a normal human; it appeared no different from a normal person.


    The only difference was that the Golden Corpse¡¯s entire body shimmered in gold.


    This golden color was not merely a hue; the surface of the Golden Corpse¡¯s body radiated a golden glow outward.


    This was Ancestor Lu¡¯s Golden Corpse; unbeknownst to him when, Ancestor Lu had released the Golden Corpse, no wonder he was not in a hurry.


    The punch of the Golden Corpse seemed to involve no energy, but its strength was immense; it directly annihilated the golden Buddha Seal.


    Perhaps if Venerable Huijing himself had been here, the Buddha Seal he cast might have contended with the Golden Corpse for a time, but with just an energy avatar, contesting the Golden Corpse was utterly impossible.


    The Golden Corpse dispersed the golden Buddha Seal with a punch and then transformed into a streak of golden light rushing forward.


    Wisdom Arhat and Zhi Hai Arhat wanted to make a move, but as the golden light appeared, their actions halted.


    Both Wisdom Arhat and Zhi Hai Arhat had a small hole in their chests, and before them lay two shattered defensive talismans and two jade plaques.


    The life essence of the two Great Arhats had already vanished; the gap between them and the Golden Corpse was considerable¡ªdealing with them was truly like an adult bullying children.


    Even the defensive talismans, and the protective jade plaques, had not delayed their death.


    Li Yuanba had truly seen the terror of the Nascent Soul Ancestor; this was even under circumstances where the Nascent Soul Ancestor had not fully exerted his power.


    He had heard that when the Nascent Soul Ancestor moved on the ground, he would not exert his full strength because doing so would cause irreparable damage to the ground.


    ¡°You have raised a Silver Corpse; for eradicating these two, you take the credit. These two corpses are yours now. Moreover, my Golden Corpse will leave a drop of Golden Blood in each of the corpses¡ªthere¡¯s no need to worry about the Heavenly Thunder tribulation when refining the corpses into Silver Corpses!¡± Ancestor Lu said to Li Yuanba with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes brightened, and he hurriedly bowed in gratitude.


    These were two Great Arhats; using their corpses to refine into corpses meant that if his realm was sufficient, he could refine them into Silver Corpses of the Middle Stage and even possess great potential to evolve into the Late Stage.


    More importantly, it was the Golden Blood that the Golden Corpse left inside the two corpses.


    The Golden Corpse Blood was the life essence of the Golden Corpse; it was only because Li Yuanba was a direct disciple and a favored individual by Ancestor Lu that such lavish expenditure was conceivable otherwise.


    Moreover, Li Yuanba harbored a grudge against Qianye Temple. Although Ancestor Lu could not always protect Li Yuanba, providing him with some assistance was necessary.


    The bodies of the two Great Arhats, along with a drop of Golden Blood from the Golden Corpse in each, could provide some support for Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Return on your own; I still have matters to handle!¡± Ancestor Lu waved his hand at Li Yuanba as he spoke.


    Having eliminated the two Great Arhat Disciples of Venerable Huijing, given the veneer of compassion of Venerable Huijing, certainly retaliation was expected; he needed to let the sect know and prepare a response.


    After he finished speaking, his figure merged into a blur and vanished.


    Li Yuanba approached the two corpses, and he suddenly noticed that the Space Rings on the corpses were still intact, and the previously damaged cave dwelling had not suffered much destruction; the Spiritual Objects arranged inside were of considerable value.


    Indeed, prepared for the two Great Arhats, Qianye Temple had spared no expense in constructing this cave dwelling.


    Especially within the cave dwelling, he discovered a special treasure, the Locking Phoenix Sealing Dragon Seal, inside of which was stored a Golden Core Spirit Vein.

 Chapter 559: 326 Inventory Check

    Chapter 559: Chapter 326 Inventory Check


    Li Yuanba inspected the two corpses and found a very special energy flowing slowly within them, seemingly altering the corpses.


    He didn¡¯t have the intention to immediately refine the corpses; it would be too wasteful.


    If he were to refine the two Great Arhat corpses into refined corpses now, the most he could obtain would be the combat power of two Silver Corpses at the Early Stage.


    However, if he waited until his realm advanced to the Golden Core Middle Stage before refining, he could obtain the combat power of Silver Corpses at the Middle Stage; the later the refinement, the stronger the combat power obtained.


    Other Golden Core cultivators wouldn¡¯t consider such things.


    Because other Golden Core cultivators would remain at the Golden Core Early Stage for decades or even a hundred years, and with the help of the combat power of a Silver Corpse at the Early Stage, they could gain significant assistance during this period.


    But Li Yuanba was different. Not to mention his own combat power, having one or two more Silver Corpses at the Early Stage wouldn¡¯t be of much help to him. Besides, with abundant cultivation resources, he simply wouldn¡¯t stay at the Golden Core Early Stage for too long.


    Moreover, Silver Corpses also require time to advance.


    Even with the profound foundation of the two Great Arhat corpses, transforming into Silver Corpses at the Early Stage, it would take many years to advance to the Middle Stage with the help of sufficient resources.


    Li Yuanba was worried whether this time frame could keep up with the pace of his own realm¡¯s advancement. Furthermore, whether he would refine the two Great Arhat corpses himself was not yet certain.


    The two Great Arhat corpses were given to him by Ancestor Lu, and under normal circumstances, it would be inappropriate for Li Yuanba to send them to his main body, Li Shiming.


    However, should Ancestor Lu enter seclusion afterward, he wouldn¡¯t care whether Li Yuanba refined the two Great Arhat corpses or not.


    Li Yuanba removed two Space Rings and let his Divine Thought enter them.


    The Spiritual Objects inside the two Space Rings were not as abundant as he had imagined; such was the style of Qianye Temple. He had acquired many spatial items from Qianye Temple before, and the Spiritual Objects inside were always useful to the owner, with very few miscellaneous items.


    Within the two Space Rings, he found a jade bottle labeled ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid¡¯.


    ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid,¡¯ a spiritual recovery item of Qianye Temple, could restore the spirit of any Golden Core cultivator completely with just one droplet.


    Of course, using it to recover spirit was the most wasteful method. Its true application was in breaking through bottlenecks.


    During a breakthrough, consuming some ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid¡¯ could maintain one¡¯s spirit in its most vigorous state continuously, making the mind exceptionally clear and significantly enhancing the success rate of the breakthrough.


    Even though ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid¡¯ was a third-grade spiritual item, its value was extremely high. As a special product of Qianye Temple, it was priceless on the market; even if priced, it would reach that of an ordinary fourth-grade spiritual object.


    The reason behind the high value of ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid¡¯ was its other important function¡ªit slightly enhanced the chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm.


    The two Great Arhats had offered ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid¡¯ to trade for their lives with Ancestor Lu because it was the only item on them that could catch Ancestor Lu¡¯s eye.


    Probably neither of the Great Arhats expected that what they considered valuable ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid,¡¯ Ancestor Lu didn¡¯t even spare a glance, leaving their corpses along with it to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba put away the ¡®Pure Bottle Liquid.¡¯ There were six droplets in the bottle, and he surmised that it was very likely that one of the two Great Arhats had prepared it for their own breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm.


    The remaining contents of the Space Rings were two ¡®Great Divine Movement Talismans,¡¯ exhibiting extremely high spirituality, far surpassing the category of a third-grade talisman; they were likely fourth-grade talismans.


    Especially from the ¡®Great Divine Movement Talismans,¡¯ he sensed the aura of the Divine Foot Skill. Although he couldn¡¯t be certain, the ¡®Great Divine Movement Talismans¡¯ were quite likely related to the Divine Foot Skill.


    These two fourth-grade talismans were real life-saving items. At the Golden Core Stage, having a third-grade life-saving talisman would be mostly sufficient for an average Golden Core cultivator.


    A third-grade life-saving talisman equated to allowing a Golden Core cultivator to instantaneously use some long-preparation escape spells, and with the boost of various third-grade spiritual objects, to achieve a quick getaway.


    However, the effect of a third-grade life-saving talisman on Li Yuanba was somewhat unsatisfactory, mainly because he himself possessed a nascent level of the Divine Skill, ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ which was faster than a third-grade life-saving talisman.


    The third-grade life-saving talismans he confiscated mainly served to conceal the existence of ¡®Step by Step Lotus.¡¯


    A fourth-grade life-saving talisman was an instant-cast distant escape spell, which normally could only be cast by a Nascent Soul Ancestor, enhanced by fourth-grade spiritual items.


    This allowed the fourth-grade life-saving talisman to be activated instantly, giving a chance to escape from a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s grasp when used.


    This single effect alone made the ¡®Great Divine Movement Talisman¡¯ invaluable.


    In fact, its value far exceeded Li Yuanba¡¯s estimation. Even within Qianye Temple, the ¡®Great Divine Movement Talisman¡¯ was extremely precious and rare.


    There is currently no Venerable in Qianye Temple capable of crafting ¡®Great Divine Movement Talismans,¡¯ and even Venerable Huike, who had mastered the Divine Foot Skill, couldn¡¯t make ¡®Great Divine Movement Talismans¡¯ due to his relatively lower level of mastery.


    Each ¡®Great Divine Movement Talisman¡¯ consumed within Qianye Temple meant one less in stock.


    Even if Venerable Huike made significant progress with the Divine Foot Skill, just the fourth-grade materials needed to craft ¡®Great Divine Movement Talismans¡¯ wouldn¡¯t allow for many to be made.


    Within the two Space Rings, there was one magical artefact each. Originally, there were more than one, but the defensive magical artefacts all shattered into pieces while withstanding the attack from Ancestor Lu.

 Chapter 560: 326 Inventory Check_2

    Chapter 560: Chapter 326 Inventory Check_2


    Only two flying sword magical treasures were left behind; the quality of the flying swords was exceptionally high, truly high-grade magical treasures.


    Upon counting, there were no other spiritual objects left in the two space rings, which somewhat disappointed Li Yuanba, who had thought he might find something like a jade scroll in the space ring of the Great Arhat.


    However, he quickly considered that since he had not killed the two Great Arhats himself, the gains he already made were substantial.


    He cleaned out the cave once more, stowing everything that could be moved into the space ring.


    When he left, there were not many valuables left in the cave; he moved a giant rock back in place to block its entrance.


    Perhaps at some time in the future, a cultivator might discover the existence of this cave.


    As a Golden Core Elder, particularly a wealthy one, what he disregarded might be seen by ordinary cultivators as something that could potentially change their fate.


    ¡°Qianye Temple, let¡¯s see if I can take revenge; otherwise, my anger will not subside!¡± Li Yuanba thought while returning to Jieshan City.


    Of course, although he was now a Golden Core Sword Cultivator and even possessed the strength to fight against late-stage Golden Core cultivators, going after Qianye Temple, a major sect, would be akin to throwing an egg against a rock.


    It was only because of drone assistance that he had the opportunity to track down the two Great Arhats this time.


    Thinking of the research at his true body, Li Shiming¡¯s side, perhaps he could try to use that research to cause some trouble for Qianye Temple.


    Just as he was about to return to Jieshan City, he suddenly looked up at the sky.


    It was already morning, and although the sunlight was not strong, it brightened the sky significantly.


    Li Yuanba felt an indescribable oppressive sensation, nearly causing him to fall from his flying sword.


    Fortunately, his control over Sword Escape was exceptionally strong, which kept him from falling.


    The oppressive feeling came from above in the sky; when he looked up, he saw that the previously bright sky had turned pitch black over a large area directly above him in a short time.


    It seemed as if dark clouds were blocking the sunlight, but he knew well that it wasn¡¯t clouds.


    He was extremely familiar with today¡¯s weather conditions; drones high in the sky were constantly collecting various kinds of data.


    His mind stirred, and his divine thought entered his visor, taking control of the drone.


    The drone in the sky at ten thousand meters flipped its body, its camera, which was initially pointing towards the ground, now faced the sky.


    Through the visor, Li Yuanba saw two figures confronting each other in the midst of the darkness.


    These two figures did not conceal their aura; though obscured by darkness, the infrared thermal imaging transmitted the thermal images of the two figures.


    The positions of these two were in the Thirty-Three Heavens, and they were at an extremely high position within the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    ¡°It¡¯s Nascent Soul Ancestors fighting!¡± he muttered to himself.


    He even guessed that one of the Nascent Soul Ancestors was probably Ancestor Lu, while the other might be one of the Venerables from Qianye Temple.


    At this thought, he began to worry.


    He did not want his own issues to endanger Ancestor Lu.


    With his strength, there was nothing he could do, except pray, hope that Ancestor Lu would be victorious.


    Clearly, Li Yuanba was not aware of the affairs among Nascent Soul Ancestors; the conflict between the two Nascent Soul Ancestors didn¡¯t erupt into a large battle as he had envisioned but ended after mutual probing.


    The confrontation lasted no longer than thirty minutes, and then the sky cleared again.


    The two figures that the drone had seen also vanished; a battle involving a Nascent Soul Ancestor unfolded and ended quietly, unbeknownst to most Cultivators.


    Qianye Temple suffered considerable losses this time, with the loss of two Great Arhats enraging Venerable Huijing, who immediately flew to the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    While preparing to return to his Sect, Ancestor Lu sensed the arrival of Venerable Huijing and, of course, went to meet him immediately.


    Venerable Huijing normally wouldn¡¯t act so irrationally. Being a Venerable who had practiced Buddhism for hundreds of years, the two Great Arhats were his proudest disciples, the bearers of his mantle throughout these centuries.


    Their complete loss here meant the destruction of his centuries of effort, something no one could remain indifferent to.


    However, when Venerable Huijing confronted Ancestor Lu in the Thirty-Three Heavens, calmness soon returned to his mind.


    If the conflict were to escalate to the level of Nascent Soul, especially initiated by Qianye Temple¡¯s provocation, it was plausible that the other two major Sects of the Righteous Path might not intervene immediately. Merely the time spent in disputes could result in debilitating damage for both Qianye Temple and the Senluo Sect.


    Although Qianye Temple¡¯s relationship with the two major Righteous Path Sects was allied, they had to consider the issue of cultivation resources; in case Qianye Temple¡¯s losses were too significant, the other two Sects would undoubtedly vie for its resources.


    Alliances require power to sustain; Qianye Temple must at least not engage in a war at the Nascent Soul level with the Senluo Sect alone.


    Not to mention, this action by Venerable Huijing wasn¡¯t sanctioned by Qianye Temple. While he wielded significant influence in the temple, other Venerables existed, and it was hard to say whether they would support his actions.


    In the end, though Venerable Huijing¡¯s thunder was loud, the rain was slight; after exchanging a move with Ancestor Lu, he ceased fighting.


    Furthermore, being in the wrong, Venerable Huijing found himself at a loss for words against Ancestor Lu.


    The pride within Li Yuanba crumbled after witnessing several events; he could no longer muster it.


    From encountering the aftermath of a battle between two Nascent Souls at sea to the strike by Ancestor Lu¡¯s Golden Corpse, and finally the oppressive aura from the standoff between two Nascent Soul Ancestors in the Thirty-Three Heavens, all forced Li Yuanba to confront his own insignificance anew.


    Not long after returning to Jieshan City, Jiang Pu, Zhen Cheng, and Shi Can, three Golden Core Elders of the Senluo Sect at Jieshan Mountain Pass, sent messages inquiring about what had happened.


    Initially, Li Yuanba sent out a request for assistance to his Sect; then, the oppressive presence of a Nascent Soul Ancestor ensued. Naturally, the first thought of the three Golden Core Elders was that something had occurred near Li Yuanba, attracting a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Likewise, Ying Hou, Xin Tong, and Mu Peng, three Golden Core Elders from Righteous Path at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, also sent their regards.


    They too had sensed the standoff between the two great Nascent Souls in the sky.


    Li Yuanba thanked each of them for their concern, and tactfully described today¡¯s events, mentioning only that he had been attacked but fortunately rescued by the timely appearance of his Master Ancestor.


    After hearing of the involvement of Li Yuanba¡¯s Master Ancestor, the six Golden Core Elders from both the righteous and demonic paths refrained from further inquiries; they knew who Ancestor Lu was, a cornerstone of the Senluo Sect, held in high esteem.


    They couldn¡¯t help but envy Li Yuanba; having a Nascent Soul Ancestor as a Master Ancestor was one thing, but having one readily act on his behalf was quite another.


    Among them, some also had Nascent Soul Ancestors as Master Ancestors, yet they could hardly even meet their faces, let alone request their intervention.


    With the matter regarding Li Yuanba concluded, on the other side, Li Shiming, who seldom left the Sect, did not head back right away but instead took out his magical artifact, the Meteor Ink Boat, and sat inside the Flying Boat Magical Treasure, flying at a moderate pace.


    Since obtaining and consecrating the Meteor Ink Boat as his magical artifact, this was his first time using it.


    The greatest advantage of the Meteor Ink Boat was its strong defensive power, followed by its speed.


    If Li Shiming were to use his own Spiritual Power, he could enable the Meteor Ink Boat to defend against attacks from cultivators of the same rank. This made it not just a defensive magical artifact but one that, even under attack, could maintain a certain speed.


    Sitting inside the Meteor Ink Boat, he could still utilize attack magical artifacts or cast spells; as long as his internal spiritual power was sufficient, he need not consider defense and could focus entirely on attacking until the Meteor Ink Boat was breached.


    Thus, this type of Flying Boat Magical Treasure was extremely precious, more complicated to produce than ordinary magical artifacts, requiring many specialized master craftsmen to work together for its creation.


    His Meteor Ink Boat, a high-grade magical treasure, was only possible because the original owner, Elder Lv, was a powerful elder of the Senluo Sect, capable of affording such a luxury.


    As the Meteor Ink Boat flew through the air, it needed no identification, and no cultivator dared to intercept; any Golden Core cultivator who owned a Flying Boat Magical Treasure was not to be trifled with.

 Chapter 561: 327 Heavenly Ghost

    Chapter 561: Chapter 327 Heavenly Ghost


    Li Shiming sipped his Third Grade Spirit Tea while taking out a storage bag given to him by his clone, Li Yuanba. From it, he retrieved the Ghost Banner Treasure and a Jade Scroll.


    The Jade Scroll contained a cultivation technique for controlling ghosts called the ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture,¡¯ sourced by his clone Yuan Ba, who had excellent relations through trade channels with the Guardian Golden Core Elders.


    Each Guardian Golden Core Elder possessed significant influence within their sect, and obtaining a cultivation technique for controlling ghosts was likely best through the Demon Sect. Given Yuan Ba¡¯s favorable connections within the Senluo Sect, he managed to acquire this ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture.¡¯


    Li Shiming cast a strand of his Divine Thought into the Jade Scroll, and the content of the ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture¡¯ was instantly recorded by him.


    In the time it took to finish the cup of Third Grade Spirit Tea in his hand, he had completed studying the ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture¡¯ and mastered it entirely.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost within the Ghost Banner Treasure, though residing inside the treasure and shielded from the Heavenly and Earthly winds, still needed continual energy replenishment; otherwise, its energy would keep depleting.


    Unless in some special environments that could nurture ghosts and spirits, or if a Devil Cultivator used special methods to cultivate them, ghosts were not normally seen.


    The reason lay in the environment, under the effects of the Heaven and Earth winds, no ghosts could survive in this world.


    Being a Third Grade Fierce Ghost placed it at an extremely formidable level among fierce ghosts, equivalent to the Golden Core Realm, but it was equally bound by the Rules of Heaven and Earth. Without the Ghost Banner Treasure for protection, its energy would deplete even faster.


    There were two methods for Devil Cultivators to nurture fierce ghosts. One was to coexist with the ghost, sharing the cultivator¡¯s own blood and spirit, thus preventing the ghost from losing energy, but this increased the risk of losing one¡¯s mind to demonic paths.


    The second method was to bind the ghost within a treasure, enhancing the power of the treasure while also being able to summon the ghost when needed, feeding it with one¡¯s own blood. This method also deepened the connection with the ghost and, being tied to a treasure, posed less risk.


    ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture¡¯ pertained to the first method, direct nurturing of fierce ghosts. However, Shiming was not overly worried about the fierce ghost posing a significant threat to himself.


    On one hand, he sought the fierce ghost merely to experiment and see if, once the ghost had gained enough strength, it could possibly animate the Fake Infant Body of Supervisor Feng Yi.


    On the other hand, he had a large supply of Third-grade Spirit Pills to replenish himself, so the maintenance of a Third Grade Fierce Ghost wasn¡¯t truly a concern for him.


    Contemplating the ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture,¡¯ his fingers traced an immensely complex Spiritual Power Pattern in the air.


    The pattern¡¯s intricate paths of spiritual power made it difficult for cultivators to master. Such a technique, from learning to usage, could not be realized without several months.


    Yet, from observing the cultivation technique within the Jade Scroll to executing it, Shiming accomplished it in less than two hours.


    This was the effect of his Life-bound Treasure, IBMz15. With each experience, the function of IBMz15 increasingly emerged.


    Inside the Ghost Banner Treasure, the Third Grade Fierce Ghost was very weak. After its previous master perished, the ghost had suffered some backlash.


    If the Ghost Banner Treasure was immediately refined by a cultivator after that, and the Third Grade Fierce Ghost received nurturing from the new master¡¯s blood, it likely could have recovered quickly.


    But after Yuan Ba obtained the Ghost Banner Treasure, he had no intention of refining it and just kept it in his Space Ring, denying the Third Grade Fierce Ghost any energy replenishment.


    Had it not been for the binding of the Ghost Banner Treasure, it would have attempted to escape long ago.


    In such a state, the Third Grade Fierce Ghost could hardly resist the ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture¡¯ refinement. Shiming¡¯s spiritual power was vastly superior to that of the ghost¡¯s previous master by an unknown degree.


    The weakened Third Grade Fierce Ghost merely allowed the ownership pattern to envelop it, and strands of spiritual lines within it formed a large net. The ownership pattern merged with the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, making them inseparable.


    ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture¡¯ was indeed formidable. Right after the successful ownership, Shiming sensed the condition of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    Under the influence of ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture,¡¯ the Third Grade Fierce Ghost held no secrets from him, and its life and death depended entirely on his will.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost had been refined by a cultivator before and, while it retained certain vicious traits, it had developed sufficient fear and respect for its master.


    This fear and respect came from the various methods the previous master used to discipline the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, sparing Shiming some effort.


    Of course, the ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture,¡¯ a technique for directly nurturing fierce ghosts, would instill even deeper discipline, without needing the medium of a treasure.


    Shiming extracted a drop of his vital blood from within his body. With a flick of his finger, the blood flew into the body of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    This blood was not just life-sustaining; it also carried a significant amount of spiritual power.


    Upon receiving the drop of blood, the Third Grade Fierce Ghost immediately revived, as the blood was absorbed and converted into its own energy.


    Realizing its current situation, the Third Grade Fierce Ghost was rather intelligent. Sensing Shiming¡¯s formidable spiritual power, it swiftly signaled its loyalty to him.


    The intelligence of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost was not high, approximately that of a several-years-old child.

 Chapter 562: 327 Heavenly Ghost_2

    Chapter 562: Chapter 327 Heavenly Ghost_2


    Yet its combat instinct was extremely powerful. A Third Grade Fierce Ghost grew by constantly devouring its own kind, and fighting was almost its only form of interaction with anyone besides its master.


    Li Shiming did not have to worry about the Third Grade Fierce Ghost rebelling against him. He allocated a part of his brain to constantly monitor the ghost, and he would immediately employ the ¡°No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture¡± to discipline the ghost if there were any unusual movements.


    He reached out and grabbed the Ghost Banner Treasure. Without the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, the Ghost Banner Treasure was of no use.


    However, the connection between the Ghost Banner Treasure and the Third Grade Fierce Ghost still existed. The Heart Sword flew out from the Space Ring. Without the need for the enhancement of Sword Intent, the High-Grade Magical Treasure, Heart Sword, easily sliced the Ghost Banner Treasure into pieces.


    With the Ghost Banner Treasure destroyed, the only thing that could now bind the Third Grade Fierce Ghost was Li Shiming, who used the ¡°No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture.¡±


    Probably only a rich Alchemy Master like him would be willing to take such a drastic step, for even though the treasure was not of the highest grade, it was still a magical treasure, coveted by many impoverished Golden Core cultivators.


    The Golden Core cultivators from large sects were in a slightly better situation. No matter how poor they were personally, the sect would always provide them with an entry-level magical treasure, so that Golden Core cultivators would not have to engage in battle using only Foundation Establishment Spiritual Artifacts.


    But among Independent Practitioners, those who were extremely lucky and managed to break through to the Golden Core Realm with just a little resource, many Independent Practitioner Golden Cores, for decades after becoming Golden Core cultivators, had no magical treasures to use.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost, upon sensing the loss of connection with the Ghost Banner Treasure, began to harbor thoughts of freedom in its limited wisdom.


    But just as this thought arose, Li Shiming, who had set aside a part of his brain especially for the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, perceived the ghost¡¯s thoughts through the secret technique of the ¡°No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture.¡±


    A sensation of piercing pain throughout its body immediately followed, teaching it what it should and should not think.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost became obedient once more, dancing around Li Shiming, and no one would have guessed that it was a Third Grade Fierce Ghost with a power comparable to a Golden Core.


    ¡°Quite obedient,¡± said Li Shiming with a smile.


    He reached out and gently patted the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, which, wanting to make the pat feel more substantial, deliberately made its body solid.


    Otherwise, his hand would pass right through the Third Grade Fierce Ghost without feeling as if he had touched a solid body.


    The moment his hand patted the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, it vanished from inside the Meteor Ink Boat.


    Without any understanding of how it happened, the Third Grade Fierce Ghost found itself in a room filled with its master¡¯s presence, which saved it from descending into madness.


    Suddenly, the Third Grade Fierce Ghost noticed something it wanted to touch. But how could Li Shiming let it move around in the Mechanism Room Space? He had already restricted the ghost¡¯s body the moment he placed it into the Mechanism Room Space, making it utterly immobile.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost sent a message to Li Shiming, begging him to let it touch an item over there.


    Li Shiming was slightly startled. He discovered that the object attracting the Third Grade Fierce Ghost was the empty shell of a Heavenly Demon.


    He had assumed that what would attract the Third Grade Fierce Ghost the most was the Fake Infant Body, as the saying goes that ghosts and spirits are most fond of powerful beings and seek to attach themselves to powerful bodies.


    The state of the Heavenly Demon shell was somewhat strange; it could be seen, but it was in a state where it could not be touched by Divine Thought, magical treasures, or physically. Although the principle behind such a state was inexplicable, it indeed existed within the Mechanism Room Space.


    Even if Li Shiming wanted to move the Heavenly Demon shell, he could only do so by using the Mechanism Room Space¡¯s mechanism for retrieving and releasing items; otherwise, he had no influence over the shell.


    The Heavenly Demon shell was sealed by him with the power of thunder and lightning. After some time, there were no changes to the shell.


    After some thought, Li Shiming withdrew the thunder and lightning sealing the Heavenly Demon shell and sent the Third Grade Fierce Ghost next to it.


    As the Third Grade Fierce Ghost got closer to the Heavenly Demon shell, its emotions became increasingly agitated and excited.


    Li Shiming was not worried about any accidents, as the Third Grade Fierce Ghost was under his control. He lifted the restriction on the Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost let out a cheer and pounced on the Heavenly Demon shell.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost and the Heavenly Demon shell were both incorporeal, creating a rather eerie sight.


    The Third Grade Fierce Ghost, upon contacting the outer shell of the Heavenly Demon, easily passed through and entered its interior.


    What Li Shiming saw next surprised him; the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell began to move.


    Previously, no matter how many methods he had used, he could not make the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell budge even slightly, yet now, right before his eyes, a Third Grade Fierce Ghost had set it in motion.


    Through his connection with the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, he discovered that it was forming some kind of link with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell, which was becoming part of the ghost.


    During this process, the connection between the Third Grade Fierce Ghost and Li Shiming hadn¡¯t changed at all, and it still remained under Li Shiming¡¯s control.


    The fusion process took up most of two hours, and what eventually appeared in the engine room space was a phantom being with the appearance of a Heavenly Demon.


    It could no longer be called a Fierce Ghost; this was a fusion of a Fierce Ghost and a Heavenly Demon. However, while the Heavenly Demon could not be controlled, the Fierce Ghost could, and this fusion creature still recognized Li Shiming as its master.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you Heavenly Ghost!¡± Li Shiming came up with a new name for this merged monster.


    The strength of the Heavenly Ghost remained at the Third Grade, and its attack methods were unchanged, able to release ghostly fog to affect enemies, emit ghost howls to attack the enemy¡¯s spirit, or enter the enemy¡¯s body to launch an attack on the soul.


    But what had changed was that the Heavenly Ghost now possessed great defensive power; first of all, the energy within the Heavenly Ghost no longer dissipated, and the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell served as a protective magical treasure, creating an internal environment that freed the Heavenly Ghost from the influence of the Heaven and Earth Rules.


    In fact, the Heavenly Ghost could freely switch between solid and ethereal forms; when solid, it was like an ordinary Third Grade Fierce Ghost, and when ethereal, it was like the previous state of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell¡ªundetectable to Divine Thought and impervious to attack.


    Unfortunately, the Heavenly Ghost did not inherit the Heavenly Demon¡¯s most powerful attack. Its howl, when compared to that of a true Heavenly Demon, was still one level lower.


    However, the Heavenly Ghost was already very strong. Its weaknesses were compensated for by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell; it was no longer as fragile as a Third Grade Fierce Ghost.


    The frailty of a Third Grade Fierce Ghost was highlighted by the fact that when cultivators lacked the means to counter it, they had no defense against its attacks.


    But when cultivators possessed methods to counter Ghosts, the inherent weakness of a Third Grade Fierce Ghost¡¯s defenses became apparent, as it could be dispersed at any moment, and each dispersal weakened its essence.


    Especially when facing an opponent like Li Shiming, it was almost certain death.


    After all, Li Shiming was a Thunder Cultivator, and the power of thunder and lightning was the bane of Third Grade Fierce Ghosts. A single Heavenly Thunder strike could utterly obliterate a Fierce Ghost without giving it a chance to recover and resurrect.


    Of course, the Heavenly Ghost still feared Heavenly Thunder, but its resistance to it had improved considerably; it was no longer the case that a random strike could annihilate it.


    The transformation of the Third Grade Fierce Ghost into the Heavenly Ghost was not what Li Shiming had originally intended.


    While he wanted the Third Grade Fierce Ghost, he was prepared to try to activate the Fake Infant Body.


    He issued an order to the Heavenly Ghost to try and approach the Fake Infant Body.


    Before, he had surmised that maybe the Third Grade Fierce Ghost would be repelled by the Fake Infant Body and would not dare to approach it further.


    For the Third Grade Fierce Ghost to be able to enter the Fake Infant Body, resources had to be used to cultivate it stronger, so it could withstand the might of the Fake Infant Body.


    Heavenly Ghost followed his orders and gradually moved towards the Fake Infant Body.


    The Fake Infant Body was in a living dead state, with the False Infant not having returned; it didn¡¯t need to eat, as the Fake Infant Body itself could maintain its survival by constantly absorbing Spiritual Energy from Heaven and Earth.


    Actually, even without the Fake Infant Body, Li Shiming¡¯s current state in the Golden Core Realm alone would allow him to sustain life merely by absorbing Spiritual Energy.


    Nevertheless, he did not wish it so; food was part of what made him feel alive, and without it, he wouldn¡¯t even know if he was truly living.


    The Heavenly Ghost made contact with the Fake Infant Body without being affected by its might.

 Chapter 563: 328 Ambush

    Chapter 563: Chapter 328 Ambush


    Li Shiming looked at the Heavenly Ghost with excited eyes as it entered the interior of the Fake Infant Body.


    The Heavenly Ghost was not affected by the might of the Fake Infant Body, which was extremely rare.


    It¡¯s known that ghosts possess the ability to inhabit, but there are great limitations to possession. Too much spiritual power, too much strength, too high a realm, mastery of spirit-related cultivation techniques, etc., can all affect a ghost¡¯s ability to possess.


    Even without the False Infant, given the might of the Fake Infant Body, a Third Grade Fierce Ghost daring to touch it might very well result in its soul shattering to pieces.


    Let alone a Third Grade Fierce Ghost, even Li Shiming at the Foundation Establishment Stage didn¡¯t dare to interact too much with the Fake Infant Body.


    The Heavenly Ghost inherited the Heavenly Demon¡¯s talent in this respect; a Fake Infant Body without a False Infant is like losing its powerful spiritual power, it¡¯s just a strong body.


    Such a Fake Infant Body can¡¯t resist being possessed by Heavenly Demons; the Heavenly Ghost possesses part of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s talent, which allowed it to successfully enter the Fake Infant Body.


    ¡°Possess!¡± Li Shiming issued the command, growing somewhat impatient.


    He understood what it meant to control a Fake Infant Body ¨C the kind of combat power it represented.


    At least within the Golden Core Stage, even if facing those two Great Arhats, if the Fake Infant Body got close, it could definitely explode both the Great Arhats.


    Moreover, the Fake Infant Body was the best shield, capable of standing in front of him, serving as a defense even stronger than defensive magical treasures.


    The Heavenly Ghost followed his command and displayed its capability to possess.


    Then, the eyes of the Fake Infant Body slowly opened, with a hint of agility in its gaze. The Heavenly Ghost¡¯s wisdom wasn¡¯t high, but it had wisdom nonetheless, which imparted a unique glow of sentient life to the eyes of the Fake Infant Body.


    Li Shiming clenched his fists tightly, feeling that the Heavenly Ghost had indeed successfully possessed it.


    However, he soon noticed something wasn¡¯t right; the Fake Infant Body wanted to stand up but moved extremely slowly; it took more than ten breaths just to make the motion to stand.


    This reminded him of the previous action of the Fake Infant Body opening its eyes; he had thought it was the Heavenly Ghost getting accustomed to the body.


    He sensed the Heavenly Ghost¡¯s weakness; controlling the Fake Infant Body was like a child trying to pull a heavy cart.


    The Heavenly Ghost¡¯s possession was so inadequate that it couldn¡¯t even enable the Fake Infant Body to move normally, let alone fight.


    Li Shiming let out a long breath, feeling he had been too impatient; the Heavenly Ghost had done well enough.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Heavenly Ghost¡¯s metamorphosis, perhaps the Third Grade Fierce Ghost could still only hover around the Fake Infant Body, far from entering it.


    One of his minds continued to monitor the situation of the Heavenly Ghost and, after more than two hours, he made a new discovery.


    The Heavenly Ghost¡¯s possession of the Fake Infant Body had no time limit.


    This was unlike a Third Grade Fierce Ghost, whose possession was at the cost of its own energy.


    This was more similar to a Heavenly Demon; their possession had no time restriction, and it was the possessed that would nourish the Heavenly Demon instead.


    Currently, it was the same for the Heavenly Ghost; the longer it possessed the Fake Infant Body, the stronger life force within it nourished the Heavenly Ghost, allowing it to gradually increase its strength without needing Li Shiming¡¯s essence blood or spiritual power.


    This was an unexpected discovery; Li Shiming was already planning to take on some Essence Blood Spirit Pill Alchemy tasks to recover after returning.


    Cultivating the Heavenly Ghost required essence blood and spiritual power. He wasn¡¯t worried about spiritual power; with his strong spiritual power, even if the Heavenly Ghost consumed a bit, he had plenty of time for his spirit to recover on its own.


    From now on, Li Shiming needed to spend a bit of time each day after his cultivation practice to strengthen the control of the ¡®No Thought Earth Willow Netherworld Scripture¡¯ over the Heavenly Ghost.


    This was not originally necessary, but the Heavenly Ghost was too special; according to the analysis of the life-bound magical treasure IBMz15, it was best to continuously strengthen control over the Heavenly Ghost.


    The matter of the Heavenly Ghost did not need his further attention; his gaze shifted to the space outside the Meteor Ink Boat.


    This was a rare opportunity for relaxation; now being in the Golden Core Stage, coupled with the identity of an Alchemy Master, he didn¡¯t believe that he would encounter any trouble.


    He thought of Yin Shilan; unfortunately, since informing her of his advancement to the Golden Core, Yin Shilan had sent a message back about going into closed-door cultivation, otherwise, he would have liked to visit her.


    Thinking of this made him smile.


    He knew why Yin Shilan chose to go into seclusion; they had an agreement to become Daoist couples after both achieving the Golden Core Stage.


    Yin Shilan didn¡¯t say much, but in her responses, he could sense that emotion.


    In a good mood, he saw four Flying Boats approaching from the front. Considering this area was close to a Cultivator¡¯s gathering area, the presence of Flying Boats was normal, and he had encountered quite a few during his journey.


    Just as the four Flying Boats got close, they suddenly changed direction and surrounded him.


    A Formation¡¯s fluctuation rose between the four Flying Boats and quickly enveloped the Meteor Ink Boat.


    Li Shiming watched the Flying Boats¡¯ movements with his mouth agape, scanning himself from head to toe over a hundred times with his Divine Thought.


    The reason he could scan over a hundred times in such a short period was that he activated over a hundred minds, controlling over a hundred threads of Divine Thought simultaneously.


    He wanted to see if there was any curse mark or the like on him, otherwise, why would he find trouble immediately after leaving the sect?


    It was as if a curse followed him; he was a Golden Core cultivator, after all, and controlling a Flying Boat Magical Treasure; how could he be attacked by Cultivators.

 Chapter 564: 328 Ambush_2

    Chapter 564: Chapter 328 Ambush_2


    The result was as expected; he found nothing on his person¡ªno trace of a curse whatsoever.


    The four Flying Boats were undoubtedly designed for ambushing cultivators, equipped with special Arrays seldom seen on such vessels.


    This allowed the cultivators aboard the four Flying Boats to harbor malicious intent against Li Shiming without his timely detection.


    Such Arrays were extremely rare; at least Li Shiming had rarely encountered them.


    The four Flying Boats were arranged in a variant of the Four Phase Array, concealing the energy fluctuations of this airspace and simultaneously restricting Li Shiming¡¯s Meteor Ink Boat from escaping.


    When the Four Phase Array was set up, the utilization of Spiritual Power disrupted the previous Array that could isolate malicious intent, allowing Li Shiming to sense the cultivators on the four Flying Boats.


    Twelve Golden Core cultivators, among them two were Late-stage Golden Core cultivators, and the rest were at the Early to Mid-stage of the Golden Core.


    Indeed, their combat power was strong, nearly sufficient to suppress Li Shiming¡¯s Silver Corpse.


    However, he didn¡¯t plan on using the Silver Corpse; the Four Phase Array was indeed effective, but these cultivators seemed unaware that he was also an Array Master.


    Setting up an Array to restrict the actions of an Array Master in the presence of said master would only be possible if there was also an Array Master among the opposing forces.


    Li Shiming merely swept the area with his Divine Thought and instantly found many flaws in the Four Phase Array; breaking the Array would only require a mere thought.


    He did not do so; instead, several threads of Array Spiritual Power were redirected from their original course in the blink of an eye by his several strands of Divine Thought.


    As the twelve Golden Core cultivators flew out from the Flying Boats and prepared to attack Li Shiming with their treasures, they were unaware that the Four Phase Array surrounding Li Shiming had also encompassed them.


    ¡°Who are you? Why obstruct my path?¡± Li Shiming asked in a deep voice.


    Before taking action, he wished to ascertain the identities of the opposition.


    He didn¡¯t have many significant enemies on the Beishu Continent, and it was clear these cultivators were not the Arhats of Qianye Temple.


    ¡°Master Li, you could have cooperated with Skywalk Trading Company, but you made the wrong choice, causing immense losses to our company. We from Skywalk Trading Company need your life to show the Beishu Continent what happens to those who offend us!¡± one of the two Late-stage Golden Core cultivators answered without any hesitation.


    Clearly, the recent crackdown by the major sects of the Beishu Continent on Skywalk Trading Company hadn¡¯t succeeded in wiping them out completely.


    And it seemed that Skywalk Trading Company still maintained a strong intelligence network; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect Li Shiming¡¯s departure from his sect and intercept him here.


    The group of cultivators from Skywalk Trading Company quite obviously thought Li Shiming had no escape, which is why they disclosed the truth to him.


    Only then did Li Shiming realize that he might indeed have thoroughly offended the trans-continental Skywalk Trading Company.


    Most of Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s power in the Beishu Continent was destroyed due to a piece of intelligence he provided.


    No wonder Skywalk Trading Company was relentless in their pursuit, seizing the opportunity to corner him the moment it arose.


    Not a shred of concern crossed his mind; instead, the speed of his blood flow increased, and his eyes gleamed with light.


    He had tested his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15¡¯s numerous abilities, which had indeed greatly aided him, but he had not yet experienced its efficacy in real combat.


    He willed the life-bound magical treasure IBMz15 to enter into combat mode; this time, he summoned the power of a hundred brains to partake in the battle, signifying the great importance he placed on this fight.


    Being inside the Meteor Ink Boat, his defensive power was still respectable. This Flying Boat Magical Treasure possessed the defensive power of a Top-Grade Defense Treasure, at least capable of withstanding several blows from a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    ¡°Such a strong Spiritual Power reaction, be careful!¡± The leading Late-stage Golden Core cultivator was preparing to launch an attack with his flying sword treasure after the conversation ended.


    But sensing the intense Spiritual Power reaction coming from Li Shiming¡¯s direction, the strength of the reaction prompted him to instantly switch to defensive mode, channeling all his Spiritual Power into his defense treasure.


    Because Li Shiming was within the Meteor Ink Boat, the twelve Golden Core cultivators across from him did not see his movements.


    The technique he applied was not some Forbidden Technique, nor did he use a talisman beyond his own level, but instead, he cast the Third-grade single-target spell ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡¯.


    Just casting ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡¯ once wouldn¡¯t cause such a reaction in a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. Each of his hundred brains was controlling Divine Thought to cast ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡¯ once.


    That was possible because he possessed five Golden Cores. Otherwise, if it were any other cultivator who had just advanced to the Golden Core, casting a hundred Third Grade Techniques all at once would be enough to drain all the Spiritual Power within a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator¡¯s Golden Core.


    In the span of a single breath, ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡¯ was ready to be cast.


    In the small cabin of the Meteor Ink Boat, the light from a hundred spell patterns almost made it too bright for the eyes to see anything.


    Following the warning issued by the late-stage Golden Core cultivator, the other Golden Core cultivators also sensed the terrifying fluctuations of Spiritual Power within the Flying Boat Magical Treasure.


    They did not launch an attack that would be mutually destructive right away, since Li Shiming had fallen into the Four Phase Array and couldn¡¯t escape. They also had the advantage in numbers¡ªthey could simply outlast Li Shiming.


    With the advantage in hand, all they needed to do was to block Li Shiming¡¯s first round of attack. They believed he wouldn¡¯t be able to launch such an attack again, and then it would be time for them to deal with Li Shiming.


    The two late-stage Golden Core cultivators exchanged a look, one that carried questions in their eyes.


    They did not sense this surge of power as coming from a talisman; the intense Thunder Attribute Spiritual Power fluctuation was many times stronger than the Thunder Attribute Magic they were familiar with.


    They did not believe that Li Shiming was casting Thunder Attribute Magic. Third Grade Techniques, especially when outnumbered in actual combat, were almost impossible to apply.


    Because casting a Third Grade Technique required too much preparatory time. Not just fresh Golden Core cultivators like Li Shiming, specialized in Alchemy and new to the Golden Core, but even veteran Golden Core cultivators who had spent hundreds of years in the Golden Core Stage rarely put much effort into Third Grade Techniques.


    It¡¯s not that Third Grade Techniques aren¡¯t powerful, but spending hundreds of years to increase the proficiency of a particular Third Grade Technique to its limit doesn¡¯t match the time and effort with the effects when cast.


    With that much time, if spent on studying talismans, one could completely turn a Third Grade Technique into a talisman, thereby achieving the effect of fast casting.


    With the aid of his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15, Li Shiming was able to practice a Third Grade Technique to the theoretical fastest casting speed.


    What was most crucial was that the life-bound magical treasure IBMz15 gave him more brains to use, where a single brain could only cast one spell at a time. This was not only limited by the rules of Heaven and Earth but also the limit of what a cultivator¡¯s brain could endure.


    The application of the life-bound magical treasure IBMz15 to combat, with a hundred brains, sidestepped the rule¡¯s restrictions, allowing him to cast a hundred Third Grade Techniques at once.


    In a single breath, Skywalk Trading Company did not react immediately but instead responded to Li Shiming¡¯s question, granting Li Shiming the advantage of acting first.


    Just as the twelve Golden Core cultivators retracted their treasures and focused fully on defense, the Meteor Ink Boat, from inside to out, burst forth with a dazzling magical light.


    The spectacularly beautiful ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡¯ spell patterns, repeated a hundred times and bursting simultaneously, created an intensely visual scene.


    However, the twelve Golden Core cultivators were too late to admire the ultimate beauty of Thunder Attribute; a hundred thunderbolts struck at them.


    Thunderbolts cast by Thunder Skills are the fastest in magic, and unless one has Divine Skills, it¡¯s impossible to dodge within the range of attack.


    Even with Divine Skills, one must have them prepared in advance and ready to activate in an instant.


    Clearly, none of the twelve Golden Core cultivators here had mastered such Divine Skills.


    A hundred thunderbolts struck, with each early-to-middle-stage Golden Core cultivator taking eight thunderbolts, while the two late-stage Golden Core cultivators received special attention, each taking ten thunderbolts.


    Thunder Skills, known alongside Swordmanship as the strongest form of attack, displayed a unique elegance in Li Shiming¡¯s hands, as he alone was equivalent to a hundred Thunder Skill cultivators launching their attacks at the same time.


    This was the role of the life-bound magical treasure IBMz15 in combat, which made it more powerful than any other magical treasure.

 Chapter 565: 329 Battle

    Chapter 565: Chapter 329 Battle


    The Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators from Skywalk Trading Company, although each one was only subjected to the attacks of eight bolts of Divine Thunder.


    But it must be considered that this was a Third Grade Technique of the Thunder Skill, a single-target spell. In terms of power, such a Third Grade Technique was even more terrifying than the full-force strike of a magical treasure.


    When a cultivator uses a magical treasure, it unleashes a certain might solidified within the treasure by rapidly activating it with the cultivator¡¯s spiritual power. Using magical treasures for combat allows cultivators to fight for extended periods.


    However, in reality, the strongest aspect of a cultivator lies in their spells. The might of a magical treasure originates from the treasure itself, while the might of a spell comes from the cultivator drawing upon the power of heaven and earth. The higher the grade of the spell, the greater its power.


    In some respects, a Third Grade Technique is already the strongest force a Golden Core cultivator can unleash.


    Although Li Shiming was only at the Golden Core Early Stage, due to the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± inside his body, the spiritual power in his five Golden Cores had all reached the Golden Core Early Stage Peak. Moreover, the ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡± was known as the strongest Third Grade Technique of Thunder Skill in magic cultivation.


    Therefore, the threat of the ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡± to Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators was still extremely strong. Without a powerful defensive magical treasure, a single ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡± could shatter the defenses of an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.


    And eight ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders¡± targeting a single Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator posed an unimaginable threat.


    The battle had just begun, or rather, hadn¡¯t even truly started, when in Li Shiming¡¯s first round of attack, the defensive magical treasures of the Golden Core Early Stage cultivators shattered first, and their bodies, struck by the ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder,¡± turned to char and fell downwards.


    The Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators didn¡¯t last much longer, only enduring a tenth of a moment longer than the early-stage cultivators. The main reason was that the eight ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders¡± fell simultaneously. Once the Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators failed to block, their defenses were breached almost at the same time.


    The battlefield, initially twelve against one, changed to two against one amidst the flashes of lightning.


    The two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators blocked ten ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders,¡± but they both paid a certain price. One could tell it was no small price by looking at the state of their defensive treasures in front of them.


    Although their defensive magical treasures held up against ten ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders,¡± they sustained significant loss of spirit. If Li Shiming were to attack again, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use their defensive treasures to block his assault.


    The two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators had lost the excitement they felt when they thought they had successfully trapped Li Shiming. Their expressions were now filled with extreme panic.


    They couldn¡¯t fathom what kind of talent was required to wield the Thunder Skill like this. If they hadn¡¯t sensed that there was only Li Shiming inside the Meteor Ink Boat, they would have thought that there were a hundred cultivators who practiced the Thunder Skill inside it.


    They reluctantly made the same choice, to flee, to escape from the terrifying Li Shiming.


    Who says Li Shiming is just an Alchemy Master? With such a talent in Thunder Skill and relying on his own strength, he killed ten Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators and even subdued two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    Their fighting spirit evaporated amidst the thunder and lightning, leaving behind only shock and fear.


    But as the two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators tried to flee, something even more horrifying happened: the Four Phase Array they had set up blocked their escape.


    Normally, they should have exited through the life gate of the Four Phase Array, but when they entered the life gate, they found themselves still in the same place.


    Li Shiming consumed a Third-grade Spirit Pill to replenish his nearly emptied spiritual power.


    He used a hundred minds to simultaneously cast a hundred ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders,¡± a calculation precisely determined by his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15.


    About two-thirds of the spiritual power in each Golden Core was consumed, leaving one-third, which although insufficient for fighting recklessly as before, was still enough to deal with the two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    However, he underestimated the discomfort caused by suddenly losing two-thirds of his spiritual power, which is why he took a Third-grade Spirit Pill to quickly restore his power.


    Feeling the rapid recovery of spiritual power within his body, he was very satisfied with the effect of the Third-grade Spirit Pill.


    Only he would use such a precious Third-grade Spirit Pill. When compared to the Third-grade Spirit Pills used for assistance in cultivation, its value was about three to four times higher. For average Golden Core cultivators, this kind of precious Spirit Pill was a life-saving treasure, not meant to be used in everyday combat.


    Li Shiming invoked two Divine Thoughts, and two beams of sword light flew out from his Space Ring.


    The Heart Sword and White Feather Sword flew towards the two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators. Thunder Sword Intent wrapped around the flying swords, revealing a brutish aura.


    Although he had cultivated three flying sword magical treasures, he could only use these two at the moment. The other, the Silver Light Sword, due to being stored for too long, had lost much of its spirit and couldn¡¯t be used in battle yet.


    His only defensive magical treasure, the Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella, faced the same issue. Fortunately, he had the Meteor Ink Boat; otherwise, he would have encountered a very awkward situation, possessing many magical treasures but having no defensive treasures available.


    Mainly, his requirements for magical treasures were too high; he wouldn¡¯t even consider anything less than a High Grade Magical Treasure.


    Of course, with his identity and wealth, he had the right to be choosy. Besides, he hadn¡¯t expected to face a battle at the Golden Core Stage so soon.


    In his view, after a few more years, the Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella, an ancient magical treasure obtained from the ruins of the Five Qi Sect, would be able to demonstrate its power in his hands, protecting him from enemy attacks.

 Chapter 566: 329 Battle_2

    Chapter 566: Chapter 329 Battle_2


    The Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella, albeit having lost much of its spiritual essence, became his irreplaceable defensive treasure; he could not regard any other defensive treasures with the same esteem.


    Most importantly, he was less concerned with defense, favoring offense instead, evident from his refinement of three Flying Swords as magical treasures.


    When two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators found themselves without an escape, they had not yet panicked before a Flying Sword each was already soaring towards them.


    They quickly mobilized their attacking treasures to counter, for with their resources, having additional defensive treasures was out of the question; their only option was to meet attack with attack.


    Moreover, they felt they could no longer afford to let Li Shiming launch his Thunder Skill attacks; another strike would force them to resist with their bodies, which they doubted could withstand a Third-grade Thunder Technique.


    ¡°Eh!¡± exclaimed a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator about to use a secret technique to approach the Meteor Ink Boat, surprised by a sudden development.


    His Flying Sword had come into contact with Shiming¡¯s Heart Sword. According to his judgment, his Late-stage Golden Core realm should not only match but at least block the Heart Sword without issue.


    Although Shiming was a prodigy, his advancement to the Golden Core Realm was too recent. Even as a Sword Cultivator, it was impossible for him to suppress a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s treasure with just a single Flying Sword during his early Golden Core peak.


    Yet the Heart Sword behaved strangely; as it crossed with the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s Flying Sword, it bizarrely cut into the interior of the other treasure, causing damage.


    The Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator couldn¡¯t comprehend how the Heart Sword, despite bearing Thunder Sword Intent, could cause such an effect with just early Golden Core peak Spiritual Power and a not-so-strong Thunder Sword Intent.


    The clash of Flying Swords was a common form of combat among Golden Core Cultivators.


    With the battle experience of a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, it was impossible for his Flying Sword to be damaged upon just making contact, considering his centuries of cultivation weren¡¯t lived in vain.


    Yet, at that moment, the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator felt as if his centuries of cultivation had indeed been in vain.


    The damage to his Flying Sword, compounded with the prior destruction of his defensive treasure, was too much, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His Flying Sword was his life-bound magical treasure, and its damage caused greater backlash than his defensive treasure.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look towards his comrade, only to find him also spitting out blood.


    The same happened to him; Li Shiming¡¯s White Feather Sword had severely damaged his comrade¡¯s Flying Sword in a blink.


    Li Shiming was quite satisfied with the outcome of the combat, his face carrying a smug smile.


    In the direct confrontation of magical treasures, his Flying Sword easily damaging his opponent¡¯s treasures wasn¡¯t his inherent skill but rather the assistance from his life-bound treasure, IBMz15.


    The unparalleled calculating power of the IBMz15, in controlling the Flying Sword, computed the best attack trajectories in real-time and analyzed the spiritual circuits of the opponent¡¯s treasures.


    Remember, Li Shiming was an Artifact Refiner. Especially, after reaching the Golden Core Stage, though he hadn¡¯t crafted any magical treasures by hand, his accumulated knowledge in that field was sufficient.


    Instantly, the IBMz15 utilized the Artifact Refiner¡¯s knowledge comprehensively to analyze the opponent¡¯s treasures.


    Obviously, the precision with which the IBMz15 controlled the Flying Sword ensured the severe damage to the enemy¡¯s treasures.


    During Golden Core cultivator battles, it¡¯s usually not about precise manipulation but about overpowering the enemy with stronger Spiritual Power and more potent magical treasures.


    Precise operations are not absent, but they don¡¯t significantly benefit, rather, they increase the difficulty of controlling the treasure, possibly leading to mistakes and vulnerabilities the enemy could exploit.


    But Li Shiming was different; the IBMz15 was controlling the Flying Sword, and all he needed to do was give a command, leaving the rest to his life-bound treasure.


    The IBMz15 would employ all the knowledge it had, applying every Flying Sword technique Li Shiming knew, to execute the given command.


    If one were to draw an analogy for Shiming¡¯s combat style compared to that of ordinary Golden Core Cultivators, while others wield a sledgehammer to strike, Shiming uses a scalpel to dissect the target.


    It¡¯s not that the sledgehammer approach is ineffective, but the scalpel¡¯s attack uses the least Spiritual Power to achieve a greater effect.


    Just like before, with only a Golden Core Early Stage Li Shiming managed to destroy the magical weapons of two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators in a two against one situation with just an encounter using two flying swords.


    If Li Shiming had also used the hammer attack technique, he would have needed to be at a higher cultivation realm than the two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators to achieve the same effect.


    The two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators felt despair, something they had never experienced in their hundreds of years of cultivating.


    Their attack weapons also lost their combat effectiveness, and though they still had some talismans, using them would hardly break the defense of the Meteor Ink Boat; trapped with no escape, they could only struggle in vain.


    They no longer hesitated, the two moved closer together, several talismans appearing in their hands.


    Now, they depended on the talismans in their hands, holding out as long as they could.


    Li Shiming waved his hand, and the two flying sword treasures returned to the side of the Meteor Ink Boat, not taking advantage of the previous momentum to attack.


    He had many techniques, and within the Shushan Sect, there wasn¡¯t a cultivator to test the power.


    Today, these two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators, without any magical weapons in hand, were the perfect test subjects.


    He smiled slightly, sweeping his hand in front of him, the ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡± appeared before him.


    A subtle change occurred in his aura, which was him activating the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual.¡±


    He did not play the music from the ¡°Heavenly Sound Secret Manual,¡± instead, he played the most familiar ¡°Buddha¡¯s Light Emerges.¡±


    Upon hearing the sound of the zither, the two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators were taken aback; they could not understand why Li Shiming would play the zither in the midst of battle.


    Soon they understood the reason: the magnificent music directly entered their spirits, rapidly eroding their will to fight, instantly giving rise to the thought of surrender in their minds.


    Immediately, they realized something was wrong, jointly channeling their power to resist the invasion of the zither music.


    ¡°How many techniques does he have, even dabbling in the Sound Wave Technique!¡± this was what they thought.


    And as the music continued, they realized Li Shiming was not just dabbling in the Sound Wave Technique, but rather, he had the inheritance of it.


    However, much to their relief, although the effect of the zither music was astounding, Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation realm was indeed too low; he couldn¡¯t suppress them with the music alone.


    Li Shiming also realized this, using the ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡± to produce a sound wave attack, might be very effective against groups of weaker cultivators, but it was not effective against cultivators of a higher realm.


    He frowned, this battle from Thunder Technique to flying swords, then adding sound wave attacks, had him trying all his usual combat methods.


    Now that he had tested his combat methods, it was time to end this battle; he did not want to drag it out any longer.


    With that thought, he opened his mouth, issuing a sharp sound.


    This sound, catching the already defenseless two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators off guard, affected their spirits, causing a brief chaos in their Spiritual Power Patterns.


    ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear,¡± this was an attack Li Shiming had created himself, not quite a Sound Wave Technique, but rather a spirit attack Secret Technique.


    Just at the moment when the two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators¡¯ spirits were unguarded, the music of ¡°Buddha¡¯s Light Emerges¡± invaded their bodies, turning the originally magnificent Righteous Path into a cutting blade, severing the vitality within their bodies.


    ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± lasted a fraction of a moment longer; by the time the two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators recovered from the influence, they found the music had already wreaked havoc inside them, even cutting their Golden Cores into pieces.


    In unwillingness, they looked toward the Flying Boat that Li Shiming was aboard; in this battle, they had not even seen Li Shiming¡¯s face.

 Chapter 567: 330 Ancestor

    Chapter 567: Chapter 330 Ancestor


    The battle ended, and Li Shiming gathered the still intact bodies of two late-stage Golden Core cultivators, while the bodies of the other ten early to middle-stage Golden Core cultivators fell below, supported by the Four Phase Array.


    Dozens of Divine Thoughts swept over, and all these bodies were collected, while their spatial items were stored separately.


    There were no Spiritual Objects of interest to him in the spatial items, which did not surprise him at all, as ordinary Golden Core cultivators and sect Golden Core cultivators inherently had disparities.


    Not to mention, among the sect Golden Core cultivators, he was also part of the small fraction with the wealthiest assets.


    Just as he was about to collect the four Flying Boats and dismantle the Four Phase Array, he suddenly felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, and a feeling of extreme danger arose in his heart.


    In his feeling, dismantling the Four Phase Array would bring immense danger.


    ¡°Damn, are there still any cultivators from the Skywalk Trading Company outside?¡± Li Shiming muttered annoyedly.


    He stopped the action of dismantling the Four Phase Array; with the array in place, cultivators outside were unable to perceive what was happening within.


    But this situation wouldn¡¯t last long, thinking that any existence outside capable of threatening him would soon realize something was amiss if the Four Phase Array were not dismantled.


    Fortunately, his battle with the twelve Golden Core cultivators was exceedingly brief; if not for his desire to test various combat methods, he might have resolved the fight in just a few moments.


    Even so, the entire battle had just passed in the time it took half an incense stick to burn.


    Li Shiming took out his Identity Jade Disc and first sent a rescue message to his sect, stating his suspicion of the presence of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    His suspicion was not unfounded, for with his strength, even if the cultivator outside was a Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, he would not have felt such an intense sense of danger.


    At least when facing a Golden Core cultivator of Great Elder level, he still had a way to escape.


    As time was of the essence, after sending the message with his Identity Jade Disc, he began to consider how to escape.


    While he hoped for his sect¡¯s rescue, he could not place all his hopes on it.


    Li Shiming took out a visor, which was a controller for drones high above.


    However, he hadn¡¯t positioned drones directly above him; he had only stationed a drone ten thousand meters above his sect to monitor his surroundings.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated encountering trouble midway and hadn¡¯t used the drones to accompany him.


    Though the drones weren¡¯t directly overhead, the visor contained enhanced radio waves that still enabled him to control the distant drone.


    This was the advantage of using a new type of spirit stone motor; there was no worry about running out of power, and the combination of Artifact Refining methods with former world technological approaches in the materials for signal transmission devices enabled ultra-long-range remote control.


    Originally, Li Shiming¡¯s research focus was on deploying satellites in space, but the peculiar nature of this world prevented him from doing so.


    Yet, as his research deepened, especially in the fields of Artifact Refining and technology, he finally found an alternative method.


    If he had a few more months, he might have been able to place drones above the Righteous Path¡¯s influence throughout the Beishu Continent, allowing him to monitor any location on the ground at any time.


    Li Shiming divided part of his mind to operate the drone while he took ten bombs from the Mustard Seed Ring in his pocket dimension.


    The ten bombs were failed experiments of his research; it was only because the Mustard Seed Ring had an enormous capacity of a trillion cubic meters that he could afford to throw all kinds of research by-products, useful or not, into the space.


    Although only more than ten seconds had passed, his life-bound Magic Artifact, IBMz15, had already provided him with multiple solutions.


    The life-bound Magic Artifact, IBMz15, would not make decisions for him; it was still up to him to choose a plan.


    Although the bombs were failed products, they still had a name, dubbed Spirit Stone Bomb No.1 by him.


    These were bombs powered by spirit stones as energy sources, but unfortunately, the Spiritual Energy within the spirit stones was extremely stable; he tried various methods to trigger the Spiritual Energy in the spirit stones, hoping it would burst forth instantly and unleash its maximum might.


    Even achieving this, the power of the Spirit Stone Bomb was disappointing, estimated to be able to kill a group of Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Spiritual Energy, indeed, was not an ideal explosive energy; without being transformed by a Formation or a Magic Artifact, the power it could unleash was limited.


    Even the ten Spirit Stone Bomb No.1s he took out, though extremely impactful in their explosion, were weaker than the equivalent volume of explosives.


    The reason he took out Spirit Stone Bomb No.1 now was not for its explosive force but because the explosion of Spirit Stone Bomb No.1 would cause intense fluctuations in Spiritual Energy, affecting cultivators¡¯ ability to sense Spiritual Energy.


    Under normal circumstances, this effect was akin to useless, but at this moment, Spirit Stone Bomb No.1 might affect the outside cultivators¡¯ ability to accurately judge his position.


    The reason this was a possibility was because neither Li Shiming nor his life-bound Magic Artifact, IBMz15, knew how strong the Nascent Soul Ancestor actually was; everything was based on possible analysis.


    White lotuses began to rise beneath Li Shiming¡¯s feet; he no longer cared about revealing ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ at this point.


    With his current status, even if Qianye Temple learned he had mastered ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ how would that matter? Qianye Temple dared to capture Li Yuan Ba because Li Yuan Ba was a cultivator of the Demon Sect Senluo Sect.


    As a fellow cultivator of the Righteous Path, even if Qianye Temple suspected Li Shiming was the reincarnation of a great Buddhist figure, they would not venture to capture him.

 Chapter 568: 330 Ancestor_2

    Chapter 568: Chapter 330 Ancestor_2


    Of course, unless it was absolutely necessary, he had no wish to take that step. The monks of Qianye Temple were a bit too stubborn, and he couldn¡¯t be certain if their thinking would align with his assumptions.


    He activated the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique,¡± a cultivation technique that his clone, Li Yuanba, had acquired and learned, and was a secret technique of the Senluo Sect.


    Since the clone, Li Yuanba, had learned it, it was as good as if he, the original body, had learned it himself. Moreover, with five elemental attributes of the Golden Core Spiritual Power in his body, he could learn and apply most secret techniques. The ¡°Sky Conceiling Secret Technique¡± had no special requirements, so it was not difficult for him to execute.


    He waited a moment longer, but the rescue from his sect had yet to arrive, intensifying the sense of crisis in his heart.


    He realized he had no time left; his Divine Thought split into several strands¡ªone to withdraw the Four Phase Array, another to detonate the ten Spirit Stone Bombs number one.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao, Supreme Minister of Skywalk Trading Company, had attempted to approach the Beishu Continent before, but was blocked by a Fourth-grade Sea Beast, revealing his whereabouts.


    This time, he concealed his aura and secretly infiltrated the Beishu Continent in a manner unbefitting of his identity.


    After entering the Beishu Continent, he continually used a secret technique to hide his presence, as he didn¡¯t want the major sects of Beishu Continent to detect him.


    He found that the Beishu Continent, built by the six major sects, was as secure as an iron barrel. Despite the fact that the six major sects were divided into two camps, the orthodox and the demonic, and fought joyously amongst themselves,


    the entire Beishu Continent was blanketed with formations, which were interconnected through intermediary forces, like the Beishu Trading Company.


    As an outsider Nascent Soul Ancestor, the moment he ceased using his secret technique to hide his aura, he would immediately be discovered by the formations.


    So, upon arriving at the Beishu Continent, he did not immediately take action for Skywalk Trading Company, but instead used his status as Supreme Minister to reorganize Skywalk Trading Company.


    This ambush on Li Shiming was proposed by the remnants of Skywalk Trading Company, aimed at announcing to all the cultivators in Beishu Continent that Skywalk Trading Company had not perished.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao learned of Li Shiming¡¯s talent and took an interest in him, demanding that the ambush be changed to a capture. A young Alchemy Master like that, under his control, would bring significant benefits.


    This was why Patriarch Weng Zhao, the Nascent Soul Ancestor, had joined in person.


    He kept to his station and, coupled with the necessity to conceal his aura, did not take action.


    Even though he needed to keep his aura hidden, he had methods to deal with a minor Golden Core Early Stage cultivator. Suppressed or not, at the Golden Core Stage, he was an invincible entity.


    With the Taoist Body of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, even if he simply stood still, a Golden Core cultivator could not harm him.


    This meant that Patriarch Weng Zhao, when facing any Golden Core cultivator, was already in an invincible position, and the secret techniques at his disposal were not something Golden Core cultivators could compete with. Employing Golden Core Stage Spiritual Power in combat meant he utterly outmatched all Golden Cores.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao quietly waited, anticipating the moment when Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Golden Core cultivators would bring back Li Shiming, so he could place restrictions on him, controlling Li Shiming for life.


    The longer he waited, the more he felt something was off. Twelve Golden Core cultivators, including two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators, along with the array¡¯s assistance¡ªhow could they take so long to subdue a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator?


    Doubts crept into his mind, and he moved closer to the Four Phase Array.


    Just as he neared the Four Phase Array, it suddenly vanished, and an explosion occurred simultaneously.


    The explosion of Spirit Stone Bomb number one caused turmoil in the surrounding Spiritual Energy.


    If Patriarch Weng Zhao hadn¡¯t suppressed his cultivation, he could have easily detected Li Shiming, who was using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to escape afar amidst the explosion.


    But the situation was sudden, and Patriarch Weng Zhao had his cultivation suppressed, so he did not notice it immediately.


    By the time he realized something was amiss and intensified his scrutiny of the explosion area, he only caught a glimpse of a fading figure.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s visage reddened with anger, as he had never expected to be played by a junior at the Golden Core Early Stage¡ªit was an affront to a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    He sought to lock onto Li Shiming¡¯s figure, but realized in shock that Li Shiming was using the Divine Foot Skill, even just the basic ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡± With his cultivation suppressed, he was unable to catch up.


    He almost recklessly chased after him, even if it meant exposing his own presence, he was determined to capture Li Shiming.


    But reason prevailed and he did not do so. Located within the Beishu Continent, his mission this time was to rebuild the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s branch and take over the original intelligence system.


    This mission was far more important than capturing Li Shiming, and it was his ultimate task for coming here.


    He watched Li Shiming¡¯s figure, which was already faintly visible, disappear from his line of sight, and committed his image to memory with determination.


    When Li Shiming used ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to flee, he noticed that the intervals between the use of ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± had shortened, which allowed him to increase his movement speed.


    This was related to his life-bound magical treasure, IBMz15. Unleashing ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was similar to casting a spell; he used several brains in rotation to activate ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± achieving a near-instantaneous spellcasting.


    After he successfully performed ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± three times and had escaped a considerable distance, he felt a gaze locking onto him.


    A strong malice transmitted from that gaze caused the hairs on his body to stand on end.


    Fortunately, his movement speed was very fast, and for some reason that Patriarch Weng Zhao did not even attempt to pursue him, allowing him to leave just like that.


    Continuous use of ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± carried him away from Patriarch Weng Zhao, and only then did the feeling of being maliciously watched by a powerful being disappear.


    At that moment, he realized his body was covered in cold sweat, which wasn¡¯t due to cowardice, but rather an instinctive reaction to being targeted by a powerful being.


    He changed directions several times and was still fleeing when his Identity Jade Disc received a message.


    ¡°I am Zuo Haoqing, where is the Nascent Soul?¡± As Li Shiming took out his Identity Jade Disc, the sect cultivator on the other end forcefully initiated the chat mode and asked through voice.


    Li Shiming almost threw the Identity Jade Disc in his hand. Who was Zuo Haoqing? He was another Nascent Soul Ancestor of the sect.


    That Nascent Soul Ancestor really held him in high regard, even revealing his name.


    Zuo Haoqing, Elder Zuo, the master of sect Elder Ji and on the same level as Li Shiming¡¯s own great-grandmaster Fan Ancestor amongst the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Li Shiming did not know the relationship between Elder Zuo and Fan Ancestor, but he knew that Elder Ji¡¯s relationship with his master, Elder Su, was not good.


    And his own relationship with Elder Ji was even worse. Elder Ji¡¯s son, Ji Hongbo, had his cultivation crippled by him, turning into a mortal.


    ¡°Elder Zuo, the Nascent Soul Ancestor is in the southern region of Little View Mountain, but by this time, he has probably left!¡± Li Shiming steadied his mind and replied. Fortunately, the contact was through the Identity Jade Disc; Elder Zuo couldn¡¯t possibly jump through the disc to hit him, right?


    ¡°Return to the sect immediately, I¡¯ll be at Little View Mountain in ten breaths!¡± Elder Zuo replied gravely.


    Clearly, Elder Zuo was different from what Li Shiming had imagined; Elder Zuo was concerned for Li Shiming¡¯s safety.


    In fact, what Li Shiming did not understand was what a talented Alchemy Master like him meant to the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Although he was not yet capable of concocting pills for Nascent Soul Ancestors, with his cultivation speed, as soon as he breaks through to the Late-stage Golden Core, he would possess the ability to refine Fourth-grade Spirit Pills.


    If Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills still maintained their quality when concocting Fourth-grade Spirit Pills, then any Nascent Soul Ancestor on the Beishu Continent would treat Li Shiming with respect.


    For Nascent Soul Ancestors, a Fourth-grade Spirit Pill requires at the very least one Fourth-grade Spiritual Medicine in its ingredients.


    Fourth-grade Spiritual Medicine is almost like Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Even the Nascent Soul Ancestors, who wield the greatest power on the Beishu Continent, find it extremely rare to obtain a Fourth-grade Spiritual Medicine.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills, if he ever reached the point of concocting Fourth-grade Spirit Pills for Nascent Soul Ancestors, the benefits he could bring to them would be enormous.


    Even if Li Shiming could not maintain his previous standards on the Fourth-grade Spirit Pills, as long as he could elevate his realm to the Late-stage Golden Core and refine Fourth-grade Spirit Pills, it would be an extremely important matter for the Nascent Soul Ancestors.

 Chapter 569: 331: Return

    Chapter 569: Chapter 331: Return


    By this time, the drones in the sky had finally managed to aim their cameras at the battlefield they had been monitoring earlier.


    It was Shiming who had changed the camera¡¯s direction before the drone arrived, resulting in a slightly unclear image.


    The crucial components of the drone were not machine produced but were crafted by Li Shiming in his machine room space using artifact refining techniques combined with micrometer-level control.


    Thus, in many respects, the surveillance capabilities of this drone had exceeded the civilian standards of his previous life and reached military-level capabilities.


    He saw the figure of Elder Zuo, unmistakable and stirring a formidable presence in the sky that even affected the drone footage viewed through his eyepiece.


    The figure of Elder Zuo was extremely blurry, not because of any fault with the camera; despite exceeding the optimal range for capture, it should not have been this unclear.


    This blurriness was caused by the fluctuations produced around Elder Zuo¡¯s body as his aura affected the camera¡¯s imaging.


    Elder Zuo wasn¡¯t his primary target of interest; he was more focused on the Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t even wait for the drone¡¯s built-in chip to process the data; his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15 server, had seen its computational power multiply many times since it became his life-bound treasure.


    With no need to worry about cooling or energy consumption, the IBMz15 was capable of delivering terrifying computational power.


    His Divine Thought connected directly to the data transmission system of the eyepiece, receiving the drone data feed.


    The camera surveillance covered hundreds of miles around the battlefield, and this range expanded continuously as the drone approached.


    Looking for the Nascent Soul Ancestor from Skywalk Trading Company in this area close to a gathering zone of cultivators might have taken an unknown amount of time.


    But after Li Shiming activated his life-bound magic treasure, IBMz15, it analyzed every pixel of the data feed from the drone, and this process took merely two breaths of time.


    He found the Nascent Soul Ancestor, and the two breaths included his life-bound treasure¡¯s analysis of the ancestor¡¯s departure route, determining which cultivators in the area were most likely to be the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many cultivators who met the criteria, and based on their flight speeds, he eventually located the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    As Shiming advanced to the Golden Core Stage, he found that monitoring the Nascent Soul Ancestor through the drone hardly elicited any reaction from the ancestor.


    This was normal since in the past when he used drones or surveillance equipment to watch Nascent Soul Ancestors, they had sensed it because he had been too weak, and also because the drone equipment then wasn¡¯t as advanced as it was now.


    Li Shiming gave the command to the drone to pay close attention to that Nascent Soul Ancestor. Its flight path was no longer directed towards the battlefield but followed the Nascent Soul Ancestor high in the sky at ten thousand meters.


    Clearly, Elder Zuo hadn¡¯t encountered Patriarch Weng Zhao, who had left first. Although he couldn¡¯t fly at Nascent Soul speed, his flying speed wasn¡¯t slow.


    Additionally, thanks to Elder Zuo¡¯s uninhibited display of aura, Patriarch Weng Zhao noticed him from a great distance.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t know that Elder Zuo was doing this deliberately; Elder Zuo didn¡¯t wish to engage in a battle with an unknown Nascent Soul Ancestor in the Beishu Continent.


    Elder Zuo¡¯s intention was to drive the adversary away, of course, but if he truly found Patriarch Weng Zhao, he would also negotiate with him.


    If a battle did ensue, Elder Zuo would seek the assistance of other Nascent Soul Ancestors from major sects; when dealing with such foreign powers, either avoid conflict, or if a fight was inevitable, ensure it ended with a decisive kill.


    If the fight didn¡¯t end with a death, it would only foster a mortal grudge, and Shushan Sect could face great troubles, which was not what Elder Zuo wished to see.


    Nascent Soul Ancestors were indeed powerful, but they had to be cautious about their actions in the world, which was too fragile; the destruction they could cause if they fully unleashed their power was terrifying.


    Therefore, battles involving Nascent Soul Ancestors either had to be concluded swiftly, or the combatants had to meet in the Thirty-Three Heavens for combat.


    Li Shiming was monitoring Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s location while making his way back to the Shushan Sect.


    As he approached the Shushan Sect¡¯s gate, he noticed that the sect¡¯s protective array was emitting a brilliant light; the Sect Protection Array was fully activated.


    An all-out activation of the Sect Protection Array would consume a vast amount of Spiritual Energy, not even the main spirit vein would suffice, requiring the input of additional Spirit Stones.


    Obviously, the appearance of the unknown Nascent Soul Ancestor had put the Shushan Sect on high alert, entering a state of war readiness.


    ¡°Shiming, you¡¯ve finally returned!¡± Elder Su came forward to greet Li Shiming the moment he flew into the gate, expressing his concern.


    Li Shiming hadn¡¯t informed him about this trip, but Elder Su was aware of it regardless.


    In the sect, Li Shiming was under strict protection, but once he became a Golden Core cultivator, no senior member of the sect would forbid him to leave.


    A Golden Core cultivator was very safe on the Beishu Continent. Moreover, who wouldn¡¯t want to curry favor with an Alchemy Master like Shiming, and how could he possibly run into trouble?


    Even if some troubles arose, with Li Shiming¡¯s strength, escaping would not be an issue if he couldn¡¯t win the fight.


    This was also why Elder Su hadn¡¯t stopped Li Shiming from going out.


    Now that Li Shiming was a Golden Core cultivator, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for Elder Su to keep tabs on this disciple forever, especially considering that this disciple held a higher status in the sect than himself; Elder Su needed to respect his disciple.

 Chapter 570: 331: Return_2

    Chapter 570: Chapter 331: Return_2


    Li Shiming had never anticipated that he would encounter trouble once again, and this time it was from a Nascent Soul Ancestor, different from the previous Venerable from Qianye Temple, but an adversarial Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Like the time Li Shiming encountered the Venerable from Qianye Temple, it was impossible for that Venerable to truly harm Li Shiming since Qianye Temple would not engage in actions that could affect the relationships between the two major sects; at most, the threat could be considered a scare.


    But this time was different. The messages relayed by Li Shiming, coupled with what Elder Zuo discovered after heading to the battle site, all indicated that a Nascent Soul Ancestor who had concealed their aura had been present there.


    Though Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s secret technique for concealing his aura was extremely effective, it could not escape detection by another Nascent Soul Ancestor of the same rank.


    Even when Elder Zuo was within a certain range of Patriarch Weng Zhao, the two Nascent Soul Ancestors could sense each other, and their understanding of the Heaven and Earth Rules allowed them to manipulate the might of heaven and earth within a certain area.


    When two Nascent Soul Ancestors were present within this range, a contention for the might of heaven and earth would occur.


    Having arrived at the location where Patriarch Weng Zhao had stayed for a while, Elder Zuo was even more certain of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s identity as a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the aura he had left behind.


    Thus, the Sect Protection Array of the Shushan Sect was activated, and not just the Shushan Sect, but all the major sects and the forces affiliated with them received notification from the Shushan Sect, and various response measures were initiated.


    ¡°Master, I have caused you worry!¡± Li Shiming replied, feeling embarrassed.


    Elder Su found it hard to say much, and couldn¡¯t express his desire to have Li Shiming stay within the sect.


    If Li Shiming, already a Golden Core cultivator, continued to stay confined to the sect without venturing out, he might never have a chance to ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    The state of mind is crucial for cultivators, especially the higher-rank cultivators.


    Confining a talent like Li Shiming within the sect would be closing off his future advancement possibilities; very few cultivators can achieve progression merely through seclusion.


    Cultivators need refinement and combat experience to enrich their experiences, elevate their state of mind, and prepare for advancement.


    The bottleneck of the Golden Core Stage is even harder to break through than the Foundation Establishment Stage. Each bottleneck could consume a cultivator¡¯s lifetime of effort. If Li Shiming¡¯s state of mind doesn¡¯t keep up, he might really remain at the Golden Core Stage for life.


    ¡°From the sect¡¯s preparations, it is confirmed that that person is really a Nascent Soul Ancestor?¡± Li Shiming looked at the Sect Protection Array and asked aloud.


    His guess about Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s strength was based on his own perception of danger from the enemy.


    It would be difficult for a Golden Core cultivator to evoke in him a sense of lethal danger.


    Especially after his clone, Li Yuanba, had encountered two Great Arhats, he was even more certain that Golden Core cultivators of Great Elder Level would hardly provoke that sense of lethal danger in him.


    ¡°Elder Zuo has already confirmed it. It seems to be a Nascent Soul Ancestor sent from the headquarters of Skywalk Trading Company, but it¡¯s unclear what Skywalk Trading Company really intends to do. Could they be planning to attack the Beishu Continent?¡± Elder Su revealed his thoughts to Li Shiming through a voice transmission.


    ¡°What exactly is the background of Skywalk Trading Company? Does the sect know?¡± Li Shiming was taken aback and then asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what force backs the Skywalk Trading Company. Skywalk Trading Company entered the Beishu Continent 300 years ago. The six major sects have always intentionally suppressed Skywalk Trading Company to prevent it from developing smoothly on the Beishu Continent. However, Skywalk Trading Company always manages to bring out some rare resources not found on the Beishu Continent, which is why they¡¯ve managed to establish a foothold here,¡± Elder Su responded with a shake of his head.


    Li Shiming¡¯s status now granted him the right to be aware of some of the sect¡¯s secrets.


    Forces like Skywalk Trading Company, arriving on the Beishu Continent, would naturally draw the attention of the six major sects.


    Keep in mind that only a Nascent Soul Ancestor has the capability to cross the ocean.


    A Skywalk Trading Company with a Nascent Soul Ancestor, entering Beishu Continent as an external force, would have faced even more severe strikes had they not only revealed Supervisor Feng Yi with a Fake Infant Body.


    However, it was only after Li Shiming had managed to plant spies within various major sects and collected their intelligence for Skywalk Trading Company that the company truly became a target for full-scale extermination by these sects.


    Li Shiming shook his head. He was not interested in these power struggles between forces, and had it not been for his own safety being involved, he would not have even bothered to ask.


    ¡°You need to be more careful when you go out in the future. I fear that the Nascent Soul Ancestor will not let you off!¡± Elder Su still couldn¡¯t hold back and added one last comment.


    Li Shiming returned to Sword Holding Peak and felt the pressure. This time, his feat of killing twelve Golden Core cultivators in one go would surely make him famous across the entire Beishu Continent if word got out.


    But after returning to his sect, he did not tell his master, and as long as Skywalk Trading Company kept quiet, he decided to keep this news to himself.


    His enemies were no longer Golden Core cultivators but Nascent Soul Ancestors. No matter how famous he could become, it would not affect a Nascent Soul Ancestor. Instead, it would make the opposing Nascent Soul Ancestors even more determined to kill him quickly.


    In fact, he had always been considering creating super weapons to deal with the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    But he had not discovered any uranium mines in this world. It might be that this world was completely ignorant of uranium, or perhaps he had not explored enough places, or maybe this world did not have uranium at all.


    If it was the latter case, then his idea of creating a massive weapon was likely hard to achieve.


    By his judgment, besides this type of super weapon, weapons from his previous life would hardly cause any damage to a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Just consider the Fake Infant Body of Supervisor Feng Yi, who had the strength of a Fake Infant. When his Fake Infant left his body, Li Shiming used various methods but could not breach its defenses. If the stronger Nascent Soul Body was considered, its defensive power was beyond his imagination.


    While thinking all this, Li Shiming walked into the underground factory area, where the equipment was usually turned off, only to be activated upon his arrival.


    In one corner of the factory area, there were ten rockets, each twenty meters long.


    Previously, when he escaped from Sky Sea Island, it was by using a rocket to come to the Beishu Continent.


    Now, the rockets he manufactured had been greatly improved from the original, switching from liquid fuel to solid fuel. Whether it was the shell, the interior, or the engine, all were made using a combination of Artifact Refining and technology.


    Most importantly, the rocket¡¯s navigation system could connect with unmanned drones at ten thousand meters, achieving precise targeting.


    With a stock of ten rockets, these were no longer merely his means of escape but had become a consumable for him, a method to attack enemies from a distance with his substantial wealth.


    If not for the fact that a lot of the rocket work required his personal involvement, there would have been more than just ten rockets.


    His relationship with Beishu Trading Company assured that he didn¡¯t need to worry about raw materials.


    However, after he obtained his life-bound magic weapon, the IBMz15, the speed of his rocket production had greatly increased. Even if he used all ten rockets in his hand, he was confident he could quickly produce another batch.


    Of course, the most important thing now was not making rockets. In the future, he needed to make more drones and have his drones cover the entire sky of the Beishu Continent.


    The drones that could hover below the Thirty-Three Heavens at ten thousand meters were actually the most meticulously made machines by him.


    Spirit stone motors, micron-level machining techniques, a combination of Array Masters and Artifact Refiners, micron-level Array Formation Inscriptions engraving, micron-level lens polishing, and even the core CPU were handcrafted by him in the cleanroom facility with micron precision.


    This was all thanks to his life-bound magic weapon; otherwise, he could never achieve the capability to manually craft a micron-scale CPU.


    If not for the one hundred ninety-one brains working simultaneously with unparalleled computing power and micron-level control in the cleanroom space, even with the structure of the CPU, it would still be impossible to accomplish this.

 Chapter 571: 332 Launch

    Chapter 571: Chapter 332 Launch


    The six major sects of Beishu Continent were tense. The Nascent Soul Ancestors of the six major sects patrolled their territories from time to time, an unprecedented development.


    Even the recent conflicts between Senluo Sect and Qianye Temple were set aside. Internal issues within Beishu Continent could be resolved at any time, but external troubles needed to be faced together.


    All this seemed unrelated to Li Shiming, who had resumed a life akin to seclusion at Sword Holding Peak.


    Nobody knew that every other day, an unmanned drone would be launched.


    For the time being, Li Shiming had no plans to deploy drones outside the territories of the three major Righteous Path sects. Even within the three sects¡¯ territories, the drones had to fly for a long time to reach the furthest points.


    Days passed by, and in the blink of an eye, two months had gone by.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao of Skywalk Trading Company, who held the title of Supreme Minister, had seemingly vanished, and Li Shiming was the only one who knew his whereabouts.


    After leaving that day, Patriarch Weng Zhao disappeared at the peak of a mountain.


    Li Shiming was certain that this mountain was one of Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s secret bases. He didn¡¯t share this information with the sect mainly because he wanted to keep his surveillance methods confidential.


    Over these two months, he had finally completed the first phase of deploying the drones, with fifteen drones monitoring the territory of the Righteous Path sects.


    Of course, he had manufactured more than fifteen drones. Some were spare drones that would replace any drone that encountered mishaps in the sky.


    However, based on the drones¡¯ capabilities, the chances of being discovered were very slim.


    Unless specifically scanned by a Nascent Soul Cultivator, they wouldn¡¯t be easily detected.


    Each drone was equipped with a self-destruct device. If any fell into the hands of another cultivator, the built-in artificial intelligence would initiate a self-destruction, completely destroying the drone.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about the drones falling into other cultivators¡¯ hands for decryption or usage, as the technology used in the drones was entirely different from that of the Cultivation World. Deciphering it was virtually impossible, let alone using it.


    He could have entirely used flying formations from the Cultivation World like those enabling Flying Boats to float or fly instead of drone technology.


    But that would increase the drones¡¯ emissions of Spiritual Power Patterns significantly, which did not meet his requirement to conceal the drones.


    Even if the drones were covered in numerous micro-level Concealing Arrays, the less Spiritual Power Patterns the drones themselves emitted, the lower the chances of cultivators detecting the drones.


    The technology used in the drones, which came from his previous life, is almost considered mundane. Except for the spirit stone motors that convert energy, most parts of the drone function using past technology, enhanced by some Artifact Refining methods which allow the drones to perform far beyond their previous designs without material limitations.


    Most cultivators in Beishu Continent would probably never guess that Li Shiming had established a surveillance network covering the territories of the Righteous Path sects in just over two months.


    The network, formed by fifteen drones, could completely replace the current communication methods, creating a brand new communication system.


    The system inside the drone was manufactured to satellite specifications, with a communication system capable of handling the video communication load of tens of thousands of people simultaneously.


    Had it not been for Li Shiming¡¯s lucrative income as an Alchemy Master, he might have started selling Cultivation World version cell phones in Beishu Continent just as he had on Sky Sea Island.


    Now, with the support of the drone satellite network, he could design Cultivation World cell phones under an independent and closed communication system, unaffected by the external world.


    But selling cell phones for a small profit didn¡¯t appeal to him; selling phones would only earn Spirit Stones, which are not very important for cultivators in the Golden Core Stage.


    Most Tier-3 resources could not be bought with Spirit Stones but required exchanges of Spiritual Objects.


    Of course, he also manufactured a few cell phones for testing. While they might not be deployed, it was crucial to keep up with technological developments.


    In the morning, he called Ye Lingyun, who had become the manager of Sword Holding Peak. She handled all external affairs of Sword Holding Peak.


    Even the salary of the three attendants was allocated annually to Ye Lingyun by Li Shiming and dispensed by her periodically.


    All issues from seeding to harvesting to trading in the spirit field of Sword Holding Peak were managed without Li Shiming¡¯s involvement.


    Ye Lingyun was loyal indeed. As Li Shiming¡¯s attendant, her position in both the Cultivation World and Shushan Sect was completely reliant on Li Shiming.


    ¡°How are Wan Qian and Lu Yingtong doing?¡± Li Shiming asked upon seeing Ye Lingyun.


    ¡°My lord, Wan Qian has successfully advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage. Lu Yingtong, not wanting to interfere with her duties, has staggered her timing. She will likely attempt her breakthrough in about three months!¡± Ye Lingyun answered respectfully.


    Her voice was filled with gratitude. All three attendants owed their current opportunities to Li Shiming.


    ¡°From now on, Wan Qian¡¯s regular payment will be set at ten percent less than yours. Once Lu Yingtong has advanced, follow Wan Qian¡¯s adjusted rate!¡± Li Shiming thought for a moment and instructed.


    The regular payment referred to her salary, and ensuring Ye Lingyun¡¯s status as manager, he intended to maintain varied pay for the three attendants.


    ¡°I will convey their thanks, my lord!¡± Ye Lingyun bowed and said.


    ¡°I need you to make another trip. This time, head to Thousand Illusion Sect first. Deliver this to Yin Shilan. If Yin Shilan is in seclusion, let Liang Yexuan take it to pass it on. This storage bag needs to be sent to the checkpoint via the most secret channels!¡± Li Shiming took out two storage bags and instructed.

 Chapter 572: 332 Launch_2

    Chapter 572: Chapter 332 Launch_2


    In Yin Shilan¡¯s storage bag, there were some second-grade advanced Spirit Pills from the Foundation Establishment Stage that could help her cultivate more quickly.


    Additionally, there was a cultivator version smartphone, with which Yin Shilan was familiar from previous use, so there was no concern that she wouldn¡¯t know how to use it.


    The main reason Li Shiming gave her a cultivator version smartphone was that after Yin Shilan entered seclusion, he could no longer contact her, and Li Shiming wanted to meet her via the smartphone¡¯s video function.


    As for another storage bag, it was a test run by Li Shiming. Since it was inconvenient for him to test it, he had his clone Li Yuanba carry it out.


    Three days later in Jieshan City in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Yuanba received the storage bag.


    The storage bag took a special route. It wasn¡¯t his usual smuggling route but instead utilized the channels of other forces, making the source of the storage bag untraceable.


    The reason for such caution this time was that what Li Yuanba was about to do could be significant.


    The internal space of the storage bag was vast; it was the largest standard among storage bags, and the items inside were extremely disordered, making it impossible to discern their use.


    Li Yuanba informed Deacon Yue Xing that he would be leaving Jieshan City for a day.


    About a hundred li away from Jieshan City, he took out his Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure and made it enlarge before landing it on the ground.


    He activated the formation of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure to hide the situation on the mountaintop from the outside world.


    He took out everything from the storage bag and then started assembling them.


    As the assembly progressed, the shape of a rocket began to emerge on the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Indeed, this time Li Shiming had sent a twenty-meter-tall solid-state rocket. To avoid any trouble, it was sent in parts inside the storage bag, and even if a cultivator examined the storage bag, they wouldn¡¯t realize the actual function of the parts.


    Although Li Yuanba didn¡¯t possess Li Shiming¡¯s one hundred and ninety-one brains, he still had no major issue assembling the rocket.


    Li Yuanba shared the artifact refining ability with Li Shiming. However, while Li Shiming utilized Red Sun Spiritual Fire for refining, Li Yuanba used the Core Fire of the Golden Core.


    Li Yuanba used the Core Fire for welding, especially for the assembly of the rocket¡¯s outer shell.


    After several two-hour periods, the rocket stood at a flat spot at the peak of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    He took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with excitement.


    If this time was successful, then he would have a means to strike at enemies over great distances; regardless of whether the strike was successful, just the annoyance alone could violently agitate the enemy.


    The cost of this rocket was not high, mostly composed of mundane materials with only a sprinkle of first-grade materials.


    The rest was mainly the time cost from Li Shiming. After Li Shiming acquired his life-bound treasure, the IBMz15, this time cost would also be reduced by a hundredfold.


    Li Yuanba, with a great sense of ceremony, took a button out of the storage bag and placed it in front of him.


    ¡°Countdown begins, 10, 9, 8...3, 2, 1, launch!¡±


    With the final call, he pressed the button. Flames burst out of the rocket¡¯s tail, pushing the rocket body slowly into the sky.


    After rising several thousand meters, the rocket turned and headed toward the upper region of the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    The rocket¡¯s target had been set long ago; actually, all Li Yuanba needed to do on his end was to assemble it and then launch it. The rest was out of his hands.


    The rocket, dragging its fiery tail, sped up and, as it approached the Jieshan Mountain Pass, was spotted by Jiang Pu, who was on guard.


    Jiang Pu did nothing; he just watched this peculiar rocket. Since the rocket had almost no spiritual power reaction, such a mundane object could never pass through Jieshan Mountain Pass¡¯s barrier. It would shatter upon impact.


    Curiosity marked his face; he wanted to see how this bizarre object would turn into pieces.


    He was even more curious about who had come up with this device and what its purpose was.


    As Jiang Pu watched closely, the rocket had already reached the airspace above the Jieshan Mountain Pass of the Senluo Sect.


    He thought the rocket would smash into pieces next, but what happened before his eyes made him involuntarily gape.


    Because at the tip of the rocket, a wave of spiritual power was emitted, and the Jieshan Formation of the Senluo Sect unexpectedly opened a passage. The rocket passed through the Jieshan Formation of the Senluo Sect without any impediment.


    Jiang Pu stared dumbfounded as the rocket sped over from above him; its speed was so fast that he simply could not catch up.


    ¡°Array Breaking Talisman, which Array Master¡¯s Array Breaking Talisman is that, and how could it possibly break through this formation?¡± he muttered to himself.


    An Array Breaking Talisman is not a particularly rare talisman. Any Array Master who possesses the Array Formation Starlight Sea can make it.


    An Array Breaking Talisman is sealed with the knowledge of formation breaking by the Array Master. Not all formations can be deciphered, only those formations that exactly fall within the sealed knowledge can be broken.


    A normal Array Breaking Talisman, after being activated, needs a bit of time to think and judge, usually taking just a few breaths to several tens of breaths to break a formation.


    However, the Array Breaking Talisman on the rocket, specifically designed to break the Jieshan Formation of the Senluo Sect, is activated and immediately breaks the formation upon activation.


    This is what truly shocked Jiang Pu. One must be incredibly familiar with their own Jieshan Formation to be able to create such a targeted Array Breaking Talisman.


    Jiang Pu looked at the direction of the rocket¡¯s flight, increasingly curious whether the Righteous Path¡¯s formations would block the rocket.


    The outcome did not take long. With the rocket¡¯s speed, two hundred li was reached almost in an instant.


    When he saw the trail left by the rocket, slicing through the airspace above the Righteous Path¡¯s Jieshan Formation without the slightest pause, his expression relaxed.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t just the Senluo Sect losing face, it was fine. If everyone lost face, no one would mock the others.


    Now his biggest question was just where was that bizarre device heading?


    Sharing Jiang Pu¡¯s question was the Guardian Golden Core Elder Ying Hou of the Righteous Path. At this moment, Ying Hou was also looking up into the sky. As the rocket sped over from the direction of the Senluo Sect, it flew over his head too quickly to be stopped.


    Given the direction of the rocket¡¯s flight, several Golden Core Elders from both the righteous and demonic factions could not determine the rocket¡¯s target.


    After entering the territory of the Righteous Path, the rocket¡¯s navigation system automatically connected to the unmanned drone satellite system.


    The rocket began to change direction, intentionally avoiding powers along its path that had some strength to prevent being intercepted prematurely.


    This change of course also made it difficult for cultivators along the way to determine the rocket¡¯s final destination.


    The rocket was making quite a disturbance; despite intentionally avoiding densely populated cultivator areas, it still caused quite a stir. Many cultivators recklessly attempted to track it, but once the rocket gained speed, it was simply beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.


    At Sword Holding Peak, Li Shiming¡¯s lifelong magical treasure connected to the drone satellite system and through this system, it also connected to the rocket¡¯s navigation system.


    Various data flashed before his eyes. The changes in the data were rapid, but his lifelong magical treasure processed this data instantly and communicated the analysis results to him, letting him see the detailed current status of the rocket clearly.


    This data was crucial; the only reference data he had when he built the rocket was from the last time escaping from Sky Sea Island.


    This test launching data would provide him with a theoretical basis for upgrading the rocket, knowing where enhancements could be made to improve the rocket¡¯s performance.


    Solid fuel was also used for the first time, and its burning thrust-to-weight ratio was foundational to his updated technology.


    In fact, within his IBMz15 lifelong magical treasure, he had already tested the rocket¡¯s data through simulation techniques, but there was still a gap between reality and simulation.


    All was well, at least the rocket¡¯s performance reached his expectations, and no issues occurred that could affect the rocket¡¯s performance.

 Chapter 573: 333: Attack

    Chapter 573: Chapter 333: Attack


    Looking down from the sky towards Qianye Temple, the largest Buddhist Sect on the Beishu Continent is composed of a thousand mountain ranges, forming a Buddha flower.


    This Buddha flower is also a grand Formation that protects Qianye Temple.


    Within Qianye Temple, Venerable Huijing was sitting in the Buddha Hall, and he was not the only Venerable awake in Qianye Temple.


    He was not awakened by Qianye Temple to guard, but was roused from his seclusion by the murder of two of his disciples.


    Even though he deeply studied Buddhist teachings, the death of the two disciples still caused him profound sorrow; the two Great Arhats had followed him for hundreds of years and were highly valued by him.


    Therefore, after returning to Qianye Temple, Venerable Huijing could not immediately immerse himself in deep cultivation.


    The one who was really responsible for guarding Qianye Temple was Venerable Huike, whose combat strength, although not exceedingly strong within the ranks of Nascent Soul Ancestors, trained in the ¡°Divine Foot Skill¡± that allowed him to move across vast distances in an instant, making him the fastest on the Beishu Continent.


    Venerable Huike was currently patrolling the domain of Qianye Temple, preventing other Nascent Soul Ancestors from entering Qianye Temple¡¯s sphere of influence.


    Venerable Huijing softly chanted Buddhist scriptures, knowing he needed to clear away the influence of his disciples¡¯ deaths soon, lest he develop inner demons during long-term seclusion.


    His mind emptied, and the Buddhist scriptures in his mouth transformed into a power that soothed the soul.


    Suddenly, his brow furrowed; being disturbed at this critical moment in healing his spirit irked him slightly.


    Suppressing the slight annoyance once more, he realized that there was indeed a problem, for with his state of mind, he should not have been easily angered.


    He sensed what had disrupted his spirit and noticed a strange fire-spewing object approaching Qianye Temple.


    Although the object boasted an impressive presence, it did not exhibit much Spiritual Power Pattern reaction, and instead looked more like something crafted by mortals.


    Of course, the object¡¯s flying speed was extremely fast, so fast that within Qianye Temple, only Venerable Huike could be compared to it.


    Venerable Huijing withdrew his attention from the outside; this situation did not require his intervention. If even matters like this required the attention of a Venerable, he would have no need for cultivation.


    The primary responsibilities of Nascent Soul-level beings in large sects are cultivation, and all resources of the sect are provided for the cultivation of Nascent Souls.


    For it is only with the strength of Nascent Souls that a large sect can establish itself on the Beishu Continent.


    Therefore, Nascent Soul Ancestors in all large sects occupy the most resources, but they never meddle in affairs. The cultivators of the sect never have any complaints, for everyone knows where the sect¡¯s current influence and resources come from.


    Venerable Huijing only managed his own mind, reducing the external influences on his spirit.


    The mundane object he had detected was naturally the rocket launched by Li Yuanba. By the time the Arhats in Qianye Temple noticed the rocket, it was already nearing the temple.


    Though Li Shiming had never seen the Sect Protection Array of Qianye Temple, he was informed about certain aspects of it.


    One must give credit to the intelligence work done by Skywalk Trading Company, for the Jade Scroll originally obtained from Supervisor Feng Yi, although handed over by Li Shiming, was recorded by IBMz15 with just one glance.


    Within that Jade Scroll were some partial records on the Sect Protection Array of Qianye Temple.


    To other Array Masters, those records might seem like only glimpses of the broader picture, not of much significance.


    But for Li Shiming, it allowed him to find a flaw in the Sect Protection Array of Qianye Temple through analysis and calculations with his IBMz15, his life-bound magic tool.


    Furthermore, he drafted an Array Breaking Talisman based on this flaw, which was placed in the tip of the rocket.


    Li Shiming, using the sonar and camera systems at the front of the rocket as his senses, shared the field of vision ahead of the rocket.


    Originally, just the sonar system required more energy than the rocket could carry, but that changed with the integration of the spirit stone motor.


    The reason for using a sonar system, a somewhat unorthodox approach compared to this world, instead of traditional Formation scanning techniques from the Cultivation World, is because the sonar system was an unguarded method of investigation in the Cultivation World.


    This attack on Qianye Temple with the rocket was not only an experiment but also a crucial data recording exercise.


    After this, the flaw in the Sect Protection Array of Qianye Temple would probably be patched by an Array Master, and it would be difficult to breach the array easily. But with the data recorded by the rocket, Li Shiming could acquire more data on the Sect Protection Array, allowing him to break through it once more in a future attempt.


    As the rocket approached the front of Qianye Temple¡¯s Sect Protection Array, an Array Breaking Talisman within the tip of the rocket was activated, creating an opening in the array large enough for the rocket¡¯s body to enter.


    The rocket plunged into Qianye Temple, and in the shared vision of Li Shiming, he saw the true scale of Qianye Temple: the vast grounds, and the countless Buddha Halls.


    He did not choose the center of the Buddha flower as his target, since there was sure to be a powerful presence there. He was only experimenting and taking the opportunity to teach Qianye Temple a lesson, to quench the resentment in his heart, and to take retribution for the temple¡¯s multiple attacks on his alter ego, Li Yuanba.


    After all, it was not like he was delivering a gift over a thousand miles, sending the rocket straight to a powerful being only to be caught offhandedly.


    His chosen target within Qianye Temple¡¯s grand Buddha flower was a corner where there seemed to be more Buddha Halls, although he did not know its exact location.


    When the rocket reached that area, it plunged towards the ground below. While still in mid-air, all three Third Grade Talismans inside the rocket were activated.


    These were the ¡°Thunder Cloud Talismans¡± that Li Shiming had managed to create with the scarce third-grade materials he had acquired¡ªmaterials especially rare for Thunder-attributed Third Grade Talismans.

 Chapter 574: 333: Attack_2

    Chapter 574: Chapter 333: Attack_2


    He couldn¡¯t openly purchase the materials, so he had to mix these third-grade materials with other third-grade materials and buy them together.


    Three ¡°Thunder Cloud Skills¡± were activated, and above one corner of the massive buddha flower, three overlapping thunderclouds abruptly appeared.


    The speed of the thunderclouds¡¯ formation was extremely fast, so fast that even though the rocket was still falling, the thunderclouds had already been charged.


    It was thanks to the abundant spiritual energy of Qianye Temple that the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± could absorb spiritual energy so smoothly, not only shortening the spell preparation time but also enhancing the power of the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill.¡±


    Such a commotion already caused many Arhats to leap into the sky, and as they did so, the rocket¡¯s head exploded.


    Li Shiming never intended for the rocket to physically strike the target, because no matter how strong that impact was, any building of such a major sect would be protected by its own defensive arrays.


    Merely using physical impact would be inefficient, and it would be difficult to even break through the arrays.


    The rocket exploded after releasing ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± three times, when it was still over a hundred meters from the ground structures.


    This explosion didn¡¯t utilize cultivation techniques but instead used a thermite grenade.


    The 65-kilogram thermite grenade contained nearly two hundred small warheads, each filled with thermite.


    Thermite can generate temperatures up to 2,500 degrees and a single grenade can cover thousands of square meters.


    As the explosion occurred, the rocket¡¯s head and body also detonated; when creating the rocket, Li Shiming considered how to avoid leaving any trace after the explosion.


    The explosion, triggered by the rocket head, activated special self-destruct patterns within the rocket¡¯s array formation patterns, causing the body of the rocket to disintegrate into countless tiny fragments in mid-air.


    These tiny fragments, together with the nearly two hundred small warheads dispersed in the thermite, created a fire rain in the sky.


    Initially, with the strength of a thermite grenade, causing any damage to a major sect like Qianye Temple was simply an impossibility.


    Even if the rocket broke through the Sect¡¯s outer Protection Array, the formations of the Buddha Halls were more than capable of protecting themselves from such mundane damage.


    But the initial burst of the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± caused countless bolts of lightning to fall from the sky, their speed surpassing the falling fire rain, heavily striking everything below them.


    Weaker Arhats were killed instantly without any anticipation.


    Even Arhats that activated their defensive treasures were so suppressed by the three ¡°Thunder Cloud Skills¡± that they could do nothing, let alone help others.


    The most terrifying aspect of ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± was not in attacking the Arhats in the air, but in its assault on the Buddha Halls below.


    The dreadful lightning struck the formations of the Buddha Halls, which at most were designed to defend against the damage from early-stage Golden Core cultivators. The ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill,¡± with its wide-ranging attack spell, had the power comparable to the assaults of late-stage Golden Core cultivators.


    Therefore, the formations of the Buddha Halls below were broken, and the continuous lightning assaults persisted.


    After losing the protection of the defensive arrays, the lightning, as if alive, targeted the living monks.


    This was actually the instinct of lightning; every monk attracted the bolts to attack them while the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± caused comparatively minor damage to the Buddha Halls themselves.


    Then the fire rain fell, and no matter what material the Buddha Halls were made of, even if constructed entirely of spiritual materials, without the protective arrays, the 2,500-degree heat instantly set the Buddha Halls ablaze.


    If a fire broke out in one spot, the monks there had means to extinguish it, facing the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± assaults, they would still spare no effort to save the hall.


    But within the range of the thermite grenade, nearly a thousand sources of fire caused the monks under the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± attack to despair.


    Many monks were hit by the aftereffects of the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill.¡± The remnants of the thunder and lightning were not lethal but could incapacitate them. Then an inconspicuous spark landed on their bodies.


    That tiny spark was thermite. Unless they were Arhat-stage monks, this small spark was lethal without any means of resistance.


    Even the monks who were directly killed by the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± were fewer than those killed by the thermite reaction.


    A colossal Buddha Shadow appeared in the sky, its hand reaching for the thunderclouds, which were then directly dispersed.


    Following that, the entire burning area was covered by the energy emitted from the Buddha Shadow, and the flames disappeared in an instant. The thermite, notorious for burning until nothing is left, became as docile as a lamb in the presence of this power.


    Venerable Huijing¡¯s Dharma Manifestation looked upon the tragic scene inside the monastery with growing anguish in his heart.


    If he hadn¡¯t closed off his mind, how could there have been such losses within the monastery?


    One by one, the monks died horrific deaths, under thermite or the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill,¡± with not even a complete body left to be preserved.


    Although the great fire was extinguished, there wasn¡¯t much use for the buildings that had been burnt. The burning effect of the thermite was too effective, and with the Buddha Hall made of wood, any type of timber would ignite at temperatures of 2500 degrees.


    Red light flickered in the eyes of Venerable Huijing¡¯s Dharma Manifestation, as uncontrolled Spiritual Power swept over the burnt places, causing further damage to the buildings under his terrifying power.


    He was originally dealing with a mental state issue, working to remove the obstacles in his mind. Without the attack, he might have been able to clear away his mental state issues in time with his powerful Buddhist cultivation.


    But death came at the worst possible moment, during the critical phase of clearing his mental state troubles, as Qianye Temple was attacked by rockets.


    At first, Venerable Huijing had no intention of intervening ¨C his mental state troubles were more important than anything else. But when he realized he must intervene, forcibly interrupting the handling of his mental state, it ended up exacerbating the impact on his mental state.


    After he took action, he found that due to his delayed rescue, Qianye Temple had lost at least hundreds of monks, including several Arhats.


    His mental state was once again shaken. Previously, his mental state had been troubled by the loss of two disciples, both of whom he had nurtured for hundreds of years to reach the Great Arhat Realm and had the potential to become new Venerables.


    With this new blow, the mental state issue intensified into heart demons.


    Freshly beset by heart demons, he was unable to completely control his power, and a slight instability caused him to destroy the buildings he had just saved.


    Sitting in the center of the Buddha Hall, Venerable Huijing looked as pale as gold leaf, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    His eyes flickered with red light intermittently, a sign of the heart demons influencing his mind.


    Although Buddhist cultivators are less likely to be affected by heart demons due to their cultivation techniques, once such demons arise, their impact is more severe than on other cultivators.


    Venerable Huijing took out a Fourth-grade Spirit Pill and swallowed it to suppress his heart demons, then cast several communication techniques.


    The Dharma Manifestation in the sky had disappeared. With the emergence of heart demons, maintaining the Dharma Manifestation might cause more than the previous destruction. Perhaps the entire Qianye Temple would be destroyed because of it.


    ¡°Amitabha!¡± The chant of the Buddha echoed as four figures rushed into the Buddha Hall.


    These were Arhats who were well-versed in Buddhist teachings. Their combat strength wasn¡¯t strong among Arhats, but they had surpassed Venerables in their understanding of Buddhist teachings.


    The direction of research in Buddhist cultivation varies; some like the Dharma Protectors focus on combat strength to protect Buddhism, while others, like these four Arhats, focus solely on the study of Buddhist teachings, with their power and realm as a byproduct of their studies.


    These four Arhats of Qianye Temple specialized in combatting heart demons, always standing by for such occurrences.


    In a large sect like Qianye Temple, with a multitude of Buddhist cultivators, it was inevitable for monks to experience heart demons occasionally.


    And when heart demons caused by Buddhist cultivation emerge, they can be particularly intense. If not handled well, they could lead to disaster, which was why there were such specialized Arhats.


    The four Arhats surrounded Venerable Huijing, chanting sutras. With their chanting, golden lotuses began to fall from the sky.


    Each of the four Arhats had reached the stage where they could manifest Golden Lotuses with their words. The red light disappeared from Venerable Huijing¡¯s eyes, and he slowly closed them, his face regaining its serenity.

 Chapter 575: 334: Influence

    Chapter 575: Chapter 334: Influence


    Li Shiming had no idea what had transpired at Qianye Temple after the rocket explosion; he was unable to discern the situation at the scene.


    However, the strategic plan was executed perfectly, and his lifebound treasure, the IBMz15, had already simulated the outcome.


    Yet, he never imagined the actual results would exceed his expectations and the simulations of his lifebound treasure, IBMz15.


    The flawless Buddha Flower Formation at Qianye Temple lost a corner.


    That corner was first breached by three ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯ attacks, and then set ablaze by thermite.


    Venerable Huijing acted to extinguish the fire, but under the eruption of his inner demon, the damage intensified, completely destroying that corner¡¯s structures. Even the survival of the monks there was sparse.


    Compared to the inner demon that provoked Venerable Huijing, the damage Li Shiming caused was negligible.


    Li Shiming probably didn¡¯t expect that a rocket, not particularly valuable, could injure a Venerable.


    Venerables are considered the equivalent of Nascent Soul Ancestors among Buddhist Practitioners, to directly harm such beings, one must be of the same realm, a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Given the methods of resolving disputes between Nascent Soul Ancestors, it¡¯s nearly impossible for such a figure to sustain injuries.


    The injury sustained by Venerable Huijing was particularly troublesome¡ªhis inner demon.


    Although Venerable Huijing¡¯s inner demon was suppressed by four Arhats skilled in Buddhist doctrine, this was merely suppression. If inner demons were so easily eradicated, cultivators wouldn¡¯t fear them so profoundly.


    It can be said that for a considerable time to come, Venerable Huijing won¡¯t be able to take action. He must enter seclusion immediately ¡ª and not just any seclusion, but one that involves these four specific Arhats.


    This period could last years, decades, or even centuries; inner demons are intangible and once formed, they are difficult to dispel.


    If a resonation with the Heavenly Demon occurs at the moment the inner demon arises, allowing the Heavenly Demon to invade the spirit, then the trouble would multiply manyfold.


    The attack on Qianye Temple was an incident that could neither be concealed nor hidden.


    The all-consuming firestorm of thermite and the terrifying thunderclouds from the ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯ were visible even hundreds of miles away.


    Additionally, within all major sects, there are always some spies from other sects, perhaps not professional intelligence agents, yet sources of leaked information.


    Shortly after Qianye Temple was attacked, the other five major sects were aware of the incident, followed by some major forces.


    In the days that followed, the news spread continuously. While not every cultivator was aware, those associated with medium-sized sects or larger were informed of the events that took place at Qianye Temple.


    Of course, there were many versions of the rumor; some cultivators even claimed that a Nascent Soul Ancestor personally attacked Qianye Temple.


    This argument was accepted as fact by many, as there were recent rumors of a Nascent Soul Ancestor from outside the continent appearing on the Beishu Continent. Combined with the attack on Qianye Temple, it¡¯s no wonder cultivators would make such an inference.


    However, the most accurate account was believed by few.


    An odd man-made flying object, having flown from a great distance to Qianye Temple, breached the Sect Protection Array and transformed into seas of thunder and fire that attacked Qianye Temple.


    Any cultivator with a functioning brain would burst into laughter after hearing this rumor and accuse the storyteller of joking, as this simply couldn¡¯t happen.


    Yet, those in power within the six major sects knew this rumor was true, and according to investigations over several days, they also discovered the origin of the rocket.


    The rocket had flown out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, breaking through both Righteous and Demonic formations, covering hundreds of thousands of miles in its long-range attack on Qianye Temple.


    The incident involving Li Yuanba at Qianye Temple a few months earlier was also no secret among the six major sects. On behalf of Li Yuanba, Ancestor Lu had even clashed with Venerable Huijing.


    Initially, nobody suspected Li Yuanba, but as the investigation deepened, someone discovered that on the day the rocket appeared, Li Yuanba had left Jieshan Town alone.


    There are many cultivators in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains who hold grudges against Qianye Temple, but few have the capability to launch such an assault.


    Though theoretically, Li Yuanba did not possess such capabilities, who would suspect otherwise when Li Yuanba could access formations on both the Righteous and Demonic sides, and he also demonstrated a decent level of mastery over formations?


    He became one of the suspects, and if not for Ancestor Lu¡¯s presence in the Senluo Sect, he might have already been summoned by his sect for questioning.


    The questioning within Senluo Sect isn¡¯t ordinary; the Sect uses its great formation to invoke a sliver of Heavenly Demon Power for an Inquiry, and before it, one cannot lie.


    However, the stronger the person, the greater the risk when invoking Heavenly Demon Power. If Li Yuanba were a Golden Core cultivator with little to no backing, he might have already undergone the Heavenly Demon Inquiry.


    Nevertheless, during this recent period, whether it¡¯s the three Golden Core Elders at the Jieshan Mountain Pass from Senluo Sect, or the three Golden Core Elders from the Righteous Path, their gaze towards Li Yuanba has shifted.


    Therein lies deep fear, and those who are on better terms with Li Yuanba are more inclined to believe that he is involved in this incident.


    The instincts of cultivators are extremely accurate; if not for their relationship with Li Yuanba tied by mutual benefits, the six Golden Core Elders might have already reported their suspicions.


    The reason they have not done so is because Li Yuanba has offered too much; through his connections, they have been able to request Li Shiming, Master Li, to personally conduct alchemy.


    Not just the Golden Core Elders of Senluo Sect, but even those from the Righteous Path whose origins lie in the Shushan Sect, cannot easily request Master Li¡¯s services for alchemy. Within the Shushan Sect, only the Golden Core cultivators from Elder Su¡¯s lineage are afforded such treatment.

 Chapter 576: 334: Impact_2

    Chapter 576: Chapter 334: Impact_2


    Other Golden Core Elders of the Shushan Sect needed to line up and wait, but Li Yuanba¡¯s channel could jump the queue. Almost as soon as the alchemy materials were provided, a Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pill would be delivered within a week.


    This kind of interest relationship is more secure than simple friendship and is less likely to be betrayed.


    Even if someone betrayed Li Yuanba, it would only deepen the suspicion, but the benefits they received outweighed what they lost.


    The impact of this incident lasted for an entire month before it gradually began to subside.


    However, just as the influence had just started to wane, another piece of news reheated the issue of the attack on Qianye Temple.


    Rumors emerged from an unknown source that Venerable Huijing was seriously injured in the attack.


    The source of this information was untraceable, but given the involvement of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, it was almost impossible to be false.


    No one dared to spread rumors about a Nascent Soul Ancestor, especially not against one from a major sect.


    After the news spread, Qianye Temple didn¡¯t come forward to refute it, which further confirmed the authenticity of the news.


    Following this news, Li Yuanba, who had been under the suspicion of many, was no longer doubted.


    No cultivator believed that Li Yuanba could injure Venerable Huijing; instead, Ancestor Lu became the prime suspect.


    Ancestor Lu, such an old devil, had just fought with Venerable Huijing and immediately plotted his revenge. This was all too common.


    Ancestor Lu paid no attention to the rumors outside. In fact, as the investigation into the attack on Qianye Temple deepened, the six major sects realized there was a great deal of chance involved in the attack.


    The actual power of the rocket was only three casts of ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill,¡± plus a sheet of fiery rain.


    The area that was attacked just happened to be the residence of ordinary monks from Qianye Temple. Combined with the fact that Qianye Temple had never anticipated an attack within the temple and was completely unprepared, it allowed the rocket to achieve such results.


    If the rocket were to strike again, regardless of which major sect¡¯s gates it attacked,


    the prepared sect would activate the power of the Sect Formation to intercept it as the rocket approached.


    The Sect Protection Array isn¡¯t just for defense; under the control of an Array Master, it can launch attacks as well.


    Of course, the peace at the gate had lasted too long, to the point of thousands of years, which caused the Array Masters guarding the Sect Protection Array to lose their vigilance.


    But the biggest loss to Qianye Temple was not from the rocket, or at least not directly from it; instead, it was due to the sudden onslaught of spiritual demons within Venerable Huijing.


    Compared to Venerable Huijing¡¯s spiritual demons, which only destroyed an already damaged area, the losses caused by Nascent Soul Ancestors under the influence of spiritual demons in history were much greater.


    Li Shiming stared blankly at the intelligence sent by the Beishu Trading Company, which included the latest news about the attack on Qianye Temple.


    He seldom got involved in the sect¡¯s internal affairs, so the details of the Qianye Temple attack gathered by the sect were not communicated to him.


    However, the intelligence system of the Beishu Trading Company was no less formidable than that of the six major sects. As an important Guest Elder of the Beishu Trading Company, he would receive intelligence on major incidents on the Beishu Continent periodically.


    When Li Shiming saw that Venerable Huijing was beset by spiritual demons, he didn¡¯t need to look further to guess that it was related to his alter ego, Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba, through the use of drones, had discovered two of Venerable Huijing¡¯s Great Arhat Disciples, which Ancestor Lu had eliminated.


    Out of anger, Venerable Huijing personally sought out Ancestor Lu for a battle. It was likely during that time that Venerable Huijing had sown the seeds of spiritual demons.


    The rocket attack on Qianye Temple was the catalyst for Venerable Huijing¡¯s spiritual demons.


    Suddenly, Li Shiming burst into loud laughter, and at the same time, his alter ego Li Yuanba in his Cultivation Room also began to laugh heartily.


    Having long endured the bullying of Qianye Temple, learning that Qianye Temple suffered revenge beyond their imagination lifted their spirits immensely, leaving them feeling refreshed and invigorated.


    Both experienced a slight improvement in their realms. If they weren¡¯t so far from the Golden Core Early Stage Peak, they would wonder if they could directly break through to the Golden Core Middle Stage with their current state of euphoria.


    Li Shiming smiled for a while; he used his life-bound magical artifact, the IBMz15, to call up an image.


    One part of his brain had always been focusing on this image, which showed the exact location where Patriarch Weng Zhao was hiding.


    It wasn¡¯t just Patriarch Weng Zhao¡ª that place was also an important stronghold of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    At this moment, Patriarch Weng Zhao was coming out of the stronghold. The reason Li Shiming recognized him at a glance was thanks to the unmanned satellite system¡¯s camera, which boasts incredibly high-resolution capabilities, enough to identify someone based on their posture.


    Of course, this was predicated on having collected that person¡¯s posture beforehand.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao was still flying at the speed of a Golden Core cultivator, which seemed to indicate he was still hiding his true strength.


    Li Shiming¡¯s brain quickly worked to infer potential destinations based on the direction in which Patriarch Weng Zhao was travelling.


    Whoever could prompt Patriarch Weng Zhao to take action personally surely wouldn¡¯t be a nobody.


    Given that Patriarch Weng Zhao wasn¡¯t aware he was being watched, his direction of travel would be inherently related to his objective.


    After some deliberation, Li Shiming spotted a familiar name in that direction.


    Ten Thousand Buddha Temple¡ª this was a Buddhist power on the Beishu Continent, considered above average among the Buddhist sects.


    But the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple didn¡¯t exist merely in one location. As far as he knew, when he was originally on Sky Sea Island, there was a Ten Thousand Buddha Temple on the island, which was said to have ways to communicate with the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple on the Beishu Continent.


    He became interested in this Ten Thousand Buddha Temple; after all, even the six major sects hadn¡¯t established branches on other islands or continents, but the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had done so.


    Furthermore, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple only existed in two locations, the Beishu Continent and Sky Sea Island. Or could there be other Ten Thousand Buddha Temples on other continents?


    In any case, on the path that Patriarch Weng Zhao was taking, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was the only target that Li Shiming suspected.


    After pondering for a moment, Li Shiming took out his Identity Jade Disc to send a message to his master, Elder Su.


    The message content informed his master that he had received intelligence about a Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Skywalk Trading Company from a cultivator who owed him a favor, stating that this Nascent Soul Ancestor had appeared near the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.


    Elder Su didn¡¯t doubt his disciple¡¯s message. His disciple now had a larger network in the Beishu Continent than he did, whether it was the Golden Core Elders of the major sects or the Golden Core cultivators among the smaller sects and the Loose Cultivators.


    Li Shiming¡¯s relationship with those Golden Core cultivators was not an equal one; it was those Golden Core cultivators who were actively currying favor with Li Shiming.


    The news of Li Shiming¡¯s encounter with a Nascent Soul Ancestor attack had spread in the Cultivation World, mainly derived from the discussion of Li Shiming¡¯s great fortune, with the Nascent Soul Ancestor attack serving as proof of Li Shiming¡¯s profound luck.


    If there truly was a cultivator who had discovered the whereabouts of the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Nascent Soul Ancestor, they might indeed convey the message to Li Shiming to curry favor with him.


    Before long, Li Shiming saw through the unmanned satellite system that Elder Zuo had flown out of the sect gate.


    Elder Zuo¡¯s departure didn¡¯t provoke spatial fluctuations around him like the last time; the images transmitted by the unmanned satellite system showed a clear view of Elder Zuo.


    Elder Zuo had concealed his aura, which suggested he believed the intelligence provided by Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t stay at the sect anymore. Though he couldn¡¯t partake in the battle against a Nascent Soul Ancestor, he could still bring some trouble to Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    ¡°Shiming is already a Golden Core cultivator; let him be,¡± Elder Su murmured to himself when Li Shiming left the sect gate, having received the news from the Sect Formation. He didn¡¯t try to stop his disciple; instead, he just shook his head and sighed lightly.


    In the previous battle where Li Shiming clashed with twelve Golden Core cultivators, even though Li Shiming didn¡¯t report it, four Flying Boats and the Formation traces on them were found at the scene afterward.


    This meant that at least four Golden Core cultivators had been involved in that battle, and since the Flying Boats were left behind, those Golden Core cultivators were presumably killed by Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s combat prowess was thus proven, and Elder Su didn¡¯t want to overly restrict his disciple¡¯s development.


    While fortune comes with dangers, it also holds great potential to bring Li Shiming benefits. Looking at the achievements of Li Shiming now, isn¡¯t it also a result of his abundant fortune?

 Chapter 577: 335: Group Out

    Chapter 577: Chapter 335: Group Out


    The Venerable host of Ten Thousand Buddha Temple greeted Patriarch Weng Zhao with a Buddhist salute, wearing a smile that made him look less like a Buddhist monk and more like a businessman.


    In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that, as the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple holds a special place in the Cultivation World, primarily focusing on spreading Buddhist teachings throughout the mortal realm.


    Instead of concentrating their development in one location, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had spread its heritage throughout the entire Cultivation World. Whenever a Venerable of such powerful stature appeared in any of their temples across any continent, they would travel to find new continents and establish the lineage of Ten Thousand Buddha Temples there.


    This meant that Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was never a powerful sect, and in fact, most of its branches didn¡¯t even have a Venerable.


    The survival strategy of Ten Thousand Buddha Temple lay in avoiding any involvement in power struggles; they merely provided information transmission remotely.


    Of course, this was under the condition that a sufficient price was paid¡ªeach Ten Thousand Buddha Temple acted as an intercontinental communication hub, and their method of transmitting information was an absolute secret.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao came to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple specifically to send a message to the headquarters of Skywalk Trading Company.


    To activate the cross-continent message transmission, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had to pay a substantial price, and Patriarch Weng Zhao, who requested their intervention, had to pay even more.


    ¡°Please wait for three two-hour periods, I need some time to prepare,¡± the Venerable host said to Patriarch Weng Zhao after inviting him to sit down in the hall.


    Facing a Nascent Soul Ancestor, the Venerable host¡¯s demeanor was neither servile nor overbearing, indicating that he had his own confidence.


    Perhaps the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple wasn¡¯t as powerful as Skywalk Trading Company, but its capability to transmit information across continents made its status unique. Furthermore, how many Nascent Soul Ancestors the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple actually had was unknown to the outside world.


    The unknown is what was truly fearsome; no power desired to destroy the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple unless that power was unaware of Ten Thousand Buddha Temple¡¯s true depth.


    The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple on Sky Sea Island, which was driven away by Mingxin Sect and continuously pressured in terms of its space for survival, was an example of actions taken without knowing the true details of Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.


    It wasn¡¯t likely that Ten Thousand Buddha Temple would deploy a Venerable to deal with an issue over the influence of a small island, so the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple on Sky Sea Island continuously retreated, possibly even back to the Beishu Continent.


    However, whether the Venerables of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple would retaliate against Mingxin Sect when they had free time was unknown.


    ¡°I am aware of the rules,¡± said Patriarch Weng Zhao indifferently.


    The speed of activating long-range communication at Ten Thousand Buddha Temple depended on the size of the local temple. The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple in the Beishu Continent was considered a mid-sized sect, and hence had limited resources. The slow activation speed of its long-range Communication Array was also expected.


    ¡°Our temple only has Second Grade Spirit Tea, please do not disdain it,¡± the Venerable host said with a smile as he served the Spiritual Tea to Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    Regardless of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s attitude, he was an important customer to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.


    The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple in the Beishu Continent led a very meager existence, primarily because the opportunities to use long-range information transmission were extremely scarce.


    Beishu Continent was a relatively isolated continent, and the six major sects of the continent didn¡¯t communicate much with the outside world, making cross-continent trading companies the main customers of the local Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.


    After Skywalk Trading Company was hit, the business of Ten Thousand Buddha Temple became even worse.


    Ordinary message transmission fees were manageable; typically, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple would participate in an information exchange once a month, during which time-sensitive messages were not considered and were sent out during this monthly communication.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao required real-time contact, which was a larger expenditure, and naturally, the charges were extremely high.


    Opening a real-time, long-range, cross-continent communication once could generate profits substantial enough to allow this Ten Thousand Buddha Temple to nurture several Arhats.


    As Patriarch Weng Zhao sat down to enjoy the tea while waiting for the preparations for the long-range cross-continent communication, the six major sects simultaneously made their move.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors left behind by the six major sects, under the contact of Elder Zuo from Shushan Sect, headed towards the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple at the same time.


    Li Shiming underestimated his own influence; perhaps during his Foundation Establishment Stage, his influence as an Alchemy Master didn¡¯t matter much to Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    But once he achieved the Golden Core, and his potential slowly realized, his influence became undeniable even to Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    With his age becoming a Golden Core cultivator, it was uncertain if he could become a Nascent Soul Ancestor, but becoming a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator was definitely not a problem.


    And once he reached Late-stage Golden Core, he could concoct Fourth-grade Spirit Pills for Nascent Soul Ancestors; he would be a cultivator that any Nascent Soul Ancestor would treat with great care.


    When he reported to his sect about the discovery of Patriarch Weng Zhao from Skywalk Trading Company, Elder Zuo took it very seriously and shared the news with the other five major sects.


    Normally, the six major sects would align themselves into righteous and demonic factions and would have some minor frictions among themselves, but they stood united when facing external threats.


    The simultaneous movement of the six Nascent Souls of the six major sects was unprecedented in the last few centuries.


    Especially Qianye Temple, which, after suffering an unexpected attack, urgently needed a major battle to boost morale.


    The suspicions of Qianye Temple towards the attackers weren¡¯t like those of the other sects; they had their own judgement.


    According to Qianye Temple, their enemies were incapable of mounting such significant actions. The only powers capable of causing such destruction to Qianye Temple were the six major sects.


    But Qianye Temple had spies within the other five major sects, and the mutual contracts among the six major sects prevented any action from them.

 Chapter 578: 335 Swarm Out_2

    Chapter 578: Chapter 335 Swarm Out_2


    Therefore, the prime suspect could only be the Skywalk Trading Company. Why the Skywalk Trading Company, you ask? Well, it¡¯s because they sent a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    The Skywalk Trading Company had both motive and ability. The motive came from a Jade Scroll that Li Shiming obtained several years ago, which was captured from a cultivator of the Skywalk Trading Company and which contained partial information about the Sect Protection Array of Qianye Temple.


    As for ability, a trading company operating across continents would undoubtedly have special methods that no one would believe they lacked.


    Why was the rocket launched from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, yet it attacked Qianye Temple? Shouldn¡¯t Senluo Sect be the priority target, or even the Shushan Sect and Thousand Illusion Sect since they¡¯re closer?


    The judgement from Qianye Temple was that someone wanted to incite hatred between the great sects.


    After learning about the conflict at the Nascent Soul Stage between Senluo Sect and Qianye Temple, Skywalk Trading Company might use this method. If Qianye Temple truly believed the attack came from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, they would engage in an all-out war with Senluo Sect.


    No matter how you look at it, Skywalk Trading Company ended up as the prime suspect from the final analysis by Qianye Temple.


    Thus, Venerable Huike was the most proactive. He took the initiative to discuss with Elder Zuo and to take charge of this operation.


    The intelligence systems of the six great sects sprang into action, and the news of a guest being received with high honors at Ten Thousand Buddha Temple quickly reached all six great sects.


    This further convinced the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the six great sects of the veracity of Li Shiming¡¯s information, and Venerable Huike kept in constant communication with the other Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    A conflict involving Nascent Soul Ancestors could not go without a plan. It was unthinkable for six Nascent Soul Ancestors to mobilize only to end up without any gains. That would leave massive risks unaddressed and diminish the deterrent power of the six great sects over the Beishu Continent.


    What allowed the six great sects to rule the entire Beishu Continent was the covenant formulated by the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the six great sects who have the shared duty of facing the enemies of the sects outside of their alliance jointly on a Nascent Soul level.


    Besides the six great sects, there are other major forces that possessed Nascent Soul Ancestors, but these forces all rank below the six great sects, partly due to the rules set by the Nascent Soul Layer of the six great sects.


    The distances from the six great sects to Ten Thousand Buddha Temple varied, with some closer and others farther away. If a Golden Core cultivator wished to reach Ten Thousand Buddha Temple in a short period, probably only those from the nearby Thousand Illusion Sect could achieve it.


    However, the speed of a Nascent Soul Ancestor when fully deployed was unimaginable to a Golden Core cultivator.


    In fact, the three Righteous Path Nascent Soul Ancestors had already arrived first at the location. They didn¡¯t get too close to Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, but instead stopped at a distance, surrounding the temple from afar.


    As Nascent Soul Ancestors, they inherently knew the range within which a Nascent Soul Ancestor could sense danger, so they conveniently stopped just outside of this range.


    They were waiting for all six Nascent Soul Ancestors to arrive before striking like thunder, leaving Patriarch Weng Zhao with no chance to escape.


    Li Shiming had no idea of the influence his shared information would bring. He guessed that Elder Zuo would probably invite one or two other Righteous Path Nascent Soul Ancestors to act together, never imagining that the Nascent Soul Ancestors of all six great sects would mobilize simultaneously.


    One can¡¯t blame him¡ªhis access to his sect¡¯s secrets was limited, and he didn¡¯t know the content of the covenant at the Nascent Soul level of the six great sects.


    He had now arrived at the outskirts of a valley, which was Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s hiding place, that secret base of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Li Shiming stood in the shadow of the trees; the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± allowed him to blend into the shadows. Coupled with the usage of ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique,¡± he believed that unless Patriarch Weng Zhao was present, no cultivator would detect him.


    He chose not to use Divine Thought, only using his eyes to observe the valley ahead.


    The valley seemed to lack any fluctuations of Spiritual Energy, appearing just like any ordinary valley.


    However, through his observation, he could see the Formation¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern sealing off the area around the valley.


    A comparison of this valley¡¯s formation with his personal treasure, the IBMz15, and the Array Formation Starlight Sea, revealed no similar or even remotely related formations.


    This Formation was entirely different from the systems found on the Beishu Continent. Even if another Array Master were to come here and discover this Formation, breaking it would be extremely difficult and time-consuming.


    The difference in the philosophical concepts behind formation styles results in variations in how formations are laid out, making it difficult for Array Masters to draw upon previous experiences to identify the formation¡¯s nodes, let alone break the formation in a short amount of time.


    In Li Shiming¡¯s eyes, every Spiritual Power Pattern line within the valley formation was crystal clear. With the analysis of his mainstay magical treasure IBMz15, a partial design of the valley formation appeared in his mind.


    He smiled, feeling every use of his mainstay magical treasure IBMz15 was well worth its value.


    Although the mainstay magical treasure IBMz15 couldn¡¯t directly attack an enemy, it could control more spells and magical treasures. As long as he had enough spiritual power within him, he could take on many cultivators of the same rank, overwhelming the enemy with numbers.


    This was also why he felt confident to come here alone to the secret base of the Skywalk Trading Company. With his combat abilities in the Golden Core Stage, he did not fear any opponent.


    ¡°You stay outside, don¡¯t let anyone escape from here,¡± he ordered the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake through their mental connection as he released it.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake nodded its head. Although it was still stuck at the pinnacle of the second-grade, its combat power was enough to threaten Golden Core Early Stage cultivators.


    Its fangs could penetrate the defenses of a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, and its primary method of attack was ambush¡ªensuring certain death for the enemy with a single bite from its venomous fangs.


    Li Shiming had not hastened the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s promotion, as he had witnessed the dangers of forming a core multiple times and intentionally let it stay at the second-grade for a while longer to strengthen its foundation.


    With the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake not revealing itself, even Li Shiming had to rely on their soul contract to detect it.


    The most terrifying aspect of the snake was that Divine Thought could not detect it. Cultivators were overly reliant on Divine Thought and believed in it too much, which made it the most fearsome assassin.


    Li Shiming released the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake to seal off the valley¡¯s outskirts, then he stepped on the White Lotus, moving from the shadow of a large tree to a large rock¡¯s shadow near the valley.


    Being extremely close to the Sect Protection Array of the valley, he probed with his Divine Thought unhesitatingly, altering the Spiritual Energy circulation before the formation could react.


    Once again, he raised a White Lotus below his feet; this time, he did not conceal himself and appeared inside the valley.


    From outside, whether looking down from the sky or from any other angle, there was no sign of any structure within the valley. However, after passing through the formation, he saw the entrance to the cave dwellings inside the valley.


    Li Shiming this time did not call upon too many of his brains; two controlled the Heart Sword and the White Feather Sword, one brain managed the Silver Corpse, and the remaining ten prepared ten ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders¡¯.


    More than ten Divine Thoughts spread out, thoroughly exploring every detail of the surrounding area.


    He stepped into the interior of the cave dwelling. The hall inside was vast, and two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators were engaged in conversation.


    When the two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators saw Li Shiming, their expressions showed surprise. They didn¡¯t suspect him to be an external enemy since only important members of the Skywalk Trading Company could enter and exit this place.


    With the Skywalk Trading Company being suppressed, there were not many remaining important members.


    They were puzzled that they¡¯d never seen this Golden Core cultivator before, but since he had the rights to enter, he must be one of them.


    They couldn¡¯t be blamed, as since Patriarch Weng Zhao started restructuring the Skywalk Trading Company, several cultivators with concealed identities within the company had also come forward.


    This led to new faces appearing at Skywalk Trading Company, and the two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators thought he was one of them.


    What they didn¡¯t realize was that Li Shiming had breached the formation, and without any warning from the formation, he had boldly entered.


    They hesitated for a moment, and without any hesitation, Li Shiming opened his mouth and released an extremely faint ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯.


    As the two Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators were affected by ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯, entering a moment of delirium, two beams of sword light pierced through their bodies.

 Chapter 579: 336 Intrusion

    Chapter 579: Chapter 336 Intrusion


    This cavernous base was enormous, not a common cave dwelling but rather a large-scale base built in the form of a stronghold.


    Due to not triggering the formation, Li Shiming¡¯s intrusion went undetected by any cultivator.


    Two Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators were killed by him in an instant. To prevent the blood from the corpses from flowing out and spreading the scent, his Divine Thought scanned over the two bodies, collecting the storage bracelets and placing the corpses into his Space Ring.


    His Divine Thought detected another cultivator in advance¡ªthis was a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator walking through the corridor.


    It had to be said that the remnant cultivators of the Skywalk Trading Company had a rather high rank, for he had encountered three Golden Core cultivators upon entering.


    Golden Core cultivators were not common as cabbage. Apart from the six major sects, it was incredibly difficult for other forces to produce a single Golden Core cultivator.


    Unless they were extremely lucky, with the sheer number of cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment, there were bound to be some who could break through to the Golden Core Stage with just a few resources.


    Especially since the six major sects often deliberately released some resources for forming the core, in order to weaken the resentment of smaller forces and Loose Cultivators towards their restrictive control over resources.


    Moreover, in the long-term scarcity of resources, smaller forces and Loose Cultivators found alternative ways to replace resources, using forbidden Spiritual Medicines to forcefully break into the Golden Core Stage.


    Such Golden Core cultivators who forcefully broke through would either be False Core cultivators or would forever remain at the initial realm of the Golden Core Stage, without any further progress in their lifetime.


    The branch of the Skywalk Trading Company on the Beishu Continent, it could be seen that they were very rich in resources, otherwise, they could not have cultivated so many Golden Core cultivators.


    Major sects and forces rarely recruited Golden Core cultivators. Those of the Golden Core Level were mostly cultivated in-house.


    On one hand, in-house cultivated Golden Core cultivators could be trusted, as they wielded the main power in sects and forces. If a Golden Core cultivator were untrustworthy, it could greatly affect the allegiance of the sect or force.


    On the other hand, there was the issue of espionage. Who could know whether a recruited Golden Core cultivator was a spy for other forces?


    Behind the Golden Core Early Stage cultivator in the corridor, a white lotus appeared, and as Li Shiming¡¯s figure materialized, one hand covered the cultivator¡¯s mouth and nose, and a Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, refined from the ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯, pierced his vital spot.


    The Golden Core Early Stage cultivator did not know who killed him until his death. The ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ method of movement was too strange, and Li Shiming had completed the assassination the moment he appeared.


    Li Shiming separated the spatial items and bodies, collecting everything. Not a whiff of the scent of blood had time to spread before the battle was resolved.


    His Divine Thought continued to probe inward, where in a room, fifteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators were organizing paper documents.


    They were far inferior to Li Shiming in strength. With a slight stirring of his Divine Thought, fifteen strands directly acted upon the fifteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators, breaking their necks.


    Li Shiming¡¯s figure flashed rapidly throughout the vast base. Wherever his Divine Thought detected cultivators, he followed up with corresponding attacks based on their strength.


    From the entrance of the base all the way to the depths, within just a few breaths, he had killed thirty-six cultivators, including an impressive eleven Golden Core cultivators.


    In the process of the battle, because there was hardly any resistance, the ten ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders¡¯ he had prepared were never used.


    This was also not bad, as it caused not the slightest damage to the interior of the base. Apart from the absence of cultivators, there was no difference from when he first entered.


    He realized he was approaching the core of the formation, which was more heavily guarded.


    Of course, this had no effect on him; instead, it isolated all the other fluctuating auras that the base might produce.


    In other words, the battles he had previously fought in the base had not alerted anyone here.


    In other parts of the base, he did not discover the warehouses that should exist in a stronghold, with so many cultivators gathered. How could there be no warehouse?


    According to his deduction, the warehouse should be located up ahead, which is why the security was much increased.


    He passed through a formation barrier and saw a cultivator facing him.


    The cultivator was also looking at him in astonishment, with a look of utter surprise in his eyes.


    ¡°Who are you, and why are you in this forbidden area?¡± the cultivator bellowed before his aura surged tumultuously, a terrifying might rising from him.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had not expected to encounter a Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivator here.


    Peak of Golden Core Late Stage, just one step away from attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Such an existence was extremely important to any force; no wonder he was stationed in the safest place of the base.


    Furthermore, the spiritual energy here was extremely dense, not something that merely a Golden Core Level spiritual vein could emit.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Li Shiming acted simultaneously with a few moves.


    Opening his mouth, he emitted a piercing howl with the ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ secret technique.


    This was the first of several attacks. The second attack was from himself. As he used ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯, the ¡®Step by Step Ascending Lotus¡¯ was also triggered, making his figure appear almost simultaneously in front of the Golden Core cultivator, as ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ took effect.


    The Silver Corpse appeared behind the Golden Core cultivator while two flying swords, one on each side, attacked the Golden Core cultivator. Li Shiming¡¯s hand, holding the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, stabbed towards the Golden Core cultivator¡¯s heart.


    Ten ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders¡¯ were also activated. At such close distances, Li Shiming had to activate ¡®Heavenly Thunder Embodiment¡¯ first, otherwise even he would be affected.

 Chapter 580: 336 Break In_2

    Chapter 580: Chapter 336 Break In_2


    In an instant, Li Shiming unleashed his most powerful attack.


    As a Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, he had seen through his avatar, Li Yuanba, how weak they were under Ancestor Lu of the Senluo Sect, as helpless as babies.


    However, Li Shiming did not underestimate his opponent, for he only had the strength of the early stage of the Golden Core, even if the five Golden Cores in his body had formed the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±, making his spiritual power comparable to the peak of the early stage of the Golden Core.


    Between him and a Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, there was still a gap of two or three realms.


    In the Golden Core Stage, it was only because of his extraordinary techniques that he could fight across realms against Golden Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators.


    Normally, the difference of a single realm between ordinary Golden Core cultivators was like the difference between heaven and earth.


    This was the first time Li Shiming truly faced a Golden Core cultivator of this level, and he went all out without holding anything back.


    That Golden Core cultivator was indeed affected by the ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡±.


    In this regard, the effect of such a spiritual secret technique as ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± mainly depends on the spirit of the cultivator.


    Li Shiming¡¯s spirit could completely be compared to that of a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, or even higher, given that when he broke through the Foundation Establishment Stage, he produced five Golden Cores and endured five Heavenly Thunders, receiving rewards from heaven and earth five times.


    Spiritual attack secret techniques in the Golden Core Realm are quite rare to begin with, and this being the Heavenly Demon¡¯s signature attack, even a Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator was not immune to it.


    The Silver Corpse landed a blow on the back of the Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, while the Heart Sword struck his left shoulder and the White Feather Sword hit his right shoulder.


    The Silver Corpse¡¯s strike would have definitely pierced the heart of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, and the Heart Sword and White Feather Sword would have cleaved into the shoulders, causing further extensive damage.


    Li Shiming¡¯s frontal sword strike, though somewhat weaker, was still formidable enough to inflict considerable injury, thanks to his cultivation of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± and the small success of the Golden Core Stage ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡±.


    Not to mention, ten ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders¡± were equivalent to an attack from ten Golden Core Early Stage Peak cultivators specializing in the Thunder Skill.


    However, the outcome was beyond Li Shiming¡¯s expectations; the Silver Corpse¡¯s claws did not penetrate the Great Elder level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s body, instead, he was repelled by a terrifying rebound force.


    Fortunately, the Silver Corpse had sufficient defensive power and was not significantly injured.


    The Heart Sword and White Feather Sword struck the body of the Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, but they were stopped by his physique.


    The ten ¡°Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunders¡± converged upon the Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, turning him into a ball of lightning.


    Li Shiming was not affected by the lightning, not because he had activated ¡°Heavenly Thunder Possession¡± in advance, but because he too was pushed away by the adversary¡¯s defensive spiritual power.


    ¡°A Great Elder level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator!¡± Li Shiming thought in shock as he flew backward, his Divine Thought sensing that the opponent was uninjured and only marked by the barrage of lightning when he realized the enemy¡¯s true nature.


    Such existences were extremely rare even on the Beishu Continent.


    Neither his own Shushan Sect nor Li Yuanba¡¯s Senluo Sect, where his avatar was, had heard of such an existence.


    A Great Elder level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator was completely different from an ordinary Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator¡ªthe strongest aspect of this Golden Core cultivator was his body.


    Perhaps only in the Qianye Temple would there be Great Elder level Body Refining Golden Core cultivators, as the difficulty of cultivating the body to a step away from the Nascent Soul Stage was much harder than that of other cultivation techniques.


    The main issue was that of resources, as it is indeed common to see Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators who practice Body Refinement.


    Yet, as one reaches the Golden Core Stage, such cultivators become increasingly rare, and even those Golden Core cultivators who have practised Body Refining Techniques tend to treat it as secondary.


    Even a resource-rich cultivator like Li Shiming did not consider reaching the Great Elder level through Body Refinement.


    The resources required are truly vast; Tier 3 resources may not be sufficient. Upon reaching the late-stage Golden Core, if one wishes to advance their body refining techniques, one would likely need Tier 4 resources to be effective.


    Li Shiming thought of the Tier 4 ¡®Heavenly Dew Immortal Milk¡¯ he had obtained. Perhaps only a force like Skywalk Trading Company that could acquire Tier 4 ¡®Heavenly Dew Immortal Milk¡¯ for body refinement would possess the means to nurture a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core.


    If possible, perhaps this Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core could advance to the Nascent Soul Stage. By using body refinement to ascend to the Nascent Soul, not only would one possess the capabilities of the Nascent Soul Stage, but their body would also be exceptionally mighty, likely ranking amongst the top even within the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Due to the IBMz15, his mind could come up with many ideas in an instant.


    The Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator before him needed to be dealt with; should the enemy attack, Li Shiming didn¡¯t know the extent of their offensive power, but he highly suspected his own defenses wouldn¡¯t withstand it.


    With a mere thought, the Fake Infant Body emerged in the server room space, conveniently landing on the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core¡¯s body.


    This was no coincidence; upon discovering that he could control the Fake Infant Body, he had been contemplating how to deploy it.


    Having the Fake Infant Body directly engage in combat served little purpose besides being frightening.


    In such a scenario, although the Fake Infant Body moved slowly, it had already assumed a hugging position first within the server room space and maintained it consistently.


    Once the Fake Infant Body was summoned, it could immediately embrace the enemy.


    At the Golden Core Stage, Li Shiming didn¡¯t believe any cultivator could break free from the embrace of a Fake Infant Body.


    The Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator woke up from the influence of ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯, and he was both shocked and furious, never expecting to have been nearly assassinated in such a sly manner.


    He was a secret weapon of Skywalk Trading Company and, upon demonstrating extraordinary talent in body refinement, had been given key support by the company.


    Thereafter, he became part of the plan against the Beishu Continent and was sent to the Beishu Continent.


    Basking in the finest resources from Skywalk Trading Company, he steadily enhanced his body refining strength. Once he ascended to Nascent Soul on the Beishu Continent, he would bolster the influence of Skywalk Trading Company through his native Nascent Soul cultivator¡¯s physique.


    Crucially, a Body Refining Nascent Soul possesses terrifying combat strength without worrying about the full exertion of Nascent Soul spiritual power causing irreversible environmental devastation.


    The Body Refining Nascent Soul can harness the strength of a Nascent Soul, yet avoid substantial destruction. Pure physical power combined with speed meant that even Nascent Soul cultivators of the same rank had to be wary, not to mention lower-ranking cultivators.


    In essence, the Body Refining Nascent Soul breaks free from constraints, unaffected by the battle restrictions placed on Nascent Souls within the mainland, posing a greater threat to all forces and thus wielding even greater influence.


    Who could have expected that he would be earnestly cultivating here when Li Shiming suddenly appeared and almost killed him?


    If not for the fact that Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation level was too low, even if Li Shiming possessed the strength of a middle-stage Golden Core, the might of the ten strikes of ¡®Supreme Mysterious Divine Thunder¡¯ could have severely injured him.


    The eyes of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator were filled with furious flames. Just as he was about to launch an attack on the retreating figure of Li Shiming, at that very moment, a figure embraced him.


    Having absolute confidence in his own strength, he desperately tried to break free, yet he was shocked to discover that no matter what he did, the cultivator holding him remained immovable as a mountain.


    A chill ran down his spine, and he was absolutely certain that no Golden Core cultivator should be able to endure his immense strength ¡ª such was the confidence of a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator.


    Therefore, there was only one possibility: the one embracing him was not a Golden Core cultivator.


    ¡°Supervisor Feng Yi!¡± When he saw the face of the person holding him, he exclaimed in shock.


    As an important member of the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Beishu Continent branch, how could he not recognize Supervisor Feng Yi, his direct superior and an imposing figure of the Fake Infant Stage?


    Supervisor Feng Yi had mysteriously vanished not long ago, which was why Patriarch Weng Zhao had traveled from the distant headquarters of Skywalk Trading Company across the sea. And now, he was seeing Supervisor Feng Yi here, a revelation that left him utterly astonished.

 Chapter 581: 337 Possession

    Chapter 581: Chapter 337 Possession


    Li Shiming made his move, focusing all his Sword Intent and spiritual power within his body at the tip of his Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, aiming a strike directly at his opponent¡¯s heart.


    Since the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator was embraced by the Fake Infant Body, his arms were immobilized and his body couldn¡¯t evade, resulting in Li Shiming¡¯s strike hitting right at the heart.


    The sound of a ¡°ding¡± resonated as the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure contacted the opponent¡¯s skin.


    The Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s skin blocked the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, not even leaving a scratch on it.


    This was no surprise to Li Shiming, for his attack was not a single one but a continuous succession of sword strikes, bombarding a single point with relentless Thunder Sword Intent.


    He had thought that this would break through the defense of a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator, but after attacking over ten times, he stopped.


    His life-bound magical treasure, the IBMz15, concluded that it was impossible to breach the opponent¡¯s defense based on the feedback from the attack.


    He also saw a mocking look on the face of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator. Even though the opponent was controlled by the Fake Infant Body, it was still very difficult for him to kill a cultivator of that caliber.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t even breach the opponent¡¯s defense, and for a moment, he was at a loss for what to do next.


    The IBMz15 was analyzing all the tactics that could be used, searching for the best way to fight.


    At this moment, the cultivator reacted, a flying sword materialized beside him and shot towards Li Shiming.


    Now it was Li Shiming¡¯s turn to wear a mocking expression. Although the flying sword stimulated by a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator could be considered decent by other cultivators, in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes, it was amateur-level.


    In fact, for Golden Core Cultivators who specialized in Body Refinement like the Great Elder, a flying sword magical treasure was not for attacking, but rather as a means of flight.


    After all, Sword Escape was one of the faster modes of flight in the Cultivation World; possessing a decent flying sword magical treasure enabled one to execute Sword Escape.


    As the flying sword magical treasure shot out, lotuses appeared and vanished under Li Shiming¡¯s feet, causing the weapon to miss its target.


    While the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator attempted to redirect the flying sword, which briefly stalled in its flight.


    In that instant, a lotus appeared next to the flying sword, and with Li Shiming¡¯s hand pressing on it, the sword vanished.


    It was one of Li Shiming¡¯s special abilities to use the server room space to capture the spiritual objects recognized by other cultivators as theirs.


    Without knowledge of this special ability, an adversary¡¯s loss could be substantial.


    Ordinarily, a cultivator¡¯s flying sword magical treasure is not something that other cultivators can touch easily, due to its high offensiveness. If such a weapon were to be captured, there was a good chance it would harm the captor if the opponent managed to control it.


    The space within the server room and the world of the Cultivation World were not the same. The control cultivators had over flying sword magical treasures would be interrupted and they would no longer sense their existence.


    Once the flying sword magical treasure was taken into the server room space, it became lifeless.


    Any trace of triumph vanished from the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s face when his flying sword magical treasure was taken, even though it was not his most important magical treasure. Under the circumstances, it was the only one he could use.


    The magical treasures of Body Refining Golden Core cultivators are handheld, like his heavy axe, which, when wielded with both hands, allows someone with the Great Elder¡¯s Body Refinement cultivation to destroy all enemies before him.


    However, with his arms bound and unable to shake off the control of the Fake Infant Body, he couldn¡¯t draw forth his heavy axe.


    Li Shiming now had a strategy against the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator. He kept a ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ under him for protection, anticipating any surprise tactics from the opponent.


    He drew the ¡®Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡¯ suspended in front of him by a thread of Divine Thought.


    His fingers swept across the strings, and a rendition of ¡®Annihilation¡¯ resonated throughout the cave dwelling.


    When the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator heard the melody, he immediately realized it was an audio wave attack. A light of intelligence flashed in his eyes; his Body Refining Techniques did more than defend the body. With long-term practice, his resistance to audio wave attacks was also extremely strong.


    Just as he was bracing to defend against Li Shiming¡¯s sonic attack, Li Shiming suddenly uttered a ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear.¡¯


    The shrill, piercing demonic sound entered his ears and penetrated his spirit. Even though he had withstood it once before, he had no way to counter this kind of mental attack.


    The ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ caused the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s prepared defense to fail, letting the music reach his ears, and his gaze began to blur.


    In truth, a cultivator of Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core should not have succumbed so easily. Without the constraint of the Fake Infant Body, he had many methods to counter audio wave attacks.


    As long as the opponent was at Golden Core Stage, with his speed and strength, and without restrictions, he could have dealt with the cultivator playing the zither before it took effect.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat the zither-playing cultivator, he could retreat to a distance beyond the reach of the music.


    The problem was that he was now bound by the Fake Infant Body, forced to passively listen to the music. More troubling was that Li Shiming¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ had broken through his defenses, plunging him into the illusion created by the zither¡¯s melody.

 Chapter 582: 337 Possession_2

    Chapter 582: Chapter 337 Possession_2


    According to the analysis of the life-bonded magical treasure IBMz15, a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator¡¯s defense was nearly impregnable.


    However, there was no absolute defense, his mental weakness had been very obvious before.


    Of course, the mental weakness of a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator is relative. Compared to other Golden Core cultivators, even those of the same level, his spirit was deemed adequate.


    But facing a cultivator like Li Shiming, who had mastered spiritual attack secret techniques, his spirit appeared somewhat weak.


    Indeed, after ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± broke through his defense, the melody of the ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡± took effect.


    The ¡°Annihilation Melody¡± led him into an illusion, Li Shiming seldom used the ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither¡± to draw enemies into illusions.


    When Li Shiming used the ¡°Heavenly Sound Annihilation Dao Zither,¡± he mainly relied on sound waves to directly harm the enemy, leading them into illusions was simply too time-consuming.


    The enemies he had encountered before were either too strong for him to face, or so weak that he could dispatch them easily; there was no need for him to be serious.


    The eyes of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator lost focus; he had fallen into the illusion created by Li Shiming.


    The illusion was created by the life-bonded magical treasure IBMz15, restoring a past life nightclub scene before his eyes; for someone from the Cultivation Office, the sight of a group of scantily clad women twisting their bodies and exposing their postures had a great impact on him.


    Even the witches of the Demon Sect would not act this way in public, let alone hundreds of women doing so together.


    He forgot everything about himself and, driven by the melody, joined in with these men and women, indulging just as they did.


    Li Shiming had studied creating illusions; the main methods in the Cultivation World involve sound and color, wealth or cultivation resources, power, or stirring the desires in a cultivator¡¯s heart.


    The last method, stirring the desires within a cultivator¡¯s heart, was the hardest; it required understanding the cultivator¡¯s true nature first.


    Li Shiming had not yet reached that level; he opted for the most basic method of creating sound and color illusions.


    The reason he chose a past life nightclub scene, rather than the common methods used in the Cultivation World, was based on comparisons.


    Creating sound and color illusions in the Cultivation World is usually based on the dances of Demon Sect female cultivators performing the Heavenly Demon Dance, with some details added.


    Li Shiming, having experienced the information explosion of his past life, looked down on these kinds of illusions.


    A past life¡¯s nightclub scene, now that was a true pandemonium; entering it, even most of those who experienced it would lose themselves, let alone cultivators who had never seen such a form of entertainment.


    In the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator fell into a deep state of lostness, his spirit completely open.


    Li Shiming, through his connection with the Heavenly Ghost from his Nascent Soul Body, felt no resistance coming from the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator.


    Li Shiming issued a command, and the Heavenly Ghost flew out from the Nascent Soul Body, entering the body of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator.


    Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for the Heavenly Ghost to control a Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivator, but with his spirit lost and devoid of any resistance, it was easily done.


    Once the Heavenly Ghost entered the body of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator, it began to devour his spiritual power incessantly.


    Li Shiming intensified the illusion on his end, trapping him firmly within it. As the Heavenly Ghost consumed his spiritual power, his spirit weakened slowly, and the impact of the illusion on him grew stronger.


    The formidable Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator continued to sink under this assault, plummeting into an abyss from which he could not extricate himself.


    Until his consciousness disappeared, he did not manage any resistance.


    The formidable defensive power protected his body, but it couldn¡¯t protect his consciousness. The Heavenly Ghost successfully possessed him.


    From the feedback from the Heavenly Ghost, Li Shiming felt the ease of the Heavenly Ghost, which was far less strenuous than possessing a False Infant Body.


    During the entire process, since Li Shiming had not really harmed the other cultivator¡¯s body, and the Heavenly Ghost had devoured the spirit of a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator without causing any damage to the body as well,


    the body of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator was not injured at all and was still alive, if being in the state of a living dead, where the soul itself has disappeared from the body, counts as being alive.


    Li Shiming shook his head; he had finally witnessed the strength of a Great Elder Level Golden Core Cultivator. He had been a frog in a well, underestimating the cultivators of the world.


    The Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator in front of him, whose name he didn¡¯t even know, was probably unknown to most on the Beishu Continent.


    But such a Golden Core Cultivator had such strong abilities that, if Li Shiming hadn¡¯t had a variety of methods, he might have had to flee in defeat today.


    He walked up to the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator and probed into his body with his Divine Thought.


    It was only because the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator no longer had a soul that he was able to probe the body of such a high-level cultivator without any reservations.


    He did not know what Body Refining Techniques this Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator cultivated, but his body¡¯s tissues, from inside out, were completely filled with patterns made of spiritual power.


    This body was almost similar to the Fake Infant Bodies he had seen before, but a Fake Infant Body was ultimately a whole major realm above this body, surpassing it in strength and defensive power.


    What surprised Li Shiming the most was that the Golden Core inside the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator was still present and hadn¡¯t been destroyed along with the dispersal of the cultivator¡¯s soul, remaining full of spiritual power.


    This Body Refining Cultivator¡¯s Golden Core was connected with numerous spiritual power routes to every part of the body, which on closer inspection, was connected to the Body Refining patterns spread throughout the entire body, always ready to supply spiritual power to the patterns.


    This phenomenon was extremely rare in the Cultivation World, as normally, the Golden Core of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator would perish along with the cultivator¡¯s death.


    Even for Golden Core Cultivators whose souls disappeared due to a soul attack, their bodies would instinctively cause the Golden Core to dissipate naturally before the soul¡¯s consciousness vanished.


    But the situation of a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator was the most unusual, as he had been possessed by a Heavenly Ghost during an illusion.


    When possessed by a Heavenly Ghost, the Heavenly Ghost used deception, causing the body to believe the Heavenly Ghost was the original owner¡¯s soul.


    Therefore, after the original owner¡¯s soul perished, the body did not let the Golden Core dissipate naturally but was deceived into believing that the soul of the body¡¯s owner still existed.


    Of course, this involved a lot of coincidences; firstly, such beings as Heavenly Ghosts are extremely rare fusion organisms, and their possessing ability is unique.


    Secondly, the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core Cultivator mainly focused on Body Refinement and did not cultivate any spirit-related techniques, which made it so that his soul did not produce any resistance when the Heavenly Ghost possessed him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll study this further later!¡± Li Shiming took the Space Ring of the Body Refining Golden Core casually, not continuing to study the body further.


    The Space Ring had spiritual protection from the Body Refining Golden Core, but unfortunately, because its original soul had perished, the spiritual protection on the Space Ring was rapidly dissipating.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought easily entered the Space Ring, where he saw the Spiritual Objects inside.


    The Spiritual Objects inside the Space Ring were very simple¡ªtwo jade bottles, both spatially endowed. One was labeled Body Refining Spirit Liquid, and the other labeled Body Refining Spirit Pill, with no detailed description, but the names indicated their functions.


    A huge battle-ax treasure, the kind for two-handed use, extremely rare among cultivators for close-range combat.


    A Jade Scroll, upon entering his Divine Thought, he discovered the Jade Scroll contained a Body Refining Technique, ¡°Mountain Opening Dominating Body Technique.¡±


    ¡°Mountain Opening Dominating Body Technique¡± was a top-tier Body Refining Technique, which could be cultivated up to the Nascent Soul Stage, and the Jade Scroll also contained the cultivation experiences of predecessors, making it a complete Body Refining legacy that could be considered complete even in a major sect.

 Chapter 583: 338: Siege

    Chapter 583: Chapter 338: Siege


    Li Shiming read through the contents of the ¡°Mountain Opening Dominating Body Technique¡± and, with the help of his lifebound spiritual artifact IBMz15, recorded everything down.


    He paused for a moment, as the lifebound spiritual artifact IBMz15 had already analyzed the cultivation technique. With plenty of previous cultivators¡¯ experiences to reference, it swiftly sent him the analysis results.


    The data transmitted to Li Shiming from the lifebound spiritual artifact IBMz15 was many times faster than if he had observed and remembered it himself. It could even be said that the data stored in the IBMz15 was equivalent to Li Shiming¡¯s memory.


    Li Shiming had a sudden inspiration; he transferred the Golden Core Peak spiritual power route of the ¡°Mountain Opening Dominating Body Technique¡± to the Heavenly Ghost.


    Controlled by the Heavenly Ghost, the Body Refining Golden Core¡¯s body began to cultivate, and it seemed extremely familiar with the technique. Once it started operating, the Heavenly Ghost didn¡¯t need to control it much; after initiating the process, it continued on its own.


    It made sense, after all. Being the main cultivation technique for the Body Refining Golden Core, ceaseless cultivation for hundreds of years meant that the body¡¯s familiarity and the formation of muscle memory were normal.


    Li Shiming thought of having the Body Refining Golden Core cultivator practice the ¡°Mountain Opening Dominating Body Technique¡± in order to restore the Golden Core within the cultivator¡¯s body.


    If there was no cultivation technique to help recover the spiritual power inside the Golden Core, then once the Heavenly Ghost controlled the Body Refining Golden Core cultivator¡¯s body for battle, and the spiritual power inside the Golden Core was greatly depleted, the time required to recover would be exceedingly long without the aid of a technique.


    In that case, the Body Refining Golden Core cultivator would lose the ability to sustain battle. This Body Refining Golden Core cultivator¡¯s body was currently an important combat strength for Li Shiming, and this also allowed the Heavenly Ghost to join his battle system in advance.


    Li Shiming did not leave behind the Body Refining Golden Core cultivator; he took both the Body Refining Golden Core cultivator and the Nascent Soul Body and stored them in the machine room¡¯s space.


    Having two bodies at the Heavenly Ghost¡¯s disposal, when the Body Refining Golden Core cultivator cultivated, the Heavenly Ghost could enter its body to maintain the cultivator¡¯s strength stably.


    The rest of the time, the Heavenly Ghost would inhabit the Nascent Soul Body to nourish its own being.


    On this occasion, the Heavenly Ghost also benefited greatly: by devouring all the spiritual power of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator, the Heavenly Ghost¡¯s own strength had significantly increased.


    Without the protection of the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator, there were no more living cultivators in this cave dwelling.


    Li Shiming looked at the portal guarded by the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core cultivator. The door was protected by an array that couldn¡¯t be opened without the appropriate method of passage.


    But this was only true for normal cultivators. Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought swept over it and found a way to break the seal.


    He casually pushed open the door, and behind it, as he had guessed, was a warehouse.


    In the Cultivation World, despite having spatial items for storage, almost all powers still preserved warehouses.


    Potentially, the contents of a single warehouse could be stored in one spatial item.


    Yet, powers still kept items in warehouses instead of just a single spatial item.


    This was because items stored in a warehouse could be clearly seen and were managed collectively by several people, which significantly reduced the likelihood of someone embezzling the goods.


    When faced with a large amount of cultivation resources, a cultivator¡¯s self-control may not be very high.


    Without oversight, a power¡¯s resources might end up in the hands of a single cultivator.


    Another important function of the warehouse was to stabilize morale, as with a warehouse in place, the cultivators of a power knew their cultivation resources were stored within, and every day someone would take out resources from it to use.


    Li Shiming looked at the warehouse, it was clear that because of the troubles that befell Skywalk Trading Company in the Beishu Continent, Skywalk Trading Company had consolidated resources here.


    Most of the Spiritual Objects here were for cultivation resources; nearly five thousand Second-grade Spirit Pills for the Foundation Establishment Stage were placed inside a wooden box.


    The quantity of Third-grade Spirit Pills was also nearly five hundred.


    However, the quality of these Third-grade Spirit Pills was varied, as they were made by different Alchemy Masters.


    Li Shiming somewhat regretfully looked at so many Third-grade Spirit Pills, as there were hardly any that were suitable for his own use.


    He might be consuming Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills now, but those were refined by himself, with very little impurity residuals, almost the limit of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.


    He didn¡¯t value the Spirit Pills made by other Alchemy Masters, as the impurities in them made him hesitant to consume them.


    The gap was actually a demonstration of the micron-level control in the machine room space. Before he had refined IBMz15 as his lifebound spiritual artifact, when he refined Spirit Pills in the machine room space, the micron-level control ensured the quality of Third-grade Spirit Pills was at their peak.


    If it were not for the fact that top-grade Spirit Pills required a large number of similar Spirit Pills¡¯ essence to assemble, with his pill-making skills he could have even made Top-grade Third-Grade Spirit Pills.


    Afterward, with the help of his lifebound spiritual artifact IBMz15, even when refining pills in the outside world, the quality could reach a level similar to what was achievable inside the machine room space.


    The nearly five hundred Third-grade Spirit Pills, all for cultivation assistance, were useless to him, but he planned to exchange them for some useful Spiritual Objects when he had the opportunity.


    There were also some Second and Third-grade Spiritual Medicines, which would be a colossal fortune for ordinary Golden Core cultivators, but for him, they didn¡¯t count for much.


    With his level of pill-refining, the portion he took from the cultivators who sought pills was more than enough for both his and his clone Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation needs, with surplus to spare.


    He collected all the Spiritual Objects from the warehouse, and after collecting the cultivation resources, he began to gather artifact-refining materials.


    There were no completed Spiritual Artifacts or magical arrays here, only some artifact-refining materials.

 Chapter 584: 338: Siege_2

    Chapter 584: Chapter 338: Siege_2


    ¡°Why are they all Second-grade Refining Materials?¡± Li Shiming muttered with a tinge of dissatisfaction as he collected them.


    As he spoke, he opened a large wooden box in the corner of the warehouse; his gaze instantly locked onto the Refining Materials inside it.


    ¡°Is this Star Fallen Gold Stone?¡± he muttered in disbelief.


    Star Fallen Gold Stone is a Third-grade Metal attribute Refining Material, and metal attributes are the best materials for refining flying swords.


    For other Artifact Refiners, flying swords refined from Star Fallen Gold Stone are both sharp and durable, extremely difficult to destroy.


    For Li Shiming, Star Fallen Gold Stone is an extremely resilient Third-grade Metal attribute Refining Material. If he used Star Fallen Gold Stone to refine a flying sword magical treasure, he could employ micron-level inscription techniques to add as many different effects as possible onto a single flying sword magical treasure.


    Normally, High Grade Magical Treasures can accommodate three effects on a single flying sword magical treasure.


    With Star Fallen Gold Stone, he could enable a top-grade flying sword magical treasure to simultaneously accommodate six different effects, making the flying sword magical treasure more offensive while also having a variety of abilities.


    Most crucially, the quantity of Third-grade Star Fallen Gold Stone here was enough for him to refine ten flying sword magical treasures.


    Star Fallen Gold Stone is extremely rare on the Beishu Continent; Li Shiming had no idea how the Skywalk Trading Company had acquired so much of it, perhaps in the headquarters or a branch of Skywalk Trading Company, Star Fallen Gold Stone is not as rare as it is on the Beishu Continent.


    This is also the benefit of transcontinental trade, allowing the adjustment of resources across different continents to earn enormous profits.


    It¡¯s only now, with the Skywalk Trading Company having faced significant disruption, with most of its strongholds destroyed by the six major sects, that this warehouse contained so little.


    Had the Skywalk Trading Company still been at its peak, Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t have had the power to infiltrate this easily.


    After clearing out the Spiritual Objects in the warehouse, Li Shiming found the core of the Formation at a spot inside the warehouse.


    What caught his attention the most was a jade plate placed next to the Formation¡¯s core.


    Gushing from inside out, the jade plate emitted rich Spiritual Energy, which was the source of Spiritual Energy for the entire stronghold and also the power support for the Formation.


    ¡°Is this a vein-locking plate?¡± Li Shiming had heard of such a treasure; it was a method only the Nascent Soul Ancestors could use.


    Nascent Soul Ancestors have various methods for relocating a Spirit Vein, like the Spirit Vein within the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, belonging to Li Yuanba¡¯s clone, which was relocated by a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    The vein-locking plate is one of the methods used by Nascent Soul Ancestors for moving Spirit Veins. It can move a Spirit Vein into the plate, allowing the vein to be transported at will.


    The vein-locking plate in front of him, judging solely by the quality of its material, Li Shiming could tell was of Fourth-Grade.


    The Spirit Vein inside it was suitable for Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ cultivation; even for a great sect, it was an extremely important resource.


    However, this too was normal; given the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s situation, most of the strongholds had either been taken or destroyed, so having a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein moved here was not surprising.


    With the scale of the Skywalk Trading Company, it surely once possessed Nascent Soul Level Spirit Veins.


    At the time of the attack by the six major sects, if the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Veins weren¡¯t relocated, they would have been seized by the sects.


    Li Shiming hesitated for a moment but could not resist his greed; he took out one hundred and eight Mid-grade Spirit Stones to form a Spirit Gathering Array, using it to replace the Fourth-Grade Locking Vein Plate as the energy supply for the Formation.


    Of course, such a substitution was not long-lasting; at most, the Formation would deplete the Spiritual Energy within the one hundred and eight Mid-grade Spirit Stones in three days.


    He collected the Fourth-Grade Locking Vein Plate, as such resources were the most precious anywhere.


    Inside Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, Patriarch Weng Zhao was waiting when suddenly his body tensed, and he looked outside.


    The Abbot Faren, sitting opposite him, unaware of what had happened, was about to ask when he sensed the piercing alarm coming from their Sect Protection Array.


    Under normal circumstances, even if the Sect Protection Array detected something, the alert it sent out wouldn¡¯t be like this, as such an alarm could cause panic within Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.


    Abbot Faren had almost forgotten what this shrill alarm meant, but thanks to the memory of a Cultivator, he quickly remembered the reason.


    This alarm signaled the approach of Nascent Soul Ancestors of unknown identity, and based on the volume of the alarm, it was clear that the number of Nascent Soul Ancestors exceeded two.


    The host of the Array turned to Patriarch Weng Zhao, the only one here who could attract multiple Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    ¡°Fability, no wonder you wanted to delay for six hours, you actually betrayed me!¡± the killing intent in Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s eyes flashed as he spoke angrily.


    It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for him to suspect Fability. With his strength as a Nascent Soul Ancestor, he would have definitely noticed if a cultivator were tracking him.


    Before coming to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, he had contacted Fability, and judging by the speed at which these Nascent Soul Ancestors had arrived, it was certain that he had informed Fability who then set them in motion.


    Considering there were six Nascent Soul Ancestors, the first thing that came to his mind were the six major sects, and matching the distinctive aura of the surrounding Nascent Soul Ancestors to each sect only strengthened this belief.


    That is to say, the six Nascent Soul Ancestors outside had come from the six major sects.


    All signs pointed to Fability, and only he would have had the opportunity and ability to betray Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    ¡°Elder Weng, our temple absolutely would not betray a client!¡± Fability hastily explained.


    As he explained, he also activated the Formation, hoping it would protect him.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao had no intention of talking more with him; he no longer concealed his own aura, the secret technique suppressing his cultivation base was lifted, and a terrifying Nascent Soul Aura filled the room.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao flicked his finger, and a fireball flew out. The Formation that Fability had hoped would protect him was easily penetrated by the fireball.


    The seemingly slow but actually swift fireball landed on Fability¡¯s body. His defensive magical treasures, his own Spiritual Power defenses, or any other life-saving techniques he might have had, became meaningless in the face of absolute power.


    Fability¡¯s body, starting from where the small fireball struck, was engulfed in flames. His screams did not last even half a breath and stopped immediately; within a single breath, his body turned to ashes.


    The small fireball didn¡¯t disappear; after Fability¡¯s death, the fireball turned into countless sparks, landing on the walls, windows, and furniture, and the blaze spread rapidly.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao paid no mind to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple; situated within, he knew that a single fireball was enough to erase everything there without requiring too much effort.


    What he had to face were the enemies outside, six Nascent Soul Ancestors, and this lineup made it clear to him the danger of today¡¯s events.


    He flew up above the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, with his body at the center, a massive Nascent Soul Dharma Form appeared, protecting his true body within it.


    Upon its appearance, the Nascent Soul Dharma Form turned into a fiery figure, corresponding to the great blaze beneath the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple as if the Nascent Soul Dharma Form were standing atop a lotus of fire.


    The six Nascent Soul Ancestors naturally were Elder Zuo, Venerable Huike, Ancestor Lu, and the other Nascent Soul Ancestors from the six major sects.


    They formed the Six Harmonies Formation from six different directions, encircling the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.


    Regarding the great fire that had started in the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, they had no intention whatever of lending a hand to save it.


    The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had chosen a path to death by having dealings with Patriarch Weng Zhao of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    The Six Major Sects had long issued a manhunt for Patriarch Weng Zhao, and the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple could not have been ignorant of this fact.


    Even if the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple hadn¡¯t caught fire, the Six Major Sects had no plans to let it off the hook.


    Besides, with the six Nascent Soul Ancestors planning to set their battlefield here, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple stood no chance of surviving.


    ¡°Still dare to resist!¡± Venerable Huike, thinking of the terrible destruction at his own temple and seeing the situation at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, couldn¡¯t help but draw parallels, and he shouted in anger.


    Though the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had courted its own destruction, as another temple of the Buddhist Sect, the sight of it being consumed by flames drew inevitable comparisons with the burning of Qianye Temple, prompting him to consider further connections.


    He became even more certain of a link between the attack on Qianye Temple, Patriarch Weng Zhao, and the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Looking at the style of the arson, it was definitely the work of an old offender.


    Upon Venerable Huike¡¯s angry shout, six Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestations simultaneously rose, six colossal figures facing the giant flaming Dharma Manifestation of Patriarch Weng Zhao.

 Chapter 585: 339: The Great Battle

    Chapter 585: Chapter 339: The Great Battle


    The great battle of the Nascent Soul Ancestors, especially one on the ground, was extremely rare in the Beishu Continent.


    After the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors manifested their Nascent Soul Dharma Forms, all the living beings in the area were intimidated by their erupting might.


    The vast Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, the monks not consumed by the great fire, regardless of their strength, now lacked any vitality.


    These monks were too close to the might of the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors, so close that just the might alone killed them.


    The seven Nascent Soul Ancestors did not take a sect like the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple seriously; the life and death of monks were as insignificant as ants in their eyes.


    In Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s hand appeared a Fire Sword, which when held by the Nascent Soul Dharma Form was more powerful than a flying sword.


    Once at the Nascent Soul Stage, if one had not cultivated a Sword Cultivation Technique or was blessed with Sword Intent, the power of a flying sword was actually less threatening than the Fire Sword wielded by the Nascent Soul Dharma Form.


    The Nascent Soul Dharma Form could mobilize such vast spiritual power that only when holding it could this vast spiritual power embellish a magical treasure, unleashing its strongest power.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao assessed the strength of the other six Nascent Soul Ancestors; he set his sights on Venerable Huike, who was the weakest among them.


    Of course, he understood that the six Nascent Soul Ancestors had formed the Six Harmonies Formation, and if he didn¡¯t break this formation first, once the six Nascent Soul Ancestors got closer, he would find himself in a highly disadvantageous position.


    He issued a loud shout, which transformed into a terrifying sonic wave, spreading to the surroundings.


    The six Nascent Soul Ancestors had not expected Patriarch Weng Zhao to start the battle in this way; in a scenario where he was outnumbered, Patriarch Weng Zhao should have considered escaping rather than engaging in a fight.


    With that shout, Patriarch Weng Zhao used a Secret Technique, specifically a very powerful sonic wave Secret Technique.


    A potent Secret Technique issued in the form of a Nascent Soul Dharma Form, even the six Nascent Soul Ancestors had to be extremely cautious when facing it.


    The six Nascent Soul Ancestors did not wish to risk their lives against Patriarch Weng Zhao, given their absolute advantage.


    After Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s shout, with the Fire Sword in front and the Nascent Soul Dharma Form behind, the huge Nascent Soul Dharma Form lunged towards Venerable Huike¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Form.


    Just as the Fire Sword was about to meet Venerable Huike¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Form, it suddenly disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the battlefield, moving without affecting the Six Harmonies Formation but rather stabilizing it at another node.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s strike missed, and the other five Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ Dharma Forms simultaneously launched their attacks at him.


    The attack from Venerable Huike¡¯s Dharma Form followed swiftly, almost instantly after the other five Nascent Soul Ancestors had launched theirs.


    The Buddhist Sect, Demon Sect, and Taoist Sect, all kinds of top-notch spells from different sects converged in their hands towards Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    This strike drained all the spiritual energy within several hundred miles; the spiritual veins beneath the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple were directly depleted, as the Nascent Soul Dharma Forms¡¯ consumption of spiritual energy during battle was extremely aggressive and ruthless.


    Nascent Soul Ancestors could mobilize a certain might between heaven and earth, and the combined effort of six Nascent Soul Ancestors yielded such a terrifying impact.


    This didn¡¯t even account for the destruction after the attack; merely the spiritual energy consumed before the attack had already exhausted the region¡¯s spiritual energy.


    Not to mention the spiritual veins, which were ruined. The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple could have preserved the spiritual veins, but after the simultaneous action of the six Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ Dharma Forms, the veins were completely drained and rendered useless.


    Even the spiritual objects in the region turned into mundane items, as their spiritual energy was consumed.


    Such a change turned the environment, which the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had modified over countless years for cultivators, into a spiritless mortal world.


    It would take at least several hundred years for this place to recover.


    Be aware, the attack from the six Nascent Soul Dharma Forms hadn¡¯t even struck yet, and this was already the result.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao, seeing the six attacks descending upon him, a gleam flickered through his eyes as his huge Nascent Soul Dharma Form suddenly expanded.


    He initiated the self-destruction of his Nascent Soul Dharma Form; upon realizing he was surrounded by the six Nascent Soul Ancestors, he had already thought of a strategy.


    Unlike the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Beishu Continent who rarely fought against others of their rank, Patriarch Weng Zhao, although not considered strong among Nascent Soul Ancestors, possessed exceedingly rich combat experience.


    Plus, the Beishu Continent knew too little about him, while he had, through many years of dealings with the Skywalk Trading Company on the Beishu Continent, learned much about the six major sects¡¯ Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    He was well aware that Venerable Huike had mastered the Divine Foot Skill, although not to an advanced degree; merely mastering ¡®Itching Steps¡¯ was enough for self-protection.


    His strike was not truly intended to affect Venerable Huike; it was rather to move away from the flaming skies above the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, incidentally causing a slight gap in the Six Harmonies Formation formed by the six Nascent Souls.


    Just as he expected, Venerable Huike did not directly face his strike; although Venerable Huike made every effort to maintain the stability of the Six Harmonies Formation, Patriarch Weng Zhao, knowledgeable in formations, recognized that Venerable Huike¡¯s move had created a gap in the formation.


    Of course, Patriarch Weng Zhao also knew that he couldn¡¯t escape from the six Nascent Soul Ancestors without paying a price.

 Chapter 586: 339: The Great Battle Part 2

    Chapter 586: Chapter 339: The Great Battle Part 2


    ¡°With such an attitude, they are greatly underestimating the six Nascent Soul Ancestors.¡±


    ¡°What he could utilize was the six Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ unfamiliarity with him.¡±


    ¡°Since he had discovered the six Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ presence, he had been making preparations. He ignited the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple with his Nascent Fire and then left the airspace above the temple.¡±


    ¡°As the encirclement by the six Nascent Soul Ancestors tightened, the burning Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was outside the Six Harmonies Formation formed by the six Nascent Soul Ancestors.¡±


    ¡°But who would have thought that Patriarch Weng Zhao, while setting the fire, left a spirit imprint within the Nascent Fire?¡±


    ¡°In the instant that Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Form detonated, his true form transformed into a ball of flames and disappeared in the midst of the battlefield. The self-detonation of his Nascent Soul Dharma Form blocked the combined strike of the six Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ Dharma Manifestations, leaving a moment for his true form to perform the Fire Escape.¡±


    ¡°Fire Escape is an extremely peculiar branch among the many escape skills, rarely learned by cultivators.¡±


    ¡°The main reason is that the requirements for using Fire Escape are too strict: it requires flame to perform, and the stronger one is, the higher the flame requirement to withstand Fire Escape.¡±


    ¡°If the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had been burnt by ordinary flames rather than Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Fire, it wouldn¡¯t have met the basic conditions for Fire Escape.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, the randomness of Fire Escape is too great; without setting a spirit imprint beforehand, any part of the flame might be where Fire Escape takes you.¡±


    ¡°Taking the burning Ten Thousand Buddha Temple as an example, the area closest to the battlefield within the burning range was almost next to the Nascent Soul Dharma Form of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.¡±


    ¡°If Patriarch Weng Zhao performed Fire Escape and appeared there, he would be directly facing a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s Dharma Manifestation, and no matter the outcome, he would have lost the chance to escape.¡±


    ¡°Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Fire Escape brought him to the central position of the fire scene at Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, which was also where Dharma Master could receive him.¡±


    ¡°He had calculated the distance of his first strike; his attack could just mobilize the Six Harmonies Formation of the six Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestations, keeping a distance of a hundred meters between this spot and the Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ Dharma Manifestations.¡±


    ¡°A hundred meters, for a Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation, could be covered instantly, but this brief moment was all Patriarch Weng Zhao needed to escape.¡±


    ¡°Under the combined attack of the six Nascent Soul Ancestors, upon seeing the self-detonation of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Dharma Manifestation, they were all taken aback, having not expected Patriarch Weng Zhao to be so decisive to self-detonate right off the bat.¡±


    ¡°The power of the self-detonation forced them to strengthen their defenses, and they did not retreat for fear that Weng Zhao would flee.¡±


    ¡°¡®He¡¯s using Fire Escape!¡¯ Elder Zuo exclaimed in shock.¡±


    ¡°Without Elder Zuo having to say it, the other five Nascent Soul Ancestors had also noticed the flicker of vanishing flame beneath the explosion.¡±


    ¡°Then, within the burning Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, a ball of flame transformed into the figure of Patriarch Weng Zhao.¡±


    ¡°This figure appeared with no hesitation, and his Nascent Soul Emergence occurred suddenly, with the Nascent Soul carrying the body, transforming into a rainbow light and flying off into the distance.¡±


    ¡°Venerable Huike was the quickest to react. In such a moment, he could not maintain, nor did he need to maintain the Six Harmonies Formation; with ¡®A Step in Heaven¡¯, his Dharma Manifestation disappeared and his true form pursued the direction of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s escape.¡±


    ¡°The remaining five Nascent Soul Ancestors hastily retracted their Dharma Manifestations, each with an unsightly expression as they followed in pursuit.¡±


    ¡°The reason for their sullen looks was the feeling of being played by Patriarch Weng Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Each of these Nascent Soul Ancestors, on the Beishu Continent, stood at the pinnacle of power; when had they ever been toyed with by someone?¡±¡±


    ¡°Typically speaking, their arrangements were highly meticulous, leaving no room for error.¡±


    ¡°But with just a few breaths¡¯ time, Patriarch Weng Zhao had escaped from their supposedly impenetrable encirclement.¡±


    ¡°Patriarch Weng Zhao had, in effect, slapped them in the face. This was not just a slap to their faces but to the entire Beishu Continent, as Patriarch Weng Zhao was a Nascent Soul Ancestor from another land.¡±


    ¡°What was more frightening was, if Weng Zhao were to escape, after this battle, both sides would have completely torn their facades, and should Patriarch Weng Zhao launch indiscriminate attacks on the lands without restraint, given his cunning nature, the damage could be unimaginable.¡±


    And to find another opportunity to besiege him like this one, it¡¯s almost an impossible occurrence.


    Even if Patriarch Weng Zhao were dull, he wouldn¡¯t give them another chance. Once a Nascent Soul Ancestor becomes vigilant, no cultivator is able to track them down.


    Without the accurate information from Li Shiming¡¯s side, it would¡¯ve been impossible to encircle Patriarch Weng Zhao this time.


    In a six-on-one situation, they let Patriarch Weng Zhao escape. Once word of this gets out, they¡¯ll all become a laughingstock.


    Venerable Huike¡¯s ¡°Instant Miles¡± speed was extremely fast, and Patriarch Weng Zhao, supporting his body with his Nascent Soul, gradually fell behind Venerable Huike¡¯s ¡°Instant Miles.¡±


    The most important reason was that Patriarch Weng Zhao was carrying his body with his Nascent Soul. If the Nascent Soul flew alone, it could still get away from Venerable Huike.


    But how could Patriarch Weng Zhao possibly abandon his body? He kept changing directions to maintain the distance from Venerable Huike.


    Meanwhile, in his Nascent Soul¡¯s mouth, energy-transformed golden blood formed patterns.


    The golden blood was due to his injuries. Despite his composed escape from the siege of six Nascent Soul Ancestors, it came at no small cost.


    The self-destruction of his Nascent Soul Dharma Form caused considerable harm to the Nascent Soul. When he used Fire Escape, although the self-destruction of the Nascent Soul Dharma Form blocked most of the attacks from the six Nascent Soul Ancestors, some residual force still hit his body.


    That was the attack of six Nascent Soul Ancestors, and each one¡¯s strength was not much different from his.


    If it weren¡¯t for his use of Fire Escape, a joint attack by the six Nascent Soul Ancestors could have turned his body into mincemeat.


    The self-destruction of the Nascent Soul Dharma Form was the first injury, and the aftermath of the attack during the Fire Escape was the second. Arriving at the sea of fire at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, he discovered that the injuries to his body prevented him from using another Escape Skill.


    Therefore, he chose Nascent Soul Emergence, using it as a means of escape.


    As Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul gathered the pattern made of golden blood in its mouth, his heart bled too.


    Although the golden blood was shed by the injured Nascent Soul, as long as it didn¡¯t leave the body, it could be slowly reabsorbed to heal the Nascent Soul¡¯s wounds.


    But to use the golden blood to launch an attack is to consume the essence of the Nascent Soul. No matter what, he would be significantly weakened afterwards.


    Venerable Huike was like a relentless infection, and he had to deal with him. Once Venerable Huike caught up, even for a few breaths, he would be in big trouble.


    Venerable Huike kept using ¡°Instant Miles,¡± while Patriarch Weng Zhao in front was too cunning, always changing direction unexpectedly, preventing him from closing the distance.


    He wasn¡¯t in a rush, for the consumption of full-speed flight in Nascent Soul Emergence state was much greater for Patriarch Weng Zhao than for him.


    All he had to do was persist, and the first one to fail to keep up would be Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    With Patriarch Weng Zhao ahead and Venerable Huike behind, Venerable Huike stepped out with ¡°Instant Miles¡± at each step without thinking¡ªindeed it was impossible to think, instead relying entirely on instinct to use ¡°Instant Miles.¡±


    Just when Venerable Huike thought the chase would last for a long time, Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul suddenly paused.


    This abrupt pause made it impossible for Venerable Huike to stop the momentum of ¡°Instant Miles,¡± and he found himself close to Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul in one step.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul had already prepared its attack, and as it opened its mouth, a golden pattern flew out.


    Venerable Huike wanted to use ¡°Instant Miles¡± to dodge, but Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s combat experience was too rich. He timed it at a rhythm point, and Venerable Huike couldn¡¯t use ¡°Instant Miles¡± in that instant.


    Luckily, Venerable Huike always maintained his defense, and a Buddhist Ten Thousand Character Seal appeared in front of him.


    The golden pattern smashed heavily onto the Buddhist Ten Thousand Character Seal, and with a loud bang, Venerable Huike¡¯s body was thrown backward.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul seemed a bit more transparent. The attack he delivered also came with a great price, but as the preemptive attacker, he had anticipated this and used the recoil to flee into the distance at even greater speed.

 Chapter 587: 340: Trap

    Chapter 587: Chapter 340: Trap


    Li Shiming sat cross-legged inside a mountain peak about fifty miles away from the secret base of Skywalk Trading Company; it was a temporary cave dwelling he had dug out.


    One hundred and eight third-grade array flags were set by him within the cave dwelling, concealing its aura.


    At the moment, he was watching a live broadcast, featuring the grand battle of seven Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    He witnessed the fate of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, a force that had some reputation on the Beishu Continent.


    Compared to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple on the Sky Sea Island, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple of the Beishu Continent was significantly more powerful, not to mention the difference in size of the land they occupied.


    Although there was no Venerable in the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, there were many cultivators.


    Even such a force was no match in front of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t need to think too much, just by seeing that no cultivators were able to leave the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple from the start of the battle, and how the fire consumed the entire temple at an unimaginable speed, he could conclude that the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had been annihilated.


    During this process, aside from Patriarch Weng Zhao, no other Nascent Soul Ancestors had actually made a move against the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple; nevertheless, such a powerful force was utterly eradicated.


    ¡°This is the might of the Nascent Soul!¡± Although Li Shiming was not at the scene, through the drone satellite live broadcast, he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    The subsequent battle was incredibly fast, the energy reactions too severe, the drone satellites couldn¡¯t allow him to see the details of the battle.


    He only knew that the six Nascent Soul Ancestors had failed to stop Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s escape, which made Li Shiming scoff at the abilities of the Beishu Continent¡¯s six Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Of course, this disdain he only showed when he was alone; he wouldn¡¯t dare express it in front of another person.


    The status of Nascent Soul Ancestors in the Beishu Continent was immensely high, elevated almost to the level of myth.


    Next, he watched Patriarch Weng Zhao successfully evade Venerable Huike¡¯s pursuit and escape far away under the helpless watch of the six Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    However, as long as Patriarch Weng Zhao remained within the righteous forces¡¯ reach, he couldn¡¯t escape Li Shiming¡¯s tracking.


    He was already considering spreading the drone satellite system across the entire Beishu Continent in the future.


    The Ten Thousand Great Mountains were somewhat manageable, but the territories of the other two Demon Sects required his personal attendance, and with great formations in place, he needed to deliver the drone satellites himself for deployment.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul returned to his body, his complexion pale, and even his figure had thinned.


    The reason he looked thinner was due to internal injuries, as he had used a considerable amount of his energy to suppress his condition.


    Even though he had sustained serious injuries, his face was filled with a triumphant expression.


    The faces of the six Nascent Soul Ancestors must have been extremely unsightly; they almost had him trapped in a deadly siege while he was off guard, but he had managed to break free.


    Even though he had paid a significant price, managing to escape from the encirclement of six Nascent Soul Ancestors was enough to make him a legend among the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    He took out a jade scroll, which contained the map of the Beishu Continent.


    Having escaped in haste earlier, he had lost his sense of direction; he found his location on the map and chose a direction to fly again.


    His choice was naturally that secret base; he needed to enter seclusion to heal, and only there he could find the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein needed for his recovery.


    Without a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein, merely relying on healing Spirit Pills, his injuries could not heal quickly.


    Being on the Beishu Continent, after this battle, the six major sects would certainly search frantically for the remaining forces of Skywalk Trading Company.


    Although he was at the Nascent Soul Stage, having gone through this great battle, his injuries were quite severe and would take a long time to recuperate; any forced action would worsen his condition.


    He flew very cautiously, suppressing his cultivation base but by using some secret techniques, he was still able to detect the traces of other cultivators in advance.


    He actively avoided any encounters with other cultivators along the way.


    Thus, he reached the secret base uneventfully and entered the valley by activating the formation.


    Upon entering the hall, he immediately sensed something was amiss.


    There were no cultivators in the hall; it was possible that they were elsewhere and not here, but the spiritual energy inside the cave dwelling was abnormally weak.


    When he sensed the cave dwelling¡¯s conditions, he found that not a single cultivator was detectable within the areas he could sense.


    ¡°Has something happened here?¡± He quickly thought of leaving as soon as he realized something was wrong.


    But as he tried to leave, he found that the formation, which had been normal just moments ago, had shifted to a different sort.


    Of course, he could easily break through the formation here with a single strike.


    Li Shiming had never intended to use the cave dwelling¡¯s formation to trap a Nascent Soul Ancestor like Patriarch Weng Zhao; he merely wanted to delay him for a brief moment.


    As soon as Patriarch Weng Zhao entered the cave dwelling, Li Shiming had seen him through surveillance cameras and activated the explosives he had set up.


    Li Shiming wanted to give Patriarch Weng Zhao a surprise and also see if explosives were truly ineffective against a Nascent Soul Ancestor. The expansive cave dwelling, areas concealed by the formation, underground, above, and behind the four walls, any possible place to store explosives, were completely filled with explosives by him.


    This time, he had prepared high-explosive TNT; the cave dwelling was insanely filled with over two hundred tons of TNT explosives.

 Chapter 588: 340 Trap_2

    Chapter 588: Chapter 340 Trap_2


    This was because he had only manufactured so much TNT explosives, taking out all his stockpile for this one operation.


    Each kilogram of TNT could generate 4.2 million joules of energy; the terrifying power generated by the immediate explosion of more than two hundred tones of TNT was the largest explosive force that Li Shiming had ever detonated.


    Even for this explosion, he had set up sensors inside and outside his cave dwelling in order to collect data from the explosion.


    With this data combined with the reaction of Patriarch Weng Zhao, the threat effectiveness of TNT explosives against cultivators could be analyzed.


    Just as Patriarch Weng Zhao was preparing to break the formation, the explosion occurred. It was initiated from all directions at the same time, with many detonators triggered at the same moment under the precision control of an internal controller, remotely operated by his life-bound magical artifact IBMz15.


    The first thing Patriarch Weng Zhao did was to stimulate his Spiritual Power for defense; not sensing any spiritual power fluctuations, he didn¡¯t increase his alertness much to the explosion, but was cautiously guarding against any potential attacks that might follow the explosion.


    He believed that the explosion was just to catch his attention, and that the real threat would not come from an explosion with no spiritual power fluctuations.


    But when the explosion fully erupted, he realized he had underestimated the capabilities of ordinary objects.


    The instantaneous high temperature generated by the explosion engulfed him, the powerful shockwave squeezing against his body from all directions, though the toxic gases produced by the TNT had no effect on him.


    Flames surged on his body as he activated the fire body of his major cultivation technique, which would allow him to be mostly immune to the high-temperature damage.


    Intense shockwaves battered his spiritual power shield, and the frightful power shook his existing injuries, causing him to involuntarily spit out a mouthful of blood.


    The blood evaporated into mist in midair due to the high temperature and quickly disappeared.


    Li Shiming watched the power of the explosion via drone satellite.


    The explosion created a huge gap midway up the mountain where the cave dwelling was located, and because of gravity and the sheer size of the gap, the upper part of the mountain collapsed downward.


    Dust, debris, and soil flew about, blocking the view of the drone satellite.


    After some time, with the aid of strong winds, the dust was blown away, and the debris and soil also settled on the ground.


    ¡°Could it really have killed the Nascent Soul Ancestor?¡± Li Shiming stared at the footage from the drone satellite, incredulously muttering to himself.


    With the surveillance of the drone satellites, he could be certain that no one had escaped from the cave dwelling.


    Under such an explosion, he found it hard to imagine anyone surviving, let alone the additional pressure from half of the mountain collapsing on top, trapping everything within the cave dwelling.


    However, he didn¡¯t immediately go to check; he was waiting for the temperature at the explosion site to normalize before sending a drone in for a close-up inspection using infrared thermal imaging and a variety of other scans to first confirm whether Patriarch Weng Zhao was still alive.


    He was aware of his limitations; no matter what state Patriarch Weng Zhao was in, as long as he was alive, it wouldn¡¯t require his intervention, a mere thought could make him incapable of handling it.


    While he waited, a figure flew out from the ruins; a hole appeared on the debris-laden collapsed half of the mountain.


    Li Shiming confirmed via the drone satellite that this was indeed Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao was indeed still alive, not only had he survived the explosion, but he had also created a passage out under the crushing weight of half a mountain.


    Yet, at this moment, Patriarch Weng Zhao was somewhat disheveled, even more so than when he had been surrounded and attacked by six Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    His vestment robe was scorched in many areas, showing that even the clothing of a Nascent Soul Ancestor couldn¡¯t withstand the explosion.


    The vestment robe itself is a magic artifact, though few cultivators make their robes into spiritual artifacts as its primary function is not defense.


    The fabric of the robe, unless made from fourth-grade textile materials, could not be crafted into a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s artifact-grade vestment robe, and such material is too precious; if available, it would likely be used to craft other more useful magic artifacts first.


    In terms of defense, shield-type magic artifacts offer stronger protection and their materials are easier to find, making them the preferred choice among cultivators.


    The vestment robe on Patriarch Weng Zhao was made of third-grade materials, but it had not been refined into a magic artifact, only qualifying as a spiritual artifact, which did not allow it to remain unaffected by the explosion.


    The drone satellite was unable to closely inspect his condition; otherwise, it would have revealed that his eyebrows and hair were scorched to varying degrees.


    Traces of blood still lingered at the corners of his mouth, and his body was even thinner than before.


    Inside his body, his Nascent Soul was extremely languid, the sudden explosion having intensified his injuries significantly.


    The most troublesome issue was that the sanctuary where he could undergo closed-door cultivation was destroyed; this place was the only one on the Beishu Continent suitable for Nascent Soul cultivators to enter secluded cultivation. The remaining strongholds of Skywalk Trading Company on the Beishu Continent no longer had elemental veins suitable for the Nascent Soul stage.


    Moreover, Patriarch Weng Zhao no longer trusted those strongholds.


    This stronghold had been the most secretive one that Skywalk Trading Company maintained on the Beishu Continent, where only the most essential and crucial members of the company gathered.


    Yet, despite that, this stronghold had still been discovered.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao looked down at the ruins below. He was somewhat puzzled; this clearly wasn¡¯t the handiwork of a major sect.


    If a major sect had indeed discovered his hiding place, they wouldn¡¯t have used such methods but would have, as before, sent several Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Having learned from the last time he had escaped, it would be much more difficult for him to easily flee from the hands of several Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Now, severely injured and having escaped from the blasted cavern, he encountered no resistance.


    This suggested that the enemy only had the explosion at their disposal and lacked the strength to confront him, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.


    ¡°No matter who you are, I have noted today¡¯s events and will repay them in kind!¡± he declared, stimulating his Spiritual Power Pattern and speaking in a grave tone.


    His voice carried far, believing that the person who orchestrated the explosion was surely nearby, watching the scene.


    He did not search for them; he was currently suppressing his injuries, knowing he could not linger here.


    This place was still within the sensing range of the formations of major sects; having just revealed the realm of the Nascent Soul stage, it wouldn¡¯t be long before Nascent Soul Ancestors from a major sect would arrive.


    Li Shiming paid no heed to the words of Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    Merely a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, he was adept at covertly setting traps, but to face a Nascent Soul Ancestor directly was tantamount to seeking death.


    Being able to hear threats from Patriarch Weng Zhao was an honor for any Golden Core cultivator,


    because, if a Golden Core cultivator were an enemy to a Nascent Soul Ancestor, they would never hear such threats; a Nascent Soul Ancestor could easily crush a Golden Core cultivator with a flick of their hand.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s openly displayed helplessness was, to Li Shiming, an occasion for scornful amusement.


    This time, Patriarch Weng Zhao did not rely on his own ability to fly but took out a Flying Boat, which he boarded before it soared into the distance.


    This action stirred suspicion in Li Shiming; he had been monitoring Patriarch Weng Zhao for quite some time and had never seen him use a Flying Boat.


    The Flying Boat, being only a third-grade magic artifact, might be extremely valuable to a Golden Core cultivator, available only to the wealthy Golden Core Elders of major sects.


    ¡°Could he be severely injured?¡± Li Shiming thought, a suspicion arising in his mind, as he immediately began utilizing his lifeblood magic artifact, the IBMz15, to analyze the likelihood of Patriarch Weng Zhao suffering severe injuries based on his postures and movements.


    Meanwhile, drone satellites constantly monitored the movement of the Flying Boat; if Patriarch Weng Zhao was indeed severely injured, perhaps he could still give him a further surprise.


    As for reporting Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s whereabouts to the sect, allowing a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the sect to intervene, it had never crossed his mind.


    Reporting the whereabouts of a Nascent Soul Ancestor once could be seen as a coincidence. If he reported the whereabouts of a Nascent Soul Ancestor repeatedly, the Nascent Soul Ancestors across the Beishu Continent might start to form impressions about his abilities.

 Chapter 589: 341: Disturbance

    Chapter 589: Chapter 341: Disturbance


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s flying boat changed direction multiple times, finally stopping near a large mountain waterfall.


    He did not go to any stronghold but found this place devoid of any spiritual energy, planning to rest first and suppress his injuries.


    He no longer trusted the former strongholds of the Skywalk Trading Company, suspecting that Skywalk Trading Company had long been targeted on the Beishu Continent, hence every stronghold had been under surveillance.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t trust his own senses, as he hadn¡¯t detected anyone monitoring him, but the explosion at the secret stronghold made him realize he was definitely under surveillance.


    Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental that the moment he entered the cave, the Formation of the cave changed, followed immediately by the explosion?


    With a wave of his hand, Patriarch Weng Zhao released a red sword light from within his body, which carved out a temporary cave behind the waterfall.


    It was only in such an emergency situation that he would use a fourth-grade life-bound magical treasure to dig a temporary cave.


    The temporary cave was constructed in just over ten breaths¡¯ time. After entering the cave, he took out a Fourth-grade Array Plate and activated it, enveloping the cave with a Formation.


    A tired Patriarch Weng Zhao then took out a Pu¡¯er tea cake, a rare treasure that enhances cultivation speed and also aids in a bit of injury recovery when he was hurt.


    He sat cross-legged on the Pu¡¯er tea cake, took out a jade bottle, and swallowed a fourth-grade healing Spirit Pill.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s body was extremely powerful; harming it was very difficult, and consequently, recovery from injuries was even more difficult.


    This time, Patriarch Weng Zhao was gravely injured. The combined strike from six Nascent Soul Ancestors had forced him to detonate his Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation, and he had then endured a horrific explosive blast. Any of these injuries could have killed an ordinary cultivator countless times.


    Although he was still alive, his injuries had always been suppressed.


    If it weren¡¯t for finding himself in the enemy-encircled environment of the Beishu Continent, he would have long sought a secluded place to heal.


    Now, the more he delayed, the more trouble his injuries became.


    He slowly closed his eyes; his internal spiritual energy began to circulate, a red flame rising from within his body to help activate the medical power of the healing Spirit Pill.


    Inside his body, the tiny Nascent Soul did the same, its small face filled with solemnity.


    Li Shiming appeared five hundred Baili away from the waterfall. Based on the analysis of Weng Zhao¡¯s body posture and behavior through his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15, there was a very high chance that Weng Zhao was severely injured.


    Having seen Weng Zhao dig out a temporary cave, he guessed that Weng Zhao was preparing to heal.


    However, he didn¡¯t want Weng Zhao to have the chance to heal. The stronger the cultivation realm of a cultivator, the less susceptible they are to injuries, and the more severe the consequences after being injured.


    After thinking it over, he released three Peak Iron Corpses, each a Three-headed and Six-armed Peak Iron Corpse.


    These three Iron Corpses had endured prolonged lightning attacks within the Corpses Refining space of his Space Ring, greatly enhancing their resistance to lightning.


    When he was at the Foundation Establishment stage, the Three-headed and Six-armed Peak Iron Corpses were of help to him, but after he became a Golden Core cultivator, their usefulness had greatly diminished.


    Especially after he had slain many Golden Core cultivators at the secret stronghold of the Skywalk Trading Company, obtaining numerous Golden Core Stage bodies, he could refine more corpses any time, even directly creating Silver Corpses from Golden Core Stage bodies.


    Of course, Li Shiming did not plan for the Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses to die; he had a plan, and there was still a possibility for these Iron Corpses to survive.


    He divided his brain into three, controlling each of the Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses, each carrying a storage bag.


    The three Iron Corpses raced forward, this sprinting proving to be even faster than their flying ability.


    At thirty Baili away from the waterfall, the three Iron Corpses stopped.


    Completely controlled by Li Shiming, each Iron Corpse fetched a cannon from their storage bags.


    The cannon was a type of long-range artillery with considerable power. Created by Li Shiming based on data repositories, it was an achievement of research from his previous life.


    Such research achievements were all stored inside the Mustard Seed Ring in the machine room space, considered as collectibles that marked his accomplishments.


    The three cannons, devoid of any cultivation techniques, saw the Iron Corpses¡¯ six arms, under Li Shiming¡¯s control, deftly loading the explosive shells into the cannon, a job requiring multiple people comfortably handled by a single Iron Corpse.


    Li Shiming had no illusions that three cannons would achieve any significant military results; this was simply impossible.


    Unless he could combine heavy artillery with cultivation techniques to develop a type of artillery and shells against cultivators, such cannons were nothing more than playthings for a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    With precise calculations from his life-bound treasure IBMz15, the three cannons, adjusted by the Iron Corpses, were immediately fired.


    Three explosive shells traveled thirty Baili and heavily struck the waterfall, seemingly causing rocks to fly, but in reality, they did not even shake the Formation of the temporary cave at all.


    Yet such an attack still alerted Patriarch Weng Zhao. He was forced to cease the operation of his cultivation technique, causing his slightly recovered complexion to worsen once again.


    By disrupting the healing process, not only did his injuries fail to recover much, but the abrupt cessation also caused his injuries to worsen.

 Chapter 590: 341: Disturbance_2

    Chapter 590: Chapter 341: Disturbance_2


    This place had been discovered; he could not possibly still have the inclination to stay here and continue healing.


    With a wave of his hand, he retracted his important items and swiftly left the cave residence. He saw the damaged surroundings, his gaze then wandering to the distance.


    He had previously sensed the trajectory of the cannon¡¯s attack; even in his current predicament, he did not flee immediately but instead flew towards the direction of the attack.


    ¡°I want to see who is tracking me, and what means are they using?¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao whispered.


    He acted extremely cautiously on his way, but still someone had found his hiding place. If he did not find the tracker, he would not be able to rest easy.


    Moreover, the attack used by the opponent was extremely weak in power, which made him realize that it was not a formidable entity.


    If it had been a Nascent Soul Ancestor, knowing that he was injured, they would either have summoned more Nascent Soul Ancestors or come themselves to take advantage of his weakened state. Why would they resort to such unsubstantial methods?


    Having covered thirty miles in a short time, Patriarch Weng Zhao arrived and saw three Iron Corpses packing up some peculiar mundane items.


    ¡°Showing your head but hiding your tail¡ªwatch as I destroy your Corpse Refining!¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao fumed inwardly. He did not find his tracker here, only the three Iron Corpses, which made him feel insulted yet again.


    To a Nascent Soul Ancestor, Iron Corpses, equating to the Foundation Establishment Stage, were less than ants.


    Yet it was these very creatures that had disturbed his healing process, worsening his conditions.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao dared not display the power of the Nascent Soul Stage as that would trigger Formation senses spread all over the continent. Besides, he did not need to use his Nascent Soul strength against the three Iron Corpses.


    Advancing towards the three Iron Corpses, three fireballs appeared in front of him.


    Just as he was about to make a move, the aura of the three Iron Corpses abruptly changed, and three clusters of thunder clouds appeared in the sky.


    The thunder clouds appeared quite mysteriously. There had been no sign before, but they appeared in an instant.


    ¡°Heavenly Tribulation!¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao stabilized himself; he was almost lured into the Golden Core Heavenly Tribulation of the Iron Corpses.


    Had he not been injured before, such a Golden Core Heavenly Tribulation would not have concerned him at all. However, being injured, any intense external stimulus could worsen his injuries.


    The three Iron Corpses all turned towards Patriarch Weng Zhao, then each of them applied a ¡®Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talisman¡¯ on themselves.


    These three ¡®Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talismans¡¯ were still compensation given to him from Qianye Temple; these Buddha-affiliated, Golden Core stage life-saving talismans were likely only something Li Shiming would be so lavish with.


    The usage of them on the three Iron Corpses was merely to enhance their speed for a short period.


    A Buddha¡¯s golden light emerged on the bodies of the Iron Corpses, making them seem holy as they lunged at Patriarch Weng Zhao, completely disregarding the imminent approach of their Golden Core Heavenly Tribulation.


    They were undeterred, but Patriarch Weng Zhao was concerned. If the three Iron Corpses were to truly pounce on him, with his defensive power, he did not need to worry about the Iron Corpses being able to harm him.


    However, the three Heavenly Thunders would treat Patriarch Weng Zhao as someone aiding the Iron Corpses in their tribulation, thus including him as a target for attack.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao no longer had the intention to annihilate the three Iron Corpses. He realized that these three Iron Corpses had been set up to be sacrificial lambs.


    No matter whether he killed them or not, in this state, without any Formation¡¯s help, the probability of the Iron Corpses successfully transcending the tribulation was extremely small. Failing the Heavenly Tribulation meant destruction.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao turned and ran. It was likely that if any Cultivator from the Cultivation World saw this scene, their jaws would drop.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor, scared off by three Iron Corpses.


    However, with the ¡®Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talisman¡¯ used, the three Iron Corpses were extremely fast. Patriarch Weng Zhao, while suppressing his cultivation, was actually somewhat slower.


    This couldn¡¯t be blamed on Patriarch Weng Zhao, who, being injured, couldn¡¯t mobilize his full strength, and suppressing his cultivation level left him with only the power of the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    The ¡°Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talisman¡± was ultimately a talisman from Qianye Temple meant to preserve disciple¡¯s lives, its sole purpose being speed, unleashing extreme velocity within a short period of time.


    Just as the three Iron Corpses were about to catch up to Patriarch Weng Zhao, a sudden increase in the aura on Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s body revealed a trace of his suppressed cultivation level, and his speed increased significantly, quickly leaving the three Iron Corpses far behind.


    At the same moment Patriarch Weng Zhao displayed the aura of a Nascent Soul, the great Formation detected the Nascent Soul aura and alerted the six major sects.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao understood this, so even after revealing his Nascent Soul power, he did not waste any time in destroying the three Iron Corpses.


    A casual strike took precious time for him; he could not afford to risk his survival on three nearly doomed Iron Corpses.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s speed increased, and he quickly fled into the distance.


    The three Iron Corpses turned and flew in another direction.


    At that time, the effect of the ¡°Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talisman¡± still persisted on them, so they covered a hundred-mile distance in an instant with their speed.


    They rushed to a flat area that had been prepared with three Formations in advance, and the three Iron Corpses charged into the Formations.


    No sooner had they stopped in the Formation than three bolts of Heavenly Thunder fell from the void, striking each of the three Iron Corpses.


    The terrifying Heavenly Thunder instantly turned the surface of the three Iron Corpses into charred remains, and countless tiny bolts of lightning invaded the insides of the Iron Corpses, continuously destroying everything within, even surrounding the Corpses¡¯ Corpse Pills with lightning.


    Li Shiming did not look at the condition of the three Iron Corpses; although monitoring Weng Zhao¡¯s flight into the distance through the unmanned satellite system, he could not guarantee that Weng Zhao had no other means or might turn back to check.


    He had prepared everything necessary for the Iron Corpses¡¯ advancement; over many days, he had used a considerable amount of third-grade Corpse Refining Material on them.


    However, to make the promotion of the Iron Corpses more stable, he initially planned to have the Iron Corpses prepare for several more months before considering their advancement.


    Had it not been for dealing with Patriarch Weng Zhao, he would not have had the three Iron Corpses break through prematurely.


    If he hadn¡¯t let the three Iron Corpses enter the state of advancement, it¡¯s likely that Patriarch Weng Zhao wouldn¡¯t have spared the three Iron Corpses. Given the strength of the three Iron Corpses, they stood no chance of withstanding an attack from Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    By putting them in a do-or-die situation, Li Shiming¡¯s plan was analyzed using his life-bound magical item, IBM z15. Though seemingly extremely dangerous, the success rate was still very high.


    Indeed, the three Iron Corpses were safely preserved, now it remained to be seen whether they could withstand the Heavenly Tribulation.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao had not revealed his Nascent Soul aura for long, and after getting rid of the three Iron Corpses, he quickly resumed using secret techniques to conceal his Nascent Soul aura.


    He sensed the distant Heavenly Thunders and couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked by the cultivator controlling this affair.


    It appeared the other party knew he was severely injured and sought to worsen his injury through the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation of the three Iron Corpses.


    The death of the three Iron Corpses also meant harm to their master, and, in his judgment, the opponent was at best a Golden Core cultivator, with three Peak Iron Corpses, especially unusual Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses, which were not easy to cultivate.


    For the sake of worsening his injuries, the other party had paid such a price.


    ¡°Could it be the bald monks from Qianye Temple?¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao thought of the golden Buddhist light previously seen on the three Iron Corpses. Such Buddhist talismans for preservation, if one appeared by accident it could be a coincidence, but three appearing at once strongly suggested they were from Qianye Temple.


    Life-preserving talismans are extremely precious in any sect, and only core disciples within the sect possess such a talisman.


    For one cultivator to have three such talismans indicates that the cultivator is among the most central and favored disciples, and the sect would highly prioritize that cultivator¡¯s safety.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao also thought of Venerable Huike, who had been the most proactive when six Nascent Soul Ancestors surrounded him.


    This was something he could easily sense, and he believed even more strongly that those tracking him were from Qianye Temple.

 Chapter 591: 342: Tracking

    Chapter 591: Chapter 342: Tracking


    Within the three Corpse Refining Arrays, three completely charred corpses lay immobile.


    Their master, Li Shiming, was Baili away, yet his face was adorned with a look of surprise.


    The Golden Core Thunder Tribulation had passed, and although the three corpses appeared pitiable, significant changes were occurring within their bodies.


    As their master, Li Shiming sensed that all three corpses were alive.


    It seemed that the vast resources he had consumed had not been wasted, as he now had the power of three Silver Corpses.


    One of the corpses twitched slightly, and as it moved, the charred exterior fell away, revealing the silver skin beneath.


    The other two corpses also began to move, their bodies flickering with silver light.


    Inside them, the Corpse Pill formed, becoming their new source of power.


    They stood up, waved their hands over the ground to gather the materials used for the formation, and then soared into the air.


    Flying had become an instinct for the Silver Corpses, and their speed had greatly increased.


    Li Shiming was now certain that Patriarch Weng Zhao had no intention of returning. He gathered the formation beside him and flew to meet the three Silver Corpses.


    He took the three Silver Corpses into the Corpse Refining Space where the three Silver Corpses could stabilize their realms.


    He couldn¡¯t stay here anymore. When Patriarch Weng Zhao had revealed his Nascent Soul Aura earlier, Li Shiming had also sensed that terrifying aura.


    It seemed that the six major sects had already discovered Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s whereabouts. Regardless of whether Patriarch Weng Zhao was still there, the six major sects would send cultivators to check.


    Lotuses appeared beneath Li Shiming¡¯s feet, and he vanished from the spot, reappearing within a shadow.


    The ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± activated, and he became invisible within the shadow, even the lotuses beneath his feet disappearing.


    Remaining invisible within various shadows, he used ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to follow the direction Patriarch Weng Zhao had left in.


    He dared not get too close. He maintained a distance of several hundred Baili from Patriarch Weng Zhao, never once looking in his direction, and his mind was also empty, refusing to think about Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    This time, Patriarch Weng Zhao flew a full ten thousand Baili before finding a temporary place to stay.


    Instead of choosing a peak, he sat cross-legged within a Fourth Grade Plate Array he had set up on a flat ground, without even digging out a cave dwelling.


    He did not immediately commence healing, not wanting to experience another interruption during the process.


    Feeling the injuries within his body, he looked at his resources with some helplessness.


    As a Nascent Soul Ancestor, he had prepared two Fourth-Grade Healing Spirit Pills for emergencies, never actually expecting to use them one day.


    He was very confident in his strength. Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat an opponent, a Nascent Soul Ancestor who wanted to flee would be unstoppable by anyone.


    Yet this time, he was injured. After taking one Fourth-Grade Healing Spirit Pill, he thought his condition would improve.


    But due to the healing process being disturbed, the effect of that Fourth-Grade Healing Spirit Pill was not as good as he had initially assessed, and now only one pill remained while his injuries were far from what a single Fourth-Grade Healing Spirit Pill could heal.


    He needed Fourth-Grade healing resources, a safe environment with a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein, and an undisturbed retreat.


    In the past, such requirements were easily met. As a Supreme Minister of Skywalk Trading Company, he had the authority to utilize some resources of the company, and Fourth-Grade resources were prioritized for him.


    Now, such ordinary requirements had become a luxury.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao waited for two hours, but found no signs of an attack, and he let out a sigh of relief.


    He took the last Fourth-Grade Healing Spirit Pill, began to operate his Cultivation Technique to more quickly distribute the medicinal power throughout his body, and simultaneously mediated his Spiritual Power to heal the injuries.


    Since there was no Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein, he was using entirely the energy of the Fourth-Grade Healing Spirit Pill and his own Spiritual Power. Such healing actually weakened his own strength, but he had to do it to treat his injuries.


    Li Shiming still stopped Baili away from Patriarch Weng Zhao, setting up the same arrangement again.


    The three Iron Corpses were also of peak-level, Three-headed and Six-armed Iron Corpses. Holding three storage bags, they rushed to a position thirty Baili from Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    The Iron Corpses took out cannons, adjusting the firing data calculated by their life-bound treasure, IBMz15.


    The life-bound treasure IBMz15 created a dossier for Patriarch Weng Zhao, which contained all information about Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    This information dated to the first time Patriarch Weng Zhao was surveilled, with all his behavior and gathered details recorded.


    Particularly, the analysis of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s psychological activities was the most critical.


    Because of this dossier, Li Shiming did not launch an attack immediately, but waited until the life-bound treasure IBMz15 indicated the optimal time to strike.


    After Patriarch Weng Zhao had stopped for two hours, Li Shiming commanded the three Iron Corpses to bombard his location.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao, who was in the middle of his healing process, still kept part of his awareness on the outside world.


    He did this only because he was in an unsafe place.


    To facilitate healing to the utmost, it would be best to devote all his attention to the process, achieving the best healing effect.


    Not just for healing, but even during regular cultivation, a cultivator needs to focus completely. Any distraction would affect the cultivation results.

 Chapter 592: 342: Tracking_2

    Chapter 592: Chapter 342: Tracking_2


    However, Patriarch Weng Zhao had no other choice, as he was now in the darkest time of his life, located on the Beishu Continent without any support. Enemies were everywhere, and he had to be cautious at all times.


    After waiting for two hours without an enemy attack, he thought it was safe and began to heal his injuries. However, it was only a moment later that he felt a familiar attack landing on the Formation of the Fourth-grade Array Plate.


    Even though he guessed that the attacker didn¡¯t have the power to break the Fourth-grade Array Plate, he also knew that the attacker lacked the courage to face him directly.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to gamble. If by chance the attacker informed the six major sects of his location, what he would face would not just be a disturbance.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao once again interrupted his healing, nearly causing him to vomit blood, as his last Fourth-grade Healing Spirit Pill was also wasted.


    The power of the Fourth-grade Healing Spirit Pill was working within his body, but forcibly interrupting the healing process worsened his injury slightly. The medicine was only able to prevent his condition from deteriorating; without his cultivation aiding the process, it wasn¡¯t much help for a Nascent Soul Stage injury.


    He harbored great anger in his heart, along with bursts of chill.


    The anger stemmed from being constantly toyed with by the same person, who he was helpless against, and he didn¡¯t even know who it was.


    The chill came from being found by the same person once again. The reason he knew it was still that person and not someone else who discovered him was due to the bombardment attack from outside.


    Such an attack had no fluctuations of spiritual power, yet its force was comparable to a strike from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, yet it was the force of common items exploding.


    Even though Patriarch Weng Zhao had seen much, only on the Beishu Continent had he ever witnessed such powerful common objects.


    He put away the Fourth-grade Array Plate. This round of cannon fire hadn¡¯t caused much damage; protected by the Fourth-grade Array Plate, the shrapnel from the three exploding shells was all repelled after hitting the formation.


    He flew toward the direction from which the artillery had come, only to see three Iron Corpses.


    The three-headed and six-armed, distinctly characterized Iron Corpses, would have made him think they were the same three corpses he knew had undergone the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation, had he not known whether they were alive or had failed¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be the current three chasing him again.


    These weren¡¯t the same three corpses, but the implication was the same: the person tracking him used the same method again to disrupt his healing process.


    He even felt as if someone could see through him; having waited a full two hours without an attack, it came right when he began healing.


    He couldn¡¯t help but check his body to see if anything was left on him for monitoring.


    He quickly shook his head. His robe had been replaced due to the explosion; how could anything be left?


    Moreover, with his power, if someone could indeed leave something on him in silence without his notice, then harming him wouldn¡¯t be difficult for that person.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao looked at the three Iron Corpses and hadn¡¯t even made a move on them when a promotional aura was triggered. Three clusters of thunderclouds appeared in the sky.


    This time he didn¡¯t even consider approaching and turned to escape without the slightest hesitation.


    He didn¡¯t know that these three Iron Corpses didn¡¯t have the ¡®Buddha Light Thousand-mile Talisman¡¯; if it was like last time, the life-saving talisman in use was from other sects.


    He would then know that these Iron Corpses were not from the disciples of Qianye Temple but rather someone else.


    The three Iron Corpses didn¡¯t pursue. Without using the life-saving talisman, the Iron Corpses couldn¡¯t match the speed of Patriarch Weng Zhao suppressed to the Golden Core Stage.


    The three Iron Corpses changed direction and entered the Corpse Refining Array that had been prepared in advance with the highest speed.


    Once again, it was proven that, with a substantial investment of resources, there would be returns.


    In the cultivation world, resources are the most important; with resources, power will increase.


    The three Iron Corpses also withstood the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation and became Silver Corpses.


    Li Shiming, through significant investment in corpse-refining resources, received a gratifying return; six Iron Corpses had been promoted to Silver Corpses without a single failure.


    This was quite normal; considering the resources for corpse-refining he consumed, the resources used on one Iron Corpse would be enough for other cultivators to refine five or more Peak Iron Corpses.


    This difference in resources is what differentiates the success rate of advancing to a Peak Iron Corpse.


    Li Shiming had put away the three Silver Corpses, and by this time, the sky had already begun to darken, and the drone satellite had switched to infrared thermal imaging.


    Perhaps because Patriarch Weng Zhao was severely injured, he did not use the secret technique to isolate heat, making him even more cautious this time.


    He constantly changed directions and, despite the injuries inside his body, used the Invisibility Secret Method.


    But what he did not know was that the heat from his Nascent Soul Body betrayed his location. Although the drone satellite¡¯s accuracy for thermal imaging was not high, the strong heat from a Nascent Soul Body was very clear from the high altitude.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao, not knowing how Li Shiming was tracking him, even traveled through multiple cities and continually changed his clothes and appearance to shake off the pursuit.


    He never imagined that he would be pursued so desperately one day.


    This feeling of having power but nowhere to use it, knowing that there is an enemy but unable to find them, almost drove him mad.


    Rushing around in the middle of the night, he once again found a place to rest for a while.


    It was not that he wanted to rest but that his injuries necessitated it.


    Since getting injured, he had been continuously suppressing his injuries, and the secret techniques used for suppressing them did not mean that the injuries could be ignored; they came at a cost.


    The longer he suppressed his injuries, the greater the price he would have to pay later.


    If he did not find a place to rest and recuperate soon, he feared that his conditions might deteriorate to a critical state.


    Just as he had stopped, he sensed a faint Fake Infant energy manifesting, which then disappeared.


    He was suddenly alarmed. The Fake Infant energy was extremely weak, much like the presence of a Fake Infant Body without the actual energy of a Fake Infant, but the existence of a Fake Infant Body meant there was a False Infant Cultivator nearby.


    Moreover, this suddenly appearing and disappearing Fake Infant energy was very likely targeting him.


    A False Infant Cultivator¡¯s combat ability was much inferior to that of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, but that depended on the circumstances. Patriarch Weng Zhao, being severely injured, could defeat a False Infant Cultivator without much difficulty, but it would come at the cost of aggravating his own injuries.


    His body could no longer withstand intense combat, and he could not even mobilize more spiritual power, as doing so would affect his injuries.


    This aura of the Nascent Soul Body naturally resulted from Li Shiming releasing the Fake Infant Body from the control room space.


    Upon realizing that Patriarch Weng Zhao intended to stop, Li Shiming thought of this method.


    He no longer considered bombarding with the Iron Corpse as he had before. According to the profile set up for Patriarch Weng Zhao by his life-bound magic treasure IBMz15, if he pressed in the same way as before, Patriarch Weng Zhao might act rashly without regard to consequences.


    Thus, Li Shiming opted to use the presence of the Fake Infant Body to frighten Patriarch Weng Zhao, a method that was evidently very effective.


    The newly stopped Patriarch Weng Zhao moved again, continuing to flee without stopping to rest.


    While all the forces of the Righteous Path across the Beishu Continent were searching for traces of Patriarch Weng Zhao, nobody imagined that this Nascent Soul Ancestor, who had escaped from the hands of six other Nascent Soul Ancestors, was being chased across the continent by Li Shiming, a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator.


    In one night, the pursuit did not cease.


    As dawn broke, Patriarch Weng Zhao felt extremely exhausted, more so than he would have felt even after fighting with a Nascent Soul Ancestor all night long.


    Beneath his severe injuries, he continuously tried to elude the pursuit, but the cultivator behind him clung like a chronic disease, impossible to shake off.


    What frustrated Patriarch Weng Zhao the most was that no matter how he tried to lure, he could not make the pursuing cultivator reveal himself; the pursuer simply kept him on a leash.


    By the latter part of the night, the Fake Infant energy would occasionally appear; whenever Patriarch Weng Zhao tried to rest, the Fake Infant energy would manifest, informing him of a change in the strength of his followers and making it even riskier for Patriarch Weng Zhao to stop.

 Chapter 593: 343: Success

    Chapter 593: Chapter 343: Success


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s head ached terribly, a feeling he had rarely experienced since he began his cultivation.


    He had completely lost his way, which was unimaginable for cultivators, especially for those at the Nascent Soul Stage.


    But under the circumstances, it was quite normal for him.


    All he could think about was evading the pursuers behind him, no longer caring where he was heading, as long as he did not intrude into the formidable Formation separating the righteous and demonic forces. The rest of the areas belonged to the Righteous Path, and to him, they were all the same.


    He had no friends anywhere, and if discovered, everyone would be his enemy.


    As he brooded, he sensed two Golden Core cultivators appearing ahead.


    A fierce light flashed through Weng Zhao¡¯s eyes as he identified the two Golden Core stage cultivators as Arhats. In the Buddhist Sect, Golden Core cultivators are addressed as Arhats to highlight the distinction from the Taoist and demonic paths.


    He took out a map from his Jade Scroll, checked the terrain, and realized he was nearing the thousand-mile perimeter of Qianye Temple.


    Needless to say, these two Arhats belonged to Qianye Temple. Weng Zhao guessed that the person tracking him was likely a cultivator from Qianye Temple, which would explain why he acted the way he did upon seeing the temple¡¯s Arhats.


    He observed the two Arhats and a thought flickered in his mind.


    He did not intend to kill the two Arhats but did not plan to let them go either.


    His figure flashed and appeared beside the two Arhats. Since this place was near Qianye Temple, what seemed like a vast distance was actually negligible for someone like Venerable Huike, who possessed the Divine Foot Skill, to cover swiftly.


    Thus, Weng Zhao only exerted his Golden Core Stage strength, but the secret techniques and his capabilities beyond mere cultivation were far beyond what the ordinary Arhats could compare.


    The moment he appeared, two fireballs launched from his hands struck the Arhats, whose defensive talismans failed to activate in time and were hit by the fireballs.


    The Arhats felt their bodies searing with intense heat. Their Golden Cores could not mobilize any energy, and they were unable to move the slightest bit.


    After striking, Weng Zhao instantly knew the outcome; the Arhats were not dead, but the flames had entered their bodies, leaving their lives hanging by his whim.


    He turned and walked away but stopped five miles from the Arhats.


    He hesitated slightly, but then made up his mind.


    He needed to lure the tracking person to appear. If that person indeed belonged to Qianye Temple, they would certainly come to save the Arhats.


    Even if the trackers were not from Qianye Temple, he had prepared an even greater bait for them.


    He took out a Fourth-grade Array Plate, activated it, and sat inside the Formation.


    He slowly closed his eyes, and a tiny figure burst out from the top of his head¡ªthe figure was his Nascent Soul.


    Once the Nascent Soul emerged, it did not cause much fluctuation in the aura since it was too close to Qianye Temple, and he did not want to draw the attention of the temple¡¯s Venerables. Therefore, he concealed his Nascent Soul¡¯s aura with a secret technique.


    In its hands, the Nascent Soul held a fire-red Longsword, which was indeed his life-bound magical treasure.


    His Nascent Soul was not a False Infant; a real Nascent Soul could carry magical treasures, though the treasures that a Nascent Soul could utilize depended on the cultivator¡¯s realm.


    With Weng Zhao¡¯s cultivation level, his Nascent Soul could only carry his life-bound magical treasure.


    But that was enough. Holding a fourth-grade life-bound magical treasure Longsword and considering the speed of the Nascent Soul, unless he encountered a Nascent Soul Ancestor, he could easily slay anyone. Most crucially, he was confident that the enemy, if they came within a certain distance, could not escape the Nascent Soul¡¯s speed.


    Furthermore, should there be any disturbance from Qianye Temple, it was only a distance of several miles; his Nascent Soul could instantly return to his physical body, giving him ample time to escape.


    His second bait was his own physical body. He left his physical body there; if the False Infant Cultivator also arrived, his Nascent Soul, wielding the fourth-grade life-bound magical treasure Longsword, could strike from the sidelines and instantly kill the False Infant Cultivator.


    Whether it was the False Infant Cultivator or another tracker, with the protection of the fourth-grade Array Plate, his physical body need not worry.


    Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul cast several spells toward his physical body, concealing its aura as well.


    Exiting the Array Plate¡¯s Formation, the Nascent Soul positioned itself between his physical body and the two injured Arhats, a mere two miles from either spot.


    The trap was set, and knowing the pursuer¡¯s speed, he knew they would arrive soon. Like a hunter, the Nascent Soul awaited its prey to fall into the trap.


    Li Shiming had an aerial drone satellite system, which clearly captured Weng Zhao¡¯s movements. Seeing the tiny Nascent Soul fly out of the Formation, he immediately understood what Weng Zhao intended to do.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile, seemingly realizing that his earlier use of Qianye Temple¡¯s life-saving talisman had caused some misunderstanding in Weng Zhao.


    He faced two choices: one was to ignore Weng Zhao, whose Nas...

 Chapter 594: 343: Success_2

    Chapter 594: Chapter 343: Success_2


    He didn¡¯t transform the body of the Nascent Soul Ancestor into his own combat force, but merely possessing a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s body for research could make his cultivation goals much clearer.


    The Nascent Soul Stage is the ultimate goal for all cultivators, at least on the Beishu Continent.


    Li Shiming acknowledged that he couldn¡¯t resist such a lure; he also had his reliance, it wasn¡¯t just pure greed.


    He changed his direction and took a big detour to reach the original location of Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    Thinking of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s action of severely wounding two Arhats to set a trap, Li Shiming changed into a cloak with a hood, covering his entire body including his head.


    This cloak was a Spiritual Artifact, with the ability to block Divine Thought probes.


    This was originally a Spiritual Artifact designed by various auction houses in the Cultivation World to protect the privacy of their clients. Although it was merely a Spiritual Artifact, after years of development, this type of single-function Spiritual Artifact could now rival a treasure in its ability to block Divine Thought probes.


    He then summoned three Iron Corpses and three cannons, this time setting the cannons at a distance of fifty miles.


    The shells were also very special, with ¡®Thunder Cloud Talismans¡¯ placed inside the warheads.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t know if the ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯ could harm the Nascent Soul, but Patriarch Weng Zhao was seriously injured; at the very least, the ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯ could be used to harass the opponent.


    He was already proficient in using Iron Corpses. Since Patriarch Weng Zhao dared not get close to the Iron Corpses who could possibly enter promotion status and endure the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation at any moment, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the Iron Corpses being destroyed.


    Besides, he had now discovered the best method to upgrade Iron Corpses to Silver Corpses. Given enough time, he had the capability to cultivate more Silver Corpses, so he didn¡¯t need to feel sorry for the three Iron Corpses.


    ¡°Finally, it¡¯s here!¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul sensed the incoming shells, aimed not at his original body but positioned between the two Arhats and his original body, right above the Nascent Soul.


    He didn¡¯t know that it was Li Shiming¡¯s intention to save the two Arhats using this method to block him from getting to his original body.


    Or if Li Shiming had discovered the existence of the Nascent Soul and deliberately used this method to attack the Nascent Soul.


    While he was thinking, the shells had already approached closely.


    Immediately, he sensed a different feeling from the shells; as they neared the Nascent Soul, there was an evident fluctuation of Spiritual Power.


    Thunder clouds gathered, almost making him think it was another Iron Corpse undergoing Heavenly Tribulation. However, he soon realized it was the Third Grade Technique ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯.


    The Heavenly Thunder induced by the ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯ was not the same as the Heavenly Thunder of the Heavenly Tribulation.


    The Heavenly Thunder of the Heavenly Tribulation was a transformation of the Heaven and Earth Rules, whereas the ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯s Heavenly Thunder was just ordinary lightning.


    If Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul had not been injured, he genuinely wouldn¡¯t fear this ordinary lightning, but he was indeed injured. After considering, he moved toward the direction of the two injured Arhats.


    This was his choice, as he believed that Li Shiming¡¯s target was very likely to save the two Arhats.


    Besides, even if his judgment was wrong, a distance of about five miles, the Nascent Soul could almost reach instantly.


    Just as he arrived near the two injured Arhats, he sensed a bit of Spiritual Power fluctuation coming from the direction of his original body.


    Normally, he shouldn¡¯t have discovered it only at this moment. With his strength, even if the other party used some Secret Technique to hide, he could have found them from a much greater distance.


    But the influence generated by the ¡®Thunder Cloud Skill¡¯ impaired his sensing ability a lot. With his realm being suppressed, he couldn¡¯t reach the perceptual ability of the Nascent Soul Stage.


    ¡°Found you!¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao didn¡¯t get angry from being deceived; instead, excitement flashed through his eyes.


    He had felt extremely stifled recently, with Li Shiming hanging behind him like a ghost, continuously causing him troubles, and yet he had been unable to locate Li Shiming.


    Now, Li Shiming had finally revealed himself, and judging by his perception, this was a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, not an Iron Corpse or Silver Corpse.


    ¡°Divine Foot Skill, it really is a bald monk from Qianye Temple!¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao then sensed that Li Shiming was using the Divine Foot Skill ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯.


    A white lotus appeared beside a Fourth-grade Array Plate, and Li Shiming¡¯s figure appeared simultaneously with the white lotus, his Divine Thought opening a pathway on the Formation of the Fourth-grade Array Plate.


    According to Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s idea, this fourth-grade Array Plate could at least block Li Shiming for a while.


    Even for the strongest Array Master, breaking through a fourth-grade Array Plate was not an easy task.


    However, this did not include Li Shiming, whose life-bound magical artifact, the IBMz15, had unimaginable computing power, not to mention that this was just an Array Plate, not a complete Formation set by an Array Master.


    As soon as Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought made contact with the Formation, he grasped the spiritual power circuits of the Formation. He used the most brute force method of cracking it, forcibly altering the spiritual power routes of several Formation nodes with his Divine Thought.


    He had long known that Patriarch Weng Zhao possessed a fourth-grade Array Plate, and although he had not approached to inspect it when Weng Zhao had set it up previously, he had mentally prepared and had already maximized the computing power of his life-bound magical artifact, IBMz15, before getting close to the Formation.


    So, in the end, as he used ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to approach the fourth-grade Array Plate, his figure merely paused slightly before he entered the Formation.


    Upon entering the Formation, Shiming immediately saw the motionless body of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s true self.


    Since this Nascent Soul Body had been sealed by Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s own Nascent Soul with a binding technique, the aura of the Nascent Soul Body was suppressed within his body.


    Therefore, even though he was facing a Nascent Soul Body this time, it did not suppress him to the extent that he had experienced when facing the Fake Infant Body previously.


    Perhaps if Patriarch Weng Zhao had not sealed the aura of the Nascent Soul Body, it might have caused Li Shiming to waste a bit more time. Now, as Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought swept over the Nascent Soul Body, he collected it into the machine room space.


    Not just the Nascent Soul Body, but the fourth-grade Array Plate was also collected.


    After finishing everything, his figure once again quickly escaped on the support of a white lotus.


    ¡°No!¡± Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul let out a mournful scream.


    The scream was filled with intense regret; he should not have allowed his Nascent Soul to emerge. He had lost the connection with his true body.


    At the moment he lost the connection with his true body, his mind was almost blank.


    He could not imagine what kind of situation he would face with the Nascent Soul separated from its body.


    However, he quickly reacted. The Nascent Soul¡¯s speed was extremely fast; if he risked his life, it was still possible for him to catch up to the speed of ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    But when he sensed Li Shiming¡¯s figure, he was stunned.


    He knew about the Divine Foot Skill, but Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Foot Skill was very different from what he knew.


    Each instance of the Divine Foot Skill ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was performed with very brief intervals.


    But no matter how short this interval was, it should not be like the current instance of Li Shiming¡¯s ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± which had no interval at all.


    Li Shiming¡¯s figure was almost impossible to see clearly; he appeared every few hundred meters, and the time between appearances was too short, so short that if you were not paying close attention, you would completely miss the moment his figure appeared.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul did not pursue because it simply could not match such speed.


    Moreover, three breaths later, a ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± appeared on the pursuit path, and this ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill,¡± as if requiring no preparation, was continuously cast at a rate of three times per breath, blocking the route behind Li Shiming.


    Even though Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul had secret techniques to accelerate the chase, it still needed to continuously contend with the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill.¡±


    This was Li Shiming¡¯s preparation; at this time, the spiritual power in his five Golden Cores was being consumed at a very fast rate.


    ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was being executed by him using ten brains, achieving an almost extreme speed of execution.


    The most consuming of spiritual power was the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill;¡± he used thirty brains to activate the ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± at the speed of once every third of a breath, in sequence. After the initial three breaths of preparation time, he could continue to activate ¡°Thunder Cloud Skill¡± continuously.


    His spiritual power was almost dropping in a straight line, but fortunately, his speed was fast enough, and soon he had escaped a thousand miles away.


    Through the unmanned satellite system, he saw that Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul stayed in place and did not pursue him; he also saw that Qianye Temple was alerted and cultivators were rushing over.

 Chapter 595: 344: Return to the Clan

    Chapter 595: Chapter 344: Return to the Clan


    Li Shiming had no desire to encounter the monks from Qianye Temple, let alone be tracked down by Patriarch Weng Zhao after reaping a tremendous benefit.


    So he mobilized the sparse remnants of his Spiritual Power, putting his all into the ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ as he aimed to return to the Shushan Sect.


    As long as he made it back to the Shushan Sect, even if Patriarch Weng Zhao found out who he was, there would be nothing he could do about it.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul chose a direction and transformed into a rainbow light that shot off into the distance.


    Although all that was left was the Nascent Soul, there was still a chance for him. It was common for a Nascent Soul Ancestor to seek out a body for Body Seizing if they stayed in the Nascent Soul Stage for a while.


    The body prepared for Body Seizing needed to be highly compatible with the Ancestor¡¯s original body, and in terms of innate talent, it had to be at least close to that of the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s true form.


    Therefore, being chosen by a Nascent Soul Ancestor was not always a good thing; it might mean being selected as a backup body for Body Seizing.


    This time, Patriarch Weng Zhao had come to handle affairs in a perilous region, so he brought a prepared body for Body Seizing with him.


    This was the worst-case scenario, and he never expected that one day he would really have to use the backup body.


    At this moment, Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul increased its speed to the utmost limit.


    He needed to reach the backup body in the shortest possible time. His Nascent Soul had already sustained an injury, and staying outside for too long would weaken it further, decreasing the chance of a successful Body Seizing.


    The success rate for a Nascent Soul Body Seizing a backup body was extremely high.


    Mainly because the backup body had already been processed by many methods, being cultivated into the most compatible state with the Nascent Soul.


    Li Shiming did not monitor Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul. The Nascent Soul was not a body, being composed of energy, making it difficult to trace with unmanned drone satellite systems.


    Right now, Li Shiming¡¯s only concern was the Nascent Soul Body in the server room space. By afflicting Patriarch Weng Zhao in such a manner, he had ensured that the Skywalk Trading Company would not target him again in the short term.


    By the time the Skywalk Trading Company decided to deal with him again, he feared he would have already grown powerful.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul arrived at a mountain peak, in disarray. The Longsword, his life-bound magic weapon, had been drawn into his soul. He could only carry his life-bound magic weapon in this way because otherwise, it would have exhausted the Nascent Soul too much to reach this place.


    The Nascent Soul passed through an energy barrier that no one but Patriarch Weng Zhao himself knew about.


    Here, there was no Spiritual Energy, only a jade coffin that provided Spiritual Energy through a Gathering Spirit Array, and inside the coffin lay a young man.


    The jade coffin was an exotic treasure, made of third-grade materials, its sole purpose being to supply all the energy necessary for the young man¡¯s survival.


    The young man¡¯s strength was only at the Qi Refining Cultivator level. He could not live without Spirit Food, but the coffin could sustain his bodily functions without food intake.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul looked at the young man, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.


    ¡°Qianye Temple, I will make you pay the price!¡± The voice emitted by Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul was like that of a baby, but the chill in its tone filled the voice with a sinister intent.


    When Patriarch Weng Zhao saw Li Shiming¡¯s use of ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, he was certain that the cultivator who had been persistently tracking and disturbing him belonged to Qianye Temple.


    He then directed all his immense hatred towards Qianye Temple.


    Only by having a clear target for vengeance could he muster the courage to start anew.


    The Nascent Soul flew into the young man¡¯s body and merged with it.


    Throughout this process, the young man¡¯s body trembled incessantly, and after a long time, his eyes shot open.


    The young man slowly sat up from the jade coffin, checking his body, a look of desolation filling his eyes.


    However, his gaze quickly regained its determination.


    ¡°Qianye Temple, I will make you pay the price!¡± The same words, but now spoken with an undertone of deep-seated hatred, just like before.


    The young man was the reborn form of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul after Body Seizing. This kind of Body Seizing and rebirth seemed miraculous, akin to returning to youth and gaining a new life.


    But in reality, such Body Seizing rebirth did not extend one¡¯s lifespan.


    Of course, the young man¡¯s current Qi Refinement level allowed for a lifespan of at most one hundred and fifty years, nowhere near the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s millennium lifespan.


    Even if the young man eventually recovered to the Nascent Soul Stage, he would not inherit the lifespan that the original body was meant to have. Instead, he would have only the remaining lifespan of Patriarch Weng Zhao, unless he managed to surpass the original boundaries of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s cultivation level.


    Moreover, one only gets one chance at a lifetime for Body Seizing. Patriarch Weng Zhao had used his one chance, and if his Nascent Soul managed to escape again, it could no longer gain a new life in this manner.


    This was the flaw in Body Seizing; yet, Body Seizing also had its advantages.


    Despite the young man¡¯s current Qi Refinement level, the immeasurable energy of the Nascent Soul within him was enough to support his rapid advancement in cultivation.


    Added to that were Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s own understanding of cultivation and insights into his main Cultivation Technique, ensuring the young man would face no hardships before reaching the Golden Core Stage.


    Even upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, though, he would need an abundance of resources for advancement.


    As the Skywalk Trading Company no longer held sway over the Beishu Continent, Patriarch Weng Zhao couldn¡¯t obtain cultivation resources from them.


    Luckily, he still had his life-bound magic weapon. At least in the Golden Core Stage, he wielded power far beyond his peers, allowing him to obtain more resources through combat prowess.


    Most importantly, he had the experience of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage, making it easier for him to return to the Nascent Soul Stage than other cultivators, given that he could procure the necessary resources for forming the Nascent Soul.

 Chapter 596: 344: Return to the Clan_2

    Chapter 596: Chapter 344: Return to the Clan_2


    Overall, Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s recovery of strength will be a difficult journey.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao missed his Space Ring, which contained all his wealth; he just hoped that the person wouldn¡¯t be able to open his Space Ring in the short term.


    Once his strength was recovered, he would be able to sense the location of the Space Ring based on his connection with it and try to retrieve it.


    Of course, that was his most optimistic fantasy; when he was in the Nascent Soul State before, he couldn¡¯t sense not just the Space Ring, but even his own body.


    He didn¡¯t know what the problem was, and his situation didn¡¯t allow him the leisure to investigate.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao couldn¡¯t contact Skywalk Trading Company; nor could he return to the headquarters of Skywalk Trading Company, as only with the recovered strength of a Nascent Soul could he cross the ocean.


    He could only stay, honestly, on the Beishu Continent, and he needed to be cautious around the six major sects, preferably staying away from them.


    The six major sects had means to discover cultivators like him who used a Nascent Soul for Body Seizing, and he didn¡¯t want to be discovered by them in his current state.


    ¡°Master Li Shiming has returned to the Shushan Sect!¡±


    ¡°Shiming didn¡¯t encounter any trouble this time?¡±


    ¡°Shiming returned without any issues?¡±


    ...


    For some reason, the news of Li Shiming¡¯s return to the Shushan Sect caused a huge reaction among many cultivators within the sect, some shocked, others questioning.


    When Li Shiming left the sect, almost all informed cultivators were guessing what would happen to him this time.


    In the end, he returned to the sect safely without encountering any fortune.


    Elder Su and Elder Ma, his two masters, were extremely pleased; this safe trip indicated that Li Shiming¡¯s fortune wasn¡¯t always accurately descending upon him every time.


    If they knew that Li Shiming had nearly swindled a Nascent Soul Ancestor to death on this trip, they wouldn¡¯t have thought so.


    Li Shiming returned to his cave dwelling on Sword Holding Peak, and it was only then that he entered the space of the control room with his mind.


    Inside the control room space, three living dead sat cross-legged, appearing extremely eerie.


    The weakest of the three living dead was at the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core; their bodies alone could withstand a full-force attack from Li Shiming.


    The next was the Fake Infant Body, and then the Nascent Soul Body.


    Especially after the Nascent Soul Body entered the control room space, the Spiritual Energy began to be insufficient.


    Li Shiming had set up a Gathering Spirit Array in the control room space, but the role of the Gathering Spirit Array wasn¡¯t to generate Spiritual Energy, but rather to gather the Spiritual Energy from the void.


    The Nascent Soul Body, having suffered injuries, had an immense need for Spiritual Energy. Even though the Nascent Soul Body couldn¡¯t autonomously operate to heal its wounds, its instinctive absorption of Spiritual Energy was not something the Gathering Spirit Array could support.


    Li Shiming thought for a moment and placed the Fourth-Grade Vein-Locking Plate into the control room space.


    The Fourth-Grade Vein-Locking Plate contained a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein; the Spiritual Energy emanating from the vein was sufficient for the Nascent Soul Body and the Fake Infant Body to absorb.


    He began to check the Nascent Soul Body; it was very similar to the Fake Infant Body, but Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul Body contained very singular patterns, all engraved with fire elemental patterns.


    Li Shiming wanted to copy these patterns, but just as he began to replicate them with his Divine Thought, he felt an excruciating headache.


    He immediately ceased copying, and the headache vanished on its own.


    Indeed, the fire elemental patterns within the Nascent Soul Body, which are part of Heaven and Earth Rules, were clear to him only because of his micron-level control in the control room space.


    For him, a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator who hadn¡¯t touched upon the Heaven and Earth Rules, attempting to copy the Heaven and Earth Rules only gave him a momentary headache, which was already letting him off easy.


    It was also because his spiritual power was incredibly strong, and he had the help of his life-bound Magical Treasure, the IBMz15.


    Thinking of the life-bound Magical Treasure IBMz15, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but check whether it had recorded the fire elemental patterns from earlier.


    In a newly created document, there was a file exceeding 1 TB that contained records of fire attribute patterns.


    After accessing this 1 TB file, he understood the detailed information of the fire attribute patterns. What seemed to be just a pattern was actually made up of countless fine lines, each bearing strange powers of rules.


    He could only review the fire attribute patterns in this way. When he attempted to draw them, even just starting would lead to backlash.


    He gave up on researching the fire attribute patterns, as they clearly surpassed his current realm.


    Turning his focus away from the Nascent Soul body of Patriarch Weng Zhao, Li Shiming noticed the Space Ring on the patriarch¡¯s finger and the robes on his body.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor is truly extravagant, wearing a third-grade robe that wasn¡¯t even crafted into a magical treasure but simply made from third-grade silk threads.


    Li Shiming, without any hesitation, took the third-grade robe off the Nascent Soul body with just a thought. To not leave the Nascent Soul body too indecent, he dressed it in a set of ordinary robes.


    Firstly, he carefully inspected the third-grade robe inside the server room space.


    There were no spiritual imprints on the third-grade robe, which wasn¡¯t surprising since the robe was not turned into a magical treasure.


    The third-grade silk threads used for the robe came with a dust-repelling effect; as long as it wasn¡¯t destroyed, the robe would always remain clean and never get old.


    Even more importantly, the robe bore no marks and had a very common design.


    Li Shiming felt no aversion to wearing something that had been worn by Patriarch Weng Zhao, as a robe of this quality would never retain any stains.


    Upon wearing the third-grade robe, he immediately felt its benefits. The third-grade silk threads even had a calming and clarifying effect on the mind.


    Unbeknownst to him, this was merely a spare robe for Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    ¡°Extravagant, it¡¯s simply too extravagant!¡± Even though Li Shiming was an Alchemy Master with a hefty income, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the third-grade robe he wore.


    The third-grade silk threads had two functions: repelling dirt and clarifying the mind. If used to create a magical treasure, at the very least, it could produce a high-grade treasure with four to five functions.


    And that was just the robe. Li Shiming¡¯s attention then shifted to the Space Ring.


    This Space Ring was different from the others he had obtained; it had a more ancient design and more subtle spatial fluctuations.


    When his Divine Thought tried to enter the Space Ring, he found it locked by an ancient prohibition.


    It was only because the ring was in the server room space that Patriarch Weng Zhao did not sense his attempt.


    Of course, even if the patriarch were to notice now, he would be helpless. Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s current strength was merely at the Qi Refinement Realm and despite having Nascent Soul Stage experience, there was nothing he could do from such a vast distance.


    The prohibition on the Space Ring had been set by a Nascent Soul Ancestor, so one could imagine its complexity and strength.


    Li Shiming did not shrink back. At the Foundation Establishment Stage, he indeed had no countermeasures.


    But after achieving the Golden Core and acquiring his personal magical treasure, the IBMz15, he could do many things that other Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t imagine.


    With his Divine Thought probing the Space Ring¡¯s prohibition over and over, the structure of the Array appeared within his personal magical treasure, the IBMz15.


    Li Shiming¡¯s spiritual power wasn¡¯t strong enough to forcefully break the prohibition set by a Nascent Soul Ancestor, but there was always a way to open a prohibition.


    Just like a lock, it could be easily opened with the right key.


    What the personal magical treasure IBMz15 needed to do was to find the method to open it, which required extensive calculations, precisely the specialty of the IBMz15.


    The reason for this complexity primarily stemmed from Li Shiming¡¯s lack of research into such prohibitions.


    Prohibitions were not within the knowledge of Golden Core cultivators but were something that only Nascent Soul Ancestors could master, involving the Heaven and Earth Rules.


    If Li Shiming used his spiritual power to forcefully collide with the prohibition, he might weaken the spiritual imprint within the prohibition over a long time, but that would also cause trouble in the spatial dimensions of the Space Ring.


    Without relevant knowledge, having the personal magical treasure IBMz15 calculate the correct opening method was the best choice.


    Li Shiming certainly did not want any problems to arise in the internal space of the Space Ring; he was very curious about what kind of surprises would await him inside the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s Space Ring.

 Chapter 597: 345 Inventory

    Chapter 597: Chapter 345 Inventory


    The space within this Space Ring was exceedingly large, even larger than the Mustard Seed Ring that Li Shiming had previously obtained from Supervisor Feng Yi. What surprised Li Shiming even more was that the interior of the Space Ring was divided into several independent areas.


    One was a static space area, where the items stored would remain in a time-frozen state, undergoing no changes whatsoever.


    Another was a life space, in which living beings could be placed. This space would also absorb Spiritual Energy from outside through the Space Ring, maintaining a certain concentration of Spiritual Energy in the area.


    The third was a normal space, where living beings could not be placed, subject to normal time flow.


    In the static space, Li Shiming found fifteen jade boxes, each containing a Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine.


    The jade boxes were made from Third Grade Spiritual Jade, crafted jointly by an Artifact Refining Master and an Array Master, designed to lock in the Spiritual Energy and prevent it from leaking.


    Because they were stored in the static space, the fifteen Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines were in excellent condition, just as they were when freshly harvested.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the fifteen Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines.


    Once a Spiritual Medicine reaches the fourth grade, each one is considered a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.


    Just the Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines in these fifteen jade boxes could be exchanged for resources sufficient for his advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage, including not only for himself but also for his alter ego, Li Yuanba.


    Even though Li Shiming himself was an Alchemy Master, such vast wealth still exhilarated him.


    Beside the jade boxes was a piece of Fourth-grade Metal, so high-grade that he could only discern its grade, but knew nothing of its actual name or characteristics.


    This was not surprising, as Patriarch Weng Zhao was not a native of the Beishu Continent; it was entirely normal that his resources might never have appeared on the Beishu Continent before.


    This piece of Fourth-grade Metal was sufficient to refine a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure.


    The other items in the static space were some Spirit Fruit, Spirit Tea, spirit water, and a complete set of teaware, fruit plates, and a kettle, all of Third Grade.


    Li Shiming¡¯s lips twitched involuntarily. Fourth Grade Spirit Items were too high-end for him, but Third Grade materials were enough to be made into Magical Treasures.


    Yet, Patriarch Weng Zhao had used Third Grade materials to make teaware, fruit plates, and a kettle, which even made him, a quite wealthy cultivator in the Golden Core Stage, feel it was extravagant.


    He regretted that there were no Fourth Grade Spirit Fruit, Spirit Tea, or spirit water, only Third Grade ones, which though numerous, were all things he could procure himself.


    In the life space, ten Third Grade Spirit Fruit Trees and five Third Grade Spirit Tea Trees were planted, forming a small garden.


    The soil used for the Third Grade fruit trees and Spirit Tea trees was rich in Spiritual Energy, made from unknown Spirit Materials; Li Shiming felt that not only Third Grade, but even Fourth Grade Spirit Plants could survive in this soil.


    Among the spirit woods, a large number of spirit flowers were planted.


    Beside the fruit trees and tea trees, there was a beehive, a Third Grade Beehive Treasure. It didn¡¯t need a master nor recognition from one.


    Its function was to automatically nurture Spiritual Bees. The Spiritual Bees would collect nectar from the spirit flowers, and the Beehive Treasure would automatically separate part of the honey produced by the Spiritual Bees for cultivators to collect at any time.


    In the normal space, the first thing Li Shiming noticed was a large number of Jade Scrolls.


    The Jade Scrolls were categorized by Cultivation Techniques, Secret Techniques, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Formations, and also included some predecessors¡¯ cultivation experiences and travel notes.


    This was the collection of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, and as Patriarch Weng Zhao was a Supreme Minister of the Skywalk Trading Company, he had access to a richer array of Jade Scrolls than the average Nascent Soul Ancestor from a large sect.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought split into over a hundred strands, greedily copying all the content of these Jade Scrolls into his lifebound Magical Treasure, IBMz15.


    This knowledge would become the foundation of his cultivation and also enriched the theoretical basis of the lifebound Magical Treasure IBMz15, facilitating its analysis and research of cultivation knowledge.


    A strand of Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought reached into a fiery-red Jade Scroll, and he felt as though he had fallen into a sea of fire, the flames burning his Divine Thought, stabbing at his spirit.


    The fiery-red Jade Scroll recognized this Divine Thought as a complete cultivator¡¯s Divine Thought, without pulling in his other Divine Thoughts into the fiery-red Jade Scroll.


    Li Shiming also realized that this fiery-red Jade Scroll was not just an ordinary Jade Scroll on the surface, but a Divine Skills inheritance.


    He had undergone the Divine Foot Skill inheritance before, and this was similarly challenging though different in execution.


    However, this time, as his brain had expanded to one hundred and ninety-one, and it was only one of those brains¡¯ Divine Thoughts that had been drawn into the inheritance test, the situation was somewhat unusual for him.


    No matter how terrifying the challenge of the fiery-red Jade Scroll was, the stimulation it brought to Li Shiming was only one hundred ninety-first of the whole, coupled with his already strong spirit and the sharing by his lifebound Magical Treasure IBMz15, a large, emotionless server, made the test seem trivial.


    Truth be told, the test of the fiery-red Jade Scroll was strong; the flame inside was testing the cultivator¡¯s spirit¡¯s endurance to fire. If one¡¯s endurance was insufficient, they could not receive this inheritance.


    The flame was not ordinary but a Divine Skill-induced flame, precisely testing a cultivator¡¯s fire attribute talent; this Divine Skill was a fire attribute Divine Skill, naturally requiring fire attribute talent as a basis.


    At this point, Li Shiming realized that his lifebound Magical Treasure IBMz15 also had such a function¡ªthe ability to reduce the intensity of a Divine Skill inheritance test to such an extent.

 Chapter 598: 345 Inventory_2

    Chapter 598: Chapter 345 Inventory_2


    He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile, had he known this would be the case, he would¡¯ve learned the ¡°Telepathy¡± inheritance as well.


    The ¡°Telepathy¡± inheritance was right on his person, the heart-shaped relic had been snatched from Zhi Xin Arhat of Qianye Temple.


    He considered the risks he took when he passed the test of the Divine Foot Skill and decided to wait until his cultivation in the Golden Core Stage improved before attempting to pass the test of the ¡°Telepathy¡± heart-shaped relic¡¯s inheritance.


    Additionally, Qianye Temple still owed him a ¡°Divine Vision Skill¡± inheritance, which he also planned to claim from the temple during the upcoming time.


    The trial of the fiery-red Jade Scroll continued, the difficulty escalating, yet Li Shiming still had the capacity to think about other matters.


    One two-hour period later, the fiery-red Jade Scroll ended its trial on him, a spark flew out from the scroll and entered his body, automatically finding his fire-attribute Golden Core, and a surge of information was imparted into his brain.


    ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire,¡± that was the name of this fire-attribute divine skill, a type of divine fire like ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± was considered one of the highest-ranking flames in the Cultivation World.


    This fiery-red Jade Scroll was not an ordinary object either; it was a wondrous item made by heaven and earth, sealed with the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± inheritance by a great being.


    The spark that had just emerged was the seed of the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire.¡±


    Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness focused on his fire-attribute Golden Core, and on the Golden Core, there was now an additional spark.


    This spark was orange and so diminutive it looked as if it might extinguish at any moment.


    Yet it was precisely this tiny spark that caused the Red Sun Spiritual Fire to withdraw to one side.


    Previously, the Red Sun Spiritual Fire had dominated the fire-attribute Golden Core, it was even preparing to fuse with it, but after the arrival of the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± spark, the Red Sun Spiritual Fire obediently made way.


    Orange is the most rudimentary stage of ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire.¡± One level up from orange is red, which is the same level of ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± possessed by Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    There are four grades of ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡±: orange, red, yellow, and white, with white being the ultimate form of ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire.¡±


    With the resources available to Patriarch Weng Zhao, as well as the years he spent cultivating, he was only able to advance ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± to the red level, which shows just how difficult it is to cultivate ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire.¡±


    Li Shiming attempted the cultivation method for ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire.¡± He mobilized the spiritual power of his fire-attribute Golden Core, forming a special Spiritual Power Pattern to guide into the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± spark.


    Almost instantly, the spiritual power within his fire-attribute Golden Core was drained, if not for the interconvertible spiritual power among his five Golden Cores, his fire-attribute Golden Core might have even faced the danger of collapse.


    He broke out in a cold sweat. This was a divine skill not meant for Golden Core Early Stage cultivators to attempt.


    Among divine skills, those like the Divine Foot Skill, Divine Vision Skill, and Telepathy require lesser demands from a cultivator, serving as auxiliary divine skills.


    Whereas, divine skills like ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± are among the offensive category of divine skills and are also the most dangerous.


    After one perilous attempt, Li Shiming found that the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± spark had grown by less than one-thousandth, and he could hardly imagine the colossal amount of spiritual power needed to elevate this spark to a flame.


    Regardless, he would not attempt to enhance ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± further while he was at the Golden Core Early Stage.


    Beyond the Jade Scroll, in the regular space, he also saw two Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures.


    This was not surprising, as a Supreme Minister of Skywalk Trading Company, having two Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures in addition to his life-bound magical treasure was normal.


    One of the Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures was a flying sword, the other a full-body armor kind of defensive magical treasure.


    Both of these Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures were spare ones for Patriarch Weng Zhao, with his spirit imprints on them; for Li Shiming to remove the spirit imprints would require not a small amount of effort.


    In addition to these, another benefit obtained from Patriarch Weng Zhao was a Fourth-Grade Array Plate, which had also been acknowledged by Patriarch Weng Zhao as its master.


    However, decrypting a Fourth-grade Array Plate like this was much easier for Li Shiming than handling a Fourth-grade Magical Treasure.


    In the engine room space, Li Shiming¡¯s over a hundred spiritual imprints transformed into longswords, continuously eroding the spiritual imprints within the Fourth-grade Array Plate. After almost six hours, he had broken through Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s spiritual imprints.


    Even though Li Shiming could use the Fourth-grade Array Plate without removing Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s spiritual imprints, the existence of such imprints meant that if he ever encountered Patriarch Weng Zhao, the latter could reclaim the Array Plate at any time.


    As the spiritual imprints of the Fourth-grade Array Plate were expelled, Li Shiming¡¯s spiritual imprints took the place of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s, and Li Shiming gained information about the Fourth-grade Array Plate.


    ¡®Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array¡¯, a formation not from the Beishu Continent¡¯s inheritance, but Li Shiming already had knowledge about this formation from previous Jade Scrolls.


    With the ¡®Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array¡¯, Li Shiming now had the ability to block a Nascent Soul Ancestor for a moment.


    The ¡®Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array¡¯ could only block a Nascent Soul Ancestor momentarily, and it was impossible to truly stop one with just a Fourth-grade Array Plate.


    Let alone a mere Fourth-grade Array Plate, even the Sect Protection Array, which large sects had invested in for countless years and countless resources, could only withstand a few attacks from a Nascent Soul Ancestor before failing to prevent their destruction.


    Of course, the real power of the Sect Protection Array comes with the control of an Array Master; the influence of an Array Master can significantly enhance its power, but it still only delays the inevitable a bit longer.


    The purpose of the Sect Protection Array, for Nascent Soul Ancestors, is to provide enough time to notify the sect¡¯s own Nascent Soul Ancestors to take action.


    All of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s belongings, including the Space Ring, were left in the engine room space.


    After all, keeping them in the engine room space was no different from carrying them on his person and ensured they would not be discovered by any cultivator.


    After accepting the inheritance of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯, Li Shiming once again focused on Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul Body.


    This time, he discovered more; the rule patterns on the Nascent Soul Body were indeed the divine patterns of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao had actually concentrated on the fire attribute Divine Skill ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ and had become a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Back when he encountered the Fourth-grade Sea Beast in the sea, if it weren¡¯t for the sea beast¡¯s innate power being the nemesis of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯, plus the fact that they were in the middle of the sea, Patriarch Weng Zhao would not have retreated so easily.


    That was also why he was able to escape despite facing six enemies; he had mastered the fire attribute Divine Skill, allowing him to perform the Fire Escape Technique to such a degree and escape the battlefield right under the noses of six Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Li Shiming, perhaps all the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Beishu Continent would be facing his endless vengeance.


    Li Shiming summoned the Heavenly Ghost, which flew towards the Nascent Soul Body.


    Just like the Fake Infant Body, the Heavenly Ghost did not fear the Nascent Soul Body; the fusion of a Heavenly Demon¡¯s shell with a fierce ghost was something Li Shiming couldn¡¯t classify.


    After possessing the Nascent Soul Body, the Heavenly Ghost found it extremely difficult to move. If controlling the Fake Infant Body was incredibly slow, then moving the Nascent Soul Body was utterly impossible, not to mention arms and legs, not even a finger could be twitched.


    Yet, the Heavenly Ghost felt comfortable; possessing the Nascent Soul Body brought it faster advancement.


    Although the Nascent Soul Body was injured, its rate of absorbing energy was much faster than the Fake Infant Body¡¯s, and the level of energy was completely different too.


    Li Shiming transferred his consciousness to the Heavenly Ghost, and, of course, this was just one of the consciousnesses among his one hundred and ninety-one brains.


    Since the Nascent Soul Body contained the rule patterns of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯, he thought of trying to operate the Nascent Soul Body through the Heavenly Ghost to rotate the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ Cultivation Method, hoping to accelerate the recovery of the Nascent Soul Body¡¯s injuries.


    If the Nascent Soul Body were to recover naturally, even with the help of the Nascent Soul Level vein-locking plate, it would take many years.


    If he could operate the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ Cultivation Technique, among the inheritance was a healing method that leveraged ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ to repair the body, which would greatly promote the recovery of the Nascent Soul Body.

 Chapter 601: 347 Cultivation (Happy National Day!)

    Chapter 601: Chapter 347 Cultivation (Happy National Day!)


    Atop Sword Holding Peak¡¯s summit was a pavilion, a place where Li Shiming received guests.


    Li Shiming sat at the main seat next to the stone table in the pavilion, ready for a prearranged meeting, which also marked the first time he emerged from seclusion after more than ten days.


    Given his current status, unless the visitors¡¯ status was exceedingly high, he would not need to personally greet them, even if they were Golden Core Elders from a major sect.


    A figure arrived at the pavilion steadily and without haste, landing outside. It was a middle-aged Golden Core cultivator, identified by the insignia of an Elder from the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    ¡°Zhu Chang pays his respects to Master Li!¡± Zhu Chang expressed his utmost respect; he bowed as soon as they met, not considering himself a peer at all.


    In fact, Zhu Chang held a senior status compared to Li Shiming, as Zhu Chang was a friend of Master Luo from the Thousand Illusion Sect, and Master Luo was Yin Shilan¡¯s master.


    However, in the Cultivation World, unless there was a genuine master-disciple relationship, status did not dictate interactions.


    Yet it was precisely because of this connection that Zhu Chang was qualified to meet with Li Shiming.


    ¡°Still, I must thank Senior Sister Luo, without her, how could I have had the opportunity to request Master Li¡¯s help in alchemy!¡±


    These were not Zhu Chang¡¯s spoken words, but his thoughts.


    Even though Zhu Chang was a cultivator at the Golden Core Middle Stage, his spirit was somewhat weaker than Li Shiming¡¯s, so his thoughts were sensed by Li Shiming¡¯s Telepathy.


    Telepathy wasn¡¯t something that couldn¡¯t be shut off. It¡¯s just that Li Shiming, who had only recently learned Telepathy, couldn¡¯t help wanting to try out its effects.


    ¡°Master Li is truly young!¡±


    This was another thought from Zhu Chang, who evidently had no ulterior motives; his attitude toward Li Shiming was sincerely respectful.


    The Cultivation World was a place where strength reigned supreme. Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills were far superior to other Alchemy Masters, and this alone made him highly sought after by Golden Core cultivators, with few harboring any ill will toward him.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, please take a seat first and we can talk!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile, gesturing towards Zhu Chang and then pointing to a stone stool nearby.


    He poured Zhu Chang a cup of Third Grade Spirit Tea, a gesture befitting the treatment of a distinguished guest.


    From Zhu Chang¡¯s thoughts, Li Shiming knew that Zhu Chang was immensely satisfied with the hospitality and even considered offering some benefits to Yin Shilan after returning to the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    The two sat down to enjoy the tea, with Zhu Chang praising the Third Grade Spirit Tea endlessly.


    Li Shiming was so generous, partly because Yin Shilan was in the Thousand Illusion Sect and he needed the care of uncles and elders like Zhu Chang, and partly because he had acquired several Third Grade Spirit Tea Trees. With the usual gifts he received, Third Grade Spirit Tea was not particularly precious to him.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, are the spiritual medicines prepared?¡± After chatting for a while, Li Shiming returned to the main topic.


    Zhu Chang had been waiting for this moment, yet chatting with Li Shiming was the best opportunity to bond. He had heard that most Golden Core cultivators would just hand over their alchemy materials when they came here, without even expecting any Spirit Tea to be prepared.


    ¡°Master Li, the spiritual medicines are here!¡± Zhu Chang placed a storage bag in front of Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s divine thought entered the storage bag, and he saw materials for three batches of Third-Grade Spirit Pills for the Golden Core Middle Stage, along with three Third Grade Spirit Fruits, and a small box of freshly picked Third Grade Spirit Tea Leaves.


    The Spirit Fruits and Spirit Tea were gifts beyond the agreed compensation, a sort of unwritten rule.


    No cultivator would skimp on this kind of offering. Being able to request Li Shiming¡¯s services was already fortunate. Consider how many Golden Core cultivators in the Immortal World couldn¡¯t even meet Li Shiming, unable to secure his alchemy services despite having resources at their disposal.


    Ever since Li Shiming advanced to the Golden Core Stage, although he performed a lot of alchemy initially, afterwards he reduced the frequency, only conducting alchemy once every fortnight or so.


    Moreover, he seldom took on alchemy orders for the Golden Core Early Stage, only fulfilling orders from the Beishu Trading Company for Third-grade Spirit Pills of the Golden Core Early Stage.


    The more this was the case, the more precious it became to request Li Shiming for alchemy.


    Zhu Chang too had spent the better part of a year acquiring these three batches of spiritual medicines by leveraging his relationship with Master Luo.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, rest for two days outside the sect and then in two days, my attendant will deliver the Spirit Pills to you!¡± Li Shiming considered for a moment before replying.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Li!¡± Zhu Chang expressed his surprise and gratitude with a bow.


    Under normal circumstances, once materials were handed over to Li Shiming, when the alchemy would be carried out was up to him, and even a delay of ten days to half a month was considered normal.


    Besides, he required three batches of alchemy to be conducted, which by Li Shiming¡¯s rules would need thirty days to complete.


    This indeed showed tremendous face, and getting the Spirit Pills sooner would make him feel more at ease.


    Li Shiming chuckled. It was not just about giving face to Master Luo but also about compensation.


    He had tested the effectiveness of Telepathy on Zhu Chang, and though Zhu Chang was unaware, Li Shiming knew he needed to make amends.


    After sending Zhu Chang away, Li Shiming smiled as he stowed the three sets of alchemy materials in the mechanical space, and a large brain simultaneously started the alchemy process within the mechanical space.


    His process of alchemy was not as cumbersome as outsiders thought. It was only because there was only one Pill Furnace among his magical treasures, so he could only conduct one batch at a time.


    He felt the five Golden Cores within him, and the depletion caused by the previous battle and the practice of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ had been fully replenished, even showing some improvement.


    The ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ technique was enhancing its connection with the fire-attribute Golden Core while situated above it, necessitating a reduction in using the fire-attribute Golden Core.


    Although he couldn¡¯t practice the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ technique due to its high requirement for spiritual power, as long as the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ existed within him, it would subtly and persistently strengthen the bond with his fire-attribute Golden Core, achieving the effects of cultivating the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ technique.

 Chapter 602: 347 Cultivation (Happy National Day!)_2

    Chapter 602: Chapter 347 Cultivation (Happy National Day!)_2


    Although this effect constituted only one percent of practicing the cultivation method, it could continuously enhance the might of his Fire Attribute Golden Core.


    Furthermore, due to the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±, in the process of enhancing the Fire Attribute Golden Core, the transit of Spiritual Power Pattern through the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± also enhanced the might of the other four Golden Cores.


    ¡°It seems the matter of forging magical treasures has to be delayed for a while!¡± Li Shiming muttered to himself.


    He had acquired quite a few ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stones¡±, enough to forge ten flying sword magical treasures.


    If he had ten top-grade flying sword magical treasures forged by himself, with the capabilities of his Life-Binding Magical Treasure IBMz15, his combat power would definitely increase significantly.


    But the prerequisite is that he needs to use the Golden Core fire for Artifact Refining, and the fire of the Fire Attribute Golden Core is indeed the best flame for Artifact Refining. Currently, the most important fire is ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡±, so his plan was delayed.


    Looking at the time, it was time for his Body Refinement.


    His Body Refining Technique was still the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡±. Although he had acquired the ¡°Mountain Opening Dominating Body Technique¡±, the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was not much weaker than the ¡°Mountain Opening Dominating Body Technique¡±. The most crucial point was that he had been practicing the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± since the Qi Refinement Realm, and with the embodiment of the technique¡¯s true intent during practice, the efficiency of practicing the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± far exceeded other Body Refining Techniques.


    The Golden Core chapter of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± had already reached a minor proficiency stage. His body was originally much stronger than that of a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, and after reaching minor proficiency, his body was not weaker than that of a Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivator.


    This was unimaginable, as there was a huge gap between each realm during the Golden Core Stage.


    The problem was that his foundation was simply too substantial. When he broke through to the Golden Core, his Body Refinement during the Foundation Establishment had reached the level of Body Refining in the Early Golden Core Stage.


    Probably only Li Shiming himself did not feel this way; the enemies he encountered were all extremely powerful, which almost made him forget that he was still a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator.


    In terms of Body Refining, Li Shiming compared himself to that Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core, whose body was currently in the engine room space.


    Every time he saw that body, his own achievements in Body Refinement seemed trivial.


    Today, Li Shiming was preparing to accelerate his Body Refining practice. He carefully took out a jade bottle and used his Divine Thought to lift a drop of milky white liquid.


    This drop of milky white liquid had enormous fluctuations in Spiritual Energy; as soon as it appeared in the air, the entire room was filled with a strong fragrance. Just by smelling this fragrance, he felt his body heating up.


    The Fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± was either meant to be consumed by a Nascent Soul Ancestor to enhance their physical body or used by Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s secret base to help a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core make a breakthrough.


    Now in his possession, there were a total of twenty drops; Li Shiming and his clone Li Yuanba each took ten drops.


    He did not dare to let the Fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± evaporate too much in the air, so he swallowed the ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± at once.


    A terrifying heat spread from his stomach to his entire body instantaneously, turning his skin bright red. His blood vitality increased many times over, and a column of energy formed by the heat of his blood vitality rose above his head.


    He shouted loudly, and the true form of an Angry-eyed Vajra appeared behind him, and the Golden Core chapter of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± began to operate.


    Every movement he made brought about the sounds of wind and thunder in his body, a noise caused by the massive flow of energy inside him.


    The ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± provided his body with pure Body Refinement energy, which could be directly refined by any Body Refining Technique, becoming nourishment for fortifying his body.


    His body, like a greedy glutton, devoured the energy within, and the energy consumed was transformed into Vajra force by the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡±, rapidly strengthening his constitution.


    Truth be told, this Fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± should not have ended up in the hands of a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, nor even in the hands of a Golden Core cultivator.


    ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk,¡¯ a fourth-grade Body Refinement treasure, would even prompt a Nascent Soul Ancestor to take action if they knew of it. Although a Nascent Soul Ancestor does not often utilize their physical body in combat, the strength of the physical body greatly benefits the cultivation process and the protection of the Nascent Soul.


    Thus, enhancing the physical body is also of great importance to a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    At the level of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, it is not easy to strengthen the physical body, as there are very few Spiritual Objects that have an effective impact.


    It is only because Li Shiming¡¯s foundation in Body Refinement is exceptionally robust; otherwise, a single drop of fourth-grade ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk¡¯ might just cause his body to burst.


    This time, cultivating ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ took him twelve hours, only then had he fully utilized the energy of a drop of fourth-grade ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk.¡¯


    After stopping the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ Li Shiming felt incredibly powerful, and although he was still far from the Body Refinement level of a Great Elder, he was certain that his current body could at least compare to that of an ordinary Late-stage Golden Core practitioner.


    With his Body Refinement ability, he, wielding a longsword magical treasure, could now engage in close combat with a Late-stage Golden Core practitioner.


    This was extremely important for him. With ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ Divine Foot Skill, once he possessed the strength to face Late-stage Golden Core practitioners in direct close combat, he could easily eliminate Late-stage Golden Core practitioners.


    In the past, his battles against Late-stage Golden Core practitioners seemed effortless, but that was based on the power of Thunder Skill and the capabilities of his personal magical treasure IBMz15, while simultaneously activating many third-grade thunder attribute magics; it was through harnessing multiple Thunder Skills simultaneously that he made defeating Late-stage Golden Core practitioners seem easy.


    But now, with his mere Body Refinement ability, he could confront Late-stage Golden Core practitioners. ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ enabled him to close distances instantly, while his personal magical treasure IBMz15 could help him analyze opponents¡¯ reactions, turning the fight into close combat and giving him the utmost advantage.


    This was only the effect of a single drop of fourth-grade ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk.¡¯ What would happen when he consumed ten drops?


    Li Shiming was excited at the thought, but he also understood that this significant improvement was because it was his first time consuming ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk,¡¯ and the effect would be weaker the next time.


    He casually performed a Cleaning Technique, and the sweat on his body surface from cultivation was cleansed away.


    He walked into the underground factory, where, unlike usual, there were seven figures busily working, with several machines operating as well.


    These seven figures were seven Silver Corpses. Once the ability of Corpse Refining reached Silver Corpses, their physical flexibility greatly improved, enabling precise control.


    Li Shiming used seven brains to control the seven Silver Corpses, replacing him in carrying out technological research in the underground factory.


    The Silver Corpses, despite having two additional heads, did not become smarter; everything still required the control of Li Shiming and his personal magical treasure IBMz15.


    Silver Corpses also possessed Divine Thought; one could control the machines in one area with its Divine Thought, making the impact of seven Silver Corpses equivalent to seven Golden Core researchers.


    Especially under the command of the personal magical treasure IBMz15, every action was purposeful, with no unnecessary movements.


    Due to previous heavy consumption, Li Shiming¡¯s stockpile of explosives had been depleted, and he had more ideas about the practical effects of cannons.


    ¡°I should promote the other Iron Corpses as soon as I find the time, just need to report to the sect first!¡± Li Shiming said, very satisfied as he watched the work of the Silver Corpses.


    With the Silver Corpses as assistants, he might not need to come to the underground factory at all.


    But the scale of the underground factory was too large; seven Silver Corpses were not enough.


    Since the continuous promotion of six Iron Corpses had been successful before, with such a probability, the promotions of Nezha, Jue Tu, and four other Iron Corpses should not pose any problems.


    But such continuous triggering of Heavenly Thunder needed to be reported to the sect, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

 Chapter 603: 348: Discovery

    Chapter 603: Chapter 348: Discovery


    A young man sat in a carriage, which was part of a caravan. He was controlling the horses that pulled the carriage.


    The youth¡¯s expression was serene, his eyes possessing a steadiness that belied his age.


    His name was Weng Yi, a new name he had assumed, or rather, a name he had arranged for this body.


    He was the identity assumed by Patriarch Weng Zhao after body seizing. He did not wish to stay within the territory of the Righteous Path.


    Whenever he thought of the person pursuing him, and that exceedingly strange method of tracking, he felt a chilling terror.


    In recent days, he was constantly worried, fearing that suddenly a refined corpse would attack him, or that a white lotus would appear beside him, taking his life away.


    This prevented him from focusing on his cultivation, which was unimaginable for his former self as a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    He understood that his past deeds had led to the formation of an inner demon, which had very little influence on him at his current state.


    But to enhance his strength, he needed to find ways to weaken the influence of this inner demon and consider how to eliminate it after his strength had increased.


    Based on some intelligence left by the Skywalk Trading Company, he thought of a method to leave the Righteous Path¡¯s domain.


    He used some Spirit Stones, and guided by the intelligence, he found an intermediary related to the Ju Chang Shop in Jieshan City within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    This time, Weng Yi was transporting a batch of goods to Jieshan City as a clerk of the Ju Chang Shop, a way to leave the Righteous Path¡¯s control.


    And in the Cultivation World, a commercial hub like Jieshan City was, in fact, the safest place.


    Once his strength recovered somewhat, he could sneak into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, which held abundant resources that could be taken freely with sufficient power.


    The carriage passed through the Jieshan Mountain Pass without any trouble at all.


    After passing the Jieshan Mountain Pass and not far from Jieshan City, Weng Yi felt his inner demon weakening.


    It seemed he had chosen correctly. Leaving the domain of the Righteous Path, even the powerful cultivators from the Qianye Temple could not venture deep into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to find him.


    Who would care about a mere clerk of a shop, let alone suspect that this humble clerk was a reborn Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Li Yuan Ba looked at Yue Xing in front of him, who was reporting the events of the past few days.


    His eyes twinkled with amusement, giving Yue Xing the continual illusion of being seen through.


    In fact, Yue Xing was indeed seen through, but Li Yuan Ba was too lazy to delve into such minor matters with Yue Xing.


    After the original Li Shiming learned ¡°Telepathy¡±, the alter ego Li Yuan Ba shared this divine skill, and even a copy of the underlying pattern was made in the soul.


    Unfortunately, the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± divine skill wasn¡¯t sharable, as Li Yuan Ba didn¡¯t possess a fire attribute Golden Core. The ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± had no place of existence, not to mention the fire kind of this attack skill couldn¡¯t be obtained through sharing like the divine skill patterns could.


    Li Yuan Ba was exactly using ¡°Telepathy¡± to perceive Yue Xing¡¯s thoughts.


    Of course, from the experiments of the original Li Shiming and the alter ego Li Yuan Ba, ¡°Telepathy¡± wasn¡¯t omnipotent.


    To use ¡°Telepathy¡± to probe others¡¯ thoughts, aside from requiring the subject¡¯s spirit to be weaker than that of the practitioner, ¡°Telepathy¡± could only grasp what the person was currently thinking about. It wasn¡¯t possible to probe thoughts not being actively considered.


    Like now. Due to Yue Xing reporting on his work, he inevitably thought of his own manipulations in the work, and through ¡°Telepathy¡±, Li Yuan Ba became aware of these affairs.


    Yue Xing was rather decent. He didn¡¯t take too much advantage, and considering his competent abilities, if Yue Xing were absent, would Li Yuan Ba need to manage things himself?


    ¡°There¡¯s been a lot going on recently, keep a close eye on the affairs of the town!¡± Li Yuan Ba instructed briefly before waving his hand, signaling Yue Xing to leave.


    After Yue Xing left, he sat quietly, then changed into ordinary clothes and left the Guardian Mansion.


    Since the assassination attempt by the Qianye Temple, he never took off the ¡°Mind Hoop¡±; it was always on his head.


    This doubled his spiritual power, allowing him to scan the entire area of Jieshan Town with his Divine Thought by just walking around the town.


    This was also one of his ways to become accustomed to ¡°Telepathy,¡± as his original self, Li Shiming, didn¡¯t have as much time to move around in crowded places, leaving it to his alter ego to do so.


    Without his lifebound artifact IBMz15, when he activated ¡°Telepathy¡± while walking in the town, countless thoughts entered his mind, making him very uncomfortable.


    He was literally processing a large volume of thoughts with one brain, but fortunately, although there were many people in the town, it hadn¡¯t reached an unbearable level for him.


    Moreover, it was a good opportunity to hone his own abilities. If applied well, ¡°Telepathy¡± was an extremely practical ability.


    Since Jieshan City was a commercial city, the thoughts he heard were mostly of deceit and trickery. The term ¡°schemer¡± fit well after he gained the ability to hear thoughts, confirming his perception even more.


    He felt like a high and mighty deity, listening to the actions of mortals, because he was the most powerful cultivator there. He found his attitude had changed; in his eyes, whether they were commoners or cultivators, they were all insignificant as ants.


    He shook his head. ¡°Telepathy¡± had caused him to feel as if he were a deity himself.


    If others knew he mastered ¡°Telepathy¡±, he probably wouldn¡¯t have any friends left. Who would dare associate with a cultivator who mastered ¡°Telepathy¡±? That would be like laying bare all of their secrets.


    Every cultivator has secrets. No cultivator would willingly share their secrets with others.

 Chapter 604: 348: Discovery_2

    Chapter 604: Chapter 348: Discovery_2


    It was only at Li Yuanba¡¯s level of cultivation that he found the secrets of other cultivators, heard through ¡°Telepathy,¡± unshaking. Had his own strength been weaker, ¡°Telepathy¡± might indeed have become a tool for seizing opportunities.


    When his Divine Thought swept across Ju Chang Shop, his figure paused. He heard someone¡¯s inner voice, which contained deep resentment towards Qianye Temple.


    Ju Chang Shop was a business owned by Thousand Illusion Sect, which had no conflicts with Qianye Temple. As two major sects on the Righteous Path, they were in fact allies.


    Not to mention, even if there were disputes between the two great sects, it would have nothing to do with a Qi Refining cultivator.


    It wasn¡¯t that Li Yuanba was looking down upon Qi Refining cultivators, but rather that the strength of someone at the Qi Refinement Realm was simply not yet qualified to be involved in conflicts between great sects.


    As Li Yuanba paid closer attention to that person, ¡°Telepathy¡± lingered on him a little longer, and more of his inner thoughts transmitted from him.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s heart shuddered; he knew who this person was.


    He could never have imagined that the fleeing Nascent Soul had reborn through Body Seizing and had come to his location.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao, that was a Nascent Soul Ancestor; Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s body was still in the machine room space of his original body.


    The original Li Shiming and Patriarch Weng Zhao had sworn deadly enmity. Although from Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s inner voice, there was no mention of hatred towards Li Shiming, if Patriarch Weng Zhao regained his strength, there was still a chance that the matter might be discovered.


    What¡¯s most critical was that there were quite a few of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Fourth Grade treasures with Li Shiming¡¯s side, and one day they would need to be used. If by then they came across Patriarch Weng Zhao, he might learn of the whole affair.


    A hint of coldness appeared in Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes, but he did not act immediately.


    This was a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s reincarnation through Body Seizing. While he appeared to only be at the Qi Refinement stage, who could know whether Patriarch Weng Zhao had some means to protect himself?


    He glanced at Ju Chang Shop in the distance and then turned back to return to the Guardian Mansion.


    That night, Weng Yi was unaware that his identity had been discovered. His room was a three-person room, inhabited by three Qi Refining cultivators.


    One couldn¡¯t blame the conditions here for being poor; for Qi Refining cultivators working in Ju Chang Shop, the compensation was quite generous. Generally, a few years of hard work here would suffice for the cultivation resources needed at the Qi Refinement stage.


    Weng Yi was also asleep. He would only start cultivating in the early hours before dawn, when everyone slept most soundly, and his cultivation of ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± was most suitable when first initiated at the rise of the yang energy at dawn.


    In the quiet room, the two Qi Refining Cultivators simultaneously opened their eyes, devoid of any emotion, as if they were two puppets being controlled.


    Hundreds of meters away from Ju Chang Shop, floating in mid-air, Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes were tightly closed. This was his first time using ¡°Telepathy¡± to control a cultivator.


    However, because the controlled cultivators were very weak, only at the Qi Refinement stage, he did not feel any resistance from the two Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Weng Yi¡¯s sleep may have seemed ordinary, but in reality, it was a method of cultivating the spirit, using sleep to continuously enhance his spirit.


    Such Secret Techniques were top-notch in the Cultivation World and should definitely not be found in the hands of a Qi Refining Cultivator.


    Because his body needed to re-cultivate ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire,¡± he was not in a hurry to enhance his body¡¯s realm. Gaining advancement in realm was incredibly simple for him.


    At the very least, before advancing to the Golden Core Stage, he would encounter no bottlenecks, and similarly, he didn¡¯t need any resources to break through such bottlenecks.


    Of course, if he had cultivation resources, he could recover his strength even earlier.


    What he needed to do now was to lay a solid foundation, significantly enhancing both the spirit and physique of this body.


    This was his last body, and even if he managed to cultivate back to the Nascent Soul Stage, he could no longer use the Nascent Soul to Body Seize. Therefore, the foundation of this body was of utmost importance to his future.


    Suddenly, Weng Yi felt a sense of danger. This kind of sensation originated from the instinct of high-level cultivators. Although greatly weakened after Body Seizing, it still granted him a level of vigilance far surpassing others of the same rank.


    He opened his eyes and saw two fellow Qi Refining cultivators, each holding a Low Grade Magical Artifact, and one of them was only a punch away from him.


    He didn¡¯t have time to ponder why the two fellow Qi Refining cultivators wanted to attack him. Such things were all too common in the Cultivation World: a look, a slight resource, or perhaps it was the Spirit Stones he offered for this position, among others.


    After all, the energy fluctuations produced by the attack of Qi Refining cultivators were extremely weak, and coupled with the protections of the Formation at Ju Chang Shop, the fluctuations couldn¡¯t be detected outside by the grand formation of Jieshan Town.


    As long as the two Qi Refining cultivators acted quickly enough, killing him and disposing of his body afterward, Ju Chang Shop would at most ask a few questions and wouldn¡¯t make a big deal out of it for the sake of a minor Qi Refining cultivator like him.


    Weng Yi spat out a tuft of red flame from his mouth, which moved at an extremely high speed, striking the nearest Qi Refining cultivator.


    The body of the Qi Refining cultivator, along with the Low Grade Magical Artifact in his hand, turned into flying ash the moment it was hit by the red flame.


    The other Qi Refining cultivator showed no sign of being affected by his companion¡¯s death. Controlled by ¡°Telepathy¡±, he fearlessly lunged at Weng Yi.


    After spitting out a breath of flame, Weng Yi¡¯s face turned somewhat pale.


    Because the attack of the Qi Refining cultivators was so sudden, he had no choice but to use a life-saving measure.


    The red flame he had just expelled was a tuft of ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± retained when his Nascent Soul merged into this body. Using such a method to attack a Qi Refining cultivator was definitely overkill, but who could have anticipated the urgency of the moment?


    Weng Yi flipped over to dodge the Qi Refining cultivator¡¯s attack and suddenly had a red longsword in his hand.


    When he held the red longsword, the skin of his entire arm burst, and blood splattered everywhere.


    This was a Fourth Grade Long Sword, his life-bound Magic Artifact. However, even a life-bound Fourth Grade Long Sword was too much for a Qi Refinement Realm body to handle.


    With a single sweep of the Fourth Grade Red Longsword, the Qi Refining cultivator, along with the Low Grade Magical Artifact, were cut in half, and before their bodies and the artifact could hit the ground, they were burned to ashes by the flames emanating from the sword.


    The battle started in an instant and ended just as quickly.


    Weng Yi¡¯s complexion was pale, and he exhaled white breath, tossing the Fourth Grade Longsword aside.


    Forcing the use of ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± and employing the Fourth Grade Longsword had completely drained his Qi Refinement realm body.


    ¡°How dare you fight within Jieshan City!¡± a voice boomed over the city, and then a terrifying Golden Core pressure descended.


    Everyone in Jieshan City felt the might from the skies, but they were not alarmed because they knew there was only one person who could unleash such power in Jieshan City¡ªthe Guardian Golden Core, the formidable Golden Core Sword Cultivator.


    It was said that this Golden Core Sword Cultivator alone had kept several Golden Core Elders of the Righteous Path at bay. The Guardian Golden Core of Jieshan City was extremely powerful, and recently, there had been few who dared cause trouble within the city.


    Weng Yi looked extremely troubled, having chosen Jieshan City for its safety.


    But he hadn¡¯t been there long nor had a chance to truly start his cultivation when trouble found him.


    Until now, he hadn¡¯t realized that the two Qi Refining cultivators were being manipulated by someone else. ¡°Telepathy¡± was one of the most peculiar Divine Skills, and he wouldn¡¯t have suspected that someone adept in ¡°Telepathy¡± existed within Jieshan City.


    Weng Yi hurriedly reached for the Fourth Grade Longsword. No matter what, he had to pick it up first, or else if discovered by the Golden Core outside, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the sword.


    Just as his hand was about to touch the Fourth Grade Longsword, a horrifying Sword Intent broke through Ju Chang Shop¡¯s grand formation, landing on him and restricting him from making any slight movement.


    Li Yuanba landed inside Ju Chang Shop with a domineering posture, breaking through the roof.


    His gaze fell on the Fourth Grade Longsword, and with a wave of his hand, he took the sword into his Space Ring.


    Weng Yi wanted to say something, but wisely, he didn¡¯t utter a word. With his status and power, anything he said would be futile.

 Chapter 605: 349: Solution

    Chapter 605: Chapter 349: Solution


    ¡°The rules of Jieshan City are clear: if you kill someone in Jieshan City, you must face punishment!¡± Li Yuanba said sternly, looking at Weng Yi.


    His divine thought rested on Weng Yi. Although Weng Yi no longer had the Fourth-Grade Long Sword, Li Yuanba was not ready to take action just yet, knowing from Weng Yi¡¯s inner thoughts that he was unaware of his involvement in the affair.


    Weng Yi still thought everything stemmed from two fellow Qi Refining Cultivators who had grown greedy and had been detected by the great formation of Jieshan City when they made their move.


    This had attracted the Guardian Golden Core of Jieshan City¡ªa cultivator whose Sword Intent was extremely formidable, rarely matched by others within the Golden Core Sword Cultivators.


    ¡°I implore you to investigate thoroughly, my lord. They attacked me suddenly, and I merely retaliated. I offer that treasure to you, my lord, please spare my life!¡± Weng Yi pleaded with some repression as he knelt down.


    While he thought of various spiteful means of revenge, he was unaware that Li Yuanba was listening to his every thought.


    ¡°Come with me to the Guardian Mansion first, and I will investigate thoroughly!¡± Li Yuanba said coldly, glancing at him indifferently.


    At this time, the shopkeeper of Ju Chang Shop and several stewards had come over, looking at the scene of the murder in the house, yet they did not speak up for Weng Yi.


    Weng Yi was not a disciple of the Thousand Illusion Sect, but only a Loose Cultivator they had recruited.


    Since he had committed a crime in Jieshan City, it was only appropriate for Jieshan City to deal with him.


    They were here for profit, and to fall out with the genius Golden Core Sword Cultivator of Senluo Sect over a Loose Cultivator was not worth their folly.


    Since Li Yuanba did not strike down Weng Yi immediately, Weng Yi obediently followed him.


    Upon arriving at the Guardian Mansion, Li Yuanba brought Weng Yi to the back courtyard of the mansion, where the Spiritual Energy was extremely dense, his place of cultivation.


    Weng Yi was confused as to why Li Yuanba had brought him here instead of interrogating him in a prison cell.


    ¡°Weng Yi, tell me, where did you obtain that Long Sword Magical Treasure?¡± Li Yuanba asked, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°My lord, I stumbled upon it unintentionally!¡± Weng Yi responded without hesitation.


    He had already considered the origin of the Fourth-Grade Long Sword on the way here.


    After all, in the Cultivation World, there were stories of cultivators who chanced upon treasures left by predecessors.


    ¡°I see you are very spirited. Is it possible that along with this Long Sword Magical Treasure, you also obtained some Cultivation Technique?¡± Li Yuanba further inquired.


    This time, Weng Yi finally understood what Li Yuanba was after, realizing that Li Yuanba wanted to extract more benefits from him.


    Indeed, with a Fourth-Grade Long Sword Magical Treasure, it was highly likely there were other treasures kept alongside. Given the preciousness of the Fourth-Grade Long Sword, the other items were likely not of lesser value.


    Weng Yi had cultivated the God Cultivation Technique, naturally appearing much stronger spiritually than ordinary cultivators at the same stage.


    Weng Yi was then grappling mentally with how to handle Li Yuanba¡¯s greed.


    ¡°Your talent is commendable. If what you offer pleases me, I might consider taking you as a Registered Disciple!¡± Li Yuanba, seeing he did not respond right away, quickly made an enticing offer.


    Weng Yi looked at Li Yuanba, honestly having no desire to become his disciple, let alone being just a registered one.


    Given enough time, he could break through to the Golden Core Stage within a few years, and by then, his combat ability would surpass Li Yuanba¡¯s.


    Of course, in comparing combat abilities, he regarded Li Yuanba as a typical Sword Cultivator.


    However, the offer Li Yuanba made still held some allure. If he truly became Li Yuanba¡¯s registered disciple, at least he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about safety anymore.


    Just by staying under Li Yuanba¡¯s protection for a while, he would gain the strength to leave this place and cultivate on his own deep within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    What he was most reluctant to part with was that Fourth-Grade Long Sword, his life-bound magical treasure, which lost much power when held by others but granted him the assurance of invincibility during the Golden Core Stage.


    It was known that Golden Core cultivators could not use a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure, but his case was an exception since he had transformed it into his life-bound magical treasure.


    In the Golden Core Stage, wielding a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure, no Golden Core cultivator¡¯s magical treasure could withstand his.


    He also had other means, but like ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire,¡¯ these methods were too draining to use during the Golden Core Stage, unlike how freely he could wield his life-bound magical treasure.


    ¡°My lord, when I obtained the Long Sword Magical Treasure, I also obtained a copy of the God Cultivation Technique!¡± Weng Yi thought for a moment before deciding to reveal enough to sway Li Yuanba, planning to eliminate him once his strength was restored.


    ¡°With your spirit, you are indeed capable of using a Jade Scroll now. Record the technique in it, and let me see the technique before I make my decision!¡± Li Yuanba said, tossing him an empty Jade Scroll.


    Weng Yi caught the empty Jade Scroll, placed it against his forehead, and concentrated hard to channel his spirit, recording the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ within it.


    This was a God Cultivation Technique he had acquired through the Skywalk Trading Company. The ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique,¡¯ being of high grade, was especially collected by a Nascent Soul Ancestor and was indeed extraordinary.


    Li Yuanba checked the Jade Scroll with his Divine Thought, and this ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ was then memorized by his true self, Li Shiming, at the Shushan Sect and analyzed through his life-bound magical treasure, the IBMz15.


    Li Shiming discovered that this technique was not stored in Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Space Ring, an unexpected surprise.

 Chapter 606: 349 Solution_2

    Chapter 606: Chapter 349 Solution_2


    Li Yuanba surmised, from Weng Yi¡¯s state while sleeping, that he was cultivating some special cultivation technique. Later, by offering to trade for it and listening to Weng Yi¡¯s involuntary thoughts, Li Yuanba learned of the precious nature of the ¡°Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique.¡±


    Though Weng Yi certainly had many other valuable cultivation techniques, Li Yuanba decided not to pressure him any further.


    Weng Yi was like a ticking time bomb, which might explode if pressured too hard.


    ¡°Very well, you stay here. I will bring you resources for cultivation. In the next few days, I will observe your performance before deciding whether to take you as a registered disciple!¡± Li Yuanba said with a smile.


    After Li Yuanba left, Weng Yi secretly let out a long sigh of relief.


    He didn¡¯t let his guard down at all, for with his current realm, he simply couldn¡¯t tell if he was under surveillance.


    He didn¡¯t think Li Yuanba wanted to do anything to him; as a Golden Core cultivator, Li Yuanba could easily kill him without knowing his background.


    Therefore, when he saw that Li Yuanba was willing to shelter him, he truly believed it.


    After resting for a night, Weng Yi had a visitor early the next morning.


    ¡°My name is Yue Xing, and the Elder has asked me to bring this to you!¡± The visitor was Deacon Yue Xing, who looked at Weng Yi with envy in his eyes as he spoke and handed over a jade bottle to him.


    In his view, Weng Yi had incredible luck to caught the attention of Li Yuanba.


    Who was Li Yuanba? He was a disciple of Elder Jian, a grandstudent of Ancestor Lu, and moreover, a grandstudent who received Ancestor Lu¡¯s attention.


    Whether one was noticed by their master, was an extremely important distinction.


    Many Nascent Soul Ancestors hardly knew much more than the names of their disciples, with face-to-face meetings being rare.


    However, Ancestor Lu had even fought a major battle against a Venerable from Qianye Temple for Li Yuanba¡¯s sake, not to mention that Li Yuanba¡¯s current position was influenced by Ancestor Lu.


    Within Senluo Sect, countless disciples wished to be accepted by Li Yuanba as his disciples. Since becoming a Golden Core cultivator, Li Yuanba had yet to take a single disciple.


    ¡°Thank you, Deacon Yue!¡± Weng Yi, who knew something about Jieshan City, naturally recognized this Yue Xing Deacon, and he bowed in thanks.


    Alone, he opened the jade bottle and was surprised to see the Spirit Pills inside.


    There were ten First-grade Spirit Pills. If they were ordinary First-grade Spirit Pills, he, as a Nascent Soul Ancestor, wouldn¡¯t care much, but all the Spirit Pills in the jade bottle were top-grade First-grade Spirit Pills, which even ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators couldn¡¯t obtain.


    Top-grade First-grade Spirit Pills were typically accidental creations by Alchemists. Even elite disciples of great sects were only given a few.


    For the first time, Weng Yi considered the idea of becoming a registered disciple of Li Yuanba. Perhaps being Li Yuanba¡¯s registered disciple was a good choice.


    These top-grade First-grade Spirit Pills were very important to him. Such pills, which could be taken without any side effects and could rapidly enhance one¡¯s strength, would perfectly conceal the rapid improvements in his cultivation that would come later.


    He smiled and gratefully took out a top-grade First-grade Spirit Pill.


    The reason for his grateful appearance was to show to anyone who might be watching him.


    As the top-grade First-grade Spirit Pill dissolved in his mouth, he thought about using it to increase his strength just enough to display his talent and induce Li Yuanba to consider taking him as a registered disciple.


    But as the Spirit Pill melted, he sensed that something was wrong.


    His insides were invaded by a fierce poison. The venom was so aggressive that he couldn¡¯t have prepared for it, even if he had known it was coming, not to mention that if the poison had merely touched his skin, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop its toxicity.


    He wanted to use the remaining energy of his Nascent Soul, his last means of survival or rather his desperate measure.


    But in a blink of an eye, his body lost a vast amount of vitality, leaving him hardly enough life force to act, let alone survive.


    Within just two breaths of time, he found himself gasping for survival, staring at the sky unwilling to accept why Li Yuanba, a Sword Cultivation Golden Core, would resort to such methods against him.


    Shouldn¡¯t a Sword Cultivation Golden Core be fearless, charging bravely against any foe? How could he use such despicable means against a mere Qi Refining Cultivator like himself?


    ¡°Could it be that Li Yuanba has discovered my true identity?¡± Full of doubts and an intense unwillingness to accept his fate, Weng Yi, or rather Patriarch Weng Zhao, met his demise.


    Outside his room, Li Yuanba had already laid out the fourth-grade Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate. Even if Patriarch Weng Zhao retained the strength for one last strike, the fourth-grade Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate would prevent him from causing too much destruction to Jieshan City.


    The top-grade First-Grade Spirit Pill that Li Yuanba had Deacon Yue Xing deliver to Patriarch Weng Zhao had been infused with a hint of poison.


    This poison, derived from the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, a creature nearly at the level of a Great Demon, was so potent that, let alone a Qi Refining Cultivator, even a Golden Core cultivator who consumed it would face certain death.


    Among the items previously exchanged by Li Shiming, there were some traces of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s deadly venom, intended for Li Yuanba¡¯s use when necessary.


    The top-grade First-Grade Spirit Pill was part of the previous stock.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao probably never guessed, even in death, that the moment Li Yuanba became aware of his presence through Divine Thought, he knew his identity, which led to all the subsequent schemes.


    After all, Li Yuanba never intended to face Patriarch Weng Zhao in direct combat; even if Patriarch Weng Zhao, after body seizing, only had the strength of the Qi Refinement Realm, he was still a Nascent Soul Ancestor reborn as a Qi Refining Cultivator, likely to have some life-saving techniques.


    Li Yuanba waited a long time until there was no more breath of life from Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s side, no trace of his living essence could be detected, only then did he approach.


    His Divine Thought swept over the body and his eyes slightly brightened. While the corpse seemed ordinary, there was a special aura within it, the aura of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire.¡¯


    If this body were to be refined into a Corpse Refining, there was a fair chance of gaining control over ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire.¡¯


    Furthermore, he didn¡¯t know whether the essence of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ still existed in the body; regardless, Patriarch Weng Zhao would have left the seed of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ within the body he seized.


    It was unknown whether the seed would disappear or be extinguished upon his death.


    Without hesitation, Li Yuanba collected the body into his Space Ring and then sent a message to Deacon Yue Xing before heading towards Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    At Shushan Sect, Li Shiming also flashed out of his cave dwelling, not needing to inform anyone; he turned into a beam of sword light shooting out of the sect.


    After leaving the sect, he used the ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ to conceal his figure within the shadows of trees and rocks, rapidly traveling using ¡®Step by Step Lotus.¡¯


    Li Yuanba passed through the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass without any obstacles.


    He didn¡¯t go to the Righteous Gate but waited in the buffer zone.


    Li Shiming, traveling with ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ took two hours to reach the Jieshan Mountain Pass and passed through just as easily, given his status.


    The two met in the buffer zone, and if not for the body seized by Patriarch Weng Zhao, Li Shiming would never have done such a thing.


    It was precisely because Li Shiming knew how powerful ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ was; if the body truly contained the seed of ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire,¡¯ there was a chance that after refining it into a Corpse Refining it would still possess the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ seed, which would be a tremendous aid for him in the future.


    For this, even if it meant exposing a slight connection with his avatar Li Yuanba, it was worthwhile.


    Both he and his avatar Li Yuanba held exceedingly high positions within their respective sects, and a bit of contact between them wouldn¡¯t lead to any negative speculation.


    ¡°Fellow, we meet again!¡± Li Yuanba greeted with a smile. Not waiting for his main body to reciprocate, he took out the body that Patriarch Weng Zhao had seized.


    ¡°Fellow, all is well!¡± Li Shiming, even more composed than his avatar Li Yuanba, returned the greeting while accepting the body.


    The body was taken into the mechanical room space, where within its microscopic control, he examined the condition of the body.


    He saw the sparkling of the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ rule pattern within the body, not entirely extinguished, with a spark inside the body still flickering, on the verge of dying out.

 Chapter 607: 350 Copper Corpse

    Chapter 607: Chapter 350 Copper Corpse


    Li Shiming immediately set up a Corpse Refining Transformation Formation in the machine room¡¯s space and placed the body possessed by Patriarch Weng Zhao at its center.


    He took a bit of his own blood and mixed it with some Corpse Refining blood from the strongest Silver Corpse, using it as material for the transformation.


    With his realm, refining a body with only the strength of the Qi Refinement Realm was hardly a challenge.


    The materials he used were the best, so even an Iron Corpse could be successfully refined on the spot.


    Li Shiming then received a Fourth-Grade Long Sword Magical Treasure from his clone, Li Yuanba. This treasure was somewhat regrettable: its quality was excellent, but as a personal magical treasure, it couldn¡¯t be fully refined by other cultivators after losing its owner.


    However, it depended on whose hands it was in. In the hands of a Nascent Soul Body, this Fourth-Grade Long Sword Magical Treasure could unleash one hundred percent of its power.


    You should know, the Nascent Soul Body was indeed Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s original body. Because the Nascent Soul had been taken into the machine room space by Li Shiming after its emergence, isolating it from its body, the Nascent Soul Body was still alive.


    The machine room space didn¡¯t receive information about the Nascent Soul¡¯s death, so the Nascent Soul Body would continue to live on, as it was its instinct.


    This Fourth-Grade Long Sword Magical Treasure, being in the hands of its original owner¡¯s body, was tantamount to being in the hands of its master.


    Moreover, there was the soon-to-be-born Corpse Refining. From his clone Li Yuanba, it was known that Weng Yi, at the Qi Refinement Realm, could wield the Fourth-Grade Long Sword, even though it came at a cost, resulting in injuries, but it showed that Patriarch Weng Zhao had made some preparations when he attempted Body Seizing to become Weng Yi, allowing Weng Yi to inherit his personal magical treasure.


    Li Shiming also took some Third-Grade Advanced Spirit Pills and drones from his clone Li Yuanba¡ªthe Spirit Pills for Yuanba¡¯s cultivation and the drones to help set up a satellite system in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    He had always planned to do this, so they did it together upon meeting.


    He didn¡¯t stay much longer, as managing the refinement in the machine room space only required his attention on one brain. He didn¡¯t want to stay outside the sect any longer than necessary, as he also feared his fortune would bring trouble every time he went out.


    Li Shiming passed through the Righteous Gate. He saw three Righteous Path Golden Core Elders smiling at him, and he nodded at them without saying much.


    Just this was very exciting for the three Righteous Path Golden Core Elders.


    You can¡¯t blame these three Golden Core Elders. Li Shiming¡¯s status in his sect was much higher than theirs, not to mention his current great reputation in the Cultivation World. They had previously sought Li Shiming¡¯s Alchemy services through Yuanba¡¯s connections.


    Today, seeing him in person, they naturally expressed their respect.


    ¡°News came from that side that Yuanba also passed through their gate, and Master Li didn¡¯t appear. What do you think, is there a connection between Master Li and Yuanba?¡± Jiang Pu asked the two Golden Core Elders beside him with a smile, after Li Shiming disappeared.


    ¡°Need we even say it? We should make friends with Yuanba in the future. It¡¯s not easy to get close to Master Li from the Righteous Path¡¯s side. They say Master Li¡¯s appointments are booked up to six months ahead unless there¡¯s a connection to jump the queue. Even with connections, you still have to wait half a year!¡± Meng Sheng continued.


    This time, it was quite clear¡ªit was a scheduled meet-up between Yuanba and Master Li.


    Although the exact nature of their relationship was unknown, remembering that through Yuanba¡¯s connection they had previously sought Li Shiming¡¯s help for Alchemy, and each time they received the Spirit Pills without much delay.


    From this, we can conclude that the relationship between Yuanba and Li Shiming was very close, falling into the category of good friends.


    On the Righteous Path, not many can bypass the queue for Alchemy with Li Shiming at any time. Those who can normally would not ask, as it essentially uses up their goodwill with Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was unaware of the conversation among the three Righteous Path Golden Core Elders. On his return, he still used the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± and traveled using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± for added safety.


    In the Cultivation World, not many can surpass the speed of ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± is just the introductory level of Divine Foot Skill. The higher level, ¡°Inches Turn Into Miles,¡± which he had looked into, requires a lot of Spiritual Power. With his current level of Spiritual Power, using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± was best.


    In fact, the difference between ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± and ¡°Inches Turn Into Miles¡± is not significant. Especially when Li Shiming uses ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± aided by his personal magical treasure, IBMz15, he can activate multiple brains simultaneously to trigger ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± making its execution speed reach its peak, and thus in Li Shiming¡¯s hands, the speed is not slower than ¡°Inches Turn Into Miles.¡±


    Li Shiming¡¯s outing this time didn¡¯t take long, and the cultivators within the sect once again were amazed. This time, still without any incidents, it seemed Li Shiming¡¯s luck weakened.


    No cultivator knew that Li Shiming¡¯s two outings, one resulted in the Nascent Soul Ancestor losing its original body, and the other, the Nascent Soul Ancestor was completely obliterated during a Body Seizing resurrection.


    Back in his cave dwelling, Li Shiming sensed that the body in the machine room space was undergoing corpse transformation, with fangs making its face fiercely hideous, and its whole body emitting a bronze glow.


    A Copper Corpse, relative to Li Shiming¡¯s current strength, was practically useless in Corpse Refining.

 Chapter 608: 350 Copper Corpse_2

    Chapter 608: Chapter 350 Copper Corpse_2


    But this copper corpse was different, as within its bronze glow, there was also a hint of fiery red light.


    In the engine room space, Li Shiming used micron-level perception to see the source of the red light inside the corpse, which was a spark protected by the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± technique inscription.


    This ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± technique inscription, even Li Shiming himself had not condensed.


    It required long-term practice of the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± cultivation technique and prolonged integration with the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± flames to possess it. Li Shiming was currently incapable of practicing the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± technique and completely relied on a trick by using the Nascent Soul Body to cultivate the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡±.


    Furthermore, to form the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± technique inscription in the body without practicing, the amount of time needed was simply too long; at least, Li Shiming would not be able to condense the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± technique inscription inside his body in the short term.


    The ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± technique inscription inside the copper corpse was certainly thanks to Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    Patriarch Weng Zhao used his own Nascent Soul to modify this body, perfectly fitting it to the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡±, which allowed the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± spark to remain inside the body of a Qi Refining cultivator.


    Otherwise, the mere spark of the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± alone would be enough to melt the body of a Qi Refining cultivator.


    Li Shiming¡¯s eyes were full of surprise and delight. Previously, he had obtained many corpses, but did not refine them into corpse refining mainly because he got over a dozen corpse refinings from Elder Lv.


    Given Elder Lv¡¯s power within the Senluo Sect, any corpse he refined into corpse refining was none but exceptional, each one with outstanding natural talent.


    Yet, even if these corpse refinings were upgraded to silver corpses, they did not significantly help him in combat.


    However, if he could cultivate this particular copper corpse, its utility would far exceed any other corpse refining he had at present.


    A corpse refining that mastered the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡±, as long as its strength reached the level to project the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± outward, its destructive power would be invincible below the Nascent Soul.


    If the corpse refining reached the level of a Golden Corpse, then even the Nascent Soul Ancestors would hold reservations about it.


    Li Shiming thought for a moment, then collected Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s personal Fourth Grade Long Sword into the engine room space, and the copper corpse reached out to grab it.


    He let his spirit pass into the copper corpse through the contract; he could sense that after the copper corpse grasped the Fourth Grade Long Sword, there was not the slightest resistance felt. Rather than showing resistance, the Fourth Grade Long Sword even actively cooperated with the copper corpse, allowing the copper corpse to control the Fourth Grade Long Sword with the least effort possible.


    No wonder that Weng Yi, even as a Qi Refining cultivator, was able to wield the Fourth Grade Long Sword; it turned out that during the transformation, Patriarch Weng Zhao had meshed into his body a mastery over the Fourth Grade Long Sword.


    The body of the copper corpse was much stronger than the original, so there was not much backlash when wielding the Fourth Grade Long Sword.


    Of course, even so, Li Shiming would not let the copper corpse wield the Fourth Grade Long Sword in battle. Indeed, the Fourth Grade Long Sword could harm Golden Core cultivators, but the copper corpse was too fragile¡ªa single aftermath from combat could destroy it.


    Nevertheless, ascending the copper corpse was very easy, at least for Li Shiming it was extremely easy.


    As long as the resources were not Third Grade or even most unprecious Third Grade resources, Li Shiming could acquire them, and he had almost unlimited access to lower-level resources.


    If the Shushan Sect didn¡¯t have it, then the Senluo Sect might, and there was also the Beishu Trading Company, not to mention Li Shiming¡¯s numerous Golden Core friends, who would be willing to help as long as he asked.


    Li Shiming was in very good spirits as he came to the pavilion at the mountain peak and poured himself a cup of Third Grade Spiritual Tea.


    The copper corpse was arranged in the corpse refining space within the Space Ring, where the environment was best for it; it would not take many days before the copper corpse could ascend to an Iron Corpse.


    ¡°Having mastered ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯, let¡¯s call it Nanming, Refining Corpse Nan Ming!¡± Li Shiming took a sip of Spiritual Tea and gave the copper corpse a name of its own.


    This treatment was not meager; in Li Shiming¡¯s possession, even silver corpses had no privilege of having their own names, reflecting Li Shiming¡¯s expectations for Refining Corpse Nan Ming.


    In front of Li Shiming, the teapot, teacups, and the tea box used to hold tea leaves, all were of Third Grade.


    Adorned in a Third Grade magical artifact, his luxury was taken to the extreme.


    He now had no hesitations after confirming the complete demise of Patriarch Weng Zhao, and so he took out the spoils of war for his use.


    These Third Grade teapots, teacups, and so on, each had their special effects that could improve the taste and quality of the Spiritual Tea; otherwise, Patriarch Weng Zhao wouldn¡¯t have bothered creating these Third Grade household items.


    Savoring the Spiritual Tea in his mouth, the Third Grade Spiritual Tea he had personally roasted was already the pinnacle within the Cultivation World. Enhanced by the Third Grade utensils, his enjoyment was further improved.


    He brought out the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯, this God Cultivation Technique he had tricked from Weng Yi.


    The ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ was complete; at that time, Weng Yi had planned to use this technique to ingratiate himself with Li Yuanba and become his Registered Disciple, to gain Li Yuanba¡¯s protection.


    After all, as valuable as the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ was, it paled in comparison to the great matter of Weng Yi¡¯s reincarnation and re-cultivation.


    Li Shiming went through the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ and found that cultivating it did not necessarily require sleep, but it did demand the full attention of the mind, making sleep the optimal method. When sleeping, the mind naturally didn¡¯t need to do anything else and this suited the requirements for cultivating the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯.


    A thought struck him, and he began to channel his spiritual power according to the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯, allowing the part of his brain that called upon spiritual power to rest and empty itself.


    His spiritual power began to vibrate in a peculiar rhythm, slowly enhancing his spirit through these tremors.


    Li Shiming could access a whopping one hundred and ninety-one brains, which meant he could cultivate the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ while fully conscious, without hindering his ability to do other things.


    The only requirement for cultivating the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ was that one of his brains had to be at rest, unable to be accessed.


    Truthfully, the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ didn¡¯t offer much to High-level Cultivators, except for those without any God Cultivation Techniques. Hence, the method of cultivation for this technique was not popular among cultivators.


    Upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, Cultivators no longer needed much sleep, and the greatest advantage of the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ was its use of sleeping hours.


    While cultivating the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯, the enhancement of the spirit was not fast, but the advantage lay in not needing to allocate regular hours for sleep.


    However, during the Golden Core Stage, every moment of a Cultivator¡¯s day is incredibly precious, and hence cultivating the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ during sleep became an inefficient proposition.


    No wonder Weng Yi did not resist at all when giving up this technique. For Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage, or even higher realms, this technique was not particularly practical.


    This technique, in Li Shiming¡¯s hands, however, had a special purpose. He could, after all, cultivate the ¡®Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡¯ nonstop for 24 hours a day.


    Feeling a connection, his life-bound magical artifact, the IBM z15, linked up with the drone satellite system, which was rapidly expanding.


    Though Jieshan Mountain Pass had two major arrays as barriers, they did not block the signals from the drone satellite system. The signals emanating from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains connected to the drone satellite system above the territory of the Righteous Path forces.


    This was thanks to Yuan Ba¡¯s clone sending the drones over, and while Yuan Ba did not control the drones, Li Shiming did from his end.


    Armed with a map of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, Li Shiming had long planned out the deployment of the drone satellite system.


    The drones flew slowly to avoid disrupting their stealth.


    Ten Thousand Great Mountains were actually more dangerous than the territory of the Righteous Path, filled with numerous spirit beasts that could potentially fixate on any drone with the slightest emission of essence.


    The drones lacked significant defenses and could not withstand the attacks of spirit beasts.


    After estimating, Li Shiming figured it would take at least a month to complete all the deployments.


    He planned to venture out again soon, to set up drone satellite systems in the territories of two other Demon Sects.

 Chapter 609: 351: Divine Eye

    Chapter 609: Chapter 351: Divine Eye


    One day, the Shushan Sect received an extremely important guest, Venerable Huike from Qianye Temple, who personally made his way there, welcomed by Elder Zuo of the sect.


    The entire Shushan Sect buzzed with excitement, as Venerable Huike¡¯s visit was public, so the Shushan Sect had to demonstrate their welcome for a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Li Shiming received a message from Elder Zuo to proceed to his cave dwelling.


    In the absence of other Nascent Soul Ancestors from the sect, Elder Zuo was the highest authority in the Shushan Sect, and his commands could not be ignored by Shiming.


    Elder Zuo¡¯s cave dwelling was located in the core area of the sect; when Li Shiming arrived at the outskirts of the Mountain Protection Array Formation, a pathway had already been opened for him.


    He flew into the formation and saw two people beside the waterfall, one was Elder Zuo, and the other was Venerable Huike.


    What caught Li Shiming¡¯s attention the most was that the water of the waterfall was actually spiritual spring water. As it fell from the waterfall, the entire area was filled with a mist full of Spiritual Energy, making any cultivator within it feel refreshed and tranquil.


    To know that such quality spiritual spring water, in the hands of other Golden Core cultivators, was used for brewing Spiritual Tea.


    And this grandeur, even for the worldly Li Shiming, was extremely surprising.


    ¡°Li Shiming pays his respects to Elder Zuo and to the Venerable!¡± Li Shiming landed beside the two Nascent Soul Ancestors and bowed respectfully.


    The two Nascent Soul Ancestors were partaking in tea, and from the scent of the Spiritual Tea, he could tell that it was the very Third Grade Spirit Tea he had roasted.


    With Elder Zuo¡¯s status, the portion of the Third Grade Spirit Tea Li Shiming handed over to the sect was likely largely taken up by the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    With the reputation of this Third Grade Spirit Tea, it was undoubtedly the best spiritual tea next to the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea, sufficient for entertaining a distinguished guest.


    Li Shiming had only heard of Fourth Grade Spirit Tea but had never seen it; he had acquired items from a False Infant Cultivator and from a Nascent Soul Ancestor, yet had seen no trace of Fourth Grade Spirit Tea; it seemed extremely rare even among Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    ¡°Shiming, your strength has improved remarkably fast; it looks like I¡¯ll have to rely on you for my alchemy in the future!¡± Elder Zuo said smiling and gestured to Li Shiming.


    Elder Zuo harbored a very favorable attitude towards Li Shiming, something he had noted long ago. Elder Zuo didn¡¯t concern himself with the competition among the younger generation; in his realm, perhaps only someone at the Great Elder¡¯s level would capture his significant attention.


    Li Shiming possessed exceptional alchemy talents and such a talent was highly valued in any large sect; Elder Zuo¡¯s attitude reflected this importance.


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Elder!¡± Li Shiming replied cautiously.


    He restrained his spirit; at such a time, he suppressed his ¡®Telepathy¡¯ tightly, daring not to reveal even the slightest hint of it.


    He was facing two Nascent Soul Ancestors, and he knew the limitations of ¡®Telepathy¡¯; revealing ¡®Telepathy¡¯ would definitely be detected by the two Nascent Soul Ancestors before him.


    If it were just Elder Zuo, perhaps Elder Zuo would just laugh it off, considering it a naive act of the younger generation.


    But with Venerable Huike present, it would be different¡ª should Huike discover that Li Shiming mastered ¡®Telepathy¡¯, he would definitely investigate the origin of ¡®Telepathy¡¯.


    Most crucially, ¡®Telepathy¡¯ and such mental Divine Skills were extremely susceptible to backlash; using them before much stronger cultivators meant the backlash would be even more terrifying.


    ¡°This time I¡¯ve called you here because Venerable Huike of Qianye Temple has honored a previous agreement to bring you the ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ inheritance. You only have one chance, do you choose to study it now or wait until your strength is greater to decide?¡± Elder Zuo explained smilingly why he had summoned Li Shiming.


    Elder Zuo¡¯s words were entirely considerate towards Li Shiming, concerned that he might choose to undertake the ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ inheritance test immediately because of Venerable Huike.


    Venerable Huike¡¯s visit served two purposes: one was to foster relations because Venerable Huijing of Qianye Temple developed a heart demon, leading to a significant drop in the top combat power of Qianye Temple. Assuming that the attack on Qianye Temple was by Skywalk Trading Company, it necessitated forming tighter alliances with other major sects to prepare for possible future attacks.


    The second was to deliver a previously promised compensation; Qianye Temple owed Li Shiming an opportunity for the ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ inheritance.


    In this affair, Venerable Huike harbored some ulterior motives; Li Shiming had just advanced to the Golden Core Stage recently, and undertaking the ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ inheritance test now would make success highly improbable.


    Qianye Temple certainly did not want Li Shiming to pass the ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ inheritance test; though not a powerful Divine Skill, ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ was one of the key Divine Skills inherited in Qianye Temple, its importance goes without saying.


    By letting Li Shiming undertake the ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ inheritance test just after his advancement to the Golden Core, they would fulfill their promise without benefiting Shushan Sect, an advantageous move.


    Elder Zuo intentionally reminded Li Shiming, knowing Venerable Huike¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°I wish to learn ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ now, please grant this, Venerable!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s eyes brightened; he had long intended to remind Qianye Temple of their agreement, but due to recent instabilities in the Beishu Continent, he had not.


    He had not expected Qianye Temple to proactively deliver the ¡®Divine Eyesight¡¯ inheritance, which perfectly aligned with his wishes.


    Elder Zuo said no more; the choices on the path of cultivation often relate to a cultivator¡¯s entire life, even as a Nascent Soul Ancestor, Elder Zuo could not make choices for sect cultivators.

 Chapter 610: 351 Divine Eye_2

    Chapter 610: Chapter 351 Divine Eye_2


    This choice is neither right nor wrong; perhaps in Elder Zuo¡¯s view, it is correct, but in the eyes of cultivators, it might be wrong.


    After all, it is the cultivator himself who bears the consequences; Elder Zuo has fulfilled his duty, and that is enough.


    ¡°Young Benefactor Li has exceptional talent, and I believe you will certainly pass the ¡®God¡¯s Eye Trial¡¯. Come here, and I will be your protector!¡± Venerable Huike said with an extremely kind gesture.


    Elder Zuo smiled and brought Li Shiming to the spot indicated by Venerable Huike. He did not leave but stood beside Li Shiming.


    This attitude was very clear; Elder Zuo intended to protect Li Shiming.


    The trial of Divine Skills harbored dangers.


    If Li Shiming were an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, even if he perished on the spot, it wouldn¡¯t matter much; however, Li Shiming was an Alchemy Master and also the highest-skilled alchemist of his rank on the Beishu Continent. The loss of such talent would have a tremendous impact on Shushan Sect.


    According to incomplete statistics, since Li Shiming became an Alchemy Master, the cultivation progress speed of the Golden Core cultivators in Shushan Sect had more than doubled.


    Before Li Shiming became a Golden Core cultivator, only those in the Golden Core Early Stage benefited. After forming his Golden Core, now the Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators benefited as well, and with Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation speed, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators would also benefit.


    Elder Zuo was also concerned that Qianye Temple might take this opportunity to harm Li Shiming. Although this was unlikely, he did not want to take the risk.


    As long as he was by Li Shiming¡¯s side, even if Li Shiming encountered trouble, he could ensure Li Shiming¡¯s safety.


    Venerable Huike seemed not to notice Elder Zuo¡¯s wariness; he maintained a benevolent demeanor as he took out a relic from his spatial item.


    This relic resembled an eyeball; when Li Shiming looked at the eyeball relic, he always had the illusion that the relic was watching him.


    Under Venerable Huike¡¯s control, the eyeball relic flew in front of Li Shiming.


    ¡°Enter your Divine Thought into it, and the trial will activate!¡± Venerable Huike said with a smile.


    Elder Zuo frowned slightly; he was somewhat dissatisfied with Venerable Huike, who had not offered any hints, reducing Li Shiming¡¯s chances of passing the heritage challenge.


    Li Shiming followed Venerable Huike¡¯s instruction and projected his Divine Thought into the eyeball relic.


    No sooner had his Divine Thought entered the relic than the consciousness in his brain that housed this Divine Thought was sucked into the interior of the eyeball relic.


    Then this consciousness experienced being in a bizarre world, akin to a kaleidoscope, with the world split into countless reflective surfaces. These surfaces reflected off each other, creating a labyrinthine array of images.


    Each surface of this world held a certain allure, aiming to draw Li Shiming¡¯s gaze to itself.


    With countless surfaces exerting their unique pull simultaneously, it seemed they wanted to split his gaze into myriad fragments, but lacking the capacity to do so affected his spirit.


    Initially, this strain was bearable, but as the kaleidoscopic world began to spin, the toll on his spirit steadily increased.


    As the kaleidoscope spun faster and faster, the worlds within the countless surfaces sliced at his gaze and spirit like blades.


    This was the trial, and without strong innate talent or having undergone long-term specific training, it was highly likely that Li Shiming would have already suffered mental harm and been forced to withdraw.


    This was what Venerable Huike wished to see, but when he looked at Li Shiming¡¯s face, he did not see the expression he was expecting.


    It was known that once Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness was absorbed by the eyeball relic, he would lose control over his own facial expressions, with any psychological changes reflecting directly on his face. Observing these expressions would reveal his condition during the ¡®God¡¯s Eye Trial¡¯.


    Indeed, the trial of the ¡®God¡¯s Eye¡¯ heritage was an extreme form of psychic torture; without the corresponding talent, even prolonged targeted training for the heritage challenge would not enable one to pass the ¡®God¡¯s Eye¡¯ heritage trial.


    This point can be corroborated by the experience of Qianye Temple over countless years.


    But Li Shiming¡¯s situation was somewhat special; no matter how much his brain was tormented, this brain was just one of his one hundred and ninety-one brains, and with the IBMz15, his magical artifact, sharing the burden, the impact on him didn¡¯t amount to any pressure at all.


    Venerable Huike looked at Li Shiming with some disbelief. Had Elder Zuo not been watching, he would have wanted to investigate Li Shiming¡¯s condition personally.


    Li Shiming scarcely looked like he was undergoing the spiritual challenge for the ¡®Divine Eye Skill.¡¯ It was entirely as if he was just resting as usual.


    If the spiritual challenge for the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ inheritance was really this easy, how could it be that Qianye Temple would only produce a ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ inheritor every few hundred or even over a thousand years?


    Within the eye relic, the world was no longer rotating in an orderly fashion, but warping irregularly, increasing the strain on Li Shiming¡¯s spirit by many times.


    Venerable Huike¡¯s expression grew unpleasant. Judging from the state of the eye relic, this was the final step in the inheritance challenge.


    Normally, the challenge for inheriting Divine Skills was divided into multiple steps, each granting a layer of the Divine Skill upon completion.


    For instance, in the inheritance challenge for the ¡®Divine Foot Skill,¡¯ passing the initial challenge would grant ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ and upon passing further challenges, one could acquire deeper skills like ¡®In the Blink of an Eye.¡¯


    The ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ was relatively simpler but also comprised multiple levels.


    Li Shiming only had one chance at the challenge. Initially, Venerable Huike thought that at best, Li Shiming would only gain the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ at the introductory level.


    But judging by Li Shiming¡¯s performance, it was feared that he might obtain the full heritage of the ¡®Divine Eye Skill,¡¯ merely waiting for Li Shiming¡¯s realm to reach a sufficient level before he could master the entirety of this Divine Skill.


    Partial leakage of the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ and the complete leakage are entirely different concepts.


    If only a part of the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ leaked out, then no matter how much Li Shiming cultivated it, he could never make further achievements in this particular Divine Skill.


    However, upon acquiring the full heritage of the ¡®Divine Eye Skill,¡¯ it might be possible for Li Shiming one day in the future, after reaching great proficiency, to create inheritance items like the eye relic himself, and then the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ would no longer belong solely to Qianye Temple.


    Venerable Huike felt some regret for having agreed to compensate Li Shiming with a chance at a Divine Skill inheritance.


    Fortunately, it was the ¡®Divine Eye Skill,¡¯ which could be considered the weakest of all Divine Skills to some extent, and precisely because it was the weakest, Qianye Temple chose it as part of the compensation for Li Shiming.


    Although Venerable Huike had various thoughts in his mind, he made no underhanded moves.


    Elder Zuo, standing beside, was extremely experienced, and any trickery would not escape Elder Zuo¡¯s perception.


    To anger Elder Zuo and have a falling out with the entire Shushan Sect over Li Shiming, at a time when Qianye Temple was at its most vulnerable, contending with internal issues and formidable enemies, was definitely not a wise choice.


    The look on Venerable Huike¡¯s face was the exact opposite of Elder Zuo, who had a faint smile on his face.


    If it weren¡¯t for the unpleasant expression on Venerable Huike¡¯s face and not wishing to cause Venerable Huike to lose face at his own sect, Elder Zuo might even have laughed out loud.


    Elder Zuo also discerned that Li Shiming seemed particularly attuned to the ¡®Divine Eye Skill,¡¯ for the challenges of the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ posed no difficulty to him whatsoever.


    He thought how fortunate Li Shiming was¡ªperhaps this was where Li Shiming¡¯s destiny brought him; the randomly chosen inheritance of Divine Skills by Qianye Temple happened to be the most suitable for Li Shiming.


    As for saying that the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ was the weakest of Divine Skills, it was still a Divine Skill after all. Even the weakest one, once mastered, would greatly benefit advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor who had mastered a Divine Skill compared to one who had not could be said to be on two completely different levels of Nascent Soul Cultivators.

 Chapter 611: 352 Divine Skills

    Chapter 611: Chapter 352 Divine Skills


    From within the relic of the eyeball, two beams of light shot forth, landing in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes.


    Golden light danced in his eyes, where complex and mystical patterns of rules faintly emerged.


    After the world within the eyeball relic returned to normal, his brain received all the information about ¡°Divine Eye Power.¡±


    His gaze fell upon Venerable Huike, and he saw the intricate patterns hidden beneath the surface of his skin.


    Venerable Huike snorted coldly, his Spiritual Power Pattern surged, forming a barrier that blocked Li Shiming¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Shiming, in the future, do not use Divine Eye Power to observe cultivators stronger than yourself, as it is an act of provocation and the other party can sense this kind of observation!¡± Elder Zuo solemnly cautioned.


    ¡°This disciple has been impolite!¡± Li Shiming bowed deeply to Venerable Huike, apologizing.


    That single glance had allowed him to see the pattern of the main cultivation technique within Venerable Huike¡¯s body. If he had been familiar with Qianye Temple¡¯s techniques, he could have deduced Venerable Huike¡¯s primary cultivation technique from the patterns seen with that glance.


    If Venerable Huike were to encounter a Nascent Soul Ancestor of the same rank and the other party knew of his primary cultivation technique, Venerable Huike would be at a disadvantage even before the battle began, and his chances of victory would be significantly reduced.


    That was only the most basic ability of Divine Eye Power, which had many more capabilities.


    Of course, the biggest issue with Divine Eye Power was its limited usefulness in combat; the standard by which a Divine Skill¡¯s power is measured in the Cultivation World is the boost it provides to one¡¯s combat abilities.


    ¡°Be mindful in the future. Young benefactor indeed has astonishing talent. I hope you will not spread the ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ to others, or else you will become an enemy of Qianye Temple!¡± Venerable Huike regained his kind demeanor and said.


    ¡°Huike, Shiming¡¯s ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ was not something he willingly learned, but rather a compensation from your Qianye Temple. How he deals with ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ is his affair. It¡¯s best not to threaten a disciple of my sect in my presence!¡± Elder Zuo, ever so astute, immediately detected the implications in Venerable Huike¡¯s words and countered without delay.


    Elder Zuo was quite pleased internally; he discerned that the ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ inheritance Li Shiming received this time was complete, or else Venerable Huike would not have reacted in such a way.


    Venerable Huike was not being petty; any important inheritance from Shushan Sect learned by a cultivator of another sect would be addressed similarly.


    However, the reason Li Shiming acquired the inheritance was different; it was part of the compensation given to him by Qianye Temple. Qianye Temple had already taken precautions against the spread of ¡®Divine Eye Power.¡¯ Now, to intervene in how Li Shiming handled the inheritance after possessing it was somewhat indefensible.


    Venerable Huike did not say more; he had stated his piece, trusting that Li Shiming would understand its significance.


    ¡°Shiming, you may leave for now; I have things to discuss with the Venerable!¡± Elder Zuo instructed Li Shiming.


    He was somewhat wary of Venerable Huike; these monks preached compassion, but in carrying out their deeds, they had no scruples.


    After bowing and retreating a distance, Li Shiming soared into the sky and left the area.


    It was only when he returned to Sword Holding Peak that he let out a deep breath of relief.


    Being in the presence of two Nascent Soul Ancestors, especially with Venerable Huike being overly attentive to him, had kept him feeling suppressed.


    But soon, a smile spread across his face.


    ¡®Divine Eye Power,¡¯ though perhaps not considered a powerful Divine Skill by Qianye Temple, was exceedingly important in Li Shiming¡¯s view.


    He stretched out his palm, directing his gaze towards it.


    As the pattern of ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ flickered in his eyes, the details of his palm magnified. He saw the cells and delved even deeper into one, seeing its membrane.


    His sight traversed the cellular membrane, allowing him to see the cytoplasm within, and then past the cytoplasm to the nucleus.


    On the surface of the nuclear envelope, he even noticed the ribosomes.


    Considering the nucleus is only a few micrometers in size, and ribosomes are even smaller, he was one hundred percent certain that while using ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ for micro-observation, he could see substances that were at micrometer level.


    This was almost equivalent to the precision he could achieve when observing within the machine room space, and it was extremely significant for him.


    The machine room space was not large; larger machinery had to be operated outside. If he could enhance his control to micrometer precision, his research on the technology of his prior world would undergo breakthrough advancements.


    With a slight mental gesture, he engaged ¡®Divine Eye Power,¡¯ observing the machine room space through a thread of Divine Thought.


    He retrieved a CPU of one-micrometer precision, the highest specification he had manually crafted in the machine room space, as none of the machinery he built had yet to reach such high precision.


    He had deployed these CPUs in the unmanned drone satellite system, where they played a crucial role.


    Though ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ normally operated through the eyes, it could also be employed via Divine Thought just like the eyes of a Golden Core cultivator.


    Thus, Li Shiming had no trouble using ¡®Divine Eye Power¡¯ with Divine Thought to observe the machine room space as he inspected the one-micrometer precision CPU.


    In the machine room space, one micrometer was the smallest precision he could observe.


    However, under the influence of ¡®Divine Eye Power,¡¯ he was able to see even smaller precisions than a micrometer; dividing it into a thousand parts, the smallest precision he could observe was a thousandth of a micrometer, which in his former world was termed a nanometer.

 Chapter 612: 352 Divine Skills_2

    Chapter 612: Chapter 352 Divine Skills_2


    Of course, this was observed through ¡°Divine Eyes,¡± and he needed more practice to achieve such precision in control.


    But with his life-bound magical artifact, the IBMz15, although he might not reach the precision of one nanometer, reaching twenty to thirty nanometers in a short period shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    He had great confidence, even believing that one day his control could match the observational precision of ¡°Divine Eyes.¡±


    Li Shiming also tested the other abilities of ¡°Divine Eyes,¡± discovering their significant use in formations.


    ¡°Divine Eyes¡± could observe the spiritual power patterns and see the nodes of the formations without using Divine Thought, which is an extremely important data for any Array Master.


    Not to mention for Li Shiming, with this knowledge, formations would be easily breakable.


    The other uses of ¡°Divine Eyes¡± are numerous, such as in combat, they could make his flying sword even more accurate, and even find gaps between an enemy¡¯s spiritual power, allowing the flying sword to pierce through their defenses.


    Of course, this function is not universal, as for cultivators who have mastered ¡°Divine Eyes,¡± seeing the gaps in an opponent¡¯s spiritual power doesn¡¯t mean they can seize the opportunity, as it is virtually impossible.


    Cultivators in battle frequently shift their spiritual power, with the gaps appearing and disappearing in an instant.


    Cultivators can¡¯t catch that moment to exploit the gaps in spiritual power observed with ¡°Divine Eyes,¡± otherwise ¡°Divine Eyes¡± wouldn¡¯t be considered the weakest Divine Skill.


    But just because other cultivators can¡¯t seize it, doesn¡¯t mean Li Shiming can¡¯t. With his life-bound artifact IBMz15 handling some of the data, Li Shiming didn¡¯t need to worry as the IBMz15 could even analyze the appearance of spiritual power gaps in advance through the observation of ¡°Divine Eyes.¡±


    Li Shiming just needed to strike at the spiritual power gaps at the right time with his flying sword.


    This combat skill was still being perfected, and he needed real combat to practice it.


    He was like a child who had received a new toy, and aside from cultivating and alchemy, he spent most of his time on combining ¡°Divine Eyes¡± with scientific research.


    After a bit over a month, the six major sects of the Beishu Continent still hadn¡¯t found any trace of the Nascent Soul Ancestor from Skywalk Trading Company, and the Nascent Soul Ancestor of Thousand Illusion Sect, who was skilled in divination, used expensive materials for a divination and concluded that the Nascent Soul Ancestor was not on the Beishu Continent.


    With this result, the six major sects finally put their minds at ease, but they were not too happy. This was only a temporary safety, as a cross-continent trading company like Skywalk Trading Company surely had more than one Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    The six major sects needed to prepare for possible retaliation from Skywalk Trading Company, but that was no longer a concern for the Golden Core Elders of the six major sects, as it was something for the Nascent Soul Ancestors to worry about.


    The previously tense atmosphere of the Beishu Continent relaxed a bit, and it was at this time that Li Shiming once again left the sect.


    For Li Shiming¡¯s departure from the sect, the Golden Core Elders of Shushan Sect no longer had the previous concerns since no problems had occurred during his recent outings, breaking the curse-like pattern of encountering trouble every time he left.


    When Li Shiming left Sword Holding Peak, he activated the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique.¡±


    His aura was somewhat unique, and he didn¡¯t want to be detected by fellow sect cultivators.


    These days, he had taken ten drops of Third Grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk,¡± which had brought his ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± to the peak of perfection close to the Golden Core chapter.


    If it weren¡¯t for the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡± to hide his presence, he feared his vitality and blood could be sensed from several miles away.


    Actually, this was only because his ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± hadn¡¯t reached perfection yet, and it was impossible to reach the highest realm of the Golden Core chapter of ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± in a short period.


    Without Third Grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk,¡± other Third Grade Body Refinement Spiritual Objects were of little help to him.


    Unless he could obtain more Fourth Grade Body Refinement resources, he could only cultivate on his own to slowly advance the realm of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡±


    Even though he hadn¡¯t reached the perfect stage of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± in the Golden Core chapter, his combat power was vastly different from before, his close combat strength had almost increased several times over.


    In terms of defense, strength, and speed, he could be compared to a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator who was close to the peak.


    He could be considered equivalent to a Late-stage Body Refining Cultivator, although his realm was only at the early stage of Golden Core. The effect of the fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk,¡± a resource of the Nascent Soul Stage, could achieve a cross-realm enhancement of strength.


    It was precisely this significant increase in defensive power that gave him the idea to leave the sect and complete his previous plans.


    Without using defensive magical treasures, he could withstand several strikes from a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s magical treasures with just his body. As for how many attacks he could withstand, that depended on the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s own strength.


    Taking the fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± had another unexpected effect.


    As he cultivated the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± in the Golden Core chapter to near perfection, his constitution greatly improved, and the previously overlooked ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± produced a special effect.


    With the improvement in his constitution, the Third Grade Sword Base inside him continued to strengthen as he cultivated the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡±


    Before the Golden Core Stage, the Third Grade Sword Base of the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± relied on the Third Grade Metal¡¯s material quality to exert far more powerful than those of the same level.


    By the Golden Core Stage, when the Third Grade Sword Base became a magical treasure, the material effects of the Third Grade Sword Base were fully utilized, and then it was the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± itself that allowed the Third Grade Sword Base to keep strengthening.


    As long as Li Shiming¡¯s constitution continued to improve, the Third Grade Sword Base would also keep growing. It was as if the Third Grade Sword Base was a vassal to his body; as the body strengthened, so would the Third Grade Sword Base.


    The only issue was that the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± lacked content for the Nascent Soul Stage. He did not know whether the Third Grade Sword Base could also elevate itself to the fourth grade once his body reached the Nascent Soul Body.


    Regardless, the current Third Grade Sword Base was already extremely strong, having almost reached the limit of strength for a Third Grade Longsword class magical treasure.


    Unfortunately, even with his current Body Refining prowess and bearing the Third Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, Li Shiming was unable to break through the defenses of a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core controlled by a Heavenly Ghost.


    Despite seeming only a small distance away from reaching the level of Great Elder-level Body Refining, that gap was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth. One step further would mean invincibility within the Golden Core Stage.


    This time, when leaving the sect, Li Shiming did not conceal his form. He summoned a Third-Grade Meteor Ink Boat and steered it in a certain direction.


    Li Shiming, sitting in the Flying Boat, activated ¡°Telepathy.¡± The Flying Boat flew at a very low altitude, allowing him to pick up the thoughts of the people on the ground.


    From time to time, he also used ¡°Divine Eye¡± to observe what was ahead. ¡°Divine Eye¡± enabled him to see everything within a thousand miles like it was right before his eyes.


    Divine Skills require practice. The Divine Skills he had acquired were mostly methods of cultivation and techniques for use; Qianye Temple had not imparted these to him.


    He had to explore these on his own, and perhaps his experience would be more comprehensive than any usage experience of Divine Skills by Qianye Temple.


    At the very least, in the use of ¡°Divine Eye,¡± he was definitely superior to Qianye Temple. With ¡°Divine Eye,¡± he had created the first 27-nanometer CPU in the server room space.


    It is estimated that even with extensive study of ¡°Divine Eye,¡± Qianye Temple would not have achieved this.


    Even now, inside the Meteor Ink Boat, there were a hundred brains in the server room space working together to produce more 27-nanometer CPUs.


    Only with his life-bound magical treasure, the IBM z15, along with the server room space and ¡°Divine Eye,¡± was he able to do so.


    If he could return to his original world, his level of technology alone would surpass that of many countries from his former life.


    This made him realize even more that the true path was to combine the methods of cultivation with the technology of his previous life.

 Chapter 613: 353: Encounter

    Chapter 613: Chapter 353: Encounter


    Li Shiming looked at the stretch of mountains before him. These peaks were utterly lifeless, barren hills devoid of vegetation and wildlife, as if they belonged to a realm of the dead.


    It wasn¡¯t just one mountain that was like this, but a continuous range of peaks.


    This was the territory of the Earth Evil Sect, appearing as a scene from the apocalypse.


    Li Shiming had entered the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s domain through clandestine means, bypassing the great formations of both the Righteous and Demonic Paths.


    He was somewhat familiar with the Earth Evil Sect¡ªit was the least favored amongst the three major Demon Sects.


    The main reason was their Inheritance Technique, the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill,¡± which required the absorption of Earth Evil Qi during the Golden Core Stage, and the qi from the mountains was optimal.


    The Earth Evil Sect also protected their mountains, but even with their mighty strength, they couldn¡¯t withstand the internal demand from their own Golden Core cultivators.


    The mountains before him had, over time and after being overly drained of Earth Evil Qi again and again, completely lost their spiritual essence, turning into this deadened state.


    Golden Core cultivators who practiced the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± needed better Earth Evil Qi if they hoped to make significant progress with this technique.


    They extended their reach towards the territories of the Righteous Path, but since many of the finer mountains in those regions were claimed, their other choice was the Ten Thousand Great Mountains controlled by the Senluo Sect.


    It could be said that the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators, whether they aimed for the territories of the Righteous Path or the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of the Senluo Sect, were given the highest priority.


    They would never allow Golden Core cultivators from the Earth Evil Sect the chance to use the Earth Evil Qi to cultivate the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill.¡± Of course, some Earth Evil Sect Golden Core cultivators were successful, which only increased the other sects¡¯ disdain towards those who practiced the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill.¡±


    These matters flashed through Li Shiming¡¯s mind, but they were not his concern.


    His mission this time was relatively easy: to release ten drones. Considering the size of the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s domain, five drones would have been sufficient, but to account for any unexpected damage and the inability to replenish promptly, he decided to deploy ten in one go.


    Moreover, all ten drones were equipped with the latest 27-nanometer CPUs. The precision of their components had improved greatly due to the control he had achieved at a nanometer scale in his machine room space, allowing for 27-nanometer precision in the lenses of the cameras and the sensitivity of some critical photoelectric parts.


    The drones¡¯ energy system utilized mid-grade Spirit Stones in their spirit stone motors. Each drone carried a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones, enough for over twenty years of airborne operation.


    Once linked to the drone satellite system, they would send a prompt to Li Shiming through the system when the level of Spirit Stones dropped to a pre-set warning level.


    This ensured the long-term operation of the drone satellite system, and eventually, he would update all other regional drones to the latest version.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t release the drones here as this place was still too close to the safeguarding formations.


    He didn¡¯t conceal his presence. This area showed no signs of life, and he hadn¡¯t even seen another cultivator¡¯s shadow.


    The Earth Evil Sect¡¯s domain was not as prosperous as other major sects, but of course, this might be because he was still on the edge of the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s territory and had yet to penetrate deeper into their realm.


    As he was contemplating, his gaze shifted in a particular direction.


    Originally intending to avoid the area, he paused when he saw the fleeing cultivator.


    ¡°How could she be here?¡± murmured Li Shiming to himself.


    A thousand li away, a female cultivator was flying at full speed on her sword light, with six Foundation Establishment cultivators hot on her trail. Behind them, a Flying Boat followed leisurely.


    The ability to observe the situation from a thousand li away was thanks to the ability of ¡°Telepathy.¡±


    Li Shiming could even see the female cultivator¡¯s face¡ªit was Ren Fei¡¯er, whom he had met on Sky Sea Island.


    Ren Fei¡¯er, now a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had her beautiful face masked with terror. She knew the consequences of being caught by the pursuers. Even as her Spiritual Power waned, she continued to flee with all her might.


    At this moment, her heart was filled with despair, unsure how much longer she could hold on.


    The cultivators chasing her were merely subordinates of a more powerful figure, who was essentially playing a game of cat and mouse with her.


    Ren Fei¡¯er suddenly sensed someone appearing ahead. If that person hadn¡¯t blocked her escape route, she might not have even noticed their presence.


    First, she was startled, then overjoyed.


    Since arriving on the Beishu Continent, she had wanted to see Li Shiming, but she had never imagined their first meeting would be under these circumstances.


    ¡°Ma... Master Li!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er wanted to cry out ¡°big brother,¡± but the words changed to ¡°Master Li¡± as they reached her lips.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, what are you doing here?¡± Li Shiming asked in a grave tone.


    He paid no mind to the approaching cultivators behind her.


    He could sense that even the Foundation Establishment Cultivators on the approaching Flying Boat were merely at Late-stage Foundation Establishment¡ªa presence he could easily dispense with a flick of his hand.


    ¡°I...¡± Ren Fei¡¯er wanted to reply, but considering Li Shiming¡¯s identity as a Shushan Sect Elder, she didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    Li Shiming frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t like to use ¡°Telepathy¡± to probe into the minds of those he was familiar with, but Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s hesitation made him feel uneasy.


    Activating his ¡°Telepathy,¡± he immediately heard Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s inner voice.


    It turned out that since arriving on the Beishu Continent, failing to meet Li Shiming, she had befriended a female cultivator who promised to help her join a major sect. However, it required Ren Fei¡¯er to provide some resources.

 Chapter 614: 353 Encounters_2

    Chapter 614: Chapter 353 Encounters_2


    Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s conditions were not bad, with two Golden Core parents supporting her, she at least didn¡¯t have to worry about resources for the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    But after arriving at the Beishu Continent, she realized that what her Golden Core parents could give her was not much, for without the backing of a major sect on the Beishu Continent, her status was quite lowly.


    She also wanted to become a Golden Core cultivator, to make her parents proud, so she gave some of her resources to that female cultivator.


    Ren Fei¡¯er was no fool, and had signed a contract with that female cultivator.


    The female cultivator was a disciple of the Earth Evil Sect, with a small network of connections within the sect, which actually allowed Ren Fei¡¯er to join the Earth Evil Sect and become its disciple.


    Initially, Ren Fei¡¯er was very excited, for by completing the tasks of the Earth Evil Sect, she could use contribution points to select cultivation techniques from the sect.


    The techniques there were much stronger than what her parents could provide.


    However, within a large sect and without any significant background, especially in a Demon Sect, it did not take long before Ren Fei¡¯er attracted unwanted attention.


    A True Disciple named Chu Ke wanted Ren Fei¡¯er to become his Daoist couple, but Ren Fei¡¯er knew that Chu Ke cultivated a demonic technique that absorbed yin to replenish yang, and any female cultivator who followed Chu Ke would end up contributing all her cultivation to him.


    Ren Fei¡¯er seized an opportunity to escape, but Chu Ke had already been paying attention to her, which is what Li Shiming saw in the chase.


    From Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s inner monologue, Li Shiming had only heard a general outline of the situation, as Ren Fei¡¯er couldn¡¯t possibly think through the entire event in her mind, but what Li Shiming heard was enough for him to guess the approximate course of events.


    ¡°Who are you? My lord is a True Disciple of the Earth Evil Sect, don¡¯t meddle in others¡¯ affairs!¡± The following cultivator caught up and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator shouted a warning.


    This Foundation Establishment Cultivator had not managed to discern Li Shiming¡¯s realm, which was very likely because Li Shiming¡¯s realm was far higher than theirs, and also because Li Shiming was intentionally concealing his realm.


    Therefore, the attitude of the cultivator was cautious, but certainly not fearful.


    Clearly, Li Shiming was not a cultivator of the Earth Evil Sect, and within the sphere of influence of the Earth Evil Sect, anyone not from the sect was a Loose Cultivator.


    No matter how powerful Li Shiming was, he could not afford to provoke a True Disciple of the Earth Evil Sect.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Li Shiming shouted sternly, his voice carrying a trace of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± effect.


    This shout left the six Foundation Establishment Cultivators standing frozen in the air; had they not used spiritual artifacts for flight, which had their own flying capabilities, they would have fallen from the sky by now.


    Meanwhile, the True Disciple Chu Ke in the Flying Boat, upon this shout, saw one of his protective jade tokens shatter.


    Sitting inside the Flying Boat, Chu Ke did not dare to move. Although the ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± power that hit him was blocked by the jade token, he understood that an existence that could shatter his life-saving jade token with just a shout was not someone he could afford to provoke.


    In fact, Li Shiming did not use even a fraction of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± power; had he unleashed it, none of these cultivators would have survived.


    Li Shiming refrained from killing these cultivators while considering Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s attitude.


    If Ren Fei¡¯er wanted to stay in the Earth Evil Sect, then him killing these cultivators would sever Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s path of cultivation in the Earth Evil Sect.


    After all, the Earth Evil Sect was one of the six major sects, and Li Shiming respected Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s choice.


    In fact, Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s choice of the Earth Evil Sect was not so strange; back on Sky Sea Island, she had been a disciple of the Demon Sect.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, have you joined the Earth Evil Sect?¡± Li Shiming asked, glancing at the robe she was wearing.


    He couldn¡¯t very well say he already knew she had joined the Earth Evil Sect through ¡°Telepathy¡±. Noticing that the robe Ren Fei¡¯er wore was the official robe of the Earth Evil Sect, he intentionally led with the question.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ren Fei¡¯er responded softly, her heart filled with worry.


    This wasn¡¯t Sky Sea Island where she and Li Shiming, both very young back then, didn¡¯t care about the difference between righteous and demon sects. The strife between righteous and demon on Sky Sea Island only went as far as the Foundation Establishment Stage. At the Golden Core Stage, like her parents from righteous and demon sects respectively becoming a Daoist couple, it was considered normal.


    But on the Beishu Continent, conflicts between righteous and demon sects were common, and the fall of Golden Core cultivators was a usual affair.


    ¡°Is it this True Disciple who forced you to do things you did not wish to do?¡± Li Shiming asked again.


    Ren Fei¡¯er nodded, thoughts of Chu Ke wanting to form a Daoist couple with her crossing her mind. She didn¡¯t resist the idea of becoming a Daoist couple with a powerful cultivator much, but Chu Ke regarded a Daoist couple as a mere cauldron, which was intolerable to her.


    Li Shiming sensed Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s thoughts and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, realizing that the Fei¡¯er of the past had grown up and become much more realistic.


    Just then, he suddenly heard the name Yin Shilan from Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s inner voice, and Ren Fei¡¯er referred to Yin Shilan as her sister.


    He had originally planned to help Ren Fei¡¯er out of her current predicament, but upon learning that Ren Fei¡¯er was Yin Shilan¡¯s younger sister, he was surprised and realized he had to consider Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s future.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, you have two choices. One is to stay in the Earth Evil Sect, where I can ensure that you cultivate without any disturbance from other cultivators. The other is to leave the Earth Evil Sect and join either the Thousand Illusion Sect or Shushan Sect¡ªyou may choose one,¡± Li Shiming said after a moment of contemplation, his voice deep.


    Upon hearing Li Shiming¡¯s words, Chu Ke couldn¡¯t help but reveal a hint of ridicule at the corner of his mouth, thinking that Li Shiming was bluffing.


    He activated a rescue talisman on his body, which automatically sent out his location.


    This was a True Disciple¡¯s rescue talisman. As long as there were sect cultivators nearby, they would come to reinforce.


    When the rescue talisman was activated, Li Shiming had just learned from Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s inner voice that Yin Shilan was her sister, which slightly affected his mind and he didn¡¯t notice Chu Ke¡¯s actions.


    In the Cultivation World, there weren¡¯t many things that could affect Li Shiming¡¯s mind, and Yin Shilan was the most important one.


    ¡°Can I join the Thousand Illusion Sect?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She recalled the days she spent with Li Shiming and realized that he was considering her welfare.


    Having witnessed the terror of the Demon Sect on the Beishu Continent, she lost all interest in the Demon Sect.


    Indeed, it was difficult to live in any sect without support, but the dangers were much greater in the Demon Sect.


    In the Thousand Illusion Sect, with her sister there, she should receive more care.


    She had considered joining the Shushan Sect, but that would make her a generation younger than Li Shiming, which she did not want.


    ¡°It¡¯s good. Once in the Thousand Illusion Sect, your sister will be there to take care of you; she would be more at ease!¡± Li Shiming, through ¡®Telepathy,¡¯ heard Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s thoughts and directly cut through her whimsy.


    Since the beginning, when he had chosen Yin Shilan, his heart only had room for her.


    Especially as his realm rose higher and his state of mind improved, there was even less room in his heart for distractions.


    However, the place Yin Shilan held in his heart became more and more entrenched. Becoming a Daoist couple with Yin Shilan was also his wish aside from cultivation.


    When Ren Fei¡¯er heard Li Shiming mention her sister, her expression momentarily froze.


    ¡°You know?¡± she murmured softly.


    ¡°Stay with me here for a while longer; I will take you away once I¡¯ve dealt with the matter!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    He looked towards the six Foundation Establishment Cultivators and the Flying Boat, enveloping them in his ¡®Telepathy.¡¯


    ¡°Did you send out a rescue signal?¡± Li Shiming was slightly surprised as he sensed Chu Ke¡¯s thoughts, not expecting him to have the audacity to send a rescue signal.


    ¡°No matter your cultivation level, you¡¯d best let us leave. We are very close to the checkpoint; a Golden Core Elder will be arriving shortly!¡± Chu Ke became much bolder after activating the rescue talisman, his voice stern.


    ¡°There was not much of an issue originally; I only needed to rescue someone and leave. I did not wish to make a big deal out of it!¡± Li Shiming sighed.


    ¡°Surrender, and I will ask the Elder to spare your life!¡± Chu Ke thought Li Shiming was afraid and spoke loudly.


    From the direction of the checkpoint, the aura of a Golden Core Middle Stage was rapidly approaching, significantly boosting Chu Ke¡¯s morale.

 Chapter 615: 354: Annihilation

    Chapter 615: Chapter 354: Annihilation


    Li Shiming¡¯s aura suddenly surged, and he transformed his Spiritual Power into a protective shield, safeguarding Ren Fei¡¯er within it.


    As for the other six Foundation Establishment cultivators and Chu Ke, who was seated in the Flying Boat, he did not bother with them.


    The aura of the Golden Core Early Stage was not much, but with Chu Ke¡¯s cultivation at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, he could withstand it as long as it was not specifically targeting him.


    More terrifying than the aura at the Golden Core Early Stage was an overbearing Body Refinement aura, which, like something substantial, caused the six Foundation Establishment cultivators to burst open, turning into dust in the air.


    All the Formation of Chu Ke¡¯s Flying Boat exploded under the Body Refinement aura, unable to hold up in the slightest.


    As for Chu Ke, although he did not die on the spot, he was a mess, with most of his bones broken.


    Chu Ke was in extreme terror; even his father, a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator, could not exert such dreadful pressure on him with all his might.


    It was only because his foundation was exceptionally solid, having cultivated both Qi Refinement and Body Refinement, that he didn¡¯t die on the spot, but his current condition was not far from death either.


    Zuo Tai was one of the Guardian Cultivators at the checkpoint between the Earth Evil Sect and the Righteous Path forces. His combat strength was among the upper tier of Golden Core cultivators with his Golden Core Middle Stage cultivation. Being a Devil Cultivator who had reached the Golden Core Middle Stage, his experience in slaughter and combat techniques were extremely rich.


    Upon receiving Chu Ke¡¯s call for help, due to some acquaintance with Chu Ke¡¯s father, Chu Xun, and since such a call from a True Disciple mandated assistance according to sect rules when feasible, he had to act promptly.


    Rescue talismans were not something to be consumed at will. After this use, Chu Ke would not be entitled to request another from the sect without years of effort and completing missions.


    Zuo Tai hastened towards the location marked by the distress signal, which was not far from the checkpoint.


    He arrived to see the opposing sides confronting each other, but right before his eyes, the six Foundation Establishment disciples turned into a bloody mist.


    This sharpened his gaze greatly, as killing disciples of the Earth Evil Sect before him was the same as making an enemy of him and the entire Earth Evil Sect.


    He also sensed that Chu Ke¡¯s aura was extremely weak, seemingly on the verge of collapse at any moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡± he bellowed, with the power of Earth Evil transforming into a yellow light, propelling the flying sword to slash down at Li Shiming.


    At that moment, Li Shiming turned his head, looking directly at Zuo Tai, their eyes locking.


    Li Shiming did not recognize Zuo Tai, but Zuo Tai recognized Li Shiming.


    Images of Li Shiming were preserved in all major sects, especially among the Golden Core Elders, most of whom had seen his likeness to avoid not recognizing him in public encounters.


    Furthermore, the Golden Core Elders from various sects thought that if Li Shiming were ever in danger and they recognized him, stepping in to aid him promptly would put him in their debt, bringing them great benefits.


    But Zuo Tai could never have imagined that he would indeed meet Li Shiming, the Alchemy Master renowned as the best among his peers in the Alchemy field.


    Instead of forming ties with Li Shiming, he was attacking him with a flying sword treasure.


    It was now too late for him to retract his flying sword treasure; he had attacked in anger and sensed the terrifying Body Refinement aura on Li Shiming, so he struck with full force without holding back.


    The power of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ was incredibly potent, especially the Earth Evil Power, which carried strong gravitational forces during attacks and could erode the enemy¡¯s Spiritual Power. When augmenting a magical treasure, its power could increase the treasure¡¯s might by a significant margin.


    After killing the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s Foundation Establishment cultivators, Li Shiming had no intention of showing mercy.


    Instead of using his favored flying sword, he waved his hand, summoning a Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure.


    With the sword in both hands, he struck down hard at Zuo Tai¡¯s flying sword treasure.


    With a huge boom, white Thunder Sword Intent intertwined with the yellow Earth Evil Power at the impact point of the Third-Grade Sword Base and the flying sword, emitting a thunderous sound.


    The white Thunder Sword Intent met the yellow Earth Evil Power without either gaining the upper hand.


    Although Li Shiming¡¯s Thunder Sword Intent was of high quality, the issue was that his Sword Intent was not strong; he did not primarily practice Sword Cultivation Techniques, hence his Sword Intent did not grow at the pace of his cultivation advancement.


    This was even with his alter ego, Li Yuanba, focusing on the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡¯ a top-tier Sword Cultivation Technique, and sharing Li Yuanba¡¯s sword capabilities, allowing his Thunder Sword Intent to have such power, equalling the Earth Evil Power of Golden Core Middle Stage Zuo Tai.


    It wasn¡¯t that Li Shiming¡¯s Thunder Sword Intent was too weak, but rather his other aspects were too strong.


    Like in the current battle, although his Thunder Sword Intent was evenly matched with Zuo Tai¡¯s Earth Evil Power, Li Shiming¡¯s ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ was at an almost perfect level, which made his strength comparable to a Late-stage Golden Core Body Refining Cultivator.


    In the instant of contact between the Third-Grade Sword Base and the flying sword, the flying sword gave off a mournful wail as it was cleaved by the Third-Grade Sword Base and fell downwards.


    Zuo Tai felt a stuffiness in his chest and nearly spurted blood.


    Just as the fight began, he was already at a significant disadvantage. He could sense his life-bound magical treasure, the flying sword, had suffered serious damage and was uncertain if it could be repaired.


    Without time to grieve over his life-bound magical treasure, he quickly retreated.


    ¡°Master Li, I didn¡¯t know it was you, please stop, this is a misunderstanding!¡± Zuo Tai retreated while repeatedly calling out.

 Chapter 616: 354: Annihilation_2

    Chapter 616: Chapter 354: Annihilation_2


    He had already cursed Chu Ke and his father repeatedly in his heart for sending out a distress message to confront Master Li.


    This was Master Li, the one whom a whole host of Golden Core cultivators begged for alchemy.


    If Master Li were so inclined, to say that Zuo Tai was his enemy, it wouldn¡¯t be many days before Zuo Tai¡¯s head would likely be delivered to Master Li as a gift to curry favor.


    As for how Master Li could appear within the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s domain, he must have sneaked in, but what of it? If the sect learned of Master Li¡¯s arrival, they certainly wouldn¡¯t trouble him over such a trivial matter.


    Even if Master Li were to kill Chu Ke, he would at most receive a reprimand.


    Li Shiming was unaware of the influence his reputation held; his thought process was simple: since action had been taken, he might as well make it thorough.


    He didn¡¯t say much to Zuo Tai, moving swiftly toward him.


    Since Ren Fei¡¯er was present, he couldn¡¯t eliminate her, so he did not deploy ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡± However, his Body Refinement strength allowed him to be faster than Zuo Tai.


    When Zuo Tai tried to retreat, Li Shiming closed the distance at full speed.


    The battle began, and Li Shiming¡¯s magical treasure, the IBMz15, also played a role. Through analysis and prediction by the IBMz15 and his activated ¡°Telepathy,¡± he was able to accurately predict Zuo Tai¡¯s movement direction and even his next action, mastering the movements of his body and limbs.


    Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s experience was not insignificant; she had seen Golden Core cultivator battles as both her parents were Golden Core cultivators.


    However, the battle before her was puzzling, completely beyond her understanding.


    She saw Li Shiming, an Alchemy Master, engaging with the enemy up close in a manner wholly unbecoming of his status.


    This combat style was rarely seen among cultivators and was exclusive to Body Refining Cultivators.


    What surprised her more was the way the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator retreated, almost as if he was deliberately flying toward Li Shiming, moving seamlessly into the spot Li Shiming had anticipated.


    If she didn¡¯t know that Zuo Tai was Chu Ke¡¯s called reinforcement, she would have thought Zuo Tai was cooperating with Li Shiming¡¯s performance.


    Not just Ren Fei¡¯er, even Zuo Tai himself was in a state of extreme shock.


    Normally, even if a pursuer was faster than the one fleeing, without a decisive speed advantage, it¡¯s still hard to catch up.


    This was because the one fleeing had the advantage of choosing the escape route; every change in direction meant they kept the initiative, preventing the pursuer from utilizing their speed effectually.


    But he faced an odd situation. His battle experience was vast, and the route he chose to retreat he deemed optimal.


    However, during his retreat, Li Shiming took a direct flight path and reached his retreat route first, making it seem as though he was delivering himself to Li Shiming.


    This also brought him within close combat distance with Li Shiming, leaving him no choice but to block Li Shiming¡¯s attacks first and think later.


    With the Earth Evil Power-enhanced defensive magical treasure, Zuo Tai was quite confident in his defenses.


    He had already planned to use a life-saving talisman to escape if he found no other options viable.


    Li Shiming¡¯s ¡°Divine Sight¡± activated, revealing the flow of Spiritual Power throughout Zuo Tai¡¯s body in his eyes.


    The IBMz15, his magical treasure, analyzed the direction of Zuo Tai¡¯s next Spiritual Power movement, a result based on previous battle analyses.


    Next, Li Shiming¡¯s attack with the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure came down.


    Zuo Tai was ready; he planned to use the force of the blow to retreat and estimated the attack¡¯s power¡ªshould it prove too strong, he would immediately activate the life-saving talisman to escape.


    The strange aspect of the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure striking Zuo Tai was that it hit a gap in the Spiritual Power of his defensive magical treasure. Such gaps in Spiritual Power would change instantly, so normally, they wouldn¡¯t represent a vulnerability.


    But the issue was that Li Shiming¡¯s magical treasure, the IBMz15, predicted the position of the Spiritual Power gap in advance; the attack from the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure was premeditated.


    The Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure sliced into the Spiritual Power Pattern slit, and the shield magical treasure, which was attached with the Earth Evil Power, failed to function as it should have.


    The Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure passed through next to the very body of the shield magical treasure along the Spiritual Power Pattern slit.


    This was supposed to happen because the defense of the shield magical treasure isn¡¯t entirely completed by the treasure itself but by activating special patterns inside it, forming a Spiritual Power defensive shield.


    But this strike sliced into the Spiritual Power Pattern slit, rendering the Spiritual Power defensive shield ineffective.


    With a ¡®pu¡¯ sound, the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure chopped into Zuo Tai¡¯s body, and the terrifying Thunder Sword Intent instantly spread throughout his entire body.


    He couldn¡¯t even activate a life-saving talisman, let alone use Divine Thought to take a life-saving talisman out of his Space Ring.


    He never imagined that in a direct battle with a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator like Li Shiming, he would be slain before he could even access his Space Ring.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t surprised at all. This Mid-stage Cultivator, even if he were from a major sect, Li Shiming could have slain him in an instant using another method.


    The reason he exchanged two moves with Zuo Tai was merely to test his own close-combat capabilities.


    The result of the battle showed that he could easily slay a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator by relying solely on his Body Refinement strength. This was achieved without using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± or any Thunder Skill.


    His battle process could be displayed in public without worry that ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± would be known by Qianye Temple, nor would causing trouble by deploying dozens of Thunder Skills simultaneously, which might exceed other cultivators¡¯ understanding.


    He waved his hand and collected Zuo Tai¡¯s corpse, then gathered up six Foundation Establishment cultivators¡¯ storage bags and Chu Ke¡¯s Space Bracelet.


    ¡°See if there¡¯s anything of use!¡± he said to Ren Fei¡¯er, tossing her six storage bags and the Space Bracelet.


    Ren Fei¡¯er clumsily caught the storage bags and the Space Bracelet, still not recovered from the shock of the previous fight.


    What she saw was a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator, and not just any, but a Golden Core Elder of the Earth Evil Sect. This single Golden Core Elder could easily defeat her parents combined.


    Yet such a formidable being had no chance to counterattack in front of Li Shiming.


    ¡°It seems only a talent like my sister is worthy of him,¡± Ren Fei¡¯er felt a sense of helplessness rising within her.


    She was no prodigy; she loved fun and games, and her dedication to cultivation was hardly serious.


    Her sister, Yin Shilan, was different. From a young age, her parents used Yin Shilan as a benchmark to educate her.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t pay attention to what Ren Fei¡¯er was thinking. At this moment, he didn¡¯t use Telepathy again. He took out the Meteor Ink Boat and asked Ren Fei¡¯er to rest inside the Flying Boat.


    He stood on the Flying Boat, heading deep into the territory of the Earth Evil Sect.


    Chu Ke¡¯s death was immediately known to Chu Xun, who was in the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s main gate because Chu Xun had left a bloodline technique on his son.


    Chu Xun knew about Zuo Tai going to the rescue. When he sensed Chu Ke¡¯s death, he immediately contacted Zuo Tai, wanting to know what had happened.


    But no matter how he tried, Chu Xun couldn¡¯t reach Zuo Tai, and he feared that something had also happened to Zuo Tai.


    Chu Xun couldn¡¯t believe that within the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s territory, there would be a cultivator who could easily kill Zuo Tai. Although Zuo Tai¡¯s strength in the Golden Core Stage wasn¡¯t the top, even if faced with the most powerful being at that stage, he should have been able to escape.


    Defeating Zuo Tai, a midpoint Golden Core cultivator, was possible, but killing him wasn¡¯t something an ordinary cultivator could achieve.


    Combining the location of Chu Ke¡¯s accident, Chu Xun deduced that this was the work of a cultivator who had infiltrated from outside.


    He immediately sent a message to the checkpoint to activate the grand formation with full force.


    He also gathered several fellow sect members with whom he had good relations and headed to the checkpoint to converge. Regardless of the assassin¡¯s intentions within the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s territory, they were bound to leave eventually.


    The territory of the Earth Evil Sect was extremely xenophobic. Any foreign cultivator would be noticeably out of place. He planned to wait at the checkpoint for the sect¡¯s intelligence, either to block the assassin there or to locate and besiege the assassin based on the intelligence.

 Chapter 617: 355: Earthly Fiend

    Chapter 617: Chapter 355: Earthly Fiend


    The Meteor Ink Boat soared through the sky, with Li Shiming standing atop the Flying Boat, and Ren Fei¡¯er sitting inside it.


    There was no exchange between the two; Li Shiming didn¡¯t know what to say. He had even closed off his ¡°Telepathy,¡± for Ren Fei¡¯er had changed greatly from the Fei¡¯er of the past.


    This might have been due to Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s experiences over the years: her sect had been destroyed, and she had drifted with her parents for many years, enduring too much.


    Ren Fei¡¯er was extremely uneasy inside. Her recklessness this time had almost led her into the abyss, and she didn¡¯t even know how to face her parents upon her return.


    Nor did she know how to face Li Shiming. Li Shiming was too outstanding¡ªso much so that she harbored no thoughts about him, probably only her sister was a match for Li Shiming.


    Ever since the destruction of her sect, she had been jealous of her sister. Jealous of how her sister could enter a great sect like the Thousand Illusion Sect and have a smooth journey after that.


    It was only after she reached the Beishu Continent and interacted with her sister that she realized the gap between them.


    Her sister was always working hard in the sect, in both Formation and cultivation. Even in a sect like the Thousand Illusion Sect, which was filled with geniuses, her sister was among the very best of her generation.


    Whereas her own heart was filled with too many distractions. After this return, if she truly could enter the Thousand Illusion Sect, she would definitely cultivate earnestly like her sister.


    To pass the time, she took out the spoils of war that Li Shiming had given her.


    Six storage bags and a Space Bracelet. The six storage bags didn¡¯t contain many Spiritual Objects that surprised her, but the Space Bracelet held quite a few extremely precious Spiritual Objects, which brought a surprised expression to her face.


    She really wanted to tell Li Shiming about the precious items inside the Space Bracelet, but then she thought about it and couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and chuckle bitterly.


    What she considered precious items were merely Second Grade Spiritual Objects. With Li Shiming¡¯s current status, Second Grade Spiritual Objects had long ceased to catch his eye, and even ordinary third-grade spiritual items would probably not be valued too much by him.


    Like Ren Fei¡¯er, Li Shiming was also checking the spoils of war.


    Normally, he would just sweep his Divine Thought over the space rings of Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators and be done with it.


    However, to pass the time today, he let his Divine Thought linger a little longer inside the space ring.


    Truth be told, even though this Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator was an Elder of the Earth Evil Sect, his possessions weren¡¯t all that impressive, containing a total of only two magical treasures.


    However, among these two magical treasures, other than the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator¡¯s own life-bound flying sword, there was a Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasure.


    This inevitably made him think of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure; the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure in his clone Li Yuanba¡¯s hands could suppress a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator with a single strike.


    Thus, he was very interested in Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasures, and he took the Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasure and held it in his palm.


    With his Divine Thought, he sensed the small mountain peak and minutely inspected this Mountain Peak Treasure.


    Soon he was somewhat disappointed. The Mountain Peak Treasure was far inferior to the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure; made mostly of refining materials from low to non-grade, mixed in with a small amount of First-grade Refining Materials and only at key positions were there Third-grade Refining Materials.


    Let¡¯s not forget that Li Yuanba¡¯s clone¡¯s Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure was made from an actual mountain peak that had been fashioned into a magical treasure. But remember, Ten Thousand Sword Peak itself had been strengthened by a sect for countless years, continuously accumulating a variety of refining materials to transform the mountain.


    Especially the ten thousand swords infused with Sword Intent¡ªyears of their Sword Intent permeating the mountain had made the entire Ten Thousand Sword Peak¡¯s body already surpass ordinary refining materials.


    Moreover, as Li Yuanba¡¯s own strength increased, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, influenced by the Sword Intent, would also slowly strengthen.


    As for the Mountain Peak Treasure in Li Shiming¡¯s hands, it could at most be considered a top-notch item among treasures, still far from a Golden Core Stage top-tier treasure like the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    But the biggest difference between Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasures and ordinary treasures lies in their intrinsic power, which often can unleash several times the power of the same-tier treasures.


    Li Shiming himself was also quite skilled in Artifact Refining; he intended to modify the Mountain Peak Treasure in his hands, to make it one of his regular methods.


    The other Spiritual Objects in the space ring didn¡¯t catch his eye, but as his Divine Thought swept over a Jade Scroll and entered it for a brief investigation, he was about to skip past when he suddenly stopped.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± He scanned the contents of the Jade Scroll again in disbelief, confirming that he had made no mistake.


    Inside the Jade Scroll was a transmission of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill.¡¯ Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be the original transmission of the Earth Evil Sect, as the quality of the Jade Scroll wasn¡¯t high.


    This ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ transmission went up to the Nascent Soul Stage and appeared to be comprehensive; it included many Cultivators¡¯ cultivation experiences.


    That a great sect like the Earth Evil Sect would allow a core cultivation technique like the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ to be copied was unthinkable. If Li Shiming hadn¡¯t had the technique in his hands already, he wouldn¡¯t have believed such a thing could happen.


    It is well known that great sects protect their cultivation techniques stringently. Even someone of Li Shiming¡¯s status, when exchanging for a cultivation technique from his sect, needs to completely memorize the technique within the sect¡¯s gate and return the original before being allowed to leave.


    And to transcribe a cultivation technique, once discovered, is an act almost akin to the heinous crime of betraying the sect.


    Li Shiming shook his head; this was a core technique of the Earth Evil Sect, after all. It was not surprising that something went amiss with a Demon Sect.


    What he did not know was that the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ of the Earth Evil Sect, after countless years of transmission within the sect¡¯s own walls, had long since formed different cultivation factions. They each treasured their own methodologies, and thus multiple transmission systems had been formed.

 Chapter 618: 355: Earthly Fiend_2

    Chapter 618: Chapter 355: Earthly Fiend_2


    Every legacy system has its own separate inheritance, with records of the experiences of predecessors that are all different.


    Moreover, each inheritance system has produced a Nascent Soul Ancestor in the past or present, and it is for this reason that the sects are unable to overly interfere with such matters.


    In addition, the most crucial point is that the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ has very high cultivation requirements; even within the Earth Evil Sect, there are not many cultivators who have the ability to practice it. The ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ is only passed down among elite disciples, so the sect does not worry about the technique being leaked.


    Like this Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator, the reason he possesses the inheritance of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ is that he is the strongest practitioner in their inheritance system; thus, the legacy of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ is preserved in his hands.


    Although Li Shiming did not know these things, his life-bound magical treasure, IBMz15, analyzed the technique and determined that it was genuine.


    With the help of his life-bound magical treasure, IBMz15, he gained a thorough understanding of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ in no time.


    To his surprise, this ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ was the purest Earth Attribute Cultivation Method. It involved gathering the Earth Evil Power from the earth and converting and refining it into controllable Earth Evil Power within the body using Spiritual Power.


    From this point of view, this technique could perhaps be considered a top Earth Attribute technique if it did not severely damage the earth¡¯s veins.


    Li Shiming had seen a Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator use the Earth Evil Power; although that Earth Evil Power posed no threat to him, that was because he was attacking with the might of a Late-stage Golden Core Body Refinement.


    Let alone a Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator, even a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator would struggle to withstand a blow from him.


    To some extent, his strength had long surpassed the constraints of his realm; at the Golden Core Early Stage, he was fearless of any foes during the Golden Core Stage.


    Judging the Earth Evil Power based on his strength is extremely unfair.


    Earth Evil Power is a manifestation of Earth Attribute Spiritual Power, much higher in grade than the Earth Attribute Golden Core Spiritual Power within Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming found the reason why such an Earth Attribute technique was labeled as a demonic skill from within the legacy of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯.


    Besides plundering the Earth Evil Power from the earth¡¯s veins, which causes a great loss in the land¡¯s spirituality and renders an area uninhabitable for humans, the real reason the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ is called a demonic skill is that every cultivator practicing the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ can plunder the Earth Evil Power from other cultivators who also practice it.


    No wonder the Earth Evil Sect has spawned so many factions of ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ practitioners. It is easy for incidents of stealing Earth Evil Power from one another to occur, so the cultivators of the Earth Evil Sect find it safer to align with closer cultivators, to ensure they don¡¯t become sacrificial victims for others.


    Upon reading this, Li Shiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    One of his brains had already begun to simulate the cultivation path of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ within his body, while another brain took the corpse of the Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator from his Space Ring.


    This Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator had only recently passed away, and the Earth Evil Power within his body had not yet dissipated.


    Practicing the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ required total dedication. By using one brain exclusively, Li Shiming met the requirement of fully focused cultivation.


    He was probably the only cultivator in the cultivation world who could multitask while cultivating a technique.


    If other cultivators attempted to do so like him, they would very likely experience deviation numerous times.


    A grand force flowed from the corpse of the Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator into his body, and with the special technique of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill,¡¯ he transformed it into his own Earth Evil Power, which entered his Earth Attribute Golden Core.


    Li Shiming had no intention of changing his main Cultivation Method, nor did he even want to practice the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ as a secondary technique.


    He had no desire to absorb the Earth Evil Power from the earth¡¯s veins, as the damage to the environment would be too great.


    Looking at the land of the Earth Evil Sect, the many years of plundering the earth¡¯s veins had rendered the land extremely desolate.


    Although he was not exactly an environmentalist, he did have some principles.


    Even after the transformation, the Earth Evil Power had completely replaced the Earth Attribute Spiritual Power in his Golden Core.


    This was not surprising. After all, this Earth Evil Power was the entire Earth Evil Power of a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, and Li Shiming was merely at the early stage of the Golden Core, with the Earth Attribute Golden Core being one of his five cores.


    The ordinary Earth Attribute Spiritual Power within the Earth Attribute Golden Core, after being transformed by the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡±, turned into Earth Evil Power.


    This greatly improved the quality of the Earth Attribute Golden Core, nearing the comparability with the Fire Attribute Golden Core.


    It is known that the quality of the Fire Attribute Golden Core was enhanced because of the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡±.


    Ever since he obtained the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡±, the Spiritual Power quality within all five of Li Shiming¡¯s Golden Cores had improved.


    But that was one against four, which still put considerable stress on the Fire Attribute Golden Core, especially during major battles when the consumption of Spiritual Power was excessive, it could not ensure the enhancement of the other four Golden Cores¡¯ Spiritual Power.


    Now that the Earth Attribute Golden Core¡¯s quality was enhanced and its own spiritual energy became the higher-tier Earth Attribute Spiritual Power like Earth Evil Power, it was equivalent to adding another engine to the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±.


    Originally with only the Fire Attribute Golden Core serving as an engine, now the Earth Attribute Golden Core had joined as another engine.


    Li Shiming could feel the spiritual energy within his five Golden Cores running more smoothly¡ªthis was the benefit of cultivating the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± and absorbing the Earth Evil Power.


    What surprised him the most was that his ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± within him could actually convert Fire Attribute Spiritual Power into Earth Evil Power.


    If the Earth Evil Sect could make the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± self-generating, they wouldn¡¯t need to scour the earth looking for Earth Evil Power anymore.


    At least during the Golden Core Stage, the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± still needed to plunder Earth Evil Power from the earth¡¯s veins to enhance oneself.


    Yet within Li Shiming¡¯s body, with every conversion of Spiritual Power in the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡±, the Fire Attribute Spiritual Power within the Fire Attribute Golden Core was converted into Earth Evil Power.


    This meant that even if he stopped practicing the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± in the future, the Earth Attribute Golden Core could maintain the growth of Earth Evil Power as his level increased.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s realm, even with the addition of native magic treasure IBMz15, he couldn¡¯t analyze the underlying reason.


    It wasn¡¯t the fault of the native magic treasure IBMz15; it operated based on Li Shiming¡¯s understanding of the Cultivation World and his knowledge base, and it was powerless beyond those limits.


    However, considering that only the Fire Attribute Spiritual Power from the Fire Attribute Golden Core could be transformed into Earth Evil Power, Li Shiming speculated that it might be related to Spiritual Power quality.


    The Fire Attribute Spiritual Power within his Fire Attribute Golden Core had been enhanced by the Nanming Leaving Fire and was perhaps of a higher quality than the Earth Evil Power.


    While the Spiritual Power in the other three Golden Cores had much lower quality than that of Earth Evil Power.


    Li Shiming tried to mobilize the Earth Evil Power, and he had been wondering if it would be troublesome to replenish Earth Evil Power in the future after practicing the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡±; now, he didn¡¯t have to worry.


    The Earth Evil Power formed an Earth Attribute Armor on his body¡¯s surface, and by his judgment, it was nearly equivalent to a defensive artifact at the early stage of the Golden Core.


    He had a notion and took out the Mountain Peak Treasure, starting with a simple refinement process.


    This refinement was only an initial bonding, but with the help of the native magic treasure IBMz15, his hundred-plus brains bonded simultaneously. If one brain could only achieve a one percent bonding progress, a hundred brains could achieve full bonding.


    However, there were some limitations in the bonding process, which allowed him to reach eighty percent bonding of the Mountain Peak Treasure on the first attempt, enough for him to use it.


    The Mountain Peak Treasure was called ¡°Garland Peak¡±, and he attempted to channel Earth Evil Power called forth from the Earth Attribute Golden Core into the ¡°Garland Peak¡±, which emitted an earthy yellow light.


    Although it was his first time using Earth Evil Power, his control over Spiritual Power prevented the situation where a large amount of Earth Evil Power was devoured.


    This was also related to his alter ego, Li Yuanba, having used a similar type of treasure before; the ¡°Garland Peak¡± flew out of his hand and landed not far away in the air, transforming into a mountain peak.

 Chapter 619: 356: Arrangements

    Chapter 619: Chapter 356: Arrangements


    Li Shiming sensed the prestige of ¡®Galaxy Peak¡¯ and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a curious expression on his face.


    He discovered that using Earth Evil Power to activate ¡®Galaxy Peak¡¯ resulted in at least 50% more power than ¡®Galaxy Peak¡¯ was supposed to exert.


    Earth Evil Power combined with a mountain peak type magical treasure had such an enhancement.


    Of course, the mountain peak type magical treasures also demanded a great deal of spiritual power, and with the difficult replenishment of Earth Evil Power, it would be hard for cultivators of the Earth Evil Sect to use mountain peak type magical treasures as a regular method.


    Utilizing a mountain peak type magical treasure once would consume a lot of Earth Evil Power from the body.


    This consumption of Earth Evil Power was determined by the amount of power one wished to exert using the mountain peak type magical treasure, but even the least amount of consumption was significantly large compared to other treasures.


    As for why that Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator didn¡¯t use ¡®Galaxy Peak¡¯ before, that was because Li Shiming simply didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    ¡°What a pity!¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    He thought of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure. If not for the fact that his clone, Li Yuanba, was of the metal attribute, he would have tried to capture a Golden Core cultivator from the Earth Evil Sect who practiced the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ for Li Yuanba, so that Li Yuanba could also cultivate the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯.


    If Earth Evil Power strengthened the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, then the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure could probably suppress a Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator with one strike, truly achieving invincibility at the Golden Core stage.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t wait for ¡®Galaxy Peak¡¯ to fall and recalled ¡®Galaxy Peak¡¯. Though he could recover Earth Evil Power on his own, he could not afford to waste too much.


    His divine thought swept through the Meteor Ink Boat and found that Ren Fei¡¯er had fallen asleep at some point.


    Ren Fei¡¯er had suffered much these days. Since entering the Earth Evil Sect, she had not had a peaceful day and was always in a state of fatigue, not to mention the recent escape from being hunted.


    No sooner had she settled down and checked the spoils Li Shiming had given her than she got excited for a while and then could no longer support herself and fell asleep.


    Li Shiming smiled, flicked a bit of spiritual power onto Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s body, allowing her to sleep a bit longer.


    He waved his hand, and Ren Fei¡¯er was taken into the cabin space.


    This was the second time he had taken Ren Fei¡¯er into the cabin space. Apart from Ren Fei¡¯er and except for Li Yuanba, who was part of himself and thus considered one person, no other living person had been able to enter the cabin space.


    Without the burden of Ren Fei¡¯er, he put away the Meteor Ink Boat.


    With no more reservations, he deployed the ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡¯, used ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ to travel invisibly through various shadows, greatly increasing his speed.


    Deeper into the belly of the Earth Evil Sect, he found that the further inward he went, the less the land veins were damaged.


    It made sense¡ªif the Earth Evil Sect completely neglected their territory, it would become a dead land.


    Perhaps cultivators could survive in such an environment, but mortals definitely could not.


    Without mortals as a foundation, how could the Earth Evil Sect continue to exist?


    Golden Core cultivators could live for five hundred years, Nascent Soul cultivators even longer, but no matter how long one lived, everyone must die someday. As one generation of Golden Core and Nascent Soul passed away, a new generation of cultivators needed to replenish them.


    The source of these cultivators were mortals. Mortals might seem weak, but they were the foundation of the Cultivation World.


    Li Shiming estimated the distance; they were already very far from the checkpoint.


    He took out a drone, which started operating and thus activated the formation. The spiritual power fluctuations of the drone became extremely subtle, and it also entered an invisible state.


    Ten drones flew high into the sky, positioned at different locations, covering the entire territory of the Earth Evil Sect.


    When the drones reached a predetermined altitude, one of them successfully connected to the Righteous Path¡¯s drone satellite system. Subsequently, the other nine drones linked with this one drone and joined the drone satellite system.


    Only then could he consider the mission fulfilled. He turned around and flew towards the direction of the checkpoint.


    As he was about to approach within a thousand leagues of the checkpoint, he stopped.


    Because the position from which he launched the drones was the closest to the checkpoint, the drone satellite system first covered the checkpoint area.


    His life-bound treasure, IBMz15, through the drone satellite system, detected a figure at the checkpoint, which forced him to stop.


    The figure¡¯s face was unclear, even the imagery around their vicinity was blurred.


    Considering that the camera systems of the drones had been upgraded to a very high level, the blurriness could only mean one thing¡ªthis figure was a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Li Shiming had previously used drones to surveil a Nascent Soul Ancestor. During that great battle of Nascent Soul Ancestors, the imagery of a Nascent Soul Ancestor in the drone satellite system looked just like this.


    It seemed that the force field around a Nascent Soul Ancestor was affected.


    Li Shiming was not rash enough to proceed knowing there was a Nascent Soul Ancestor ahead.


    Without a second thought, he turned and went in the opposite direction, staying away from the checkpoint.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestor wouldn¡¯t stay at the checkpoint forever. Once it was safe, he would leave.


    During this time, he could perhaps take a good tour around the territory of the Earth Evil Sect. He took out a Spirit Pill and fed it to Ren Fei¡¯er, who had passed out. This top-grade second-grade Spirit Pill would allow Ren Fei¡¯er to go half a month without eating and slowly strengthen her body.

 Chapter 620: 356: Arrangements_2

    Chapter 620: Chapter 356: Arrangements_2


    This sort of top-grade second-grade Spirit Pill for him was merely a practice work at the alchemy early stage.


    Ren Fei¡¯er, who fell into a deep sleep after taking the Spirit Pill, wouldn¡¯t be affected by the continuous days of sleep but, on the contrary, would see a great improvement in her abilities.


    Such benefits were coveted by all cultivators in the Cultivation World, and Ren Fei¡¯er, unknowingly, enjoyed these advantages.


    Normally, to travel across the influence sphere of a grand sect takes more than a month, but Li Shiming, with the ¡°Divine Foot Skill¡± called ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± moved at a speed that defied common reasoning.


    Just as he expected, as he delved deeper into the heartland of the Earth Evil Sect, he found no signs of damage to the ley lines.


    These places were dotted with mortal towns; the scale of mortals was not small, with various mortal nations occupying vast tracts of land.


    Li Shiming observed these mortals who probably would never know what the world outside was like throughout their lives; their concerns were only those directly impacting them, even officials merely witnessed the disputes between nations at most.


    Probably only a minority within the nation would be aware of matters pertaining to the Cultivation World.


    Just like him in the old days, if he hadn¡¯t been born into a relatively high status, he might also have lived his entire life unaware of cultivation matters.


    Li Shiming discovered that all these places were covered by a simple array, which had nodes set up everywhere, with its sole purpose being to monitor the ley lines.


    Should the ley lines be tampered with, the Earth Evil Sect would know immediately.


    This was to prevent any cultivator from utilizing the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± to cultivate using the ley lines; just how do cultivators of the Earth Evil Sect cultivate the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡±?


    There must be a place to absorb the Earth Evil Power from the ley lines in order to cultivate the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡±; not everyone could just absorb the Earth Evil Power from others.


    Throughout, he observed from a distance, without revealing himself or intervening in any matter.


    He was quite aware of his current predicament, being within the sphere of influence of the Earth Evil Sect, and having killed quite a few of its disciples.


    Of course, he also understood that if he revealed his identity, the Earth Evil Sect might not treat him poorly, but that would mean owing a favor to the Earth Evil Sect.


    In the Cultivation World, owing a favor to a grand sect is extremely burdensome, as the Earth Evil Sect would expect the favor to be repaid multifold in the future.


    Another possibility was that the Earth Evil Sect would keep him there to perform alchemy for them due to the crimes he committed, an even more troublesome outcome.


    He and the Earth Evil Sect didn¡¯t have a deep hatred; it was just a minor issue, so it wouldn¡¯t be sensible to forge a deadly feud with such a grand sect over Ren Fei¡¯er.


    Sure enough, the Nascent Soul Ancestor didn¡¯t stay long at the checkpoint; drone satellites locked onto the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s figure and watched as he left the current surveillance range of the drone satellite system.


    The drone satellite system hadn¡¯t been fully implemented within the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s sphere of influence, hence the situation.


    Once the drone satellite system is fully operational, then unless the Nascent Soul Ancestor came prepared, using invisibility along with shielding his own heat signature, he would manage to avoid the drone satellite system¡¯s monitoring.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t loiter further; lacking a detailed map of this area, he couldn¡¯t even procure any local specialties.


    Markets were not so easily found without the proper maps, it was difficult to locate one.


    He headed towards the checkpoint; three two-hour periods after the Nascent Soul Ancestor left the checkpoint, he approached it.


    The spiritual power fluctuation at the checkpoint was strong, showing that the formation at the checkpoint was fully activated.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t concerned whether the checkpoint¡¯s formation was fully activated; with his Array Master abilities, plus the help of his lifebond magical treasure, the IBM z15, it wasn¡¯t just a formation meant to block Golden Core cultivators and below¡ªhe could easily break even a fourth-grade formation.


    Indeed, his level in formation had long surpassed that of a mere Array Master, reaching another realm.


    Ten Baili away from the formation, the area had no shade, as the ley lines had been long damaged, turning the region almost into a flat wasteland.


    The ground was covered with small pebbles, and had it not been for the continuous supplementation from the ley lines in the territory of the opposing righteous forces, this area would have turned into a desert long ago.


    Li Shiming, upon seeing such a scene, realized why the disciples of the Earth Evil Sect were so keen on absorbing the Earth Evil Power from here; it was likely because the spiritual vein of the Righteous Path¡¯s territory continuously replenished this area.


    By absorbing the Earth Evil Power here, it was like covertly shearing wool from the territory of the Righteous Path.


    A distance of twenty li, in times of lesser attention, could still be stealthily crossed by him, but now the checkpoint was not only guarded by a Guardian Golden Core Elder, but also by countless Golden Core cultivators invited by Chu Xun.


    Li Shiming was sure that no Nascent Soul Ancestor was present; as long as he didn¡¯t reveal his identity, he could cause as much chaos as he liked and simply leave before a Nascent Soul Ancestor arrived.


    He took out a mask and put it on his face.


    Although the mask could block the probing of Divine Thoughts, it was impossible for a single mask to prevent cultivators from recognizing him.


    He wouldn¡¯t rely solely on this; the aura of Earth Evil Power surged from his body, a shield of Earth Evil Power formed on the surface, and at the same time, it concealed his original aura.


    It was the Earth Evil Power that freed him from many reservations.


    He then took a robe and changed; his original robe was a third-grade robe, but he changed into an ordinary robe.


    After checking everything and ensuring there were no flaws, he flew towards the formation.


    ¡°Senior Brother Zhao, and all fellow cultivators, please lend a hand, the cultivator has appeared!¡± Chu Xun, at the checkpoint, saw the formation¡¯s feedback and immediately bowed to a Golden Core cultivator beside him, then spoke.


    The formation¡¯s surveillance covered over a hundred li, but Li Shiming was detected only at twenty li, indicating that the other party had planned to sneak through.


    At such a time, a sneaking cultivator was most likely the murderer who killed his son.


    Even if it was a mistake, Chu Xun could just apologize and give some gifts to his friends afterwards.


    Almost immediately after Chu Xun spoke, including Senior Brother Zhao, all the present Golden Core cultivators moved swiftly towards the accurate direction of Li Shiming to breach the formation.


    Li Shiming and these Golden Core cultivators didn¡¯t conceal their auras, both sides sensed each other¡¯s strength.


    Chu Xun was surprised, Li Shiming only had the strength of the Golden Core Early Stage, so how was Zuo Tai, who was in the Golden Core Middle Stage, killed?


    With his identity hidden by the Earth Evil Power, Li Shiming felt his blood boiling; he rarely had the opportunity to fight with his full strength, as he usually had to be cautious due to his sensitive identity.


    Being an Alchemy Master spared him from worrying about cultivation resources, but it also restrained him from acting freely to protect this status.


    Before arriving, he had thoroughly studied the formation here, and even if the formation here was fully activated, it wouldn¡¯t take him more than two breaths to pass through.


    Given that his identity was not at risk and there was a way out, he was prepared for a major battle.


    He couldn¡¯t use the Heart Sword or the White Feather Sword, nor the Thunder Skill, as all could expose his identity.


    He held a Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure in his hand; although it couldn¡¯t attack separately from his body, his strategy for this fight did not involve acting as a magic cultivator.


    When they were still ten li apart, his gaze fell on one of the Golden Core cultivators.


    ¡°How could there be a Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivator!¡± he thought to himself with a slight shock.


    He seemed to be encountering Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivators rather frequently of late.


    However, in the Cultivation World, the number of Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivators was quite limited, mostly found within the six great sects.


    To cultivate to the level of a Great Elder required a massive amount of resources, especially in the Late-stage Golden Core, advancing one¡¯s cultivation required exceedingly rare and precious resources.


    Furthermore, personal talent and cultivation techniques were also limitations to becoming a Great Elder Level cultivator; without extraordinary talent and the top cultivation techniques of the Beishu Continent, no amount of resources could develop a Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivator.

 Chapter 621: 357: Consecutive Beheadings

    Chapter 621: Chapter 357: Consecutive Beheadings


    Although a Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivator had appeared, Li Shiming was not worried at all; instead, he was even more excited. His own strength had increased significantly compared to the last time he fought against a Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivator, and he was eager to test the difference in strength between himself and a Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivator.


    ¡°Where did you obtain this Earth Evil Power from?¡± After approaching Li Shiming, Senior Brother Zhao also sensed the aura of Earth Evil Power on Li Shiming and raised his hand to stop the other Golden Core cultivators from coming closer as he asked in a deep voice.


    Senior Brother Zhao and the other Golden Core cultivators present might not be able to recognize every Golden Core cultivator in the sect, but it was impossible not to recognize a Golden Core cultivator who cultivated the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯.


    For one to embark on the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill,¡¯ they would need to introduce Earth Evil Power, especially during the Golden Core Stage, where an enormous amount of Earth Evil Power is required. It¡¯s inconceivable for someone to cultivate it secretly without being detected.


    Additionally, any cultivator capable of practicing the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ would certainly not be an unknown person within the sect.


    Even though Li Shiming had concealed his face, the Golden Core cultivators could tell based on his body shape that he was not one of their sect members who practiced the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill.¡¯


    Compared to Chu Xun losing a son, the sect¡¯s loss of a Golden Core cultivator was far less significant than the leakage of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill.¡¯


    Don¡¯t be misled by the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s seemingly lax security over the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯; that¡¯s only because the skill is circulated strictly within the sect. Throughout history, any instance of the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ leaking has always resulted in the Earth Evil Sect launching a frenzied cleanup.


    In every case, any external cultivator who had come into contact with the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ was completely annihilated, thus establishing the dreadful reputation of the Earth Evil Sect.


    The Earth Evil Power within Li Shiming had almost reached the pinnacle of the Golden Core Early Stage, which was due in part to the Golden Core Middle Stage Zuo Tai¡¯s influence, but it was mainly due to the ¡®Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ that had condensed the spiritual power within his five Golden Cores to the peak of the Golden Core Early Stage.


    Therefore, under Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s perception, the Earth Evil Power on Li Shiming couldn¡¯t possibly have been cultivated in a short time but must have been developed over a long duration.


    As Senior Brother Zhao asked his question, he made a gesture to his fellow sect members.


    His comrades spread out, semi-encircling Li Shiming to block any possible escape routes.


    The reason for only a semi-encirclement was that the other half was flanked by the sect¡¯s major defensive formation, and they didn¡¯t believe Li Shiming could flee through that route under their encirclement.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you capture me!¡± Li Shiming replied with a loud laugh, and as he responded, his figure transformed into a streak of light, pouncing towards the nearest Golden Core cultivator.


    The fourteen Golden Core cultivators who had come this time indicated that within such a short period, it would have been impossible for Chu Xun alone to gather this many mid-stage and above Golden Core cultivators.


    It was Senior Brother Zhao who took the initiative to respond, thereby attracting so many Golden Core cultivators.


    Of course, these cultivators did not forget to gain a favor from Chu Xun, which is why, in his view, all these Golden Core cultivators had come to honor him.


    As for Senior Brother Zhao, it was because of an order from his master, the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestor had just returned from outside and heard that one of the Golden Core Middle Stage Elders guarding the checkpoint had gone missing, likely killed within the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s domain. The Nascent Soul Ancestor stayed for a while, but the likely perpetrator never appeared.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s time was too precious to stay indefinitely, so he sent for his disciple, Senior Brother Zhao.


    In the eyes of the Nascent Soul Ancestor, Senior Brother Zhao, being of Great Elder Level, could not be challenged by any Golden Core cultivator, unless the Nascent Soul Ancestor himself were present.


    No sooner had Li Shiming moved than ten magical treasures flew towards him, trying to halt his advance.


    These ten magical treasures were simultaneously unleashed by ten Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators, and their combined force focused on a single Golden Core cultivator would be too overwhelming even for a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    As far as the ten attacking Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators were concerned, they had all launched their treasures at the same time, expecting that they would hit Li Shiming simultaneously.


    However, in Li Shiming¡¯s view, or rather under the scan of his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15, there were differences in speed and timing between each treasure.


    His ten brains locked onto the trajectories of the ten treasures, and with his eyes observing under the ¡®Divine Sight,¡¯ his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15 could collect information on the operation of the spiritual power within each treasure, thereby calculating the flight paths they would take.


    His Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure in hand kept making light sweeps during flight.


    Something strange happened¡ªright before the ten treasures could reach him, they were all deflected from their original trajectories by what seemed like the casual sweeps of his Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure.


    Under the control of the Golden Core cultivators, such alteration in the attack path was just a momentary distraction for the treasures.


    However, this momentary distraction allowed Li Shiming to effortlessly pass through the barrier of the ten treasures¡¯ attack, and he appeared before the Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator he had previously targeted.


    This Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator had never expected that a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator could still dodge attacks and rush forth amidst the encirclement of ten Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators.


    As a result, the Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator hadn¡¯t even set up his defensive magical treasure. Under such an assault, most enemies wouldn¡¯t have the capacity to counter, so why would there be a need to activate a defensive magical treasure?

 Chapter 622: 357: Consecutive Beheadings_2

    Chapter 622: Chapter 357: Consecutive Beheadings_2


    Li Shiming¡¯s Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure unleashed a sweeping strike, equaling the strength of a Late-Stage Golden Core Body Refining Practitioner, nearing the perfection of Body Refinement, and combined with the top tier Third Grade Sword Base Long Sword among Third-Grade Treasures, its power did not require much skill to bisect a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator on the spot.


    Bisecting is the least likely method to cause instant death, but the strong vitality of the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator bisected by the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure was of little use.


    The Thunder Sword Intent of Li Shiming, along with the Earth Evil Power driving the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, upon entering the body of his opponent, immediately destroyed all signs of life within.


    ¡°Quickly form the formation!¡± Senior Brother Zhao shouted a reminder.


    But his warning was still a step too late, for Li Shiming had already gotten close to the group of Golden Core cultivators from the Earth Evil Sect.


    For a Golden Core Body Refining Practitioner, this distance was entirely within the range of a short burst sprint, where Body Refining Practitioners combine their naturally explosive proximity speed with the flying capabilities of an ordinary cultivator.


    With a burst sprint, Li Shiming once again closed in on a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator.


    This time the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator activated his defensive treasure in time, a Copper Mirror Treasure, but under Li Shiming¡¯s strike, the Copper Mirror Treasure was sent flying by the Third Grade Sword Base, and after tossing the treasure aside, the Third Grade Sword Base drew a graceful arc, cutting down this Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator.


    Confident in his own attacks, right after killing the second Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, he lunged toward another target.


    His style of combat was unlike that of any other cultivator in the Cultivation World.


    The precise calculations and analysis of the IBMz15, combined with its incredible computing power and with each CPU equivalent to having another brain like that of Li Shiming¡¯s, allowed him to think in a multi-threaded mode and accurately judge the details of the battlefield situation.


    Li Shiming¡¯s ¡®Telepathy¡¯ and ¡®Divine Sight¡¯ appeared to hold little value in combat, but they were also making a special contribution.


    These two Divine Skills kept providing deeper battlefield auxiliary information for the IBMz15, ensuring that every strike he made was more deadly.


    Since the fight began, his attacks had been highly targeted, and the reactions of the targeted Golden Core cultivators were within the range of outcomes analyzed by the IBMz15.


    As he launched his attack on the third Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, the rest of the Golden Core cultivators, having recovered from their shock, once again launched attacks on him; following the directions of Senior Brother Zhao, they began to form a formation.


    Golden Core cultivators from the same sect, especially those from major sects, would practice simple formations suitable for their own sect.


    Although the formations were simple, when performed together by multiple Golden Core cultivators, they could exhibit power several times greater than the sum of the participants.


    Li Shiming felt the pressure grow; then, he opened his mouth and let out a piercing scream.


    It was his spirit attack secret technique ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear.¡¯ Unleashed at close range, it caused all the Golden Core cultivators, including Senior Brother Zhao, to stagger at the same time.


    The effectiveness of ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ varied with the individual. With Li Shiming¡¯s spirit power, the ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ he put forth, caused most of the Golden Core cultivators present to experience a moment of mental confusion.


    However, Senior Brother Zhao recovered quickly after barely a tremble ¡ª the lapse wasn¡¯t even long enough for Li Shiming to rush up and launch an attack.


    Yet that brief moment was fatal for some of the Golden Core cultivators.


    In the space of that moment, Li Shiming, with the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure in hand, consecutively swept through the bodies of the three nearest Golden Core Middle-Stage cultivators.


    When the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators recovered from the effects of ¡®Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear,¡¯ they realized that five of their peers had already fallen on the battlefield.


    These were five Golden Core Middle-Stage cultivators, who, even in a great sect, were considered central to their battle force, participating as the core of the fighting force in conflicts.


    Yet in the combat against Li Shiming, barely a few moments had passed, and five Golden Core Middle-Stage cultivators had been slain.


    ¡°Everyone, regroup with me and form a tight formation!¡± Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s complexion changed. If they continued to suffer losses like this, even a great sect like the Earth Evil Sect would feel the pain.


    Cultivating a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator requires at least a hundred years, and such cultivators appear only once among a thousand disciples.


    Considering the difficulty of being accepted into a major sect, those who succeed are the talents with exceptional gifts. The odds of one in a thousand demonstrate just how rare it is for a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator to emerge.


    Even with such proportions, the six major sects of the Beishu Continent still possess the majority of the continent¡¯s resources, enabling them to cultivate such talents with a focus on intensive resource allocation.


    In smaller sects, this proportion can be even harder to predict, and for some of these sects, having a Golden Core cultivator emerge is more a matter of luck.


    If Senior Brother Zhao weren¡¯t here, any number of losses wouldn¡¯t relate to him, but since the Nascent Soul Ancestor dispatched him, too many losses among the Golden Core cultivators here might affect the ancestor¡¯s perception of him.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s perception could relate to his resources for forming the Nascent Soul, compelling him to grow anxious.


    Li Shiming ceased his attack because the Golden Core cultivators of the Earth Evil Sect were already extremely close, now drawing even nearer, centering around Senior Brother Zhao to form a formation like a turtle shell.


    Even with his considerable strength, he couldn¡¯t breach a turtle shell formation centered by a Golden Core cultivator of Great Elder level.


    To change this, he deliberately stopped attacking, using his Divine Thought to collect the corpses and spatial items of five Golden Core cultivators that had fallen to the ground.


    He had hoped to provoke the enemy with this highly aggravating tactic, spurring them to attack first, thereby creating an opportunity for himself.


    Yet to his surprise, despite there being nine remaining Golden Core cultivators, including a Great Elder level Senior Brother Zhao, they just watched Li Shiming collect the spoils of war, making no move to attack.


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t just Chu Xun and the other Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators who were shocked¡ªso was Senior Brother Zhao.


    Even Senior Brother Zhao couldn¡¯t kill Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators as easily as Li Shiming did, as if slaughtering chickens.


    Furthermore, and most crucially, during the battle, Li Shiming revealed his immense body refinement strength as a cultivator at the late stage of the Golden Core.


    Body Refining Cultivators are a special breed among cultivators, not because they aren¡¯t strong, but because their training consumes an overwhelming amount of resources.


    The resources needed to cultivate a Body Refining Cultivator would suffice to support the growth of many ordinary cultivators. Moreover, the growth potential of Body Refining Cultivators is hard to assess, and unless possessing a unique physique, major sects wouldn¡¯t heavily invest in their cultivation.


    ¡°Suppress!¡± A murderous intent flashed in Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s eyes as he barked the command. Li Shiming had not only stealthily learned the core cultivation technique ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ of the Earth Evil Sect but was also extremely formidable as a Body Refining Golden Core. Such an enemy couldn¡¯t be let go.


    As he roared, a Mountain Peak Treasure flew out from his hands.


    The Mountain Peak Treasure transformed into a mountain peak in mid-air, exerting indescribable binding forces and a combination of gravity and Spiritual Power constraints on Li Shiming, significantly limiting even his formidable body refinement abilities and making his attempts to move extremely slow.


    This was only because his body refinement cultivation was so formidable¡ªif an ordinary Golden Core cultivator were beneath such a Mountain Peak Treasure, they wouldn¡¯t even manage to twitch.


    Li Shiming sensed the Earth Evil Power contained within the Mountain Peak Treasure, and he understood just how terrifying a Mountain Peak Treasure imbued with Earth Evil Power could be.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hide any longer!¡± he sighed helplessly to himself.


    Before such a wide-ranging targeted attack from the treasure, short bursts of speed had little effect; the moment the Mountain Peak Treasure was deployed, an entire area was locked down.


    The forces of binding, gravity, and Spiritual Power constraints were not only acting upon Li Shiming but also affected a wide area around him, all within the treasure¡¯s restraining scope.


    That also explained why using Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasures consumed massive amounts of spiritual power¡ªthey necessitated the manipulation of such treasures to provide an unavoidable attacking effect, naturally demanding a vast supply of spiritual power.


    Under an attack from a Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasure, normal evasion was ineffective; one could only rely on their own defensive treasures, a stronger attacking treasure to counteract, or simply wait to be suppressed by the Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasure.

 Chapter 623: 358 Siege

    Chapter 623: Chapter 358 Siege


    Li Shiming made his decision and didn¡¯t hesitate any longer.


    As Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s mountain peak type magical treasure was about to envelop him, a white lotus flower appeared beneath Li Shiming¡¯s feet.


    The mountain peak type magical treasure couldn¡¯t restrain divine skills since divine skills surpass the higher levels of ordinary cultivation techniques, touching the edges of the rules.


    Li Shiming vanished from beneath the mountain peak type magical treasure and reappeared beside Senior Brother Zhao.


    In that instant, he not only placed himself within the tortoiseshell formation composed of nine Golden Core cultivators but also accomplished several other tasks.


    This was thanks to his lifebound magical treasure IBMz15, whose multi-threaded operations allowed him to perform actions that would normally require undivided attention of the brain, all while casting ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±.


    The Galaxy Peak treasure he had just obtained, now containing almost two-thirds of Earth Evil Power, acted upon the heads of Senior Brother Zhao and the other eight Golden Core cultivators once it liberated from the confinement of Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s mountain peak type magical treasure.


    Similarly, Li Shiming himself fell within the attack range of Galaxy Peak. However, as the master of Galaxy Peak, he faced significantly reduced effects and was still capable of using body refinement strength to launch attacks within its attack range.


    Releasing Galaxy Peak was just one of the actions taken; he also released all thirteen Silver Corpses, six of which he had upgraded while on the Sword Holding Peak of Shushan Sect.


    Six consecutive bouts of Heavenly Thunder, thankfully, hadn¡¯t caused too much disturbance since he had notified the sect in advance.


    But rumors about Li Shiming cultivating multiple Silver Corpses had started in Shushan Sect, and if he hadn¡¯t decided to silence them, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to reveal so many Silver Corpses all at once.


    Among the Golden Core cultivators of the Beishu Continent, a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator owning multiple Silver Corpses would make it easy for others to link them to Li Shiming, the Alchemy Master.


    Once Li Shiming decided to utilize ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±, he no longer considered other possibilities and resolved that he must silence all Golden Core cultivators present.


    If the news of him mastering ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± leaked, it would cause tremendous trouble, especially since he had recently and easily learned ¡°Divine Eye Skill¡± in front of the Venerable from Qianye Temple, which could lead to many past events being suspected of his involvement.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t wish for his true self to attract too much trouble, as it would be detrimental to his cultivation.


    The thirteen Silver Corpses didn¡¯t join the assault; instead, each of their hands held a Third Grade Array Flag, surrounding the tortoiseshell formation of the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators.


    Among these Silver Corpses, eleven were six-armed Silver Corpses, each capable of holding six array flags.


    The formation they created served not only to seal off the area, but also to prevent communication from within.


    Bear in mind that all the Golden Core cultivators here had Identity Jade Discs, and some might have communication tokens, all capable of transmitting the events here back to their sect or friends.


    The primary function of the thirteen Silver Corpses was to prevent such communication from occurring.


    As Galaxy Peak descended, it was clear that a single mountain peak treasure had a tough time fully restraining nine cultivators who were at least at the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    As these Golden Core cultivators struggled, the descent of Galaxy Peak slowed, and the suppressive force upon them weakened slightly.


    However, this provided little benefit to most of them. Taking advantage of the opportunity with Galaxy Peak suppressing the cultivators, Li Shiming launched his attack.


    The first one he aimed to kill, of course, was the strongest¡ªSenior Brother Zhao.


    But when his Third Grade Sword Base swept over Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s body, it was blocked by Earth Evil Power as solid as rock.


    Clearly, Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s mastery of Earth Evil Power far exceeded that of the other Golden Core cultivators. As one of Great Elder Level, he had touched upon a hint of the Nascent Soul Secret, making his Earth Evil Power vastly more formidable.


    When Li Shiming realized his strike couldn¡¯t kill Senior Brother Zhao, he immediately changed direction.


    His Third Grade Sword Base swept over the other eight Golden Core cultivators. At such close range, he hardly needed to move to slash his Third Grade Sword Base across the bodies of the eight cultivators.


    Eight swords, each stroke taking away the life of a Mid-stage Cultivator. It is likely that such a battle, where the weak overpowered the strong, had never been seen before in the Cultivation World.


    Galaxy Peak didn¡¯t continue to fall. The process of restraining the nine Golden Core cultivators had depleted the Earth Evil Power inside it.


    Galaxy Peak shrank back to a small peak, no longer able to exert any sealing power.


    At this point on the battlefield, only Li Shiming and Senior Brother Zhao remained.


    Senior Brother Zhao looked at Li Shiming, then at the thirteen Silver Corpses, with an even greater sense of shock in his eyes than before.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± he asked in a deep voice.


    Li Shiming was preparing to answer him, but suddenly swung out his Third Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, launching a full-force attack on him.


    Because through the unmanned satellite system, Li Shiming saw that the Nascent Soul Ancestor was approaching the checkpoint.


    Since the unmanned satellite system didn¡¯t cover the entire territory of the Earth Evil Sect, by the time he noticed the Nascent Soul Ancestor, he was already at a relatively dangerous distance.


    Luckily, the Nascent Soul Ancestor did not know the situation of the battle here, thinking his disciple had the upper hand in the fight. He was merely coming to see which sect¡¯s cultivator dared to provoke the Earth Evil Sect.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestor would very likely pin the blame on one of the five big sects, demanding an explanation.

 Chapter 624: 358 Siege_2

    Chapter 624: Chapter 358 Siege_2


    Senior Brother Zhao had reported to his master the situation here upon discovering that Li Shiming possessed the ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill,¡± and the Nascent Soul Ancestor had come specifically because of this ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± leakage.


    After all the other Golden Core fellow disciples had fallen, Senior Brother Zhao tried to buy time by interacting with Li Shiming, just to wait for his master¡¯s arrival.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Li Shiming¡¯s unmanned satellite system surveillance, he might have actually fallen for Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s scheme.


    In such a situation of absolute advantage, most cultivators in the dominant position tend to converse with the defeated in a proud manner to achieve psychological satisfaction.


    Li Shiming fully activated the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure and launched an attack towards Senior Brother Zhao, who of course, retaliated.


    However, Senior Brother Zhao soon realized that at this distance, none of his attacks could hit Li Shiming.


    The spells hadn¡¯t even been released before they were countered by Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent, and the magical treasures had hardly left his body before being repeatedly struck by the Third-Grade Sword Base, greatly diminished in spirit.


    Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s scalp tingled, and the only thing he could do now was to fully stimulate his Earth Evil Power to protect himself.


    He couldn¡¯t fathom how Li Shiming¡¯s combat skills allowed such a senior-level Golden Core cultivator like himself to be completely overpowered. Despite the melee being most favorable for a Body Refining Cultivator, and his own practice of ¡°Earth Evil Demon Skill¡± providing robust defensive power from the Earth Evil Power, his close combat strength was not weak.


    Li Shiming frowned tightly; according to the analysis by his life-bound magical treasure, IBMz15, he wouldn¡¯t be able to break through Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s defense and eliminate him before the Nascent Soul Ancestor closed in to a dangerous distance.


    ¡°Come and help!¡± he commanded in a deep voice.


    The Heavenly Ghost, controlling a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core body appeared, holding a Third-Grade Giant Axe magical treasure which was the original life-bound magical treasure of its body.


    With both hands on the heavy axe, a long rainbow of blood qi surged from its body.


    Upon seeing the Body Refining Golden Core controlled by the Heavenly Ghost, Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s mind was filled with countless questions.


    Unlike Li Shiming, a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator with Golden Core Body Refining Late Stage strength, Li Shiming¡¯s true combat power was too concealed.


    And a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core, if it had appeared once on the Beishu Continent, its name would have undoubtedly spread across the entire continent.


    Furthermore, a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core could not be cultivated by a minor sect; without a powerful backdrop, at least a sect that controls some of the Fourth-Grade resource distribution rights could have the capability to cultivate such a level of Body Refining Golden Core.


    A Golden Core of this level, or any Great Elder-level Golden Core, is extremely proud; unless it is a Nascent Soul Ancestor, they do not obey anyone else.


    A Great Elder, who is ready to advance to a Nascent Soul Ancestor, wouldn¡¯t possess such an almost invincible mindset without which it is nearly impossible to successfully advance to a Nascent Soul.


    But what Zhao saw was Li Shiming issuing a command, and the Body Refining Golden Core obeying and attacking.


    What astonished him the most was that the Body Refining Golden Core was being carried around by Li Shiming, meaning it lived inside some kind of spatial artifact of Li Shiming¡¯s that could accommodate living beings.


    Let alone a Great Elder-level Golden Core cultivator, even a Foundation Establishment or Qi Refinement cultivator wouldn¡¯t allow themselves to be placed inside another cultivator¡¯s spatial artifacts; that would be equivalent to handing over all their life and dignity to another person.


    The presence of the Body Refining Golden Core accelerated the consumption of Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s Earth Evil Power, and the defensive shield formed by the Earth Evil Power was undergoing intense attacks.


    The offensive power of the Body Refining Golden Core even surpassed that of Li Shiming; although Li Shiming¡¯s attacks were more varied, using Thunder Sword Intent, Earth Evil Power, and Five Elements Spiritual Power in rotation, the sheer force of the Body Refining Golden Core¡¯s full-powered attacks exceeded all of Li Shiming¡¯s techniques.


    This was the attack power of a Great Elder level, and it could not be compensated for by varied techniques.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind was still racing; with the addition of the Body Refining Golden Core, he now saw a possibility to kill Senior Brother Zhao, but he still didn¡¯t have much time to escape.


    His mind stirred slightly once more, and an Iron Corpse appeared by his side.


    This was Refining Corpse Nan Ming. In just a few short months, Refining Corpse Nan Ming had advanced from a Copper Corpse to the peak of the Iron Corpse.


    With a substantial supply of materials and the excellent aptitude of Refining Corpse Nan Ming, he faced almost no bottlenecks and elevated continuously to the peak of the Iron Corpse.


    Moreover, the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ pattern within the body of Refining Corpse Nan Ming had also increased as his Corpse Refining Realm improved.


    It seemed that the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ pattern was a part of the body of Refining Corpse Nan Ming, recognized by the Heaven and Earth Rules, and received enhancements with every promotion.


    Unfortunately, ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ did not receive much strengthening. Perhaps it could be said that ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ was getting stronger every day and every moment, but the pace of strengthening was too slow¡ªso slow that it required an extremely long time to see any enhancement in ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯.


    Fortunately, Li Shiming had found a method, which was to use the body of a Nascent Soul for cultivation.


    Li Shiming¡¯s own ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire,¡¯ because the ¡®Mingnan Li Fire¡¯ pattern had not yet formed in his body, had turned to cultivating ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ for Refining Corpse Nan Ming after being nurtured for some time by the Nascent Soul Body.


    The ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ within Li Shiming was already sufficient to elevate his fire attribute Golden Core; his current state was exactly suitable for his growth. Any further increase might, however, place a burden on his body.


    As for Refining Corpse Nan Ming, after this period of cultivation by the Nascent Soul Body, a flame of Nanming Leaving Fire had formed within his body.


    Combined with the possession of the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ pattern, this allowed him to release the flame of Nanming Leaving Fire at the peak of the Iron Corpse Realm.


    Of course, in an actual combat, the effectiveness of Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s Nanming Leaving Flame was extremely limited.


    The deployment of Nanming Leaving Fire was too slow, making it almost impossible to hit an enemy unless the enemy stood still.


    Now, Senior Brother Zhao was standing there motionlessly because he knew that whether he moved or not, Li Shiming and the Body Refining Golden Core were faster than him; it was better to stand still and focus all his energy on the Earth Evil Power.


    When Senior Brother Zhao saw Refining Corpse Nan Ming, he was initially startled, thinking that if Li Shiming summoned another Great Elder-level Golden Core cultivator, he might not be able to hold on much longer.


    But upon realizing that Refining Corpse Nan Ming was just an Iron Corpse, he felt considerably more at ease, still holding a bit of hope that he could last until his master arrived.


    He had already tried, and the formation laid out by Li Shiming made it impossible for him to use his life-saving talismans.


    As long as Li Shiming had time, the formations he could lay out, which block the use of life-saving talismans, weren¡¯t difficult at all. His skill in formations could even allow a Third-Grade Array Flag to be deployed with effects comparable to those of a Fourth-Grade Array Flag in certain special effects.


    Just as Senior Brother Zhao stopped paying attention to Refining Corpse Nan Ming, under the control of Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought, Refining Corpse Nan Ming slowly forced out a flame from his fingertip.


    At the same time, the offensive from Li Shiming and the Body Refining Golden Core intensified, mainly aimed at making Senior Brother Zhao unable to move.


    Senior Brother Zhao felt the scent of death, the previous attacks from Li Shiming and the Body Refining Golden Core had already made him feel extremely endangered, but there was still some distance from the actual scent of death.


    This time, his feeling was extremely intense¡ªit was the scent of death, a sense that he could fall at any moment.


    He saw a flame, seemingly an ordinary orange flame, yet it invoked a terrifying fear that made his soul tremble.


    A Nascent Soul-level Divine Skill attack, this was simply not an attack that a Golden Core Stage should possess, let alone appear on Refining Corpse Nan Ming, equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Peak.


    However, the reality was right before him. Refining Corpse Nan Ming, personally enhanced and modified by Patriarch Weng Zhao and seized by a Nascent Soul, inherently possessed extraordinary and mystical aspects.


    Under the push of its finger, the Nanming Leaving Fire advanced toward Senior Brother Zhao, burning open the Earth Evil Power, revealing a small gap in his defenses.

 Chapter 625: 359: Leaving

    Chapter 625: Chapter 359: Leaving


    Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s Nanming Leaving Fire in his hands broke through Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s Earth Evil Power defense, but Li Shiming did not let Refining Corpse Nan Ming continue using Nanming Leaving Fire to attack Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s real body.


    Given the power of Nanming Leaving Fire, it was feared that Senior Brother Zhao would be annihilated without a trace.


    That would have been a great waste, as Senior Brother Zhao was a Golden Core cultivator at the Great Elder level. Once his own realm advanced further, he could attempt to refine the corpse of a Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, transforming it into a refined corpse.


    According to Li Shiming¡¯s estimate, the body of a Great Elder level Golden Core cultivator, once converted into a refined corpse, would have a strength that was at least at the late stage of a Silver Corpse.


    Currently, he had two bodies of Great Arhats waiting to be refined into refined corpses.


    To other cultivators, refined corpses were merely an auxiliary tool for battle.


    But for him, they had many uses, especially after reaching the level of a Silver Corpse; he could use them as researchers to replace himself at work.


    He had many research projects, and naturally, the more Silver Corpses, the better.


    The moment Refining Corpse Nan Ming retracted the Nanming Leaving Fire, Li Shiming¡¯s Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure passed through a tiny gap in the Earth Evil Power¡¯s defense, piercing Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s body.


    Thunder Sword Intent and various Spiritual Power Patterns surged into Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s body, severing his life force in an instant.


    Li Shiming swept with his Divine Thought over Senior Brother Zhao¡¯s corpse, took the Space Ring, and then stored the body in the time-stopping space of his Nascent Soul Level Space Ring.


    The bodies stored here would not lose their Earth Evil Power, which also amounted to storing some Earth Evil Power for future use.


    He retracted all the Silver Corpses and cleaned up the battlefield again, a process that took but two breaths of time.


    Lotuses rose beneath his feet, and his figure vanished from the spot. After several flashes, he appeared beside the Righteous Gate formation.


    Two breaths later, he had broken open a passageway in the Righteous Gate formation, and his figure instantly disappeared from the influence of the Earth Evil Sect.


    A cenobite later, a terrifying oppressive force descended upon the battlefield where Li Shiming had just left.


    Ancestor Lou Song arrived at the battlefield, his expression as somber as water, unable to contact his disciple. Just a short while ago, he had felt a foreboding in his heart.


    The foreboding of a Nascent Soul Ancestor was definitely due to some event related to him.


    The first thing he thought of was his disciple, and he hastened to the location reported by his disciple.


    Ancestor Lou Song no longer needed to search for his disciple; he sensed his disciple¡¯s battle aura here. Not only his disciple¡¯s, but the auras of more than a dozen Golden Core cultivators.


    Among them was a large amount of death aura, the presence of life withering away in a short time caused by the fall of powerful cultivators. Ancestor Lou Song, having extensively studied death, was very familiar with this type of death aura and could not possibly sense it wrong.


    His gaze fell outside the gate, believing that the Golden Core cultivator who had mastered the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯ had already fled the range of the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s influence.


    ¡°I will definitely find you; your soul belongs to me!¡± Ancestor Lou Song gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice.


    Only a Nascent Soul Ancestor would understand how much effort it took to cultivate a disciple at the Great Elder level.


    Li Shiming, who had successfully smuggled past the Righteous Gate and penetrated a thousand miles into the territory of the Righteous Path, suddenly felt his scalp tingle.


    ¡°Did you say something bad about me!¡± Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help but speak to the image coming from his life-binding magical treasure IBMz15.


    The image was of the previous battlefield, and the image in the area was blurry.


    He knew it was the Nascent Soul Ancestor there, probably realizing that all the Golden Core cultivators were dead, saying some threatening words, which made his scalp tingle.


    He shook his head; he wouldn¡¯t be visiting the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s territory for a long time, so even if they investigated, they couldn¡¯t find him.


    At that moment, he thought of Ren Fei¡¯er. The best choice to keep the matter concealed would be to eliminate Ren Fei¡¯er.


    Not to mention that Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s parents were indebted to him, the mere fact that she was Yin Shilan¡¯s sister made it impossible for Li Shiming to do so.


    Li Shiming looked around. This place was safe, even if a Nascent Soul Ancestor were to chase him here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find him.


    The Golden Core cultivator who had fought earlier had practiced the ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯. He had used the ¡®Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ to hide his Earth Evil Power, and since he didn¡¯t major in ¡®Earth Evil Demon Skill¡¯, there was no trace of it on him.


    With this assurance, he summoned the Meteor Ink Boat, placing the sleeping Ren Fei¡¯er into the Flying Boat.


    Ren Fei¡¯er felt she had had an extremely comfortable sleep, the likes of which she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time.


    As she woke up, she felt sensations from her body, as if a night¡¯s sleep had enhanced her strength.


    Only when she opened her eyes did she remember she had been traveling with Li Shiming, and somehow she had fallen asleep.


    ¡°Master Li, where have we arrived?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er found that Li Shiming was still standing on the Flying Boat, and not inside it, and she asked with an undercurrent of sorrow.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already crossed the gate; we¡¯re heading to Inner Yang Mountain now!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    Ren Fei¡¯er was startled to hear this. She didn¡¯t even know when they had left the Earth Evil Sect¡¯s influence. How long had she been asleep?


    Then she felt somewhat ashamed that she had slept through everything, letting Li Shiming take her through the most troublesome gate.


    She didn¡¯t doubt how Li Shiming had managed to get her through the gate; given Li Shiming¡¯s status, doing so wouldn¡¯t have been difficult.

 Chapter 626: 359 Leaving_2

    Chapter 626: Chapter 359 Leaving_2


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, don¡¯t tell anyone about me saving you this time!¡± Li Shiming thought for a moment and then instructed.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t even tell my mother!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er nodded vigorously and promised.


    She didn¡¯t know why Li Shiming made such a request, but since he had asked, she would certainly do it.


    Li Shiming smiled and took out the communication device, initiating contact with the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s Chief Manager Lai.


    ¡°Brother Shiming, are you ready to take orders now?¡± As soon as the connection was established, the voice of Chief Manager Lai came through.


    Li Shiming leaving was not only a matter of concern for the Shushan Sect but also a major concern for the Beishu Trading Company.


    After leaving, Li Shiming would not be taking orders from the Beishu Trading Company, and the orders that were prepared for him had already piled up a lot.


    As his contact person, Chief Manager Lai could be said to be under all the pressure.


    ¡°I still need to stay outside for a while. I¡¯ll take orders when I return. This time, I need to discuss some private matters with Brother Lai!¡± Li Shiming quickly interrupted Chief Manager Lai¡¯s words.


    ¡°Just mention any personal matter!¡± Chief Manager Lai was straightforward and agreed without even asking what it was.


    In fact, as an Alchemy Master, Li Shiming rarely asked for anything from the Beishu Trading Company.


    While it¡¯s true that Li Shiming exchanged a large number of mundane items, this was a trivial matter for the Beishu Trading Company, and with Li Shiming¡¯s status, many other companies would be willing to serve him if he didn¡¯t seek out the Beishu Trading Company.


    Apart from exchanging mundane items, Li Shiming rarely asked for anything from the Beishu Trading Company, which had somewhat worried them.


    So hearing that Li Shiming had a personal request, Chief Manager Lai was not displeased but rather happy.


    ¡°I want an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who has not cultivated the core techniques of the Earth Evil Sect to leave the sect, and I do not want anyone else to know it¡¯s related to me, so please, have the trading company represent me!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s a small matter. Just send the name to me later!¡± Chief Manager Lai, reassured, responded with a smile.


    Indeed, for an early-stage ordinary cultivator, leaving the sect is nearly a devastating affair.


    The Earth Evil Sect does not allow its disciples to leave the sect freely, as there is a common saying in the Demon Sect that once you enter the sect, you belong to the sect for life.


    But the Beishu Trading Company already has a close relationship with the Earth Evil Sect, and in situations that do not involve core techniques or true disciples, wanting to leave the sect really is a minor issue.


    ¡°Then thank you!¡± Li Shiming, understanding this, thanked with a smile.


    ¡°Talking about thanks makes it too formal. Let¡¯s have tea together sometime; I¡¯ve been longing for your Spiritual Tea for a long time!¡± Chief Manager Lai laughed heartily.


    ¡°I did get some good tea recently; I¡¯ll send you some when I get back!¡± Li Shiming replied.


    In the warm atmosphere, both parties ended the communication.


    The communication process was not hidden from Ren Fei¡¯er; in the Flying Boat, she heard his conversation with Chief Manager Lai.


    ¡°Can I really leave the Earth Evil Sect?¡± Ren Fei¡¯er asked somewhat incredulously.


    In her view, this was a monumental issue. She had thought that asking the Earth Evil Sect to let someone go would cost a great deal but had not expected it to be resolved just by a bit of communication.


    ¡°Rest assured, the matter with the Earth Evil Sect has been resolved. I¡¯ll contact you soon about joining the Thousand Illusion Sect!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    He had let Ren Fei¡¯er hear the communication process to reassure her, so she wouldn¡¯t worry unnecessarily.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu!¡± Li Shiming initiated another call, this time connecting with Zhu Chang, a Golden Core Elder of the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Zhu Chang, a good friend of Master Luo, holds a high position within the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    ¡°Master Li, how may I serve you?¡± Zhu Chang¡¯s voice was filled with surprise and respect.


    This was Master Li himself contacting him, a matter of great importance for any Golden Core cultivator.


    ¡°I have an early-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator here who wishes to join the Thousand Illusion Sect, may I ask Mr. Zhu to help with an introduction?¡± Li Shiming said with a smile, stating his request.


    ¡°No problem, I still have a spot for a direct disciple under my name. She can join as a True Inheritor and come over anytime!¡± Zhu Chang quickly responded without even needing to think after hearing Li Shiming¡¯s request.


    In his view, when Master Li asked for someone to be enrolled in the sect, it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary disciple he was talking about, but bringing Master Li¡¯s connection under his wing was akin to establishing a direct communication channel with Master Li.


    Other Golden Core cultivators would probably vie for the chance to take such a person as a True Inheritor if they knew about this.


    ¡°Then it is settled. If you need anything in the future, you can contact Ye Lingyun!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    Zhu Chang certainly knew who Ye Lingyun was. Although Ye Lingyun was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, his status was extremely high, serving both as Li Shiming¡¯s attendant and his reception manager.


    Being able to contact Ye Lingyun directly was akin to having the privilege of queue jumping in alchemy.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, Golden Core Elder Zhu Chang from the Thousand Illusion Sect will be your master. As a True Inheritor, you must cultivate diligently!¡± Li Shiming ended the communication and instructed Ren Fei¡¯er.


    ¡°I understand!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er bit her lip, trying hard not to let her tears flow, and she responded softly.


    Li Shiming had laid out her path of cultivation for the future, and this favor was something she could never repay.


    What saddened her the most was that she knew Li Shiming did this not because of her, but because she was Yin Shilan¡¯s sister.


    After several days of flying, the Meteor Ink Boat, a third-grade flying boat magical treasure, though far from the divine speed of the ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± still moved swiftly under the full power of its master Li Shiming. By noon three days later, he saw Inner Yang Mountain.


    Given the conspicuous nature of such a flying boat magical treasure as the Meteor Ink Boat, it was spotted by Elder Yin as soon as they approached Inner Yang Mountain.


    Elder Yin soared into the sky to personally welcome the guests aboard the Meteor Ink Boat.


    A third-grade flying boat magical treasure is typically operated by key members of major sects or powerful forces. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators cannot afford such luxuries.


    ¡°Shiming!¡± Elder Yin exclaimed with excitement upon seeing the person standing atop the Meteor Ink Boat.


    ¡°Uncle Yin!¡± Li Shiming, seeing Elder Yin, displayed a sincere smile.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Ren Fei¡¯er, controlling a spiritual artifact, flew out of the boat and called out a bit timidly.


    The joy on Elder Yin¡¯s face faded when he saw Ren Fei¡¯er, and because Li Shiming was there, he didn¡¯t say much, but the reproach in his eyes was very clear.


    Ren Fei¡¯er certainly knew why, as her sneaking off from Inner Yang Mountain had caused much worry at home and added lots of trouble for her family.


    ¡°Shiming, come and sit at our house!¡± Elder Yin called out and made a gesture to Ren Fei¡¯er to follow.


    Li Shiming watched with a smile as Elder Yin, despite being rather displeased with Ren Fei¡¯er¡¯s departure, still showed great care for his daughter.


    The peak of Inner Yang Mountain had been developed into a high-status market.


    As a couple both at the early stages of the Golden Core, although Elder Yin and Elder Ren only had initial mid-stages of strength, the presence of two Golden Core cultivators, backed by strong support from the Beishu Trading Company, allowed this market to immediately become the highest standard market in a large nearby region upon completion.


    Elder Yin led Li Shiming directly to a cave dwelling behind the market, where he and Elder Ren resided.


    Upon entering the cave dwelling, Li Shiming saw Elder Ren.


    ¡°Nice to see you, Aunt Ren!¡± Li Shiming quickly greeted respectfully.


    In the Beishu Continent, probably the only people who could command such respect from him were Yin Shilan¡¯s relatives.


    ¡°Shiming, where did you bring Fei¡¯er back from? I¡¯ve pulled a lot of strings and couldn¡¯t find her!¡± Elder Ren looked sharply at Ren Fei¡¯er, who was hiding, and asked Li Shiming.


    It wasn¡¯t that Elder Ren was being rude or harsh toward Li Shiming, but for Ren Fei¡¯er, she had exhausted a great deal of goodwill and still couldn¡¯t find her.


    The Golden Core cultivators of the Beishu Continent knew each other well, unlike on Sky Sea Island, where the direct descendants of Golden Core cultivators were very safe.

 Chapter 627: 360: Send Back

    Chapter 627: Chapter 360: Send Back


    ¡°I had some business to attend to at the Earth Evil Sect and happened to run into Fei¡¯er, so I brought her back with me!¡± Li Shiming simply explained the situation.


    ¡°Shiming, there¡¯s no need to cover up for her. I gave birth to her, and one look at her tells me that it wasn¡¯t as simple as that. Is there some kind of big trouble?¡± Elder Ren waved his hand and said.


    Elder Ren, known as Evil Elder Ren during her time on Sky Sea Island, watched over Fei¡¯er as she grew up and could discern issues from her every move.


    ¡°It¡¯s all settled now. I¡¯ve asked someone to help Fei¡¯er withdraw from the Earth Evil Sect, and the elders of Thousand Illusion Sect have agreed to take her as a True Disciple!¡± Seeing signs that Elder Ren was about to get angry, Li Shiming answered with a smile.


    ¡°Shiming, we¡¯ve troubled you again. How can we ever repay this kindness!¡± Elder Ren said helplessly, shaking his head.


    Li Shiming just smiled without a word; considering his relationship with this family, it was nothing but a small matter, with no need for talk of repayment.


    Besides, when he was on Sky Sea Island, hadn¡¯t he risen to prominence thanks to the influence of Elder Yin?


    Elder Ren and Elder Yin exchanged glances, filled with emotion.


    Back on Sky Sea Island, Li Shiming¡¯s talents weren¡¯t considered exceptional, but he possessed an extremely strong aptitude for Formations and later showed extraordinary skill in Body Refinement.


    Despite such performances, in the eyes of Array Master Luo, Master Luo, Yin Shilan¡¯s master, even joining Thousand Illusion Sect was a stretch.


    Yet who would have thought that Li Shiming, on his own, would cross the strait ahead of them and rise meteorically upon arriving in the Beishu Continent?


    Just look at the foundation of Inner Yang Mountain; it was Li Shiming who bought the mountain for them and even arranged for the collaboration with Beishu Trading Company.


    Inner Yang Mountain Market, a place that made nearby forces envious.


    If they had no backing, even two Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t fend off those greedy forces.


    But, thus far, Inner Yang Mountain had not experienced any trouble, thanks in part to Beishu Trading Company¡¯s deterrence and rumors that Inner Yang Mountain was under the protection of Master Li Shiming.


    Especially in Inner Yang Mountain Market, where every once in a while, Spirit Pills produced by Master Li would arrive from the Beishu Trading Company, further confirming the rumors.


    ¡°Uncle Yin, Aunt Ren, I have other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t stay long. Here are some gifts for you, and when you have time, send Fei¡¯er to Thousand Illusion Sect soon!¡± Li Shiming took out two boxes and placed them on the table, then stood up to say his farewells.


    His unmanned satellite system project wasn¡¯t finished yet, and bringing Ren Fei¡¯er back was also a way to fulfill his obligation to Yin Shilan.


    Elder Yin and Elder Ren, knowing he was a busy man, did not try to hold him back.


    After Li Shiming left, Elder Yin and Elder Ren looked at Ren Fei¡¯er, causing her to shiver involuntarily.


    Fei¡¯er understood that her father might be more lenient, but her mother¡¯s methods of punishment were plenty.


    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s see what gift Master Li has brought us!¡± She tried to divert her parents¡¯ attention with the two gifts on the table.


    ¡°Do you think you can escape punishment?¡± Elder Ren said coldly.


    Nevertheless, she opened the box Li Shiming had given her and found a jade bottle containing a single Spirit Pill, a second-grade Spirit Pill.


    But the shock and delight on her face were unmistakable when she saw the pill; it was the unimaginable ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯


    On the other side, Elder Yin also opened his box, finding it full of Spiritual Tea.


    ¡°Third Grade Spirit Tea, personally roasted by Shiming!¡± Elder Yin sank into a blissful dilemma.


    The value of the box of Third Grade Spirit Tea was too high; it seemed a waste for him to drink it himself, but he found it hard to part with it if he were to sell it.


    Elder Ren sighed deeply, her gaze falling on Fei¡¯er before carefully storing away the jade bottle.


    After the initial joy, she realized that with only one ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ and Fei¡¯er at the Foundation Establishment Stage, if Fei¡¯er couldn¡¯t advance to the Golden Core Stage soon, she might not be able to maintain her youth.


    As for herself, although her cultivation at the Golden Core Stage couldn¡¯t slow aging as effectively as the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ would, it could still decelerate the process.


    A parent¡¯s love knows no bounds; Elder Ren had already decided to save the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ for Fei¡¯er, but given Fei¡¯er¡¯s recent transgressions, it was impossible to give it to her just yet.


    Once Fei¡¯er¡¯s behavior improves, Elder Ren intended to give her the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ as a reward.


    Li Shiming hadn¡¯t expected that the ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ he gave would not be consumed by Elder Ren.


    Although he was now an Alchemy Master, he had not acquired a second set of ingredients for the ¡®Youthful Elixir.¡¯


    When he had obtained a ¡®Youth Flower,¡¯ his luck could indeed be said to be against the heavens.


    The emergence of a ¡®Youth Flower¡¯ might occur once in nearly a hundred years, so obtaining one easily was out of the question.


    His stock of ¡®Youthful Elixirs¡¯ diminished with each one used, or else he wouldn¡¯t have been so stingy to give just a single one.


    Of course, the main reason he gave away just one ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ was that he hadn¡¯t accounted for Ren Fei¡¯er in his plans; his aid to her was already enough to repay the kindness she once showed him.


    Free from the burden of Ren Fei¡¯er, Li Shiming activated the ¡®Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡¯ and became invisible in the shadows as he used ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ to speed on his way, greatly increasing his pace.


    This time, he was heading to the territory of the Yin Yang Sect, one of the three major Demon Sects, each located on different sides of the continent. With ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ he could reach his destination within a day.

 Chapter 628: 360: Send Back_2

    Chapter 628: Chapter 360: Send Back_2


    He smuggled past the checkpoints and formations of the Righteous Path and the Yin Yang Sect without encountering any trouble.


    After entering the territory of the Yin Yang Sect, he found there was little difference from the outside world; it wasn¡¯t like the Earth Evil Sect, where the areas near the border were harshly fortified.


    The Yin Yang Sect, among the Demon Sects, is considered relatively low-key. Its characteristic feature is that male cultivators are generally ugly, while female cultivators are particularly beautiful.


    Just by looking at the name of the sect, one can tell it¡¯s not a very serious one. Indeed, the Yin Yang Sect, whether male or female cultivators, all regard cultivating cauldrons as their cultivation resources.


    This was Li Shiming¡¯s understanding of the Yin Yang Sect, and upon entering their territory, he had no intention of studying this sect too closely.


    When he moved a thousand miles away from the checkpoint formation, he launched the prepared drones.


    Launching the drones was a success, and after waiting for them to fly high and toward their respective target positions, he prepared to return.


    The drones of the Yin Yang Sect were connected to the satellite system of the Beishu Continent, and he believed that in over a month, he would be able to monitor any corner of the Beishu Continent with his Lifebound Magic Treasure, the IBMz15.


    He smiled slightly in pride, though it was a pity that such accomplishments had no one to share with, which gave him a sense of walking in brocade at night.


    Frankly speaking, the drone satellite system is the largest example of successful integration between science and cultivation he has witnessed in this world, accomplishing what the six major sects haven¡¯t managed to do.


    With the wealth of the six major sects, setting up a super formation capable of monitoring the entire continent isn¡¯t a difficult task. As for monitoring, the required formation materials don¡¯t need to be of high grade.


    But the six major sects are suspicious of each other and would not allow any one sect¡¯s surveillance to penetrate deep into their own territory.


    Even the connections for communication are not handled by the six major sects themselves, but through a third party they jointly certify, which is the jointly established Beishu Trading Company.


    Li Shiming¡¯s drone satellite system is currently in its infancy, and monitoring is just one of its many functions. More functionalities are to come, especially as he delves deeper into the research on integrating technology with cultivation.


    For instance, with the current drone satellite system, he can conduct video communications throughout the Beishu Continent without the assistance of any formation.


    Another application is providing navigation services for ultra-long-range attacks. The last time he attacked Qianye Temple was an experiment for the drone satellite system, and it proved that the system can provide accurate data support for long-range strikes.


    This navigation service can also realize real-time map functionalities, which is another application.


    As Li Shiming was thinking, he turned back. He also saw the images transmitted by the newly launched drone satellite system, showing that there were cultivators not far ahead.


    He paid them no mind, as their speed and direction of flight seemed unrelated to him.


    ¡°I am not cursed with disaster-prone nature, so it¡¯s unlikely that any accident will happen now that I¡¯ve entered Yin Yang Sect territory!¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    He didn¡¯t use the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± or ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± here, as he didn¡¯t hide his form when launching the drones. This area wasn¡¯t as desolate as the Earth Evil Sect, and suddenly disappearing could draw unwanted attention.


    Just like that cultivator up ahead, who clearly noticed him, though it¡¯s uncertain by what means they detected him from so far away.


    There are quite a few secret techniques in the Cultivation World, like Li Shiming¡¯s ¡°Divine Eyesight,¡± which allows one to clearly see a cultivator thousands of miles away.


    Li Shiming used his ¡°Divine Eyesight,¡± and he saw that the cultivator was a female cultivator, extremely enchanting in appearance.


    He had no interest in the female cultivators of the Yin Yang Sect, regardless of how outstanding they looked. The way these female cultivators exploited their physical appearance was unacceptable to him, and even engaging in a few words with such cultivators made him uncomfortable.


    It was like Fang Lu of the Skywalk Trading Company he had slain before; she was a female cultivator from the Yin Yang Sect.


    He had intended to bypass the female cultivator, but realized that she was actually heading towards him.


    ¡°What a handsome young man you are; I see you¡¯re not over forty years old. Which sect¡¯s disciple are you?¡± the female cultivator approached Li Shiming and asked with a seductive voice.


    The female cultivator was at the Golden Core Middle Stage and must have practiced some sort of secret technique to discern Li Shiming¡¯s true age.


    This was somewhat unexpected to Li Shiming, as since he had formed his Golden Core, no cultivator other than the Nascent Soul Ancestors could determine his age.


    Female cultivators of the Yin Yang Sect had a particular interest in the bodies of men, which was also reflected in their judgment of age.


    Even the more open-minded female cultivators would not want to partner with a cultivator whose age was nearing his twilight years.


    The reason the female cultivator did not believe Li Shiming was a disciple of the Yin Yang Sect was that Li Shiming¡¯s features were too handsome.


    In the Yin Yang Sect, male cultivators who practiced the sect¡¯s cultivation techniques would become ugly, even if they were originally very handsome, a unique consequence of the Yin Yang Sect¡¯s cultivation technique.


    It was the exact opposite for female cultivators; after practicing the sect¡¯s cultivation techniques, their appearances would become more enchanting, exuding a woman¡¯s charm all over.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Li Shiming said with an annoyed and heavy voice.


    He had already sensed that the female cultivator was using a secret technique that affected the spirit, trying to invade his brain.


    Unfortunately, this female cultivator would never know that she was attempting to invade one of Li Shiming¡¯s one hundred ninety-one brains, which was under the surveillance and management of his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15.


    Even if this kind of spirit secret technique was aimed at affecting a single brain, it could not disturb his mind, let alone when it was a matter of one hundred ninety-one brains.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so heartless. Wait until you¡¯ve seen me perform a dance of the Heavenly Demon before you leave!¡± The female cultivator, not at all affected by his aversion, still spoke with a smile as bright as a blooming flower.


    Li Shiming¡¯s impression of female cultivators from the Yin Yang Sect was limited to what he had seen in Fang Lu, a Golden Core Early Stage female cultivator.


    However, in the presence of this female cultivator, he sensed a different kind of spiritual power, an Extreme Yin Spiritual Power, which piqued his interest.


    He had never encountered Extreme Yin Spiritual Power in a cultivator in the Cultivation World before.


    In his alter ego Li Yuanba¡¯s Body Refinement state, his body contained Pure Yin Spiritual Power, but that was the Supreme Yang Spirit Power of a Silver Corpse, leaning towards a chilling Yin.


    But the Extreme Yin Spiritual Power in the body of the female cultivator before him felt truly Pure Yin. Pure Yin refers to the most refined state of Yin, which seemed more like Extreme Yin Spiritual Power cultivated in a human state.


    By this time, the female cultivator had started the Heavenly Demon Dance, but as soon as she began, there came a soul-piercing screech.


    The female cultivator was struck by Li Shiming¡¯s ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡±; if an ordinary Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator were hit by ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear,¡± they would likely just pass out briefly.


    However, the female cultivator was currently utilizing a spirit seduction, which belonged to the category of spiritual attacks.


    ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡± was more orthodox compared to the spirit attack constructed from beauty that the female cultivator was using, being the most pure form of spirit attack secret technique.


    Her spirit seduction was attacked by ¡°Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear,¡± causing her to suffer a spirit backlash.


    A mouthful of fresh blood spurted from her mouth, and her features aged from those of a young girl directly into those of an old crone.


    Li Shiming, who had been witnessing her perform the Heavenly Demon Dance, felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw her current appearance.


    The Yin Yang Sect had used methods against the Heavenly Dao to forcefully maintain the female cultivator¡¯s appearance. When she suffered the spirit backlash, her appearance reverted to what it should have been for her age, aging even more than a typical female cultivator of the same age.


    This was the price of demonic cultivation; the exterior may be beautiful, but the aftermath is often terrifying.


    Just as Li Shiming was about to make a move, he saw that the female cultivator had lost her fighting capacity, her eyes filled with terror, as the wound from the spirit backlash was far more severe than ordinary injuries.


    Li Shiming used Divine Thought to take the female cultivator¡¯s Space Ring and sealed her Golden Core with Thunder Spirit Power, rendering her completely ordinary.

 Chapter 629: 361: Return to the Clan

    Chapter 629: Chapter 361: Return to the Clan


    The female cultivator whose spirit had suffered severe damage displayed an extremely hideous, aged countenance, her consciousness blurred and her body convulsed with intense headaches.


    Taking advantage of the female cultivator¡¯s spiritual injuries, Li Shiming turned his ten strands of Divine Thought into ten chains that delved into the depths of the female cultivator¡¯s spirit.


    Li Shiming¡¯s own spirit was incredibly strong, and coupled with the constant cultivation of the ¡°Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique,¡± his spirit continuously grew stronger.


    It was not just that the female cultivator¡¯s spirit was injured; even if her spirit had been intact, it wouldn¡¯t compare to the robustness of Li Shiming¡¯s spirit.


    Now, the female cultivator was virtually defenceless spiritually, leaving her open to infiltration by his Divine Thought, which penetrated deep into her spirit.


    In this manner, he executed Telepathy as if it were being applied without any distance between them, exerting its most potent effect.


    Normally, Telepathy would not be able to affect a Golden Core Middle Stage female cultivator, but under these circumstances, it operated within the female cultivator¡¯s soul without the slightest impediment.


    The pain vanished from the female cultivator¡¯s face, which regained a calm expression, and her eyes glimmered with a strange light.


    She fell into the illusion crafted by Telepathy, an illusion born of Divine Skills with extraordinary effects.


    She seemed to return to the past when she was still under her master¡¯s instruction.


    That day, her master gave her an Inheritance Jade Scroll as a reward for completing an important task.


    She placed the Inheritance Jade Scroll at her brow, and a wealth of information poured into her mind.


    Immersed in the memories, she forgot that she had already studied this Cultivation Technique for hundreds of years.


    The illusion created by Telepathy allowed her to insert herself into the memory.


    Through the female cultivator¡¯s recollections, Li Shiming also acquired the full contents of the Cultivation Technique.


    ¡°Yin Yang Harmony Scripture,¡± one of the core Inheritance Techniques of the Yin Yang Sect.


    After reading through the content, Li Shiming¡¯s expression was one of bemusement.


    ¡°What kind of bizarre Cultivation Technique is this?¡± he murmured to himself.


    Even with his vast experience, he was taken aback upon seeing this Cultivation Technique.


    It could be said that at least half of the content in the ¡°Yin Yang Harmony Scripture¡± was normal and consistent with the Taoist understanding of Yin Yang.


    However, the other half involved Yin and Yang aiding each other in cultivation, which entirely contradicted the mainstream Taoist practice of harnessing the powers of Yin Yang from nature.


    Especially after a male cultivator practiced the ¡°Yin Yang Harmony Scripture,¡± he would be influenced by Yin energy, causing his physical appearance to change and become ugly.


    Li Shiming shook his head. He had originally thought the female cultivator¡¯s Pure Yin Spiritual Power might be beneficial to his incarnation, Li Yuanba, and wanted to acquire her Cultivation Technique.


    But he never expected nothing from the Demon Sect¡¯s Cultivation Techniques to be normal.


    ¡°Consider it a contribution to the knowledge repository!¡± he said resignedly.


    After he killed the female cultivator, he did not even wish to leave the corpse behind and incinerated it with a burst of flames.


    He felt no burden over killing a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator from the Yin Yang Sect.


    No further incidents occurred afterward, and he passed safely through the sector¡¯s great array.


    On the way back, his mind was still pondering over the content of the ¡°Yin Yang Harmony Scripture.¡±


    Although the Cultivation Technique seemed somewhat unreliable, the concepts of Yin Yang within it were indeed useful. Perhaps in the future, he could collect more Yin Yang-style Cultivation Techniques and create a unique Yin Yang Skill on his own.


    This was not an idle fantasy. Given the analytical capabilities of his Lifebound Magic Treasure IBMz15, combined with the research on the circulation of Spiritual Power within both Li Shiming and Li Yuanba¡¯s bodies, IBMz15 could certainly establish a simulation system based on their cultivation practices.


    Should there be any Cultivation Technique in the future, he could run it through this simulated cultivation system first. Only after it showed no problems would he and his incarnation practice it within their actual bodies.


    Having this idea meant he needed to begin preparations, which was no easy task¡ªeven for the computational power of the Lifebound Magic Treasure IBMz15¡ªand it would take a considerable amount of time to complete.


    A day later, when Li Shiming returned to Shushan Sect, the simulation system for cultivation practice, based on his Pure Dao Body and Li Yuanba¡¯s Taiji Dao Body, was completed.


    This was just an initial setup, which needed continuous data collection from his cultivation process for future enhancement of the simulation system.


    Li Shiming tried importing the ¡°Yin Yang Harmony Scripture¡± into the simulated cultivation system of Li Yuanba¡¯s Taiji Dao Body, letting the ¡°Yin Yang Harmony Scripture¡± circulate within Li Yuanba¡¯s body by practicing cultivation. He omitted the parts involving union between male and female cultivators, directly using the ongoing transitions between Li Yuanba¡¯s human and Corpse Refining states to balance Yin Yang Spiritual Power.


    During this process, numerous errors emerged in the simulated cultivation of Li Yuanba, with the most minor errors leading to deviation and the most severe causing simultaneous collapse of both his Golden Core and Corpse Pill.


    Li Shiming made it a part of his ongoing research to painstakingly develop a set of Yin Yang Skills that Li Yuanba could practice, which required continuous experimentation.


    He probably was the only one in the Cultivation World capable of using simulated cultivation to continually modify Cultivation Techniques.


    In the Cultivation World, modifying Cultivation Techniques was extremely dangerous. Techniques like the ¡°Yin Yang Harmony Scripture,¡± which was amongst the top-tier in the Beishu Continent, were likely modified from some ancient cultivation practice or created by a mighty being based on personal enlightenment.


    Being merely a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator with an understanding of cultivation only at the Golden Core Stage level, he could only resort to trial and error to modify Cultivation Techniques for his own use.


    The Shushan Sect was pleased that Li Shiming returned safely once more without encountering any trouble. No cultivator from the sect wanted their Alchemy Master to face major events whenever he left, leaving them anxious about Li Shiming¡¯s safety after his departure.

 Chapter 630: 361: Return to the Sect_2

    Chapter 630: Chapter 361: Return to the Sect_2


    After all, Li Shiming is already a Golden Core Elder, so he can¡¯t just be forcibly kept within the sect gates.


    The cultivators of Shushan Sect probably never expected that this time, or rather every time Master Li left the gates, he had never had a moment of peace.


    This time he fled from the pursuit of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, and even killed more than a dozen Golden Core cultivators, all of whom belonged to major sects.


    It could be said that if his combat achievements were made public, he could immediately be ranked at the very top among the Golden Core cultivators on the Beishu Continent.


    Li Shiming sat in the cultivation room of his cave dwelling, with the Nascent Soul Body, the Fake Infant Body, and the Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core by his side.


    Sword Holding Peak was the safest place, especially after he had re-arranged the formation at the peak, ensuring that even the aura of a Nascent Soul could not leak out.


    The reason he summoned the Nascent Soul Body, the Fake Infant Body, and the Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core was for the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein inside the Fourth-Grade Locking Vein Plate.


    He entered a normal state of cultivation, where the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein played a significant role in boosting his cultivation speed.


    The Heavenly Ghost was in the cultivation room, switching between the three bodies unpredictably, with each body having its own unique cultivation tasks.


    Li Shiming primarily cultivated the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡±, practiced the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± on the side, the Body Refining Technique ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡±, and used the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual¡± as a supplementary Cultivation Technique. These techniques occupied the vast majority of his time.


    He also needed to engage in Alchemy and research, among other things, each of which was of utmost importance.


    For research, now that he had Silver Corpses, he could remove himself from direct involvement.


    In the underground factory space, thirteen Silver Corpses were busily at work, each controlled by one of his thirteen brains.


    Equivalent to the strength of Golden Core cultivators, the Silver Corpses could also employ Divine Thought, making their research nearly identical to him conducting it personally.


    Thirteen Silver Corpses, this was already beyond the number that a normal Golden Core cultivator could refine.


    Yet, Li Shiming felt no pressure at all in this regard, as the number of corpses a cultivator could refine was related to their realm and spirit.


    At his early Golden Core stage, having cultivated spirit-class techniques, which made his spirit exceptionally strong, he was capable of refining around ten Silver Corpses.


    Each Silver Corpse imposed a spiritual burden on the cultivator, and if this burden exceeded the cultivator¡¯s capacity, the Silver Corpses would go out of control.


    The advantage of having the IBMz15 as Li Shiming¡¯s lifebound magic weapon became apparent, for with the IBMz15 as his lifebound magic weapon, he had never felt the spiritual burden brought by the Silver Corpses.


    If one were to calculate that a single brain could handle ten Silver Corpses, then he could add another one thousand nine hundred Silver Corpses before reaching his limit.


    Of course, this calculation was an estimate and not precise, but theoretically speaking, the result was still a conservative estimate.


    In the Cultivation World, it is rare for cultivators to raise a large number of Silver Corpses, one or two is typically the limit for an ordinary cultivator.


    This wasn¡¯t due to the spiritual burden on the cultivator, but rather the high difficulty of cultivating Silver Corpses.


    Firstly, the upgrade from Iron Corpse to Silver Corpse alone sees most Iron Corpses eliminated by the test of Heavenly Thunder.


    Secondly, the cultivation of Silver Corpses requires the use of Third Grade Corpse Refining Material, and in the Cultivation World, a powerful Silver Corpse is far more valuable than multiple weaker ones.


    Li Shiming was also considering whether he should start increasing the number of Silver Corpses. Before he had to take into account his own spiritual limitations, but now he no longer had that concern.


    He also had a large number of Golden Core cultivator corpses at his disposal, having engaged in Corpse Refining as early as the Qi Refinement Realm, thus he collected the corpses of his enemies after every battle.


    After so many years of combat, he had preserved a substantial number of Golden Core cultivator corpses.


    As for Third Grade Corpse Refining Material, that was even less of a problem.


    Third Grade Corpse Refining Material is not particularly precious, and he can obtain such resources simply through alchemy.


    The only trouble is, if he really produces a bunch of Silver Corpses, the repeated strikes of Heavenly Thunder might prompt the sect to investigate whether he¡¯s practicing some kind of demonic technique.


    As time passed day by day, Li Shiming¡¯s life was peaceful yet fulfilling. He truly brought out the function of his life-bound magical artifact, the IBMz15, dividing himself into many parts, simultaneously engaging in alchemy, cultivation, and research without neglecting any.


    One day, the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake lay beside Li Shiming, twisting its body restlessly.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake was extremely fortunate to have encountered Li Shiming; its daily food consisted of high-grade Second Class Spirit Pills, and it rested beside a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein. From time to time, it even enjoyed Li Shiming using the ¡°Nine Shao Insect Scripture¡± to condition its body.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake stayed at the peak of the second grade for half a year and finally, with the aid of abundant resources, it could no longer suppress its own breakthrough.


    Li Shiming was very optimistic about the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, urging it to consolidate its strength during its second grade to lay a solid foundation for the future.


    The speed of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s advancement was exceedingly fast compared to other spirit beasts.


    Even the true inheritors of great sects did not receive the treatment that the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake did, with an Alchemy Master providing Second Grade Spirit Pills, especially one of Li Shiming¡¯s caliber.


    ¡°The formation has been set up, the breakthrough depends on you. This is a Spirit Pill for healing, this one is to restore the Spiritual Power within your body, this is to replenish your spirit, take them when you need them!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile, patting the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.


    He placed several Third-Grade Spirit Pills into the snake¡¯s mouth, which housed a separate space that, while currently small, would grow as the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake matured.


    Only top-tier spirit beasts possessed such a space, meant for storing their food.


    The ¡°Nine Shao Insect Scripture¡± did not record anything about the breakthrough of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, only mentioning that to break through to the third grade, it had to be done by the snake itself without reliance on its master, else the Heavenly Tribulation would intensify.


    The breakthrough of spirit beasts never required as many resources as human cultivators did.


    For a breakthrough to the third grade and transforming into a Great Demon, success or failure is part of the natural selection process for spirit beasts.


    Li Shiming was not at ease; this world¡¯s Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake was probably the last of its kind, and he had developed an emotional bond with it after spending much time together.


    That¡¯s why he prepared several Third-Grade Spirit Pills for it ¨C better safe than sorry, whether they could be used or not.


    He gripped the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s body, a white lotus appeared beneath his feet, and then he and the snake flashed into the middle of the formation atop the mountain.


    This formation was prepared in advance, specifically for the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, to aid it against the Heavenly Thunder.


    One could say that Li Shiming had done everything he could; the rest was up to the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake looked back at Li Shiming, then turned and swam towards the center of the formation.


    Li Shiming stepped outside the formation, took out his Identity Jade Disc, and sent a message to his master, Elder Su, informing him that his spiritual pet was about to break through, which would cause some disturbance.


    After putting away the Identity Jade Disc, he looked towards the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake inside the formation.


    The snake coiled its body, emitting an extremely unstable aura as it raised its head towards the sky and let out a hiss.


    At this moment, the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake did not use invisibility, as it needed to focus all its energy on the breakthrough.


    Amidst its hissing, the aura of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake surged abruptly. It had long reached the limit of breakthrough, and its internal Spiritual Power swelled to the point of not being able to increase a bit more, making its entry into the breakthrough process exceptionally rapid.


    The terrifying aura spread outward but was blocked by the formation, which continually gathered the mountain summit¡¯s Spiritual Power toward the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake.


    The snake, which originally could not absorb any more Spiritual Energy, suddenly became like a bottomless pit, voraciously absorbing the power gathered by the formation.


    Li Shiming smiled slightly; he no longer needed to deploy the Spirit Vein of the entire Sword Holding Peak, and merely channeling the Spiritual Energy from the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein was sufficient for the snake¡¯s breakthrough needs.

 Chapter 631: 362: The Transformation into a Flood Dragon

    Chapter 631: Chapter 362: The Transformation into a Flood Dragon


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s body kept swelling, as if inflated by Spiritual Energy.


    In this process, its aura continued to rise rapidly, soon reaching the level of a Great Demon.


    Yet it continued to absorb Spiritual Energy, making Li Shiming doubt whether a single Golden Core Level Spiritual Vein could sustain the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s breakthrough if he didn¡¯t have a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein.


    Li Shiming was unclear how spirit beasts, especially top-tier ones like the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, managed to break through in the wild, how they found such an abundance of Spiritual Energy, and without such veins, how they supported their breakthroughs.


    Even his own advancement to Golden Core hadn¡¯t consumed this much Spiritual Energy, and it¡¯s worth noting he had formed five Golden Cores.


    However, for a top-tier spirit beast like the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, which was nearly extinct, it was normal to have some peculiarities.


    The length of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake fixed at six meters and ceased growing, but Spiritual Energy continued to surge into its body relentlessly.


    One hour, two hours, and approaching three hours, the flow of Spiritual Energy finally ceased.


    The sky was covered with a vast expanse of dark clouds, completely enveloping the top of Sword Holding Peak.


    Li Shiming was slightly startled; the size of the clouds far exceeded those he had seen during his own advancement.


    Just by the size of the clouds, he inferred that the incoming Heavenly Thunder was bound to be stronger than any he had ever seen.


    The commotion at Sword Holding Peak grew large enough to draw the attention of Golden Core cultivators from various parts of the sect, who flew out from their dwellings to watch from the outskirts of the peak.


    Since Li Shiming had made prior arrangements and Elder Su had explained the situation of the Heavenly Thunder to the sect, the Golden Core cultivators understood that it was Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Pet undergoing a breakthrough.


    In most of their eyes was a gaze that watched the extravagance of a wealthy individual.


    It was not so long ago that Li Shiming had experienced multiple Corpse Refining breakthroughs to Silver Corpse. Although it was not mentioned if the Silver Corpse successfully advanced, it was evident how lavish Li Shiming was.


    Still, they felt no envy, as Li Shiming relied on nobody but his own Alchemy skills to accumulate such wealth.


    This time, even Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Pet was breaking through to the third rank, a feat only an Alchemy Master could achieve through using resources.


    Many Cultivators have Spiritual Pets, but actually nurturing them requires time, resources, and effort that could impact the Cultivator¡¯s own progress.


    Therefore, even if a Cultivator acquires a Spiritual Pet, they usually only treat it as a pet, investing resources to develop it up to a certain realm and no further.


    ¡°What kind of Spiritual Pet is this, to cause such a commotion?¡± a Golden Core Cultivator asked aloud.


    ¡°If you want to know, go ask Master Li!¡± a fellow Golden Core Cultivator replied with a laugh.


    Naturally, none of the cultivators would really ask Li Shiming about this. If Li Shiming didn¡¯t voluntarily share details about his Spiritual Pet, it was considered his secret, and prying into another Cultivator¡¯s secrets was a big taboo in the Cultivation World.


    Elder Su, as Li Shiming¡¯s master, was also very curious.


    With such a grand scene, that Spiritual Pet must be extremely extraordinary.


    Elder Su couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly; he realized his mentorship to Li Shiming was quite limited, as Li Shiming¡¯s Cultivation Method and Alchemy skills were not taught by him.


    Elder Su had provided some guidance only in the beginning stages of Shiming¡¯s entrance, but thereafter Li Shiming soared like a rocket, nearly catching up to him.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Li Shiming¡¯s actual combat strength had already surpassed him.


    If he were aware of this, his feelings would be even more complex.


    With a ¡°boom,¡± a thick bolt of Heavenly Thunder struck the top of Sword Holding Peak.


    This bolt of thunder reached the mountaintop from the high heavens, forming a long vertical streak of lightning.


    The crowd observing Sword Peak simultaneously felt a chill, as they could all gauge the strength of this thunderbolt.


    Among them, even Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators could not survive under this strike of Heavenly Thunder.


    ¡°What a pity!¡± was the collective sentiment of the onlookers.


    Watching the thunderbolt strike the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake from the sky, Li Shiming was also stunned by its terrifying power.


    He somewhat regretted not having fortified the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake with a ¡°Heavenly Thunder Essence,¡± which would have increased its resistance to thunder and lightning.


    While empowering it with ¡°Heavenly Thunder Essence¡± could have made the breakthrough much easier, he wondered if it might provoke punishment under the Heaven and Earth Rules, considering it relied on an external force.


    His spirit linked with the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, and he sensed its life force was incredibly weak.


    This bolt of Heavenly Thunder had reduced the six-meter-long body of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake to charred remains.


    However, Li Shiming didn¡¯t remain worried for long as he heard slow yet powerful heartbeats coming from within the charred carcass.


    The heartbeats grew louder and more forceful, echoing like beats on a cowhide drum.


    With a series of cracking sounds, the charred shell split open to reveal the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake inside.


    First, bluish scales gleaming with a strange light surfaced, adorned with flickering patterns.


    Next, the whole snake emerged from the char, its entire body transformed and almost unrecognizable from before.


    If not for witnessing the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s breakthrough himself, and his Blood Covenant with the creature, he might have doubted that the snake before him was the same one from before.


    A white pattern now adorned the back of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake¡¯s head, and four limbs had developed on its belly, its entire form encased in blue scales.


    ¡°Has it evolved into a Jiao?¡± Based on the current form of the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, his IBMz15 lifebound artifact suggested the closest answer, prompting an exclamation from Li Shiming.

 Chapter 632: 362: The Transformation into a Flood Dragon_2

    Chapter 632: Chapter 362: The Transformation into a Flood Dragon_2


    From snake to Jiao, not every snake can accomplish this transformation.


    Li Shiming never considered this aspect because, within the ruins of the Five Qi Sect, that huge Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake remained in its original snake form and had not transformed into a Jiao.


    The evolution from snake to Jiao is a matter of probability, related to the bloodline within the snake¡¯s body and also to the breakthrough environment and conditions.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake itself possesses a trace of draconic blood, and throughout countless millennia, the snake eggs continuously absorbed Spiritual Energy for nourishment.


    Eventually, the Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake encountered Li Shiming, an Alchemy Master who provided arguably the most optimal resources for its evolution, thus enabling it to meet the highest conditions for breakthrough.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Snake, or perhaps it should be called the Absolute Spirit Illusion Jiao now.


    The six-meter-long Absolute Spirit Illusion Jiao, with its body covered in blue scales, long and perfect, exuded a sense of power.


    ¡°Illusion Spirit Jiao, do you like this name?¡± Li Shiming communicated with the Absolute Spirit Illusion Jiao through his mind.


    ¡°Ao!¡± The Absolute Spirit Illusion Jiao let out a cry, resembling the chant of a dragon.


    Li Shiming sensed that the Absolute Spirit Illusion Jiao was fond of the name, and as a Great Demon, it should indeed have its own name.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusion Jiao flew to Li Shiming¡¯s side, joyfully circling around him.


    Li Shiming sensed fluctuations of Water Attribute Spiritual Power as the Absolute Spirit Illusion Jiao danced; it seemed that in addition to its poison attribute, it had also acquired control over the water attribute after its transformation into a Jiao.


    ¡°Illusion Spirit Jiao, try using your invisibility!¡± Li Shiming instructed with a smile.


    The Illusion Spirit Jiao instantly became invisible. Even Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought could not detect it, but through their contract, he could sense that it was right beside him.


    It seems the Illusion Spirit Jiao¡¯s strongest ability, invisibility, had not disappeared but had become even stronger.


    Now that the Illusion Spirit Jiao had transformed, Li Shiming¡¯s expectations of it had grown. He looked forward to the day when the Illusion Spirit Jiao would turn into a dragon.


    ¡°You return to the cave-dwelling first; I need to take care of things here!¡± Li Shiming instructed the Illusion Spirit Jiao after detecting that its breakthrough had alarmed many cultivators.


    The Illusion Spirit Jiao flew towards the cave-dwelling, its speed extremely fast and its size continuously shrinking during flight, eventually condensing to just a few inches.


    Li Shiming cast a spell and opened a channel in the Mountain Protection Array Formation.


    Elder Su entered Sword Holding Peak while the other cultivators consciously left.


    ¡°Master, this is the Spiritual Tea I¡¯ve roasted, please take it and enjoy it at your leisure!¡± After paying his respects, Li Shiming handed over a jade box and said.


    ¡°Shiming, is there anything you need my help with?¡± Elder Su asked with a smile, looking at his proud disciple.


    Although Li Shiming regularly offered his respects, the gift of Third Grade Spirit Tea at their meeting clearly indicated a favor was being sought.


    ¡°Master, my Spiritual Pet is a bit special, and I would prefer others not to know about it. Please, can you explain on behalf of your disciple?¡± Li Shiming said, pushing the jade box into Elder Su¡¯s hands.


    Given the commotion this time, he was afraid that the sect would certainly inquire.


    While his status was high, having his master cover for him meant he would not have to face those troubles personally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of Spiritual Pet you¡¯ve taken, and the sect will care even less. As long as you do nothing to betray the sect, it will support you in everything,¡± Elder Su said, accepting the jade box.


    With Elder Su¡¯s statement, Li Shiming was much relieved.


    Actually, even if the Illusion Spirit Jiao were exposed, the impact on Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t be too great.


    However, once word of a Jiao class Spiritual Pet reached the Spirit Beast Clan, it might well cause some trouble.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s clone was within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, well-aware of matters concerning Spiritual Pets, especially those about cultivators accidentally obtaining powerful young spirit beasts and making them their Spiritual Pets.


    This wasn¡¯t entirely a good thing. The Spirit Beast Clans held strong views against human cultivators adopting Spiritual Pets. While they might turn a blind eye to ordinary spirit beasts being kept as Spiritual Pets, if one were to take a highly noble blooded Spiritual Pet, then the Spirit Beast Clan would likely act to rescue it.


    After seeing off Elder Su, Li Shiming returned to his cave dwelling.


    The tiny Illusion Spirit Jiao flew onto his hand, coiling around his wrist like a bracelet.


    This was the place where the Illusion Spirit Jiao, while still in its juvenile form, liked to stay the most. Now that it had become a Great Demon, it had the ability to freely control its size but still favored staying like this.


    Li Shiming simply let it be, as this also made it convenient for the Illusion Spirit Jiao to follow him.


    If the Illusion Spirit Jiao maintained its six-meter state, the only option would have been to keep it inside a spatial item, which was somewhat cramped for its size.


    After communicating with the Illusion Spirit Jiao, he took out two Mountain Peak Treasures.


    He had refined both Mountain Peak Treasures, and during the time since his return, his mind had been continuously exploring knowledge related to Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasures.


    The two Mountain Peak Treasures were gains from his last outing, known as Galaxy Peak and Rocky Peak, with the latter being a Great Elder Level Cultivator¡¯s treasure, of a higher quality than the Galaxy Peak treasure.


    After such a long period of research, he decided to merge the two Mountain Peak Treasures into one.


    He didn¡¯t need two Mountain Peak Treasures; one energy-consuming treasure was enough.


    His life-bound magical treasure, the IBMz15, had provided a new design for the treasure, specifically tailored to the characteristics of both Galaxy Peak and Rocky Peak.


    What he needed to do was to merge the two peaks together through Artifact Refining techniques, a task that was anything but easy.


    Under the sight of ¡®Divine Vision,¡¯ every Array Formation Pattern and every marking on the two Mountain Peak Treasures was distinctly visible, and the materials they were composed of were clearly analyzed by him.


    He exhaled a breath of alchemical fire, which came from a fire-attributed Golden Core.


    In this period of cultivation, the overall spiritual power within his five Golden Cores had been greatly enhanced; a Golden Core cultivator like him, who continuously used Third Grade Cultivation Assistance High-level Spirit Pills, was exceedingly rare.


    Third-grade Spiritual Medicines, although cultivated in large quantities by major sects, or harvested from resource-rich lands, were in limited supply given the number of Golden Core cultivators within such sects, leading to a very small allocation per cultivator.


    Almost no Golden Core Cultivator had the luxury to focus exclusively on cultivation without considering the consumption of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.


    Golden Core Cultivators typically completed sect missions and exchanged the rewards for Third-grade Spiritual Medicines, or adventured outside, snatching Third-grade Spiritual Medicines from dangerous places, then hiring Alchemy Masters to refine Spirit Pills for them.


    Only after accumulating a certain number of Third-grade Spirit Pills did Golden Core Cultivators choose to go into seclusion to enhance their strength.


    Without the aid of Third-grade Spirit Pills, the advancement in cultivation for a Golden Core Cultivator relying solely on Spiritual Energy would be so slow that even a lifespan of five hundred years wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to waste.


    With a sufficient supply of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, the spiritual power in Li Shiming¡¯s Golden Cores was enough to refine artifacts.


    A breath of alchemical fire was expelled, this fire influenced by the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯, had its power significantly greater than the flames of a normal fire-attribute Golden Core.


    The corners of both Mountain Peak Treasures began to melt, and the melted material, under the control of his Divine Thought, merged together to form a new embryonic form of the treasure.


    Then he spewed out a second breath of alchemical fire, melting a small part of both Mountain Peak Treasures, which again merged and added to the embryonic form of the newly forming treasure.


    This was an immensely complex task, and with Li Shiming¡¯s alchemical fire, it was impossible to melt the entire Mountain Peak Treasure. He could only gradually melt parts with alchemical fire and then merge them to form a new embryonic treasure.


    If an Artifact Refiner were watching, they would certainly criticize this method as unworkable due to its immense difficulty.


    But Li Shiming was full of confidence; he continuously spewed out alchemical fire, and when his spiritual power was insufficient, he consumed Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills to recover and resumed artifact refining with the fire.


    An utterly unrealistic plan was taking shape detail by detail under the precise calculations of his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15 and Li Shiming¡¯s artifact-refining methods.


    Based on his understanding of Mountain Peak Treasures, combining the features of Galaxy Peak and Rocky Peak, as well as the artifact refining techniques from Li Yuanba¡¯s Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, a Mountain Peak Treasure was slowly taking shape in his hands.


    With the aid of ¡®Divine Vision,¡¯ he added numerous micro-scale Array Formation Patterns to the Mountain Peak Treasure, which made many aspects of it far surpass both Galaxy Peak and Rocky Peak.

 Chapter 633: 363: An Invitation

    Chapter 633: Chapter 363: An Invitation


    Li Yuanba sat in the cultivation room, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure floating in front of him. His Sword Intent entered the Ten Thousand Sword Peak, resonating with the Sword Intent within, and after being enhanced, it flowed back into his body.


    Although he was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, the Qi and blood in his body were extremely terrifying.


    This was a manifestation of his ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± reaching the pinnacle of the Golden Core chapter; in fact, not only the ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique,¡± but even his Corpse Refining state¡¯s ¡°Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡± had also been cultivated to the extreme of the Golden Core stage.


    Regrettably, due to insufficient Spiritual Power, his Golden Core and Corpse Pill in his body still remained at the early stage of the Golden Core realm.


    The effects of ten drops of the fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± allowed both his human Body Refinement state and Corpse Refining state to reach the peak of the late-stage Golden Core, infinitely close to the level of a Great Elder.


    With an even sturdier body, Li Yuanba could withstand a stronger Sword Intent, which allowed for tremendous growth in his Sword Intent recently, unrestricted by physical limitations.


    Unlike his original self, Li Shiming, he had no miscellaneous affairs to attend to; his only task was to cultivate.


    Ever since the fall of the two Great Arhats from Qianye Temple, coupled with the conflict between Ancestor Lu and Venerable Huijing, it ironically granted Li Yuanba a rare period of tranquility.


    In the months that followed, aside from listening to Deacon Yue Xing¡¯s work reports, Li Yuanba dedicated himself completely to cultivation.


    ¡°Junior Li, Brother Jiang Pu is here to visit!¡± just as he was preparing to practice the ¡°Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡± once more, a communication technique flew in.


    He was slightly startled; Jiang Pu was a Guardian Golden Core at the Jieshan Mountain Pass of the Senluo Sect and rarely left his post. Why would he come here?


    Generally, even if there were gatherings, it was Li Yuanba who would go to the pass for the meetings.


    He deactivated the Formation and his figure soared out.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Brother Jiang!¡± Li Yuanba stepped forward and bowed respectfully.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll forgive my abrupt visit; I won¡¯t sit down inside. This time, I¡¯ve come to invite you to a third-grade resource gathering mission!¡± Jiang Pu smiled in return, standing above the Guardian Mansion as he spoke.


    Li Yuanba was aware of the third-grade resource gathering missions. In certain areas of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, there were fixed amounts of third-grade resources, which were under the control of the sect.


    During each ripening period of the resources, only powerful Golden Core Elders would be sent for collection.


    When Jiang Pu said it was an invitation, it was actually a way to introduce Li Yuanba into the core circle of Golden Core members within the sect.


    This mission required experienced Golden Core Elders to invite qualified ones to participate. The third-grade resource sites were considered the sect¡¯s most precious assets, and only the most trustworthy Golden Core cultivators could join the mission.


    Of course, there was a certain level of danger involved in the task. These wild third-grade resources were guarded by Great Demons.


    The Great Demons and the Golden Core Elders of the Senluo Sect had a competitive relationship. Normally, the Great Demons guarded the third-grade resources, and when they ripened, it was the strength of the Golden Core Elders and the demons that determined who got the share.


    This was also why the sect did not have to worry about the security of the third-grade resources; normally, the guardianship of the Great Demon was meticulous, more conscientious and responsible than human cultivators.


    ¡°Elder Brother Jiang, when do we depart?¡± There was no way Li Yuanba could refuse; participating in such missions, not to mention the rewards, the mere fact of entering the core circle of the sect¡¯s Golden Cores was reason enough for him to join.


    ¡°This mission is quite urgent. If you¡¯re willing to join, we need to leave immediately. For some reason, the ripening period of a batch of third-grade resources has been moved up by half a year. The sect discovered this and immediately issued the mission!¡± explained Jiang Pu with a bit of helplessness.


    The ripening period of third-grade resources was almost fixed, and the sect had accurate records as well as arrangements made years in advance for these missions.


    But this time, the early ripening of a batch of third-grade resources had disrupted the sect¡¯s arrangements.


    Golden Core cultivators, especially those strong enough and at the core of the sect, often had important tasks¡ªor they might be in seclusion, or already out on missions.


    Cultivators of Golden Core Elder level rarely had leisure time. Moreover, with the urgency of the task, the best option was to mobilize the nearest Golden Core Elders for the mission, making the selection of candidates difficult.


    If the abilities of Golden Core Elders were not up to the mark, they would be unable to take back resources from the Great Demon, effectively gifting the resources to the demon.


    The number of Golden Core Elders from the Senluo Sect going to gather resources should not exceed three. While Great Demons are considered third-grade among spirit beasts, and similar in realm to Golden Core cultivators, their combat abilities far exceed those of cultivators.


    According to the agreement between the Senluo Sect and the Spirit Beast Clan, the competition for gathering resources should consist of three Golden Cores from the sect¡ªany more would be a breach of the agreement.


    The Spirit Beast Clan was very powerful, and the Senluo Sect did not wish to incite conflict with them.


    The peaceful coexistence of the Spirit Beast Clan and human cultivators on the Beishu Continent was not because the cultivators were easy-going, but because the Spirit Beast Clan had sufficient strength to make the cultivators yield part of their living space.


    Li Yuanba needed no preparation; he sent a message to Deacon Yue Xing and followed Jiang Pu.


    ¡°Elder Brother Jiang, who else will be joining us this time?¡± asked Li Yuanba curiously.


    ¡°Brother Qi Jin is guarding the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range. The source of the third-grade resources is right beside the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range, so we¡¯ll go there and meet up with Brother Qi!¡± Jiang Pu replied while flying.


    To be referred to as a ¡®Brother¡¯ by Jiang Pu, that person¡¯s strength must be even greater than Jiang Pu¡¯s.


    Li Yuanba extended his Divine Thought into the Jade Scroll map to locate the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range¡ªit was a mountain range on the border of the territories of the Spirit Beast Clan and the Senluo Sect.

 Chapter 634: 363: An Invitation_2

    Chapter 634: Chapter 363: An Invitation_2


    Brother Qi Jin stood guard there, and the level of danger was even higher than at the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Jiang Pu¡¯s speed had reached its limit, he spared no expense in using up the Spiritual Power inside his Golden Core, which indicated that the mission was indeed very urgent.


    Li Yuanba was unaware of the details of the mission, and although his realm was not as advanced as Jiang Pu¡¯s, in terms of speed, a pure Sword Cultivator had significant advantages. Once Sword Escape was activated, the consumption was minimal, but the speed kept him right on Jiang Pu¡¯s heels.


    Jiang Pu was not surprised that Li Yuanba could easily keep up, it was precisely because of Li Yuanba¡¯s strength that he had invited him.


    Li Yuanba was very deceptive; he appeared to be at the Golden Core Early Stage, but in terms of combat power, he had already surpassed the three Golden Core Elders stationed at the pass, a fact confirmed during battle.


    Li Yuanba was still only at the Golden Core Early Stage, but the combat power of a Sword Cultivator would increase with each advancement in realm, and this increase ratio was higher than for most Golden Core cultivators.


    Just like his master, Elder Jian, who reached an almost invincible combat power in the Golden Core Stage by the time he was at the Late-stage Golden Core.


    Though Li Yuanba had joined the Senluo Sect not long ago, he was a true-blooded disciple of the Sect, with a strong background. Elder Jian was his master, and Ancestor Lu was his grandmaster.


    Therefore, when Jiang Pu suggested to the Sect to let Li Yuanba participate in the Third Grade resource gathering mission, the Sect had quickly agreed.


    The Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range was not far from the Jieshan Mountain Pass, which was also why Jiang Pu had received this temporary gathering mission.


    In less than two hours, the two arrived at the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range.


    The Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range was abundant in Spiritual Energy, and Li Yuanba, when surveying from the sky, would occasionally spot traces of First and Second Grade Spiritual Medicine.


    Logically, such a place should be coveted by many cultivators, and gathering resources here could lead to considerable benefits.


    However, few cultivators were seen in the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range, as there were many spiritual beasts here, and cultivators below Golden Core would find it difficult to compete with spiritual beasts for the Spiritual Medicine.


    Golden Core cultivators who came here had to consider the presence of Golden Core Brother Qi Jin, who stood guard.


    According to the rules, Brother Qi Jin had the right of first refusal over all resources in the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range, which was also a benefit of guarding this place.


    Of course, these First and Second Grade resources were nothing to Golden Core Elders, who only valued Third Grade resources.


    Li Yuanba was able to spot these First and Second Grade Spiritual Medicines because of his ¡°Divine Vision Skill.¡±


    Ordinary cultivators could not manage to travel in flight and spot hidden Spiritual Medicines on the ground.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic, recalling his own time going deep into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains without ¡°Divine Vision Skill,¡± where he hadn¡¯t managed to find any First or Second Grade Spiritual Medicine.


    ¡°Divine Vision Skill,¡± though seemingly the most trivial of auxiliary Divine Skills, greatly assisted cultivators, especially in locating resources.


    However, cultivators who possessed Divine Skills like ¡°Divine Vision Skill¡± usually held high status within their sects and wouldn¡¯t be interested in ordinary resources.


    Just like Li Yuanba at the moment, although he saw many First and Second Grade Spiritual Medicines, he was too lazy to bother with such meager resources.


    ¡°Brother Qi Jin has arrived!¡± Jiang Pu called out as a reminder.


    In fact, there was no need for him to mention it, as Li Yuanba had already seen a figure flying up from below, the aura of a Late-stage Golden Core openly displayed.


    ¡°Jiang, the Sect mission is pressing on time, let¡¯s head over immediately!¡± Brother Qi Jin glanced at Li Yuanba, frowned slightly, then said to Jiang Pu with a serious tone.


    Brother Qi Jin, who hadn¡¯t concerned himself with external affairs for a long time, had no knowledge of a newly-promoted Golden Core like Li Yuanba.


    He disapproved of Jiang Pu bringing a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, considering it questionable.


    Yet, he understood that anyone brought by Jiang Pu was sure to have a solid backing. As long as Li Yuanba didn¡¯t hold him back, he wouldn¡¯t initiate conflict.


    ¡°Brother Qi, this is Li Yuanba, a disciple of Elder Jian, his combat power is even stronger than mine!¡± Jiang Pu did not want to cause any misunderstandings, so he quickly explained.


    ¡°Elder Jian¡¯s disciple? When did Elder Jian take a disciple?¡± Brother Qi Jin looked at Li Yuanba again, uncertainty in his voice.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe Jiang Pu¡¯s words, but he knew that he hadn¡¯t heard of Elder Jian taking a disciple in the past few years. How come in just these years, Elder Jian¡¯s disciples were already at the Golden Core Stage?


    The Golden Core cultivators of his generation were almost all overshadowed by Elder Jian¡¯s fame, with Elder Jian firmly suppressing all the Golden Core cultivators of the Senluo Sect.


    Cultivators like Jiang Pu, who grew up after Elder Jian had become famous, were not clear about how terrifying Elder Jian could be. But, as a Golden Core cultivator of the same era as Elder Jian, Brother Qi Jin possessed an innate reverence for him.


    ¡°Junior Li, I practice an Earth Attribute cultivation technique and am good at defense and close combat, and I need the high damage output of a sword cultivator to complement my abilities!¡± Brother Qi Jin solemnly introduced himself.


    Since they were to complete a mission together, he didn¡¯t want their previous attitudes to create any friction that could affect the collection task.


    ¡°Brother Qi, I¡¯ll do my best to cooperate!¡± Li Yuanba said with a smile in response.


    ¡°This time we need to collect Second-grade bee royal jelly from the Muyang Bee, guarded by the Great Demon Golden Moon Fierce Bear!¡± This time, Brother Qi Jin took the lead, explaining the mission details to Jiang Pu and Li Yuanba.


    The regular honey produced by Second-grade Muyang Bees was nothing extraordinary, but the bee royal jelly specially prepared for the Muyang Bee King was Third-grade.


    This colony of Muyang Bees had been discovered many years ago. Both the Spirit Beast Clan and the Senluo Sect had not interfered too much with the colony.


    Even when collecting Third-grade bee royal jelly, they did so according to a specific ratio, never touching the Second-grade honey in order to ensure the continuation of the species.


    ¡°What¡¯s the strength of the Great Demon Golden Moon Fierce Bear?¡± Li Yuanba asked aloud.


    ¡°The last encounter was in its middle-stage Demon phase. That battle saw us three Golden Core Elders barely suppressing it. The Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s Talent Ability is too powerful; you must be careful not to be locked onto by its long-range attacks!¡± Brother Qi Jin replied gravely.


    The three entered the territory of the spiritual beasts, and without going too deep, Li Yuanba saw countless flowers spread out in the valley below.


    All these flowers were First Grade spiritual flowers. The valley stretched over thousands of acres, completely covered with spirit flowers.


    The Muyang Bees flitted among the spirit flowers, now and then alighting on the blossoms to collect nectar.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the small size of the Muyang Bees; these were Second Grade Spiritual Bees. A swarm of Second Grade Spiritual Bees was terrifying indeed; even Third Grade Spiritual Beasts wouldn¡¯t dare provoke them easily.


    Let alone other weaker spiritual beasts, this valley was entirely the domain of the Muyang Bees.


    Li Yuanba also sensed that six mountains outside the valley naturally formed a Formation, protecting the valley within.


    Most peculiarly, this Formation formed by the six mountains bore no trace of being man-made; it was entirely a Formation formed naturally.


    Perhaps only such a special place could allow large quantities of Second Grade spiritual flowers to grow, providing a foundation for the existence of the Muyang Bee colony.


    Just as they neared the valley, a howl came from outside the valley.


    ¡°Damn, the Golden Moon Fierce Bear has advanced!¡± Brother Qi Jin said with a grim expression.


    Li Yuanba too sensed it; a giant bear with the aura of a Late Stage Demon flew up from below towards them.


    The surge of Spiritual Energy caused by the Late Stage Demon Golden Moon Fierce Bear did not affect the valley inside, with all the might being blocked by the Formation created by the six mountains.


    Perhaps that was also why the Golden Moon Fierce Bear dared to reveal its strength unreservedly; even if a Golden Core war broke out outside, as long as it wasn¡¯t targeted at the valley, it would not affect the Muyang Bees inside.


    ¡°Jiang, Junior Li, let¡¯s cooperate and strike together. If it becomes unfeasible, we must retreat immediately; do not linger in battle!¡± Brother Qi Jin solemnly instructed.


    The advancement of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s strength was beyond his expectation, but he still wanted to test the current strength of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    Since the last battle with the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, his own strength had also improved, and with Jiang Pu being strong, plus Li Yuanba who appeared to be even stronger than Jiang Pu, there might still be hope in this battle.

 Chapter 635: 364 Close Combat

    Chapter 635: Chapter 364 Close Combat


    Brother Qi Jin¡¯s body surged with Earth Attribute Spiritual Power, and the Sky-Supporting Earth Stick in his hands was not a remote-controlled artifact but a melee weapon that he wielded in both hands.


    A golden armor artifact also appeared on his body, transforming him into a Golden Armored General.


    His aura became extremely violent, even more so than the Golden Moon Fierce Bear at that moment.


    ¡°Attack!¡± he roared, crossing hundreds of meters in the air in one stride, and the Sky-Supporting Earth Stick in his hand heavily smashed down toward the head of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    With his very first strike, he unleashed his full power, and the Sky-Supporting Earth Stick transformed into a giant stick shadow measuring a hundred meters long. Under the shadow of this colossal stick, the Golden Moon Fierce Bear seemed minuscule.


    Jiang Pu and Li Yuanba were not influenced by Brother Qi Jin¡¯s seemingly advantageous position and made their move simultaneously.


    Jiang Pu¡¯s flying sword was on the left, and Li Yuanba¡¯s on the right, both slashing toward the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    The golden crescent-shaped fur on the chest of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear emitted a golden glow, instantly enveloping its entire body with that light.


    Its left claw struck towards the Sky-Supporting Earth Stick, and its right paw swiped towards the Xingyi Sword, completely ignoring Jiang Pu¡¯s flying sword.


    ¡®Boom,¡¯ the immensely powerful Sky-Supporting Earth Stick was blocked by the Golden Moon Fierce Bear. The colossal force from the claw caused the stick to rebound upwards.


    The hundred-meter stick shadow shattered inch by inch, revealing the true body of the Sky-Supporting Earth Stick.


    Brother Qi Jin somersaulted in the air, dissipating the force transferred by the Sky-Supporting Earth Stick.


    Jiang Pu¡¯s flying sword struck the golden light of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, ¡®ting¡¯¡ªa crisp sound echoed as the flying sword was repelled without causing any effect.


    This caused Jiang Pu¡¯s heart to skip a beat, realizing that the Late Stage Demon, the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, was beyond his capabilities.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Xingyi Sword was about to come into contact with the right claw of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear. As nimble as a swimming fish, the sword followed the flow of Earth Attribute Spiritual Power on the right claw, grazing past it and cutting into the golden light on the bear¡¯s shoulder.


    Under the ¡®Divine Eye,¡¯ he could see the flows of Spiritual Power that ordinary Cultivators couldn¡¯t detect.


    Regrettably, he didn¡¯t have his life-bound magic weapon, the IBMz15. He could only rely on his stronger control over the flying sword and make use of the Spiritual Power paths discovered by the ¡®Divine Eye.¡¯


    The golden light of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear was not impregnable. Li Yuanba saw a gap in the Spiritual Power within the golden light, and the Xingyi Sword cut into it following the gap.


    This opportunity was only possible because the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s application of the golden light wasn¡¯t as flexible as that of human Cultivators.


    After cutting the shoulder of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, the Xingyi Sword was rebounded by the terrifying force contained in the shoulder and was sent flying.


    As the Xingyi Sword was deflected, a tuft of bear fur drifted away.


    ¡°Excellent Swordsmanship!¡± Brother Qi Jin laughed heartily.


    Among the three Golden Core cultivators, only Li Yuanba had achieved a result.


    Although this result was just a tuft of bear fur, and it was Brother Qi Jin who had mainly attracted the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s attention, allowing Li Yuanba to succeed, it was still the fur of a Late Stage Demon, the Golden Moon Fierce Bear. Every tuft of fur on its body possessed the defensive power of a third-grade artifact.


    Spirit beasts are different from human Cultivators; their bodies are their artifacts, and they invest all resources into strengthening their physique.


    Furthermore, with the Talent Ability of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear to enhance its own defensive power through the golden light, injuring even a single tuft of its fur was no easy task.


    The look in the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s eyes turned furious when it gazed at Li Yuanba. Brother Qi Jin¡¯s previous attacks had not enraged it, but Li Yuanba had successfully infuriated the bear.


    Although the Xingyi Sword was repelled, a sword intent as brilliant as the sun entered the body of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    Unfortunately, due to Li Yuanba¡¯s low cultivation level, the Supreme Yang Sword Intent was soon expelled by the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    Nonetheless, he had successfully inflicted damage on the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, which hadn¡¯t sustained such a serious blow for a long time. The bear now regarded Li Yuanba as its most significant adversary.


    Li Yuanba suddenly sensed danger, and the ¡®Divine Eye¡¯ detected violent fluctuations of Spiritual Power from the golden crescent symbol on the chest of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    A streak of sword light split off from the Xingyi Sword, carrying him as he performed Sword Escape.


    His figure merged with the sword light on the spot, escaping a hundred meters away.


    Just as his figure vanished, a beam of golden light shot out from the chest of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, so swift that even if Li Yuanba had been a moment slower, he would have been struck by the beam.


    Li Yuanba recalled Brother Qi Jin¡¯s earlier warning that the Golden Moon Fierce Bear possessed long-range attack capabilities.


    However, the speed of this golden light¡¯s long-range attack was excessively fast. If the Golden Moon Fierce Bear hadn¡¯t needed to use the golden crescent symbol on its chest to initiate this attack, he might not have had enough time to dodge.


    ¡°Junior Li, we cannot defeat the Golden Moon Fierce Bear. Let¡¯s return and report to the sect!¡± Brother Qi Jin decisively spoke up after sensing the power of the golden light¡¯s long-range attack.


    By saying this, he assumed the primary responsibility for the mission¡¯s failure.


    ¡°Brother Qi, let me try again!¡± Li Yuanba, fired up by the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, also wanted to test the results of his Body Refining, and he spoke out loudly.


    The aura around his body suddenly changed drastically, and a wave of heat emanated from him, while his skin became as white as jade.


    ¡°The Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique in its Late Stage!¡± Brother Qi Jin recognized the origin of this Body Refining Technique, exclaiming in surprise.


    Although the ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ was difficult to practice, with enough contribution points and Brother Qi Jin¡¯s status, he could certainly exchange it from the sect.

 Chapter 636: 364 Close Combat_2

    Chapter 636: Chapter 364 Close Combat_2


    However, to cultivate the ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± to the late stage of great achievement, the energy and resources required are unimaginable wealth.


    Indeed, Li Yuanba had used up ten drops of fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk.¡± Given the value of fourth-grade resources, these ten drops of fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± could have cultivated many late-stage Golden Core cultivators if exchanged for third-grade resources.


    Even the six major sects would not squander resources so recklessly, unless a cultivator had such high body refinement talent that the major sect was willing to specially cultivate them.


    Clearly, Li Yuanba was a sword cultivator, not a body refining cultivator that the sect prioritized for cultivation; these resources were not provided by the sect for his body refinement.


    Li Yuanba retracted his Xingyi Sword into his body and in his hand appeared a longsword, which was a Third Grade Sword Base forged from the ¡°Sword Demon Secret Manual.¡±


    Just like his main body, Li Shiming, due to his strength in body refinement, the Third Grade Sword Base had also been greatly enhanced.


    The power of his Third Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure had reached the limit of a Third Grade Top-Grade Magical Treasure.


    Li Yuanba intended to display his strength; in the Senluo Sect he had the right background and an unblemished reputation. The better he performed, the more resources the sect would allocate to him.


    These resources were not only for cultivation but also included the inheriting of cultivation techniques and treatment.


    For instance, being assigned the task of guarding Jieshan City and being able to participate in core missions like resource gathering were because the sect valued him.


    The Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s golden light missed, and it pounced towards Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba, holding the Third Grade Sword Base, did not shrink back and met it head-on.


    The Golden Moon Fierce Bear was extremely fast, but Li Yuanba was not slow either, and soon they were in close combat.


    As the Golden Moon Fierce Bear swung a claw, Li Yuanba, no weaker, countered with a slash of his Third Grade Sword Base.


    The golden bear claw collided with the Third Grade Sword Base, and Li Yuanba¡¯s figure swayed slightly, while the bear¡¯s claw was thrown back, neither side gaining any advantage.


    The Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s body made a short-distance turn, its other claw reaching for Li Yuanba¡¯s back.


    Li Yuanba spun half a turn, lifting his Third Grade Sword Base in a backhand stroke to block the claw again.


    He also dodged a blast of golden light from the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, retaliating with a headbutt.


    A loud ¡°Boom¡± rang out as the headbutt landed on the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s head.


    The Golden Moon Fierce Bear likely never imagined that a human cultivator would use such an attack method. With a physique of a late-stage great demon, naturally several times stronger than a human cultivator of the same stage, such an attack method would be suicidal for an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.


    But Li Yuanba¡¯s headbutt actually made the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s body recoil.


    Li Yuanba would not miss the opportunity he had gained. Since he was so close to the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, nearly face to face.


    He abandoned the use of the Third Grade Sword Base and instead used every part of his body to launch close-range attacks against the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    Shoulder charges, elbow strikes, knee jabs, and kicks, in just a few breaths of time, countless blows landed on the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s body.


    Caught off-guard by an attack, the Golden Moon Fierce Bear was beaten back step by step by Li Yuanba¡¯s assault.


    ¡°Who exactly is the great demon?¡± Jiang Pu couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Qi Jin¡¯s eyes were wide with disbelief.


    He knew full well how strong the Golden Moon Fierce Bear was, but Li Yuanba was showing himself to be even stronger.


    With the ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± fully activated, every one of Li Yuanba¡¯s attacks was searing hot, and the terrifying force was no less than the heat¡¯s power.


    This was the effect of a top-tier body refining cultivation technique; it was through cultivation that humans chased and even surpassed spirit beasts, becoming the rulers of this world.


    The ten drops of fourth-grade ¡°Heavenly Immortal Milk¡± were not wasted; Li Yuanba, with his body refinement prowess alone, could contend with a late-stage great demon like the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    As for Li Yuanba gaining the upper hand in the struggle with the Golden Moon Fierce Bear, it was not because he was stronger than the bear. In fact, his strength was roughly on par with the Golden Moon Fierce Bear.


    ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯s scorching high temperatures are almost on par with the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s innate golden glow.


    The reason he was able to suppress the Golden Moon Fierce Bear was because he possessed two supplementary Divine Skills, ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ that allowed him to clearly see the flow of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s Spiritual Power, and there was a chance to predict the bear¡¯s next move.


    In such close combat, through bodily contact, ¡®Telepathy¡¯ could play a certain effect, allowing him to eavesdrop on some of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s thoughts.


    In the process of close combat, gaining even a slight advantage could be infinitely magnified.


    The ferocious onslaught of attacks rained down on the Golden Moon Fierce Bear. When it tried to counterattack, each time it had the intention, it was interrupted by Li Yuanba, who targeted its counterattacking points, disrupting its response.


    The Golden Moon Fierce Bear¡¯s golden light defense grew weaker and weaker with each continuous hit.


    ¡°I concede!¡± To Li Yuanba¡¯s surprise, after being struck fiercely, the Golden Moon Fierce Bear quickly retreated and conveyed its intention through Divine Thought.


    A Great Demon like the Golden Moon Fierce Bear was also a being of wisdom to some extent.


    It had not communicated in this way before because it considered Li Yuanba and the others too weak to be worth its time.


    Li Yuanba stopped and did not give chase.


    He was acutely aware that the battle with the Golden Moon Fierce Bear was not a fight to the death, but rather competition for resources.


    Although casualties might occur during the battle, it was absolutely forbidden to kill an opponent after they had conceded. The agreement between the Spirit Beast Clan and the Senluo Sect was not to be taken lightly. If he dared to kill the Golden Moon Fierce Bear after it had conceded, he would most likely provoke retaliation from the Spirit Beast Clan.


    The Golden Moon Fierce Bear did not wait for Li Yuanba to reply, turning around and flying downwards.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time it had been defeated; losing this time simply meant it had to practice harder and look for revenge next time.


    ¡°We won?¡± Jiang Pu was still in a daze. The Golden Moon Fierce Bear had conceded, granting them the right to collect the Third-grade Bee Royal Jelly.


    ¡°Junior Li, are you really a Sword Cultivator?¡± Elder Qi Jin couldn¡¯t help but ask, somewhat bewildered, as he looked at Li Yuanba.


    Indeed, Sword Cultivators are strong, but that strength is achieved through Sword Intent. Li Yuanba¡¯s recent battle was a complete display of physical suppression.


    Elder Qi Jin, being a Cultivator who excels in close combat, was even more aware of the terror of Li Yuanba¡¯s physique.


    He himself relied on the special nature of Earth Attribute Cultivation Techniques for close combat, while Li Yuanba relied solely on his formidable Body Refinement. The difference between the two was significant.


    The reason he asked whether Li Yuanba was truly a Sword Cultivator was because, if Li Yuanba continued to develop like this, he would become a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core, a path completely different from that of a Sword Cultivator.


    ¡°My main practice is indeed that of a Sword Cultivator. I¡¯ve also cultivated ¡®Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯. It¡¯s just that I had some fortune, which led to a degree of achievement in Body Refinement!¡± Li Yuanba explained with a smile.


    Envy appeared in Jiang Pu¡¯s eyes. What kind of fortuitous encounter could give Li Yuanba such physical prowess?


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the fortune Li Yuanba mentioned involved robbing a False Infant Cultivator.


    ¡°Since the Golden Moon Fierce Bear has conceded, let us enter the valley and wait for the bee royal jelly to form!¡± Elder Qi Jin reminded.


    The three of them landed at the entrance of the valley. This place was the way in, where the sect had a method of entry. Under the guidance of Elder Qi Jin, they smoothly led Jiang Pu and Li Yuanba inside.


    In truth, Li Yuanba could have entered the Formation on his own. While it was special, breaking in was not a difficult task for him.


    The truly formidable aspect of this Formation wasn¡¯t the Formation itself, but to enter the valley without alarming the Second Grade Muyang Bees inside.


    Entering from the valley entrance was the only method that wouldn¡¯t alert the Muyang Bees.


    After entering the entrance, Li Yuanba saw a narrow path that skirted around a sea of flowers. Protected by the Formation, the path was separate from the flower sea.


    This path was man-made, it seemed specifically designed for the collection of bee royal jelly.


    As the three of them walked along the path, the nearby Muyang Bees ignored their presence.

 Chapter 637: 365: Hive

    Chapter 637: Chapter 365: Hive


    Following the narrow path around the mountain valley, they arrived in the heart of the valley.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the bee royal jelly is collected. It seems that the new bee royal jelly hasn¡¯t been produced yet!¡± Brother Qi pointed to a spot ahead and said.


    Li Yuanba saw that it was right behind the beehive, with a part of the beehive enclosed within a Formation, allowing them to directly access the beehive without leaving the Formation.


    He clearly sensed the presence of a third-grade spiritual item from within the beehive. The aura was very faint, indicating that there was likely very little of it.


    Every time they harvested third-grade bee royal jelly, they left part of it for the Muyang Bee King, allowing the Muyang bee colony to persist.


    This place was designated by the Senluo Sect as a third-grade resource site. Although it was shared with the Spirit Beast Clan, both parties were very dedicated to the development of these third-grade resources.


    If the third-grade bee royal jelly were to be exploited without order, they could only benefit once. With such sustainable cultivation development, they could obtain a batch of third-grade bee royal jelly every few years.


    ¡°The bee royal jelly needs to be personally produced by the Muyang Bee King. The flowering season in the valley came a half year early, and according to past experience, the bee royal jelly will form in these next few days!¡± Brother Qi continued to explain.


    He didn¡¯t mind the dust on the ground and sat down cross-legged right there.


    The robes of a cultivator were difficult to soil with dust. Even the poorest-quality robes had dust repelling properties.


    Jiang Pu smiled and sat down next to Brother Qi.


    ¡°Junior Li, you should recover your Spiritual Power first. You don¡¯t need to be on guard these next few days; the two of us will take over!¡± Brother Qi said to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba had made significant contributions this time, and this was the only way Brother Qi could express his gratitude.


    ¡°Yes, Junior Li, let me also play a part!¡± said Jiang Pu, following up.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble the two senior brothers!¡± Li Yuanba, having no grounds to insist otherwise, nodded in agreement.


    He took out an Array Plate and activated the Formation within, seating himself within the protection of the Formation.


    Brother Qi and Jiang Pu exchanged glances, neither of them saying anything. They had both noticed that the Array Plate was of the high rank of fourth-grade.


    However, thinking of Li Yuanba¡¯s background, although a fourth-grade Array Plate was extremely precious and only a Nascent Soul Ancestor was qualified to possess one, it was not impossible for someone of Li Yuanba¡¯s origins to have one.


    Li Yuanba used the Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate. Although Brother Qi and Jiang Pu were fellow sect members, and his relationship with Jiang Pu was quite solid, he needed to focus his mind and operate his Cultivation Technique to recover his Spiritual Power, leaving him unprotected. Therefore, he had to employ measures to protect himself.


    Given his current status and identity, a fourth-grade Array Plate wouldn¡¯t make his fellow sect members covet it enough to kill him for it. His own combat strength also made it difficult for Brother Qi and Jiang Pu to harbor other intentions.


    This waiting lasted for three days. The aura of the third-grade spiritual item within the beehive grew stronger; the third-grade bee royal jelly was being produced.


    ¡°Strange, why do I feel the quality of this batch of third-grade bee royal jelly is far better than before?¡± murmured Brother Qi to himself.


    He wasn¡¯t asking Jiang Pu, who had less experience than him.


    By this time, Li Yuanba had packed up the fourth-grade Array Plate. During these three days, he hadn¡¯t wasted any time, not only taking Spirit Pills to practice his main Cultivation Technique but also reflecting on his previous battles.


    ¡°I was just about to tell Junior Li that the bee royal jelly will soon be ready for harvesting. Would you like to do the collecting?¡± Brother Qi asked Li Yuanba with a smile.


    ¡°Brother Qi can do the collecting. I¡¯ll just watch from the side,¡± Li Yuanba shook his head and replied.


    Harvesting required experience, especially regarding how much third-grade bee royal jelly to leave behind. They couldn¡¯t leave too much or too little.


    Leaving too much would mean there would be less third-grade bee royal jelly to collect, potentially not enough for the Senluo Sect¡¯s Golden Core benefits distribution.


    If too little was left, it might not suffice for the Muyang Bee King, potentially affecting the growth of the Muyang bee colony.


    ¡°Then, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡± Brother Qi¡¯s attitude toward Li Yuanba was extremely good, a far cry from their initial interactions.


    In the Cultivation World, where strength was revered, Li Yuanba¡¯s strength had won Brother Qi¡¯s respect, and naturally, that changed his attitude.


    Brother Qi did not consult Jiang Pu, who was the weakest of the three. Since Jiang Pu contributed almost nothing during this mission, his voice was no longer influential.


    After waiting for a while, he approached the portion of the beehive exposed by the Formation, took out a slender tube, and inserted it into the beehive.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Li Yuanba sensed something wrong and hurriedly called out loudly.


    Brother Qi reacted swiftly. The Earth Attribute Spiritual Power on his body immediately transformed into a protective shield, erecting it in front of himself.


    But even with his quick response, he was still unable to block an attack.


    The attack was extremely strange; as he was about to insert the tube into the beehive, a fine needle had extended from within the beehive first, aiming an attack at Brother Qi.


    The needle attack was silent and swift.


    The needle pierced the Earth Attribute Spiritual Power shield, puncturing it, and continued to penetrate, effortlessly breaching Brother Qi¡¯s pride in his defensive power.


    Brother Qi staggered, with black qi rising on his face.


    Li Yuanba quickly grabbed his robe and pulled him away from the beehive.


    Li Yuanba noticed Brother Qi¡¯s complexion was off, especially the area of his right arm where the needle had struck, emitting a foul odor.


    His Divine Thought probed and found that Brother Qi¡¯s right arm had been corroded into a hole, with a potent toxin rapidly spreading through his body.


    Moreover, this toxin was following the energy channels within Brother Qi¡¯s body, quickly dispersing throughout his entire system.

 Chapter 638: 365: Hive_2

    Chapter 638: Chapter 365: Hive_2


    Li Yuanba, seeing that the situation was dire, immediately took out a Third Grade Detoxification Pill and placed it in Brother Qi¡¯s mouth.


    This was a Spirit Pill prepared by Li Shiming¡¯s original self for his clone. The Third Grade Detoxification Pill, being a top-grade Third-Grade Spirit Pill, naturally achieved the pinnacle of detoxification effects for its grade.


    In theory, as long as the poison was of the third grade, this top detoxification pill would eradicate the poison upon contact.


    Brother Qi spit out several mouthfuls of black blood. His complexion quickly began to recover, and the wound on his right arm also stabilized.


    Once the poison had dissipated, such injury was insignificant for a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    While Li Yuanba was treating Brother Qi, he also kept an eye on the beehive.


    The attack had been too fast, even he, unprepared for such an abrupt assault, would have found it difficult to dodge.


    Just as he had taken out the top-grade detoxification pill for Brother Qi to ingest, a gap appeared in part of the beehive within the formation, and a Muyang Bee about the size of a palm flew out and charged toward him.


    ¡°The Muyang Bee King has advanced to the third grade!¡± With no obstruction from the beehive, Li Yuanba sensed the aura of the Muyang Bee King¡ªit was a third-grade Muyang Bee King.


    Brother Qi had said that the Muyang Bee King was only second-grade. It was not easy for spiritual bees to break through the constraints of their species; who knew what kind of opportunity this Muyang Bee King had encountered to advance to the third grade.


    ¡°Take Brother Qi and leave first!¡± Li Yuanba said to Jiang Pu as he tossed Brother Qi toward him.


    At the same time, a Third Grade Sword Base appeared in his hands, which he positioned in front of him. Almost simultaneously, the Muyang Bee King¡¯s tail stinger shot out.


    Had he not used ¡°Divine Sight Skill¡± and ¡°Telepathy¡± in advance to detect the attack direction of the Muyang Bee King, this sting might have hit him as well.


    ¡°Divine Sight Skill¡± allowed him to clearly see the Muyang Bee King¡¯s swift flight, and ¡°Telepathy¡± was even more useful. The Muyang Bee King had almost no defense against ¡°Telepathy¡±, allowing him to sense the Muyang Bee King¡¯s intention to attack through it.


    Just when Li Yuanba thought he had blocked the attack of the Muyang Bee King, he saw the tail needle pierce the Third Grade Sword Base, creating a small hole in it.


    The Third Grade Sword Base had actually been pierced. It should be noted that the Third Grade Sword Base, having been fortified by the influence of Li Yuanba¡¯s Body Refinement and the Sword Demon Secret Manual, had been strengthened to the limit of a Third Grade Top-Grade Magical Treasure.


    Although the Third Grade Sword Base was not a defensive treasure, as a close combat magical treasure, its robustness was comparable to defensive treasures of the same grade.


    Fortunately, with the Third Grade Sword Base blocking, although the tail needle of the Muyang Bee King pierced through it, it did not continue to reach Li Yuanba¡¯s body.


    Jiang Pu, while escaping with Brother Qi, also sensed the battle between Li Yuanba and the Muyang Bee King.


    Seeing that the Muyang Bee King¡¯s stinger had pierced through Li Yuanba¡¯s longsword treasure in one strike, he completely lost any idea of staying to help.


    He knew very well that staying would only add trouble for Li Yuanba.


    The attack of the Muyang Bee King was too terrifying; he had no capability to survive an attack from it.


    Li Yuanba was shocked. He looked at the small hole in the Third Grade Sword Base in his hand but was not worried about it being damaged.


    The Third Grade Sword Base existed in the form of energy within his body. This damage would be repaired by returning inside his body and undergoing the restoration by the Sword Demon Secret Manual, after which it would emerge as a perfect Third Grade Sword Base again.


    He was concerned that his defenses might not withstand the attack of the Muyang Bee King¡¯s stinger. Even if his ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± had nearly reached the perfect level in the Golden Core chapter, he was not certain it would block a strike from the Muyang Bee King¡¯s stinger.


    No matter how powerful his ¡°Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡± was, it could not compare to the Third Grade Sword Base in hardness, at least not during the Golden Core Stage.


    Li Yuanba roared loudly, his Supreme Yang Sword Intent erupting, transforming into countless needle-like Sword Intent swords that shot toward the Muyang Bee King.


    The defensive power of the Muyang Bee King was obviously not as strong as its offensive power. Upon encountering the countless attacks of Supreme Yang Sword Intent, it exhibited extreme speed and dodged all of Li Yuanba¡¯s attacks.


    At this moment, Li Yuanba sensed that Jiang Pu had taken Brother Qi out of the path and had exited the formation of the valley.


    He could not help but relax, a white lotus rising under his feet, subsequently, his figure disappeared, and when he appeared again, he was already at the breach in the beehive.


    A Divine Thought entered, digging out a large chunk of bee royal jelly. He did not take all of it but left a portion behind.


    The Muyang Bee King, upon noticing Li Yuanba¡¯s actions, emitted a piercing buzzing sound. Its speed increased once again, making it almost impossible to see its figure as it flew towards Li Yuanba.


    Unfortunately, in the face of the unreasonable Divine Skill ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±, even the fastest speed could not match the space movement of the Divine Foot Skill.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s figure flashed continuously, widening the distance from the Muyang Bee King.


    As he was about to leave the valley¡¯s Formation, he switched to Sword Escape.


    The Muyang Bee King flew to the edge of the valley¡¯s Formation and did not chase out of the Formation. Clearly, the importance of the bee royal jelly was secondary to the Muyang Bee Colony. It would not stray too far from the Muyang Bees.


    In fact, over the years, the Muyang Bee King had gotten used to having its bee royal jelly stolen.


    However, this time, after advancing to a Third Grade, its wisdom had greatly improved and it discovered the flaw within the beehive.


    Furthermore, Brother Qi Jin¡¯s actions were not at all concealed. Brother Qi Jin had placed too much trust in the Formation previously set by the sect. The Formation, which targeted the Second Grade Muyang Bee King, was far less effective on the Third Grade Muyang Bee King.


    Seeing that the Muyang Bee King did not chase after him, Li Yuanba breathed a sigh of relief.


    Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to reveal that he had mastered the basics of the Divine Skill ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±.


    ¡°How is Brother Qi doing?¡± Li Yuanba asked as he saw Jiang Pu still supporting Brother Qi Jin.


    Jiang Pu took out a defensive magical treasure and placed it in front of him, carefully observing the valley. He believed in Li Yuanba¡¯s strength. Plus, considering Brother Qi Jin¡¯s condition, he thought it safer to wait and leave with Li Yuanba than to go ahead on his own.


    ¡°Brother Qi¡¯s poison has been cured, but the poison has significantly affected his soul, and he hasn¡¯t woken up yet!¡± Jiang Pu had already checked Brother Qi Jin¡¯s injuries and immediately replied to Li Yuanba¡¯s question.


    At this moment, the Golden Moon Fierce Bear appeared and, seeing Brother Qi Jin¡¯s miserable state, could not help but burst out laughing.


    The Golden Moon Fierce Bear looked just like a giant bear, and such human-like laughter always seemed odd.


    It did not attack Jiang Pu and Brother Qi Jin. Its earlier concession meant it could not interfere with the Senluo Sect Golden Core cultivators¡¯ resource gathering this time.


    The relationships between the Senluo Sect and the Spirit Beast Clan were very special; they coexisted in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, sharing the abundant resources of the mountains.


    ¡°Move aside, or I¡¯ll beat you up again!¡± Li Yuanba glared and said sternly.


    The laughter of the Golden Moon Fierce Bear faltered, and it looked at Li Yuanba with some fear before retreating as a streak of golden light.


    The Great Demon did not take being defeated too seriously, as human cultivators always relied on external objects to fight, so the Great Demon could always convince itself.


    Yet, Li Yuanba¡¯s fight with the Golden Moon Fierce Bear was different. Li Yuanba endured the onslaught with his body, which caused the Golden Moon Fierce Bear to hold him in awe.


    ¡°Phew!¡± Brother Qi Jin exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes.


    In fact, he had not been deeply unconscious; the effect of Li Yuanba¡¯s Third-Grade Top Detoxification Pill was too potent, having cured the deadly poison before it could completely ravage his soul.


    ¡°Junior Li, thank you!¡± Brother Qi Jin struggled free from Jiang Pu¡¯s support and bowed deeply to Li Yuanba.


    He was keenly aware of the value of the Third Grade Detoxification Pill Li Yuanba had used to save him.


    That Third-Grade Top Detoxification Pill alone was worth almost as much as a hundred pills of the same tier, an exchange no cultivator would make.


    Such a Third-Grade Top Detoxification Pill was so rare that even an Alchemy Master might not be able to produce a few in a lifetime, with even fewer falling into the hands of cultivators.

 Chapter 639: 366 Intelligence

    Chapter 639: Chapter 366 Intelligence


    ¡°Brother Qi, you must not take action in the short term; the potent venom of the Muyang Bee King has done considerable harm to your body!¡± Li Yuanba supported Brother Qi Jin and cautioned.


    When Brother Qi Jin was poisoned, he had examined his injuries with Divine Thought.


    ¡°I will do my best to repay the Detoxification Pill!¡± Brother Qi Jin earnestly promised.


    He knew the difficulty of obtaining a Third-Grade Top Detoxification Pill, but he still made the promise.


    If he had any intention of attempting to ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage, then he must ensure his mindset was pure before the ascension. Owing Li Yuanba such a massive favor, although his life-saving grace could be remembered, the clearly life-saving Third-Grade Top Detoxification Pill must be repaid.


    ¡°Alas, our mission has failed!¡± Jiang Pu, unaware of the pill¡¯s grade, wasn¡¯t concerned about the Detoxification Pill mentioned by Brother Qi Jin and spoke with regret.


    In his view, repaying a Third Grade Detoxification Pill wasn¡¯t much of a challenge for Brother Qi Jin.


    ¡°Although the mission has failed, we have obtained intelligence on the appearance of a Third Grade Bee Queen among the Muyang Bee swarm. The reward for the information will not be less than what would have been awarded for completing the mission!¡± Brother Qi Jin shook his head as he spoke.


    He felt extremely regretful; having just overcome the Golden Moon Fierce Bear that had reached the prowess of a Late Stage Demon and secured the rights to the Third Grade Bee Royal Jelly, he missed out on the jelly due to the unexpected appearance of the Third Grade Bee Queen.


    As for the appearance of the Third Grade Muyang Bee King, the Senluo Sect would definitely handle the matter well.


    Despite the formidable attack power of the Third Grade Muyang Bee King, after all, it was just a Third Grade realm. Based on the intelligence they brought back, the Senluo Sect could re-arrange this Third Grade resource site.


    The more pressing concern was whether, without Li Yuanba¡¯s assistance next time, how would he be able to defeat the Golden Moon Fierce Bear?


    ¡°The mission hasn¡¯t failed; I snatched the Third Grade Bee Royal Jelly from the beehive when I left!¡± Li Yuanba smiled as he produced a jade box.


    Although the Third Grade Bee Royal Jelly was precious, since it was a resource of the sect, he would not, and could not, keep it for personal use.


    Afterwards, the sect would undoubtedly send cultivators to investigate, and they would learn that the Third Grade Bee Royal Jelly had been harvested.


    ¡°Junior Li, what a move!¡± Brother Qi Jin genuinely admired.


    Under the attack of the Muyang Bee King, still managing to calmly take the Third Grade Bee Royal Jelly was a feat beyond his ability.


    ¡°Brother, please keep the Bee Royal Jelly!¡± Li Yuanba passed it over as he said.


    ¡°All of the mission rewards belong to Junior Li, Jiang and I accept this with some embarrassment!¡± Brother Qi Jin received the jade box and replied.


    ¡°Yes, Junior Li, I¡¯m too ashamed to partake in the division of the mission rewards!¡± Jiang Pu added, nodding in agreement.


    Brother Qi Jin was better off; at least he had taken action, whereas Jiang Pu¡¯s only contribution was guiding Li Yuanba.


    If it weren¡¯t for Li Yuanba blocking the Muyang Bee King¡¯s attack and staying behind to cover Jiang Pu¡¯s retreat, he might well have perished in the valley.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t try to argue; since both brothers had expressed their wishes, he simply went along with them.


    ¡°Indeed, the quality of this Bee Royal Jelly is approaching the Fourth Grade; it seems that this resource site may no longer be within the reach of Golden Core cultivators!¡± Brother Qi Jin opened the jade box and, after inspecting the Third Grade Bee Royal Jelly, commented.


    Although the Bee Royal Jelly was still Third Grade, its quality was nearing Fourth Grade.


    Should the Muyang Bee King¡¯s strength increase a bit more, there was a high probability it could refine the honey into Fourth Grade Bee Royal Jelly.


    This piece of intelligence alone made their gains surpass the mission¡¯s initial rewards.


    ¡°A Fourth Grade resource site; seems like the sect will have to renegotiate with the Spirit Beast Clan!¡± Jiang Pu exclaimed in awe.


    ¡°It¡¯s out of our hands; the output of a Fourth Grade resource will take longer and requires long-term observation to confirm. Given the strength of the Muyang Bee King, it¡¯s likely that one of the sect¡¯s Nascent Soul Ancestors will need to personally intervene!¡± Brother Qi Jin shook his head and stated.


    Neither of them had expected that a simple collection mission would end up revealing a site potentially harboring Fourth Grade resources.


    Ignoring his own injuries, Brother Qi Jin accelerated his flying speed.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about his safety; with a cultivator of Li Yuanba¡¯s strength accompanying him, as long as there were no appearances by beings of the Great Elder Level or Nascent Soul Stage, he would be safe.


    Once they reached the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range, they could directly contact the sect from there.


    Although they couldn¡¯t use the Senluo Sect¡¯s Identity Jade Disc to communicate in the area around the valley, they were able to use the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s communication plaques to contact the sect.


    But Brother Qi Jin hadn¡¯t done so; using the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s plaque was not confidential.


    The discovery of a Fourth Grade resource site, once leaked, might draw covetous eyes from other large sects and forces possessing Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Brother Qi Jin took out his Identity Jade Disc and reported their findings to the sect.


    ¡°Junior Li, Jiang, please rest here for a while. The sect has been notified and is informing the Ancestor. We might need to wait for the Ancestor¡¯s summons!¡± After ending the communication, Brother Qi Jin spoke to Li Yuanba and Jiang Pu.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll be troubling you, Brother Qi!¡± Jiang Pu said with a smile, and Li Yuanba also nodded in agreement without any objection.


    The exterior of Brother Qi Jin¡¯s cave dwelling appeared quite ordinary, carved out from a cliff face.


    Upon entering the main hall of the dwelling, Li Yuanba sensed the richness of the Spiritual Energy, which was close to that of a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein.


    If not for the close proximity of the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range to the territory of the Spirit Beast Clan, the Spirit Vein alone would attract a large number of Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.

 Chapter 640: 366 Intelligence_2

    Chapter 640: Chapter 366 Intelligence_2


    With such a spirit vein, every available space inside the cave dwelling was planted with various kinds of Second Grade Spirit Medicine, and there was even a Third-grade Spiritual Medicine planted in the main hall.


    Li Yuanba was astonished. The spirit soil used for the Spiritual Medicines was extremely potent, especially the Third Grade spirit soil, which had the highest quality he had ever seen.


    ¡°I have some knowledge about spirit soil. I will send some to Junior Li!¡± Brother Qi, seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s surprise, said with a slight smug smile.


    Li Yuanba knew that since Brother Qi cultivated Earth Attribute Cultivation Techniques, it was normal for him to have researched spirit soils.


    ¡°My foundation is too shallow. Even with spirit soil, I can¡¯t be self-sufficient like Brother Qi!¡± Li Yuanba lamented the efficient use of Brother Qi¡¯s cave dwelling.


    His own body possessed a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein, which was one level higher than the spirit vein in this cave dwelling, a true Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein. However, in terms of utilization, he fell far behind Brother Qi.


    This was not just a matter of spirit soil; it was more about digging into one¡¯s own potential.


    ¡°Planting Third-grade Spiritual Medicines is also a trial phase for me. I have put in a lot of effort, but only this one plant has succeeded!¡± Brother Qi said, shaking his head.


    All major sects are conducting relevant research. Among the Third-grade Spiritual Medicines, those with fewer environmental requirements could be artificially cultivated, but the limitations of artificial cultivation are so great that it¡¯s impossible to do on a large scale.


    In one area, once a Third-grade Spiritual Medicine is planted, no second Third-grade Spiritual Medicine can be planted in that same area.


    This is related to the requirement for Spiritual Energy and the inherent repulsion of Third-grade Spiritual Medicines.


    ¡°Junior Brother Li, how about bringing out your Spiritual Tea to share?¡± Jiang Pu said with a look of anticipation to Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, are you looking down on me? When you are a guest at my place, why do you need Junior Brother Li to bring out the Spiritual Tea?¡± Brother Qi said, very dissatisfied.


    ¡°Brother Qi, you don¡¯t know about the Spiritual Tea Junior Brother Li has. It¡¯s personally roasted by Master Li Shiming. Except for a few that are lost outside, the rest have been divided up by the Nascent Soul Ancestors!¡± Jiang Pu explained with a smile.


    ¡°Master Li Shiming? Can one become a master by roasting Spiritual Tea?¡± Brother Qi asked, surprised.


    He was semi-secluded in the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range. Li Shiming¡¯s rise had been too rapid, and he had not heard of his reputation.


    ¡°Master Li is the number one Alchemy Master on the Beishu Continent!¡± Jiang Pu explained.


    ¡°Sss!¡± Brother Qi gasped. If he didn¡¯t know Jiang Pu¡¯s character, he would have thought Jiang Pu was just bragging about Master Li.


    Li Yuanba, not being stingy, took out a jade box and a set of tea utensils and began preparing the Spiritual Tea.


    Brother Qi, also a tea-loving cultivator, smelled the special qualities of the Third Grade Spirit Tea while Li Yuanba was preparing it.


    The quality of the Third Grade Spirit Tea was exceptionally high, no wonder it was coveted by the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    ¡°Please!¡± said Li Yuanba as he pushed a cup of Third Grade Spirit Tea towards Brother Qi and handed another to the eagerly waiting Jiang Pu.


    For the following duration of one tea session, both Brother Qi and Jiang Pu said nothing, silently savoring the ultimate experience brought by the top-tier Third Grade Spirit Tea.


    ¡°After drinking this Spiritual Tea, all other teas taste bland!¡± Brother Qi emerged from the lingering taste of the tea and let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Brother Qi, if you want to drink this Spiritual Tea, you can send the spirit tea leaves to me after harvesting. I¡¯ll pull some strings and request Master Li to roast them. However, requesting Master Li to make a move does require some compensation!¡± Li Yuanba said with a laugh.


    Brother Qi held a very high position in the sect, and connecting with such a cultivator was quite beneficial for Li Yuanba.


    Thus, he was willing to help Brother Qi with this small favor. Of course, the compensation required to request Master Li¡¯s services could not be waived.


    ¡°Really?¡± Brother Qi said with a surprised and delighted expression.


    For him, a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator with aspirations of advancing to Nascent Soul, the greatest benefit of Master Li¡¯s Third Grade Spirit Tea was not in its quality, but in the mental and spiritual impact that such tea provided.


    Reaching his level, centuries of experiences had made it hard for anything to impact his spirit. Master Li¡¯s Third Grade Spirit Tea had exactly that effect.


    This effect, capable of elevating one¡¯s state of mind, was no less significant than the function of Cultivation Spirit Pills.


    In fact, a Spiritual Tea valued by a Nascent Soul Ancestor could not possibly be used merely for satisfying one¡¯s palate.


    ¡°Junior Li has been keeping in touch with Master Li, I can testify to that!¡± Jiang Pu laughed from the side.


    ¡°Master Li is currently unable to concoct Third-grade Spirit Pills for the Late-stage Golden Core, so unfortunately, he can¡¯t assist you in Alchemy!¡± Li Yuanba continued.


    ¡°Given Master Li¡¯s rate of cultivation, it won¡¯t take many years before he is able to concoct them!¡± Jiang Pu, a fervent admirer of Master Li, immediately added after hearing Li Yuanba¡¯s words.


    As they were engaged in lively discussion, Li Yuanba and Qi Jin simultaneously looked up in one direction.


    Qi Jin was secretly alarmed; not only was Li Yuanba extremely powerful in combat, his sensitivity to spiritual energy also far exceeded what was typical of someone in the Early Golden Core stage. There was only one explanation¡ªLi Yuanba¡¯s spirit was extraordinarily formidable.


    Looking at Jiang Pu, Jiang was slower in sensing compared to them both, indicating Li Yuanba¡¯s spirit surpassed Jiang Pu¡¯s.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out to greet the ancestor!¡± Qi Jin spoke up.


    The trio left the cave, flying up into the sky to wait.


    ¡°Oh, Yuan Ba is also here!¡± The Nascent Soul Ancestor arrived very quickly, first his voice, and then the figure of Ancestor Lu appeared before the three.


    ¡°We pay our respects to the ancestor!¡± The three of them bowed in unison.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done very well. If it¡¯s truly confirmed that the Muyang Bee hive can produce fourth-grade resources, your rewards will not be sparing!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a smile as he waved his hand to support the three.


    Of course, he was delighted; this time, he couldn¡¯t retreat for cultivation and had to guard the sect.


    This was somewhat of an inconvenience for him, but the responsibilities of the sect demanded it.


    He at least had to wait until the matter with Skywalk Trading Company was entirely resolved and confirmed that the company wouldn¡¯t retaliate. Only then could he and the other five Great Sects¡¯ guarding Nascent Soul Ancestors return to their closed-door cultivation.


    During this period, a fourth-grade resource locale had emerged unexpectedly.


    This was a windfall for him. If there indeed were a first-time production of fourth-grade resources, he, as the guarding Nascent Soul Ancestor, would be the first to obtain them.


    The other Nascent Soul Ancestors of the sect would have to wait for the next production of fourth-grade resources.


    Additionally, his involvement in the affair of the fourth-grade resource locale would allow him to receive a greater share of the fourth-grade resources compared to the other Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    ¡°Thanks to Junior Li, who discovered the changes in the Muyang Bee, and Junior Li should get the most credit for this. This is the Bee Royal Jelly that Junior Li seized from the beehive; please look it over, ancestor!¡± As Qi Jin handed over the jade box containing the Third-grade Bee Royal Jelly, he reported Li Yuanba¡¯s achievements.


    Ancestor Lu took the jade box, opened it, and began checking the Third-grade Bee Royal Jelly inside, his delighted expression impossible to conceal.


    After examining the Third-grade Bee Royal Jelly, he was almost convinced by Qi Jin¡¯s judgment.


    He further inquired in detail about the situation with the Muyang Bee hive and the battle with the Muyang Bee King.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, would your master say you are neglecting your duties once he exits his retreat?¡± Ancestor Lu, quite casual with Li Yuanba, asked him with a smile.


    Whether Li Yuanba chooses Body Refinement Golden Core or becomes a Sword Cultivator, he didn¡¯t trouble himself over it.


    While the approach of a Sword Cultivator is simple and pure, Ancestor Lu didn¡¯t fully endorse it.


    He appreciated that Li Yuanba, while not lagging in the path of Sword Cultivation, had also mastered other powerful techniques, which enhanced Li Yuanba¡¯s ability to survive.


    A cultivator who lives is a good cultivator. No matter how powerful a Sword Cultivator becomes later, they need time to grow, and countless Sword Cultivators have fallen during their development.


    He felt deeply about Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent; in the early stages of his Golden Core, Li Yuanba¡¯s embodiment of Sword Intent was not a bit weaker than Elder Jian during his early Golden Core stage. This showcased the strength of Li Yuanba¡¯s talent; moving forward, he would not fall short of Elder Jian on the path of Sword Cultivation.

 Chapter 641: 367: Transfer Out

    Chapter 641: Chapter 367: Transfer Out


    Ancestor Lu had met with Li Yuanba alone before departing.


    When Qi Jin and Jiang Pu heard Ancestor Lu¡¯s request, the envy in their eyes nearly burst forth.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor who had lived for hundreds of years wouldn¡¯t have few disciples; disciples beget more disciples, thus the cultivators with a Nascent Soul Ancestor as a master weren¡¯t rare within the sect.


    But in the eyes of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, it was highly likely that they didn¡¯t pay much attention to these juniors.


    However, Ancestor Lu had met alone with Li Yuanba more than once; this had surpassed general concern.


    In the Senluo Sect, with such a backing, unless Li Yuanba held some must-compete-for benefit, there were few cultivators who would offend him.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, I see your cultivation has improved quite rapidly, it seems you are not lacking in resources?¡± Ancestor Lu casually asked Li Yuanba.


    Upon hearing this, Li Yuanba was taken aback; he did not understand the intention behind Ancestor Lu¡¯s words.


    Could it be that Ancestor Lu was interested in his rewards? That shouldn¡¯t be the case, as the rewards given to Golden Core disciples, no matter how good, should not catch Ancestor Lu¡¯s eye.


    ¡°I must thank Ancestor for your help, the mission assigned by the sect was excellent!¡± Li Yuanba bowed in response.


    ¡°This time the sect managed to obtain a fourth-grade resource site, and your contributions were significant. This merit is substantial, but my advice is for you to save this merit, as accumulated merits will increase your chances of exchanging them for Nascent Soul resources when you reach the late stage of Golden Core!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a smile.


    He could say such things because he truly saw potential in Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba had formed his Golden Core under his watchful eye, and had steadily stabilized it during the Golden Core Stage in a short period of time, and in the realm of Body Refinement, his combat power was comparable to that of the late stages of Golden Core.


    He was proud of having Elder Jian in the aspect of disciples, and for the generation of Grand-disciples, he also hoped that Li Yuanba could become a source of pride for him.


    Then, when he met with other Nascent Soul Ancestors, he could also flaunt Elder Jian and Li Yuanba to strike at those old friends.


    ¡°I will follow Ancestor¡¯s advice!¡± Li Yuanba agreed readily, as he indeed had ample resources.


    Though resources for forming a Nascent Soul seemed far off, he still had to prepare early.


    Although he had not heard of any competition over Nascent Soul resources in the Senluo Sect, within the Shushan Sect where his original body resided, Golden Core Elders who met the qualifications were nearly joining the competition for Nascent Soul resources through factional opposition.


    Li Yuanba was not lacking in cultivation resources, yet even his original body, Li Shiming, couldn¡¯t obtain Nascent Soul resources, which were on another level, beyond the reach of Golden Core cultivators.


    ¡°Although the sect converted your reward into merit accumulation, you have brought me a great deal of benefit this time; I must still give you a personal reward!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a laugh.


    A piece the size of a fingernail, brimming with corpse energy, appeared in his hand.


    As soon as the piece was taken out, the space around him seemed to grow colder.


    ¡°This is a core fragment of a Golden Corpse, a spoils of battle from a fight, it¡¯s of no use to me, so I¡¯m giving it to you!¡± he tossed the fragment to Li Yuanba.


    He remembered that Li Yuanba had a Corpse Refinement.


    A core fragment of a Golden Corpse, even a tiny piece, was considered a fourth-grade spiritual item.


    Its value was extremely high, far beyond any third-grade spiritual item.


    He had thought carefully before taking out such a reward, knowing somehow that Li Yuanba had secrets, his fast progression in cultivation indicating he was not lacking in cultivation resources, and the terrifying level of resources needed for his Body Refinement deepened this implication.


    All these indicated that Li Yuanba was extremely wealthy; as his ancestor, if he were to offer an ordinary third-grade spiritual item, Li Yuanba might regard him as stingy in his heart.


    After much deliberation, Ancestor Lu finally decided on the core fragment of the Golden Corpse, a piece he had nearly forgotten.


    ¡°Thank you for the gift, Ancestor!¡± Li Yuanba said, his eyes showing a flash of delight.


    His capability in Corpse Refinement had reached the level of a Silver Corpse, and although he had invested numerous third-grade Corpse Refinement resources, Jiang Chen¡¯s strength was improving at a slow pace.


    Jiang Chen was his Life-bound Corpse Refinement, unlike his original body, Li Shiming, who would refine many corpses, Jiang Chen was his only Corpse Refinement, and it would also be one of his main forces.


    Jiang Chen matched him well as a special Corpse Refinement, containing Sword Intent within, and with its strength improvement, the Sword Intent would also strengthen. Being able to swiftly enhance Jiang Chen¡¯s power was extremely beneficial to him.


    ¡°That will be all!¡± Ancestor Lu nodded, then vanished on the spot.


    ¡°Farewell, Ancestor!¡± Li Yuanba bowed.


    After seeing off Ancestor Lu, the matter of the Muyang Bee swarm had nothing to do with him anymore, and further issues would be handled by Ancestor Lu.


    Even a third-grade Muyang Bee King, no matter how formidable, counted as nothing in front of Ancestor Lu.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s attention was drawn to the fragment in his hand; anything Ancestor Lu had kept would not be trivial.


    He took out a jade box for sealing spiritual objects, carefully placing the Golden Corpse core fragment inside.


    He felt that using such a treasure now would be a waste.


    He needed to check some literature, understand the core of the Golden Corpse, and then make a decision after a comprehensive analysis of Jiang Chen¡¯s condition.


    With matters concluded here, Qi Jin, who was injured, did not stay for long with Li Yuanba and Jiang Pu.


    At the time of parting, Qi Jin handed a storage bag to Li Yuanba.


    On the way back, Jiang Pu¡¯s attitude towards Li Yuanba grew even closer. Previously, their connection was based on mutual benefits, but now, it included reverence for Li Yuanba¡¯s identity.

 Chapter 642: 367: Transfer Out_2

    Chapter 642: Chapter 367: Transfer Out_2


    Before, Jiang Pu had only heard about how Ancestor Lu favored Li Yuanba, but this time he witnessed firsthand the affectionate way Ancestor Lu treated Li Yuanba and felt the caring intentions close up.


    After parting ways in Jieshan City, Jiang Pu returned to the Jieshan Mountain Pass, while Li Yuanba went back to his Guardian Mansion.


    Li Yuanba returned to the Cultivation Room, where he took out the storage bag given to him by Qi Jin. As expected, it contained spirit soil.


    What surprised him, however, was that besides the second-grade spirit soil, there was also a portion of third-grade spirit soil.


    Third-grade spirit soil could be used to cultivate Third Grade Spirit Plants, and its value was extremely high. The amount in the storage bag was nearly half an acre.


    The value was immense, and even though Li Yuanba was quite wealthy, holding this storage bag felt somewhat heavy.


    It was clear that Qi Jin, as a senior brother, was repaying him for saving his life.


    Li Yuanba also knew that keeping the second and third-grade spirit soil wasn¡¯t very useful to him since he had chosen to be a Sword Cultivator and didn¡¯t plan to learn any other side professions.


    Though he wasn¡¯t yet able to focus solely on the sword, sword cultivation took up too much time, leaving him no room to learn and practice any side professions, even if he wanted to.


    For Sword Cultivators, besides cultivating their main technique, most of their time is spent refining Sword Intent. For Li Yuanba, this meant using Ten Thousand Sword Peak every day to strengthen his own Sword Intent.


    ¡°I might as well send this spirit soil to my original body!¡± Li Yuanba quickly thought of a way to handle it.


    A month later, Li Yuanba received freshly picked Third-grade Spirit Tea Leaves from Qi Jin, along with a sizeable reward, which was ostensibly for Master Li Li Shiming.


    He used that as an excuse to pass through the Jieshan Mountain Pass and went to the territory of the Righteous Path, where he handed the Third-grade Spirit Tea Leaves and the spirit soil over to his original body, Li Shiming.


    This time passing through the Jieshan Mountain Pass went without any difficulties.


    Back at the Senluo Sect, after Jiang Pu¡¯s return, the other two Golden Core Elders, who already had a good relationship with Li Yuanba, became almost wholly accommodating after learning of Li Yuanba¡¯s increased strength and Ancestor Lu¡¯s attention.


    Even the Righteous Gate elders didn¡¯t cause any problems, and they explicitly offered Li Yuanba free passage whenever he wished.


    In the subsequent days, Li Yuanba kept in contact with Qi Jin, and their relationship upgraded to that of close friends.


    Qi Jin, one of the few Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators within the Senluo Sect who hadn¡¯t practiced demonic techniques, was trustworthy in character and morality, and Li Yuanba was willing to make a friend of him.


    Half a year later, after completing his cultivation, Li Yuanba received an emergency message from Jiang Pu.


    He immediately transformed into a beam of sword light and flew toward the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Upon arrival at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, the three Golden Core Elders were already seated in the hall, with Meng Sheng looking extremely displeased.


    ¡°What has happened?¡± Li Yuanba asked Jiang Pu.


    ¡°Mu Peng has been transferred out and replaced with Wisdom Light Arhat from Qianye Temple. This change was too sudden, and a batch of goods belonging to Junior Meng was confiscated by Wisdom Light Arhat!¡± Jiang Pu replied gravely.


    Unlike the Jieshan Mountain Pass controlled by the Senluo Sect, the guarding Golden Cores at the Righteous Path checkpoints were not always solely from the three major sects, sometimes being Golden Core Elders from other prominent forces within the Righteous Path territory.


    Usually, any transfer of the checkpoint¡¯s Golden Core guardians would be notified in advance.


    This sudden change, to some extent, broke the rules.


    You see, the informal income at this checkpoint facing the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was quite substantial. As a covert rule, these gray earnings were part of the compensation for guarding this dangerous checkpoint.


    Not only did Wisdom Light Arhat from Qianye Temple replace the previous guardian abruptly, but he also confiscated a batch of goods upon his arrival, in effect cutting off the financial avenue of the Golden Core Elders on both sides.


    Although Li Yuanba didn¡¯t know the extent of Meng Sheng¡¯s losses, seeing Meng Sheng¡¯s expression, he chose not to ask and thereby add to Meng Sheng¡¯s distress.


    ¡°What can we do?¡± Li Yuanba asked, puzzled.


    Even though he had freely passed through both checkpoints before by pulling strings, he would not dare attack the checkpoint¡¯s guarding Golden Core, even if he could get through.


    One must realize that inside the checkpoint, there is a powerful formation aiding it, so if he were to truly make a move, it would amount to antagonizing the Righteous Golden Core Elders, while also contending with the suppression of the formation.


    ¡°According to Mr. Ying¡¯s suggestion, we should first talk with the Wisdom Light Arhat, and if we can¡¯t come to an agreement, look for an opportunity to incite conflict between the two sides, then have a showdown in the central buffer zone, where we¡¯ll give the Wisdom Light Arhat a harsh blow!¡± Jiang Pu said through gritted teeth.


    To cut off someone¡¯s wealth is akin to killing one¡¯s parents; if the Wisdom Light Arhat really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him, the Guardian Golden Cores of both sides will not let him off.


    Ever since Li Yuan Ba came to Jieshan City, the Guardian Golden Cores from both sides have had a very comfortable time.


    The smuggling they did on the side brought them tremendous benefits, but that was a minor matter.


    The key was Li Yuan Ba¡¯s channels, which enabled them to convert their profits into Third-grade Spirit Pills refined personally by Master Li, allowing them during their time guarding the checkpoint to either greatly improve their strength or accumulate vast cultivation resources.


    All the Guardian Golden Cores were at the Golden Core Middle Stage, a level which was the most difficult to advance from, and with such conveniences at this post, it was impossible for them to let go willingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the Arhats from Qianye Temple!¡± Li Yuan Ba stated his attitude plainly.


    ¡°When it really comes down to action, we¡¯ll still need Junior Li¡¯s help!¡± Jiang Pu said with a smile.


    The reason for summoning Li Yuan Ba here was precisely due to his combat strength.


    In a head-to-head confrontation, only Li Yuan Ba was likely capable of inflicting serious damage or even killing the Wisdom Light Arhat in a short period of time.


    ¡°Let me know when the time comes!¡± Li Yuan Ba nodded and answered.


    Inside the Righteous Gate, Ying Hou walked into the residence of the Wisdom Light Arhat.


    ¡°Mr. Ying, if you¡¯re here concerning the smuggling matter, please save your breath!¡± The Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s attitude toward Ying Hou was not at all friendly, and before Ying Hou could speak, he sternly proclaimed.


    ¡°Wisdom Light Arhat, are you aware that this is the rule of this place? If you come here, you have to follow the rules here, and the interests involved are not only mine but also those of multiple factions within the three major sects. Do you really want to go to such extremes?¡± Upon hearing the Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s categorical tone, Ying Hou also laid the matter out clearly.


    ¡°The sect sent me here to guard this place. In my eyes, anything that doesn¡¯t comply with the rules will be pointed out and dealt with. If you have any complaints, go and appeal to the temple!¡± the Wisdom Light Arhat said in a grave voice.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you will bear the consequences!¡± A cold light flashed in Ying Hou¡¯s eyes, and after he uttered these words, he left with a flick of his sleeve.


    The Wisdom Light Arhat looked at Ying Hou¡¯s departing figure, a cold smile appearing on his face.


    Ever since the arrival of the Wisdom Light Arhat, numerous unreported goods had been investigated, affecting many powers.


    Yet, with Qianye Temple as his powerful backer, nobody could do anything against him.


    What infuriated everyone even more was that he almost never rested and was constantly at the passage of the checkpoint, inspecting all goods.


    Normally, such duties would be shared in rotation by the three Guardian Golden Cores.


    Over time, even the Guardian Golden Cores of both sides couldn¡¯t bear it any longer.


    Ying Hou and Xin Tong, two Righteous Path Golden Cores, took the initiative to contact Jiang Pu to discuss how to deal with the Wisdom Light Arhat in detail.


    Li Yuan Ba did not participate in their discussions; he only needed to take action at the last moment to resolve the issue with the Wisdom Light Arhat.


    In fact, the impact of the Wisdom Light Arhat on him was not significant; his original body, Li Shiming, had a large number of Golden Core Early Stage Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills, which had been delivered to him long ago.


    He did not have any other immediate needs or goods that needed to be transported through the checkpoint.


    However, the presence of an Arhat from Qianye Temple at Jieshan Mountain Pass made him extremely uncomfortable.


    Qianye Temple had always been eyeing him covetously, and not removing the Wisdom Light Arhat sooner made him feel somewhat uneasy.


    Although he wasn¡¯t paying much attention to this matter himself, his original body, Li Shiming, had specifically allocated part of his brain to monitor the situation near Jieshan Mountain Pass through unmanned drones and satellite systems at all times.

 Chapter 643: 368 Conspiracy

    Chapter 643: Chapter 368 Conspiracy


    Jieshan Mountain Pass experienced several trade interruptions, with the Senluo Sect sometimes using the excuse of problems with the goods to detain what should have been normal passage of merchandise.


    At other times, it was the Righteous Path that detained goods, causing the relationship between the two sides to reach a freezing point in a short time.


    Especially the businesses associated with Qianye Temple, their goods were scrutinized extremely rigorously.


    While not every shipment related to Qianye Temple was detained by the Senluo Sect, the passing of their goods was no longer as smooth as before.


    For Qianye Temple, this was a loss.


    Of course, the goods of the other major sects encountered trouble as well, just not as frequently as Qianye Temple.


    As a result, the tense relationship between the Righteous Path¡¯s Golden Core cultivators Mr. Ying, Xin Tong, and the Wisdom Light Arhat eased slightly due to a shared enemy.


    Eventually, this mutually harmful behavior led to dissent within both the Senluo Sect and the three major Righteous Path sects, with several major sects sending orders requesting negotiations.


    It naturally fell upon the Golden Core Elders stationed here to undertake this negotiation.


    One day, Li Yuanba received the notification early and made his way to Jieshan Mountain Pass. He met with Jiang Pu and three other Golden Core Elders, leaving the pass to enter the buffer zone.


    ¡°Junior Li, this time we¡¯ll hold back Mr. Ying and Xin Tong, and you¡¯ll take out the Wisdom Light Arhat with utmost speed!¡± Jiang Pu communicated to Li Yuanba using spiritual power.


    This was a plan that had already been agreed upon, so Li Yuanba had no objections.


    As for Qianye Temple¡¯s actions this time, he had also seen through their schemes.


    Just last night, nine Arhats had quietly entered the Righteous Gate without the knowledge of neither Mr. Ying nor Xin Tong, who were guarding it.


    The reason Li Yuanba knew this was because the unmanned satellite system had been monitoring the situation.


    Although it was night, the nine Arhats had been tracked by Li Shiming¡¯s unmanned satellite system from the moment they left Qianye Temple.


    After learning of this, Li Yuanba was not particularly worried.


    Although the nine Arhats were numerous, with his combat power, if he could not defeat them, he could certainly escape. Besides, the large formation was very close; as long as he wasn¡¯t subdued instantly, he would have time to return to the range of the large formation, using its power to protect himself.


    ¡°I will make my move with all my effort!¡± Li Yuanba used spiritual power to communicate his response.


    They reached the midpoint of the buffer zone first, waiting for the arrival of the cultivators from the Righteous Path.


    Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by Qianye Temple¡¯s tactics. He knew that the nine Arhats were already nearby, but the unmanned satellite system couldn¡¯t detect any trace of them.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Jiang Pu warned in a low voice.


    From the Righteous Gate, Mr. Ying led the way, with Xin Tong and the Wisdom Light Arhat following behind.


    The Wisdom Light Arhat, despite showing no change in expression upon seeing Li Yuanba, had a flash of surprise in his eyes.


    Qianye Temple had paid a significant price for this operation.


    By coming to Jieshan Mountain Pass, he had almost offended all the forces there.


    He had cut off all the local forces¡¯ revenue streams; if not for the support of Qianye Temple, he would probably have been killed by now.


    Even so, that wouldn¡¯t make his troubles any less significant, as each force would continue to cause him issues in the days to come.


    However, it would all be worth it if they could capture Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba possessed two Divine Skills inheritances from Qianye Temple: the Divine Foot Skill and Telepathy. Moreover, there were suspicions that Li Yuanba was a reincarnation of a great Buddhist figure, all reasons why Qianye Temple would never let him go.


    As part of the Buddhist Sect, Qianye Temple would not allow the reincarnation of a Buddhist figure to join the Demon Sect.


    Currently, Li Yuanba had not awakened his past life¡¯s memories, making it the most susceptible period for influence; Qianye Temple needed to bring Li Yuanba back to the temple and use Buddhist teachings to return him to the Buddhist path.


    In order to avoid alarming Li Yuanba, they had waited a long time since their last action against him.


    ¡°Mr. Ying, we meet again!¡± Jiang Pu greeted Mr. Ying.


    Although it had already been privately agreed to take out the problematic Wisdom Light Arhat, they still had to go through the formalities.


    ¡°Jiang, your actions were a bit excessive, causing us great losses!¡± Mr. Ying said gravely.


    ¡°Same goes for both sides. Considering how many of our goods you¡¯ve intercepted, we¡¯re just returning the favor!¡± Jiang Pu replied with a smile.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s follow the rules, the one with the bigger fist is right. But you¡¯ve brought four people, which is against the rules!¡± Mr. Ying pointed out, referring to Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Shi won¡¯t take action, we¡¯re only three!¡± Jiang Pu waved his hand.


    ¡°Wisdom Light Arhat, what do you say?¡± Mr. Ying turned to ask the Wisdom Light Arhat.


    Their relationship had eased, but it wasn¡¯t one of mutual trust.


    ¡°My temple has some unresolved issues with Mr. Li. How about I deal with Mr. Li?¡± The Wisdom Light Arhat, as if unaware of the conspiracy at hand, looked indifferently at Li Yuanba.


    With one step, Li Yuanba lunged toward the Wisdom Light Arhat.


    This move surprised all the cultivators present; they hadn¡¯t expected him to strike so suddenly, without wasting a single word.


    But Mr. Ying and Xin Tong, the two Golden Core Elders of the Righteous Path, did not intervene. This was something they had agreed upon. Besides, since the Wisdom Light Arhat had actively requested to fight Li Yuanba, Li Yuanba¡¯s actions were completely justified.


    The Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s eyes flashed with doubt, aware that Li Yuanba was a Sword Cultivator, so he had always been on guard against Li Yuanba¡¯s flying sword.

 Chapter 644: 368 Conspiracy_2

    Chapter 644: Chapter 368 Conspiracy_2


    But when Li Yuanba charged over, he didn¡¯t activate his flying sword, just leaping towards him like this, wholly unlike a Sword Cultivator¡¯s fighting style.


    Wisdom Light Arhat summoned a flying sword magical treasure, which flew towards Li Yuanba. He also summoned a copper bell to cover his head, a defensive magical treasure that generated a protective shield around his whole body.


    Just as the flying sword magical treasure was shot towards Li Yuanba, a Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure appeared in his hands.


    The Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure didn¡¯t seem to exert much force, merely tapping the flying sword magical treasure, but at that moment, the terrifying Supreme Yang Sword Intent, along with the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ found cracks in the spiritual power pattern on the surface of the flying sword magical treasure, allowing the Third-Grade Sword Foundation¡¯s tap to directly affect the main body of the flying sword magical treasure.


    Wisdom Light Arhat didn¡¯t know Li Yuanba possessed the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯, or else he wouldn¡¯t have neglected the protection of his flying sword magical treasure. The ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ was minimally useful in combat, only giving clearer visibility than a regular cultivator.


    This vulnerability could have been completely avoided if he had been cautious and made some changes to his spiritual power.


    The use of ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ was extremely covert, not exhibiting any external form, which is why Wisdom Light Arhat remained unaware that Li Yuanba possessed such Divine Skills.


    Supreme Yang Sword Intent, following a gentle tap, invaded the interior of the flying sword magical treasure, rampaging through it instantly and causing a significant loss of its spirituality.


    Wisdom Light Arhat let out a muffled groan, a result of the backlash from the flying sword magical treasure.


    This groan indicated that his spirit had been injured, not severely, but enough to make his mind dizzy for a brief moment.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s goal was not Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s flying sword magical treasure; he used the momentary advantage to speed up the pace of getting closer to Wisdom Light Arhat.


    When he reached in front of Wisdom Light Arhat, he switched to holding the handle of the Third-Grade Sword Foundation with both hands, activating the ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯ in his eyes.


    Wisdom Light Arhat, his spirit injured and thus unable to control his own spiritual power, left his defense to the autonomously operating copper bell magical treasure.


    Without a cultivator¡¯s control, the spiritual power pathways of the copper bell magical treasure were not flexible. Under the scrutiny of Li Yuanba¡¯s ¡®Divine Eye Skill¡¯, he discovered its spiritual power gaps.


    Li Yuanba brought his hands down heavily, cleaving through the defenses of the copper bell magical treasure, which was then in its initial defensive state.


    The copper bell magical treasure had two states, one where it hovered above the head, using protective patterns on the bell to form a spiritual power shield around Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s body.


    The other state, the copper bell magical treasure enlarged, encasing Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s entire body within, achieving the strongest defensive effect.


    But Li Yuanba first injured Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s spirit, rendering him unable to operate the copper bell magical treasure; his attack was too fast, leaving no time for Wisdom Light Arhat to recover, and his sword instantly broke through the defenses of the copper bell magical treasure.


    With a ¡°puff¡± sound, a large head flew up.


    As Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s head flew up, he also recovered from his spiritual injury, his eyes flashing with an unbelieving despair.


    He never expected Li Yuanba¡¯s combat strength to be so formidable, unable to withstand even a single encounter before having his head beheaded by Li Yuanba.


    Ying Hou and Jiang Pu hadn¡¯t even started their fight; they hadn¡¯t even begun their physical movements, and the battle over here had already ended.


    For a moment, Jiang Pu and Ying Hou were somewhat embarrassed, not knowing if they should still battle it out to make this conflict seem more real.


    Li Yuanba swept his divine thought over Wisdom Light Arhat¡¯s body, taking the space ring, and also collected the flying sword magical treasure and copper bell magical treasure.


    After completing these tasks, he didn¡¯t relax at all, still maintaining a vigilant posture, observing the surroundings.


    In fact, not only were the participating Righteous and Demonic Golden Core Elders stunned, but also the nine Arhats hiding secretly in the darkness were astounded.


    According to the previous plan, they were to lead Li Yuanba into their encirclement led by Wisdom Light Arhat, then the nine Arhats were to set up the formation quickly, capture Li Yuanba, and retreat.


    The plan had been thoroughly deliberated, and the participating Arhats all believed in its feasibility.


    But what they never expected was that Wisdom Light Arhat would be beheaded upon the very first strike from Li Yuanba.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found you!¡± Li Yuanba exclaimed in a deep voice.


    His Divine Thought swept out, and though he lacked the Array Formation Starlight Sea, his understanding of formations was no less than that of any Array Master.


    It was knowledge shared from his original self, Li Shiming. When scanning with Divine Thought, he detected a faint aura of a formation.


    This must be some secret formation technique from Qianye Temple, faint to the extreme. In another place, Li Yuanba might not have noticed this formation aura at all.


    Knowing that nine Arhats were nearby, it was only under his intentional scan that he made this discovery.


    In his hand, the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure flew out, transforming into a massive mountain peak in the sky and pressing down on a spot a hundred meters away.


    At the same time, he also lunged towards that spot, unconcerned that he too was under the influence of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    He was very aware that the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure could not simultaneously seal off nine Middle Stage Arhats, but he was certain that all nine would be affected by the treasure, how long this effect lasted would depend on the strength of these Arhats themselves.


    As for how to better utilize a Mountain Peak Type Magical Treasure, his original self, Li Shiming, had provided the best demonstration.


    The Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure was Li Yuanba¡¯s treasure; although it was not his life-bound magical treasure, he had personally refined it.


    This made the integration with the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure reach its zenith, and even under its great power, the effect he suffered was many times less than that of his enemies.


    Especially the Sword Intent within the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, which did not affect him in the slightest.


    As the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure descended, a space was locked by the magical treasure, and the terrifying binding force and Sword Intent attacked every corner of this space.


    The nine Arhats, originally hidden, after seeing the Wisdom Light Arhat killed, had not yet decided whether to reveal themselves and fight Li Yuanba or continue hiding.


    They were enveloped by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure. The Invisibility Formation¡¯s defensive power was not strong, and under the might of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, it collapsed, revealing the figures of the nine Arhats.


    Both the two Righteous Path Golden Core Elders and the three Golden Core Elders from Senluo Sect understood upon seeing the nine Arhats that this was a conspiracy against Li Yuanba.


    They had become unwitting pawns of Qianye Temple in their scheme against Li Yuanba, which immensely annoyed them.


    Li Yuanba charged into the midst of the nine Arhats; the binding force slowed him slightly, but his formidable Body Refinement ability ensured his attacks were still incredibly sharp.


    The ¡®Sword Demon Secret Manual¡¯ Golden Core section that remained only strengthened the Third-Grade Sword Base, but its previous contents included melee swordsmanship.


    This was no ordinary melee swordsmanship, but rather a branch of swordsmanship practiced by melee-focused Sword Cultivators.


    This type of swordsmanship, hardly seen in the Cultivation World, was exhibited by Li Yuanba.


    With each point, stab, and sweep of the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, an Arhat¡¯s life was claimed.


    Honestly, even if these Arhats, roughly at the latter stage of power among themselves, had not been attacked by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, they still could not have withstood Li Yuanba¡¯s melee attacks.


    Not to mention, with their bodies bound by the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure and simultaneously assaulted by Sword Intent, they couldn¡¯t muster even a fraction of their usual strength. How could they possibly resist Li Yuanba¡¯s assault?


    Ying Hou and Xin Tong, the two Righteous Path Golden Core Elders, watched Li Yuanba¡¯s combat and couldn¡¯t help but gasp in dismay.


    These were the elite Arhats of Qianye Temple, each bearing strength similar to or surpassing theirs, yet such powerful Arhats were being slaughtered by Li Yuanba as if they were mere chickens.


    Based on the forces they represented, they should have intervened to stop Li Yuanba¡¯s massacre.


    But they dared not act at this moment, fearing that if Li Yuanba turned his wrath on them, it would be more than they could bear.

 Chapter 645: 369: Captured

    Chapter 645: Chapter 369: Captured


    Just as Li Yuanba was relishing the kill of a Qianye Temple Arhat, he suddenly felt an intense palpitation.


    He was about to heedlessly use ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to retreat, not caring that there were still three Arhats left unslain.


    But just as he was about to use ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± to his horror, he found himself unable to summon ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡±; the space he was in was enveloped by a terrifying force.


    An old monk appeared beside Li Yuanba, glancing at the fallen Arhats with little emotion showing in his eyes.


    At this moment, both Golden Core Elders from the Righteous Path and three Golden Core Elders from the Senluo Sect were all immobilized.


    ¡°It¡¯s Venerable Huike!¡± Jiang Pu secretly exclaimed in his heart, but he was unable to speak.


    The appearance of Venerable Huike at this place caught all the cultivators by surprise.


    Venerable Huijing had previously come to Jieshan Mountain Pass and was stopped by Ancestor Lu, so it was assumed that Qianye Temple would not send another Venerable to this place.


    Who would have thought that Venerable Huike would come again, and upon arrival, suppress all cultivators present.


    Venerable Huike looked up at the yet to fall Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure in the sky, and with a gesture, a boundless force gathered the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure into his hand, shrinking it to a small peak.


    Li Yuanba did not feel disconnected from the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure, indicating that Venerable Huike had not destroyed the master recognition seal inside the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure.


    Venerable Huike reached out and grabbed Li Yuanba, and with another wave of his hand, the three living Arhats were flung towards the Righteous Path Gate.


    Grasping Li Yuanba, Venerable Huike did not say a word and disappeared from the spot with one step.


    Only after the span of a cup of tea, did the five Golden Core Elders present regain their ability to move.


    Their faces were pale, as Qianye Temple had sent a Venerable to capture Li Yuanba, and this matter would definitely not end lightly.


    Especially Jiang Pu, who knew Li Yuanba¡¯s importance, was acutely aware of the magnitude of the situation.


    With a trembling hand, he produced his Identity Jade Disc and sent out a message to his sect.


    ¡°Everyone, Jieshan Mountain Pass will be closed for now; all matters will await the arrival of our sect¡¯s Ancestor Lu!¡± After sending the message, Jiang Pu said gravely.


    ¡°Is this truly necessary?¡± Ying Hou couldn¡¯t help but ask, startled.


    The resources flowing through Jieshan Mountain Pass were mainly of the first and second grade, which are the foundational resources of many forces, and even the Spirit Pill elixir recipes provided by the three major sects for their Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment disciples include these resources.


    Halting the flow of these resources would certainly have a significant impact on both Senluo Sect and the three major sects.


    ¡°Considering Ancestor Lu¡¯s regard for Junior Li, this act by Qianye Temple might spark a grand war between the Nascent Soul levels of our two sects. Is the resource traffic of Jieshan Mountain Pass still important?¡± Jiang Pu said helplessly, with a wry smile.


    Venerable Huike carried Li Yuanba, and with each step he took, he reappeared a considerable distance away, and yet his manner of travel was incredibly leisurely, almost like a casual stroll through a garden.


    Li Yuanba, however, knew that this was the Divine Foot Skill¡¯s ¡°Inches Apart, Worlds Away.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t practice it, but ¡°Inches Apart, Worlds Away¡± required so much spiritual power to use that he, a minor Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, could hardly bear it.


    Li Yuanba was unable to struggle as Venerable Huike¡¯s grasp contained a suppressive force, making his Golden Core sluggish, without the ability to mobilize even a bit. His formidable Body Refinement ability was also unusable at this moment.


    ¡°Young benefactor, do not worry, I am doing this for your own good!¡± Venerable Huike¡¯s voice was calm, carrying a strange timbre that made the listener feel compassion and peace of mind.


    To earn Li Yuanba¡¯s trust, he casually stuffed the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure into Li Yuanba¡¯s Space Ring.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Space Ring was not low-level, protected by his own spirit barrier, but Venerable Huike disregarded it completely.


    To all appearances, Venerable Huike was demonstrating goodwill, but in reality, putting an item in Li Yuanba¡¯s Space Ring was no different than keeping it in his own hand.


    Should he wish to, he could retrieve items from Li Yuanba¡¯s Space Ring at any time.


    ¡°Young benefactor, your Divine Foot Skill ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ has even reached the Great Success Realm; it¡¯s probably not due to your realm, you may have already acquired the ¡°Inches Apart, Worlds Away¡± inheritance from the Divine Foot Skill lineage!¡± Venerable Huike said to Li Yuanba while using ¡°Inches Apart, Worlds Away¡± to travel.


    It was Li Yuanba¡¯s level of mastery over the Divine Foot Skill that deepened his suspicion that Li Yuanba was the reincarnation of a great Buddhist power.


    If not the reincarnation of a great Buddhist being, then how can one master ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to such a degree within just a few years?


    Qianye Temple has been researching ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± for thousands of years, and many generations of wise monks had contributed to its study. Even the most outstanding Divine Foot Skill successor in the history of Qianye Temple took five years just to begin to grasp ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± and reaching the Great Success Realm required at least decades of arduous cultivation.


    Such Divine Skills were inaccessible to those of lower cultivation or without the corresponding talent, not even worthy of entry.


    It took Qianye Temple an average of hundreds of years to find a disciple with the talent for Divine Foot Skill, selected from among generations of disciples, and that was only possible because Qianye Temple was a major sect, wielding vast ranges of power and possessing such deep reserves.


    Venerable Huike searched Li Yuanba¡¯s Space Ring and found a considerable amount of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.


    The quantity of these pills was sufficient for the cultivation needs of a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, and even a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator highly regarded in a sect could not have access to so many Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.

 Chapter 646: 369: Captured_2

    Chapter 646: Chapter 369: Captured_2


    It¡¯s not that the major sects lacked the financial strength, but rather that a major sect would not invest all the resources capable of cultivating numerous Golden Core cultivators into a single disciple.


    If they truly did that, I¡¯m afraid the major sect would not be able to sustain its legacy for many years.


    This also indirectly confirmed that Li Yuan Ba was indeed the reincarnation of a Buddhist power, for only the reincarnated could possess such an abundance of Third Grade cultivation resources at this level¡ªa legacy from a former life.


    This is not to say that Li Yuan Ba had recovered the memories of his past life, but rather that the reincarnations of powers would seal some resource memories according to the realms they reached, unlocking certain memories once they attained a particular realm to retrieve the legacies from their past lives and restore their strength.


    He also discovered a piece of a Golden Corpse core fragment, a Spiritual Object that only a Nascent Soul Ancestor would be qualified to handle, appearing in Li Yuan Ba¡¯s Space Ring¡ªthis too, was an incident that should not have occurred.


    Venerable Huike also found General Jiang Chen, but he did not interfere with the Corpse Refining General.


    While examining Li Yuan Ba¡¯s body, from his Golden Core he sensed the Xingyi Sword¡ªa Lifebound Flying Sword that might not be considered much, but one that had been nourished for at least four hundred years.


    This Lifebound Flying Sword should belong to a seasoned Sword Cultivator, yet it was recognized by Li Yuan Ba as its master, becoming Li Yuan Ba¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Venerable Huike did not believe it was a Lifebound Flying Sword nurtured by the Buddhist power himself, yet it could be confirmed that it was prepared by the Buddhist power for the reincarnated body.


    Otherwise, how could such a Lifebound Flying Sword, nurtured and refined for four hundred years, have been acknowledged by Li Yuan Ba as its master?


    If it were true that Li Yuan Ba was usurped by a Sword Cultivator who had cultivated for four hundred years, Venerable Huike would have detected it.


    It was precisely because there were no traces of body seizing on Li Yuan Ba that it aligned more with the possibility of a Buddhist power¡¯s reincarnation.


    Reincarnation of a power and seizing a body are two different things; seizing a body implies forcefully taking over a cultivator¡¯s body for one¡¯s own use, and no matter how perfect the seizure, it can never achieve a true fit. The flaws left behind would present problems at deeper levels of cultivation.


    Whereas the reincarnation of a power is a gentler method that uses special techniques to let one¡¯s soul enter the cycle of reincarnation, where it would slowly awaken along with the gradual growth of the body after reincarnation.


    The reincarnated body would eventually merge completely with the memories from the previous life, making this method of reincarnation indistinguishable from the original body, with an extremely perfect fit between the soul and the body.


    Of course, the risks involved in the reincarnation of a power are immense. Although the body chosen for reincarnation is meticulously selected, it can still prematurely perish during its growth due to insufficient strength.


    Reincarnation often brings with it tremendous wealth, and once one¡¯s identity is exposed, it could draw the attention of other cultivators.


    A power capable of reincarnation, even if a tiny benefit is revealed from its legacy, would be enough to fill any cultivator to the brim.


    ¡°Where did you put the Divine Foot Skill Inheritance Relics and the Telepathy Inheritance Relics?¡± Venerable Huike had searched around but did not find the two Inheritance Relics, so he asked aloud.


    He lifted the control over Li Yuan Ba¡¯s voice, allowing him to speak but preventing him from doing anything else.


    Li Yuan Ba did not pay attention to Venerable Huike, nor did he even consider the relevant matters in his mind. Falling into the hands of Qianye Temple, as long as there was a chance, he would immediately commit suicide if he could not break free.


    Li Yuan Ba was a clone; Li Shiming was the most important.


    He wasn¡¯t sure that he could keep his secrets under the Divine Skills of Qianye Temple, and if pushed too hard, he would find a way to take his own life.


    Right now, he wanted to see how Qianye Temple planned to deal with him; if possible, he did not wish to die.


    This clone, Li Yuan Ba, was of great importance to Li Shiming, as it provided him with another identity. Especially with Li Yuan Ba¡¯s Sword Cultivator strength, it was as if Li Shiming had taken up an additional cultivation path.


    Li Shiming¡¯s current strength in sword-flying, while not as strong as the true Sword Cultivator Li Yuan Ba, was significantly better than that of other cultivators.


    Seeing that Li Yuan Ba had no intention of responding, Venerable Huike did not press him. Li Yuan Ba was already in his grasp, and those two Inheritance Relics would return sooner or later.


    He was extremely fast and returned to the gates of Qianye Temple in just a few hours.


    Li Yuanba had no time to observe his surroundings before Venerable Huike used ¡°Inch Away, Miles Apart¡± to bring him into a great hall.


    The walls of the hall were covered with countless Buddha images, each with a different posture, yet all revealed an enigmatic charm.


    Li Yuanba had a feeling that these Buddha images were not randomly painted; among them, he saw a familiar one¡ªit was the image of the Angry-eyed Vajra.


    The Angry-eyed Vajra image was the embodiment of the true intent behind the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± cultivated by the original body, Li Shiming. It was not exactly the same, but the artistic conception was wholly identical.


    The moment he saw the Angry-eyed Vajra image, he immediately knew it was the true representation of the Angry-eyed Vajra.


    Looking at the other Buddha images on the walls, if all of them were drawn based on the true form of divine Buddhas, then it would be truly terrifying.


    If the images here were indeed created following the true intent, the implications for Qianye Temple¡¯s heritage would be profoundly alarming to Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Young benefactor, you rest here for a few days!¡± Venerable Huike said with a smile, performing a Buddhist salute.


    He did not seal away Li Yuanba¡¯s strength, seemingly considering it unnecessary to bind such meager power.


    Li Yuanba did not speak. He quietly sat on the cushion, watching Venerable Huike leave.


    After Venerable Huike had left, he waited for some time. When he sensed no presence around him, he stood up to inspect his environment.


    This great hall was not only protected by formations but also guarded by some special power encompassing the area.


    He tried to attack the wall, but he couldn¡¯t get closer than a few inches to it.


    Even with the Third Grade Sword Base and putting forth his full Body Refinement capabilities, the effect was the same.


    With his understanding of formations, the formation here seemed to be part of the Sect Protection Array, which was vast in area and consumed a tremendous amount of Spiritual Energy.


    Aside from safeguarding the sect, the Sect Protection Array could also concentrate resources in one or two places within the array, creating the most tightly protected areas.


    Such formations were the hardest to break because a cultivator inside the formation faced the collective power of the Sect Protection Array, and the source was not in this location, which exponentially increased the difficulty of breaking it.


    Of course, if it were entirely due to formations, Li Yuanba, with the support from the original body Li Shiming, could spend some time to break the formation.


    What was more troublesome was the unknown special power, which was far superior to the defensive effect of formations.


    It was precisely because of the presence of this special power that Li Yuanba, despite the strength of a Golden Core Body Refining Late Stage, was unable to cause any damage here.


    Li Yuanba studied for a period of two hours, but eventually, he helplessly sat back down on the cushion.


    He observed the Buddha images on the walls, while the original body, Li Shiming, recorded the images he observed through their soul link in the lifebound treasure, IBMz15.


    Although he did not know the purpose of these Buddha images, they were undoubtedly extremely important knowledge.


    Just when he thought he would stay like this for a few days, waiting for Qianye Temple to initiate contact, he heard the sound of Buddhist chanting in his ears.


    The chanting came from four directions, each with a strong Buddhist intent. One could tell at once that these were high monks deeply versed in Buddhism, expounding on its true meaning.


    For Buddhist disciples, this was a rare opportunity to hear four high monks expound on Buddhist intent, which could enhance their own Buddhist cultivation techniques.


    However, for non-Buddhist disciples, the intent imparted by the four high monks carried a significant effect of bewitching one¡¯s mind.


    Being in an environment where the four high monks expound on Buddhist intent over a long period, one would gradually lose oneself.

 Chapter 647: 370: Upgrade

    Chapter 647: Chapter 370: Upgrade


    Li Yuanba felt his will slipping away. Each Buddhist statue on the walls of this great hall emanated a strange fluctuation, amplifying the Buddhist intentions of the four monks.


    Though his spirit was significantly stronger than that of his peers at the Golden Core Stage, it was still not enough to resist the influence of such potent Buddhist intentions.


    The true self, Li Shiming, stirred slightly. He took control of Li Yuanba¡¯s body and sealed away Yuanba¡¯s consciousness.


    Li Yuanba was his avatar, and the true self had absolute control over an avatar. Had it not been for this situation, Shiming would not have treated Yuanba this way.


    Venerable Huike watched the scenes transmitted by the formation, suspecting that Li Yuanba was the reincarnation of a great Buddhist power. Therefore, he refrained from probing directly, fearing that if this Buddhist power were small-minded, such actions might incur his displeasure.


    As for bringing Li Yuanba to Qianye Temple, that was seen as delivering the reincarnation of a great Buddhist power from the Demon Cave. The great Buddhist power should be thanking him for this deed.


    Initially, Li Yuanba¡¯s demeanor showed signs of deterioration, which caught the attention of Venerable Huike.


    The reason Huike had brought Yuanba to this hall to receive the exposition of Buddhist intent from the four monks was precisely to suppress Yuanba¡¯s current consciousness.


    To awaken the consciousness of a past life in a reincarnated body, the consciousness of this life must be weakened, or else the consciousness of the past life will only awaken when this life¡¯s strength reaches a certain level.


    Naturally, this carried risks, which is why great powers in reincarnation sealed their own consciousness.


    This was because the consciousness of a great power was extremely formidable, far beyond what a frail body could bear. Only when a certain level set by the great power was reached would the consciousness awaken.


    Venerable Huike did not intend for the consciousness of a great Buddhist power to awaken at this time. He used the Buddhist intent of the four monks just to stir a trace of the Buddhist power¡¯s consciousness, to affirm whether Li Yuanba truly was the reincarnation of a great Buddhist power.


    It was no fault of Venerable Huike to be so cautious. If Li Yuanba truly was the reincarnation of a greater Buddhist power than Huike himself, then his reincarnation¡¯s concealment was not something Huike could easily detect, and confirmation required such measures.


    Just as the consciousness of Li Yuanba seemed about to be lost, for some unknown reason, he suddenly appeared calm, his face displaying a serene and peaceful expression.


    This did not seem like the effect of true Buddhist teachings. Non-Buddhist cultivators, under the influence of true Buddhist teachings, would first be deeply entrenched in degradation, recalling all their own sins, and their hearts would rise with repentance, plunging into deep self-blame.


    Unless Li Yuanba had no sins in his heart, but Yuanba, hailing from a demon sect like the Senluo Sect and known from just the intelligence of Qianye Temple to have slain numerous cultivators, was not likely to be unaffected by the Buddhist intent.


    This Buddhist intent was no ordinary one. These four Buddhist monks were not highly cultivated, only at the Arhat Level, but their depth in Buddhist teachings put them at the forefront of the entire Qianye Temple.


    Had it not been that Venerable Huijing was afflicted with demonic influence, the four monks would not continually expound Buddhist teachings to suppress Venerable Huijing¡¯s inner demons; Huike would not simply call upon these four monks for Yuanba.


    Not to mention that the Bodhi Hall where Li Yuanba was situated is the highest-level preaching venue in Qianye Temple, a place that could amplify the effect of the four monks¡¯ exposition of Buddhist intent.


    ¡°Great Buddhist powers indeed have means beyond the ordinary!¡± Unable to explain the phenomenon, Venerable Huike attributed it to the machinations of a great Buddhist power.


    He did not disturb Li Yuanba; he wanted to see what would happen next.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind took over the body of his avatar, Li Yuanba. The terrifying Buddhist intent that was supposed to be borne by Yuanba was now entirely endured by Shiming¡¯s mind.


    This Buddhist intent was not specifically for Yuanba but was part of Qianye Temple¡¯s efforts to suppress the inner demons of Venerable Huijing. Yuanba was merely incidental.


    The Buddhist intent used against a Venerable¡¯s inner demons was fearsomely powerful.


    Had it not been for Shiming¡¯s own life-saving mystical treasure, the IBMz15, which shared the Buddhist intent among one hundred ninety-one brains, even he would have been influenced by the Buddhist intent.


    Li Shiming, sitting in his abode at Sword Holding Peak of Shushan Sect, continually felt the rise of Buddhist intent around him.


    Although the Buddhist intent could not affect his consciousness, it still acted upon his body.


    His thoughts slightly moved, and a phantom appeared behind him¡ªthe true intent of ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ manifested as an Angry-eyed Vajra.


    At this moment, he cultivated the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯. He had ingested ten drops of fourth-grade ¡®Heavenly Immortal Milk¡¯, using such a precious resource, yet he had not been able to bring his ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ to the ultimate level of the Golden Core Stage.


    Of course, there were many reasons for this, but how could the need for stronger Buddhist intent to support Buddhist cultivation techniques not be among them?


    Using Buddhist intent for cultivation, within the Buddhist Sect, only the core true inheritors of the Buddhist Sect had such a privilege. Yet, even the core true inheritors could not have the conditions that Shiming had at this moment.


    The Buddhist intent of the four monks was not something to be squandered at will. The Buddhist intent they were now expounding was a special energy, accumulated and enhanced over time.


    Had the four monks constantly served the disciples within the temple, using Buddhist intent to assist the disciples in cultivating Buddhist techniques, they could not possibly have cultivated their intent to such a degree.


    They were the most precious foundation of Qianye Temple, meant to deal with inner demons that might emerge at the Venerable Level.


    Such high-level monks might have nothing to do for a lifetime, but once they were employed, it involved matters of life and death for a Venerable.


    A Venerable is also known as a Nascent Soul Ancestor, whose existence relates to the prosperity of a sect.

 Chapter 648: 370: Promotion_2

    Chapter 648: Chapter 370: Promotion_2


    Li Shiming only caught the radiance of his alter ego, Li Yuanba, or one might say, it was the light of the Venerable Huijing that graced him.


    If one were to trace it back to the very root, it was actually Li Shiming¡¯s own light that shone upon him.


    The heart-devil of Venerable Huijing was, after all, related to Li Shiming. If it were not for the rocket he sent hurtling towards Qianye Temple, thereby affecting Venerable Huijing¡¯s state of mind, how could Venerable Huijing have fallen into the grasp of the heart-devil?


    The Angry-eyed Vajra formed by genuine intent became corporeal almost instantly, starting to absorb the Buddhist intent like madness.


    This caused the ethereal form of the Angry-eyed Vajra to nearly solidify, as if it had a tangible body, roaring angrily towards the heavens.


    The roar of the Angry-eyed Vajra, though soundless, set in motion the Vajra power within Li Shiming¡¯s body, which, under the influence of the roar, traveled ceaselessly within him.


    The strength of the Vajra power was more than double that of any previous cultivation session, an effect achieved with the help of the Buddhist intent.


    Ordinary Buddhist intent does not possess such an effect. This specialized Buddhist intent, meant to assist Venerables in combating heart-devils, was helping Li Shiming in an unimaginably significant way.


    The Vajra power within him transformed into golden energy, turning everything it touched to gold.


    If one were to examine it closely, they would see that this gold was, in fact, Vajra patterns.


    Li Shiming¡¯s ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ was only a thread away from perfect achievement in the Golden Core chapter, and now, under the influence of the golden Vajra power, his body was undergoing a marvelous evolution.


    Yes, it was evolution, indicating that his body was transforming toward a higher level.


    Having witnessed a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core, with one such living dead in the engine room space, he delved deeper into the ultimate Body Refinement in the Golden Core Stage than any other cultivator.


    His current condition was a transformation towards the pinnacle of Body Refinement in the Golden Core Stage.


    This was also the most critical transformation for a Golden Core cultivator, as it meant that from then on, his body would be distinctive from that of an ordinary Golden Core, having gained an ounce of Nascent Soul Body¡¯s capabilities.


    The four high monks seated cross-legged at the four corners outside the Bodhi Hall also marvelled as to why there was a considerable loss of their Buddhist intent.


    Normally, when they expounded on Buddhist intent, they released their own intent along with the chanting, thereby influencing a specific individual.


    However, the expounded Buddhist intent was meant to diminish, and when it was solely focussed on Venerable Huijing before, the loss was still at an acceptable level.


    But today, after Venerable Huike had informed them, an additional Golden Core Early Stage cultivator was included within the Bodhi Hall, and for some unknown reason, there was a significant depreciation of their Buddhist intent.


    Fortunately, centuries of accumulation had fortified the four high monks, and they wouldn¡¯t be depleted in a short time. They planned to investigate the matter after this expounding session was over.


    They naturally could not imagine that their Buddhist intent was being absorbed by Li Shiming, who was within Shushan Sect, using it as nourishment for his Buddhist Body Refining Techniques.


    Li Shiming¡¯s entire skin now exhibited a golden hue, with the subtle patterns of the Buddhist Vajra flickering beneath the surface of his skin.


    After a period of cultivation, the golden Vajra energy had circulated through his entire body without missing a single spot.


    The ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ that had felt slightly raw to him had now truly reached the state of perfection.


    ¡°I had never expected such a serendipitous chance!¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself, a flash of surprise and delight in his eyes.


    He had thought that with his alter ego Li Yuanba captured, given the trouble Li Yuanba had caused to Qianye Temple, he would surely be forced to reveal the two Inheritance Relics and then be left without reason to live.


    But to his utter surprise, Qianye Temple had vastly misunderstood the situation, treating Li Yuanba as if he was the reincarnation of a great Buddhist power. To confirm this, they ended up bestowing upon him an incredibly unexpected benefit.


    Li Shiming moved his body, and a palpably powerful sensation spread from within.


    He extended his right hand and pinched the air lightly, causing a burst sound to emanate from his grasp, as if even the air were being compressed to the point of explosion.


    His situation was extremely unique, as for Body Refining Cultivators, the hardest part was not for their Golden Core to reach the Late-stage Golden Core Realm, but the advancement of body refinement.


    The upgrade of the realm, relatively speaking, had more resources, and every Golden Core cultivator dedicated to specializing in body refinement was supported by a powerful force¡¯s allocation of resources.


    They would not lack the cultivation resources of ordinary Golden Core cultivators, as their body refinement resources were many times more expensive than the cultivation resources for ordinary Golden Core cultivators.


    Generally speaking, for Body Refining Golden Core practitioners to reach the Refining Body Realm of Li Shiming¡¯s level, it happened long after the latter stages of the Golden Core Stage.


    Body Refining Techniques were the most difficult cultivation techniques to practice, requiring an enormous amount of resources.


    For someone like Li Shiming, who directly used Fourth Grade Body Refining Resources to practice body refinement techniques, not to mention a large sect, even the NASBAs¡¯ own sons would not see such an investment of resources from a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    For a Nascent Soul Ancestor, Fourth Grade Body Refining Resources were extremely precious, enabling their body to accommodate more and stronger Spiritual Power, greatly enhancing their self-protection abilities.


    Li Shiming, who had used Fourth Grade Body Refining Resources, had cultivated his body to the peak of the Golden Core Stage without even having reached the late phase of the Golden Core Realm, and was in fact only at the Golden Core Early Stage.


    His scenario, theoretically, could be described as having a Great Elder Level Refining Body Realm, but his actual realm had not yet reached that of a Great Elder, so it was truly impossible to assign an accurate evaluation to his state.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind stirred slightly, and the Heart Sword flew out, circling the room before slashing towards his body.


    With a ¡®clang¡¯, the Heart Sword struck him, but at about one centimeter from his skin, it was blocked by the golden Vajra force emanating from the skin.


    He had not used even a trace of Spiritual Power, only relying on the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± at the time.


    This was merely the first defense of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡±, and if this first defense were truly breached, his skin would be even three times stronger than this energy-based defense. If the skin were broken through, there would still be muscles and bones¡ªevery part of his body would transform into a defense against attack.


    His life resilience had also become extremely tenacious; even if an arm was severed, as long as the arm was not too severely damaged, it could be picked up and reattached directly.


    The Heart Sword posed no threat to him, which was inevitable considering that his flying sword was not very powerful to begin with.


    The power of the Heart Sword could at most threaten ordinary cultivators at the Golden Core Middle Stage. To deal with Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators, he had to use multiple flying swords coupled with the aid of Third Grade Techniques.


    After considering it, he waved his hand, and the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure appeared in his hand.


    However, when he saw the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure, he abandoned the idea of using this magical treasure to test his defenses.


    Because at this moment, the quality of the Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure had already surpassed the threshold of a Third Grade Technique, and although it hadn¡¯t reached Fourth Grade, it was now between Third and Fourth Grade.


    The Third-Grade Sword Foundation Magical Treasure had grown stronger in tune with the enhancement of his physique. Since his physique had reached the level of a Great Elder in body refinement, surpassing the standard of the Golden Core Stage, it had also elevated the magical treasure beyond the standard of Third Grade.


    Li Shiming was not willing to have such a weapon strike his body.


    In fact, there was no need for further testing. The personal magical treasure, IBMz15, by continuously scanning his body, had already begun updating body data, and soon, he would be able to clearly see the actual data of his body.


    ¡°I wonder if ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ has any further techniques?¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself softly.


    Considering the subsequent techniques of ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was slightly premature for him, as reaching the level of Great Elder in body refinement did not immediately qualify him for advancement to Nascent Soul.


    He would need to advance his Golden Core to the late phase before qualifying for the Nascent Soul advancement.


    Of course, if one considered the path of a Body Refining Nascent Soul, the advancement process would differ from that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.


    However, the path of body refinement was not the cultivation journey that he contemplated. Although body refinement was strong, reaching the Nascent Soul Realm in body refinement meant the Nascent Soul would be fused with the Taoist Body, unable to achieve Nascent Soul Emergence, and thus incapable of escaping alone to seize a new body and be reborn after receiving a fatal injury.


    Considering Li Shiming¡¯s high regard for life, as long as there was any normal way to advance to Nascent Soul, he would not consider the somewhat atypical path of a Body Refining Nascent Soul.

 Chapter 649 371: Guiding

    This time, the end time of the four Buddhist monks delivering the Buddhist teachings was somewhat earlier. Venerable Huike did not mind, he looked at Li Yuanba, who seemed to be asleep, shook his head, and closed his eyes as well.


    Li Yuanba had been in this state for a long time, and the enhanced Buddhist intent from the Buddhist monks had had no effect on him.


    Venerable Huike grew more convinced that he was the reincarnation of a great Buddhist power. If not a reincarnation of a great Buddhist power, how could he face such intense Buddhist intent with such composure?


    Even Venerable Huike himself, if placed in Li Yuanba''s position, could not have maintained such composure.


    Little did he know, Li Yuanba''s consciousness had been sealed away, and it was Li Shiming''s consciousness that was controlling the body.


    Even the strongest Buddhist intent could not significantly impact Li Shiming, especially when its influence was only a fraction of one hundred ninety-first.


    Li Shiming, having recovered from the joy of perfect body refinement, brought his consciousness back to Li Yuanba''s body.


    He mobilized Li Yuanba''s divine thought and began to scan the surroundings.


    His scan, unlike the avatar Li Yuanba''s, directly involved his life''s divine artifact, IBMz15, which provided more detailed information than the twice-transferred data from the avatar Li Yuanba.


    After thirty minutes, he was somewhat disappointed. Although he had scanned more information, that strange energy barrier remained undeciphered, let alone figured out how to break through it.


    However, through the formation, he discovered that this formation had the effects of creating and overlapping spaces, meaning the space where Li Yuanba was located was created by the formation, likely not the only space within the hall.


    This hall must have more than two spaces, all created by the formation, though he did not know why this was necessary.


    He wanted to probe the situation in another space through divine thought, but the strange energy barrier prevented his divine thought from doing so.


    Even though he was extremely proficient with formations, the strange energy barrier left him helpless.


    If he could not break through this strange energy barrier, then he would not be able to extract Li Yuanba, and in a short time, he might really lose this extremely important avatar.


    With a strong reluctance, he activated "Divine Eye." Under "Divine Eye," the Buddha statues on the walls magnified, revealing the tiny patterns that made up the statues.


    Especially the Angry-eyed Vajra statue, the patterns making up the Angry-eyed Vajra statue were Vajra patterns, the same as the Vajra patterns within his body.


    He had tried before, these patterns simply could not be replicated; even trying to record them was impossible due to some rule restrictions.


    Qianye Temple was indeed a grand Buddhist establishment, capable of preserving such patterns and incorporating them into statues.


    "Not right, perhaps it is because of the statues that the patterns have been preserved!" Li Shiming thought of a possibility.


    He tried to invoke the golden Vajra power within his body and in front of him, drew an Angry-eyed Vajra statue with strokes composed of Vajra patterns.


    If the monks of Qianye Temple were to see his actions, they would probably be astounded.


    The Buddha statues in Bodhi Hall were not, as Li Shiming imagined, drawn, but were formed by using a special Buddhist secret technique, solidifying the true essence of cultivation techniques onto the walls of Bodhi Hall.


    This small Bodhi Hall, the Buddha statues on the walls took over ten thousand years to be drawn to their current state.


    Each Buddha statue was a trace left by a genius who had practiced a certain Buddhist cultivation technique in the history of Qianye Temple.


    Li Shiming''s method was more forceful; he utilized many divine thoughts, each controlled by an independent brain, and these brains, coordinated by his life''s divine artifact, IBMz15, worked together.


    Theoretically, the Vajra patterns, which could not be drawn by normal means, managed to be depicted due to the special equilibrium of the Angry-eyed Vajra statue.


    Li Shiming could clearly perceive that each line of the Angry-eyed Vajra statue was made up of countless Vajra patterns.


    Even with the help of IBMz15, if not for "Divine Eye" allowing observation at the micrometer scale in the real world, it would have been impossible to draw the Angry-eyed Vajra statue.


    The Angry-eyed Vajra statue was majestic and solemn, and Li Shiming always felt as if it might come to life at any moment; he did not know if this was an illusion, and he definitely did not want to establish too deep a connection with the Angry-eyed Vajra.


    He wasn''t a true Buddhist practitioner; if he were to receive special attention from the Angry-eyed Vajra, he did not know what the consequences might be.


    Li Shiming''s actions in the Sword Holding Peak cave of the Shushan Sect did not affect his control over the avatar Li Yuanba.


    Having found that he could not break through Bodhi Hall using "Divine Eye" or knowledge of formations, he had to consider other methods.


    There weren''t many tactics available on the avatar Li Yuanba; the sword cultivation abilities that Li Yuanba had previously used, he could not use more powerfully.


    He thought of "Telepathy" and tried to stimulate "Telepathy."


    Mental power was a unique force, and he discovered that neither the formation nor the strange energy barrier seemed to block mental power.


    Thinking about it, it made sense. Bodhi Hall was designed to amplify Buddhist intent, which, in a sense, was also a kind of mental power.


    After deploying "Telepathy," he immediately sensed the whereabouts of the four monks outside, who were all within the effective range of "Telepathy."

 Chapter 650: 371: Guidance_2

    Chapter 650: Chapter 371: Guidance_2


    However, he dared not extend his ¡°Telepathy¡± to the four high monks; to him, the spiritual power of these four monks was as blinding as four suns.


    This was a manifestation of extremely strong spiritual power; the spiritual power of the four monks far surpassed that of Li Yuanba.


    With Li Yuanba¡¯s ¡°Telepathy¡± ability, trying to shake the minds and spirits of the four monks was nothing but a fool¡¯s dream.


    Li Shiming controlled the spiritual force of ¡°Telepathy¡±, passed through the strange energy barrier, crossed the overlapping spaces of spatial formation, and arrived at a space that overlapped with the one where Li Yuanba was located.


    He immediately sensed a spirit, whose spiritual power was like a mountain.


    If the spiritual power of the four monks was like the sun, then the sun was actually illusory, but the spiritual force of this spirit he felt was like a tangible mountain, which was even more terrifying than the illusory sun.


    Just as Li Shiming was about to retreat, he stopped.


    He noticed a trace of chaos in the spiritual power of this spirit. For a cultivator with a spirit force as solid as a mountain, there should be no chaos whatsoever in their spiritual power.


    If it had reached substance-like spiritual power, how could it be in chaos?


    ¡°Unless...¡± Li Shiming thought of a possibility, he recalled a rumor.


    There was a rumor about Qianye Temple that, apart from the loss of buildings and personnel caused by the last remote rocket attack, the Venerable Huijing had developed a heart demon.


    This matter was only circulated among the upper echelons of the six major sects, mainly because Venerable Huijing¡¯s actions at that time were too conspicuous. Qianye Temple couldn¡¯t keep it secret even if they wanted to.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s status and his particular attention to Qianye Temple, he too was aware of this matter.


    Now it seemed that the cultivator in the same Bodhi Hall as Li Yuanba was very likely the Venerable Huijing who had developed the heart demon.


    If Venerable Huijing was in a normal state, Li Shiming wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke him with his beginner level ¡°Telepathy¡±, even if it meant death.


    But under the current circumstances, perhaps Venerable Huijing was Li Yuanba¡¯s chance to break free.


    At this point, he had no more concerns; at worst, he would simply lose Li Yuanba¡¯s incarnation, which was already the worst possible outcome if he did nothing.


    In order to let the incarnation Li Yuanba survive, he was willing to take the risk.


    Li Shiming first left the cave-dwelling; he sent a message to his mentor Elder Su and Elder Ma, explaining that he needed to go out for a while.


    Since he hadn¡¯t encountered any good fortune on many of his previous excursions, Elder Su and Elder Ma had gradually grown accustomed to him leaving the sect, and no longer had much opposition.


    As soon as he left the sect, he continuously activated the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡± and the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡±, using the invisibility effect of the shadows and employing ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to head in the direction of Qianye Temple.


    While hurrying on his way, it didn¡¯t affect his control over the incarnation Li Yuanba as he tried using ¡°Telepathy¡± to contact Venerable Huijing.


    Venerable Huijing¡¯s condition had improved a lot; his heart demon was suppressed to the depths of his spirit, and each time the four monks preached the Buddhist teachings, it weakened the heart demon.


    But this heart demon was too stubborn to be completely eradicated.


    He wasn¡¯t too anxious; being in Qianye Temple, with the help of the four monks and the targeted environment of the Bodhi Hall, his heart demon would eventually weaken to a point where it could no longer affect him.


    Although the four monks had stopped preaching the Buddhist teachings, he didn¡¯t cease his own contemplation of the Buddhist teachings.


    His spirit was open, which was to allow better assimilation of the Buddhist teachings during the preaching by the four monks.


    After all, being in Qianye Temple, there was no possibility of danger.


    Probably he had also never considered that within Qianye Temple, he would encounter a cultivator who had mastered the divine skill of spirit force and was in the same great hall as him.


    The probability of such an event was so low, it should be practically impossible.


    Qianye Temple was a place of such stature, that even the other five major sects wouldn¡¯t dare to underestimate it.


    Apart from the last time a rocket breached the temple gates, there hadn¡¯t been an actual invasion in thousands of years.


    Venerable Huijing was utterly unprepared; his mind was like an undefended city, with doors wide open, welcoming visitors.


    The problem was, the mind control exerted by Li Shiming was far from a simple visit.


    ¡®Telepathy,¡¯ as a divine skill, was extremely covert in its invasion of the mind.


    As the spiritual power approached the mountains, it encountered no resistance and allowed the spiritual power to enter.


    At this time, the four Buddhist monks once again began preaching the Buddhist teachings, still targeting Venerable Huijing and Li Yuanba.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t mind the impact of the Buddhist teachings on himself, which he simply ignored.


    Venerable Huijing began to alternate between joy and sorrow with the Buddhist teachings, his emotions freely expressed within them, and through their guidance, he was able to dispel the root causes of his inner demons, which then became sourceless waters, continually weakening.


    Of course, emotions can never be fully eliminated, but such guided release could keep his negative emotions at their lowest.


    Today, as usual, Venerable Huijing was releasing his emotions within the Buddhist teachings, shouting and crying, joyous and sorrowful, without the demeanor of a Venerable.


    Neither he nor the four monks noticed a thread of spiritual power mingled within the Buddhist teachings.


    As Venerable Huijing was releasing his anger, this spiritual power subtly redirected the anger in another direction.


    Even though this spiritual power was much weaker than the Buddhist teachings augmented by the Bodhi Hall of the four monks, being ¡®Telepathy¡¯ in nature, it was intrinsically a level above that of the monks¡¯ Buddhist teachings.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t using spiritual power to confront the Buddhist teachings of the four monks; he used a minimal force to redirect their guidance.


    Under the direction of his spiritual power, Venerable Huijing¡¯s rage not only didn¡¯t diminish from venting, but it also grew even more intense.


    The inner demon, originally suppressed deep within, found an opportunity to take over Li Shiming¡¯s work, influencing Venerable Huijing¡¯s anger.


    In Venerable Huijing¡¯s heart, the four monks became his captors.


    He wanted to break free from this cage; he shouldn¡¯t be here, he should be free to follow his heart, to do as he wished.


    Initially, Venerable Huijing could still suppress his inner demons, but with the renewed influence of Li Shiming¡¯s controlled spiritual power, it took but slight influence to completely overwhelm Venerable Huijing with his inner demons.


    Just before Venerable Huijing lost control, Li Shiming exerted his full power of ¡®Telepathy¡¯ to embed a subconscious suggestion into Venerable Huijing¡¯s mind.


    He didn¡¯t know how effective this subconscious suggestion would be or whether it could function under the influence of the inner demons, but it was the limit of what he could do.


    He only hoped that when Venerable Huijing went mad, he wouldn¡¯t shatter this space and in doing so, harm Li Yuanba¡¯s body.


    If he were to be attacked by Venerable Huijing, Li Shiming¡¯s body refinement strength, even at the Great Elder Level, would not be enough.


    Since all of this was the work of spiritual power, even Venerable Huike, who had always been watching over Li Yuanba, failed to notice anything unusual.


    Venerable Huike believed Li Yuanba was the reincarnation of a Buddhist power, so to a great extent, he treated Li Yuanba with respect, even surveilling him through a formation that could not detect spiritual power.


    ¡°Amitabha!¡± the four monks chanted in unison, a flash of horror crossing their normally unflappable faces.


    They then collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood and becoming extremely weak.


    Venerable Huike noticed something was wrong, immediately moved to one of the monks, and fed him a Spirit Pill.


    He then appeared beside the remaining three monks, one after the other, administering Spirit Pills to each of them.


    The four monks had a very high status within Qianye Temple and if they could be saved, Venerable Huike was still going to aid them.


    At the same time, Venerable Huike sensed the volcanic fury inside Bodhi Hall; he knew Venerable Huijing had lost control.

 Chapter 651: 372 Escape

    Chapter 651: Chapter 372 Escape


    Venerable Huike cast a spell, sending out an emergency message to inform other monks of what had happened inside Qianye Temple.


    The most important thing was to notify the Venerable in closed meditation.


    Of course, whether the Venerable in closed meditation could come out in time was a matter of luck.


    If the Venerable in meditation was in a state of having shut down the five senses, then such a method of notification would go undetected.


    ¡°Amitabha!¡± Venerable Huike threw the four senior monks out of the Bodhi Hall as he chanted towards Venerable Huijing.


    The chant utilized a Buddhist secret technique to help Venerable Huijing suppress the mind demon.


    It was clear that this approach was almost ineffective; Venerable Huijing, whose mind had been agitated by Li Shiming, had the long-suppressed mind demon regain the upper hand and was no longer restrainable by ordinary means.


    If the four senior monks had not been injured, perhaps there might have been a sliver of hope using the Bodhi Hall.


    Venerable Huijing¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, completely controlled by the mind demon.


    He let out a gut-wrenching howl of rage and shattered the defenses of the Bodhi Hall with a punch. His figure flew out of the Bodhi Hall.


    Li Shiming, controlling the body of his avatar Li Yuanba, felt the spatial tremors. For some reason, even as Venerable Huijing, engulfed in such fury, broke the temple¡¯s defenses, he didn¡¯t affect the space where Li Yuanba was.


    ¡°Did my subconscious suggestion work?¡± Li Shiming thought, somewhat uncertain.


    Before Venerable Huijing was completely influenced by the mind demon, he had implanted a subconscious suggestion, making him view Li Yuanba as the most intimate, important, and trusted person.


    This was the use of ¡®Telepathy¡¯ applied at Venerable Huijing¡¯s most vulnerable mental state to plant this subconscious suggestion.


    In truth, implanting a subconscious suggestion had little to do with ¡®Telepathy¡¯; ¡®Telepathy¡¯ was merely a tool. The real principle was psychological suggestion found in psychology, on which the IBM z15, his natal magic treasure, contained vast knowledge.


    This was his first time using ¡®Telepathy¡¯ to exercise hypnotic abilities, and he was unsure of the outcome.


    However, the fact that the avatar Li Yuanba was still alive suggested that the effect was probably fairly good.


    ¡°Venerable Huijing, come to your senses!¡± Venerable Huike shouted at Huijing, his voice resonating like a great bell, vibrating the soul.


    ¡°Die!¡± Venerable Huijing was not affected at all; his eyes filled with murderous intent, he failed to recognize his fellow monk before him.


    He sent out a palm strike, sending a terrifying surge of energy toward Venerable Huike.


    Venerable Huike¡¯s expression was grim; he dared not dodge, for Qianye Temple was behind him. Should he evade, there was no telling how much of Qianye Temple would be destroyed.


    He grew solemn, stepping forward as his Nascent Soul Emergence happened.


    His body disappeared, having used the ¡®Divine Foot Skill¡¯ to transport it to a place of safety¡ªthis was the entrance of Qianye Temple, and his own cave dwelling was the safest place.


    Under ordinary circumstances of Nascent Soul Emergence, without a safe place, one would normally place the body within the Nascent Soul¡¯s Dharma Manifestation. This would make the Dharma Manifestation somewhat restrained during battle, unable to fully exert its power.


    Given Venerable Huike had the conditions for absolute safety, he had no such concerns. After sending his body to the safe confines of his cave dwelling, his Nascent Soul turned into a giant Dharma Manifestation.


    What he did seemed complex, but it was actually completed in an instant.


    At this moment, Venerable Huijing¡¯s attack also arrived, with Venerable Huike¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Form blocking Venerable Huijing¡¯s strike.


    Venerable Huike had no other choice. His strength was inferior to Venerable Huijing¡¯s. His greatest advantage was his speed; the ¡®Divine Foot Skill¡¯ allowed him to maintain absolute superiority in speed when fighting peers at the same level.


    But when he could not dodge and had to face the attack head-on, his advantage disappeared.


    This was also why he stimulated the Nascent Soul Dharma Form right from the start, without doing so he simply was no match for Venerable Huijing.


    Venerable Huijing did not utilize his Dharma Manifestation, but the power of his strike was still terrifying.


    With a ¡®boom¡¯, the colossal noise from the clash of terrifying auras sent shockwaves spreading in all directions.


    Venerable Huike, in his Nascent Soul Dharma Form state, naturally had much more power than Venerable Huijing using his physical body. He even had the spare power to contain the dissipating energy, sparing Qianye Temple from further destruction.


    Though under the influence of the mind demon, Venerable Huijing¡¯s combat instincts remained intact.


    He knew that in his current state he couldn¡¯t oppose Venerable Huike.


    He too chose Nascent Soul Emergence, and following his instincts, he entrusted his body to the person he trusted most.


    If Venerable Huijing were lucid, he wouldn¡¯t have made such a move, but he was under the control of the mind demon.


    It was a coincidence that Li Shiming had previously implanted a subconscious suggestion because at this time, he would have chosen to place his physical body within his own Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation.


    But at this moment, in Venerable Huijing¡¯s subconscious, Li Yuanba was the most trustworthy, and this trust was so strong that even the mind demon could not immediately take control.


    Besides, the mind demon¡¯s main concern was opposing Venerable Huike, not paying attention to Li Yuanba, the mere Golden Core Early Stage cultivator.


    Even as Venerable Huijing¡¯s physical body was handed over to Li Yuanba, the mind demon couldn¡¯t harm the Nascent Soul Body at all.


    Li Shiming was taken aback; he hadn¡¯t quite grasped what had happened when the old monk¡¯s body landed in front of Li Yuanba, whom he was controlling.


    Venerable Huike certainly didn¡¯t wish to battle Venerable Huijing at Qianye Temple, especially with both of them having undergone Nascent Soul Emergence to form Nascent Soul Dharma Forms. Such a battle would likely reduce Qianye Temple to rubble, regardless of victory or defeat.

 Chapter 652 372 Escape_2

    He sent a provocative thought towards Venerable Huijing, then his Nascent Soul Dharma Form flew towards the sky.


    Venerable Huijing followed in pursuit, and the two Nascent Soul Dharma Forms quickly left the range of Qianye Temple, rising into the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    Li Shiming, controlling his avatar Li Yuanba, grabbed Venerable Huijing''s body. At this time, the Bodhi Hall was devoid of that strange energy barrier, and even the Formation was in a precarious state.


    For him, this was tantamount to being completely open.


    The drone satellite system was monitoring the situation at Qianye Temple at that time, with many monks in the Arhat Realm flying in the air, and quite a few monks were heading towards the Bodhi Hall.


    It turned out that no Venerables had shown up, but Li Shiming did not believe that Qianye Temple only had two Venerables; there must be others in seclusion, although it was unknown when they would emerge.


    He didn''t have much time left, and he didn''t hesitate any longer. Carrying the body of Venerable Huijing, he cast "Step by Step Lotus" and left the Bodhi Hall.


    As soon as he appeared within Qianye Temple, he was detected by the Sect Protection Array, which was in a fully active state due to Venerable Huike''s earlier warning.


    He constantly maintained "Divine Eye Skill" and "Telepathy," especially the "Divine Eye Skill" whose effect at that time was unimaginably great.


    The Spiritual Power Pattern of the Sect Protection Array was clearly visible in his eyes. Ignoring the monks who spotted his figure and were chasing after him, his form flickered incessantly through the Spiritual Power Pattern.


    With "Step by Step Lotus," unless a Venerable appeared, he had no fear of any monk.


    The array could not hinder him; white lotuses appeared and disappeared continuously in the array, his figure moving on these lotuses towards the outer parts of Qianye Temple.


    "He is casting ''Step by Step Lotus'', activate the No-Space Formation immediately!" a monk shouted loudly.


    With the foundation of Qianye Temple, there shouldn''t be any chaos when encountering an enemy, but the monks were thrown into confusion upon discovering that their enemy was Venerable Huijing.


    Thus, when Li Yuanba''s figure appeared, their reaction was delayed.


    When Li Yuanba was a hundred meters away from leaving the Sect Protection Array of Qianye Temple, he found that he couldn''t cast "Step by Step Lotus." The application of space power had been forbidden, rendering the Divine Foot Skill useless in this area.


    Moreover, the activation of the No-Space Formation also prohibited flying.


    He landed on the roof of a building, stepping on the glazed tiles, his body feeling somewhat heavy.


    He was affected, and the rest of the monks were affected as well. Such an array was impartial.


    But there were too many monks in Qianye Temple, and two Arhats appeared in front of him.


    The two Arhats, being of mid-stage Arhat strength, were fully mobilizing the spiritual power within their bodies. Their aim was not to defeat Li Yuanba, but to delay him.


    As long as they could stall for two breaths'' time, other fellow disciples would arrive.


    No matter how strong Li Yuanba was, he couldn''t possibly go against all the monks of Qianye Temple within its gates.


    Li Shiming knew this as well and made Li Yuanba exert force through his feet. The glazed tiles beneath him cracked, and his body lunged at the two Arhats.


    The two Arhats formed Buddha Seals with their hands. Holding their dharma objects not for attack but to form a field of Buddha light with the help of the Buddha Seals.


    As Li Yuanba lunged, a Third Grade Sword Base appeared in his hand. His Supreme Yang Sword Intent combined with the late-stage Golden Core Body Refinement strength of his primary body, Li Shiming, made even his body refining strength alone surpass Li Shiming''s before any breakthrough, especially since his Sword Intent was stronger.


    Being unable to fly made his movements resemble more those of a mortal ranger than a cultivator, which happened to be advantageous for Li Yuanba, who had cultivated the "Sword Demon Secret Manual."


    He didn''t hold back in the slightest, and there was no room for mercy at this moment. In the late stage of Body Refinement, combined with Supreme Yang Sword Intent, a Third Grade top-tier magical artifact Third Grade Sword Base, as well as the close-combat sword techniques from the "Sword Demon Secret Manual," his assault was far more powerful than the two Arhats had anticipated.


    His figure passed between the two Arhats, and behind him, the two Arhats were split into two, their magical artifacts were also cleaved in mid-air and dropped to the ground in a severely damaged state, having lost much of their spiritual essence.


    The two Arhats couldn''t even withstand a single breath, something that none had expected.


    Having bypassed the two Arhats, there were no monks of significant strength ahead of him. He didn''t bother to strike, moving his feet in a mysterious way, weaving through the spiritual power lines of the Qianye Temple''s Sect Protection Array.


    Eventually, he passed through a barrier, and the pressure on his body lightened; he had left the Qianye Temple''s Sect Protection Array.


    White lotuses appeared again beneath his feet. He glanced back at Qianye Temple, where already quite a number of Arhats were chasing after him.


    However, since the Sect Protection Array''s No-Space Formation had not been deactivated in time, these Arhats could only leap across the ground and buildings. It was impossible for them to catch up with him since he had mastered the Divine Foot Skill.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t dare to linger because he sensed the power of the Qianye Temple''s Sect Protection Array rapidly increasing.


    An Array Master had begun to control the Sect Protection Array. Had he left just a moment later, even possessing Li Shiming''s life-saving magical artifact IBMz15, and the help of his "divine eye," it would have been very difficult to break out of the Sect Protection Array in a short time.


    The power difference between an array controlled by an Array Master and one not controlled was vast.


    Because this matter involved a confrontation between Venerables and both Venerables were from Qianye Temple, the Array Master didn''t react at first. By the time he did and was ready to trap Li Yuanba, Li Yuanba had already left the Sect Protection Array.


    Although the Bodhi Hall was located near the middle of Qianye Temple, Li Yuanba initially used "Step by Step Lotus" to depart. It was only at the last hundred meters that the influence of the No-Space Formation forced him to switch to leaping.


    This allowed him a very short time span from leaving the Bodhi Hall to escaping the Sect Protection Array.


    He exerted his full strength in using "Step by Step Lotus" in one direction. The state of the great battle between the Nascent Soul Dharma Forms of Venerable Huike and Venerable Huijing was still unknown. Should Venerable Huike notice his escape, with Venerable Huike''s Divine Foot Skill, it was still possible to catch up to him.


    He remembered that in front of Venerable Huike, his "Step by Step Lotus" had been inexplicably unable to be executed.


    He didn''t know how Venerable Huike was able to limit his use of "Step by Step Lotus," what conditions were involved in this restriction, but he didn''t dare to take a chance; he just wanted to get as far away from Venerable Huike as possible.


    While he was using "Step by Step Lotus" to escape, he sensed a soaring presence coming from afar towards the direction of Qianye Temple.


    "The Ancestor is coming!" He sensed that this presence was exactly that of Ancestor Lu.


    As a Nascent Soul Ancestor of Senluo Sect, although direct incursions into the territory of the Righteous Path had limited consequences for them, such actions were still very risky.


    He was touched by this thought, as he didn''t want Ancestor Lu to take risks for him.


    He took out the communication plaque, as they were beyond the range of the Senluo Sect''s Identity Jade Disc. He could only use the communication plaque now.


    He sent a message to the sect through the communication plaque, stating that he had escaped from Qianye Temple and asked the sect to relay this message to Ancestor Lu.


    Li Shiming did not wish to have his alter ego, Li Yuanba, meet Ancestor Lu just yet, especially since Li Yuanba was holding the body of Venerable Huijing; it was a difficult situation to explain.


    Moreover, the distance between Li Shiming''s main body and his alter ego, Li Yuanba, was already very close. Once they met, Li Yuanba could hand over the body of Venerable Huijing to Li Shiming, and then he would be able to meet Ancestor Lu.


    Behind Li Yuanba, numerous speedy Arhats were also in pursuit.


    Unfortunately, in this generation, the monks who practiced the Divine Foot Skill had already been slain by Li Yuanba; apart from Venerable Huike, there were no other monks in Qianye Temple who practiced the Divine Foot Skill.


    Thus, they couldn''t even think about catching up to Li Yuanba, let alone seeing his figure.

 Chapter 653: 373 Severe Injury

    Chapter 653: Chapter 373 Severe Injury


    Ancestor Lu received the message from his sect, Venerable Huike from Qianye Temple had kidnapped Li Yuanba.


    Upon hearing the news, he did not hesitate for a moment and immediately set out from his sect, heading towards Qianye Temple.


    Unfortunately, because he was delayed by some matters at the time, he received the news late. Moreover, since Venerable Huike had used the Divine Foot Skill to return to Qianye Temple, their arrival times at Qianye Temple differed significantly.


    If it were any other disciple, Ancestor Lu would definitely consider the pros and cons first, but Li Yuanba was different; he was the most pride-inspiring junior generation disciple of his.


    Given Li Yuanba¡¯s talents and potential, he was almost another Elder Jian, perhaps even more outstanding than Elder Jian.


    For Li Yuanba, he was willing to confront Qianye Temple, deciding to have a showdown with them first.


    Just as Ancestor Lu could sense the aura of Qianye Temple¡¯s Sect Protection Array, his entire aura surged. As someone of his status, he would not approach Qianye Temple in secret; he announced his arrival in just this manner.


    ¡°Eh!¡± he had just planned to charge at Qianye Temple¡¯s great array, ready to demand they hand over the person, when he looked up at the sky.


    In the sky, ordinary cultivators could not detect the fighting aura of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, but as another Nascent Soul Ancestor, he was able to sense the changes within the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    His Nascent Soul flew out, transforming into the Nascent Soul Dharma Form, and his body flew into the immense Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation.


    The Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation flew upward. He had come to demand a person from the Venerables of Qianye Temple; someone capable of fighting above Qianye Temple within the Thirty-Three Heavens would definitely include the Venerables of Qianye Temple.


    Ancestor Lu¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation broke into the Thirty-Three Heavens and was immediately stunned by the sight of the Buddha¡¯s light in the eyes of others.


    Venerable Huike and Venerable Huijing were fighting fiercely. Affected by the inner demons, Venerable Huijing fought without holding back, leaving no room for restraint.


    Fortunately, Venerable Huike was able to perform ¡°A Hair¡¯s Breadth, Worlds Apart.¡± He kept dodging skillfully within the Thirty-Three Heavens. At first, he had been pulling his punches, but as Venerable Huijing¡¯s attacks grew stronger, he had no choice but to confront them with all his might.


    He had thought it through thoroughly; by continuously depleting Venerable Huijing¡¯s Spiritual Power, preventing him from damaging Qianye Temple, once Venerable Huijing¡¯s Spiritual Power was greatly exhausted, he could restrain Venerable Huijing.


    Venerable Huijing, influenced by inner demons, fought without reservation, and Venerable Huike was precisely exploiting this.


    However, to deplete a Venerable¡¯s Spiritual Power was no easy feat. Venerable Huike could not just dodge; he also needed to clash head-on with Venerable Huijing occasionally, to maximize Venerable Huijing¡¯s expenditure.


    After each head-on clash, he could use ¡°A Hair¡¯s Breadth, Worlds Apart¡± to dodge and gain time to recover his Spiritual Power.


    As for Venerable Huijing, he was continuously expending energy without any time to recover. If they kept fighting this way, perhaps it would turn out as he expected: eventually, Venerable Huijing¡¯s Spiritual Power would be hugely exhausted and he would be suppressed by his superior Spiritual Power.


    Once he had restrained the out-of-control Venerable Huijing, he could then bring Venerable Huijing back to the temple and find a way to eliminate his inner demons.


    At this moment, he had no time to consider the matter of Li Yuanba. No matter how important Li Yuanba was, it was not as pressing as the matter of Venerable Huijing.


    Just as Venerable Huike was about to engage in another all-out clash with Venerable Huijing, Ancestor Lu entered into the fray.


    The moment Ancestor Lu¡¯s aura appeared in the Thirty-Three Heavens, Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation attacked Ancestor Lu without the slightest hesitation.


    At this time, Venerable Huijing was also launching an attack at Venerable Huike. Simultaneously, he attacked both Venerable Huike and Ancestor Lu with full force and without any reservation.


    Since it was in the Thirty-Three Heavens, with restrictions from the Heaven and Earth Rules, and Venerable Huike was focused on the battle, he did not notice Ancestor Lu¡¯s approach. He only sensed Ancestor Lu after he entered the Thirty-Three Heavens.


    However, by then, Venerable Huike was already prepared for a head-on collision with Venerable Huijing; he had no time to retract this long-prepared strike.


    If he were to retract it, he might get injured. He had given up using ¡°A Hair¡¯s Breadth, Worlds Apart¡± to dodge, and it was too late to do so anyway.


    The reason Venerable Huijing attacked Ancestor Lu with full force upon his appearance was because he was all too familiar with Ancestor Lu¡¯s aura, which was the source of his rage.


    It was Ancestor Lu who had killed two of his Great Arhat level disciples and had prevented Venerable Huijing from heading to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, which had planted the seeds of the inner demons.


    And the remote rocket attacks of Li Shiming were just what triggered the inner demon seeds.


    In the innate consciousness of Venerable Huijing, Ancestor Lu was his archenemy.


    Ancestor Lu and Venerable Huijing were evenly matched in strength, but Venerable Huijing had been fighting Venerable Huike for quite some time, and now he was facing both Venerable Huike and Ancestor Lu simultaneously. With Venerable Huijing¡¯s true strength, he was unable to contend with two Nascent Soul Ancestors at the same time.


    Ancestor Lu, having been attacked, would not show mercy; he understood that he needed to first deal with one of the Venerables, otherwise if both Venerables targeted him together, he would not be able to withstand it.


    Within the Thirty-Three Heavens, Ancestor Lu struck with all his might, aspiring to achieve success in one blow.


    Venerable Huike also struck with all his might, as he did not want to get injured. If he were to be injured in this situation, he might fall victim to a combined attack from Venerable Huijing and Ancestor Lu, and then even the speed of his ¡°A Hair¡¯s Breadth, Worlds Apart¡± would slow down, preventing him from escaping.

 Chapter 654: 373 Severe Injury_2

    Chapter 654: Chapter 373 Severe Injury_2


    Among the three Nascent Soul Ancestors, only Venerable Huijing harbored no schemes; he purely wished to battle.


    Three attacks heavily collided together, with Venerable Huike and Ancestor Lu jointly striking at Venerable Huijing, especially since Ancestor Lu had unleashed a Secret Technique, making this strike as potent as possible.


    Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Form emitted a piercing scream under the assault of the two Nascent Soul Dharma Forms.


    The Nascent Soul Dharma Form sustained severe damage, its massive body covered in cracks.


    ¡°Venerable Huijing!¡± Venerable Huike cried out in alarm.


    He had not anticipated this outcome; the injuries Venerable Huijing sustained were extremely severe, and his Nascent Soul Dharma Form was on the verge of collapse.


    A hint of joy flickered in Ancestor Lu¡¯s eyes as he prepared to deliver another blow to completely shatter Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Form.


    This would result in Qianye Temple losing a Venerable, which would greatly impact the balance of power among the sects, leading to changes in the distribution of certain Tier-4 resources.


    On the Beishu Continent, Tier-4 resources were extremely limited; aside from those that came from other continents, all native Tier-4 resources were divided among the six major sects and other qualified powers.


    The six major sects naturally occupied the majority of Tier-4 resources, which were allocated among them based on the number of top-tier combatants each sect had.


    Venerable Huike discerned Ancestor Lu¡¯s intent and placed his Nascent Soul Dharma Form in front of Ancestor Lu¡¯s using the ¡°As Far as the Horizon¡± technique.


    He was about to speak when he suddenly noticed Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul Dharma Form shrinking rapidly; a spatial fluctuation occurred, and both his Nascent Soul Dharma Form and his Nascent Soul vanished.


    Ancestor Lu and Venerable Huike both understood that this was Venerable Huijing using a special secret technique to send his Nascent Soul back into his body through space.


    This secret technique was greatly limited, requiring the Nascent Soul to be within a certain distance of the body and consuming a portion of the Nascent Soul¡¯s Origin Energy.


    Using such a technique would impact the Nascent Soul; the reduction of Origin Energy meant a corresponding decline in the Nascent Soul¡¯s strength.


    Ancestor Lu felt relieved, thinking that since Qianye Temple had stolen his disciple first, causing a decline in one of its Venerables¡¯ strength was a fitting retaliation. Not to mention Venerable Huijing¡¯s injuries, just this reduction in strength alone had a significant impact on Qianye Temple¡¯s overall capabilities.


    Venerable Huike, however, had mixed feelings; he was glad that Venerable Huijing had managed to escape in time, but he was anxious about Venerable Huijing being out of control and uncertain of what he might do next.


    One should know that Venerable Huijing was influenced by a demonic infection and, although the high monks of Qianye Temple had previously been able to suppress it, there was no guarantee he could free himself from it now, without any help.


    If Venerable Huijing¡¯s inner demon attracted a Heavenly Demon to descend, he could very well become the nightmare of the entire Beishu Continent.


    Venerable Huike dared not pursue; he needed to hold Ancestor Lu back and prevent him from chasing after Venerable Huijing.


    ¡°Huike, hand over Li Yuanba!¡± Ancestor Lu said sternly.


    Having found Venerable Huike, Ancestor Lu was not about to let him go, despite having gained some advantage earlier.


    ¡°Benefactor Lu, I have agreed, but something has occurred within the temple. Please allow me two days, and I can make a Buddhist vow to ensure that Li Yuanba will be returned in good condition!¡± Venerable Huike no longer harbored thoughts of keeping Li Yuanba, especially with such major events occurring within the temple that all other matters could be set aside.


    Ancestor Lu did not press too hard; if Venerable Huike was willing to make a Buddhist vow to prove his intention, then he could not possibly break his word.


    Ancestor Lu felt his communication token vibrate with a message. Sensing it, he discovered that his sect had sent news of Li Yuanba managing to escape.


    With this news, he no longer wanted to press the issue. Having already gained so much, he did not want to stir up trouble over the matter of grievously wounding Venerable Huijing.


    After all, he had avenged Li Yuanba with one fell swoop; knowing that he had gravely wounded a Venerable in revenge for Li Yuanba would surely satisfy him.


    The Li Yuanba he was pondering was just about to meet with his original body, Li Shiming.


    As he was rejoicing in his heart, it seemed that he was about to gain yet another Nascent Soul Body.


    Though he already possessed one Nascent Soul Body, and there was only one Heavenly Ghost, capable of controlling merely one Nascent Soul Body at a time, who knew if any method would emerge in the future that could manipulate Nascent Soul Bodies to fight for him in other ways.


    The Cultivation World harbored too many secret techniques, not to mention the many ancient secret techniques lying untouched within various ruins, awaiting discovery.


    No one could clearly state how many secret techniques there were in the Cultivation World, nor whether there was one capable of manipulating Nascent Soul Bodies.


    Perhaps one day, he would acquire a secret technique that could control Nascent Soul Bodies, allowing him to possess several Nascent Soul Bodies to fight for him concurrently.


    Li Shiming, controlling Li Yuanba¡¯s body, kept thinking about the bright prospects while using the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to hasten his journey.


    It was at this moment that he felt a change in the Venerable Huijing he held.


    Venerable Huijing had transformed from a living dead to a true Venerable; the terrifying aura of the Nascent Soul made it nearly impossible for him to remain standing.


    Although Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul was severely injured, no matter how frail the Nascent Soul was, just a hint of its aura was unbearable for Li Yuanba.


    Nevertheless, Li Shiming soon noted something peculiar; the pressure exerted by Venerable Huijing on Li Yuanba fluctuated, at times strong and at times weak.


    When the pressure was strong, intense rage and murderous intent accompanied Venerable Huijing, but when it was weak, a sense of closeness emanated from him.


    The state of Venerable Huijing was highly unusual, for the Nascent Soul Dharma Form had been critically damaged, carrying his soul and consciousness, along with inner demons.


    Before the severe injury, the inner demons had possessed his soul; his consciousness was almost completely suppressed.


    Subjected to a full-force combined strike from Venerable Huike and Ancestor Lu, the attack of the Nascent Soul Ancestor targeted not just the surface of the Nascent Soul Dharma Form but was comprehensive and also attacked on the level of the soul.


    When the Nascent Soul Dharma Form was critically injured, the soul of Venerable Huijing had also been severely damaged.


    This caused the inner demons to plunge into a severely weakened state, and the consciousness of Venerable Huijing was scattered, leaving behind only the subconscious and instincts.


    This was why after the return of Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul to the body, there were two drastically different emotions towards Li Yuanba.


    In the subconscious of Venerable Huijing, Li Yuanba remained the closest and most trustworthy person; previously, he had entrusted his body after the Nascent Soul Emergence to Li Yuanba¡ªa gesture that handed over his life to Li Yuanba, indicating the extent of the trust.


    In the Cultivation World, even the master-disciple relationship could not achieve this level of trust.


    Initially, Li Shiming was startled by the return of Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul, but since he was controlling an avatar, he had not lost his ability to think.


    He quickly discerned that something was amiss with Venerable Huijing. Otherwise, the subconscious mind relayed through ¡°Telepathy¡± could not have had such an effect, still allowing Venerable Huijing to maintain a strong trust in Li Yuanba until now.


    To describe it as mere trust was no longer accurate; this was reliance, a dependency where one could entrust everything.


    His mind raced with thoughts, his original body was nearing this place, about five miles away from the meeting point.


    But he did not want his original body to fall into danger; even if his avatar were truly to perish, the original body would still have a chance to start over.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s side also needed assistance from the original body; the life-bound treasure IBMz15 offered a reference solution based on all the resources he had at hand, utilizing its powerful computational analysis capability to provide the most reasonable solution.


    Li Shiming did not advance further, but he did not remain idly; he released the Heavenly Ghost.


    The Heavenly Ghost moved extremely fast, covering the five-mile distance in an instant. Li Shiming, controlling the avatar Li Yuanba, conveyed a reassuring sentiment to Venerable Huijing and expressed his absolute trust in the Heavenly Ghost.

 Chapter 655 374: Contract

    Because Venerable Huijing''s heart demon had been severely damaged, his subconscious had barely managed to suppress the heart demon for a short time, allowing his body to be controlled by the subconscious.


    This was why Li Yuanba could still carry Venerable Huijing''s body without being slapped to death by Venerable Huijing.


    In just a few moments, the Heavenly Ghost had reached Venerable Huijing''s side.


    Despite his injuries, Venerable Huijing''s strength was still sufficient to sense the presence of the Heavenly Ghost.


    Though the invisibility ability of the Heavenly Ghost was attained from the Heavenly Demon, it still could not hide its presence in front of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    However, through his clone Li Yuanba, Li Shiming had previously conveyed to Venerable Huijing that the Heavenly Ghost was absolutely trustworthy, which caused Venerable Huijing, then under the control of his subconscious, not to resist the Heavenly Ghost at all.


    The Heavenly Ghost entered Venerable Huijing''s body and almost instinctively discovered the heart demon.


    The heart demon inside Venerable Huijing was extremely stubborn and could not be removed.


    But the Heavenly Ghost created by Li Shiming, a new species fused from a fierce ghost and the Heavenly Demon''s shell, still retained some special abilities of the Heavenly Demon.


    The heart demon could make a cultivator lose control of their mind; when it reached a certain frequency, it would summon the Heavenly Demon.


    The Heavenly Demon was much higher in hierarchy than the heart demon, although the Heavenly Ghost only inherited a small part of its abilities.


    However, the heart demon within Venerable Huijing was not in its strongest state; having engaged in a fierce battle with two Nascent Soul Ancestors and suffered severe injuries, the Heavenly Ghost saw an opportunity.


    The Heavenly Ghost lunged at the heart demon, an ethereal entity that could only be attacked by a being like the Heavenly Ghost, which existed between illusion and reality.


    The Heavenly Ghost opened its mouth¡ªwhile appearing humanoid, its mouth was several times larger than that of an ordinary human, and it swallowed Venerable Huijing''s heart demon in one gulp.


    If it were before Li Shiming''s guiding intervention, when the heart demon had not completely taken over Venerable Huijing''s spirit, the Heavenly Ghost devouring the heart demon could have immediately awakened Venerable Huijing.


    But at this time, the heart demon and Venerable Huijing''s spirit were entangled; devouring the heart demon equated to consuming Venerable Huijing''s affected spirit.


    This was why the heart demon was so difficult to expel; the heart demon and the cultivator''s soul and spirit were closely linked and even entangled, and any attempt to violently remove the heart demon could harm the cultivator himself.


    After the Heavenly Ghost devoured the heart demon, it started swaying as if intoxicated.


    The heart demon, being that of a Nascent Soul Ancestor like Venerable Huijing, contained such abundant spiritual energy that the Heavenly Ghost was overwhelmed by it.


    Li Shiming observed Venerable Huijing and sensed that, just as the Heavenly Ghost was devouring the heart demon, the Heavenly Ghost had already acted before he could intervene.


    He did not know whether the devouring of Venerable Huijing''s heart demon by the Heavenly Ghost would awaken Venerable Huijing.


    While he was worried, he sensed through Li Yuanba''s divine thought that Venerable Huijing was looking at Li Yuanba.


    This was a gaze so clear it had not a single impurity, viewing Li Yuanba as a dear one, even as an only reliance.


    "Has Venerable Huijing gone mad?" Li Shiming thought with shock.


    Venerable Huijing was a Nascent Soul Ancestor; how could he be so fragile?


    He did not consider what Venerable Huijing had endured¡ªfirst tortured by the heart demon for many days, then during recovery, guided by "Telepathy," his spirit was totally defenseless when Li Shiming triggered the complete explosion of the heart demon.


    While under the control of the heart demon, Venerable Huijing had also been seriously injured in a joint attack by two Nascent Soul Ancestors, and then the Heavenly Ghost had devoured his heart demon and spirit. Surviving this far was all thanks to the terrifying vitality of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Li Shiming, controlling the divine thought of his clone Li Yuanba, gently touched Venerable Huijing''s body, wanting to inspect his condition.


    Normally, Venerable Huijing would not allow any cultivator to inspect his body, an instinct of a cultivator.


    But Venerable Huijing made no resistance to Li Yuanba''s examination, instead deliberately restraining his aura to prevent it from affecting Li Yuanba''s divine thought.


    This confirmed to Li Shiming that there was something wrong with Venerable Huijing''s soul.


    Although Venerable Huijing was still alive, the current Venerable Huijing was no longer the same.


    The present Venerable Huijing''s memory and spirit were almost wiped clean.


    What remained in his body was just the realm of the Nascent Soul Stage, a somewhat weak Nascent Soul, fighting instincts, and the subconscious planted by Li Shiming.


    His spirit was almost like a blank slate, one that could be marked and written upon by Li Shiming.


    Once sure there was no danger from Venerable Huijing, Li Shiming, several miles away, flashed to Li Yuanba''s side.


    Through Li Yuanba, and using "Telepathy" beforehand, he had planted the subconscious in Venerable Huijing that he must obey all of Li Shiming''s orders.


    So when Li Shiming appeared, Venerable Huijing''s pure gaze turned to Li Shiming, the way a dog looks at its master.


    Li Shiming''s life-bound magical treasure, the IBMz15, immediately identified a kind of powerful one-sided servant contract that had been planted, which was also the safest way to proceed. Once the contract was made, even if Venerable Huijing regained his original memories, he could not escape the obligations of the contract.


    Naturally, making a contract with a Nascent Soul Ancestor, a being a whole level higher, was not an easy task.


    The first requirement was that the Nascent Soul Ancestor had no resistance at all, which alone made such contracts generally unachievable; how could a Nascent Soul Ancestor possibly tolerate another''s control.

 Chapter 656: 374 Contract_2

    Chapter 656: Chapter 374 Contract_2


    Cultivators capable of becoming Nascent Soul Ancestors, each and every one of them, are not ordinary individuals, having emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Not even in death would they accept a contract that allowed them to be controlled by others.


    However, Venerable Huijing was an exception to this, as he had been influenced by ¡°Telepathy¡± to plant subconscious suggestions and was like a blank sheet of paper.


    In reality, it required the arrangement of a specific Formation, something that posed no difficulty for Li Shiming, an Array Master. The type of Formation needed for the inverse unequal servant contract could be easily arranged by him.


    The last, and most crucial, requirement was that when a Nascent Soul Ancestor signed the contract, their spiritual power couldn¡¯t be overly strong.


    One certainly couldn¡¯t have a Nascent Soul Ancestor unleash their power on oneself, resulting in severe damage to one¡¯s own spirit.


    Therefore, this inverse unequal servant contract is an ancient contract handed down through the ages, with an extremely low chance of being truly applied in the Cultivation World.


    It¡¯s because of the recording feature of the lifebound magical treasure IBMz15, which collected all the knowledge Li Shiming could ever acquire.


    Li Shiming himself hadn¡¯t noticed the inverse unequal servant contract, but with the lifebound magical treasure IBMz15 at hand, it would be found when needed.


    Without any hesitation, he arranged the Formation for the inverse unequal servant contract within the server room space.


    He didn¡¯t need to worry about Venerable Huijing regaining his memories in the short term, and he knew that it wouldn¡¯t be long before many cultivators, including Nascent Soul Ancestors, would come seeking him.


    He brought Venerable Huijing into the server room space. Venerable Huijing offered no resistance to being taken, and when he appeared in another unfamiliar environment, he showed no sign of anything being amiss.


    For every inch of the server room space carried Li Shiming¡¯s aura, the scent of the master whom he was obliged to obey.


    ¡°Proceed with caution!¡± Li Shiming released his control over his clone, Li Yuanba, and instructed him in a deep voice.


    Li Yuanba nodded vigorously, realizing that if it hadn¡¯t been for his original body coming to the rescue, he might have truly perished at Qianye Temple.


    He rose into the air and used Sword Escape, heading towards Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    At the same time, he reported his position to the sect and sent another message confirming his safety.


    As he flew towards Jieshan Mountain Pass, he spotted a figure approaching from his direction.


    Of course, the figure was still so far away that even his ¡°Divine Eyesight¡± couldn¡¯t observe it.


    The sole reason he was aware of this figure was due to the images shared by Li Shiming, which came from an unmanned drone satellite system.


    Even though the area around the figure¡¯s body was blurred, Li Yuanba was still able to vaguely identify that this was his master-ancestor, Ancestor Lu.


    Therefore, he did not employ ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to dodge, and instead continued flying at a steady pace, waiting for Ancestor Lu¡¯s arrival.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ancestor Lu caught up with Li Yuanba.


    ¡°Yuan Ba, you actually managed to escape from Qianye Temple!¡± Ancestor Lu looked Li Yuanba up and down, laughing heartily as he spoke.


    Of course, he was delighted, for having dealt a heavy blow to Venerable Huijing, Qianye Temple¡¯s strength would be significantly impaired for quite a long period.


    He was unaware that Venerable Huijing¡¯s condition was much more than just severe injuries¡ªit was a much more troublesome matter.


    Another joyful matter for him was that Li Yuanba, relying on his own abilities, had escaped from Qianye Temple.


    This incident, once spread, would surely embarrass Qianye Temple profoundly.


    Qianye Temple had used Venerable Huike to capture Li Yuanba, and after numerous Arhats from within Qianye Temple failed to capture him in an ambush, Venerable Huike finally seized Li Yuanba. The event itself was already a loss of face for Qianye Temple.


    Not to mention that Li Yuanba, having been captured, still managed to escape on his own from Qianye Temple.


    Ancestor Lu could almost envision the next encounter with the Venerables of Qianye Temple, where he would use this incident to mock them mercilessly.


    ¡°Ancestor, thank you for coming to my aid. Qianye Temple was in chaos for some reason, and I took the opportunity to escape!¡± Li Yuanba would certainly not reveal the whole truth, instead, he bowed and thanked Ancestor Lu.


    ¡°You no longer have to worry about Qianye Temple making a move against you, for at least a hundred years they will not have the strength to oppose our sect!¡± Ancestor Lu said with a smile, offering reassurance.


    Li Yuanba knew why this was the case, and he understood it even more clearly than Ancestor Lu.


    When Ancestor Lu said they would not have the strength to oppose the Senluo Sect for a hundred years, he was in fact understating it. Given Venerable Huijing¡¯s situation, it was as if Qianye Temple had lost a Venerable. Therefore, without a replacement to make up for the lost balance of high-end combat power, they would not dare to be enemies with the Senluo Sect.


    Of course, with the resources of Qianye Temple, they would choose one amongst the Great Arhats with the most potential for Nascent Soul ascension, shift all resources towards them, and seek to elevate another Venerable as soon as possible.


    However, such an allocation of resources was not without its pitfalls, as it was tantamount to overextending the sect¡¯s foundation.


    ¡°You¡¯re moving too slowly; I¡¯ll take you back!¡± Ancestor Lu, in good spirits, said while accelerating their flight with Li Yuanba.


    Meanwhile, Li Shiming was still employing the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± and the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique¡± in conjunction, using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± to move rapidly through the shadows of trees and rocks.


    In the space of his machine room, the inverted and inequitable servant contract was in the process of being signed.


    This complex contract was not much of an issue for him; no matter how intricate the procedures were, with the support of his lifebound magical treasure, the IBM z15, everything became simpler.


    Venerable Huijing obediently entered the center of the contract formation. Li Shiming took a drop of his own blood and sent it into the machine room space. The blood flew into the formation.


    Above the formation, a contract pattern emerged, and the blood merged into the pattern.


    The contract pattern slowly descended towards Venerable Huijing. If there was any unwillingness, either physical or spiritual, the contract could not be completed.


    The so-called inverted and inequitable servant contract was one where lower ranks dominate and higher ranks serve, an arrangement intrinsically fraught with limitations.


    Fortunately, there were no surprises. Venerable Huijing quietly let the contract pattern fall onto his body, integrating into his spirit.


    Li Shiming felt a sudden heaviness in his head, nearly causing him to break out of the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± sequence. The timely intervention of his lifebound magical treasure, the IBM z15, distributed the impact on his spirit, preventing any mishaps.


    He first checked his own condition. Originally, with his one hundred ninety-one brains, he could refine around two thousand corpses of the same rank.


    But now, just by signing the inverted and inequitable servant contract with Venerable Huijing, he felt as if a large portion of his capacity for contracts was occupied, which meant he could at most refine about five hundred more corpses of the same rank.


    In other words, a single servant like Venerable Huijing was equivalent to refining one thousand five hundred Silver Corpses.


    No wonder, even with his one hundred ninety-one brains, signing a contract with Venerable Huijing still almost caused trouble due to the soul impact.


    Considering the effort required to refine one thousand five hundred Silver Corpses at once, one could gauge the intensity of these soul impacts.


    Li Shiming felt a surge of excitement. He had secured a real Nascent Soul Ancestor as his servant.


    This wasn¡¯t merely a Nascent Soul Body without an actual Nascent Soul, just an empty shell.


    One of his spirit¡¯s projections entered Venerable Huijing¡¯s body within the machine room space.


    Because of the inverted and inequitable servant contract, he could sense Venerable Huijing¡¯s spirit.


    Regrettably, his control over Venerable Huijing was not as smooth as with his Corpse Refining; he needed to issue commands through their spiritual connection and then Venerable Huijing would carry them out. Shiming couldn¡¯t directly control Huijing.


    He chuckled and shook his head, realizing he was being too greedy.


    Securing a Nascent Soul Ancestor as a servant was already an enormous boon.


    He discovered Venerable Huijing lacked any spatial artifacts on his person, with the only Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure being Four-Grade Treasure Appearance Ruyi Buddha Beads within Venerable Huijing¡¯s body, his lifebound magical treasure.


    Venerable Huijing¡¯s spatial artifacts, along with many other treasures, were left in his cave dwelling.


    The reason for this was to prevent the use of powerful Spiritual Objects from the spatial artifacts in the event of a demonic mental breakdown.

 Chapter 657: 375 Influence

    Chapter 657: Chapter 375 Influence


    Li Shiming checked Venerable Huijing¡¯s injuries and upon examination, he found the venerable¡¯s Nascent Soul to be extremely weak.


    He didn¡¯t have any Spirit Pills that could treat Nascent Soul injuries on hand, and such pills were unlikely to ever be in his possession.


    As for Venerable Huijing¡¯s injuries, they would have to naturally heal over time.


    Li Shiming activated the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Veins of the Fourth-Grade Locking Vein Plate for Venerable Huijing and gave him an order to heal through cultivation on his own.


    Venerable Huijing sat down cross-legged. Cultivation had become instinct for him¡ª even with lost memories, the Nascent Soul still managed to control the intake of Spiritual Energy into the body, entering the state of cultivation.


    After observing for a while, Li Shiming noticed that although Venerable Huijing¡¯s Nascent Soul was severely injured, the injury did not worsen too much once he began cultivating.


    However, as to how long it would take for the injury to heal, that was unknown.


    It¡¯s worth noting that a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s retreat for cultivation could take months or even years, and Li Shiming knew too little about such beings.


    If Venerable Huijing¡¯s injuries were to heal sooner, what was needed was a Fourth Grade healing Spirit Pill.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to wait for Huijing to recover on his own!¡± Li Shiming uttered with the resignation of someone who couldn¡¯t afford better treatment.


    Although he was incredibly wealthy and even had some Fourth Grade Spiritual Objects, in the face of Venerable Huijing¡¯s injuries, he still felt his own poverty.


    Looking at Venerable Huijing¡¯s appearance, he knew that just by showing up outside of the bunker space, any cultivator who saw him would likely guess the venerable¡¯s identity.


    While having a Nascent Soul Ancestor by one¡¯s side for protection was extremely comforting, it wasn¡¯t a good deal if it attracted the attention of Qianye Temple.


    ¡°Huijing, can you grow some hair?¡± Li Shiming commanded Venerable Huijing through the one-sided servant¡¯s pact.


    To request a monk, especially a Nascent Soul Stage Venerable, to grow hair was a demand that, if expressed to any other Venerable, would get one¡¯s head smashed in.


    But Venerable Huijing, while continuing to cultivate his primary Cultivation Technique, complied with Li Shiming¡¯s command.


    Strand by strand of white hair sprouted out on the previously bald Venerable Huijing. Soon, he had a head of white hair which styled itself into a daoist topknot.


    Li Shiming inspected Venerable Huijing in detail within the bunker space through his mental connection, and even though Huijing now had hair, his face was still recognizable.


    Maintaining his soul connection with Huijing, as he pondered, Venerable Huijing¡¯s appearance transformed and his white hair turned black.


    After a few moments, he no longer saw the previous Venerable Huijing, but instead a young man with black hair.


    Only then did Li Shiming remember that cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage could easily change their appearance, although those at this stage rarely cared about their looks.


    Li Yuanba received the treatment due to a Nascent Soul Ancestor as Ancestor Lu forcibly breached the Jieshan Formation, protecting him and bringing him through.


    At the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass, Ancestor Lu left him behind and headed towards the sect entrance.


    ¡°Junior Li!¡± A voice, full of surprise, called out from the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass, as Jiang Pu, Meng Sheng, and Shi Can, the three Golden Core Elders, flew out together.


    Ancestor Lu¡¯s disturbance was quite significant, and they had been preparing to meet the Nascent Soul Ancestor, but when they emerged, they saw only Li Yuanba.


    Since Li Yuanba was abducted by Venerable Huike, Jiang Pu and the others had been overwhelmed with guilt, believing that if they hadn¡¯t asked Li Yuanba to help, he might not have been captured.


    ¡°Ancestor Lu rescued you; we failed you, drawing you into danger!¡± Jiang Pu approached Li Yuanba, bowed solemnly to apologize, the other two Golden Core Elders followed suit to express their remorse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; it would have happened sooner or later even without this incident. Qianye Temple is set on capturing me!¡± Li Yuanba quickly helped Jiang Pu to his feet and said.


    This was the truth; with a Venerable involved, without this opportunity, they would have found another way to ensnare him.


    He couldn¡¯t always stay within Jieshan City and even Jieshan City wasn¡¯t guaranteed safety¡ª for Venerable Huike, breaking through the Jieshan Mountain Pass was not difficult.


    Of course, if Qianye Temple attempted anything against Li Yuanba after this incident, it would definitely spark a Nascent Soul conflict between Qianye Temple and the Senluo Sect.


    If not for Ancestor Lu feeling greatly benefited from the situation, he would not have so easily concluded the matter.


    Ying Hou and Xin Tong, the two Golden Core Elders from the Righteous Path side, also reported that Ancestor Lu¡¯s passage through their grand formation had been noticed.


    In fact, unless a Nascent Soul Ancestor used a Secret Technique to conceal their presence, their movements couldn¡¯t escape the surveillance of various Formations.


    The influence of Ancestor Lu¡¯s forceful entry into the Righteous Path territory was not insignificant.


    Nevertheless, related information about this event was conveyed to the five major sects by the Senluo Sect.


    As the wrongful party in this incident, it was no surprise that Ancestor Lu was angered, apart from Qianye Temple, the Shushan Sect and the Thousand Illusion Sect stayed out of it.


    Qianye Temple had captured Ancestor Lu¡¯s genius disciple, which was a personal matter to the Nascent Soul Ancestor. Ancestor Lu¡¯s response was supported by even the larger sects of the Righteous Path.


    Over the years, due to the inheritance of various Divine Skills, Qianye Temple¡¯s actions had become increasingly arrogant, long causing discontent among the other major sects.

 Chapter 658 375 Influence_2

    Just like the Venerable of the Qianye Temple from Shushan Sect, who once dared to obstruct Li Shiming, he was also the disciple of a Nascent Soul Ancestor. If it wasn''t for the warning issued by the Fan Ancestor at the time, perhaps Li Shiming might have been captured by Qianye Temple as well.


    There were many such incidents, and they appeared trivial, but when such trivial matters accumulated, they were enough to influence his reputation within the large sects.


    Li Yuan Ba didn''t understand these behind-the-scenes events; he just responded to the messages from the concerned Righteous Path Golden Core Elders.


    He also learned from Ying Hou that the Righteous Path was negotiating with Senluo Sect, and Jieshan Mountain Pass was in a state of complete suspension.


    After he was captured, Senluo Sect stopped all transactions, even though this affected Senluo Sect as well, but Old Demon Lu''s wrath was evident, and the sect also needed to make corresponding responses.


    Li Yuan Ba didn''t want to inquire about these matters anymore; this capture made him feel that his own strength was still too weak.


    He had sufficient cultivation resources and treasures like Ten Thousand Sword Peak that could aid his Sword Intent enhancement at the Golden Core Stage; what he needed to do now was simply to keep enhancing his strength.


    He needed to take advantage of the time when Qianye Temple was weakened to increase his strength to a self-sufficient level.


    This was not an impossible task; even in the best-case scenario, it would take at least a hundred years for Qianye Temple to produce another Venerable.


    With over a century, given Li Yuanba''s cultivation speed, although he didn''t dare to guarantee that he could advance to the Nascent Soul stage, it was still certain he could reach the status of a Great Elder.


    Li Yuanba bid farewell to Jiang Pu and the other three Golden Core Elders, returning to the Jieshan City Guardian Mansion.


    Although he had been captured by Qianye Temple, it hadn''t affected Jieshan City; the city remained just as he had left it.


    The matter of his capture had alarmed at least the Golden Core cultivators; those in Jieshan City were not yet at the level to be privy to the high-level news.


    Upon his return, he immediately applied for partial authority over the Jieshan Formation.


    In the past, he hadn''t paid much attention to the authority over the Jieshan Formation; after all, he could easily enter and exit the formation.


    But after this incident, he realized he had underestimated his own security situation.


    His application was swiftly approved; the authority over the Jieshan Formation he requested was not the control authority but the sharing of the formation''s detection authority.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor could potentially use a secret technique to conceal their realm, thus deceiving the formation.


    If a Nascent Soul Ancestor wanted to forcefully pass through the formation, unless they possessed the ability of an Array Master and had computational analytical capabilities as formidable as Shiming''s, they could only tear open the formation with overwhelming force, like Old Demon Lu did.


    If they forced their way through the formation, their secret technique for hiding their realm would no longer function, and the formation would detect the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    What Li Yuan Ba needed was this functionality, to detect the appearance of a Nascent Soul Ancestor at Jieshan Mountain Pass as early as possible. With the distance from Jieshan Mountain Pass to Jieshan City, wearing the mind-enhancing headband and using "Step by Step Lotus," he would have enough time to escape.


    Even if Venerable Huike used "Within an Inch, a World Apart," he was confident that he could escape considering the distance.


    The impact of Li Yuanba''s capture lasted for half a month, causing great losses to all factions.


    It wasn''t until Qianye Temple took the initiative to propose a series of compensation plans to Senluo Sect and provided compensation to the impacted Shushan Sect and Thousand Illusion Sect, that the incident was somewhat resolved.


    However, the subsequent far-reaching impact of this event did not end with the reopening of Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    As for the events that had occurred in Qianye Temple, the spy networks of the various sects did not grasp the details, only knowing that Venerable Huijing fell under the influence of inner demons and fought a great battle with Venerable Huike, after which Old Demon Lu joined the fight and injured Venerable Huijing.


    Subsequently, there were no further reports on the whereabouts of Venerable Huijing, and the major sects believed he was recovering from his injuries and combating his inner demons within Qianye Temple.


    According to Old Demon Lu, even if Venerable Huijing''s injuries healed, his strength would have decreased significantly, no longer on par with Old Demon Lu''s combat power.


    Half a month later, in Qianye Temple, Venerable Huike sat inside the Bodhi Hall.


    The Bodhi Hall had suffered damage from Venerable Huijing''s destruction, and multiple parts of the outer wall were broken, yet these damages did not affect the Buddha statues on the walls.


    At the damaged spots on the wall, the Buddha statues seemed to be covered by a layer of luminescent film, filling in the breaches.


    Venerable Huike looked helplessly at the damage to Bodhi Hall, and although the true meaning manifested in the form of the Buddha statue was unaffected, the resources needed to repair Bodhi Hall were still immensely consumed.


    Of course, compared to the matter of Venerable Huijing, the repair of Bodhi Hall was not considered a major issue.


    After ending the confrontation with Old Demon Lu, Venerable Huike returned to the temple, only to find that Venerable Huijing was missing.


    It was only after investigating that he learned Li Yuanba had left with the body of Venerable Huijing.


    Venerable Huike did not believe that Li Yuanba could do much with the body of Venerable Huijing, let alone after the return of Venerable Huijing''s Nascent Soul to his body.


    News from the Senluo Sect indicated that Li Yuanba had been taken back to their sect by Old Demon Lu.


    Venerable Huike now suspected that Old Demon Lu had found the injured Venerable Huijing and taken him back to the Senluo Sect, which was definitely not what he wanted to see.


    However, from the current intelligence, it seemed that Old Demon Lu probably hadn''t discovered Venerable Huijing; otherwise, with Old Demon Lu''s temperament, he would not have kept it a secret.


    What reassured Venerable Huike the most was that Venerable Huijing was still alive; on the security restrictions of Venerable Huijing''s cave dwelling at Qianye Temple, there remained a spirit seal of Venerable Huijing.


    If Venerable Huijing had fallen, the spirit seal would not vanish immediately, but it would at least fade gradually.


    Half a month had passed, and the spirit seal had not changed at all, indicating that Venerable Huijing was alive and well.


    "Amitabha!" A Buddha''s name echoed in Bodhi Hall, as an old monk entered.


    "Venerable Huikong, I have disturbed your cultivation!" Venerable Huike hurriedly stepped forward to greet him in reverence.


    "What has happened to Junior Brother Huijing?" Venerable Huikong asked in a grave voice.


    He was not satisfied with Venerable Huike; it had been his turn to look after Qianye Temple, and yet he had allowed so many troubles to arise in the temple.


    Of course, Venerable Huijing was even stronger than Venerable Huike, but it was during his battle with inner demons in the temple that Venerable Huijing encountered problems; Venerable Huike had not dealt with it in time and had even allowed Old Demon Lu to come knocking at their door.


    Though he did not voice his blame, his attitude said it all.


    "Huijing was affected by inner demons and severely wounded four monks who were reciting the monk''s intentions. I wanted to hold him off in the Thirty-Three Heavens, but who knew that Old Demon Lu would come and injure Huijing. Afterward, Huijing disappeared.


    However, Huijing is still alive, just whereabouts unknown. At present, I don''t know his condition; his injuries that day were severe, he did not have spirit pills for healing with him, and he was under the siege of inner demons!" Venerable Huike reported without concealment.


    To him, Venerable Huikong was like an elder, as he had received guidance from Venerable Huikong in his youth.


    "Activate all the spies, start the secret agents in all the major sects; we must find out the whereabouts of Junior Brother Huijing. Until then, I will not enter seclusion again but will deal with this matter together with you!" Venerable Huikong ordered solemnly.


    "Yes, Elder Brother!" Venerable Huike bowed in response.


    "Additionally, initiate the succession planning and begin to assess all Great Arhats!" Venerable Huikong continued to instruct.


    Venerable Huike was taken aback as he had not expected Venerable Huikong to have such plans.


    This implied that Venerable Huikong was not optimistic about Venerable Huijing''s situation, believing the chances of Venerable Huijing''s return to Qianye Temple to be very slim.


    Although Venerable Huikong had not cultivated any Divine Skills, his long practice of Divine Soul Skill had given him an intuition about many things.


    This kind of intuition was common among cultivators, but his was more sensitive and accurate.


    "Could it be that Huijing is...?" Venerable Huike didn''t finish his sentence; he had spent hundreds of years with Venerable Huijing, and the thought of Venerable Huijing never being able to return was immensely difficult for him to accept, even as a monk.


    "In my intuition, Junior Brother Huijing is extremely far from Qianye Temple, he might even no longer be in this world!" Venerable Huikong said with a strange look in his eyes and a heavy voice.


    Even though he trusted his intuition a great deal, the situation of Venerable Huijing within the intuition still puzzled him greatly.

 Chapter 659: 376: Transaction

    Chapter 659: Chapter 376: Transaction


    The Venerable Huijing, thought of by Venerable Huikong and Venerable Huike with affection, was sitting quietly cross-legged in the space of the Cultivation Room, with the Nascent Soul Body, Fake Infant Body, and a Great Elder Level Body Refining beside him.


    The Heavenly Ghost was resting inside the Nascent Soul Body, and for the Heavenly Ghost, this rest was a form of cultivation. The Nascent Soul Body was passively strengthening the Heavenly Ghost continuously.


    The gains of the Heavenly Ghost this time were substantial. Since Li Shiming¡¯s return to the sect several months ago, the Heavenly Ghost had finally digested the benefits received.


    The Heavenly Ghost could now control the Fake Infant Body to move like a normal person, but it was still unable to control the Fake Infant Body to participate in combat, as it couldn¡¯t mobilize the immense power of the Fake Infant Body. Being able to make the Fake Infant Body move normally was already its limit.


    Li Shiming had also been stable for a few months. Having calmed down from the surprise of gaining a servant like the Nascent Soul Ancestor Venerable Huijing, he had thrown himself back into cultivation.


    The consumption of a large number of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, occasionally even Top-grade Third-Grade Spirit Pills, kept his cultivation speed far surpassing other cultivators of the same level.


    During this time, his strength had been growing ever closer to the peak of the Golden Core Early Stage. However, it was not perceptible on the surface because the aura he exhibited when breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, aside from the total amount of Spiritual Power being insufficient, was indistinguishable from the aura of those at the peak of the Golden Core Early Stage.


    The strength of the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao had also stabilized, and despite consuming a fair amount of Third-grade Spirit Pills recently, its strength increased extremely slowly.


    It is known that the more noble the bloodline of a spirit beast, the longer its growth period. For the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao to have experienced some noticeable growth in just a few months was already quite good.


    After shrinking, the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao stayed in the space of the Cultivation Room daily, sharing the Spiritual Energy within the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein with Venerable Huijing.


    The communication channel between him and his clone Li Yuanba had been restored. The new Guardian Golden Core Elder assigned to the Jieshan Mountain Pass by the Righteous Path had joined the operation of maintaining the smuggling business upon arrival.


    It was Qianye Temple that wanted to set a trap, which is why Wisdom Light Arhat was sent to cause trouble at Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    The other Golden Core cultivators sought to go there solely for personal gain.


    Without considerable resources, it is very difficult to stand out during the Golden Core Stage.


    Li Shiming sat in the Cultivation Room. He engaged one hundred and fifty brains and delved into the space of the Cultivation Room to study Venerable Huijing.


    This was an important task he had added in recent months. The reason he didn¡¯t use all his brains was that he had dozens of brains occupied with controlling thirteen Silver Corpses, conducting scientific research and manufacturing work.


    Even the recent communication with the outside world was handled by the Silver Corpses; he rarely met with visitors in person anymore.


    His mind sank into Venerable Huijing¡¯s body, sharing the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s cultivation feelings through the bond of the one-sided unequal servant contract.


    To Li Shiming, sharing the cultivation experiences of a Nascent Soul Ancestor was as difficult as a primary school student trying to understand college-level advanced mathematics problems.


    Venerable Huijing¡¯s comprehension of Spiritual Power had risen to a level beyond his understanding.


    But it wasn¡¯t without benefit. With the help of his innate magical treasure, the IBM z15, to analyze and study, he was able to gain some higher-level insights from Venerable Huijing.


    These insights were not something that he should have known at his current level. No Nascent Soul Ancestor would allow another cultivator to probe into their soul during cultivation and share their experiences.


    No matter how close the relationship, it is not possible to be this close.


    In the Cultivation World, cultivators are actually lonely. Even the best relationships between cultivators, including the lineage between master and disciple, would not allow a master to agree to let a disciple get too close to themselves.


    Venerable Huijing, although injured, would not be able to take action for a long time. However, Li Shiming had found another way to utilize him.


    By sharing Venerable Huijing¡¯s cultivation experiences constantly, Li Shiming felt his comprehension of Spiritual Power had greatly improved.


    As for how much it had improved, Li Shiming could not describe it in quantitative terms. It was an indescribable insight.


    If not for the soul connection with Venerable Huijing through the contract, it would be impossible to share such high-level insights by any other means.


    Even just a sliver of these high-level insights had greatly accelerated his cultivation speed at the Golden Core Early Stage.


    By his own estimation, even with enough Third-grade Spirit Pills, it would take several years for him to advance to the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Yet in such a short time, he had neared the Golden Core Early Stage Peak. If he didn¡¯t feel so stable in his own realm, he would have doubted if there was an issue with his cultivation.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t continue for long, and after two hours, he ended the soul connection with Venerable Huijing.


    He noticed a message on the communication device. Opening it, he discovered it was from Wisdom Flame Arhat of Qianye Temple¡¯s Medicine Buddha Hall.


    He had previously used the channels of Shushan Sect to express his interest in obtaining the content of the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill for stages beyond the Golden Core Stage.


    A Body Refining Technique like the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± though powerful, has too many restrictions due to the need to deeply study Buddhist teachings. Even a great sect like Shushan didn¡¯t have the content of the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill for the Nascent Soul chapter.


    Besides Buddhist Practitioners, few cultivators would practice the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡±


    Li Shiming was just trying his luck as his circle of acquaintances was now vast, and it was possible that a Golden Core cultivator might have the full content of this Cultivation Technique.

 Chapter 660: 376: Transaction_2

    Chapter 660: Chapter 376: Transaction_2


    The Wisdom Flame Arhat of Qianye Temple, who supervised the alchemy affairs within the temple, had not expected that Wisdom Flame Arhat would initiate contact with him and offer the complete text of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡±


    In reality, his need for the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± Nascent Soul Chapter wasn¡¯t urgent, as he had just reached the Golden Core Early Stage and it would take decades, perhaps even centuries, to require the Nascent Soul Chapter ¡ª it all depended on when he would breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    However, since he had received news of the complete ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± he wouldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity.


    Considering the great troubles that Qianye Temple had gone through previously, it was unlikely they would seek further trouble at this time. Moreover, as long as he didn¡¯t leave Sword Holding Peak or the gates of Shushan Sect, nothing would happen.


    He used a communication token to reply to Wisdom Flame Arhat. Initially intending to schedule a meeting with Wisdom Flame Arhat, he had not expected Wisdom Flame Arhat to be at Shushan Sect, waiting for him.


    ¡°So proactive?¡±, murmured Li Shiming as he activated the formation of Sword Holding Peak.


    In the underground workshop area, a Silver Corpse finished its tasks, exited the factory area, and waited in the pavilion outside the cave residence.


    He had thirteen Silver Corpses; among them, only two lacked the extraordinary ability of having multiple heads and arms, and one of them was even refined from the corpse of Jue Tu. Although he had altered its appearance, he wouldn¡¯t choose to meet with the Arhats of Qianye Temple using this particular Silver Corpse.


    The Silver Corpse he chose was cultivated by the Elder Lv whom he had killed and, after nurturing it for so long, its strength had reached the peak of the Silver Corpse Middle Stage.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat flew into Sword Holding Peak, a Spirit Peak that seemed ordinary but was a coveted location for many Golden Core cultivators.


    Li Shiming, this Alchemy Master, had influenced the entire affair of Spirit Pills throughout the Beishu Continent.


    It was fortunate that Li Shiming did not fully unleash his alchemical abilities, saving some livelihood for other Alchemy Masters. Otherwise, with the strong alchemy skills demonstrated by Li Shiming, other alchemists on the Beishu Continent would hardly receive any alchemy assignments.


    Back when Li Shiming was a high-level Alchemist, he terrifyingly managed to simultaneously refine ten furnaces of third-grade spirit pills while maintaining the theoretical maximum quality in all ten furnaces.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat was familiar with Li Shiming; Qianye Temple had once offended him, resulting in Li Shiming suspending his alchemy services to them. It was only after the temple paid a significant compensation that the services were restored.


    This time, upon learning that Li Shiming wished to obtain the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± Nascent Soul Chapter, Wisdom Flame Arhat immediately reported it to the temple, seeing it as a good opportunity to cultivate a relationship with Li Shiming.


    The Nascent Soul Chapter of ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was just one of many top-tier body refining techniques at Qianye Temple, and its difficulty level ensured that the cultivation technique need not worry about leaking out.


    The temple agreed to his proposal and assigned him to handle this matter.


    Since Qianye Temple had decided to cultivate a Venerable, many resources would be needed, transformed from raw materials into spirit pills.


    All Golden Core cultivators across the Beishu Continent knew that entrusting their alchemy materials to Li Shiming for refining was the most cost-effective option.


    Even though a portion of the yield would be taken by Li Shiming, the quality of the spirit pills he produced far surpassed the worth of his commission.


    While Li Shiming didn¡¯t yet have the ability to refine spirit pills for the Late-stage Golden Core, the resources needed to cultivate a Great Arhat were not a one-time refinement but required a span of over a hundred years.


    By the time Li Shiming¡¯s prowess reached the Golden Core Middle Stage, he would be able to refine spirit pills for the Late-stage Golden Core, and once he advanced to the Late-stage Golden Core, he would then be able to refine the crucial fourth-grade spirit pills.


    All of this was accounted for in Qianye Temple¡¯s calculations; the only concern was whether Li Shiming would agree to the alchemy, which was Wisdom Flame Arhat¡¯s mission.


    Upon reaching the top of Sword Holding Peak, Wisdom Flame Arhat instantly felt the presence of the Silver Corpse, an essence he considered an evil entity, and he nearly acted to eliminate it.


    But remembering that this was Master Li¡¯s domain, he forcefully suppressed the urge to strike.


    ¡°Wisdom Flame Arhat, I am currently in seclusion and it¡¯s inconvenient for me to move. I apologize for meeting you in this manner,¡± a metallic voice issued from the Silver Corpse¡¯s mouth.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat¡¯s expression changed drastically, as he had not expected that the person in charge of the Medicine Buddha Hall of the Qianye Temple would not be greeted personally by Li Shiming.


    He almost turned around and left. In such a short time, his emotions fluctuated continuously, which was extremely rare for him as a Buddhist Practitioner.


    ¡°Master Li, that you could meet with me amidst your busy schedule is already an honor for me!¡± Even though he was annoyed, considering the trust placed in him by Qianye Temple, he forced himself to maintain a humble demeanor.


    ¡°The complete ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ what price must I pay?¡± Li Shiming asked very directly through the Silver Corpse.


    ¡°Master Li surely knows that the ¡®Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ is among the top Body Refinement Techniques in Buddhism, and my version includes parts from the Nascent Soul Stage. Its value is the highest among all the cultivation techniques on the Beishu Continent. My demands are not high, I only need an agreement for twenty instances of alchemy services from you, Master Li!¡± Wisdom Flame Arhat said with a smile.


    Twenty instances of alchemy services didn¡¯t sound like much, but Li Shiming immediately thought about the crux of the matter.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat wasn¡¯t demanding immediate alchemy, but an agreement for twenty instances of providing alchemy services.


    With Qianye Temple¡¯s connections, even using channels like the Beishu Trading Company to produce Third-grade Spirit Pills for the Middle Stage Golden Core wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Since Qianye Temple made such an agreement, it certainly wasn¡¯t for Middle-stage Golden Core Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    As everyone knows, the higher the quality of the Spirit Pills, the more time and effort required to refine them also greatly increases.


    Third-grade Spirit Pills at the Early Stage Golden Core can be refined in two hours, but the same pills at the Middle Stage require more than three hours, depending on the complexity of handling the Third-grade Spiritual Medicine.


    If they were for the Late-stage Golden Core Third-grade Spirit Pills, it would take between six to ten hours, while Fourth-grade Spirit Pills would require several days.


    If Li Shiming could indeed refine Third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core, he would need to consider the attitude of Shushan Sect when taking alchemy commissions.


    Unlike previous Third-grade Spirit Pills, those intended for use by cultivators in the Late-stage Golden Core were strategic resources.


    Shushan Sect would strictly limit Li Shiming¡¯s external production of Third-grade Spirit Pills for the Late-stage Golden Core, especially those involving promotion to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    ¡°Wisdom Flame Arhat, please make clear the level and quality requirements for the twenty instances of alchemy services, then I will consider whether to proceed with the trade!¡± Li Shiming said gravely through the Silver Corpse.


    Wisdom Flame Arhat hadn¡¯t expected Li Shiming to be so cautious, and thus hadn¡¯t been able to exploit any loopholes.


    ¡°I have some special Third-grade Spirit Pills that require your advancement to the Middle Late Stage Golden Core before you can refine them. I see potential in your future, and this is also a gamble, but I believe the conditions I offered are very suitable!¡± Wisdom Flame Arhat tried to argue.


    ¡°Wisdom Flame Arhat, this is an underestimation of me, to gamble on my advancement to the Middle Late Stage Golden Core. Be it known, I can agree to the conditions, but each instance of alchemy must also include an appropriate compensation for the Spirit Pills being refined!¡± Li Shiming said lightly through the Silver Corpse.


    He considered more deeply. From Wisdom Flame Arhat¡¯s intentions, he discerned that the required Spirit Pills would not only be Third-grade but could even be Fourth-grade, which is why there was mention of needing to advance to the Late-stage Golden Core.


    And the special Fourth-grade Spirit Pills for advancing to the Late-stage Golden Core would only be those that accompany the advancement to Nascent Soul.


    He didn¡¯t mind refining Nascent Soul-advancing Fourth-grade Spirit Pills for Qianye Temple, because he also needed those companion Fourth-grade Spirit Pills.


    Even if Shushan Sect provided him a set of Nascent Soul-advancing Fourth-grade Spirit Pills, Li Yuanba¡¯s clone was lacking, not to mention his own body, which housed five Golden Cores; one could never know what troubles might arise during a breakthrough, and it was always good to prepare more.


    ¡°No problem, please rest assured about the compensation, Master Li!¡± Wisdom Flame Arhat¡¯s face broke into a smile, and he replied as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.


    As long as Li Shiming agreed to perform the alchemy services, everything else was negotiable, and the compensation was a minor matter for a great sect like Qianye Temple.

 Chapter 661: 377: Induction

    Chapter 661: Chapter 377: Induction


    Li Shiming was holding a golden Jade Scroll in his hand, which had just been brought back by the Silver Corpse.


    The Wisdom Flame Arhat was rather forthright; as soon as Li Shiming agreed to the terms, he left behind the complete ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.¡±


    The contents of the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± were entirely copied into his life-bound magical artifact IBMz15 after his Divine Thought entered the Jade Scroll.


    Obviously, Qianye Temple hadn¡¯t tampered with this ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± at all, for it included not only the technique itself but also many cultivators¡¯ insights who had practiced this skill.


    This could be said to be a complete legacy of Body Refining Techniques, incorporating techniques, insights, and experiential wisdom, a legacy that could only have been summarized over thousands of years.


    Yet such a legacy of ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± which surprised Li Shiming, was easily handed over to him by Qianye Temple.


    What Li Shiming didn¡¯t know was that the completeness of this legacy was Qianye Temple¡¯s gesture of goodwill towards him.


    During Qianye Temple¡¯s period of weakened strength, the importance of Li Shiming, the Alchemy Master, became even greater.


    Apart from the plan to cultivate a Venerable which required Li Shiming¡¯s help, there were also other Spirit Pills that needed Li Shiming¡¯s handiwork.


    Moreover, the plan to cultivate a Venerable was not guaranteed to succeed; not to mention a hundred percent, even a ten percent success rate would be decent.


    In case of failure, they would still need Li Shiming to continue assisting in Alchemy, so it was prudent to maintain a good relationship with him in advance.


    Carefully comparing this ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± he discovered there were some differences from the one he was practicing.


    The ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡± was widely circulated; many sects had collected versions at least up to the Golden Core volume and earlier.


    But in its transmission, either intentionally or unintentionally, there were always some errors and discrepancies.


    The version from Qianye Temple appeared to Li Shiming to be the most orthodox; he adjusted his own Vajra power based on this legacy¡¯s contents.


    Having reached the peak level of the Golden Core in the ¡°Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡± he had already achieved Great Elder-level Body Refining Power, an area in which he could no longer ascend.


    However, after adjusting his Vajra power, he found that his Body Refining power had increased by another ten percent.


    This ten percent was purely the result of the technique; after the adjustment, the Vajra power inside his body enhanced its augmentation on his physique.


    Li Shiming then reverted to his daily routine of cultivating, Alchemy research, and life was similarly peaceful for Li Yuanba in the Senluo Sect.


    As the cultivator¡¯s saying goes, ¡°in cultivation, the years vanish like a stream¡±; in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.


    One day, Li Shiming opened his eyes from cultivation, his gaze filled with astonishment.


    Just then, his heart had throbbed intensely, as if something was about to occur.


    In this world, few things concerned him, apart from his alter ego Li Yuanba and Yin Shilan.


    He sent a message to Yin Shilan, but there was no response.


    He immediately contacted a familiar cultivator from the Thousand Illusion Sect and was informed that Yin Shilan had entered seclusion again.


    Yin Shilan underwent seclusion periodically; her cultivation hadn¡¯t been so diligent originally, but stimulated by the Cultivation Spirit Pills Li Shiming provided, and the fact that Li Shiming had advanced to the Golden Core stage long ago, she had been working hard.


    She had promised Li Shiming that they would become a Daoist couple upon reaching the Golden Core Stage. True to her character, she would not vocalize the reason, but her actions made it clear to Li Shiming.


    Since it wasn¡¯t Yin Shilan who was in trouble, then...


    Li Shiming suddenly thought of Sky Sea Island, recalling his secular family which he had not contacted for a long time.


    Instantly, the reason for the palpitations became clear; his father had encountered some trouble, a sensation that surfaced starkly when he thought of his family in Heavenly Sea.


    Even though the path of cultivation meant severance from the mundane world, he was still human, always possessing his own emotions.


    ¡°I miss home!¡± he murmured softly, voicing the most heartfelt sentiment he had expressed in years.


    Feeling incapable of staying put for another moment, he knew he had to go to Sky Sea Island immediately.


    He casually packed up all the essentials, flashed out of his cave dwelling, and then traveled outside, casting a spell at Heavenly Eye Peak.


    Li Shiming was in luck; he had barely cast the spell when he received a reply from his master, Elder Su, inviting him in.


    He flew into Heavenly Eye Peak, arriving at his master¡¯s cave dwelling entrance.


    The cave dwelling was already open, and inside, Elder Su was waiting for him.


    ¡°I greet Master!¡± Li Shiming bowed respectfully and said.


    ¡°Shiming, you haven¡¯t left your cave dwelling in a long time. What brings you out today?¡± Elder Su asked with a smile, looking at Li Shiming.


    He could sense the aura around Li Shiming; although since ascending to Golden Core, Li Shiming¡¯s aura had been at Golden Core Early Stage Peak, it was now genuinely at that level.


    He felt almost overtaken by his own disciple. Li Shiming¡¯s senior sister Ye Jingxian had formed her Golden Core before him, but had yet to truly achieve the combat power of the Golden Core Stage.


    In the decade following the achievement of a Golden Core, a cultivator needed to shift their main cultivation technique to the Golden Core volume, ensure the Golden Core was replete with Spiritual Energy, and also refine their life-bound magical weapons and other magical instruments, to ensure at least a coordinated offensive and defensive combat capability.


    Yet, here was his disciple, who had completed in a short time what other Golden Core cultivators took decades to achieve.


    And in doing so, Li Shiming had achieved unprecedented heights in the Art of Alchemy as well.

 Chapter 662: 377 Induction_2

    Chapter 662: Chapter 377 Induction_2


    Elder Su felt extremely proud; Li Shiming was his most successful disciple and an important member of their lineage.


    ¡°Master, I wish to return to Sky Sea Island to have a look!¡± Li Shiming earnestly put forward his request.


    ¡°This is no small matter; although the Mingxin Sect on the island isn¡¯t very strong, they do have a False Infant among their ranks!¡± Elder Su said with a slight frown.


    Although Li Shiming had shattered the rumors about his good fortune by safely entering and exiting the sect¡¯s gate time and again, heading to Sky Sea Island, which lay beyond the influence of their own sect and far from Beishu Continent, was still too dangerous.


    Li Shiming was not like an ordinary disciple; he was the Alchemy Master of the Shushan Sect, and his status within the sect had already surpassed that of Elder Su.


    Moreover, with Li Shiming¡¯s realm continuing to advance, his position would only grow higher.


    Elder Su absolutely did not wish for Li Shiming to venture into dangerous territories. Any misfortune that befell Li Shiming would be a major loss for the Shushan Sect.


    ¡°Master, I sense that something has happened to my kin in the mundane world!¡± Li Shiming revealed his reason for wanting to go.


    Elder Su was slightly taken aback; he had almost forgotten about this matter, given Li Shiming¡¯s age, it was true that he would have relatives in the mundane world.


    No wonder Elder Su had forgotten this point, as it was common for cultivators to live beyond a hundred years upon reaching the Golden Core Stage.


    Even for those who had just broken through to the Golden Core Stage, if they were a hundred years old, all relatives known in the mundane world would likely have passed away.


    And those in the family whom they had never met would not be related in any affectionate manner.


    Thus, Golden Core cultivators almost entirely severed ties with the mundane world, truly transcending the mortal coil and becoming unburdened by worldly concerns.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Elder Su mused for a short while before speaking.


    In front of Li Shiming, he cast a spell.


    About thirty minutes passed, and Li Shiming felt his whole body tighten, his breathing becoming somewhat difficult.


    Although he did not sense any danger, he understood that the Nascent Soul Ancestor had arrived.


    If one were to ask who among all the Golden Core cultivators in the Cultivation World had the deepest study of Nascent Soul Ancestors, it was unquestionably him.


    Apart from him, who else would have a Nascent Soul Ancestor willing to let their body be studied by a Golden Core cultivator, to the extent of allowing even their Nascent Soul and spirit to be contemplated by a Golden Core cultivator?


    ¡°I pay my respects to Elder Zuo!¡± Elder Su bowed deeply as he greeted.


    Li Shiming hastily followed suit, showing great respect for Elder Zuo.


    Although Elder Zuo and Fan Ancestor belonged to different factions within the Shushan Sect, to a Nascent Soul Ancestor, factionalism was merely a game among the younger generations.


    They valued the sect above all, and a disciple as crucial to the sect as Li Shiming was naturally their foremost concern.


    ¡°Shiming, are you intending to head to Sky Sea Island?¡± Elder Zuo waved Elder Su away, helped him to rise, and then turned to ask Li Shiming.


    Without waiting for Li Shiming to answer, Elder Zuo continued, ¡°You have reached the peak of the Golden Core Early Stage; indeed, you need to travel, to gain more experience and insights to break through to the Golden Core Middle Stage earlier. As for the Mingxin Sect on Sky Sea Island, you needn¡¯t worry. I have a token here for you to carry. Should you encounter a False Infant from the Mingxin Sect, just show it to them!¡±


    Li Shiming bowed to receive the token, which was made of jade of third-grade quality. In the hands of a Golden Core cultivator, it would likely be fashioned into a magical treasure, but in Elder Zuo¡¯s hands, it was nothing more than jade that carried a wisp of his power.


    ¡°If you run into any trouble, I will wipe out the Mingxin Sect!¡± Elder Zuo gave Li Shiming another deep look, said this, and then vanished from the spot.


    Li Shiming still wasn¡¯t quite accustomed to Elder Zuo¡¯s way of doing things; in this brief encounter, he hadn¡¯t even had a chance to say half a word before the elder left.


    ¡°Shiming, the sect truly values you. With this token, unless the Mingxin Sect has lost their minds, they won¡¯t dare do anything to you!¡± Elder Su said with some relief, smiling as he spoke.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Li Shiming bowed again.


    ¡°When do you plan to leave?¡± Elder Su waived his hand and asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to prepare for anything; the alchemy business is not urgent, I¡¯ll depart after bidding you farewell, Master!¡± Li Shiming replied.


    ¡°To get past Beihai, you merely need to hang the emblem of the Shushan Sect on your Flying Boat; sea beasts won¡¯t attack you. Be cautious along the way and do not act recklessly!¡± Even with Elder Zuo¡¯s Token in hand, Elder Su still advised him meticulously.


    After leaving Elder Su¡¯s Heavenly Eye Peak, Li Shiming bid farewell to Elder Ma as well.


    He then left a message for Yin Shilan before flashing away to embark on his journey.


    This time, on his way to Sky Sea Island, he was still planning to take the route through the Ten Thousand Great Mountains rather than the alternative and longer route provided by the sect.


    The route given by the sect had been designed to bypass the territory of the Senluo Sect. It was merely a third longer in distance than the regular path.


    Feeling an urgent desire in his heart, he hoped to return to Sky Sea Island as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t want to waste even a moment.


    After leaving the sect gate, Li Shiming employed both the ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± and the ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique,¡± becoming invisible in the shadows and hastening his journey with the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± method.


    He reached the Jieshan Mountain Pass at maximum speed, without alerting any cultivator. At a position slightly removed from the main Formation of the checkpoint, he used his knowledge of formation to pass through the great formations of both righteous and demonic paths.


    Reaching the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, he did not meet up with his clone, Li Yuan Ba, and continued deeper into the mountains.


    With the way he was progressing, as long as he didn¡¯t seek trouble, and wasn¡¯t unfortunate enough to run into a Nascent Soul Ancestor, there would be no delays whatsoever.


    He still remembered, from the first time he set foot on the Beishu Continent, how long this same route had taken him.


    Now, without any stops, it took him only several two-hour periods to cross the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and arrive at the part of Beihai closest to Sky Sea Island.


    Once at sea, he no longer used ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡± The ocean was home to Fourth-grade sea beasts, creatures he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke.


    He obediently summoned the Meteor Ink Boat, which bore the emblem of the Shushan Sect.


    This emblem was not something that could be casually marked; it required special Spiritual Objects distributed by the sect to be activated.


    In essence, the emblem represented the Shushan Sect, and to disregard the sect¡¯s emblem was to provoke the Shushan Sect.


    Although his master, Elder Su, had told him that with the emblem of the Shushan Sect, he would be able to safely cross Beihai, Li Shiming remained fully alert, concentrating all his attention on his surroundings.


    He still remembered the terrifyingly huge Dharma Manifestation that had attempted to stop the rocket during his initial crossing of Beihai.


    Even after encountering multiple Nascent Soul Ancestors, the impression left on him by the giant Dharma Manifestation of Beihai was so deep that it instilled a profound sense of fear in him.


    The Fourth-grade sea beast at that time had targeted him. Its peerlessly powerful aura and the earth-shaking roar made his soul tremble every time he recalled it.


    Entering Beihai, he also left the range of the drone satellite system, and he felt somewhat unaccustomed to navigating without the system that he had so long relied on.


    He possessed a map of Beihai and the area between it and Sky Sea Island, a detailed map saved on a Jade Scroll, so getting lost wasn¡¯t a concern.


    The Meteor Ink Boat was a third-grade flying boat; after so much time of ritual refinement, he had full control over it.


    It was the first time that Li Shiming had activated the Meteor Ink Boat at full speed. The Flying Boat consumed not only Spirit Stones but also his Spiritual Power.


    The journey was safe; the Shushan Sect¡¯s emblem seemed to be very effective as no sea beasts attacked his Meteor Ink Boat.


    Of course, given the speed of the Meteor Ink Boat, there were likely few sea beasts capable of catching up and launching an attack.


    Among the sea beasts, even those at the Great Demon level, only a Late Stage Demon proficient in speed could pose a threat to the Meteor Ink Boat, and that included Li Shiming¡¯s greatest concern¡ªthe Fourth-grade sea beasts, which were as powerful as Nascent Soul Ancestors¡ªdid not show up.


    When he caught a glimpse of the faint outline of Seven Star Island in the distance, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh of relief.


    He chose not to approach Seven Star Island too closely, opting instead to bypass it. Seven Star Island served as Sky Sea Island¡¯s first line of defense at sea.


    He had some understanding of the large formation of Seven Star Island and knew its maximum range.


    He did not know whether there were any Golden Core cultivators stationed on Seven Star Island today, but he assumed that since the Mingxin Sect had taken over Sky Sea Island, they would have also established defenses on Seven Star Island.

 Chapter 663: 378: Going Home

    Chapter 663: Chapter 378: Going Home


    ¡°Sky Sea Island, I¡¯m back!¡± Li Shiming murmured to himself when he reached the land.


    He had left in his teenage years, and now he was nearly forty. Thanks to the Youthful Elixir, his appearance was the same as before, but his mindset was vastly different.


    He inhaled the air of Sky Sea Island, a scent that often appeared in his memories.


    The speed of the Meteor Ink Boat slowed down as he no longer needed to worry about his safety upon reaching land.


    This wasn¡¯t the Beishu Continent; here, Golden Core cultivators were the peak of combat prowess. As for the sole False Infant Ancestor, he had the Token given by Elder Zuo, so there was no need to consider the threat of the False Infant.


    The first thing he felt upon arriving at Sky Sea Island was its barrenness¡ªnot the soil, but the concentration of Spiritual Energy.


    The density of Spiritual Energy on Sky Sea Island was noticeably less than that on the Beishu Continent, which was probably one of the reasons why the cultivators here were generally weaker.


    The richness of Spiritual Energy was not too apparent in affecting cultivators, as they had the aid of spiritual veins and Gathering Spirit arrays to concentrate Spiritual Energy.


    However, a lower concentration of Spiritual Energy meant scarce and inferior quality spiritual resources, which was the most serious issue.


    Li Shiming sat in the Flying Boat, setting Nanling Prefecture as his destination.


    His gaze swept across the various landscapes below, trying to find familiar scenes.


    Even though the speed of the Meteor Ink Boat had decreased, it was still extremely fast. He estimated that it would take at most three two-hour periods to arrive at the original boundary of Nanling Prefecture.


    Along the way, he encountered some cultivators whose realms were too low; they fled in terror as soon as they saw the Flying Boat soaring through the sky.


    After more than a two-hour period of travel, he came across a chase.


    With his temperament, he was too lazy to intervene in such fights in the Cultivation World.


    But when he clearly saw the identity of the pursued cultivator with his ¡®Divine Vision¡¯, his powerful memory reminded him of who the cultivator was.


    Li Shiming had a thought, and the Meteor Ink Boat turned to fly towards the cultivator.


    Zhu Ji sensed the Spiritual Power in Spirit Lake. Behind him were two early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators. He was weaker than either of them and had spent more Spiritual Power in the chase, leading to his nearly depleted reserves.


    A helpless and bitter smile surfaced on his face. After the gates of the Sky Sea Sect were breached, he wandered with the sect. He caught the eye of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and became his disciple.


    He was fortunate enough to use a set of resources to advance to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Even under constant pressure from the Bright Moon Sect, he was still living relatively well.


    But during his trip to the market to buy resources, he was targeted by two Bright Moon Sect cultivators, resulting in this pursuit.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to make a stand here today. Might as well go down fighting!¡± he conveyed, mobilizing the remaining Spiritual Power, stopping his flight.


    The two Bright Moon Sect cultivators, seeing him stop, split to his left and right, surrounding him.


    When the two Bright Moon Sect cultivators each produced a Spiritual Artifact, Zhu Ji¡¯s heart sank; although he was an early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he was still using a super-grade Magic Artifact.


    In a two against one situation, whether in terms of Magic Artifacts or strength, he was at a significant disadvantage and doomed in this battle.


    Just when Zhu Ji was waiting for death to come, a powerful pressure descended from the sky.


    The Magic Artifacts of the two Bright Moon Sect cultivators were frozen in mid-air, one meter away from Zhu Ji, unable to move an inch further.


    ¡°This person is under my protection; you may leave,¡± a young voice came from the sky.


    Although they didn¡¯t know who the voice belonged to, as disciples of a sect like Bright Moon Sect, they understood what this kind of pressure meant¡ªit was from a Golden Core cultivator.


    ¡°Since the elder has spoken, we will take our leave!¡± The Bright Moon Sect cultivator, feeling the pressure on him diminish, bowed respectfully and said.


    Li Shiming nodded in approval; such cultivators had been carefully cultivated by their sects, maintaining the pride of their sect even in the face of a Golden Core cultivator.


    He had no intention of making a move against the two Bright Moon Sect cultivators; his power was not yet enough to contend with the might of a False Infant.


    His return was for a family visit, and he did not wish to stir up trouble.


    If he were to ever seek revenge for being driven out of Sky Sea Island by Bright Moon Sect, it would have to wait until his strength was sufficient to utterly crush Bright Moon Sect.


    The two Bright Moon Sect cultivators retreated a distance before turning and activating their artifacts to flee.


    Li Shiming retracted his Flying Boat and descended from the sky, landing in front of Zhu Ji.


    Zhu Ji¡¯s appearance had changed little, only losing the greenness of youth and becoming more composed.


    A Qi Refinement cultivator¡¯s lifespan was roughly one hundred and fifty years, and a Foundation Establishment cultivator¡¯s was two hundred years. Twenty years was not enough to bring about significant changes to a cultivator.


    Unless the cultivator was in the last moments of life when aging would accelerate exponentially.


    Zhu Ji stared blankly at the cultivator before him, almost about to call out a name¡ªthe name of that genius cultivator from Sky Sea Sect, the youth who had once entered the sect and listened to his guidance.


    He refrained from calling the name for two reasons. The first was that the other person was a Golden Core cultivator, and calling him by name would be highly disrespectful.


    The second was because the Golden Core cultivator before him looked too young; while the same as that youth from twenty years ago, it seemed impossible for there to be no change after two decades.


    ¡°Senior Brother Ji, long time no see!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    ¡°Are you really Li Shiming?¡± Even after hearing Li Shiming call his name, Zhu Ji still asked incredulously.

 Chapter 664: 378: Going Home_2

    Chapter 664: Chapter 378: Going Home_2


    It had just been twenty years, a span of twenty years. Back then, he was at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and Li Shiming had just joined the sect during the invasion by the Mingxin Sect. Li Shiming was merely at the late-stage of Qi Refining.


    However, twenty years later, Li Shiming stood before him, now a Golden Core cultivator. This made him doubt his own eyes.


    ¡°It seems Brother still remembers me!¡± Li Shiming said happily.


    Being remembered felt wonderful. Relationships among cultivators were seldom deep. Back in the day, Zhu Ji had taught him the basics. Afterward, they had barely kept in touch.


    Li Shiming had IBMz15. His memory shared with IBMz15, he could retrieve any related memory images at any time. No matter how many years had passed, as long as Zhu Ji¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t drastically altered, he could recognize him at a glance.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to be called ¡®Brother¡¯ by a senior like you!¡± Zhu Ji, having recovered from his shock, respectfully performed a bow.


    Li Shiming sighed inwardly. He had known it would be like this.


    ¡°Do you know how the Sky Sea Sect is doing?¡± Li Shiming waved his hand for Zhu Ji to stand up, then asked.


    He knew some of the affairs concerning the Sky Sea Sect. Elder Yin and Elder Ren had brought some news when they came to the Beishu Continent, but he was unclear about the details thereafter.


    ¡°The Sky Sea Sect has long been gone. Now the seven sects have merged into one and have been driven to the seaside, barely surviving!¡± Zhu Ji mentioned the Sky Sea Sect with a face full of sadness.


    He, unlike Li Shiming, was born near the Sky Sea Sect and later joined it, running in his veins was the purest bloodline of the Sky Sea Sect.


    Hence, his affection for the Sky Sea Sect was profound¡ªfar deeper than Li Shiming¡¯s, who saw the sect merely as a stepping stone to increase his power.


    Zhu Ji later spoke a lot, also letting Li Shiming know the current situation on Sky Sea Island.


    The Mingxin Sect was now dominant, but they had not annihilated the remaining seven sects completely.


    Instead, these seven were completely sealed off and suppressed. Without access to cultivation resources, Golden Core Elders sought other avenues. Even with the merger of the seven sects, there were now only nine Golden Core Elders.


    At the peak, the seven sects had over twenty Golden Core Elders, and that was just the official count.


    Elders like Elder Yin and Elder Ren were among those who had left, forced to do so because without resources, even maintaining their power was difficult, let alone improving it.


    Any Golden Core cultivator with even a hint of ambition wouldn¡¯t dream of remaining trapped on Sky Sea Island, a place devoid of hope.


    As for why the Mingxin Sect didn¡¯t wipe them out completely, Li Shiming was all too familiar with such tactics.


    If the Mingxin Sect ended up with no enemies left on Sky Sea Island, they would gradually become corrupt¡ªthis had been a lesson in the rise and fall of countless sects.


    Without external threats, a sect loses its vigor and the drive to improve.


    Leaving behind the weaker combined seven sects would give the Mingxin Sect¡¯s disciples enemies to fight against.


    ¡°Senior, what are your plans for this return?¡± Zhu Ji anxiously watched Li Shiming¡¯s expression as he asked.


    In front of Li Shiming, even though he restrained his spiritual energy fluctuations, an oppressive aura still emanated from him.


    He didn¡¯t know how powerful Li Shiming was, but he hadn¡¯t felt such pressure even from Golden Core Elders in the sect.


    If Li Shiming were to return to the sect¡ªalthough it was no longer the Sky Sea Sect, the merger of the seven sects could be considered a continuation¡ªthe sect¡¯s strength would definitely greatly improve.


    ¡°I have already joined another sect. This time I just came to have a look,¡± Li Shiming shook his head. After a moment¡¯s thought, he took out a jade bottle and tossed it over, saying, ¡°Meeting here must be fate, let¡¯s meet again if destiny allows it!¡±


    After saying this, he flew up into the air and took off on his Meteor Ink Boat.


    Zhu Ji held the jade bottle in his hands, watching Li Shiming¡¯s flying boat until it was out of sight before turning away.


    Even with his limited knowledge, he could tell that the flying boat was a treasure. It appeared that Li Shiming had been doing exceedingly well outside.


    He opened the jade bottle, sniffed it lightly, and then a look of surprise appeared on his face.


    Inside the jade vase were ten second-grade high-level Spirit Pills, the quality of which exceeded his expectations.


    Although he merely sniffed them, he felt the turmoil within his Spirit Lake, and his spiritual power had increased slightly.


    If he were to consume all ten second-grade high-level Spirit Pills, his strength could increase by at least a minor level.


    He quickly looked around and, finding no other cultivators nearby, carefully put away the jade vase, contracted his body, and sprinted away swiftly.


    Li Shiming had no intention of intervening in the affairs of the seven sects; he increased the speed of his Flying Boat.


    Nanling Prefecture was in the southern part of Xia Country, the place where he had crossed over.


    As he approached Nanling Prefecture, he put away the Meteor Ink Boat, cast an invisibility spell on himself, and flew into Nanling Prefecture.


    The familiar streets had changed; the faces were all strangers. The soldiers he knew at the entrance of the government office had been replaced with unfamiliar ones.


    His divine thought swept over the government office and found that it had already changed hands.


    For a moment, he felt at a loss. Without intelligence support in Xia Country, he couldn¡¯t determine his father¡¯s whereabouts.


    His gaze fell on the main study, where a middle-aged man dressed in a fourth-rank official¡¯s robe sat.


    The main study was where only the magistrate was entitled to use within this government office.


    Li Shiming passed through the open window and landed inside the room, then he dispelled his invisibility.


    ¡°Who are you, and do you know I am a fourth-rank official of Xia Country, the master of this prefecture!¡± When the magistrate saw Li Shiming suddenly appear, although surprised, he still forcefully asked.


    He probably thought that by raising his voice, soldiers would come.


    But he did not know that Li Shiming had already sealed the surroundings of the study room. Not to say voice, even if someone stood at the door, they would not see what was happening inside.


    Li Shiming did not answer. He began to look around the study, which hadn¡¯t changed much; the arrangements were still the same, only the books had been replaced.


    ¡°Where has the original Prefect Li gone?¡± After looking around, he finally turned toward the magistrate and asked.


    ¡°Are you an Immortal?¡± The magistrate glanced at two soldiers who stood not far outside the study, seemingly unaware of what was happening here, and he asked aloud after realizing.


    ¡°Answer my question!¡± Li Shiming said impatiently.


    ¡°Mr. Li was promoted to the capital ten years ago!¡± After guessing that Li Shiming was an Immortal, the magistrate¡¯s attitude immediately became respectful, and he honestly answered the question.


    Li Shiming felt joy in his heart; he hadn¡¯t expected that the magistrate indeed knew of his father¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°I have disturbed you!¡± Li Shiming nodded, and his figure flickered, disappearing from sight.


    The magistrate stood in place for a long while, not calling for the soldiers outside but instead observing the place where Li Shiming disappeared with a look of fervent admiration.


    Li Shiming emerged from the study, reapplied the invisibility spell to himself, and flew over the garden. This place held precious memories for him. He copied the scenery into his life-bound magical treasure IBMz15, so he could revisit it anytime.


    From here to the capital, he no longer used the Flying Boat. Instead, he directly utilized ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± and he didn¡¯t even use ¡°Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique¡± or ¡°Sky Concealing Secret Technique,¡± just a common invisibility spell.


    The cultivators of Xia Country probably didn¡¯t even have a single one at the Foundation Establishment Stage. A common invisibility spell was already enough to render him invisible to the cultivators here, let alone ordinary people.


    At the old family house in the capital, facing the somewhat aged vermillion door, Li Shiming knew without using divine thought, but simply based on the kinship bond, that his father Li WenYuan was here.


    Given the aged state of the door, and considering that his father Li WenYuan was a fourth-rank official when he left, his father¡¯s return to the capital should have warranted at least a residence matching his status. It was evident that the Li Family had declined.


    He knocked on the door, and after the sound of the knocker echoed for more than a dozen breaths, the door slowly cracked open.


    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s the Young Master, the Young Master has returned!¡± The person who opened the door gaped at Li Shiming, then shouted excitedly before kneeling on the ground and repeatedly kowtowing.

 Chapter 665: 379: Paying Respects

    Chapter 665: Chapter 379: Paying Respects


    ¡°Moyan!¡± Li Shiming looked at the man who kept kowtowing to him with a head full of grey hair and still recognized that this was his manservant Moyan.


    Twenty years had passed, and Moyan, who was about the same age as him, had already begun to show signs of age.


    ¡°It is me, young master, the young master still remembers me!¡± Moyan said with a smile, tears streaming down his face, thought of something, moved aside to open the gate, and said, ¡°Young master, please come in quickly. The old master¡¯s health has been very poor recently; he¡¯s been talking about the young master!¡±


    Li Shiming smiled and walked through the gate.


    Moyan¡¯s loud voice had startled several people inside.


    Li Shiming saw a middle-aged woman and the young man beside her, just like Moyan¡¯s former self. He couldn¡¯t help but look towards Moyan.


    ¡°Young master, Moyan is now a steward. This is my wife, and this is my boy, both working at home!¡± Moyan bowed and introduced, then turned his head to scold the middle-aged woman and the young man, ¡°Have you not come to pay respects to the young master!¡±


    ¡°Have seen the young master!¡± The middle-aged woman and her son knelt down and kowtowed to Li Shiming.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Li Shiming, nearly having forgotten the worldly etiquette and unaccustomed to such formality, waved them off.


    He looked at Moyan¡¯s family, realizing the true decline of his household. He sensed that there were only six people in the mansion, with Moyan¡¯s family accounting for three, a small number for a residence of three courtyards.


    Moyan led Li Shiming towards the second gate. Since there were no female family members at home, the rules were not so strict. He led Li Shiming past the second gate.


    Li Shiming saw a figure holding a basin of water, a thirty-something woman with a maiden¡¯s hairstyle.


    The woman dropped the basin with a clang upon seeing Li Shiming.


    ¡°Young master!¡± The woman called out the long-missed address incredulously, as if it were twenty years ago.


    ¡°Si Qin, you have grown up!¡± Li Shiming looked at Si Qin with a smile on his face.


    He then took a closer look at Si Qin¡¯s hairstyle, slightly furrowing his brow.


    With Si Qin¡¯s age, she should have been married by now. Why was she still wearing that hairstyle?


    ¡°Cough cough cough!¡± A violent cough came from the master bedroom.


    Li Shiming patted Si Qin¡¯s shoulder and walked into the master bedroom.


    In the bedroom, a fifteen-year-old boy was supporting a frail old man, whose severe coughing caused his white hair to tremble incessantly.


    Suddenly the old man stopped coughing, his eyes brightening instantly upon seeing Li Shiming enter.


    ¡°A disobedient son, Li Shiming, pays his respects to father!¡± Li Shiming knelt down and kowtowed heavily, speaking with agitation.


    ¡°Shiming, you are back!¡± The old man struggled to leave the bed, but his gaunt body could not support sitting up.


    The boy beside him tried to prop up the old man, who, unable to leave the bed, reached out to touch Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming crawled to the bedside, bringing his head close to the old man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You have not changed, not at all. You were right; the choice to cultivate was the right one!¡± The old man said slowly with a smile, followed by another bout of violent coughing.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought scanned the old man¡¯s body; with his realm, coupled with the wealth of medical knowledge in his natal treasure the IBMz15, he quickly diagnosed the old man¡¯s condition.


    The old man had suffered an injury, dragged out for too long and wounded at his foundation.


    He cast a spell, and a white light fell upon the old man.


    The white light inside the old man¡¯s body treated the inflammation and lesions caused by the injury. After a moment, the old man¡¯s complexion grew rosier.


    Li Shiming did not rejoice; his father¡¯s body was fundamentally damaged, added with old age, he was at the end of his lifespan.


    Although he was a Golden Core cultivator, even possessing unbeatable strength within the Golden Core, he could do nothing about lifespan.


    The Life-extending Elixirs of the Cultivation World were extremely precious and rare; even if he had them, he could not give them to his mortal father.


    Heavy-hearted, he thought of another matter; he knew his father¡¯s health, although he was very weak when he left. With the Spiritual Tea he had left behind, his father¡¯s health should not have deteriorated so much in twenty years.


    Moreover, how his father got injured was the primary reason leading to the end of the old man¡¯s lifespan.


    He suppressed the thoughts in his mind, maintaining a smile on his face.


    ¡°Father, how do you feel?¡± Li Shiming stepped forward, taking over from the boy to inquire after his father.


    ¡°I feel much better, much lighter all over!¡± Li WenYuan¡¯s gaze never left Li Shiming, as if feeling his own body was less important than looking at Li Shiming.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I will help you recover for a while, and you will be able to move freely!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    However, he clearly knew that his father would not live more than a year. Human effort was fruitless against destiny, and life span was determined by the Heaven and Earth Rules.


    ¡°Shijie, call your brother quickly!¡± Li WenYuan, thinking of the boy beside him, said to the teen.


    ¡°Brother!¡± The teenager named Shijie called out somewhat shyly.


    Li Shiming looked perplexedly at his father; he did not sense much of a close blood relation from the boy. Although the bloodline was from their lineage, it was definitely not that of his brother.


    In such matters, cultivators have special means of verification, and Li Shiming did not need complex verification as his sense was even more acute.


    ¡°This child was adopted from our clan after I returned to the capital, a good boy, who has been taking care of me all along!¡± Li WenYuan said as he affectionately stroked Shijie¡¯s head.

 Chapter 666: 379: Paying Respects_2

    Chapter 666: Chapter 379: Paying Respects_2


    Li Shiming also looked at Li Shijie, a warmth flashing in his eyes.


    He had left his father, who must have felt extremely lonely.


    His father had that world¡¯s rare deep affection, unable to forget his deceased wife for life. By adopting a child to fill the emptiness beside his father after he left, he held a lot of gratitude towards Li Shijie.


    ¡°Shiming, how long are you staying this time?¡± Although Li WenYuan didn¡¯t want to affect Shiming¡¯s cultivation, he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay and keep you company, I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile.


    Cultivation was important, but so was the last accompaniment; besides, now his cultivation wouldn¡¯t be affected by staying in the mortal world.


    He carried a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein with him, as well as a large number of Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills.


    ¡°It won¡¯t affect you, will it?¡± Li WenYuan¡¯s eyes were full of smiles, but he still worriedly pressed on.


    ¡°Rest assured!¡± Li Shiming gently patted his father¡¯s arm and said.


    He sensed Li WenYuan¡¯s condition. Although he had used various means to treat Li WenYuan¡¯s illness, the long-term deficiency in his body couldn¡¯t be recovered in a moment¡¯s time.


    With another wave of his hand, he cast a small spell to aid in sleep.


    Li WenYuan fell asleep with a smile, which would allow him both physically and spiritually to get good rest during this sleep.


    ¡°Shijie, you should also rest a bit!¡± Li Shiming looked at the tired Li Shijie and said with a smile.


    ¡°Alright, brother!¡± Li Shijie felt a sense of peace in his heart when looking at his elder brother; the heavy burden that he had felt at home was no longer present.


    Li Shiming tucked in his father tightly before he exited the master bedroom where both Mo Yan and Si Qin were waiting.


    ¡°Father¡¯s illness is cured, but who hurt him? Mo Yan, do you know?¡± Li Shiming looked at Mo Yan and asked with a serious tone.


    ¡°The master was dismissed from office a few years ago; he was carried back at that time. I don¡¯t know how he was injured. The mansion¡¯s revenues are gone, all the servants have been dismissed, leaving only Si Qin and me!¡± Mo Yan thought for a moment and replied.


    He was just a minor steward. Due to the decline of the Li Mansion, his stewardship was more like a caretaker, without any prestige outside.


    ¡°I will find out the truth!¡± Li Shiming nodded and then turned to Si Qin, asking, ¡°Si Qin, are you planning to live like this for the rest of your life?¡±


    ¡°I am the young master¡¯s maid!¡± Si Qin said with a calm expression, but her tone was firm.


    Li Shiming fell silent, as Si Qin truly was his maid, in fact, his most personal chambermaid.


    According to the secular views of this world, a chambermaid stays with the young master for life, and after the young master gets married, she would become a concubine.


    But he had gone to cultivate, never expecting that Si Qin would wait for him for twenty years.


    As a cultivator, he couldn¡¯t repay these emotions.


    The divide between immortals and mortals also made it impossible for him to marry a mortal. The divide here wasn¡¯t about rules, rather, a cultivator¡¯s physique was simply not something mortals could withstand.


    With a body refined to the level of a Great Elder, even the sweat from Li Shiming¡¯s body posed a lethal threat to mortals.


    He was currently in a state of retracted aura, not daring to let a single bit of his energy escape. The slightest release could result in a mortal¡¯s death.


    He didn¡¯t use ¡®Telepathy,¡¯ but his sensitive perception allowed him to clearly sense Si Qin¡¯s steadfastness.


    ¡°Take this, and you will forever be my maid Si Qin!¡± Li Shiming began to smile. Although he couldn¡¯t keep Si Qin by his side, he could give her a gift that was beyond the mortal realm.


    He took out a Youthful Elixir. The elixir¡¯s nature was mild, and its special effects, along with his help in taking it, meant there was no need to worry about Si Qin being harmed by the elixir.


    Si Qin didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment as she took the Youthful Elixir.


    To her, Li Shiming was her sky.


    What Li Shiming didn¡¯t know was that in recent years, the Li Mansion had declined to the point where even wages could not be paid.


    Mo Yan and his wife took on odd jobs without asking for any wages, and Si Qin also took care of the seriously ill master without pay.


    Female cultivators across the Beishu Continent would go mad if they knew that Li Shiming had given a Youthful Elixir to a mere mortal.


    A Youthful Elixir, for which female cultivators on the Beishu Continent would trade a heap of third-grade spiritual items, was something they could not obtain from Li Shiming.


    Yet Li Shiming had given the Youthful Elixir to Si Qin, his mortal servant.


    A layer of mist formed around Si Qin; as a mortal, her physical reaction was a bit more pronounced.


    When the mist cleared, her skin returned to how it was in her youth, perhaps even better than before.


    First, she saw her hands and noticed the changes in herself; she then touched her face in disbelief.


    From the touch of her hand, she knew that the skin on her face was as smooth and moist as that on her hands, having returned to its youthful state.


    Murk Yan watched in awe as if witnessing a miracle, and with a thump, he knelt down.


    ¡°Murk Yan, here are three Spirit Pills, which strengthen the body and improve health. There¡¯s one for each member of your family. After taking them, you will never fall ill again for the rest of your lives!¡± Li Shiming said as he took out three Spirit Pills and placed them before Murk Yan.


    The value of these three Spirit Pills could not compare to the Youthful Elixir; they were the lowest grade of Spirit Pills that Li Shiming had casually created, but each of these was a top-grade Spirit Pill. The fact that their medicinal power could affect a mortal¡¯s body made them incredibly rare.


    Unfortunately, his father¡¯s body was too frail, and his age too advanced, for even the gentlest Spirit Pill to be bearable.


    Murk Yan accepted the Spirit Pills with both hands, excitedly holding them as he went to find his wife and child.


    Having seen the tremendous transformation of Si Qin, he had great faith in the Spirit Pills.


    After all, these were rewards from the young master, and who was the young master? An Immortal.


    In his simple mind, it was normal for the young master to remain unchanged for twenty years, so when he first saw him, his reaction was more of joy than shock.


    After Murk Yan left, only Li Shiming and Si Qin remained.


    Li Shiming smiled as he took out a glass mirror from his Space Ring and handed it to Si Qin.


    Si Qin took the mirror, and both surprise and delight appeared on her face as she saw her reflection.


    ¡°We are just as we were back then!¡± Li Shiming moved closer, their faces reflected together in the mirror, as he spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Young master, your room has always been prepared for you; I¡¯ll take you there first!¡± Si Qin lowered her head shyly, quickly reverting to her role as a servant, and handed back the mirror.


    ¡°The mirror is for you!¡± Li Shiming waved his hand.


    His room had been moved to the left wing; originally, he had stayed in the main room, but when his father, Li WenYuan, took it over, it was only natural that his son¡¯s room could not remain in the main quarters.


    However, when he entered his room, he found everything arranged just as it had been in the past.


    Although the Li Mansion had fallen on hard times, with few servants left, there was not a speck of dust or disorder, showing Si Qin¡¯s attentiveness to the place.


    Si Qin brought water for washing and helped Li Shiming wash his face; then she fetched a teapot and poured a cup of tea for Li Shiming.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation level, a Cleaning Spell could keep him perfectly clean, and for many years he had not touched any Spiritual Tea below third grade, but he still picked up the cup and took a sip of the tea that Si Qin had brewed.


    Though the tea lacked Spiritual Energy, it had a warm and comforting flavor.


    Li Shiming sat at his desk and picked up a book¡ªone that he had left behind years ago.


    Si Qin fanned him, just as she had done in the past.


    A faint sense of warmth and worldly affection allowed Li Shiming to savor this rare moment.


    He could only stay here for one year, a decision he made to spend time with his aging father, having set aside many duties. Although it would not affect his cultivation, it would have a significant impact on many Golden Core cultivators on the Beishu Continent.


    He still needed to find a way to inform his sect; otherwise, they might even send cultivators to look for him.


    He could handle the communication with the sect through the Beishu Trading Company.

 Chapter 667: 380: Arrangement

    Chapter 667: Chapter 380: Arrangement


    Li Shiming rarely did not cultivate, and even stopped the ¡°Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique¡± which he had been cultivating nonstop since he obtained it.


    He slept like an ordinary person, on the warm, large bed.


    On a small couch outside the bedroom, Si Qin, whose face had regained its youthfulness, had a faint smile on her face, even in sleep.


    Li Shiming seemed to have returned to the days of his youth, when, as a diligent scholar, he was always accompanied by a little maid.


    That morning, he had awakened naturally, a nearly unimaginable occurrence for a Golden Core cultivator of his level.


    He did not care much about it, his Body Refinement had reached the pinnacle of Golden Core, at the Great Elder level. The ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± and the ¡°Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡± he practiced had also reached the peak of the Golden Core Early Stage, and further cultivation would no longer lead to improvements.


    He shut down his senses, which made him oblivious to when Si Qin had gotten up.


    He sat up from the bed, and Si Qin came in carrying grooming supplies, gently aiding him as he got up.


    When Si Qin took out a scholar robe, Li Shiming did not refuse, nor did he mention that he had previously worn a third-grade robe, which was more precious than the combined value of the entire Xia Country.


    He walked out the door, saw the sunlight falling on him, and smiled contentedly.


    He then walked towards the main house and saw his father, Li WenYuan, sitting and drinking tea, looking quite recovered.


    ¡°Father, I pay my respects!¡± Li Shiming said, bowing deeply.


    ¡°You are grown now, there¡¯s no need for such formalities every morning and evening!¡± Li WenYuan helped Li Shiming up, mildly chiding him with affection.


    The fact that his son had come to see him was satisfying enough.


    Considering his position, he naturally knew that many families of cultivators never saw their family members return once they had left.


    ¡°Father, please allow me some opportunity to make up for the years I wasn¡¯t able to show my filial piety!¡± Li Shiming straightened up and spoke.


    ¡°Shiming, how is your cultivation coming along? I heard that your sect disbanded?¡± Li WenYuan asked with concern.


    Li Shiming frowned, such matters were not supposed to be known by his father.


    Matters of the Cultivation World were beyond the knowledge of the secular world.


    If his father knew, then the news must have spread from Xia Country, perhaps the Mingxin Sect had reached out here, even oppressing the secular families of the Seven Sects cultivators.


    He thought of his father¡¯s injuries, but he did not ask.


    Investigating such matters himself was easy, asking his father about it might cause unnecessary worry.


    His father¡¯s health was poor, and in this last year, he did not want his father to be troubled by such matters.


    ¡°I have already switched to a very powerful new sect, which values me greatly!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I heard that immortals live for a very long time. You should also look after Shijie in the future; Shijie has always been sensible and was unable to pursue an official career because of my issues!¡± Li WenYuan nodded lightly and spoke.


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry, I will leave behind some measures to ensure the continuation of our Li Family¡¯s legacy!¡± Li Shiming knew what his father was concerned about and assured him.


    He was well aware that he was not likely to have descendants anytime soon and that any child he might have with Yin Shilan in the future would definitely possess a spirit root and not remain in the secular world.


    The continuation of the Li Family lineage entirely depended on Li Shijie.


    The bloodline of Li Shijie was also the Li Family¡¯s bloodline, and although separated by several generations from that of Li Shiming himself, both he and Li Shijie shared the same great-grandfather.


    Since Li Shijie had been adopted by his father, he was his brother and the heir to this branch of the Li Family.


    ¡°Father, here is some gold and silver, to be used for household expenses!¡± Li Shiming, remembering the lack of funds at home, took out twenty bricks each of gold and silver from his Space Ring.


    Each brick was the size of a real brick, and combined, they constituted a significant fortune in the secular world.


    He had these gold and silver bricks because he had purchased them from the Beishu Trading Company as materials for experimental research.


    Fortunately, otherwise, he truly wouldn¡¯t have been able to produce any secular wealth.


    ¡°Shijie, come and put these away!¡± Li WenYuan, unaffected by the wealth, instructed casually, as he had been quite prosperous before his fall from grace in recent years.


    He did not refuse, for Li Shiming was his son, and it was only right for a son to present wealth to his father.


    Li Shijie came in, and his face showed surprise at the sight of the gold and silver.


    ¡°Look at you, acting so devoid of ambition. This is from your elder brother, and now that you manage the household, it¡¯s up to you to put it away,¡± Li WenYuan waved his hand and said.


    ¡°Thank you, elder brother!¡± Li Shijie first bowed to express his thanks to Li Shiming, then struggled to lift the gold and silver from the floor.


    ¡°Let me help you, where should we put these?¡± Li Shiming waved his hand, and the forty bricks of gold and silver were lifted by his Divine Thought, as he asked with a smile.


    ¡°Elder brother, put them in that storeroom over there!¡± Li Shijie was initially startled, but then remembered his brother was an immortal, and indicated a room nearby.


    Li Shiming and Li Shijie entered the room together; the storeroom was empty, suggesting that the valuable items had been sold off.


    Li Shiming set down the gold and silver bricks, then caught hold of Li Shijie, who was about to leave.


    ¡°Shijie, take this jade token!¡± he said, passing over a jade token.


    Li Shijie took the jade token, started to speak, but was so shocked that he almost cried out in surprise.

 Chapter 668: 380 Arrangements_2

    Chapter 668: Chapter 380 Arrangements_2


    Because in front of him appeared a being entirely radiating with silver light. It was inaccurate to call it a person¡ªit was more appropriate to call it a monster.


    This monster stood four meters tall, nearly reaching the top of the warehouse, with blood-red eyes and terrifyingly sharp fangs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, this is Jue Tu, a corpse refined by the cultivation world. The jade talisman in your hand can control it, but it won¡¯t leave this three-section courtyard. It will always protect this place. Anyone daring to provoke this place with an attack will be immediately slain by it. If an enemy comes to our home, the jade talisman can manipulate it to kill!¡± Li Shiming explained with a smile.


    The corpse refining of Jue Tu used the body of a certain cultivator who practiced killing to achieve enlightenment, whose killing intent was almost substantial.


    In the past, Li Shiming had valued Jue Tu greatly. Unfortunately, as his vision expanded, Jue Tu, a half-finished product that seeks to achieve enlightenment through killing and had not even broken through to the Golden Core, gradually lost his importance in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes.


    Moreover, Jue Tu being a core disciple of the Qianye Temple, having him stay at the family¡¯s Sky Sea Island residence was indeed a good thing.


    Now as a Silver Corpse, Jue Tu¡¯s combat abilities were such that it could easily defeat even Golden Core Early Stage cultivators and could hold its ground against Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators.


    Most importantly, through the connection he had with Jue Tu, if it encountered any trouble, he would know immediately.


    Then he would be aware if anything happened at home. If Jue Tu couldn¡¯t resolve the issue, he could also come back and seek revenge for his family.


    Of course, one must think that if even a Silver Corpse couldn¡¯t shelter a family, then what kind of force must this family have offended? And what kind of powerful forces could a mundane family even attract?


    ¡°Big brother, where will Jue Tu reside?¡± Li Shijie regained his composure and asked.


    He knew his big brother would not harm him. His big brother was an Immortal, and this was the work of an Immortal.


    ¡°I¡¯ll set up a space underground. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. As long as nothing happens at home, Jue Tu won¡¯t appear. In the future, this jade talisman should be passed down generation to generation. As long as I have not fallen, then Jue Tu can at least protect our family for five hundred years!¡± Li Shiming thought for a moment and answered.


    With his cultivation at the Golden Core Stage, even if he couldn¡¯t break through to the Nascent Soul, he would still have a lifespan of five hundred years.


    In the world of mortals, five hundred years are equivalent to more than twenty generations of people.


    Li Shijie¡¯s mouth gaped open; he realized one thing¡ªthat his big brother could live for at least five hundred years.


    His reverence for Li Shiming intensified, for he had grown up hearing the stories of Li Shiming from a young age. When Li WenYuan educated him, he often mentioned Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming, the youngest third-place winner in Xia Country and then recruited by the Immortals, became an Immortal himself.


    Li Shiming smiled and patted Li Shijie¡¯s shoulder, then left the room.


    The arrangement of Jue Tu was, in fact, quite straightforward.


    When he summoned Jue Tu, he concealed its aura. Otherwise, if he had summoned a Silver Corpse in the Imperial City, the Imperial City¡¯s formations would have long sounded an alarm.


    He excavated a space underground, followed by setting up a formation.


    This formation served several purposes: Firstly, it protected the three-section courtyard above, ensuring that it could not be destroyed¡ªat least by worldly forces.


    Secondly, it generated a mild environment of Spiritual Energy within the three-section courtyard, where a small amount of Spiritual Energy could strengthen mortals¡¯ bodies. An excess of it, however, would be toxic to mortals.


    Thirdly, the underground space absorbed Spiritual Energy, transforming it into an environment suitable for the corpse-refined being¡¯s dormancy.


    Jue Tu was highly sensitive to killing intent. Any person, whether a mortal or a cultivator, carrying killing intent within the three-section courtyard would awaken Jue Tu.


    In addition, that jade talisman could also awaken Jue Tu, controlling it to strike.


    The reason he confined Jue Tu only within the three-section courtyard and forbade its departure was his concern that among his descendants, there would be some who did not know better. They might use Jue Tu to vie for power, allowing Jue Tu to become just a tool for the pursuit of power.


    Setting up the underground space didn¡¯t take long; the formation was completed within two hours.


    In the backyard¡¯s flower garden, he discovered a patch of vegetables planted by Si Qin.


    Originally, this area should have been planted with ornamental trees and flowers, but because the family was strapped for cash, Si Qin planted vegetables instead to reduce household expenses.


    The vegetable plot was small, planted with some common green vegetables.


    Li Shiming approached the plot, waved his hand, and a mist of rain appeared, moistening the green vegetables within the plot.


    He had not used any particularly advanced Spirit Plant Master abilities but had applied the lowest-level ¡°Spring Breeze and Rain Skill¡±.


    On one hand, the abilities of a high-level Spirit Plant Master were too potent for ordinary fields and mundane plants to withstand; on the other, even if these abilities were effective, too strong an effect would render the spiritual energy contained within the plants unbearable for mortals.


    He carefully controlled the amount of spiritual energy in the green vegetables so it was just right for mortals to handle without being adversely affected.


    At noon, he personally cooked a meal using these green vegetables imbued with a trace of spiritual energy and prepared a whole table of dishes.


    Because he cooked an abundance, not only the master of the house, but also Si Qin and the Mo Yan family had their share.


    It¡¯s likely that the cultivators of Beishu Continent would leap in shock if they knew that Li Shiming personally cooked meals just for a group of mortals.


    In Beishu Continent, the spiritual tea he brewed was already a top-level hospitality item for high-profile occasions.


    The lunch made the family feel extremely comfortable, especially Li WenYuan, who became revitalized after eating the dishes Li Shiming specially prepared to nourish a mortal¡¯s body.


    That afternoon, Li Shiming planted two tea plants in a corner of the flower garden. These weren¡¯t spiritual teas, but with his modifications and the influence of formations, these two plants would periodically produce a small amount of tea leaves with faint spiritual energy.


    Consuming this tea regularly could ensure one¡¯s health.


    All of this was his way of leaving a legacy for his family, since as mortals, they couldn¡¯t keep even the best items he might possess.


    Over the three days at home, he never once left the house, spending each day with his father, teaching his brother to read, and instructing Si Qin on how to tend and roast the tea plants.


    He appeared to have forgotten about the matters of cultivation, yet his spirit became increasingly refined in such ordinary life.


    Three days later, he said goodbye to his father and, becoming invisible, soared into the sky, leaving the Imperial City.


    He landed atop a mountain a hundred miles outside the Imperial City, where he laid down the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array using a fourth-grade array plate and then enhanced it with third-grade array flags.


    Only then did he settle into the array, sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion that had been used by Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    Next, he took out a fourth-grade vein-locking plate, releasing the spiritual energy of a Nascent Soul Level spirit vein.


    These preparations were not for ordinary cultivation; rather, they followed an epiphany he experienced upon returning to mortal life for three days¡ªhis Golden Core Early Stage bottleneck had unexpectedly loosened.


    Frankly, Li Shiming had not anticipated advancing to Golden Core Middle Stage so quickly. In the Cultivation World, advancement isn¡¯t as simple as reaching a certain level of cultivation; each leap in realm requires its own opportunity.


    Of course, his homecoming epiphanies were just one factor; more importantly, it was the insights he gained from the Venerable Zhi Jing that allowed him to understand, and even surpass, the level necessary for Golden Core Early Stage.


    He cleared his mind and began circulating the spiritual energy in his five Golden Cores according to the ¡°Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡± Golden Core chapter.


    As spiritual energy circulated, moments of sudden understanding arose in his heart, and the spiritual energy underwent unnoticed transformations.


    The spiritual energy returned to the Golden Cores, where the energy within was continuously replaced by the changed spiritual energy.


    After all the energy in the five Golden Cores had been replaced, the cores simultaneously vibrated, and a fearsome aura burst forth from him.


    The five Golden Cores grew slightly larger, with both the capacity and quality of the contained spiritual energy greatly enhanced.


    The energy that once filled the five early-stage Golden Cores to their peaks now only filled a tenth of the five mid-stage Golden Cores, indicating a manifold increase in the amount of spiritual energy within the Golden Cores.


    Additionally, the quality of the spiritual energy had also increased significantly, reflected in the increased power of his attacks.


    Furthermore, under the operation of the ¡°Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡± within the five Golden Cores, the spiritual energy in the cores continued to consolidate, with their quality reaching the peak of the Golden Core Middle Stage despite the decreased quantity.

 Chapter 669: 381 Disposal

    Chapter 669: Chapter 381 Disposal


    ¡°The Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array blocked the fluctuations of Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough to the Golden Core Middle Stage; otherwise, in such a Spirit Energy-depleted environment, the breath of his breakthrough would¡¯ve surely inflicted extremely severe injuries on all the mortals and beasts in this area.¡±


    ¡°Even the lowest level of Golden Core cultivator is equivalent to a land-bound immortal to mortals.¡±


    ¡°With a wave of their hand, they can decide the fate of mortal nations, turning entire realms into dead lands.¡±


    ¡°The Cultivation World operates by its own set of rules, and even Devil Cultivators would not randomly kill a large number of mortals. Not to mention the murderous intent generated from massive killings, the rules of the Cultivation World would make such Devil Cultivators the target of pursuit by all major sects and powers.¡±


    ¡°Mortals are the foundation of the Cultivation World, and a stable Mortal World is a necessity for all forces within it.¡±


    ¡°Li Shiming¡¯s advancement this time was smooth and flawless; therefore, the process took only ten hours to complete.¡±


    ¡°When he returned home, it was already dark, and Si Qin had long prepared bathwater for him.¡±


    ¡°Home was no longer as it had been three days earlier. Inkstone, the steward, became a true majordomo. With no more worries about wealth, he went out and purchased some honest and obedient servants.¡±


    ¡°Si Qin had two maids under her orders, along with two nursemaids, so she no longer needed to lift a finger to do the heavy chores.¡±


    ¡°Served by Si Qin, Li Shiming bathed in the manner of mortals.¡±


    ¡°He savored this warm moment, something unattainable in the perilous Cultivation World.¡±


    ¡°In the twenty years he had been away from home, he had experienced countless life-and-death situations, and his hands were stained with blood.¡±


    ¡°Only at home could he truly relax.¡±


    ¡°He stopped thinking about alchemy and cultivation, fully enjoying these rare peaceful times.¡±


    ¡°After Si Qin saw him to bed and fell asleep herself, his eyes sprang open, and with a wave of his hand, Si Qin fell into an even deeper sleep.¡±


    ¡°He proceeded to the underground space, retrieved a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein, and began cultivating.¡±


    ¡°Previously, because there was no progress to be made in his cultivation, he had abandoned the practice, but now, having just broken through to the Golden Core Middle Stage, he wouldn¡¯t waste a moment.¡±


    ¡°Li Shiming was acutely aware of one thing: without strength, he couldn¡¯t even protect his own home.¡±


    ¡°In his hands, he had a considerable number of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, which aided Golden Core cultivation; after the breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, he had almost exclusively refined this type of Third-grade Spirit Pill.¡±


    ¡°After a night¡¯s cultivation, he returned to bed in the early morning and lifted the spell from Si Qin.¡±


    ¡°The spell wouldn¡¯t harm Si Qin; in fact, it was beneficial for her spirit.¡±


    ¡°Not long after the spell was lifted, Si Qin, brimming with energy, got up and started preparing for Li Shiming to rise.¡±


    ¡°Li Shiming watched Si Qin¡¯s bustling about with a smile and got out of bed when the time was right.¡±


    ¡°After paying respects to his father, he left the house and headed toward the Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°During his few days back, he had treated his father¡¯s health and settled his family affairs. He needed to go to the Imperial City to inquire what happened in the past that led to his father¡¯s injury.¡±


    ¡°In an era where physicians were not subjected to punishments, his father had reached as high as a second-rank position in the court. Even if he had been demoted, it wouldn¡¯t result in injury or stripping of family wealth, let alone if the offense warranted capital punishment.¡±


    ¡°Step by step, he made his way to the Imperial City, and soon he sensed the presence of the city¡¯s protective Formation.¡±


    ¡°Who might be the cultivator guarding this place now?¡± Li Shiming muttered to himself.


    ¡°He thought of Gu Jia, the Qi Refining Seventh Level cultivator who used to guard the place.¡±


    ¡°With Gu Jia¡¯s lifespan, he would have turned to bones by now.¡±


    ¡°In those days, Gu Jia did not have much longer to live; he only accepted the mission of guarding the mortal world for the sake of his descendants.¡±


    ¡°Reflecting on the past, Li Shiming entered the range of the Formation.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t bother analyzing the Formation; it was too low-grade to merit his contemplation.¡±


    ¡°In fact, just exposing a trace of his aura was enough to forcibly destroy this Formation.¡±


    ¡°Which sect¡¯s cultivator are you? This is the Xia Country Imperial Palace, no trespassing is allowed!¡± A cultivator flew out from the Imperial Palace and blocked Li Shiming¡¯s way, saying.


    ¡°The cultivator was merely at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, with an aura of old age, likely another cultivator nearing the end of his lifespan.¡±


    ¡°While such cultivators may not have high realms, they possess incredibly sharp vision. He couldn¡¯t discern Li Shiming¡¯s strength but judged his extraordinary nature from his bearing, so even though his words carried a warning, they carried little threat.¡±


    ¡°Shushan Sect Elder Li Shiming here, I¡¯ve come to visit the Emperor of Xia regarding a matter of my mortal relatives!¡± Li Shiming announced his identity without any intention to hide.


    ¡°Meng Bin of the Mingxin Sect greets the senior!¡± Meng Bin¡¯s face changed drastically, and he stooped as much as he could, bowing and speaking.


    ¡°Meng Bin was an old disciple of the Mingxin Sect, having moved from the Beishu Continent. However, he ultimately failed to break through to Foundation Establishment and thus became a guardian cultivator for the Xia Country.¡±


    ¡°He was certainly aware of the renown of the Shushan Sect, one of the six major sects on the Beishu Continent and the true ruler of the land.¡±


    ¡°The Senluo Sect, which forced the Mingxin Sect to retreat to Sky Sea Island, held equal prestige to Shushan Sect. If the Mingxin Sect could not afford to offend the Senluo Sect, neither could they afford to offend the Shushan Sect.¡±


    ¡°And to be an Elder of the Shushan Sect, one had to at least be at the Golden Core Stage.¡±


    ¡°Such a being, not to mention a mere Qi Refinement disciple like himself, even the Golden Core elders of his sect would need to show enough respect.¡±


    ¡°However, Meng Bin soon connected the name Li Shiming with something related to the Xia Country.¡±


    ¡°It was imperative that he knew of every cultivator from Xia Country, whether they had joined the Mingxin Sect or one of the seven sects from before.¡±

 Chapter 670 381 Disposal_2

    The mortal relatives of these cultivators must be taken care of, more or less, as is the rule in the world of cultivation.


    But the name Li Shiming still left some impression on Meng Bin.


    Li Shiming had joined the Sky Sea Sect twenty years ago and disappeared after the Mingxin Sect entered Sky Sea Island.


    When True Inheritor Bao Zhao handled mundane affairs, he suppressed the mortal relatives of all cultivators who had joined the Seven Sects, especially those who had perished in opposition to the Mingxin Sect.


    This meant that these Seven Sects cultivators were all resisting the Mingxin Sect, and their relatives need not be treated favorably.


    After this order was issued, all the mortal kingdoms carried it out.


    It was this very order that led Xia Country to dismiss Li WenYuan from his official position, even subjecting him to thirty heavy floggings, before confiscating his family property and leaving only their ancestral home, a three-section courtyard.


    Information about Li Shiming flashed through Meng Bin''s mind, though none of it showed on his face.


    He was acutely aware that if Li Shiming learned of this matter, the retribution from a Golden Core cultivator would be utterly terrifying.


    However, what he did not know was that Li Shiming had kept "Telepathy" activated all along, and everything Meng Bin thought had been heard by Li Shiming.


    This was also why Li Shiming was very confident that he could find out the reason behind Li WenYuan''s demotion and dispossession.


    Using divine skills to investigate mortal affairs, Li Shiming had indeed set a precedent.


    "Meng Bin, I''ll give you time to inform the Mingxin Sect. Hand over Bao Zhao; also, the entire Xia Country Imperial Family must be executed. I give the Mingxin Sect five days to handle this!" Li Shiming said indifferently.


    Meng Bin''s heart skipped a beat, not thinking that he had leaked the information, but believing that Li Shiming must have already found out the reasons behind Li WenYuan''s demotion; he was here to trouble the Mingxin Sect.


    However, this matter was of such a high level that it was far beyond his purview; all he could do was relay the news back to the sect.


    "I''ll wait at home for the news!" Li Shiming said, then turned and walked away.


    Meng Bin bowed deeply, watching Li Shiming''s figure disappear before he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    He activated his magic artifact, speeding back to his residence in the Imperial City and starting the communication array.


    "Father!" Bao Zhao hurried into the room and called out.


    "What''s with such a fuss? How will you handle important sect affairs in the future?" Golden Core Middle Stage Bo Ran frowned at his unruly son and sternly reprimanded.


    Bao Zhao was his son and his disciple, and he had devoted a lot of effort to this child.


    Bao Zhao was currently at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, yet he was already managing the sect''s mundane affairs.


    This task was the least likely to go wrong because no matter how significant the incident, it was just a mundane affair.


    But it could train Bao Zhao''s management skills and allow him to make significant progress in this area.


    After the Mingxin Sect took over Sky Sea Island, there was much to be done, and many important positions required cultivators to fill. Golden Core Elder Bo Ran used a little power to place his son Bao Zhao in charge of managing the mundane kingdoms.


    "Father, there''s news from Xia Country. A Golden Core Elder from the Shushan Sect has appeared in Xia Country, and his family has been oppressed. His father was even demoted, his property confiscated, and now they want to..." Bao Zhao stopped, not daring to continue.


    "What does he want?" Bo Ran couldn''t maintain his composure any longer, his face suddenly turning as he asked.


    "He said that the sect must hand me over, and execute the entire Xia Country Imperial Family!" Bao Zhao replied with his head lowered.


    "What does this have to do with you?" Bo Ran stared at Bao Zhao and asked.


    His heart was far from calm; that was an Elder of the Shushan Sect, and although Sky Sea Island was far from the Shushan Sect, the influence of such a significant sect had to be considered, even if one was far from the Beishu Continent.


    "I approved the punishment of a group of cultivator families who were resisting our sect, among them was the family of Elder Li!" Bao Zhao didn''t dare to hide the truth; the Shushan Sect Elder had already investigated it thoroughly, and it was useless for him to lie.


    In the world of cultivation, evidence meant little; as long as a cultivator believed their judgment, hatred would be born.


    "Don''t be in a hurry; show me the information about that Golden Core Elder!" Bo Ran commanded with composure.


    Bao Zhao had prepared in advance, handing over a set of documents to Bo Ran.


    As Bo Ran looked over the documents, he felt nothing but irritation at the decision Bao Zhao had made.


    The families of cultivators from the mortal world, regardless of their power and influence, should be taken care of if possible; this is a rule of the Cultivation World.


    Cultivators don''t place too much importance on their worldly kin.


    However, if these worldly relatives are targeted, it could potentially generate enmity with the cultivator.


    Thus, no power would undertake such a thankless task; dealing with mortals brings no benefits. Can a sect really need to bully mortals to assert its dominance?


    But he looked at his own son, who had actually issued such an order, and who also ran into a relative of a Golden Core Elder from the Shushan Sect.


    He then checked Li Shiming''s information. There wasn''t much, but it revealed that Li Shiming was a genius within the Sky Sea Sect, highly valued by the sect.


    Afterwards, there was no further news, and many assumed he had perished. Unexpectedly, he was still alive and had advanced to the Golden Core Stage after only twenty years of cultivation practice, becoming an Elder of the Shushan Sect.


    Bo Ran had incomplete information in his hands, only about Li Shiming''s time on Sky Sea Island.


    He did not have any information about Li Shiming in the Beishu Continent.


    The Mingxin Sect, far removed from the Beishu Continent, was unaware of the reputation that the name Li Shiming held there.


    "To have advanced to Golden Core at such a young age is the mark of a genius cultivator. I''ll pay him a visit and see if I can resolve this trouble!" Bo Ran said gravely.


    His confidence stemmed from being at the Golden Core Middle Stage; even if Li Shiming was a genius, he was just at the early stages of Golden Core.


    With his strength at the mid-stage of Golden Core, if he lowered his pride a little, he could completely persuade Li Shiming to drop his pursuit of his son.


    "That Shushan Sect Elder has only given us five days!" Bao Zhao reminded aloud.


    He was truly scared; an Elder from the Shushan Sect had ordered the sect to hand him over. If it weren''t for the fact that he was Bo Ran''s son, he would have no confidence that the sect would protect him.


    "I know. You go down first, and I''ll discuss with the other Elders!" Bo Ran said impatiently, waving his hand.


    That very day, Bo Ran rode a flying boat towards Xia Country and arrived at the Imperial City in the afternoon.


    He didn''t descend into the city itself, but instead sent a communication technique towards the city.


    Li Shiming was sipping tea prepared by Si Qin, flipping through a collection of notes, when he saw a streak of white light soar into the sky.


    This white light was invisible to mortals. It was a communication technique, a special kind of spell that, due to its security, could pass through formations.


    With a gesture, he summoned the communication technique into his hand.


    Si Qin looked at him with a puzzled gaze, not knowing why Li Shiming had suddenly gestured.


    "I''m stepping out for a bit; keep my tea warm for me!" Li Shiming said with a smile to Si Qin after scanning the content of the communication.


    "Yes, Young Master!" Si Qin replied.


    Li Shiming''s figure took to the air, employing a bit of skill to make sure that mortals could not see him flying.


    He took to the sky and immediately saw Bo Ran, the confident Golden Core Mid-Stage cultivator standing in mid-air.


    "Where is Bao Zhao? Why isn''t he sent over?" Li Shiming looked at Bo Ran and then around him, asking in a deep voice.


    His gaze could clear see everything for miles; since he saw no other cultivators, it meant that the Mingxin Sect hadn''t planned on handing over Bao Zhao.


    He didn''t think his demand was unreasonable. Although there''s a saying in the Cultivation World that cultivators should not interfere in mundane affairs.


    But when it comes to a cultivator''s closest kin, this notion no longer stands.


    On the contrary, Bao Zhao¡ªthe True Inheritor of the Mingxin Sect¡ªissued commands interfering with the mundane world, which was a violation of the rules of the Cultivation World.


    Li Shiming''s demand that the Mingxin Sect hand over Bao Zhao was an attempt to prevent the situation from escalating. With his current strength, he couldn''t contend with a False Infant Cultivator.


    Yet, having invoked the status of an Elder from the Shushan Sect, the Mingxin Sect didn''t even surrender a Foundation Establishment cultivator; this was a blatant disrespect towards him as a Golden Core Elder and towards the Shushan Sect.


    Anger flashed in Li Shiming''s eyes. How dare such a minor sect as the Mingxin Sect provoke the Shushan Sect so brazenly?

 Chapter 671 382 Whisper of the Heart

    Li Shiming dared to describe the Mingxin Sect as "small" because apart from the False Infant Ancestor, he did not regard the sect highly.


    His personal combat power in the way of Body Refinement had already reached the Great Elder Level.


    The Great Elder Level, in theory, represents the strongest existence in the Golden Core Stage, not to mention that he had the help of his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15, possessed Divine Foot Skill, Telepathy, and Divine Sight among the three Divine Skills, commanded over a dozen Silver Corpses, and had the Great Demon Jue Ling Huanxing Jiao, his capabilities alone were equivalent to the collective Golden Core Stage power of an entire sect.


    So when he faced Bo Ran, his attitude was clear, which was to hand over the True Disciple Bo Zhao, who broke the rules. If they did this, his grievance with the Mingxin Sect would be written off.


    Bo Ran''s face showed a look of shock when he heard Li Shiming''s demand.


    He sensed Li Shiming''s realm; Li Shiming was actually a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator.


    He once again reviewed the information his son Bo Zhao had gathered about Li Shiming, causing his scalp to tighten.


    In just twenty years, Li Shiming had advanced from a novice to the Golden Core Middle Stage, whereas he had taken nearly three hundred years to reach his current realm.


    The more of a genius Li Shiming was, the higher his status within the Shushan Sect, and the more troublesome it would be for him.


    "Elder Bo Ran of the Mingxin Sect pays respects to Mr. Li!" Bo Ran squeezed out an extremely forced smile, bowing and introducing himself to Li Shiming.


    His mind raced with thoughts on how to soothe Li Shiming''s anger and resolve the situation.


    "I presume my demands have been relayed to the Mingxin Sect, what is the sect''s attitude?" Li Shiming asked bluntly, disregarding Bo Ran''s greeting.


    "Mr. Li, the decision to execute the entire Imperial Family of Xia Country has been made, and the new emperor can be from your family in the secular world!" Regardless of Li Shiming''s attitude, Bo Ran continued to respond with a forced smile.


    "I am too lazy to be concerned with such minor secular matters. If not for giving face to the Mingxin Sect, I would have taken action myself long ago. When is Bo Zhao going to be delivered?" Li Shiming waved his hand and pressed further.


    When he heard the name Bo Ran, Li Shiming had a thought; considering both Bo Ran and Bo Zhao had the Bo last name, which wasn''t a prominent family surname, and within the same sect, one was an elder and the other a True Disciple, he refused to believe they had no relation whatsoever.


    Especially since Bo Ran came specifically for the matter concerning Bo Zhao, Li Shiming''s suspicions only grew stronger.


    He activated ''Telepathy''; he had not been confident in probing the thoughts of a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, but after his own breakthrough to the Golden Core Middle Stage, he found he could easily listen to Bo Ran''s thoughts.


    Indeed, he heard in Bo Ran''s thoughts, Bo Zhao being referred to as "son."


    "Mr. Li, the Mingxin Sect truly regrets the incident with your esteemed father and family. The sect is willing to offer generous reparation, and Bo Zhao will be handed over to the sect''s enforcement team for punishment according to our regulations!" Bo Ran said with his head lowered.


    What he called the Mingxin Sect''s generous reparation was in fact him preparing to draw some third-grade resources himself, and as for handing over Bo Zhao to the enforcement team, he would indeed do so, but he guessed that Li Shiming would not stay on Sky Sea Island for too long. Afterward, it would be fine to simply release Bo Zhao.


    In his view, this was already giving Li Shiming a great deal of face, both publicly and privately, and he expected Li Shiming to accept his offer.


    Li Shiming sternly looked at Bo Ran; ever since he heard Bo Ran''s thoughts through ''Telepathy'', even if he hadn''t heard his thoughts, he would not have let Bo Zhao off.


    Third-grade resources were extremely precious to other Golden Core cultivators, but they meant little to him, and besides, he did not have high expectations for what an elder of the Mingxin Sect like Bo Ran could draw from his own holdings.


    "When I came to Sky Sea Island, Elder Zuo from my sect entrusted me with a message for Elder Zang, advising him not to interfere in disputes among the Golden Core Stage," Li Shiming suddenly changed the subject, taking out a token as he spoke.


    Clearly, Bo Ran was startled for a moment, but then he understood that Elder Zuo referred to a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Shushan Sect.


    He also sensed from the token a faint yet daunting presence, one that only Nascent Soul Ancestors could possess.


    Thinking of his own Elder Zang, Bo Ran gave a wry and helpless smile internally, accepting the thinly veiled threat from Li Shiming.


    "I will convey Elder Zuo''s message to our ancestor, and I will deliver Bo Zhao as well!" Bo Ran replied, bowing.


    Li Shiming once again listened to Bo Ran''s thoughts, his gaze brightening.


    He caught wind of Elder Zang''s condition. Elder Zang wasn''t doing well and hadn''t appeared for quite some time.


    When still on the Beishu Continent, Elder Zang did not have long to live. Elder Zang had expended some effort to lead the Mingxin Sect across the Beihai.


    Li Shiming had not encountered any trouble while crossing Beihai¡ªit was as if the sea was calm.


    But this was because there were markers from the Shushan Sect on Li Shiming''s Flying Boat, which deterred the sea beasts from attacking.


    In essence, it was the longstanding reputation of the Shushan Sect that allowed Li Shiming safe passage back and forth across Beihai.


    But the Mingxin Sect was not one of the six great sects, and Elder Zang was not a Nascent Soul Ancestor, so he had to show a certain level of power to be able to lead the entire sect across Beihai.


    Upon arriving at Sky Sea Island, even without going through any battles, Elder Zang still had to use the Nascent Soul Dharma Manifestation.

 Chapter 672: 382 Whisper of the Heart_2

    Chapter 672: Chapter 382 Whisper of the Heart_2


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this consumption. When a cultivator¡¯s lifespan is about to end, any bit of consumption could lead to an early demise of their lifespan.¡±


    Elder Zang¡¯s current condition is absolutely confidential within the Mingxin Sect, and Bo Ran is among the few elders who know the truth.


    Elder Zang¡¯s lifespan is about to run out, solely relying on an artifact from the Mingxin Sect to cling to life; his lifespan won¡¯t last more than five years, and during this period, Elder Zang won¡¯t be able to leave the sect, and if he acts, it will only be with the capacity for a single strike.


    If Elder Zang acts, the result will surely be his instant demise.


    Elder Zang is extremely important to the Mingxin Sect. If it weren¡¯t for Elder Zang, even if the Mingxin Sect¡¯s overall strength was stronger than the seven sects, the seven sects would not have obediently ceded the foundation of Sky Sea Island.


    With the Mountain Gate Formation, the seven sects would definitely defend their gate, help each other out, and perhaps the Mingxin Sect would still be battling with the seven sects even now.


    Not to mention, once the news of Elder Zang¡¯s death spreads, the remnants of the seven sects¡¯ forces will certainly counterattack, striving intensely for some resource points, instead of shrinking back as they are now.


    However, Li Shiming had no intention of acting against the Mingxin Sect for now, as long as Bo Ran sends Bao Zhao over, the matter concerning his father and the family could be concluded.


    As for his grudge against the Mingxin Sect, that could wait until after Elder Zang had passed away.


    Perhaps the next time he returned to Sky Sea Island, he could avenge the grudge of being driven away from Sky Sea Island by the Mingxin Sect.


    Li Shiming returned home, and not long after, Mo Yan rushed into the backyard.


    ¡°Mo Yan, you¡¯re a father now, why do you still act like before!¡± Li Shiming glanced at him and said with a smile.


    Si Qin stood aside and started to giggle, then feeling it was impolite, she quickly covered her smile with her fan.


    ¡°Young Master, big trouble! The State Preceptor has sent an order from the Immortal that the entire Jin Family of the Royal Family has been killed by the State Preceptor!¡± Mo Yan was too urgent to catch his breath when he said this.


    The State Preceptor of Xia, naturally, was the stationed cultivator, Meng Bin.


    Li Shiming was not at all surprised, for the Mingxin Sect, the life of the Jin Family of the Royal Family held no value.


    If it weren¡¯t for the stability of the mortal kingdom, perhaps the Mingxin Sect would have replaced all the royal families of the mortal kingdoms immediately upon invasion.


    As Li Shiming knew, when Xia was still under Sky Sea Sect¡¯s domain, this Jin family was descended from a cultivator of the Sky Sea Sect and had a small amount of power within the sect, which is why they had the opportunity to rule a country.


    The act of killing mortals, being carried out by Meng Bin, a stationed cultivator whose lifespan was nearing its end, was most suitable.


    ¡°Does Father know about this?¡± Li Shiming nodded without any surprise and asked.


    ¡°The Master instructed us not to disturb him with mundane matters, so it hasn¡¯t been reported!¡± Mo Yan, curious about Li Shiming¡¯s calmness, didn¡¯t think much and replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go tell him.¡± Li Shiming stood up and walked toward the main house.


    Li WenYuan was not inside the house, but was sitting under the tree in front of the main house, quietly savoring a pot of tea.


    This tea was a spiritually-enriched tea grown by Li Shiming upon his return and personally roasted, which, in terms of health benefits and taste, had reached the peak achievable in the mortal world.


    Having been an official all his life, Li WenYuan, like other officials and scholars, loved tea. The spiritually-enriched tea left by Li Shiming, even with careful rationing, had been completely finished several years ago.


    Having experienced life and death, and political struggles, although he remained thin, his demeanor had become even more serene.


    ¡°Father!¡± Li Shiming somewhat did not want to disturb this peaceful and beautiful moment of Li WenYuan, he said softly.


    ¡°Shiming, sit down and join me for a cup of tea; this tea you¡¯ve made is truly Immortal Tea!¡± Li WenYuan said with a gentle smile, pointing to the stone stool opposite him.


    Li Shiming sat on the stone stool, took a teacup for himself and poured some tea, lightly took a sip.


    ¡°What is it? You¡¯ve become an Immortal, and you¡¯re still hesitant!¡± Li WenYuan noticed his preoccupation and said with a laugh.


    ¡°Father, today the State Preceptor executed the entire Jin Family of the Royal Family!¡± Li Shiming put down his cup and said.


    Li WenYuan¡¯s hand paused slightly with the tea cup before he slowly brought it to his lips, took a sip, and then placed it back on the table.


    ¡°Was it because of you?¡± Although it was a question, he used a tone of certainty.


    Otherwise, it was too coincidental that as soon as Li Shiming returned, the entire Imperial Family was massacred.


    ¡°The Jin Family violated the rules of the Cultivation World; they deserved to die!¡± Li Shiming did not deny it.


    ¡°The Royal Family was quite decent, governing Xia Country well, ensuring peace and prosperity!¡± Li WenYuan shook his head with a hint of pity.


    ¡°Father, what do you think about letting Shijie take over Xia Country?¡± Li Shiming asked with a smile.


    ¡°As an Immortal, one ascends and brings along even the pets and livestock. Shijie¡¯s life from now on should follow his own will, let him do what he wishes. I won¡¯t live much longer. Each day, I drink tea and enjoy your company, reminiscing about the past,¡± Li WenYuan replied calmly, showing no surprise, and smiled gently.


    Having been involved in the governmental scene for many years, he had understood Li Shiming¡¯s terrifying power after hearing that the Royal Family had been annihilated.


    As for letting Li Shijie become the Emperor of Xia Country, his idea was to go along with Li Shijie¡¯s wishes.


    Li Shijie was very intelligent. Having had his path in the imperial examinations cut off, he had read various miscellaneous books at home. He might not match a true scholar graduated through the imperial examinations in terms of classics, but his breadth of knowledge was exceptionally vast.


    ¡°Father, I have left behind a powerful puppet in this ancestral home. No matter how brutally Shijie fights outside, returning to the ancestral home will ensure his safety for life. In the future, as long as he chooses a descendant to stay in the ancestral home, the bloodline of our Li Family will never be cut off!¡± Li Shiming explained in detail to Li WenYuan the plan he had left behind.


    He knew what his father was most worried about, so he eased his father¡¯s heart in advance.


    ¡°That is good. Do you have a favored woman? When will you have offspring?¡± Li WenYuan, with a smile, looked at Li Shiming and asked.


    ¡°Yes, her name is Yin Shilan. When I returned, she was in closed-door cultivation. Our marriage might still be decades away. If she marries before her realm is sufficient, it will affect her cultivation path. As for children, that would have to wait until after marriage.¡±,¡± Li Shiming said.


    ¡°After the child is born, he or she will not return to the mortal world but will stay in the Cultivation World. Then, the bloodline of the Li Family will have branches in both the mortal world and the Cultivation World,¡± Li Shiming, who had never discussed his plans with others, did not hide anything in front of his father.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to see it!¡± Li WenYuan¡¯s eyes gleamed with longing as he sighed softly.


    His son was already approaching forty, yet it would still be decades before he married and had children. He couldn¡¯t grasp a cultivator¡¯s perception of time, but he was very happy upon understanding Li Shiming¡¯s intentions.


    Li Shiming did not offer consolation, as comforting others was not his forte; he simply and quietly kept his father company.


    ¡°Master, Young Master, the State Preceptor has come to visit!¡± Mo Yan held a bright golden card and reported.


    ¡°Shiming, you handle the reception. Talk to Shijie first; I¡¯m tired and will go back to my room to rest,¡± Li WenYuan said as he stood up, rubbing his waist and gesturing with his hand.


    ¡°Direct the State Preceptor to wait in the front hall; I¡¯ll go find Shijie first,¡± Li Shiming did not take the card, casually instructing Mo Yan.


    Mo Yan wanted to say something but obediently went on his way.


    As he approached the front hall, he hesitated.


    The State Preceptor had just executed an entire Royal Family, and yet the Young Master had him wait in the front hall. What if the State Preceptor became enraged?


    While thinking, he entered the front hall.


    ¡°State Preceptor, the Young Master asks that you wait here for a moment. He will come over after handling some matters,¡± Mo Yan said carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I will wait here. Don¡¯t mind me; go on with your tasks,¡± Meng Bin said as he stood respectfully without even daring to sit.


    Seeing the State Preceptor behaving this way, Mo Yan¡¯s courage grew, thinking that his own young master was an Immortal, and this State Preceptor was really nothing in comparison.


    Of course, he still didn¡¯t dare to be disrespectful, as after all, this was a State Preceptor, who in the eyes of a butler like him, was an existence as high as the sky.

 Chapter 673: 383 Selection

    Chapter 673: Chapter 383 Selection


    Li Shiming did not immediately go to see Meng Bin, the State Preceptor of Xia, for to him, even the mighty State Preceptor who had the power to kill members of the Royal Family was nothing more than a cultivator who had failed on the path of seeking immortality, a pitiful being who hadn¡¯t even achieved Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°Shijie, may I come in?¡± he called from outside Li Shijie¡¯s door.


    ¡°Big brother, come in quickly!¡± Li Shijie ran out from his room with surprise and hurriedly greeted him.


    This was Li Shiming¡¯s first visit to Li Shijie¡¯s room. Li Shiming didn¡¯t know how it was before, but now that the family was prosperous, high had arranged for Li Shijie a personal maid, a personal servant boy, two rough maids, and two nursemaids.


    The arrangement was the same as his own, treating Li Shijie completely as his brother.


    In this world, adopted children, whether in terms of legality or affection, were treated as one¡¯s own child, not to mention they were originally of the same bloodline.


    ¡°Shijie, there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you. Have you ever thought about becoming the Emperor of Xia?¡± After Li Shiming sat down and had Li Shijie sit opposite him, he asked directly.


    Li Shijie was shocked and nearly fell to the ground.


    He looked at Li Shiming in horror, knowing that if such words were to spread, it could mean the entire family¡¯s heads.


    ¡°The entire Royal Family of Xia has perished. If you wish it, I can help you ascend the throne, and you need not worry about its stability. As long as I live, no one will dare to vie for the throne of Xia!¡± Li Shiming explained matter-of-factly.


    Li Shijie was silent for the duration of a cup of tea; when he looked up again, his eyes were glowing.


    Li Shiming knew he had made his decision.


    ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m willing to give it a try!¡± Li Shijie said, clenching his teeth.


    He knew if he missed this opportunity, he would regret it for life. When adopted into the family, he was too young to understand.


    Since he came of age, he had received the most orthodox Confucian education. However, not many years passed before Li WenYuan fell from favor and their wealth was snatched away, and with it his hopes for studying for the civil service exam.


    After that, he read various books and understood many principles.


    He had ambitions too, but his previous life had kept those ambitions in check. Now that his elder brother had given him an opportunity, he wanted to seize it.


    Although he was not like his elder brother who could become an Immortal traversing the world, he still wanted to have his own worth.


    ¡°Good. However, you must remember, no matter what, there must always be one of your descendants who remains in the ancestral home. Of course, if you ever face a life and death crisis, just come to the ancestral home and it can be resolved!¡± Li Shiming instructed with a smile.


    For Li Shiming, the nations of the Mortal World were but a game played by mortals.


    Mortal life spanned barely a hundred years, and those who lived to a hundred were extremely rare.


    And yet, he was capable of living beyond five hundred years; compared to the thirty golden years of a mortal¡¯s life, their lives were all too brief.


    Li Shiming had prepared a backup plan for Li Shijie. As for what might ultimately become of Li Shijie, Li Shiming did not wish to intervene too much, leaving it all to Li Shijie himself.


    Li Shijie would be luckier than most emperors in this world, with the backing of Li Shiming, a Golden Core cultivator, who had little regard for the meager benefits of a mortal kingdom.


    With Li Shiming, a Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator, backing him, no force in Xia would dare covet the throne.


    Li Shiming left the room with a smile, leaving a thrilled Li Shijie behind.


    He walked to the front hall and saw Meng Bin standing there respectfully.


    ¡°State Preceptor Meng Bin pays respects to the Senior!¡± Even though he knew Li Shiming was not yet forty years old and he was over three times the age of Li Shiming, Meng Bin still bowed deeply in a gesture befitting a junior.


    Among cultivators, age was never the measure, but strength was held in high esteem.


    ¡°Please, take a seat!¡± Li Shiming said, waving his hand as he took his place at the head of the room.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior, for the seat!¡± Meng Bin dared not disobey and cautiously took his place, speaking continuously.


    ¡°I have come to report to the Senior that the one hundred thirty-six members of the Jin Family have all been slain. My sect has sent me to greet the new emperor¡¯s ascension to the throne!¡± Meng Bin said seated, keeping his body lower than Li Shiming¡¯s by more than a head in deference.


    ¡°The throne will be taken by Li Shijie. You only need to ensure his safety. After supporting his ascension, you need not concern yourself with other matters!¡± Li Shiming said indifferently.


    It seemed as if he was not deciding the fate of a nation¡¯s throne, but rather speaking of a very mundane matter.


    In fact, it was so, even for Meng Bin, who felt no different about who sat on the throne.


    Being a cultivator, without a specially arranged Formation, staying in the Mortal World for just a few days would be intolerable.


    The Spiritual Energy here was too scarce, and without a wealth of resources, a cultivator in the Mortal World was essentially engaging in slow suicide.


    ¡°I will follow the Senior¡¯s orders!¡± Meng Bin breathed a sigh of relief, for Li Shiming¡¯s demands were not steep, and he could easily meet them.


    Of course, he would not truly offer no help at all; with Li Shiming¡¯s low demands, his task would be that much easier.


    ¡°Mo Yan, take the State Preceptor to find Shijie!¡± Li Shiming ordered aloud to someone outside.


    ¡°State Preceptor, please follow me!¡± Mo Yan entered and gestured politely.


    About half a two-hour period later, Li Shijie, dressed in a dragon robe, first paid his respects to Li WenYuan in the main house, then to Li Shiming, before boarding the Dragon Chariot brought by Meng Bin.


    The glorious life of Li Shijie was starting, and Li Shiming watched with a smile; all of this was a mere trifle for him, and he only wished for Shijie and his line to live better in the Mortal World.

 Chapter 674: 383 Selection_2

    Chapter 674: Chapter 383 Selection_2


    He turned and arrived at the main hall; Li WenYuan was once again seated in his original position sipping tea.


    ¡°Shijie becoming the Emperor, I wonder if that¡¯s a good thing!¡± Li WenYuan said with slight reproof.


    ¡°I asked him, he¡¯s quite eager to try. If it doesn¡¯t work out, he¡¯ll just come back!¡± Li Shiming replied with ease.


    Li WenYuan thought it made sense. With Li Shiming as his elder brother, what did it matter if he failed?


    Although he did not know the extent of Li Shiming¡¯s power in the cultivation world, observing the State Preceptor Meng Bin¡¯s respect, which seemed to flow from deep within him upon seeing Li Shiming, he knew Li Shiming was doing very well.


    He had met Meng Bin before. As the State Preceptor and an Immortal, he always carried himself above all mortals, including members of the Royal Family and the Princes.


    Never had he seen Meng Bin treat a mortal with such demeanor, not even former Emperors.


    ¡°Shiming, let¡¯s not talk about Shijie now. Let¡¯s play a game and see if your skills have dropped!¡± Li WenYuan shifted the topic and said with a smile.


    A servant beside them set up the chessboard, with Li WenYuan holding the white pieces and Li Shiming the black; Li Shiming was to move first.


    It had always been this way. Li WenYuan had taught Li Shiming to play chess. When there was a spare moment, the father and son would often play a game.


    Li Shiming played with care, not because he lacked ability, but because he needed to keep his father in good spirits, so he could not win, yet he could not lose too badly either, lest his father lose interest.


    The powerful life-bound Spiritual Artifact IBMz15 became an assistant in their game of chess.


    Amid the laughter of father and son, the day passed.


    At night, under Si Qin¡¯s care, Li Shiming bathed, freshened up, and went to bed; still, he used a spell to put Si Qin to sleep in the middle of the night and went to the underground space to cultivate.


    The next morning, as he was greeting his father, a communication technique arrived.


    He did not disturb his father. After finishing his greeting, he left the room and then soared into the sky.


    Bo Ran stood in midair, holding a corpse in his hand. Upon seeing Li Shiming, he threw the corpse over.


    ¡°Mr. Li, this is Bo Zhao¡¯s corpse. The sect¡¯s enforcement team executed him!¡± Bo Ran said solemnly.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought caught the corpse; it was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s corpse, and both the age and appearance matched the description of Bo Zhao that he had overheard from Meng Bin¡¯s inner thoughts.


    However, when he used ¡°Telepathy¡± to listen, he heard Bo Ran¡¯s inner voice.


    This was not Bo Zhao, but another Foundation Establishment Cultivator who bore a slight resemblance to Bo Zhao.


    As for Bo Zhao, he was currently locked in Bo Ran¡¯s cave, waiting for Li Shiming to leave Heavenly Sea Island, after which he would allow Bo Zhao to change his name and reappear.


    ¡°Bo Zhao? Isn¡¯t this Sun Li?¡± Li Shiming let out a mocking laugh as he retorted.


    Bo Ran¡¯s expression froze; he couldn¡¯t imagine how Li Shiming had found out about the body swap, let alone the swapped Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s name.


    He had told no one about this deed, not even his son Bo Zhao, apart from themselves, knew within the sect.


    Even Bo Zhao did not know the name of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator who died in his stead, which gave Bo Ran a chilling feeling.


    ¡°Mr. Li, you indeed are a genius, but do not push too hard. The Mingxin Sect isn¡¯t so easily offended!¡± Of course, Bo Ran wasn¡¯t about to hand over his son, for the cost of a Golden Core cultivator having a child was not small.


    ¡°It seems I will have to go to the Mingxin Sect personally to get what I am owed!¡± Li Shiming said indifferently.


    ¡°Then I shall await fellow Daoist at the sect!¡± Bo Ran responded solemnly.


    With that, he turned and left. Li Shiming did not make a move there.


    This place was above the capital of Xia Country. If Golden Core cultivators began to fight, it wasn¡¯t just the aftermath, but merely the aura of a Golden Core cultivator could cause many mortals in the city to die.


    Moreover, cultivators who have reached the Golden Core stage are not allowed to battle in mundane areas; such are the rules of the cultivation world.


    When unnecessary, Li Shiming also did not wish to break that rule, although he possessed the strength to kill Bo Ran without any resistance, he had not done so.


    Upon returning home, Li Shiming informed his father that he was going out to take care of some matters and would be back by evening.


    He did not utilize ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± but instead used the Meteor Ink Boat to slowly fly toward the gate of Mingxin Sect.


    The gate originally belonged to Sky Sea Sect. Due to its geographical location, situated right in the middle of the original seven sects, it was chosen by Mingxin Sect to be their new gate.


    The reason he had not used ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± and even flying the Meteor Ink Boat at less than full speed, was to wait for Bo Ran to return to the sect.


    From Xia Country to Mingxin Sect gate, using ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± would only take thirty minutes to reach.


    Considering Bo Ran¡¯s speed at the middle stage of Golden Core, he kept his speed such that he would reach the gate in two hours.


    Looking at the increasingly familiar scenery, the islands at sea, they remained the same as before.


    Only now, these islands had changed sects, but their function remained largely unchanged.


    As he neared Mingxin Sect, he saw a reef that was once the location of his cave abode.


    Feeling a slight stirring in his heart, he casually retracted the Meteor Ink Boat and flashed into the sea.


    Eagle Beak Island no longer looked like it once had, this was the result of the destruction he caused the last time he left using rockets.


    The spirit field on the island was completely destroyed, allowing seawater to flood in. Most importantly, the spiritual vein had vanished, rendering the place useless for cultivators. Thus, it was abandoned.


    Li Shiming went under the sea and quickly found the hidden cave he had left behind, passing through it to arrive at an underground space.


    This space was the underground part of the former cave abode, where the spiritual vein was also sealed, unable to send spiritual energy upwards.


    He sat next to the Spiritual Spring. The spring had not changed much; the small fish in the water were unaware of the events outside and swam freely.


    He used his Divine Thought to catch two fish and made himself a meal of spirit fish soup.


    The spirit fish, which had been greatly beneficial to him in the past, now served merely as a reminiscence.


    He smiled and took out a Top Grade Spirit Artifact that he obtained at some point and placed it beside the Spiritual Spring. If a cultivator discovered this place in the future, this Top Grade Spirit Artifact could be considered a chance encounter.


    Whoever found this place, it could be said that they had some destiny with him.


    Without lingering there longer, he exited the underground cave and flew out of the sea surface towards the gate of Mingxin Sect.


    He made his presence known, a move that caused the Sect Protection Array of Mingxin Sect to shine brightly.


    Since Mingxin Sect had only occupied this place for just over a decade, they were always vigilant against attacks from cultivators, reacting extremely swiftly.


    Li Shiming stood ten miles away from the gate which was still within the attack range of the array. However, due to his strength, even if the array launched an attack from such a distance, the power would not be sufficient to harm him.


    He had no intentions of getting any closer. Although he knew that Elder Zang¡¯s lifespan was nearing its end, he did not want to get too close to the gate and give Elder Zang a chance to act.


    ¡°Shushan Sect Elder Li Shiming is here to pay a visit to the gate, hand over Bao Zhao and the deceitful Bo Ran, otherwise, I will seal off Mingxin Sect!¡± shouted Li Shiming, his voice echoing through the gate of Mingxin Sect driven by his spiritual power.


    He waved his hand and twelve Silver Corpses appeared beside him, with the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao also summoned but hidden to the side.


    Inside the gate of Mingxin Sect, Bo Ran was reporting the previous events to the Sect Leader and the Elders.


    He did not conceal anything. Being involved with an Elder from a major sect on the Beishu Continent like Shushan Sect, especially one who had advanced to the middle stage of Golden Core in just twenty years, he dared not hide the slightest detail.


    ¡°Are you saying that Elder Li held Elder Zuo¡¯s Token, openly demanding that Elder Zang must not interfere with matters regarding the Golden Core Stage?¡± the Sect Leader asked gravely.


    Holding the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s token meant that Li Shiming¡¯s status within Shushan Sect was even more significant.


    Nascent Soul Ancestors rarely intervened in sect affairs; not to mention the Nascent Soul Ancestor, even the sect¡¯s Elder Zang only acted to help the sect retreat from the Beishu Continent when its survival was at stake.

 Chapter 675: 384 Block the Door (Extra for the Abbot of Huashan Sect)

    Chapter 675: Chapter 384 Block the Door (Extra for the Abbot of Huashan Sect)


    Inside the gates of the Mingxin Sect, they were discussing matters related to Li Shiming. The Sect Leader and the Golden Core Elders heard the voice coming from outside the gate, as well as the arrogant declaration.


    How little they must regard the Mingxin Sect, thought the many Golden Core cultivators, including the Sect Leader, as their anger surged in unison.


    However, the Sect Leader was different; he quickly suppressed his fury.


    If Li Shiming dared to provoke them in such a manner, it meant he must be confident in his abilities.


    Especially when the Sect Leader used the Sect Protection Array to probe Li Shiming, he detected the silhouettes of twelve Silver Corpses.


    Twelve Silver Corpses might not count for much, but the significance was entirely different when Li Shiming brought twelve by himself.


    The resources required to refine a single Silver Corpse were enormous, as they had to include the cost of failure. Therefore, for a standard Golden Core cultivator, being able to refine one or two Silver Corpses was already the limit. Moreover, numerous Silver Corpses could also exert pressure on a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s spirit.


    From this, one could see that Li Shiming not only held a high status within the Shushan Sect and was highly valued by Nascent Soul Ancestors but also controlled a significant amount of resources.


    He glanced at Bo Ran; Li Shiming had previously demanded that they hand over Bao Zhao, and Bo Ran had dealt with the matter.


    The Sect Leader had not interfered, thinking that with Bo Ran¡¯s experience, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems handling such matters.


    However, the reality was that Bo Ran had not only failed to manage the situation but had allowed Li Shiming to come knocking on their door as well.


    ¡°Elder Bo, what do you think we should do?¡± the Sect Leader asked Bo Ran.


    Bo Ran was taken aback; he recognized what the Sect Leader¡¯s words implied¡ªit was his turn to go out and communicate with Li Shiming.


    But how could he dare to go out at this time? Although he did not know the extent of Li Shiming¡¯s combat power, the twelve Silver Corpses alone were more than he could handle, not to mention that Li Shiming must have other means to confidently block the outside of the Mingxin Sect.


    ¡°Sect Leader, since Elder Li is so disdainful toward our Mingxin Sect, we should teach him a lesson. As long as we don¡¯t injure him seriously, I believe the Shushan Sect won¡¯t cross Beihai over such a trivial matter!¡± Bo Ran thought for a moment and then replied.


    Since Li Shiming intended to have him handed over as well, he was now a mortal enemy of Li Shiming. Under such circumstances, it was in his own interest to provoke a fight between the sect and Li Shiming.


    ¡°Sect Leader, why not go out and talk to this Elder Li? We can¡¯t just let him block our gate indefinitely, can we?¡± one of Bo Ran¡¯s friends spoke up in support.


    The Sect Leader thought it made sense. Regardless of what would happen afterward, the most pressing matter at the moment was to communicate with Li Shiming and see if things could be handled to both parties¡¯ satisfaction.


    The precondition was that they needed a cultivator who could suppress Li Shiming. Normally, a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator would suffice, but considering Li Shiming¡¯s confidence, a typical Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator might have difficulty overwhelming him.


    ¡°Summon Great Elder Fan Xi!¡± the Sect Leader cast a spell and said with a grave tone.


    Bo Ran and the other Golden Core Elders showed joy on their faces. Those who could be addressed as Great Elder were at the pinnacle of the Golden Core Stage, at a certain level detached from it and touching upon a sliver of the Nascent Soul Stage¡¯s power.


    In their view, as long as Great Elder Fan Xi stepped in, the matter would be easily resolved.


    In the Cultivation World, all matters were settled by the might of one¡¯s fist. They believed that Li Shiming dared to provoke alone outside because he was confident in his ability to challenge any Golden Core Elder of the Mingxin Sect on his own.


    As for ganging up, Li Shiming had the backing of the Shushan Sect. If all the Golden Core cultivators of the sect jointly attacked Li Shiming, it would inevitably provoke retaliation from the Shushan Sect afterward.


    This was the confidence of a great sect; Li Shiming was not sneaking around, and if the Mingxin Sect really responded to such an open challenge with a group attack, it would also greatly demoralize their own forces.


    Not long after the Sect Leader¡¯s spell was cast, a middle-aged cultivator appeared in the hall. His aura was inconspicuous, and he bowed slightly to the Sect Leader.


    The Sect Leader did not dare to be negligent and quickly returned the bow while the other Golden Core Elders took the initiative to greet him with bows.


    Great Elder Fan Xi was the most promising figure in the Mingxin Sect, second only to Elder Zang, and the hope of the sect.


    With Elder Zang¡¯s life span coming to an end, the Mingxin Sect had placed all its resources on Great Elder Fan Xi, hoping he could ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Of course, ascending to the Nascent Soul Stage was not easy; there were many difficulties involved.


    But regardless, with Elder Zang unable to take action, Fan Xi was the only force capable of suppressing external enemies for the Mingxin Sect.


    ¡°Great Elder Fan, the Golden Core cultivator outside is a Shushan Sect Elder and has some grievances with our sect!¡± the Sect Leader explained to Great Elder Fan Xi.


    ¡°Do you want me to kill him?¡± Great Elder Fan Xi asked in a deep voice.


    He was now fully dedicated to cultivation and knew almost nothing of external affairs. His abode was shielded from all sounds except for certain communication techniques.


    He was unaware of Li Shiming¡¯s situation, but with his strength, he hardly took any Golden Core cultivator seriously.


    ¡°We can¡¯t kill him. I would like to ask the Great Elder to defeat Elder Li so that our sect can negotiate with him from a position of strength!¡± the Sect Leader hastily shook his head and said.


    If they actually killed Li Shiming, just the token of Elder Zuo shown by Li Shiming previously would be enough to cause great trouble for the Mingxin Sect.


    ¡°I will go now!¡± Great Elder Fan Xi nodded; he wanted to resolve the issue quickly to return to his cultivation.


    He flew out of the Sect Protection Array and saw Li Shiming and the twelve Silver Corpses beside him, his face showing a scornful expression.

 Chapter 676: 384 Blocking the Door (Extra for the Abbot of Huashan Sect)_2

    Chapter 676: Chapter 384 Blocking the Door (Extra for the Abbot of Huashan Sect)_2


    ¡°What flashy nonsense!¡± he muttered softly.


    In the eyes of such a quintessentially traditional cultivator, nurturing twelve silver corpses was less preferable than investing all resources into a single one, thereby creating the strongest possible silver corpse.


    Being poor, he could not understand Li Shiming¡¯s mentality, for the growth of the twelve silver corpses had been at their fastest, assuming no resource limitations.


    Li Shiming, sensing Great Elder Fan Xi¡¯s power, was slightly astonished; he had not expected Mingxin Sect to have a Great Elder.


    One must never underestimate any sect with a longstanding heritage, and Great Elders were exceedingly rare among them.


    Given Mingxin Sect¡¯s resources, the likelihood of a Great Elder¡¯s emergence was incredibly slim, yet they had fostered one nonetheless.


    ¡°How does Mingxin Sect reply? Will you hand over Bo Ran and Bao Zhao, or choose to wage war against me?¡± Li Shiming called out loudly.


    ¡°How dare you belittle Mingxin Sect, let me give you a taste of our strength!¡± Upon hearing this, Great Elder Fan Xi grew furious, and with those words, a ray of light in his hand darted towards Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, his aura dramatically shifted, and a terrifying surge of blood energy shot up to the sky.


    A cloud above his head scattered in all directions, pushed outward by the force of his blood energy.


    Behind him, a colossal phantom appeared, taking the true form of an Angry-eyed Vajra.


    In his hand materialized a Third Grade Sword Base, which he wielded against the incoming sword with a single stroke.


    ¡°Great Elder Level Body Refining!¡± As Fan Xi, the Great Elder, sensed the change in Li Shiming¡¯s aura, he immediately redirected his flying sword. He certainly did not dare to pit his treasure artefacts against those of a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core.


    The treasure artefact of a Body Refining Golden Core was wielded in hand, whereas his flying sword was remotely controlled; wielded treasures had numerous disadvantages.


    For example, wielded artefacts couldn¡¯t perform long-range attacks, and they lacked flexibility, among other drawbacks. However, the greatest advantage of a wielded artefact was the full infusion of the cultivator¡¯s physical strength. Secret Techniques could then amplify that strength further, leveraging the artefact¡¯s sharpness.


    If the artefacts were to meet in combat, Fan Xi¡¯s flying sword would certainly be at a disadvantage.


    The moment Great Elder Fan Xi retracted his flying sword, Li Shiming¡¯s body transformed into a sword light, closing in on Fan Xi.


    Fan Xi could not possibly allow a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core to get close. His body turned into a streak of light, attempting to move away from Li Shiming.


    He felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. While Body Refining Golden Cores were exceedingly difficult to accomplish, once successful, their combative strength became formidable.


    Among Golden Cores of the Great Elder level, Body Refining Golden Cores were the most terrifying.


    As it was now, Fan Xi felt as though Li Shiming was like a hedgehog; his long-distance flying sword had to consider Li Shiming¡¯s longsword treasure if it were to attack. Without using the flying sword, other attacks seemed as trivial as tickling to Li Shiming, of the Great Elder-level Body Refining stature.


    The spells usable in battle were not very powerful; such spells could hardly break through Li Shiming¡¯s defense.


    In this regard, Fan Xi was vastly experienced. Many years ago, he had encountered a Body Refining Golden Core who had not yet reached the Great Elder level, but even then, their defense was already insurmountable to other cultivators of the same rank.


    The battle unfolded outside Mingxin Sect¡¯s Sect Protection Array, and many cultivators were spectating.


    In that hall, the Sect Leader and other Golden Core Elders watched the fight between Li Shiming and Great Elder Fan Xi.


    The conflict had exceeded their expectations from the start. They had hoped that Great Elder Fan Xi would subdue Li Shiming, but looking at the current fight, it was Li Shiming who was chasing Fan Xi.


    Bo Ran, upon realizing Li Shiming¡¯s true strength, couldn¡¯t stop the sweat from pouring down. He had been making underhanded moves in front of a Great Elder; if he had known Li Shiming was this powerful, what¡¯s a son to him? He would have tied up Bao Zhao and handed him over immediately to avoid these troubles.


    He also thought about the skies above the capital city of Xia Country; had Li Shiming struck then, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.


    At this moment, he noticed the Sect Leader and other Golden Core Elders glancing his way, and their looks filled him with fear.


    Li Shiming¡¯s demand was to hand over Bo Ran and Bao Zhao. If they truly couldn¡¯t handle Li Shiming, then complying with his demand was the only choice.


    ¡°We should call back Great Elder Fan Xi. This battle can no longer continue!¡± a Golden Core Elder reminded the Sect Leader.


    Above the battlefield, Great Elder Fan Xi relied on a flying secret technique to constantly increase the distance from Li Shiming. Throughout the battle, he rarely had the chance to counterattack, as any retaliation would affect his speed.


    Once the Sect Leader realized Li Shiming possessed Great Elder-level Body Refining power, he understood they had no means to deal with Li Shiming.


    With Elder Zang unable to take action, Great Elders were the strongest existence.


    And within the Mingxin Sect, there was only one Great Elder. If Great Elder Fan Xi couldn¡¯t defeat Li Shiming, the Mingxin Sect would have no way to handle him.


    As for a joint attack, that was a joke; while the whole Mingxin Sect could indeed defeat Li Shiming if they all attacked together, the thought of capturing a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core was utterly impossible.


    When it came to survival ability, Body Refining Golden Cores were second to none.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± suddenly, the Golden Core Elder who had just spoken cried out in alarm.


    In the battle in the sky, Li Shiming was somewhat annoyed by his own speed. Without using ¡°Step by Step Lotus,¡± he couldn¡¯t catch up to Great Elder Fan Xi.


    After all, Great Elder Fan Xi was a Great Elder and had some special speed-related secret technique, which allowed him to keep pace with Li Shiming.


    With his Body Refining Golden Core method of combat, Li Shiming couldn¡¯t resolve his enemy without getting up close.


    He also didn¡¯t want to involve the twelve Silver Corpses in the fight. Although the Silver Corpses were adept at defense, they couldn¡¯t block the attacks of a Great Elder.


    However, he had more than just the twelve Silver Corpses. His life-bound magic weapon, the IBMz15, analyzed the battlefield and provided him with several battle plans. Following one of these, he step by step pressed closer to Great Elder Fan Xi.


    Great Elder Fan Xi¡¯s path in the air was unknowingly being manipulated by Li Shiming.


    When Great Elder Fan Xi flew in one direction, the space around him suddenly fluctuated, and an immense mouth bit his calf.


    Neither his defensive magic treasure nor his body¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern could block this bite.


    What shocked him most was that he had detected nothing at all. He was maintaining his Divine Thought at all times during the fight, and he was certain that no object existed within the region surrounding his body.


    This bite was obviously caused by the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao. After evolving into a Great Demon, the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao couldn¡¯t troublesome Great Elder Fan Xi in a face-to-face fight.


    But as a member of an ancient spirit beast race and evolved into a Jiao, its strongest points were its bite and deadly poison.


    Great Elder Fan Xi had been forced by Li Shiming into the proximity of the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao, waiting only for the Jiao to open its mouth and bite down.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao was not greedy, however. After taking a single bite, it immediately withdrew. The slight fluctuation caused by its attack vanished as it disappeared once again from Great Elder Fan Xi¡¯s Divine Thought.


    ¡°Poison!¡± Great Elder Fan Xi had no time to worry about the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao. His calf was numb, and the numbness was spreading rapidly throughout his body.


    Such a terrifyingly potent poison was something he had never encountered in his several hundreds of years of experience.


    He quickly swallowed a Detoxification Spirit Pill, but this pill, proclaimed to cure all poisons, had absolutely no effect on the venom coursing through him.


    However, he soon didn¡¯t have to worry about the poison anymore, because he was in the midst of a chase with Li Shiming. The moment he hesitated, Li Shiming caught up to him.


    How strong Li Shiming¡¯s close combat abilities were could be put like this: without relying on Spiritual Power Pattern or magic treasure defenses, his close combat was invincible.


    His life-bound magic weapon, IBMz15, Telepathy, divine eye, Third Grade Sword Base, Great Elder-level Body Refining power ¨C all these combined to maximize his close combat skills and strength.


    Among his peers, it was rare for any defensive spells or Spiritual Power shields to block a single close-range strike from a Great Elder Body Refining Golden Core.

 Chapter 677: 385: Negotiation

    Chapter 677: Chapter 385: Negotiation


    A battle of Great Elder Level meant that a momentary hesitation brought about death.


    Great Elder Fan Xi was bitten by an Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao, and the poison slowed his movements, allowing Li Shiming to close in and pierce through all of Fan Xi¡¯s defenses with his Third Grade Sword Base.


    The Thunder Sword Intent and the terrifying Vajra Force caused fatal destruction inside his body.


    Great Elder Fan Xi wanted to say something, but he opened his mouth and couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    Even in death, he didn¡¯t know what had attacked him, which made his death extremely frustrating.


    In reality, calling it a sneak attack was not accurate, as a cultivator¡¯s strength includes not only themselves but also the corpse refining and spiritual pets they cultivate; these are all part of a cultivator¡¯s combat power.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao was a creature from ancient times, discovered in the ruins.


    It¡¯s very likely that there is no second one in today¡¯s Cultivation World, and its uniqueness gives cultivators no way to counter it.


    In the Cultivation World, as soon as a certain method is revealed, ways to counter it will be found as long as it is exposed.


    The Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao is the most exceptional; if it doesn¡¯t show itself voluntarily, not even cultivators using Divine Thought can detect its existence.


    Li Shiming took Great Elder Fan Xi¡¯s Space Ring, issued a command to the Absolute Spirit Illusionary Jiao, which then retracted its deadly poison, and he then collected the corpse.


    He wouldn¡¯t let go of the body of such a Great Elder.


    It was the best material for corpse refining, and there was a chance he could refine a corpse that possessed special abilities.


    Just like his seldom-summoned Corpse Refining Nan Ming, which possessed an attack-type Divine Skill like the Nanming Leaving Fire.


    Although the chance of refining a corpse with special abilities was very small, the more powerful the body, the higher the chance of obtaining special abilities.


    Li Shiming¡¯s blatant collection of Great Elder Fan Xi¡¯s corpse was witnessed by Mingxin Sect¡¯s Sect Leader and all the Golden Core Elders.


    They wanted to rush out of the gate to avenge Great Elder Fan Xi, but considering that even Fan Xi had been killed, they could not predict how many Golden Core cultivators would die if they went out to battle Li Shiming.


    Although Mingxin Sect had occupied Sky Sea Island, driving the seven sects to the shoreline, and their long-term repression had severely weakened the seven sects, if Mingxin Sect suffered too many losses among its Golden Core cultivators, they would not be able to control Sky Sea Island anymore after killing Li Shiming, not to mention considering retaliation from Shushan Sect.


    ¡°Sect Leader, why not ask Master Jing Mo to mediate!¡± a Golden Core Elder suggested.


    The Sect Leader¡¯s eyes lit up, knowing that Li Shiming was too strong to confront directly, and the issue needed resolution. Even if they had to hand over Bo Ran and Bao Zhao, they needed a cultivator to negotiate.


    Given the current situation, if their Golden Core Elders went, they would probably be killed by Li Shiming.


    ¡°Quickly invite Master Jing Mo here, you go and ask him!¡± the Sect Leader said to the Golden Core Elder who had made the suggestion.


    The Golden Core Elder nodded and flew out of the hall. Jing Mo¡¯s location was a cave dwelling set up for guests, sealed from all external sounds, also unaware of Li Shiming¡¯s arrival.


    After all, Jing Mo was a guest at Mingxin Sect, and Mingxin Sect would not likely expose its disgraceful situation to him.


    However, due to their inability to deal with Li Shiming, they asked Jing Mo to intervene.


    It did not take long before the Golden Core Elder brought a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator back with him.


    ¡°Master Jing Mo, our sect is willing to reach an agreement with your trading company at the price you proposed. However, before that, please assist us with a matter!¡± the Sect Leader said to Master Jing Mo.


    The Sect Leader was very respectful to Master Jing Mo due to his status.


    Master Jing Mo was the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s external Store Manager, and he was negotiating a series of resource exchange agreements with Mingxin Sect.


    Although the resources of Sky Sea Island were scarce, they included several unique resources. Additionally, with the limited Alchemy and Artifact Refining skills on the island, the help of Beishu Trading Company was needed.


    Beishu Trading Company was also planning to rebuild trade routes on Sky Sea Island; their established routes with the seven sects had been disrupted by Mingxin Sect¡¯s invasion, and the negotiations involved substantial interests. Therefore, Master Jing Mo had been staying with Mingxin Sect for some time.


    ¡°What help do you need from me?¡± Master Jing Mo asked with a smile.


    He was very pleased inwardly, as setting the terms meant that the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s interests on Sky Sea Island would surpass those from the time of the seven sects.


    This achievement would reward him within the trading company and also elevate his status.


    ¡°This matter is somewhat troublesome for us, but for Master Jing Mo, it¡¯s a mere trifle. Mingxin Sect has encountered some problems. A Shushan Sect Elder has come to hold us accountable and has already killed one of our elders. We ask Master Jing Mo to mediate for our sect with him, and our sect will be most grateful afterward!¡± the Sect Leader said with a bow and a compliment.


    ¡°An elder from Shushan Sect? It¡¯s not really a difficult matter. I agree!¡± Master Jing Mo readily agreed without any difficulty upon hearing this.


    Although Shushan Sect was a major sect, the relationship Beishu Trading Company had with Shushan Sect meant that a Shushan Sect Elder would still give him face.


    As Master Jing Mo flew out of the gate and saw Li Shiming standing in the air outside, his expression changed.


    The image of Li Shiming had long been circulated in Beishu Trading Company.


    Even Master Jing Mo, as the external Store Manager, recognized Li Shiming at first glance.

 Chapter 678: 385: Negotiation_2

    Chapter 678: Chapter 385: Negotiation_2


    ¡°Master Jing Mo of Beishu Trading Company greets Guest Elder Master Li!¡± Master Jing Mo said respectfully as he came forward to pay his respects.


    ¡°Has Beishu Trading Company come forward for Mingxin Sect?¡± Li Shiming asked indifferently, looking at Master Jing Mo.


    Although he was a guest elder at Beishu Trading Company, if the company helped outsiders in this matter, he wouldn¡¯t need to stay with them anymore.


    Being a guest elder was a position that allowed him to leave at any time, affording him great freedom.


    ¡°Master Li misunderstood, I was not aware that this matter concerned you. I am on your side!¡± Master Jing Mo shook his head repeatedly and immediately chose his position.


    What a joke, what status did Master Li hold? Although he was a Late-stage Golden Core Shopkeeper, his status in the Beishu Trading Company was far below that of Li Shiming.


    ¡°My mortal father was severely injured by the order of a True Disciple of the Mingxin Sect and has only a year left in his lifespan. I demanded that they hand over that True Disciple Bo Zhao who deceived me with counterfeit. My demands are not high, just hand over Bo Ran who deceived me and Bo Zhao, and I will retreat!¡± Li Shiming, hearing what Master Jing Mo said, changed his demeanor and stated his reasons.


    ¡°Mingxin Sect indeed has the audacity to do so. Please rest assured, Master Li, Beishu Trading Company will support you with full strength. Both our ancestors have said, if you need anything, they will act on your behalf!¡± Master Jing Mo would stand by Li Shiming even if he were unreasonable, let alone now that he was justified.


    What Master Jing Mo mentioned was true, Beishu Trading Company valued Li Shiming highly. One of their ancestors, Ancestor Ling, owed Li Shiming a favor, having exchanged a ¡®Youthful Elixir¡¯ from him.


    The two ancestors highly regarded Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills and believed that he could grow to possess the ability to refine pills for them.


    ¡°Master Li, you have advanced to the Golden Core Middle Stage!¡± Master Jing Mo suddenly noticed Li Shiming¡¯s realm, and he exclaimed incredulously.


    It was no wonder he was impolite¡ªany Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator on the Beishu Continent would be just as excited to learn of Li Shiming¡¯s advancement to Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Li Shiming¡¯s advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage meant he now had the capability to concoct Third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s record of never faltering, his concoction of Third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators would undoubtedly be of full yield and high quality.


    Master Jing Mo had previously been quite envious of Mid-stage Cultivators because they could enjoy the Third-grade Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming.


    He had thought it would take at least several decades before Late-stage Cultivators could enjoy the Third-grade Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming.


    Little did he expect, happiness arrived so soon¡ªLi Shiming had advanced to the Golden Core Middle Stage so quickly.


    ¡°Returning to the mundane world and reuniting with loved ones, I broke through under the sway of emotions!¡± Li Shiming explained with a smile.


    ¡°It is because Master Li loves deeply!¡± Master Jing Mo, whether he believed it or not, complimented him nonetheless.


    If it weren¡¯t inappropriate given the place, he would have taken out his stockpile of Spiritual Medicine to hand over to Li Shiming to request his refinement services.


    ¡°Also, Master Jing Mo, please send a message to the sect for me. I will be staying at my home on Sky Sea Island for a year!¡± Li Shiming, recalling his previous plans, said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use the company¡¯s channels to send the message back immediately!¡± Master Jing Mo nodded repeatedly in assurance, then remembering where he was, he added, ¡°Master Li, you don¡¯t need to act personally. I will handle Mingxin Sect for you. If they fail to recognize what¡¯s good for them, Beishu Trading Company will annihilate Mingxin Sect!¡±


    Destroying a sect like Mingxin Sect was not difficult for Beishu Trading Company with its Nascent Soul Ancestors¡ªit was merely a matter of whether it was worth it.


    But to avenge Li Shiming, Beishu Trading Company was willing to act in every respect.


    Especially after Master Jing Mo conveyed the news of Li Shiming¡¯s advancement to Golden Core Middle Stage back, there would be no objections at all.


    A thirty-something-year-old Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator almost certainly could advance to Late-stage Golden Core, and at that stage, he could refine some Fourth-grade Spirit Pills. Even the Nascent Soul Ancestors would then request Li Shiming¡¯s refinement services.


    Such a genius must be retained by Beishu Trading Company, not to mention merely destroying Mingxin Sect for him¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t hesitate to start a major battle for him.


    Master Jing Mo turned and flew toward the gates of Mingxin Sect. He knew where the Sect Leader and the Golden Core Elders were and directly flew toward them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Could it be that Master Jing Mo and Li Shiming know each other?¡± the Sect Leader, noticing the familiarity between Master Jing Mo and Li Shiming, asked out of curiosity.


    Master Jing Mo seemed to show great respect for Li Shiming.


    He was well aware of Master Jing Mo¡¯s identity. As the Store Manager of Beishu Trading Company, even though he wasn¡¯t the most powerful manager, his status on the Beishu Continent was extremely high.


    Why would he show such reverence to Li Shiming, a Shushan Sect Elder? A feeling of unease began to rise in the Sect Leader¡¯s heart.


    He then saw Master Jing Mo flying back, thinking that Master Jing Mo had reached some agreement with Li Shiming, and he quickly deactivated the formation to allow Master Jing Mo smooth entry.


    ¡°Master Jing Mo, what demands did Elder Li make?¡± the Sect Leader asked as Master Jing Mo entered the hall.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I represent Beishu Trading Company, on behalf of Master Li, officially issue a protest to the Mingxin Sect. Master Li is our guest elder, and you should be grateful that you are located on Sky Sea Island. If this were on the Beishu Continent, your enemies would stretch across the entire land!¡± Master Jing Mo did not address the Sect Leader¡¯s question, but said solemnly.


    His words left all the cultivators in the hall feeling bewildered. Just a moment ago, he went to negotiate with Li Shiming on behalf of Mingxin Sect, and now he seemed to be representing Li Shiming.


    This quick shift left the cultivators of Mingxin Sect unable to accept the situation all at once.


    ¡°Master Li? What master is this Elder Li?¡± the Sect Leader, catching the reference in Master Jing Mo¡¯s words, hesitated for a moment and then asked.


    ¡°Master Li, the number one Alchemy Master on the Beishu Continent. Golden Core cultivators looking for him to perform alchemy have been queued up for years. Our Beishu Trading Company can only handle Master Li with utmost care. Mingxin Sect is truly bold, daring to contend with Master Li!¡± Master Jing Mo said coldly.


    All the cultivators in the hall gasped in unison, well aware of the importance of alchemy.


    They relied entirely on Third-grade Spirit Pills for their cultivation improvements.


    And a top Alchemy Master was someone any Golden Core cultivator would want to curry favor with.


    Not to mention, this was coming from the mouth of Master Jing Mo, the foremost Alchemy Master on the Beishu Continent.


    If someone else had said this, they might have doubted it, but Master Jing Mo was speaking on behalf of Beishu Trading Company, which indicated the perspective of the entire company.


    The Sect Leader¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern slightly fluctuated as he signaled to a few Golden Core Elders nearby with a look.


    These Golden Core Elders understood and, at the light shout of the Sect Leader, struck simultaneously towards Bo Ran.


    Bo Ran was also caught in shock and regret, regretting his wrong decision once again.


    His son Bao Zhao was indeed important, but compared to an entity that neither he nor Mingxin Sect could afford to offend, he had to be sacrificed.


    As he pondered this, he sensed the fluctuations of spiritual power and tried to dodge, but it was already too late.


    He was hit several times heavily, while the Sect Leader also sealed his Golden Core, rendering him immobile.


    ¡°You...¡± he was about to speak, but the Sect Leader promptly sealed his ability to speak as well.


    Even his two good friends pretended not to notice anything at this moment.


    Everyone knew that to quench Li Shiming¡¯s anger, Bo Ran and his son Bao Zhao had to be handed over.


    The sect had already lost the Great Elder Fan Xi for Bo Ran¡¯s sake, suffering tremendous losses. It could not afford any more.


    It wasn¡¯t just trouble with Li Shiming now, but also with Beishu Trading Company. Just dealing with the issues from Li Shiming was tough enough, and they were well aware of the power of Beishu Trading Company. A single misstep could lead to the sect¡¯s destruction. It was better to sacrifice Bo Ran.

 Chapter 679: 386: Conclusion

    Chapter 679: Chapter 386: Conclusion


    ¡°Master Jing Mo, I am aware of Master Li¡¯s request, and on behalf of the sect, I entrust their delivery to you for Master Li, hoping to compensate for the mistakes of the Mingxin Sect!¡± The Sect Leader of Mingxin Sect spoke with great deference, despite the frustration in his heart.


    Master Jing Mo had been watching with a cold eye, not surprised by the way the Mingxin Sect handled internal affairs.


    For the continuation of the sect, sacrificing a Golden Core Elder was not considered too great a loss.


    ¡°The Mingxin Sect should not think of seeking revenge on Master Li. The consequences of such actions are not something that the Mingxin Sect can afford!¡± Master Jing Mo didn¡¯t forget to issue a warning in the end.


    He was worried that the Mingxin Sect would do something foolish. If Li Shiming were to be harmed, even the Beishu Trading Company would not forgive him, the intermediary handling Li Shiming¡¯s affairs.


    In fact, his worries were unnecessary. If he had witnessed the battle where Li Shiming had revealed his fighting strength, he would have had no such fears.


    Li Shiming, a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core, was least afraid of sneak attacks. Without a Golden Core cultivator of Great Elder level, no Golden Core cultivator could easily harm Li Shiming¡¯s body, whether or not Li Shiming put up any defense.


    His body was the strongest defensive magical treasure, not something an ordinary Golden Core cultivator could breach with their methods.


    ¡°I, on behalf of the Mingxin Sect, guarantee that there will be no further conflicts with Master Li!¡± The Sect Leader of Mingxin Sect said with a bitter smile.


    Master Jing Mo nodded. Now, they were just waiting for Bao Zhao to be brought forth.


    Bao Zhao was hiding inside Bo Ran¡¯s cave dwelling, a very safe place. The cave dwelling of a Golden Core Elder, situated within the Sect Protection Array of the Mingxin Sect, would not be in danger as long as the array remained unbroken.


    Of course, that was assuming the Mingxin Sect itself did not take any action.


    Once the Mingxin Sect decided to hand over Bo Ran, they naturally made no courtesy about his cave dwelling.


    Several Array Masters, along with Golden Core Elders, forced a confrontation with the cave dwelling¡¯s formation by using the Sect Protection Array, and it didn¡¯t take long before the formation was breached.


    A Golden Core Elder charged into the cave and captured Bao Zhao, who was clueless about what was happening and looked completely bewildered.


    Another Golden Core Elder stayed behind to record everything in the cave dwelling. All belongings here would be confiscated by the sect.


    Bao Zhao wanted to scream out, calling his father Bo Ran to save him, but the Golden Core Elder he once knew so well showed no mercy, completely sealing his body and leaving him with only the ability to breathe.


    By now, any Golden Core Elder in the Mingxin Sect who knew the truth held resentment towards Bo Ran and his son, Bao Zhao.


    It was because of the mistakes made by Bao Zhao that the Mingxin Sect had lost Fan Xi, a Great Elder.


    This set back the Mingxin Sect¡¯s path to revival by at least several hundred, if not a thousand years. With a Great Elder¡¯s presence, Golden Core Stage cultivators and sea beasts of Sky Sea Island, both, would restrain themselves, and it would be much easier to obtain resources from dangerous places.


    Without such a figure as a Great Elder, the Mingxin Sect could only send ordinary Golden Core Elders to take dangerous risks when gathering resources.


    Not to mention, the remnants of the seven factions would surely take this opportunity to counterattack, making it even more difficult for the Mingxin Sect.


    All this trouble was thanks to Bao Zhao in their hands. Not killing him with a single slap was the Golden Core Elder suppressing their anger, thinking of handing him over to Li Shiming to solve the most urgent major trouble.


    When Bao Zhao was brought into the hall and saw his father Bo Ran, also restrained and weakened, despair flashed in his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Jing Mo!¡± the Sect Leader of the Mingxin Sect bowed as he spoke.


    With a wave of his hand, Master Jing Mo used his Divine Thought to lift Bo Ran and Bao Zhao and flew them out of the mountain gate.


    The Space Bracelet on Bo Ran¡¯s arm was still there; no one suggested taking it off.


    ¡°Ah,¡± the Sect Leader of Mingxin Sect sighed as he watched Master Jing Mo depart, knowing the sect¡¯s reputation would suffer greatly after this incident.


    But compared to the annihilation of the sect, this was the most suitable choice.


    ¡°Restrict the sect¡¯s disciples from going to Xia Country, and ensure the stationed disciples there take good care of Master Li¡¯s mortal relatives. We can¡¯t afford any more incidents!¡± After some thought, he issued an order.


    The families of such cultivators were always the most troublesome. Threatening a cultivator with their mortal relatives is highly likely to be ineffective.


    Because while cultivators do have affection for their mortal relatives, it typically isn¡¯t very deep. However, should a mortal relative be harmed because of the cultivator, it could easily trigger the cultivator¡¯s retribution.


    Maintaining one¡¯s state of mind is of the utmost importance in cultivation practice. This retribution may not necessarily be due to emotions for the mortal relatives, but rather more to protect the cultivator¡¯s state of mind from damage.


    That¡¯s why, in the Cultivation World, the mortal family members of any cultivator, regardless of faction, receive kind treatment from all powers.


    ¡°Master Li, your orders have been obeyed!¡± Master Jing Mo said with a smile as he brought Bo Ran and Bao Zhao to Li Shiming.


    ¡°I wonder how much longer Elder Zang can hold out?¡± Li Shiming looked towards the Mingxin Sect and said enigmatically.


    He couldn¡¯t care less about Bo Ran and Bao Zhao.


    He was one hundred percent certain; if Elder Zang really was no longer capable, he would have appeared by now¡ªno matter that he hadn¡¯t ventured this close to their grounds, Elder Zang did not show up.


    While it¡¯s true that Elder Zang could not take action, if Elder Zang came forward to negotiate with him, he wouldn¡¯t dare to remain here.


    ¡°Master Li, are you planning to destroy the Mingxin Sect?¡± Master Jing Mo asked softly, understanding the implication in Li Shiming¡¯s words.


    Although his voice was soft, Bo Ran, who was close by, heard it and his eyes flashed with alarm, but they quickly turned to schadenfreude with a vengeful edge.

 Chapter 680: 386: Conclusion_2

    Chapter 680: Chapter 386: Conclusion_2


    Li Shiming¡¯s gaze fell on Bo Ran, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how petty the man was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Mingxin Sect later. Still, I must thank Manager Jing Mo for his help, this matter is now concluded!¡± Li Shiming said to Master Jing Mo with a smile.


    ¡°They are in your hands for disposal, I will go and attend to your business first!¡± Master Jing Mo said with a bow, and after speaking, he turned and left.


    Li Shiming had a good impression of Master Jing Mo. In fact, these businessmen who could handle affairs smoothly outside, though they were Golden Core cultivators, possessed the shrewdness of businessmen, and indeed were very easy to get along with.


    He tapped his finger twice, killing Bo Ran and his son Bao Zhao, and collected their bodies.


    Then he turned and flew away from Mingxin Sect, as his father Li WenYuan was waiting for him at home.


    On his way back, he deliberately used ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ which allowed him to arrive home quickly, while it was not yet dark.


    He restrained his entire aura, and also changed into a Confucian robe, his father¡¯s favorite attire for him.


    ¡°Son pays his respects to father!¡± He walked into the main house, bowed deeply with a smile and said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come back early, the matter is well handled, and there¡¯s still time for us to play a round of chess!¡± Li WenYuan nodded and pointed to the chessboard that was set up outside.


    Within his father¡¯s demeanor, Li Shiming saw a trace of relaxation.


    With Li WenYuan¡¯s lifelong experience as an official, how could he not realize that the matter Li Shiming went out to handle was definitely not simple, yet he did not let his worries show on the surface, but rather kept them deep in his heart.


    His son was now an Immortal but came back to keep him company. With his limited understanding of Immortals, he also knew they cannot live in the Mortal World for long.


    The difference between Immortals and mortals is not just an empty phrase; it¡¯s a wide chasm that exists between mortals and Immortals that can¡¯t be crossed.


    He didn¡¯t want his emotions to affect his son. His son had grown up and had his own way of dealing with things.


    Li Shiming was completely relaxed in body and mind, playing chess with his father. With the trouble from Mingxin Sect resolved, there would be no more issues for the Li Family on Heavenly Sea Island.


    ¡°Master, Young Master, there¡¯s a high official outside asking to see the Master!¡± Mo Yan, running in, reported.


    The interrupted Li Shiming was slightly displeased. He and Li WenYuan were playing chess and sharing old anecdotes¡ªthis warm moment had been disturbed.


    ¡°Mo Yan, did I not say that we are not seeing anyone?¡± Li WenYuan looked up at Mo Yan and said with a serious tone.


    ¡°Master, the ones who have come are two first-rank officials from the court!¡± Mo Yan hurriedly explained.


    ¡°Do not see them!¡± Li WenYuan waved his hand dismissively, then turned to Li Shiming with a smile, ¡°Shijie has become the Emperor, and these officials, worried about their own positions, have set their sights here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Shijie later, and ask him not to allow people to come and disturb father¡¯s rest!¡± Li Shiming had no interest in the affairs of the mortal realm and spoke decisively.


    Li Shijie becoming the Emperor had brought no trouble at all.


    With the assistance of State Preceptor Meng Bin, the senior officials realized Meng Bin¡¯s background, that of an Immortal family¡¯s supervisor in the mundane world, with the power over life and death.


    No matter how active the internal power struggles within Xia Country were in the past, they uniformly supported the ascension of Li Shijie as the Emperor.


    The high officials had been cowed by the methods of State Preceptor Meng Bin. The previous Royal Family was completely annihilated. Before Immortals, the army was a joke.


    Li Shijie was also astute with the assistance of State Preceptor Meng Bin and the support of the officials, he quickly became adept at ruling.


    Although he made mistakes now and then during this period, with officials around to advise him, he became more and more experienced.


    Upon receiving the message from Li Shiming, he immediately dispatched ten Royal Guards to stand guard outside the ancestral home, so as not to bother his family.


    On the tenth day after Li Shiming¡¯s return, Master Jing Mo arrived.


    ¡°Greetings to Master Li!¡± Master Jing Mo sat very cautiously on the chair; such an ordinary chair with no trace of Spiritual Energy would crumble into pieces under his influence, were he to reveal even a hint of his power.


    If he were to break the chair in Li Shiming¡¯s home by sitting on it, he feared it would sour Li Shiming¡¯s impression of him.


    The tea on the table was the most ordinary of mortal teas, only distinguished by a thread of Spiritual Energy infused within.


    Master Jing Mo, the store manager, however, was quite fond of this mortal tea, because he could taste that it was personally roasted by Li Shiming. Even though the sparse Spiritual Energy in the tea had little benefit for cultivators, its effect on one¡¯s mood was just the same.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t stingy, but living in the mortal world, he had to be cautious when using items filled with Spiritual Energy, especially those of the third grade or higher. The energy fluctuations they emitted could be lethal to ordinary people.


    This was his home, where he did not wish to see any harm come, not to his father, nor to Si Qin and Mo Yan, nor to any other servants.


    ¡°Thank you for the trouble, Master Jing Mo!¡± Li Shiming said with a smile of gratitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. Elder Su from Shushan Sect entrusted the trading company to deliver a message to you, telling you to stay at ease here and return to the sect whenever you feel like it!¡± Master Jing Mo said with a dismissive wave of his hand.


    Li Shiming¡¯s face was adorned with a smile, his eyes flashing with warmth.


    He knew that his decision to stay was quite willful.


    As the sect¡¯s best Alchemy Master, his absence for a year could affect many of the sect¡¯s alchemy tasks.


    But Elder Su, his master, hadn¡¯t considered these things, instead thinking of him. A cultivator¡¯s state of mind was extremely important. He had advanced too quickly in his cultivation, lacking the trials other cultivators experienced.


    Spending time with his family in the mundane world was also a form of experience.


    ¡°Beishu Trading Company heard of Master Li¡¯s advancement to the Middle Stage of the Golden Core and specially selected three Late-Stage Golden Core elixir recipes along with corresponding Spiritual Medicines for Master Li to practice with. It doesn¡¯t matter if they all fail!¡± Master Jing Mo added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t deliver any more Spiritual Medicine for the next two months. I will take these three!¡± Li Shiming said, shaking his head with a laugh.


    What Beishu Trading Company did was hardly about giving him practice; it was essentially placing an order, just couched in a more diplomatic and pleasant-sounding manner.


    Everyone knew that Li Shiming never failed, a testament to his countless experiences in alchemy.


    ¡°Actually, I have a personal batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills and I would like to request Master Li¡¯s assistance in crafting them. I¡¯ve prepared the compensation!¡± Master Jing Mo said somewhat sheepishly.


    ¡°Alright, add your batch to the list, but no more deliveries for two months. I still want to spend most of my time with my family!¡± Li Shiming reconsidered and spoke.


    No matter how one looked at it, he owed Master Jing Mo a favor for his help.


    Since Master Jing Mo wanted to repay the favor with an alchemy task, Li Shiming was naturally willing to assist.


    As for the excuse that alchemy would interfere with time spent with his family, it was merely an external pretense.


    To craft Late-Stage Golden Core Third-grade Spirit Pills, the required time was two to three times longer than ordinary alchemy, and even longer for some complex Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    For Third-grade Spirit Pills in the Late Golden Core stage, the primary Spiritual Medicine ingredients consisted of at least three types, sometimes five or six.


    With every additional type of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine, the alchemy process would extend by an extra two hours.


    So, if one were sincerely crafting Late Golden Core Third-grade Spirit Pills, an Alchemy Master would typically need almost half a day just for preparation and completion, not to mention recovery after the process, allowing for only one batch per day, and not on consecutive days.


    This was common knowledge among outsiders, but Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy was different.


    Living in the mortal realm, all he needed to do was to send all the Spiritual Medicine to his workshop space and leave a part of his consciousness there to oversee the alchemy, without affecting his normal life, cultivation, or any other tasks.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Li. If there¡¯s anything you need here, Beishu Trading Company can accommodate you!¡± Master Jing Mo quickly thanked him with a bow.


    He took out a Space Ring, within which were the four batches of Spiritual Medicine he had brought.


    Using a Space Ring for storage showed the great value they placed on the medicine, as the Space Ring provided a more stable environment for these priceless items, and the company would not tolerate even the slightest mishap.

 Chapter 681: 387: Coming to the Door

    Chapter 681: Chapter 387: Coming to the Door


    Li Shiming lived the life of a mortal, no different from an ordinary person except for his cultivation practice each evening.


    Since the Royal Guards began guarding the ancestral home, no outsiders have come to disturb them.


    Moreover, with Li Shiming¡¯s skills as a Spirit Plant Master, there was no longer any need to buy ordinary vegetables outside. The vegetables he grew enhanced the health of everyone in the family significantly.


    As for the matter of alchemy, there were no troubles at all. He completed the alchemy of third-grade spirit pills suited for late-stage Golden Core within two days.


    However, he did not spread the news of the advanced third-grade spirit pills. Instead, he waited for Master Jing Mo, the store manager, to come to collect them after two months.


    There were no difficulties in the alchemy of third-grade spirit pills for late-stage Golden Core, possibly because he had his life-bound magical treasure, the IBMz15. He felt that alchemizing these spirit pills was not much different from before; the only difference was that it took a bit more time.


    When extracting the pills, he used the ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique,¡± and as always, he obtained double the amount of spirit pills.


    Each batch of Spiritual Medicine yielded six advanced third-grade spirit pills, four of which he kept for himself, while the other party provided the Spiritual Medicine received two, and they also had to pay him a certain reward.


    These rewards were often third-grade spiritual items or valuable Jade Scrolls and the like.


    From this, one could see how much Li Shiming, an Alchemy Master, gained, but this was not a common occurrence among Alchemy Masters.


    Mmost Alchemy Masters who alchemized third-grade spirit pills for late-stage Golden Core had a certain failure rate. Even if they succeeded, it was difficult to achieve a full pill count, which was three third-grade spirit pills, not to mention guaranteeing the quality of the pills.


    This is why Master Jing Mo, the store manager, was extremely excited upon hearing that Li Shiming had advanced to the middle stage of Golden Core. The cultivators who provided Spiritual Medicine for Li Shiming to alchemize could earn several times more than if they went to other Alchemy Masters.


    Of course, Li Shiming would not disclose the actual number of pills he produced.


    ¡°Hundred One-point Pill Technique¡± and other pill dividing formulas were seen by cultivators as based on luck.


    Today Li Shiming¡¯s father, Li WenYuan, overslept and went to bed early in the afternoon, while Li Shiming sat in a rocking chair in the courtyard, his Divine Thought exploring the Space Ring he had obtained from Great Elder Fan Xi.


    He did not pay much attention to this Space Ring, casually tossing it into the space of his workshop.


    It wasn¡¯t just this Space Ring¡ªBo Ran¡¯s and Bao Zhao¡¯s Space Bracelets were also discarded in the workshop space without inspection.


    The truth was that Li Shiming had long lost interest in the space items of other cultivators. The spiritual items likely to catch his attention were probably fourth-grade spiritual items or higher.


    Feeling good today, he was inspired to check out the spoils of war in his workshop space.


    The magical treasures used by Great Elder Fan Xi were all high-grade treasures. There were only two items: a flying sword and a Protective Turtle Shell Magic Treasure, which seemed rather meager.


    However, when he saw a jade box in the Space Ring covered with talismans, he understood why Great Elder Fan Xi appeared to be so impoverished.


    It turned out that most of the Great Elder¡¯s wealth had been exchanged for the Spiritual Medicine within the jade box.


    Upon opening the box, he saw a lotus with seven leaves, the entire flower glowing like jade.


    ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus!¡± Li Shiming sat up straight in his rocking chair and muttered to himself in disbelief.


    The ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± was one of the auxiliary Spiritual Medicines for advancing to Nascent Soul, capable of increasing the success rate of forming a Nascent Soul by ten percent.


    This percentage was a common belief in the Cultivation World, hence the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± was extremely precious and highly sought after.


    Li Shiming was surprised that Great Elder Fan Xi, a Golden Core cultivator from a sect like the Mingxin Sect, was in possession of the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus.¡±


    Even his master, Elder Su, was still striving for resources to help the sect members to form their Nascent Soul. It was uncertain whether the resources he could procure would include the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± or other medicines of similar caliber.


    What he did not know was that the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± had come into Mingxin Sect¡¯s possession many years ago by accident and had been stored in the sect¡¯s treasury, kept by Elder Zang.


    As Elder Zang¡¯s lifespan was coming to an end, he temporarily entrusted the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± to Great Elder Fan Xi. Naturally, there were also plans for Great Elder Fan Xi to use it when he had a chance to advance to Nascent Soul.


    Who could have known that this treasure would end up in Li Shiming¡¯s hands.


    Such matters were even unknown to the Sect Leader of Mingxin Sect, and even if he had known, he would have been powerless to do anything about it.


    Li Shiming, keeping the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± alongside the ¡°Red Infant Ginseng Fruit¡± he had acquired earlier, now had two pieces of Nascent Soul advancement Spiritual Medicine.


    Given the rarity and value of Nascent Soul advancement medicines, possessing just one was more than enough to encourage many cultivators to attempt the breakthrough.


    Li Shiming showed a satisfied expression. He then examined the Space Bracelets of Bo Ran and Bao Zhao, and unsurprisingly, found nothing that caught his eye.


    However, upon seeing some lower-level cultivation resources in Bao Zhao¡¯s Space Bracelet, he came up with an idea.


    If a cultivation seedling with a spirit root were to appear in his family in the future, as an elder, he should leave behind some resources. After all, these resources were insignificant to him.


    What other cultivators worried about the most, leaving resources in the mortal world might bring a calamity to their descendants, was not a concern for him.


    Because the Silver Corpse in the ancestral home of his family could protect his family.


    He took out some useless items from Bao Zhao¡¯s Space Bracelet, added a few Jade Scrolls and some low-level Spirit Pills, and then handed the Space Bracelet over to the Silver Corpse for safekeeping.

 Chapter 682: 387: Coming to the Door_2

    Chapter 682: Chapter 387: Coming to the Door_2


    Every few years, the Silver Corpse would scan the old mansion with his Divine Thought, and upon finding any spirit root seeds, he would allocate a small amount of resources to them and lead them into the sect.


    Only upon reaching the Silver Corpse status, capable of using Divine Thought, did these abilities become available.


    Li Shiming once approached Li Shijie, informing him about this matter so that Shijie would pass it down, bringing all descendants to the old mansion at periodic intervals every few years.


    As for which sect the junior members joined after obtaining the resources, he did not intervene.


    ¡°A Golden Core cultivator came searching for me?¡± Li Shiming suddenly looked up at the sky while sitting on a rocking chair, his eyes flickering with light.


    The influence of Golden Core cultivators on mortals was immense, rarely appearing in the mortal world.


    There was no doubt that this Golden Core cultivator was here for him, but he did not know which power the cultivator belonged to, nor how they had discovered his location.


    It was unlikely for the Mingxin Sect to disturb him; although superficially he had resolved his issues with the sect, their relationship was not pleasant, and hatred had been established between them.


    The Mingxin Sect had seen his strength and should not dare to send another Golden Core cultivator.


    As for the Beishu Trading Company, Master Jing Mo was the only cultivator who could contact him.


    While pondering, his figure turned invisible and he flew up into the sky.


    There in the sky, he met a familiar face, Yu Gu, the former Sect Leader of the Sky Sea Sect.


    The Yu Gu who was previously at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment was now at the early stage of Golden Core.


    However, unlike the Sect Leader of the Mingxin Sect, the Sect Leader of the Sky Sea Sect didn¡¯t have the same heavy responsibilities, due to the historical peace spanning thousands of years; Golden Core cultivators, being the sect¡¯s top combat force, rarely meddled in sect affairs, which were handled by Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Thus, the Sect Leader of the Sky Sea Sect at that time was Yu Gu, who was only a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and his authority was not equivalent to the top tier of the sect.


    Li Shiming observed Yu Gu, whose aura was completely different from before.


    Back then, Yu Gu was amiable, but now, he possessed an air of stern authority and a solemn demeanor.


    ¡°Mr. Li, it has been a while. Your grace is awe-inspiring!¡± said Yu Gu, who seemed to have not smiled in a long time, his smile somewhat stiff.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, congratulations on your promotion to Golden Core!¡± replied Li Shiming with a smile.


    ¡°Golden Core!¡± responded Yu Gu with a bitter smile, then explained, ¡°My Golden Core was forced by using a Spirit Pill, I have no hope of advancing further in this lifetime.¡±


    After speaking, he looked enviously at Li Shiming, sensing the aura of mid-stage Golden Core within him.


    The Li Shiming in front of him, once merely a Qi Refining Cultivator, now held a higher realm than him and, more importantly, a bright future.


    ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Yu?¡± inquired Li Shiming, changing the topic as he did not wish to dwell on the matter.


    ¡°The Sky Sea Sect is no more, Mr. Li. There¡¯s no need to address me as Sect Leader, just call me Mr. Yu,¡± said Yu Gu, shaking his head as he spoke, ¡°I heard that not long ago you had a conflict with the Mingxin Sect which caused them significant loss?¡±


    His words seemed to seek confirmation, but given that he had found this place, he undoubtedly had accurate information.


    Being able to locate this spot was possible because Li Shiming was once a disciple of the Sky Sea Sect, which had fairly detailed information about him.


    Yu Gu, as a Sect Leader when the Sky Sea Sect¡¯s gates were destroyed, kept this data. Upon hearing of Li Shiming¡¯s current strength and his conflict with the Mingxin Sect, he had immediately sought him out.


    ¡°A minor disagreement, it has already been resolved,¡± Li Shiming answered casually.


    ¡°Mr. Li, no matter what, you hail from the Sky Sea Sect. Now that you have the power to take revenge for the Sky Sea Sect, please join us in our fight against the Mingxin Sect!¡± Yu Gu pleaded, staring at Li Shiming.


    ¡°Mr. Yu,¡± Li Shiming responded heavily, ¡°let¡¯s not mention that the Sky Sea Sect willingly withdrew without even resisting, but when the sect withdrew, no cultivator informed me, leaving me alone to face the cultivators from Mingxin Sect led by Elder Zang. If it weren¡¯t for certain measures I took, I might have been killed by the Mingxin Sect!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s voice grew heavier as he remembered the past events.


    He hadn¡¯t spoken of this incident to anyone, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t care about it.


    Back then, he was but a Qi Refining Cultivator, and while the entire sect withdrew, not a single cultivator informed him of their departure.


    It was only because of a certain sense of urgency that he fashioned a rocket, using its speed to make his escape.


    Even using the rocket to escape was fraught with danger. In the sea, he had confronted a fourth-grade sea beast. The Mingxin Sect was one element, but the primary responsibility still lay with the Sky Sea Sect.


    ¡°Mr. Li, the departure was hasty back then; perhaps there was some oversight, but you must believe that the sect never intended to leave any disciple behind!¡± Yu Gu tried to explain earnestly.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, I am no longer a disciple of the Sky Sea Sect, and I have joined another sect. Your conflict with the Mingxin Sect need not involve me!¡± Li Shiming firmly refused Yu Gu.


    ¡°Mr. Li, the Sky Sea Sect nurtured you and brought you into the fold; even if you have joined another sect, you should still seek revenge for the Sky Sea Sect!¡± Yu Gu suppressed his emotions as he spoke emphatically.


    ¡°Leave,¡± Li Shiming shook his head and said.


    He didn¡¯t want to say anything more; it was clear that Yu Gu was consumed by a desire for revenge.


    Yu Gu was trying to bind him with emotions. Seeing that Elder Yin had left, it was evident that the Sky Sea Sect no longer had any cohesion.


    ¡°You cannot be ungrateful!¡± Yu Gu shouted uncontrollably.


    His aura burst forth, and the terrifying Golden Core aura was about to surge out, aiming downwards.


    At that moment, a silver light appeared, blocking all of the Golden Core aura, and countered with its own force, surging upwards towards Yu Gu.


    Just as Yu Gu was about to make a move, he felt a bone-chilling murderous intent. This was almost a tangible murderous intent that instantly stiffened his body.


    Then, he felt a cold, large hand grab his neck as the terrifying murderous intent and the cool Spiritual Power surged into his body.


    ¡°Kill, spare his life but throw him out!¡± Li Shiming ordered, halting the lethal strike from the Silver Corpse.


    At his ancestral home, any cultivator who dared threaten it faced an attack from the Silver Corpse named Killing Life.


    While Killing Life was not particularly potent among all his Silver Corpses, it was originally Jue Tu of Qianye Temple, intensively nurtured in a style that emphasized killing becomes Buddha before being promoted to a Silver Corpse. After promotion, it retained its murderous intent, which, combined with Yin Cold Spiritual Power, increased its destructive power.


    Li Shiming believed that Killing Life¡¯s strength could match that of a Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator from a major sect.


    The likes of Yu Gu, who emerged from the Sky Sea Sect and was forcefully elevated using a Spirit Pill, were inferior to even the Golden Core Cultivators from minor sects of the Beishu Continent.


    Therefore, when facing Killing Life, he was overwhelmed and defeated without the strength to retaliate.


    Coming to his senses from a narrow escape from death, and feeling the large hand on his neck, Yu Gu finally realized what had attacked him.


    It was just one Silver Corpse that had defeated him, without Li Shiming even making a move.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, do not come here again. This time it was I who was here, and Killing left you alive. Otherwise, you would already be nothing but a dry bone!¡± Li Shiming¡¯s cold voice echoed in Yu Gu¡¯s ears.


    Li Shiming shook his head; if it weren¡¯t for the slight sentiment from the past, he would have already slain Yu Gu.


    He detested being coerced with sentiments the most. As a cultivator, he was willing to do what he wanted, and no one could stop him; what he was unwilling to do, no one could force him.


    Speaking of ¡®being ungrateful,¡¯ when the Mingxin Sect invaded, the Sky Sea Sect never put up a full resistance, even at its strongest. Instead, they wanted him, who had only stayed in the Sky Sea Sect for a few years, to seek revenge.

 Chapter 683: 388 Settling Scores

    Chapter 683: Chapter 388 Settling Scores


    Since Yu Gu left, no other cultivators have come to disturb Li Shiming¡¯s life.


    Although he only cultivated at night, his cultivation improved not at all slowly.


    The frequency with which he consumed Third-grade Spirit Pills was according to the maximum interval for consuming Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.


    Reaching the Golden Core Middle Stage, the most significant change was the formation of a South Ming Leaving Fire Pattern within his body.


    This was something he did not have during the Golden Core Early Stage, and precisely because of this, even though he had inherited the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± Divine Skills, he couldn¡¯t cultivate South Ming Leaving Fire himself and had to rely on the Heavenly Ghost to control the Nascent Soul Body to cultivate it on his behalf.


    After advancing to the Golden Core Middle Stage, it seemed that the Nanming Leaving Fire flame within him automatically formed a small South Ming Leaving Fire Pattern during the process of advancement. Initially, he didn¡¯t discover it because the fire pattern was too small.


    With his cultivation and the influence of the South Ming Leaving Fire residing within him, the South Ming Leaving Fire Pattern slowly increased in size, which eventually led him to notice this change.


    This discovery enabled him to cultivate the ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± Divine Skills by himself and even gave him a faint possibility of using it during the Golden Core Stage.


    You should know that South Ming Leaving Fire was an attack Divine Skill that only Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators could control, and the terrifying aspect of attack Divine Skills lies in their intrinsic level surpassing that of most energies.


    Just like Great Elder-level Body Refining, it is extremely difficult for Golden Core cultivators to break through its defenses, but in the face of South Ming Leaving Fire, a mere spark can break through the defenses of a Great Elder-level Refining.


    Three months later, one day, Li Shiming left the capital of Xia Country and set up a Formation in a deserted area a thousand miles away from the capital.


    This time was for Refining Corpse Nan Ming; after such a long time enduring the baptism of thunder, Nan Ming had finally reached the standard for Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s treasured IBMz15 to recognize and withstand the Heavenly Tribulation.


    He attached great importance to Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s breakthrough to the Silver Corpse Realm. Although Refining Corpse Nan Ming advanced all the way from a copper corpse, in terms of potential, it should be the strongest among all his refined corpses.


    Even the potential of the refined corpses from the Great Elder-level bodies he had was not as good as that of Refining Corpse Nan Ming.


    Because although Refining Corpse Nan Ming started weak, it had integrated with the Nascent Soul of the Nascent Soul Ancestor, inheriting most of the essence of the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    To put it in perspective, the body of Patriarch Weng Zhao¡¯s Nascent Soul was not worth one-tenth of the Nascent Soul itself, as the majority of the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s cultivation was on the Nascent Soul.


    Furthermore, Refining Corpse Nan Ming was originally a backup Body of Possession modified by Patriarch Weng Zhao, and after being taken over, its potential was so profound that Li Shiming couldn¡¯t estimate it with his current realm.


    Li Shiming¡¯s strength had increased too quickly, especially since his Body Refinement cultivation had jumped directly to Great Elder-level, making the help from the silver corpses around him so minimal that it could almost be ignored.


    Refining Corpse Nan Ming was the corpse that could provide him with combat support during the Golden Core Stage, and even the Nascent Soul Stage.


    For this reason, Li Shiming intentionally let Refining Corpse Nan Ming stay longer in the refining space. He didn¡¯t decide to let Refining Corpse Nan Ming undergo tribulation until IBMz15 analyzed that the success rate of Refining Corpse Nan Ming surviving the tribulation was over eighty percent.


    Eighty percent survival rate of the tribulation was for Refining Corpse Nan Ming to undergo the tribulation on its own. Adding his protection, he could bring the tribulation survival rate to a full one hundred percent.


    Li Shiming stood outside the Formation, watching Refining Corpse Nan Ming within, as he connected a large brain to Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s body.


    Unless he sensed danger, he would not intervene in Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s tribulation.


    Intervention could affect Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s future development. Tribulation was a test, but after passing the test, the situation of the tribulation would be rewarded by heaven and earth, and human intervention could affect the strength of that reward.


    Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s advancement went very smoothly, and although Li Shiming hadn¡¯t been cultivating for long, his experience in corpse refining was extremely rich.


    He had thirteen silver corpses that had advanced in his hands, a number that most Golden Core cultivators could not achieve in their lifetime.


    The changes in Refining Corpse Nan Ming¡¯s body ended, and the appearance of the Corpse Pill triggered the Heavenly Tribulation.


    A huge cloud of thunder formed, causing Li Shiming to feel worried.


    Compared to the thunder cloud formed during the normal advancements of silver corpses, this one was much bigger. But considering the uniqueness of Refining Corpse Nan Ming, the changes in the tribulation were normal.


    Just then, several auras approached from afar, moving towards him quickly.


    Li Shiming looked over to find that they were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, which was uncommon. Sky Sea Island was different from Beishu Continent; there were fewer Foundation Establishment Cultivators here than on Beishu Continent.


    Especially among Loose Cultivators, the likelihood of encountering Foundation Establishment Cultivators was extremely low.


    Of course, that was the situation when he was on Sky Sea Island, and he did not know whether things had changed now.


    As he was observing, two figures approached even faster than the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, flying towards him.


    He was about to drive them away when he realized that one of the two Golden Core cultivators was someone he knew.


    He smiled and said nothing further, quietly standing in his spot to wait.


    Baili Luo and Elder Jie, two Golden Core cultivators, were leading a group of remnants from the seven sects, conducting a transaction in the marketplace here.


    After merging the seven sects, even though they were suppressed by Mingxin Sect, some of their foundations were still retained.

 Chapter 684: 388 Revenge_2

    Chapter 684: Chapter 388 Revenge_2


    They had hidden some resource points, which were originally in more remote areas and had not been discovered by the Mingxin Sect.


    The resources produced from these points needed to be traded to obtain suitable cultivation resources. Such trade was not a problem in the past, but now on Sky Sea Island, it required the joint efforts of two Golden Core Elders to ensure safety.


    They took a group of disciples with them, who took this opportunity, under the protection of the two Golden Core Elders, to trade for some resources for their personal use.


    It should be known that these disciples would face dangers if they ventured out alone.


    Many cultivators from the Mingxin Sect, like hunters, constantly hunted the remnants of the seven sects¡¯ disciples to exchange for sect contributions.


    It was during the trade that all cultivators simultaneously felt a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy from the heavens and the earth.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators thought that a treasure of heaven and earth had appeared and immediately rushed towards the direction of the spiritual energy fluctuation.


    The two Golden Core Elders also quickly finished their trade and pursued, wanting to see who was undergoing tribulation there.


    Of course, they had the idea of taking advantage of the situation to rob. Everyone knew that Golden Core cultivators who passed the Golden Core tribulation had combat abilities that had not truly reached the Golden Core level yet.


    To possess the combat strength of the Golden Core Stage, one still needed to re-cultivate their main cultivation technique to accumulate spiritual power, and refine magical treasures, all of which take time.


    It takes an ordinary Golden Core cultivator anywhere from half a year to several years to pass this period, depending on their preparation before the tribulation.


    A cultivator undergoing the Golden Core tribulation outside was a worthy prey, regardless of the outcome.


    Baili Luo and Elder Jie were extremely fast and soon overtook the Foundation Establishment Cultivators. They saw the thunderclouds in the sky and a sharp light flickered in their eyes.


    Such a large thundercloud indicated that the cultivator undergoing tribulation had extremely high talent and was feared by the heavens and the earth.


    ¡°Eh, why does this cultivator look so familiar?¡± Elder Jie saw Li Shiming, who had intentionally concealed his true strength, so he appeared just like an ordinary mortal.


    But how could someone standing here possibly be a mortal?


    ¡°Li Shiming!¡± Baili Luo also recognized Li Shiming and gritted his teeth as he called out his name.


    The face of Li Shiming was one he would recall almost every day.


    The grudge between him and Li Shiming started because of his son Baili Jin Yan, but when he later confronted Li Shiming, he fell into a trap set by Li Shiming, and even his magical treasure was destroyed in that incident.


    He escaped back to his sect, and the fact that he had been defeated by a Qi Refining Cultivator was the greatest humiliation of his life.


    It even surpassed the hatred he felt for the murder of his son Baili Jin Yan. He had constantly thought about taking revenge on Li Shiming but then the Mingxin Sect invaded, and Li Shiming disappeared, leaving him with no traces of Li Shiming to follow.


    However, at this moment, Baili Luo had no intention of seeking revenge as soon as he recognized Li Shiming, he planned to turn and flee.


    Because of Li Shiming¡¯s conflict with the Mingxin Sect, especially Li Shiming blocking the Mingxin Sect¡¯s mountain gate, what happened over time was known by the cultivators of Sky Sea Island.


    He did not believe that he could defeat Li Shiming. In the rumors, Li Shiming¡¯s realm had reached the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Although he did not believe that Li Shiming could have reached the Golden Core Middle Stage in less than twenty years, even if Li Shiming¡¯s realm had not reached the Golden Core Middle Stage, the fact that Li Shiming alone blocked the Mingxin Sect¡¯s mountain gate was not something he could contend with.


    As he turned to flee, a sword light was faster than him. The sword light penetrated his protective spiritual power, and as he looked at the wound in his chest, a look of unwillingness flashed in his eyes.


    ¡°Too weak!¡± Li Shiming had only used the Heart Sword, a magical treasure, and utilized the sword cultivator¡¯s techniques to drive the Heart Sword in launching an attack, killing Baili Luo with a single blow. This made him realize how weak Baili Luo was.


    Once upon a time, Baili Luo¡¯s mere presence had frightened him.


    He shook his head with some emotion. After all, one needed to venture out; the cultivators on Sky Sea Island were generally weak, which was related to the inheritance of Sky Sea Island.


    In the original seven sects of Sky Sea Island, the best inheritance could only reach the Golden Core Stage at most.


    In contrast, on the Beishu Continent, the top cultivation techniques were based on reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, not to mention the existence of cultivation techniques that surpassed the Nascent Soul Stage.


    The cultivation resources on Sky Sea Island were scarce, which meant that the majority of Golden Core cultivators could make no further progress after reaching the early stage of Golden Core.


    Even if one¡¯s talent was exceptional, without the support of suitable cultivation techniques and resources, one would only descend into mediocrity.


    Elder Jie saw Baili Luo suddenly turn and flee and knew all too well that it was because he had encountered his nemesis.


    And given that Baili Luo fled without even attempting to face his adversary, it indicated that the opponent was extremely powerful, far surpassing Baili Luo.


    As Elder Jie considered how to handle the situation, Baili Luo had already been killed.


    For a moment, he dared not flee, nor did he dare to fight back. Li Shiming¡¯s strength was too terrifying, and his speed was no faster than Baili Luo¡¯s.


    ¡°Li Shiming has seen Elder Jie!¡± Li Shiming withdrew his Heart Sword and greeted Elder Jie with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re Li Shiming!¡± Elder Jie finally understood why Li Shiming had seemed so familiar; he remembered the Qi Refining Cultivator he had seen over a decade ago on Seven Star Island, that genius from the Sky Sea Sect.


    He also recalled the conflict between Li Shiming and the Mingxin Sect, which explained Li Shiming¡¯s strength.


    As for why Li Shiming had struck Baili Luo, Elder Jie had heard about the reason for their enmity.


    The feud between Baili Luo and Li Shiming was no secret, and Elder Yin had even approached Baili Luo about it in the past.


    ¡°I had an old grudge with Baili Luo. When I was still a Qi Refining Cultivator, he tried to kill me multiple times. Elder Jie, please take his body back!¡± Li Shiming explained with a smile.


    ¡°Alas!¡± Elder Jie sighed deeply, as there was really nothing he could say about the matter.


    In the Cultivation World, avenging oneself is something a cultivator has to do. One needs to be resolute in killing their enemies in order to achieve a clear state of mind.


    Having a clear state of mind is of special importance during crucial moments of advancement, something recorded in many texts and acknowledged by cultivators.


    Elder Jie couldn¡¯t judge who was right or wrong. With Li Shiming¡¯s strength, there was no room for him to avenge Baili Luo. He could only take Baili Luo¡¯s body back and report to the sect.


    Just then, the Heavenly Thunder also dissipated, and a Silver Corpse walked out from the formation, its whole body shimmering in silvery white.


    Elder Jie glanced at the newly advanced Silver Corpse, Nan Ming. For some reason, all the hairs on his body stood on end. To his senses, Nan Ming felt as terrifying as a primordial beast.


    Li Shiming waved his hand and collected the Refining Corpse Nan Ming, fully aware of why Elder Jie looked so startled.


    Nan Ming had just advanced and couldn¡¯t perfectly control the energy inside its body, allowing a trace of Nanming Leaving Fire to leak out.


    Nanming Leaving Fire would frighten not just a weak Golden Core cultivator like Elder Jie but even Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivators.


    After the Refining Corpse Nan Ming was collected, Elder Jie shook off his recent terror, gasping for air to calm the shock in his heart.


    He was increasingly baffled by Li Shiming¡¯s strength; even a mid-stage Golden Core could not casually kill an early-stage Golden Core, not to mention the newly advanced Silver Corpse and its terrifying aura.


    He could assert with absolute certainty that even during the most prosperous time of the seven sects, no Golden Core Elder had an aura as dreadful as that of the freshly advanced Silver Corpse.


    It was a difference in level; he was suppressed by the aura emanating from the Silver Corpse, leaving him with no chance to fight back if the Silver Corpse had attacked him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of relief. He had initially come with the intention of taking advantage of the situation, preparing to seize the opportunity from the cultivator who was advancing here.


    Fortunately, he was delayed by the matter with Baili Luo and had not actually made a move; otherwise, given the terror of the Silver Corpse, it was highly likely he would have been torn to shreds.


    He looked again at Li Shiming, questioning whether his own choice years ago was wrong. He had chosen to stay on Sky Sea Island, a place that, despite the presence of Mingxin Sect, was relatively safe.


    He hadn¡¯t embarked on a journey like some other Golden Core Elders to seek his fortunes on the Beishu Continent.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave!¡± Elder Jie decided internally, bowing to Li Shiming as he took his leave.

 Chapter 685: 389: Zangs Demise

    Chapter 685: Chapter 389: Zang¡¯s Demise


    ¡°Master Jing Mo, why have you come before the appointed time?¡± Li Shiming looked at Master Jing Mo and asked curiously.


    Master Jing Mo was not a man of haste. In the past six months or so, he had accepted three alchemy orders from the Beishu Trading Company.


    Master Jing Mo always came at the two-month deadline, never before. He did this to avoid disturbing Li Shiming.


    No matter Li Shiming¡¯s reasons for coming to the secular world, it was a rare opportunity for cultivation of the mind.


    As a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, how could Master Jing Mo not understand the importance of this.


    Thus, when Li Shiming saw Master Jing Mo¡¯s unexpected visit, he was quite surprised.


    ¡°Master Li, you¡¯re in some trouble. According to spies I left in the Mingxin Sect, the False Infant Ancestor is conditioning his body and is preparing to leave seclusion to come find you!¡± Master Jing Mo replied anxiously.


    Li Shiming was taken aback; he hadn¡¯t expected it to be about this matter.


    Elder Zang was the most powerful existence on Sky Sea Island. With the power of the Fake Infant Stage, although not significant on the Beishu Continent, he was invincible on Sky Sea Island.


    ¡°Master Li, you should leave first. I believe Elder Zang won¡¯t strike against mortals. I¡¯ve also informed the company; Ancestor Ling will come as soon as possible, but it will take at least a few days!¡± Master Jing Mo said urgently, trying to persuade him.


    It was for Li Shiming¡¯s own good. No matter how close Elder Zang was to the end of his life span, he was still a Fake Infant Cultivator.


    If he really took action against Li Shiming, Li Shiming would not be able to face him.


    ¡°Thank you. I will remember this favor!¡± Li Shiming said seriously, bowing.


    He knew that getting such information was not as simple as Master Jing Mo had made it sound.


    A power like the Beishu Trading Company would not and did not need to plant spies within a sect like Mingxin Sect. The only reason for doing so must have been for Li Shiming¡¯s safety.


    The cost and effort invested in this were something Li Shiming had to acknowledge and return the favor.


    Li Shiming also guessed why Elder Zang would personally take action against him. On the one hand, Elder Zang feared his days were numbered. Given that Mingxin Sect had Li Shiming, a formidable enemy, resolving the issue of Li Shiming before running out of time would rid Mingxin Sect of a major problem.


    One should not trust the saying that all grievances can be forgotten. If it weren¡¯t for the presence of Elder Zang, a False Infant Ancestor within Mingxin Sect, Li Shiming would have likely taken the fight to their doorstep long ago.


    Of course, Elder Zang was aware of this. Even the Great Elder Fan Xi had died at the hands of Li Shiming, which proves that Li Shiming¡¯s combat power is indeed unbeatable at the Golden Core Stage.


    If Elder Zang didn¡¯t deal with Li Shiming, once he fell, Mingxin Sect would undoubtedly be annihilated by Li Shiming.


    On the other hand, the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± that Great Elder Fan Xi had held was now in Li Shiming¡¯s possession, thwarting Mingxin Sect¡¯s plan to produce another Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Without the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus,¡± once Elder Zang fell, it would be nearly impossible for Mingxin Sect to acquire another Spiritual Medicine of such caliber with their capabilities.


    Elder Zang was no longer concerned about retaliation from the Shushan Sect because he didn¡¯t have the time. If Li Shiming were killed, Shushan Sect¡¯s retaliation would still be uncertain, but the sheer value of the ¡°Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡± was worth the risk.


    For a Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine that could promote one to the Nascent Soul Stage, even the greatest risks were worth taking.


    Master Jing Mo thought that Li Shiming had heeded his advice to leave, so he bid farewell.


    After giving instructions, Li Shiming left his ancestral home and the capital of Xia Country. He did not choose to leave but instead headed directly towards his anticipated encounter.


    He analyzed Elder Zang¡¯s possible route. Given Elder Zang¡¯s condition and strength, choosing the direct line towards Xia Country was the best option, as it was the shortest and fastest. He would have made the same choice.


    At the border of Xia Country, he took out the Fourth Grade Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array Plate and activated the Formation.


    The Fourth Grade Heavenly Gang Four Phases Array shielded the space, preventing any aura within from leaking out.


    Only then did he summon both his Nascent Soul Body and Fake Infant Body. The Heavenly Ghost could now control the Fake Infant Body. Although it was not yet ready for combat, it could move freely.


    He also summoned Venerable Huijing. Although her injuries were still healing slowly, she was a true Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    He released a drone into the high skies, reaching an altitude of ten thousand meters, which allowed him to surveil a vast area.


    After everything was prepared, he used ¡°Divine Vision¡± to watch the distance. With his eyesight, plus the drone¡¯s assistance, he could detect Elder Zang as soon as he was within a thousand li range.


    About four hours later, he spotted a Flying Boat sailing in this direction.


    The Flying Boat was of the third-grade, belonging to the level of Flying Boat Magical Treasure.


    Such an item was extremely rare on Sky Sea Island. Even for Mingxin Sect, such high-grade Flying Boats were scarce.


    Flying Boat Magical Treasures were not necessities; they were more a means of displaying one¡¯s status.


    Unless one had an abundance of third-grade resources, cultivators would not consider having a Flying Boat Magical Treasure; it was simply too wasteful.


    A Flying Boat Magical Treasure, if converted into Magical Treasures, could be exchanged for several high-grade ones.


    Seeing a Flying Boat Magical Treasure appear at this time highly likely indicated Elder Zang¡¯s arrival.


    It made sense as well. Given Elder Zang¡¯s condition, using his life force sparingly and relying on a Magical Treasure level Flying Boat was the best choice.


    Conserving any bit of strength could result in an extra bit of combat power when needed.


    Elder Zang was extremely frustrated. His life span was nearing its end, and he was already settling his affairs, handing over some treasures to the sect.

 Chapter 686: 389: Zang Yun_2

    Chapter 686: Chapter 389: Zang Yun_2


    Such a treasure as the ¡®Seven-leaf Jade Lotus,¡¯ he chose to hand it over to Great Elder Fan Xi, hoping that Great Elder Fan Xi could advance to the Nascent Soul Stage. Even if he couldn¡¯t advance, the ¡®Seven-leaf Jade Lotus¡¯ could be exchanged for resources that might help Great Elder Fan Xi advance to the False Infant stage.


    Compared to advancing to the Nascent Soul, advancing to the False Infant had a much higher success rate.


    Everything had been planned, and he wasn¡¯t just waiting to die; instead, he was using a Sect treasure he held to strive to prolong his life.


    As long as no external enemies attacked the Sect Formation, he wouldn¡¯t meddle in external matters.


    However, he had never imagined that, when he woke up from his seclusion, he would hear that Great Elder Fan Xi had been killed, and they hadn¡¯t even managed to retrieve the body.


    He flew into a rage within the Sect and decided to take matters into his own hands.


    Being the most important combat force of the Sect and nearing the end of his lifespan, he naturally couldn¡¯t just leave the Sect to find Li Shiming.


    He had many things to arrange, for this expedition might very well mean he would never return to the Sect.


    His body could only support acting once, which caused him to be delayed at the Sect for a while before he set out towards Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming soared into the air, he stood on top of the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array, stepping outside the protection of the Formation.


    When he was still over three hundred li away, Elder Zang also spotted Li Shiming.


    Elder Zang, while at the Sect, had found information about Li Shiming, especially since the Sect Formation had recorded Li Shiming¡¯s features.


    So when he saw Li Shiming in the sky, he recognized him at a glance.


    Seeing Li Shiming as if he were waiting for him, he felt puzzled and couldn¡¯t help but slow down.


    Li Shiming looked at Elder Zang with a smile, appearing completely confident.


    He waved his hand, and the isolating effect of the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array was turned off, almost unmistakably releasing the immense aura of two Nascent Soul Ancestors and one False Infant Ancestor into the sky.


    Elder Zang was stunned, his first reaction was to turn and flee, he even didn¡¯t have time to collect up the Flying Boat Magical Treasure, he directly let his False Infant Body take his physical body to flee with all his might.


    He understood that Li Shiming had found help, thinking about Li Shiming¡¯s identity, the number one Alchemy Master of the Beishu Continent, it wasn¡¯t impossible for such a cultivator to have two Nascent Soul Ancestors and one False Infant Ancestor come to his aid.


    Of course, if he were to sense more carefully, he would realize that one of the Nascent Soul Ancestors and the False Infant Ancestor only had the hollow auras of bodies, lacking both Nascent Soul and Fake Infant auras.


    However, the aura of Venerable Huijing was too terrifying, masking the situation of both the Nascent Soul Body and the Fake Infant Body.


    Li Shiming smiled faintly, this was something he had already expected.


    He truly didn¡¯t intend to fight with Elder Zang, although the Heavenly Ghost could manipulate the False Infant Body, it was only for show and couldn¡¯t sustain in battle.


    The situation of Venerable Huijing wasn¡¯t good either, participating in a battle with unhealed injuries could worsen his condition.


    His injuries were already extremely difficult to recover from, and worsening them might mean it could take several hundreds of years to heal.


    Therefore, unless there was an extremely dangerous situation, Li Shiming would not let Venerable Huijing take action.


    Li Shiming waved his hand to collect up the False Infant Body and the Nascent Soul Body, along with the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array Plate. With one hand, he grabbed Venerable Huijing¡¯s body, then used ¡®Step by Step Lotus.¡¯ As he passed the Flying Boat Magical Treasure left by Elder Zang, he conveniently collected it.


    In the sky, the drone directed him towards Elder Zang¡¯s escape route, his ¡®Divine Sight¡¯ also allowed him to see Elder Zang¡¯s form.


    As long as Elder Zang didn¡¯t exceed a thousand li range, he could track him.


    To prevent Elder Zang from returning to Mingxin Sect, he fully activated ¡®Step by Step Lotus,¡¯ intercepting before Elder Zang on his way back to the Sect.


    This made Elder Zang even more terrified. He didn¡¯t understand how many Nascent Soul Ancestors Li Shiming had managed to enlist.


    Did Li Shiming not know that enlisting Nascent Soul Ancestors required a price? For his mere False Infant, one Nascent Soul Ancestor was enough, so why bother enlisting so many Nascent Soul Ancestors to deal with him?


    Elder Zang was like a headless fly, scurrying all over the place, yet he dared not return to his sect.


    He had thought about it; if he truly returned to the sect, he feared he would lead several Nascent Soul Ancestors there.


    As long as he didn¡¯t return to the sect, he believed the sect wasn¡¯t worth the Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ effort to deal with, at least there was still hope for its survival.


    Li Shiming followed behind Elder Zang, the faint Nascent Soul Aura emanating from Venerable Huijing made Elder Zang dare not pause for even a moment.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t press Elder Zang too close; he was very aware that if he pushed too hard, Elder Zang might fight desperately.


    It was by maintaining this distance that he could give Elder Zang a sliver of hope for escape.


    Li Shiming was like a herder, and the Nascent Soul Aura from Venerable Huijing was the whip in his hand, constantly lashing at Elder Zang, driving him to continue fleeing.


    This chase went on for three two-hours, Elder Zang didn¡¯t dare to venture deep into the ocean, and could only flee around Sky Sea Island and its vicinity.


    As time passed, his speed also grew slower.


    The escape was consuming him heavily, making his already limited lifespan near its end.


    His face grim, he stopped; he didn¡¯t want to run anymore. Regardless of whether he was caught, his lifespan was fast depleting and he was soon to die.


    He looked back to see which Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s aura had been tracking him constantly, desiring to see who was pursuing him.


    Given the pursuer¡¯s speed, they clearly could have caught up with him through Nascent Soul Emergence, yet they played with him like a cat with a mouse.


    Li Shiming noticed that Elder Zang had stopped, and his ¡®Divine Sight¡¯ allowed him to clearly see every detail on Elder Zang¡¯s face, that deadly aura of a draining lifespan enveloping it.


    He hesitated slightly, connected with Venerable Huijing through Divine Thought; Venerable Huijing reached out and grabbed his arm, appearing as if he was leading him in flight.


    Afterward, without using ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯, Venerable Huijing flew with Li Shiming towards Elder Zang.


    ¡°Venerable Huijing, why are you dressed like this?¡± When Elder Zang saw Venerable Huijing, he recognized him immediately.


    Li Shiming was also taken aback; he had disguised Venerable Huijing completely, changing his hair and even his face, altered by Venerable Huijing himself.


    But he quickly realized that cultivators recognize each other not by appearance or physique, but by sensing each other¡¯s aura.


    Elder Zang must have had dealings with Venerable Huijing before, to recognize him by his aura.


    ¡°I never expected Venerable Huijing to change his appearance to serve others. After my departure, Mingxin Sect will degrade to a medium-sized faction. I hope Venerable Huijing, considering our past relationship, will spare Mingxin Sect. I am about to die soon; this is my last request before death!¡± As the deathly aura intensified on Elder Zang¡¯s face, he looked at Venerable Huijing with a hopeful gaze and made his final plea.


    Venerable Huijing nodded slightly, of course, this was according to Li Shiming¡¯s directions.


    Seeing Venerable Huijing nod, relief washed over Elder Zang¡¯s face, and his death aura rapidly spread throughout his body.


    His lifespan was already nearing its end, and after the prolonged escape, he was on the verge of death.


    Upon seeing Venerable Huijing and having his plea accepted, his last will to live disappeared, and death followed.


    Li Shiming hadn¡¯t expected Elder Zang to die so readily; he thought it would take more time, and he had been considering how to deceive Elder Zang further.


    His Divine Thought reached out, catching Elder Zang¡¯s body as it began to fall.


    Li Shiming had not anticipated that Elder Zang, whom he had considered a formidable enemy, would be resolved without even a fight.


    This was the first time he had seen a cultivator die of old age right before him.


    Among cultivators, Elder Zang was considered fortunate, for he lived out his entire lifespan.


    Many cultivators die in adventures, battling spirit beasts, dangerous environments, and fellow cultivators for resources, so living until natural death is considered a blessing.

 Chapter 687: 390: Honor

    Chapter 687: Chapter 390: Honor


    Elder Zang¡¯s body was still useful, with a slim hope of refining it into a Golden Corpse. Of course, the likelihood of a Fake Infant Body being refined into a Golden Corpse was very low, but as long as there was a possibility, Li Shiming would not give up.


    Despite possessing a Fake Infant Body, a Nascent Soul Body, and a Nascent Soul servant, a cultivator like him who dealt with a Nascent Soul Ancestor during the Golden Core Stage was extremely rare.


    Not to mention gaining advantages from a Nascent Soul Ancestor, what he had obtained was through risking his life repeatedly.


    If his luck wasn¡¯t good enough, any one of them could have killed him hundreds of times over.


    In the cultivation world, the bodies of either a False Infant Ancestor or a Nascent Soul Ancestor were extremely difficult to obtain.


    Generally speaking, whether it was a False Infant Ancestor or a Nascent Soul Ancestor within a sect, they were the most important members, holding the most esteemed positions.


    Even if their life spans were exhausted, their bodies would not be defiled.


    Presumably, if a cultivator in the sect wanted to refine their bodies into Corpse Refining, the first to oppose would be other top entities, as this touched on the interests of their group.


    While using ¡®Step by Step Lotus¡¯ to return, Li Shiming examined Elder Zang¡¯s body.


    Elder Zang was very poor, owning nothing but a Fourth Grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure and a Fourth Grade Pearl, with no other treasures.


    The Fourth Grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure was Elder Zang¡¯s personal magical treasure, which Li Shiming glanced at and casually tossed aside.


    The fate of this Fourth Grade Flying Sword Magical Treasure was very likely to be traded away by him. Not to mention its quality wasn¡¯t high, but being only able to use half its power greatly reduced its utility value.


    However, the Fourth Grade Pearl caught his attention more; he had heard through ¡®Telepathy¡¯ from the hearts of the Mingxin Sect cultivators that Elder Zang used a treasure of the Mingxin Sect to sustain his life.


    Needless to say, this Fourth Grade Pearl must be that treasure, containing an overwhelming vitality within.


    But vitality is not the same as life span; using overwhelming vitality to prolong survival was a painful experience, placing oneself between life and death.


    No wonder upon hearing about Li Shiming, Elder Zang chose to come out and gamble with his life, giving him an option to escape the pain sooner.


    Despite his extensive knowledge, Li Shiming had yet to find any information on the Fourth Grade Pearl, but he was certain that Elder Zang¡¯s research on the Fourth Grade Pearl was not deep.


    The quality of the Fourth Grade Pearl was extremely high, the highest among the Fourth Grade Spiritual Objects he had ever seen.


    Using the Fourth Grade Pearl as a life-extending item was an absolute waste.


    Li Shiming decided to look up more information upon returning and see if he could find news about the Fourth Grade Pearl. Additionally, he planned to initiate research specifically on the Fourth Grade Pearl. If he couldn¡¯t find any data on it, he would have to rely on his own research to analyze the functions of the Fourth Grade Pearl.


    In fact, with his current strength, he could have already wiped out the Mingxin Sect.


    However, after Elder Zang¡¯s death, he dismissed that idea.


    The existence of Mingxin Sect was more beneficial for him. He had carefully analyzed the situation of Sky Sea Island, and this was his decision after the analysis.


    Currently on Sky Sea Island, Mingxin Sect was the main force, while the remnants of the other seven sects combined into one seemed to form a new sect, which was much weaker than Mingxin Sect.


    After all, Mingxin Sect came from Beishu Continent and was more proficient in magical treasures and cultivation methods than the natives of Sky Sea Island.


    Most importantly, the real elites among the seven sects¡¯ remnants had left, leaving behind cultivators who did not wish to leave.


    If Li Shiming were to annihilate Mingxin Sect at this time, it would of course be the best thing for the seven sects¡¯ remnants.


    If Yu Gu hadn¡¯t approached him, making him disgusted, he might even have truly annihilated Mingxin Sect for Sky Sea Sect.


    But now, he considered more the peace and tranquility of Sky Sea Island. With Mingxin Sect present, at least the status of Xia Country¡¯s Li Family could be ensured.


    If the seven sects¡¯ remnants gained momentum, they would fight for power, causing chaos on Sky Sea Island for many years, which did not align with Li Shiming¡¯s interests.


    The strong power of Mingxin Sect could also fend off attacks by sea beasts, ensuring the peace of Sky Sea Island.


    Days later, within Mingxin Sect, the Sect Leader and the Golden Core Elders were sitting in the main hall, discussing matters critical to the survival of Mingxin Sect.


    ¡°The Ancestor has not sent any messages, and Master Li is still living well in Xia Country. This is the information sent back by the stationed cultivator, Meng Bin. The Ancestor failed, so what do you say we should do?¡± the Sect Leader asked the Golden Core Elders in a grave voice.


    Even when Mingxin Sect was in Beishu Continent, it never faced such danger.


    Senluo Sect¡¯s threat did not actually cause much damage to Mingxin Sect, as Mingxin Sect had moved away from Beishu Continent in advance to retreat to Sky Sea Island.


    It was unexpected that just over a decade after arriving at Sky Sea Island, the pillar of the sect, Elder Zang, fell, and they also lost Fan Xi, the Great Elder, effectively losing the strongest combat powers of the sect.


    ¡°Sect Leader, since Master Li did not immediately strike at Mingxin Sect, he probably does not intend to annihilate us!¡± a Golden Core Elder suggested.


    ¡°We have no way out. We have no space to live in Beishu Continent, and no retreat on Sky Sea Island. So, let¡¯s bestow Master Li the title of Honorary Great Elder and hand over one-tenth of the sect¡¯s profits to him. What do you all think?¡± the Sect Leader proposed, his gaze sweeping over all the Golden Core Elders.

 Chapter 688: 390: Honor Part 2

    Chapter 688: Chapter 390: Honor Part 2


    Not a single Golden Core Elder opposed, when Elder Zang proposed to assassinate Li Shiming, they all thought Li Shiming was as good as dead.


    But now, there was no news from Elder Zang, yet Li Shiming was still alive. By all accounts, even with a delay, Elder Zang should have long since arrived in Xia Country; the only possibility was that Elder Zang had encountered trouble.


    If Elder Zang sought to kill Li Shiming and found himself in trouble instead, it was highly likely the result of Li Shiming¡¯s own doing.


    Considering Li Shiming¡¯s identity as an Alchemy Master and his relationship with the Beishu Trading Company, this possibility was not at all far-fetched.


    Of course, the most important point was that making Li Shiming an Honorary Great Elder would give Mingxin Sect a powerful backer.


    Regarding the matter of one-tenth of the sect¡¯s revenue, after losing Elder Zang and Great Elder Fan Xi, the sect¡¯s loss of one-tenth of its revenue meant the resources distributed to the remaining Golden Core Elders would not decrease but increase.


    As long as they could maintain this situation within the sect, they didn¡¯t mind having one more Honorary Great Elder.


    After reaching a consensus among the upper echelons of Mingxin Sect, they feared Li Shiming might take some action, so the very next day Elder Zhang took it upon himself to head to the capital city of Xia Country.


    ¡°Mingxin Sect¡¯s Elder Zhang requests an audience with Master Li!¡± Li Shiming received the communication technique; the other party hadn¡¯t flown above the capital, but was waiting outside the city.


    This clearly showed just how humble Elder Zhang¡¯s attitude was; Elder Zhang had personally witnessed Li Shiming¡¯s prowess, a Great Elder-level Body Refining Golden Core, practically invincible in the Golden Core Stage.


    Li Shiming went outside the city; Elder Zhang bowed deeply, exhibiting a submissive posture, afraid that Li Shiming might strike without uttering a word. His manner aimed to avoid any misunderstanding that might lead Li Shiming to kill him on the spot.


    ¡°Greetings, Master Li!¡± Elder Zhang inwardly heaved a sigh of relief at not being immediately killed with a slap from Li Shiming, making the subsequent discussion more approachable.


    He was only at the Golden Core Early Stage and had no choice but to be the envoy, given his low status.


    Li Shiming watched Elder Zhang with a smile; with ¡®Telepathy¡¯ activated, he was already aware of his intentions.


    Li Shiming was slightly surprised; he hadn¡¯t expected that the Sect Leader of Mingxin Sect would actually come up with such a method to win him over.


    He had no intention of staying on Sky Sea Island for long, so becoming the Honorary Great Elder of Mingxin Sect was of little consequence to him.


    After all, the sect¡¯s use of his name would have limited effect on Sky Sea Island.


    If Mingxin Sect were on the Beishu Continent, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have agreed to become an Honorary Great Elder because there his name would carry far greater influence.


    ¡°What is your business?¡± Li Shiming asked with a smile.


    ¡°I am entrusted by the Sect Leader of Mingxin Sect to invite Master Li to become the Honorary Great Elder of Mingxin Sect, sharing one-tenth of the sect¡¯s revenue each year!¡± Elder Zhang didn¡¯t dare to babble on unnecessarily.


    ¡°Honorary Great Elder? What am I to do?¡± Li Shiming persisted in asking.


    ¡°You need not do anything; Mingxin Sect wishes to maintain friendship with you. In times when the sect¡¯s safety is at stake, we hope to rely on your prestige. The Sect Leader has stated that you can resign from the position of Honorary Great Elder anytime you wish!¡± Elder Zhang answered respectfully.


    ¡°Do you know that I won¡¯t stay on Sky Sea Island for long?¡± Li Shiming continued to inquire.


    Elder Zhang¡¯s heart rejoiced hearing Li Shiming¡¯s words, sensing that he might accept Mingxin Sect¡¯s invitation.


    ¡°The insignificant Sky Sea Island could hardly contain you. Regardless of your location, Mingxin Sect will annually deliver one-tenth of its revenue to you through Beishu Trading Company!¡± Elder Zhang replied hastily.


    ¡°I accept!¡± Li Shiming nodded and said.


    ¡°This is the Identity Jade Disc of the Honorary Great Elder. Currently, the sect¡¯s Formation is not fully established, and the Formation in Xia Country is yet to be covered, making the Identity Jade Disc unusable for communication. But we are already preparing to prioritize the construction of Formation in Xia Country. Additionally, Xia will become a permanent territory of the Li Family, and Mingxin Sect will guarantee this!¡± Elder Zhang handed over the Identity Jade Disc while bowing before Li Shiming.


    Back at his house, Li Shiming toyed with the Identity Jade Disc, contemplating the matters of Mingxin Sect, when he received a communication technique from Master Jing Mo.


    The meeting with Master Jing Mo would take place within the ancestral mansion, which also reflected the relationship between him and Master Jing Mo.


    ¡°Congratulations to Master Li for becoming the Honorary Great Elder of the Mingxin Sect!¡± Master Jing Mo said with a smile as soon as they met.


    ¡°Your information network is quite efficient!¡± Li Shiming said with a shake of his head and a chuckle.


    Both of them knew that the title of Honorary Great Elder wasn¡¯t all that significant.


    A tenth of Mingxin Sect¡¯s revenue might seem substantial, but it really depended on who received it.


    For an Alchemy Master like Li Shiming, a tenth of Mingxin Sect¡¯s revenue was nothing more than a nice bonus.


    Li Shiming wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised at Master Jing Mo¡¯s keen information gathering. Even the fact that Elder Zang was coming to trouble him was something that the Beishu Trading Company could find out in advance, so this news was nothing special.


    ¡°The company has decided to establish a cooperative relationship with the Mingxin Sect. I will make it clear to them that this is out of respect for you, Master Li!¡± Master Jing Mo continued.


    ¡°I am merely a Guest Elder and do not interfere with the company¡¯s affairs!¡± Li Shiming replied, clearly stating his position without directly refusing the proposal.


    He was well aware that within power factions like the Beishu Trading Company, there were many internal factions, and he had no wish to be involved, as there was no need for it given his status.


    ¡°Master Li, I know this may be presumptuous, but what happened to Elder Zang?¡± Master Jing Mo hesitated slightly before asking.


    He had wrestled with this question for a long time. He had warned Li Shiming to leave in advance, but quickly found that Li Shiming was only away for a short time before returning home.


    And then, there was no news of Elder Zang. If he didn¡¯t know that Li Shiming¡¯s strength was only at the Golden Core Middle Stage, he might have thought that Li Shiming had slain Elder Zang himself.


    ¡°Elder Zang¡¯s life span has come to an end,¡± Li Shiming answered indifferently.


    Even though he was a Guest Elder of Beishu Trading Company, he had many secrets he did not want them to know about, hence his rather ambiguous response.


    Master Jing Mo inhaled sharply. He had much more to consider.


    He was absolutely certain that Li Shiming had no outside help. While the Beishu Trading Company might not excel in other areas on Sky Sea Island, they had laid out their intelligence network. If there had been an existence powerful enough to confront Elder Zang, it would have been impossible for there to be no news of it.


    As for Elder Zang¡¯s life span being exhausted just before his encounter with Li Shiming, that was even more improbable. Cultivators of such a realm are acutely aware of their own conditions and the timing of their death is usually calculated very accurately.


    That left only one possibility. Li Shiming had used some method to cause Elder Zang to deplete a great amount of his vitality, leading to a premature end to his life span.


    ¡°Master Jing Mo, I would like the Beishu Trading Company to collect some tomes regarding higher order Spiritual Objects for me. The cost can be deducted from my remuneration!¡± Li Shiming thought of the Fourth Grade Pearl, with the extensive channels of the Beishu Trading Company in mind.


    ¡°I will report this after I return and start the collection. It might take some time to gather the tomes, but I will keep you updated on the progress!¡± Master Jing Mo could easily commit on behalf of the Beishu Trading Company for such a minor matter.


    On the fifth day after Master Jing Mo left, Meng Bin, the State Preceptor of Xia, delivered a storage bag. The mouth of the storage bag was sealed with a secret technique, which Meng Bin himself could not open.


    According to Meng Bin, it was the annual tribute from Mingxin Sect, a year¡¯s worth of one-tenth of the sect¡¯s revenue.


    Clearly, with more than half of the year gone, Mingxin Sect was doing this to curry favor with Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was not one to stand on ceremony; had he expressed the desire on the Beishu Continent, countless power factions would have offered more than Mingxin Sect to have him as an Honorary Great Elder.


    After opening the storage bag, he found that the total amount of resources was substantial, though the grades were not high. Third-grade resources were not numerous, at most sufficient for three or four Golden Core Early Stage cultivators¡¯ annual cultivation needs, with most being Second Grade resources.


    It seemed Mingxin Sect also understood that Second Grade resources were of little use to him, so they had mostly converted these resources into alchemy materials.


    Moreover, in the Spirit Pills refined by an Alchemy Master, many used Second Grade Spiritual Medicines as auxiliary ingredients.


    Li Shiming shook his head. Sky Sea Island¡¯s output of Third Grade resources was extremely limited, as could be deduced from the slow development of the seven sects on Sky Sea Island in the past.

 Chapter 689: 391 Leaving

    Chapter 689: Chapter 391 Leaving


    Li Shiming had been living in the old residence in Xia Country for nearly a year, and recently, Li WenYuan¡¯s health had been deteriorating more and more.


    Although he had used some methods, even tapping into the life force within the Fourth Grade Pearl, the constraints of the Heaven and Earth Rules only let him watch as Li WenYuan gradually weakened.


    He spent most of his time by his father¡¯s side, knowing that his father didn¡¯t have much time left.


    But his father¡¯s smile grew ever more frequent; having served as an official all his life, he had long come to terms with life and death, proud that his adopted son had become an Immortal, and his second son had become the Emperor.


    With no regrets in life, and his sons by his side, every day was happy for him.


    Under the tree, Li WenYuan sat in his usual chair, sunlight filtering through the leaves and falling on his face.


    Li Shiming sat beside him, sadness in his eyes, yet he did not cry.


    Though there was a smile on Li WenYuan¡¯s face, life had forever departed from him.


    Li Shiming, through the analysis of his life-bonded magic weapon, IBMz15, had already predicted the exact time of this day; he and his father had quietly talked under the tree, and after his father made his final move in their game, he ceased all movement.


    Next to Li WenYuan was a baby cradle containing the third generation of the Li Family.


    This was Li Shijie¡¯s first child, whom Shijie had brought to the ancestral home, because his constant duties kept him from accompanying his father and to ensure the continuation of the lineage, he had left this child behind.


    As the Emperor, he was well aware of the dangers of power and, even with the support of the State Preceptor, he felt the backlash from power factions affected by his major orders.


    He knew all too well how safe the ancestral home was; it was the foundation of the Li Family.


    Li Shiming was very pleased with Li Shijie, who by bringing his first child over, let Li WenYuan die with no regrets.


    ¡°Mo Yan, the arrangements for the old master¡¯s funeral will be left to you, I have to leave now!¡± he instructed Mo Yan, who was silently shedding tears.


    ¡°Young Master, are you leaving now?¡± After almost a year, Mo Yan had nearly forgotten that her young master was an Immortal.


    ¡°The mortal realm is no place to linger, take good care of Si Qin!¡± Li Shiming disliked farewells and spoke solemnly.


    After saying this, he glanced towards Si Qin, then his figure soared into the sky.


    At the doorway to the left room, Si Qin watched his figure ascend, her face showing reluctance.


    She knew that the young master was gone again, and this time, there was no telling when he would return.


    Li Shiming took each step, each covering a great distance, his improved realm now allowing him to perform ¡°A Step Between¡± for short durations.


    Leaving the ancestral home, he felt as if a sword had severed his ties with the mundane world, and henceforth in this mortal realm, only the ancestral home remained his concern.


    Feeling lighter, an inexplicable sensation made the consumption of ¡°A Step Between¡± slightly less.


    While it did not affect the advancement of his cultivation, this change in mindset brought him numerous benefits.


    ¡°A Step Between¡± consumes a great deal of Spiritual Power Pattern, and he could probably sustain it for about half a two hours.


    The most fearsome aspect of ¡°A Step Between¡± is not its speed but its ability to ignore barriers, and it can traverse most Formations that do not limit space in a single step.


    To some extent, the ability of ¡°A Step Between¡± to break through Formations exceeded that of the coordination between Li Shiming and his life-bonded magic weapon, IBMz15.


    For those Formations that do not limit spatial arrangements, ¡°A Step Between¡± doesn¡¯t even need analysis. It simply connects the spaces forcibly and crosses.


    Li Shiming used ¡°A Step Between¡± for practice, and practicing Divine Foot Skill was crucial, as his life-bonded magic weapon, IBMz15, needed extensive data to analyze ¡°A Step Between¡± and provide the optimal method of application.


    While stepping through the air, he took out the Identity Jade Disc of Mingxin Sect and sent out a message, informing Mingxin Sect he would leave Sky Sea Island.


    After sending the message, he did not wait for a response but tucked the Identity Jade Disc back into his Space Ring.


    This time he did not conceal his form, and feeling the considerable consumption of his Spiritual Power Pattern, he switched to his Meteor Ink Boat.


    The Meteor Ink Boat traveled across the sky above Sky Sea Island; such a treasure-grade Flying Boat was extremely rare over Sky Sea Island.


    Now he had one more treasure-grade Flying Boat, but since he was on Sky Sea Island and had become the Honorary Great Elder of Mingxin Sect, it wouldn¡¯t be proper to use Elder Zang¡¯s treasure-grade Flying Boat.


    His movement was seen by many Cultivators, and those who recognized him speculated where he might be going.


    Li Shiming¡¯s identity was no longer a secret on Sky Sea Island, the entire island knew that this Mid-stage Cultivator born on Sky Sea Island was a Alchemy Master from Beishu Continent and also the Honorary Great Elder of Mingxin Sect.


    Yu Gu looked at the intelligence in his hand, the seven sects had experienced myriad years on Sky Sea Island, and although pressured by Mingxin Sect to such an extent, they still retained some intelligence systems.


    This was a piece of intelligence regarding Li Shiming¡¯s whereabouts; seeing that Li Shiming had set out from Xia Country, leaving nothing hidden along the way, his movements were reported by passing Cultivators and collected by the intelligence system.


    ¡°He really left, that traitor!¡± Yu Gu¡¯s eyes flashed sharply as he muttered to himself.


    He had asked Li Shiming to join him in opposing Mingxin Sect but was refused, only to then learn that Li Shiming had become the Honorary Great Elder of Mingxin Sect.

 Chapter 690: 391 Leaving_2

    Chapter 690: Chapter 391 Leaving_2


    In his view, Li Shiming¡¯s actions constituted a betrayal of the Heavenly Sea Sect.


    However, he failed to consider that the Heavenly Sea Sect no longer existed, and Li Shiming had long since severed ties with them.


    Furthermore, Li Shiming had contributed far more to the Heavenly Sea Sect than he ever did, even driving Elder Zang, the main culprit behind the sect¡¯s retreat, to his death by exhausting his lifespan.


    Yu Gu¡¯s heart was already filled with hatred, and he thought again of the killing of Baili Luo.


    Although he knew there was animosity between Li Shiming and Baili Luo, Baili Luo was a Golden Core Elder of the new sect. Li Shiming did not spare him any face and killed him outright, actually aiding the Mingxin Sect by weakening the new sect¡¯s strength.


    The more Yu Gu thought about it, the angrier he became, a murderous intent glaring in his eyes.


    He naturally did not dare to confront Li Shiming, aware of his terrifying reputation.


    He thought of the ancestral home where Li Shiming had always lived, hearing that Li Shiming was extremely fond of it. Despite being a Golden Core cultivator, Li Shiming had chosen to reside in that mundane dwelling for an entire year.


    ¡°Since you like it, I will destroy it!¡± he muttered coldly to himself.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Yu Gu flew, propelling his flying sword towards Xia Country.


    In the capital of Xia Country, the State Preceptor Meng Bin carefully monitored the formation. Since Li Shiming¡¯s departure, he had been diligently watching the Imperial Palace¡¯s formation, daring not to relax in the slightest.


    The sect had already stated that it would dispatch two Foundation Establishment Cultivators to station in Xia Country soon. Until those cultivators arrived, he had to ensure the safety of Xia Country Imperial Palace.


    Suddenly, the formation triggered an alarm, detecting a presence.


    ¡°A Golden Core cultivator!¡± exclaimed Meng Bin in shock.


    He was well aware that if a Golden Core cultivator from the sect was to arrive, they would have informed him.


    And if it were a friend of Li Shiming, they would surely know of Li Shiming¡¯s departure and not come here.


    He continuously took out the Identity Jade Disc, grateful for the sect¡¯s recent costly efforts at fortifying Xia Country with a formation connected to the Mingxin Sect¡¯s mountain gate.


    This allowed him to contact the sect directly using the Identity Jade Disc without the need for the cumbersome Communication Array.


    After reporting his discovery, the sect responded, informing him that a Golden Core Elder would arrive within a maximum of two hours.


    Meng Bin also knew that two hours was the quickest they could manage, likely because a nearby Golden Core Elder had some matter to attend to in Xia Country and could thus arrive swiftly.


    However, for a city of mortals, two hours was enough time for a Golden Core cultivator to destroy it many times over.


    Thinking of Li Shiming¡¯s potential rage, he couldn¡¯t help but pray silently in his heart.


    If Li Shiming truly went berserk, all powers on Sky Sea Island might face trouble.


    As Yu Gu approached the capital, he restrained some of his aura, not wanting to cause the deaths of the city¡¯s mortals; otherwise, his future in the Cultivation World would be over.


    He would be condemned by all cultivators as a demonic being, a presence even Devil Cultivators would despise.


    Moreover, according to rumors in the Cultivation World, a cultivator who kills a large number of mortals would greatly harm their own soul, potentially affecting not just this life but the next as well.


    Regardless of whether this was true, it made cultivators cautious about killing mortals.


    Nevertheless, Yu Gu was not afraid of killing a small number of mortals.


    He set his sights on Li Shiming¡¯s ancestral home, unable to believe that Li Shiming would leave a Silver Corpse of Golden Core Level behind. To him, a Silver Corpse was of utmost importance to a Golden Core cultivator.


    The impoverished Sky Sea Island had narrowed his perspective.


    Moreover, the mindset of the poor could never understand the thoughts of the wealthy.


    Yu Gu arrived above the Li ancestral home, his murderous intent coalescing and surging downward.


    He didn¡¯t even need to physically act; just the killing intent of the Golden Core Stage was enough to kill all the mortals in the secondary courtyard below.


    His killing intent surged, but as he approached the ancestral home, a streak of silver light blocked it.


    Upon seeing the silver light, Yu Gu immediately thought of the time right here when he had been caught by the Silver Corpse, barely even managing to react before he was restrained.


    His mouth felt parched, and he didn¡¯t even entertain the idea of dodging.


    He knew how formidable the Silver Corpse was and couldn¡¯t understand why Li Shiming would actually leave a Silver Corpse in the mortal world.


    This was a Silver Corpse, with Golden Core Level combat power, and he vividly remembered that this particular Silver Corpse possessed a special, substantive killing intent. Shouldn¡¯t such a Silver Corpse be treasured and carried around like a precious item?


    While Yu Gu was contemplating this, a tangible wave of killing intent broke through his own and swept over him.


    Recognizing his own predicament, he didn¡¯t even try to resist, allowing the tangible killing intent to erode his entire body.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to resist, but having once survived an attack by the Silver Corpse, he realized no matter how he analyzed it, any response would yield the same outcome¡ªthe gap between him and the Silver Corpse was simply too vast.


    The Silver Corpse twisted Yu Gu¡¯s neck, its red eyes flashing with excitement, and its aura of killing intent deepened.


    The killing intent of the Silver Corpse was well-controlled, not leaking even slightly to the surroundings.


    Though it appeared utterly mad, in reality, it was one hundred percent obedient to Li Shiming¡¯s orders.


    Li Shiming had commanded it to guard this courtyard, and it would absolutely entertain no other thoughts.


    The Silver Corpse grabbed Yu Gu¡¯s corpse, the silver light flickering as it flew back into the underground space of the second courtyard.


    Yu Gu¡¯s essence blood would become sustenance for the Corpse Refining, a practice that was normal, except that Corpse Refining cultivated by cultivators normally does not actively seek out human essence blood, but it wouldn¡¯t be polite about essence blood that was delivered to its doorstep.


    State Preceptor Meng Bin witnessed the entire fight. Yu Gu, who had been promoted to a Golden Core cultivator after Mingxin Sect took over Heavenly Sea Island and the former Sect Leader of Sky Sea Sect, was naturally recognized by him.


    Though Yu Gu was at the bottom rank among Golden Core cultivators, he was fond of slaughtering cultivators weaker than him, hence he had a significant reputation within the Mingxin Sect.


    Meng Bin¡¯s mouth gaped open as he watched the notoriously fierce Yu Gu casually crushed to death by a Silver Corpse.


    He felt a chilling sensation, completely unaware that Li Shiming had left such a contingency in the ancestral home in the capital of Xia Country.


    A Silver Corpse capable of easily killing a Golden Core cultivator¡ªhow strong could this Silver Corpse be?


    After some thought, he decided not to report this incident, reasoning that keeping secrets for the Honorary Great Elder did not amount to betraying the sect.


    After his initial fear and worry, he felt a full sense of security.


    How safe the capital of Xia Country would be, guarded by such a Silver Corpse, he no longer needed to worry about any cultivator who might recklessly cause trouble here.


    He hoped the two Foundation Establishment cultivators who would arrive later wouldn¡¯t provoke this Silver Corpse.


    As Li Shiming¡¯s Meteor Ink Boat was flying over the ocean, he sensed the anomaly from the Silver Corpse. Through an inexplicable connection, his mind linked with the Silver Corpse.


    He coldly watched as the Silver Corpse casually killed Yu Gu, and this time he did not speak out to stop it.


    The Space Bracelet left by Yu Gu was collected by the Silver Corpse under his command, considered as a resource for the appearance of spirit root seeds for the Li Family, also acting as Yu Gu¡¯s compensation to the Li Family.


    The return trip to the sect was very smooth. This time, he chose a much longer route, bypassing the territory of the Senluo Sect entirely, skirting around the Beishu Continent¡¯s coast to reach a coast that fell under Righteous Path influence.


    Since there was no rush, flying over the ocean was also an experience.


    He realized that cultivation was not only about improving one¡¯s own cultivation level but also required harmony in one¡¯s mental state, and the best way to enhance the mental state was to travel, experiencing various different landscapes and things.


    Upon entering the Beishu Continent, his life-bound magical treasure, an IBMz15, connected to an unmanned satellite system, and he suddenly felt as if he was from another era.


    The unmanned satellite system had not malfunctioned. Whether it was his good luck or the impressive invisibility system of the drones, there had been no issues with a drone within a year.


    The unmanned satellite system spread across the skies of the entire Beishu Continent gave him a feeling of controlling everything.

 Chapter 691: 392: Return to the Sect

    Chapter 691: Chapter 392: Return to the Sect


    Over the course of a year, Shushan Sect had not changed. When Li Shiming appeared outside the Sect Formation, he sensed many attentive gazes.


    ¡°Master, I have returned!¡± He saw Elder Su waiting for him outside the sect and quickly stepped forward to bow and speak.


    ¡°Has your cultivation advanced to the Golden Core Middle Stage?¡± Elder Su asked in surprise, looking at his disciple.


    Li Shiming was momentarily stunned. His advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage should not be a secret; he had already informed the Beishu Trading Company.


    Looking at Elder Su, it seemed he was unaware of his advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Little did he know that the Beishu Trading Company had intentionally withheld the information, given that he had not explicitly asked them to share this news with the Shushan Sect.


    After all, had the Beishu Trading Company shared the news of Li Shiming¡¯s advancement, how could the Shushan Sect have allowed him to spend a year without practicing alchemy?


    Within Shushan Sect, Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators, all being very high-ranking elders, had alchemical needs that the sect could not ignore.


    Li Shiming quickly understood the reasons behind the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s decision not to release the news.


    Yet, he could not blame the Beishu Trading Company. On one hand, the company was protecting his confidentiality with faultless integrity; on the other, their actions had allowed him to spend the year peacefully with his family, free from external disturbances.


    ¡°At home, I had an epiphany and made a breakthrough!¡± Li Shiming replied with a smile.


    ¡°It seems that letting you stay at home for a year was the right decision. What you lacked was not cultivation, but mental state, which cannot be aided by spiritual medicine or cultivation techniques,¡± Elder Su also said happily, laughing.


    Elder Su felt extremely emotional; his greatest concern had come true¡ªhis disciple was too exceptional and had already caught up to his own level of cultivation.


    And he did not know how long it would take for his own advancement to Late-stage Golden Core.


    Nevertheless, he could only be happy; in the Cultivation World, besides progressing one¡¯s own cultivation, the most important thing was succession.


    In his view, Li Shiming was his legacy. Even though Li Shiming did not practice his main cultivation technique, as a True Disciple, his status was secured.


    Li Shiming solemnly nodded his head in agreement. Despite spending the year in the mundane world, his gains had been enormous.


    His cultivation wasn¡¯t largely affected. With the help of a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein and numerous third-grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills, his progress was swift.


    He had even begun to practice the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ Divine Skills¡ªa significant step indicating that he was gradually mastering the Divine Skills.


    ¡°After returning to the sect, do not rush into seclusion. The Late-stage Golden Core Elders will probably seek you out soon. The consumption of producing third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core is considerable. Do not refuse to perform alchemy, and feel free to demand substantial remuneration!¡± Elder Su advised after recalling something.


    Unlike before, when third-grade Spirit Pills for Early or Middle-stage Golden Core could be deferred with various excuses, the status of Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators in the sect was different; it was best not to offend them unnecessarily.


    Of course, getting Li Shiming to make pills was not so easily agreed upon; creating third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core could delay his own cultivation time.


    All the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators in the sect were wealthy. Elder Su openly made this statement at the mountain gate to inform other Late-stage Golden Core Elders that alchemy was possible but required adequate compensation.


    As Li Shiming returned to the sect, many eyes were watching them.


    The master and disciple spoke while flying towards the inner sect.


    News of Li Shiming¡¯s return to the sect at the Golden Core Middle Stage spread through the Shushan Sect at incredible speed.


    In every corner of the Shushan Sect, figures exuding Late-stage Golden Core auras flew out, heading towards Sword Holding Peak.


    Li Shiming was unaware that the Shushan Sect housed so many Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators. In just one day, he received seven Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators, including one Great Elder.


    These Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators were all very generous. Without needing Li Shiming to elaborate, they broached the subject of compensation, even offering more than what Li Shiming desired.


    It wasn¡¯t that these Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators were naturally generous, but rather that they clearly recognized Li Shiming¡¯s swift cultivation pace indicated his extraordinary talents.


    Whether Li Shiming could advance to Nascent Soul Stage was uncertain, but his promotion to Late-stage Golden Core seemed almost guaranteed.


    None of the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators wanted to irk Li Shiming over a matter of compensation, knowing that once he ascended to Late-stage Golden Core, they would need his alchemy skills for their own advancement to Nascent Soul.


    Li Shiming organized all the alchemy orders based on a first-come, first-served principle and publicly displayed them.


    He set a pace of one batch every ten days. Fortunately, there were not too many Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators in the sect, and coupled with the rarity and value of the spiritual medicine required for third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core, even with the backlog, it filled just over four months.


    No one objected to his arrangements; every one of the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators understood that Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation was as important as his alchemy.


    The matter of Li Shiming doing alchemy was not supposed to interfere with his cultivation; otherwise, not even the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the sect would agree.

 Chapter 692: 392: Return to the Sect_2

    Chapter 692: Chapter 392: Return to the Sect_2


    When Li Shiming advanced to the late-stage Golden Core, he could start concocting pills for the Nascent Soul Ancestors. Although most of the sect¡¯s Nascent Soul Ancestors were in seclusion, the fact that Elder Zuo occasionally paid attention to Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Holding Peak was evidence of how much they valued him.


    After returning to the sect, Li Shiming was visited by Golden Core Elders on and off for the first few days. Once he had taken care of the needs of those late-stage Golden Core Elders in the sect, he announced that he would no longer accept orders for third-grade Spirit Pills for cultivators in the middle stage of the Golden Core.


    The news of his decision caused a chorus of lamentations among the sect¡¯s Golden Core Elders, but they were helpless and had to find ways to approach him through the few cultivators who could ask for his help, like Elder Su and Elder Ma.


    Even his senior brothers and sisters had many cultivators knocking on their doors.


    His actions earned the praise of the alchemy masters. There was nothing they could do, as his alchemy skills were too advanced and severely disrupted the business of other alchemy masters.


    Li Shiming was aware of this. He had rarely taken orders for third-grade Spirit Pills for early-stage Golden Core cultivators since he was capable of producing those for the middle stage.


    Despite spending only a short time at the early-stage Golden Core realm, the number of third-grade Spirit Pills he produced for middle-stage Golden Core was incredibly high.


    The main reason for this was his fame. Orders from within the sect, from the sect¡¯s allies, Beishu Trading Company, and other friendly requests allowed him to concoct a large quantity of third-grade Spirit Pills for middle-stage Golden Core, sufficient for his own cultivation needs.


    Though his clone Li Yuanba had not yet advanced to the middle-stage Golden Core, the third-grade Spirit Pills for that stage had already been prepared.


    As the news spread, late-stage Golden Core Cultivators from the Thousand Illusion Sect and late-stage Arhat monks from Qianye Temple came knocking on his door through their connections.


    The three major Demon Sects also placed orders through Beishu Trading Company.


    But at this time, Li Shiming went into seclusion. Apart from the sect¡¯s alchemy orders, he even halted the orders from Beishu Trading Company.


    This was a marketing tactic of creating scarcity. Although alchemy and marketing were different, he saw them as achieving the same goal through different means.


    Things too easily obtained are never cherished, especially concerning Beishu Trading Company, which he planned to give a hard time, lest he be completely under their control.


    In the Cultivation Room, Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness entered the mechanical space.


    The mechanical space was becoming increasingly cramped now. With Venerable Huijing, the Nascent Soul Body, the Fake Infant Body, and the Great Elder undergoing Body Refinement, there were four beings occupying it. Had he not moved a vast majority of the resources he had stored there into spatial items to reduce the usage of the mechanical room, it would have been completely filled long ago.


    After the IBM z15 was refined into his life-bound magical treasure, the mechanical space turned into a storage area. Fortunately, he had acquired a number of spatial items, so the storage only occupied a corner of the mechanical space.


    Li Shiming released all four occupants and also fetched the Fourth-Grade Locking Vein Plate. The Formation in his dwelling was very secure, ensuring that not a trace of energy would leak out.


    The only regret was the Third Grade Golden Lotus and the Spirit Cleansing Carp in his dwelling. In comparison to Nascent Soul Level Spirit Veins, their grade was too low to significantly enhance the Spirit Veins.


    The twelve Silver Corpses were arranged to work in the underground space factory, continuing their previous research work.


    Only the Silver Corpse Nanming was kept by him, as he brought it into the mechanical space.


    Even Li Shiming envied the talent of the Silver Corpse Nanming.


    What made Li Shiming envious, of course, was Silver Corpse Nanming¡¯s mastery over the Nanming Leaving Fire.


    The foundation of Silver Corpse Nanming was incredibly strong. Patriarch Weng Zhao had used some unknown method to merge a Nascent Soul that controlled the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ into Nanming¡¯s body.


    You see, Nanming was only at the Qi Refinement Realm initially but could control the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ to a certain extent.


    When Li Shiming himself was at the early-stage Golden Core, he couldn¡¯t even cultivate the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ divine skill, despite having received the heritage and the fire seed. He could only watch helplessly.


    If it weren¡¯t for his advancement to the middle-stage Golden Core, and the appearance of the Nanming Leaving Fire rune patterns in his body, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to cultivate this divine skill.


    However, after the Silver Corpse Nanming advanced to the Silver Corpse, the Nanming Leaving Fire rune patterns within it were greatly strengthened, allowing it to use the Nanming Leaving Fire.


    How could this not incite envy in Li Shiming? Naturally, it is understandable. Patriarch Weng Zhao had dedicated his life to cultivating the ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ divine skill and prepared a Nascent Soul body as a backup for body seizing with targeted preparations. Coupled with the modifications during the merge of the Nascent Soul, a special body was created.


    With the thoughts of Patriarch Weng Zhao, this new body should be able to use ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± to wreak havoc in all directions during the Golden Core Stage, being invincible in that stage to gather as many cultivation resources as possible in preparation for breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    However, he had not anticipated that all these benefits would ultimately go to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind entered the body of Silver Corpse Nanming, completely controlling it.


    The Fourth Grade Heavenly Gang Four Phases Array Plate was collected into the machine room space, activated and deployed, protecting the Silver Corpse Nanming.


    It should not be said that it was protecting Silver Corpse Nanming, but rather protecting the machine room space itself.


    Li Shiming had tried, and the machine room space was nearly indestructible, but he did not intend to test its strength with Nanming Leaving Fire.


    Sitting within the Heavenly Gang Four Phases Array, Silver Corpse Nanming had an orange flame light up before it.


    Li Shiming, through Silver Corpse Nanming, began to try to control this small orange flame.


    Under his control, the flame slowly increased in power. As its master, Silver Corpse Nanming was not affected by the fire, but the peripheral shield of the Heavenly Gang Four Phases Array shook continuously under the influence of the flame.


    This was a fourth-grade formation, with defensive power strong enough to block several attacks from a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    Yet, after the small flame emitted its aura, it felt as if it could not sustain itself.


    As the fierceness of the flame weakened, the shield of the Heavenly Gang Four Phases Array returned to calm.


    Li Shiming shook his head. Silver Corpse Nanming could indeed control the Nanming Leaving Fire within its body, and its power exceeded the level of the Golden Core Stage, even surpassing that of Great Elder level.


    But the drawback was also very clear; Nanming Leaving Fire could only be deployed within a meter in front of Silver Corpse Nanming.


    Such tremendous energy would become uncontrollable if it moved any further away from the body.


    The distance of one meter made it extremely difficult for Silver Corpse Nanming to use Nanming Leaving Fire in combat unless it was for a surprise attack. Otherwise, any cultivator who could get within one meter of Silver Corpse Nanming, Li Shiming himself could easily defeat.


    However, Nanming Leaving Fire in Silver Corpse Nanming was not useless; with Li Shiming¡¯s involvement and the specialization of the machine room space,


    Li Shiming could achieve maximum precision in controlling Nanming Leaving Fire. Though it cannot meet the requirements for alchemy, it is completely sufficient for artifact refining.


    He hadn¡¯t yet used the Third-Grade Gold Attribute top-quality refining material ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stone¡± he obtained from the Skywalk Trading Company base.


    ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stone¡± is the best material for refining flying swords. A treasure forged during the Golden Core Stage by oneself has an innate closer connection, which allows cultivators to handle their self-refined treasures more adeptly.


    Early on when he had just formed his Golden Core, he had assigned a task to his life-bound magic weapon IBMz15 to design a flying sword using ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stone¡± as the main material.


    Afterward, since he learned ¡°Divine Eyes Skill,¡± he had more operability in artifact refining.


    The life-bound magic weapon IBMz15 revamped the design of the flying sword, able to maximize Li Shiming¡¯s artifact refining level.


    The most difficult part of artifact refining is melting the materials; the higher the grade and quality of the materials, the harder it is to melt them.


    Third-grade refining materials normally need to be melted with pill fire, and materials like ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stone,¡± which are of the top third grade and have a gold nature, require the pill fire of a Golden Core with fire attributes to melt them due to their inherent sturdy properties.


    Even so, it would still take a considerable amount of time, which is why forging third-grade treasures generally takes a very long time.


    Furthermore, during the melting process, various runes need to be continuously inscribed on the treasures to maximize the properties of the materials and to endow the treasures with various special abilities, all of which take time to perform slowly.


    Some treasures take several months or even more than a year to forge, which is considered normal.

 Chapter 693: 393: Artifact Refining

    Chapter 693: Chapter 393: Artifact Refining


    Li Shiming decided to go into seclusion this time, partly to forge flying swords.


    It should be known that the ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stone¡± he had obtained was enough to forge ten flying sword Spiritual Artifacts.


    Although he had the help of Silver Corpse Nanming¡¯s ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire,¡± he did not know how long it would take to successfully forge ten flying sword Spiritual Artifacts.


    Of course, due to the destiny Spiritual Artifact IBMz15, the process of forging flying sword Spiritual Artifacts would not affect his ability to do other things, not even Alchemy.


    He opened the design blueprint from the destiny Spiritual Artifact IBMz15, and the design blueprint file was extremely large.


    In the computer room space, Shiming had improved his nano-level control from 27 nanometers to 10 nanometers after advancing to the Golden Core Middle Stage and enhancing his overall quality.


    The runes to be inscribed inside the flying sword Spiritual Artifacts he was preparing to forge would be engraved using the 10-nanometer control force.


    When he started the forging process, he originally thought that the most difficult part would be melting the Star Fallen Gold Stone, but it turned out to be exceedingly simple.


    The ¡°Nanming Leaving Fire¡± of the Silver Corpse Nanming, within the bearable potency range of the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array, melted the ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stone¡± in just ten breaths¡¯ time.


    He also melted several types of Third Grade Metals with the Nanming Leaving Fire and mixed them with the ¡°Star Fallen Gold Stone¡± to form a Third Grade Alloy with multiple properties.


    The strength of the Nanming Leaving Fire was so great that no catalysts were needed throughout the entire melting process, which made the Third Grade Alloy extremely pure.


    Shiming used his Divine Thought to separate one-tenth of the Third Grade Alloy; Silver Corpse Nanming reduced the temperature of the Nanming Leaving Fire a bit, solidifying one-tenth of the Third Grade Alloy while his Divine Thought transformed into a hammer, repeatedly forging the Third Grade Alloy.


    At this point, the brain power involved in Artifact Refining was increased to four, and under the forging process, the Third Grade Alloy soon matched the dimensions of the blueprint from IBMz15 exactly.


    The error was no greater than 10 nanometers, which was his theoretical limit, and he had reached this limit in practical operation.


    Although it hadn¡¯t been enchanted yet, just looking at this flying sword one could feel its perfection, the curvature of the flying sword¡¯s blade, the length of the sword¡¯s blade and hilt had all been subject to extensive analysis and research by IBMz15.


    From a wealth of Artifact Refining knowledge, as well as flying swords from successful predecessors and combining theories from the science of his previous life, came the design of the flying sword¡¯s appearance.


    Upon truly seeing the form of this flying sword Spiritual Artifact, Li Shiming felt as if this sword


    was inherently meant to be just so.


    What followed was the enchantment process. More runes engraved, the better the results that the flying sword would produce.


    However, when he previously forged Second Grade Spirit Artifacts, he was greatly limited in the number of runes he could enchant due to the materials available.


    This time, the Third Grade Alloy¡¯s quality had reached the pinnacle of Third Grade, which allowed him to fully utilize his abilities.


    Adhering to the philosophy of Sword Cultivators, the flying sword Spiritual Artifact would not carry any special abilities; such artifacts might possess a certain special prowess, but were easily restrained.


    In the view of Sword Cultivation, only the purest flying sword Spiritual Artifacts, with the most fundamental enchantments, could unleash the full power of a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Sword Intent.


    Although not a pure Sword Cultivator, Li Shiming was intent on forging a flying sword Spiritual Artifact that conformed to Sword Cultivating principles.


    Using the Six Trigram Array¡¯s arrangement, he placed the Sturdiness Rune, Speed Rune, Sharpness Rune, Size Control Rune, Storage Spirit Rune, and Breaking Space Rune in the six positions of the array.


    Each rune was drawn with 10-nanometer lines; although the lines were so fine that they reduced the amount of material consumed during the engraving process, which weakened the effect of each rune considerably, this engraving method allowed for a number of enchantment runes on the flying sword Spiritual Artifacts that was tens of thousands times greater than those made by normal methods.


    It could be said that the vast majority of Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t see the runes engraved on the sword, unless they had cultivated a Secret Technique to enhance their eyesight.


    His approach to Artifact Refining had already exceeded the scope of Artifact Refiners; not to mention Golden Core Stage refiners, even Nascent Soul Ancestors couldn¡¯t achieve such refining methods.


    Were it not for ¡°Divine Sight,¡± the computer room space, and the destiny Spiritual Artifact IBMz15, he simply could not have achieved the control ability of 10 nanometers and applied it to Artifact Refining.


    The Nanming Leaving Fire maintained the temperature, keeping the sword billet in a hardness suitable for engraving.


    Starting from the tip of the sword, he engraved one Six Trigram Array after another, arranging them in a bigger composite Six Trigram Array.


    This was Li Shiming¡¯s first time refining an artifact in such a manner. Although the destiny Spiritual Artifact IBMz15¡¯s simulations and analyses had predicted a hundred percent success rate, there was still a difference between simulation and practice.


    Luckily he had plenty of materials for refining; even if he failed on a sword billet, it wouldn¡¯t be too regrettable.


    Many brains were dedicated to the work of engraving, which was very different from other Artifact Refiners. What consumed most of his time was not melting the materials, but engraving.


    Despite involving over a hundred brains, leaving only a few to maintain his Alchemy and cultivation, it still took ten full days to complete the engraving of this first flying sword Spiritual Artifact.


    Engraving on the sword billet could not be rushed; only more brain power could be invested, sharing the workload of engraving.


    After ten days, Li Shiming held a flying sword Spiritual Artifact in his hand; because he personally refined it and integrated his spirit into it during the refining process, the flying sword Spiritual Artifact was in a state of being a hundred percent consecrated by him upon completion.

 Chapter 694: 393: Artifact Refining_2

    Chapter 694: Chapter 393: Artifact Refining_2


    The flying sword he named ¡®Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ shimmered with a strange glow.


    The glow on ¡®Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ came from the Six Trigram Array it emitted, which was composed of talisman runes so tiny they were invisible to the naked eye.


    On the small flying sword, 360,000 Six Trigram Arrays were drawn with lines 10 nanometers thick, each array made up of six different talisman runes with various effects.


    As he held the newly refined flying sword, he suddenly looked up at the sky, for the sword seemed to have invoked the Heaven and Earth Rules¡¯ rejection, and a thundercloud appeared in the sky.


    The emergence of the thundercloud naturally attracted the attention of many cultivators of the Shushan Sect.


    But when they discovered that the thundercloud was over Sword Holding Peak, they lost interest.


    If this thundercloud had appeared elsewhere, it might be that some cultivator was preparing to face the Heavenly Tribulation, but appearing over Sword Holding Peak, it was highly likely one of Li Shiming¡¯s Corpse Refinings was preparing to transcend its tribulation.


    A year ago, Li Shiming had several Corpse Refinings successfully transcend the Heavenly Tribulation in succession, something the sect¡¯s cultivators had not forgotten.


    While they assumed as much, Elder Zuo flew to just outside Sword Holding Peak, quietly floating in the air to watch the thundercloud.


    Elder Su paid special attention to Li Shiming and, despite guessing it was highly probable that it was Li Shiming¡¯s Corpse Refining facing the tribulation, he still came over.


    ¡°I have seen Elder Zuo!¡± Elder Su bent over to salute and greet Elder Zuo.


    ¡°Su, you have taught a good disciple. He has made dazzling achievements in Alchemy, and it seems he is no less extraordinary in Artifact Refining!¡± Elder Zuo, looking at the thundercloud, shook his head and sighed to Elder Su.


    ¡°Ah, is this the Artifact Tribulation?¡± Elder Su¡¯s face registered shock, as he uttered in disbelief.


    No wonder he was surprised¡ªthe Artifact Tribulation was extremely rare.


    It mostly occurred when refining Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures.


    And to refine Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures, one had to be a Nascent Soul Ancestor, because the materials for Fourth-grade Refining required Nascent Fire to melt.


    Not to mention, wielding a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure was impossible without a Nascent Soul.


    Li Shiming was merely at the Golden Core Middle Stage. Elder Su could believe that he was refining an artifact, but not that Li Shiming had crafted a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure.


    After all, no matter how powerful, one at the Golden Core Middle Stage could not melt the materials for Fourth-grade Artifact Refining.


    Even if Li Shiming had Fourth-grade Refining Materials, he should not start refining artifacts at the Golden Core Stage. Furthermore, even if he succeeded, he would have to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage before he could use them.


    ¡°Indeed, it is the Artifact Tribulation, but it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s for a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure!¡± Elder Zuo also appeared puzzled as he shook his head.


    Elder Zuo did not know much about the Artifact Tribulation.


    His Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure was inherited from the sect.


    Although Nascent Soul Ancestors were capable of refining Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures, such materials were too rare, and in general, even if acquired, they would be traded with other Nascent Soul Ancestors for more suitable materials.


    As a result, many Nascent Soul Ancestors from large sects never crafted a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure for themselves in their lifetime, as they would inherit suitable ones from their sects¡¯ legacy.


    Elder Zuo¡¯s understanding of the Artifact Tribulation came from witnessing it years ago when he observed another Nascent Soul fellow transcede their refinement successfully.


    The Artifact Tribulation here at Li Shiming¡¯s location was notably different from that instance.


    The power of this thundercloud was nowhere near that of the previous one; clearly, this was an Artifact Tribulation for a Third-Grade Magical Treasure.


    This was even more rare¡ªa Third-Grade Magical Treasure capable of triggering the Artifact Tribulation indicated that it surpassed what the Heaven and Earth Rules allowed.


    The Heaven and Earth Rules would send down the Heavenly Tribulation, and if the Third-Grade Magical Treasure transcended it, it could become even more formidable, sanctioned by the Heaven and Earth Rules and rewarded.


    With a thunderous ¡°boom¡±, a bolt of Heavenly Thunder struck directly towards the summit of Sword Holding Peak.


    Li Shiming¡¯s ¡°Flowing Light Star Meteor¡± seemed to have a spirit of its own, actively flying towards the Heavenly Thunder.


    The powerful Sword Intent burst forth from the Flowing Light Star Meteor. This was the Thunder Sword Intent that Li Shiming had previously infused into the sword. Unexpectedly, the Flowing Light Star Meteor had preserved it within the sword body to counter the Heavenly Thunder.


    Li Shiming anxiously looked towards the Flowing Light Star Meteor. The flying sword was an artifact he had refined and already recognized as his master. Although it was not his life-bound magical treasure, if the Flowing Light Star Meteor were damaged, he would also suffer a certain degree of spiritual harm.


    Moreover, the Flowing Light Star Meteor had taken him ten days to refine successfully. Just the expenditure of this effort made him unwilling to see the Flowing Light Star Meteor get damaged.


    Heavenly Thunder struck the sword body of the Flowing Light Star Meteor, and the surface of the sword body revealed a dense array of Six Trigram Formations, blocking the bombardment of the Heavenly Thunder.


    Three hundred and sixty thousand sturdy runes made the small sword body unimaginably strong.


    Even faced with the Heavenly Thunder, it protected the sword body from any harm.


    On the contrary, the Storage Spirit Runes took the opportunity to absorb a considerable amount of Heavenly Thunder¡¯s power, storing it within the sword body.


    The Heavenly Tribulation came swiftly and disappeared just as quickly. After a single strike, the thunderclouds dispersed.


    Li Shiming gestured with his hand, and the Flowing Light Star Meteor flew back into his grasp.


    Having undergone the Heavenly Tribulation, the Flowing Light Star Meteor seemed to have undergone some changes, its sword body carrying an even more fierce Sword Intent, imbued with the essence of Heavenly Thunder.


    This new Sword Intent that fused with the Heavenly Thunder and Thunder Sword Intent was incredibly compatible with him because it was derived from his own Sword Intent.


    He extended his finger, lightly touching the sword body. A thread of Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent followed his finger and entered his body.


    His body shuddered slightly, but his face revealed a look of surprise and joy.


    Although he had not yet grasped the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent, he felt a direction. All he needed to do was to continuously comprehend the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent within the Flowing Light Star Meteor, and his Thunder Sword Intent would gradually transform towards the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent.


    All along, his Sword Intent had a significant gap compared to his clone Li Yuanba¡¯s Supreme Yang Sword Intent.


    Especially in terms of the power of Sword Intent, Li Yuanba¡¯s Supreme Yang Sword Intent was several times more brilliant than Li Shiming¡¯s Thunder Sword Intent, even without the enhancement from the Xingyi Sword.


    But as long as Li Shiming comprehended and mastered the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent, he could catch up to his clone Li Yuanba in the aspect of Sword Intent.


    Heavenly Thunder, the manifestation of the Heaven and Earth Rules¡¯ might, descends with different forces according to the different life forms it targets.


    The Heavenly Thunder that Li Shiming comprehended was at the Golden Core Level. Although its power was not very great, Heavenly Thunder is the bane of all life, and any cultivator must make thorough preparations before daring to overcome the Heavenly Tribulation.


    Especially the power of Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent, which would continue to increase as his Sword Intent strengthened.


    Li Shiming was preparing to continue comprehending the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent within the Flowing Light Star Meteor when he noticed Elder Zuo and Elder Su outside the formation of Sword Holding Peak.


    He did not know what had happened that had alarmed Elder Zuo, and he quickly flew out of the formation.


    ¡°You need not perform any formalities, just show me the magical treasure you just refined!¡± Elder Zuo waved his hand to stop Li Shiming¡¯s formalities. His curiosity was piqued, eager to see what kind of third-grade magical treasure could trigger an Artifact Tribulation.


    If it had been any other cultivator making such a request, Li Shiming would certainly not have agreed.


    But facing Elder Zuo, he had no power to object. Besides, a distinguished Nascent Soul Ancestor would not likely wrong him of a third-grade magical treasure.


    What made Li Shiming the least concerned was that he had not planned to refine just one Flowing Light Star Meteor, but ten. Even if Elder Zuo did not return it to him, he still had nine more.


    Elder Zuo took the Flowing Light Star Meteor, and with his Nascent Soul Stage capabilities, he could clearly see the Six Trigram Formation on it, as well as the tiny supplementary runes composing the formation.


    ¡°Although Artifact Refining can produce powerful magical treasures to enhance one¡¯s combat strength, you must not invest too much time in it. This flying sword magical treasure must have taken you a long time to refine, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Elder Zuo asked, shaking his head.


    He knew that Li Shiming had received the inheritance of the ¡°Divine Eye¡± from Qianye Temple. Seeing the dense supplementary runes on the Flowing Light Star Meteor, he assumed that it was an Artifact Refining project that had taken Li Shiming several years to complete.


    He worried that this focus might have been shifted during his time in the mortal world, which could affect Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation journey.

 Chapter 695: 394: Visiting

    Chapter 695: Chapter 394: Visiting


    ¡°Elder Zuo is right, crafting this magical treasure indeed consumed a lot of time!¡± Li Shiming said, bowing respectfully.


    He thought of ten days, but the time he and Elder Zuo perceived had a huge discrepancy.


    Of course, this was understandable. During the refining of the Flowing Light Star Meteor, he had engaged over a hundred brains to work together. If there truly were a cultivator who had mastered the ¡®Divine Eye¡¯ and possessed the same hands-on ability as him, perhaps it indeed would take about a year, as Elder Zuo had estimated.


    ¡°The power of this magical treasure is immense; it seems that in the Golden Core Stage, you possess the power to protect yourself!¡± Elder Zuo, seeing Li Shiming¡¯s demeanor, said with a smile as he handed back the Flowing Light Star Meteor.


    The light in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes flickered. Being told by Elder Zuo that the artifact was immensely powerful indicated that his refining was highly successful.


    He had not yet tested the true power of the Flowing Light Star Meteor. Although his life-bound magical treasure, IBMz15, had some speculations, there were still no actual data to verify it.


    ¡°If I get the chance to obtain materials suitable for crafting treasures, and if your cultivation is sufficient, I¡¯ll come to ask for your help!¡± Elder Zuo continued, much to the astonishment of Elder Su who was standing by.


    Elder Su knew that normally, when a Nascent Soul Ancestor obtained materials suitable for themselves, they would personally refine them.


    Only a Nascent Soul Ancestor could craft magical treasures from Fourth-grade Refining Materials, and no Nascent Soul Ancestor would entrust their treasures to another for crafting.


    Moreover, and most importantly, a magical treasure crafted by a Nascent Soul Ancestor personally had some additional effects in terms of power.


    Elder Zuo saying this indicated that Li Shiming¡¯s skill in refining far exceeded his own.


    ¡°It would be my honor!¡± Li Shiming responded with a smile.


    He also knew that Elder Zuo was just speaking rhetorically. On the surface, to reach the ability to craft Fourth-grade magical treasures, he would need to at least be in the Nascent Soul Stage.


    That was on the surface. In reality, once he or Silver Corpse Nanming¡¯s ¡®Nanming Leaving Fire¡¯ divine skill advanced to a certain level, he would be able to melt Fourth-grade Refining Materials.


    If a Nascent Soul Ancestor was involved, crafting a Fourth-grade magical treasure could indeed be possible.


    But he couldn¡¯t expose too much. In crafting artifacts like the Flowing Light Star Meteor, he used far too many methods that he didn¡¯t want outsiders to know of.


    Elder Zuo nodded, then turned and left.


    ¡°Shiming, I find you more and more incomprehensible!¡± Elder Su finally found an opportunity to speak, expressing his feeling.


    This disciple had been taught very little by him, solely because Li Shiming¡¯s time of initiation was too short compared to other disciples.


    ¡°Master, I just got a bit lucky!¡± Li Shiming replied, touching his head, genuinely unsure of how to explain.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not spread the word about your artifact crafting. Your alchemy is already affecting your cultivation enough. If you add artifact crafting, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have no free time left!¡± Elder Su considered before speaking.


    Anyway, the only ones who truly knew about this were Elder Zuo and himself. Elder Zuo, who doesn¡¯t even meet other cultivators, wouldn¡¯t possibly spread the news.


    It was sufficient to attribute the artifact tribulation to a Silver Corpse undergoing heavenly tribulation, especially since Li Shiming had many Silver Corpses; having an additional one wouldn¡¯t be a big deal.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow Master¡¯s arrangements!¡± Li Shiming would surely not object.


    Returning to Sword Holding Peak, he smiled wryly. It seemed that even if he refined the remaining nine Flowing Light Star Meteors, he could not complete the final steps within the sect.


    Who would have thought that refining a Third-grade magical treasure could lead to an Artifact Tribulation?


    If one Flowing Light Star Meteor caused an Artifact Tribulation, it could be considered luck, but if he continuously provoked ten such tribulations, it might bring him considerable trouble.


    The comment by Elder Zuo, which seemed like a praise but also a jest, might actually become a reality if he continuously provoked Artifact Tribulations.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t stop the production of the nine Flowing Light Star Meteors; he only ensured that none of them were completed, to avoid triggering an Artifact Tribulation.


    In Jieshan City Guardian Mansion in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, his clone, Li Yuanba, had been living quite peacefully over the year.


    The only impact was that, since the original Li Shiming had left the Beishu Continent, his alchemy channels were closed. However, whether it was the Golden Core Elders from Senluo Sect or those from the Righteous Path, they all understood this circumstance and had no complaints.


    Since Li Shiming left, there wasn¡¯t any force on the Beishu Continent that could ask him to perform alchemy.


    The Beishu Trading Company¡¯s request for Li Shiming to refine Third-grade Spirit Pills during the Late-stage Golden Core was kept confidential, and all orders were internally adjusted by the Beishu Trading Company. Li Shiming took orders only once every two months, not enough even for distribution among the internal Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators of the Beishu Trading Company.


    The news that Li Shiming, a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, could refine Third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators had not spread in the Beishu Continent for at least a year.


    Li Yuanba sat in the Cultivation Room, his aura already at the peak of the Golden Core Early Stage, just a step away from breaking through.


    Yet, it was this slight gap that prevented further progress in his cultivation.


    Although he shared the insights from the original Li Shiming for breaking into the Golden Core Middle Stage, their paths in cultivation were different, so those insights were only somewhat helpful and could not play a decisive role.


    The primary Cultivation Technique of the original Li Shiming was the ¡®Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡¯, and he also practiced the ¡®Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Technique¡¯. In contrast, Li Yuanba primarily practiced the ¡®Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯, a purely top Sword Cultivator method.


    Li Yuanba was not in a hurry. Comparing his progress to the original Li Shiming¡¯s wouldn¡¯t be fair. Even if it took him a few more years to break through, he would still be considered one of the youngest at the Golden Core Middle Stage.

 Chapter 696: 394: Visiting_2

    Chapter 696: Chapter 394: Visiting_2


    His mouth expelled the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, which merged into the Sword Peak before him, interacting with the sword intent inside the peak. Each time he retracted the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, he could sense a slight growth in its power.


    Since his cultivation could no longer be enhanced, he spent most of his time refining his sword intent.


    At that moment, a communication spell flew in, and he slowly retracted his sword intent, packing up the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Those who could cast a communication spell to reach this place were his friends; other cultivators, even if they cast communication spells, would be repelled by the formation.


    This was a setup he made to avoid disturbances, given that his location was Jieshan City, a bustling commercial city where various forces often wished to visit him and become part of the trade in Jieshan City.


    ¡°Brother Qi Jin, what brings you here?¡± he opened the communication spell and was surprised to find that it was Brother Qi Jin who had arrived.


    Brother Qi Jin was stationed at the Zheng¡¯an Mountain Range and seldom left, unless he was attending a gathering of their group of Golden Core cultivators; otherwise, he would not leave the mountain range.


    Li Yuanba cast a spell, activated the formation, and went out to meet him.


    ¡°Brother Qi Jin, long time no see!¡± Li Yuanba said with a smile as he bowed.


    ¡°Junior Li, I have come to ask for help!¡± Brother Qi Jin was straightforward, performing a cultivator¡¯s salute before speaking.


    ¡°Come in first, lest Jiang Pu and the others say I don¡¯t know how to entertain guests!¡± Li Yuanba, knowing he came only when in need, gestured for him to enter.


    Once seated in the living room, Li Yuanba poured a cup of Third Grade Spirit Tea for Brother Qi Jin.


    Brother Qi Jin took a sip of the Third Grade Spirit Tea, and his urgent demeanor relaxed slightly.


    ¡°Brother Qi Jin, we have been through life and death together, speak freely, and I will help if I can!¡± Li Yuanba said proactively.


    He did not have many friends within the Senluo Sect, but Brother Qi Jin was one of them.


    ¡°I heard from the Shushan Sect that Master Li has advanced to the Golden Core Middle Stage and can now concoct Third-grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core, but he has stopped taking orders after taking only those from late-stage Golden Core cultivators of the Shushan Sect. I have no other channels, so I had to come to you for help, Junior Li!¡± Brother Qi Jin explained his reason for the visit.


    Li Yuanba was not surprised; Brother Qi Jin had previously used resources to enter the smuggling channels of Jieshan City, particularly benefiting from the Third Grade Spirit Tea processed by Li Shiming, which was indeed of some use to Brother Qi Jin. This was indeed done through Li Yuanba¡¯s special channels.


    Previously, because of Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation level, he could not concoct Third-grade Spirit Pills for late-stage Golden Core cultivators, so the most important task of concocting Third-grade Spirit Pills through the special channel had nothing to do with Brother Qi Jin.


    Upon hearing about Li Shiming¡¯s advancement, how could Brother Qi Jin not hurry to seek him out?


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around first; there should be no problem!¡± Li Yuanba assured him with a smile.


    When Brother Qi Jin heard Li Yuanba¡¯s assurance, a huge weight was lifted from his heart.


    ¡°Here is the Spiritual Medicine I¡¯ve prepared, and this is my proposed compensation. Take a look and see if it¡¯s satisfactory. If not, I¡¯ll find another way!¡± He immediately took out two storage bags and placed them in front of Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba swept his Divine Thought over the two storage bags and was surprised to find that the storage bag containing Spiritual Medicine not only held an elixir recipe for a Third Grade practice-aid Spirit Pill made with Demon Core and Third Grade Spiritual Medicine but also contained five sets of herbs and another elixir recipe for healing wounds with one set of Spiritual Medicine¨Ca Third-grade Healing Spirit Pill for late-stage Golden Core cultivators.


    The five sets of herbs indicated that Brother Qi Jin was well-prepared; with Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills, he could obtain ten Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills, enough to boost his cultivation level once more.


    Advancing during the late-stage Golden Core was extremely difficult.


    What particularly surprised Li Yuanba was the Third-grade Healing Spirit Pill; such high-level Third-grade Healing Spirit Pills would not be sought by late-stage Golden Core cultivators unless they were severely injured and urgently needed such healing pills. Otherwise, no late-stage Golden Core cultivator would want to waste so many resources in this area.


    For late-stage Golden Core cultivators on the Beishu Continent, it was extremely rare for anything to injure them significantly; usually, stocking up on Third-grade Healing Spirit Pills was a huge waste and not as beneficial as using resources to enhance their strength.


    ¡°Is this healing spirit pill for your use?¡± Li Yuanba asked after some thought.


    Brother Qi Jin was last injured, and though the severe poison had been resolved, had his injuries worsened unexpectedly?


    Li Yuanba, only at the Golden Core Early Stage, could not discern the injuries inside Brother Qi Jin even with the ¡°Divine Sight.¡±


    ¡°Although the poison from the last injury was resolved, the injuries are extremely stubborn; this has severely impacted my cultivation, and I need to completely resolve these injuries!¡± Brother Qi Jin explained helplessly.


    ¡°I will ask Master Li to act as soon as possible!¡± Li Yuanba took two storage bags, reaffirming his promise.


    This time, he directly agreed to the alchemy matter on behalf of Li Shiming, but Brother Qi Jin showed no surprise.


    Li Yuanba had a personal relationship with Alchemy Master Li Shiming, and their friendship was exceptionally close, which was no secret within their small circle.


    The ability to jump the queue, have Master Li perform alchemy, and even obtain the Third Grade Spirit Tea that even Nascent Soul Ancestors coveted¡ªthese circumstances subtly indicated the unusual relationship between Li Yuanba and Master Li.


    However, whether it was Brother Qi Jin or the other Golden Core Elders, they never leaked this matter.


    They all understood that once this information spread, the advantage within their small circle would be lost.


    The higher-status elders in the sect would have Li Yuanba ask Master Li to perform alchemy for them.


    As Master Li¡¯s time was limited, and Li Yuanba¡¯s relationship with Master Li could not be exploited indefinitely, the small circle would no longer be able to operate as it currently did, only moving forward once they accumulated sufficient resources to engage Master Li¡¯s alchemy services through Li Yuanba¡¯s special channel.


    Li Yuanba also knew this; he was currently enjoying the benefits of this relationship. He was looked after by the Golden Core Elder of Jieshan Mountain Pass and hardly bothered by trivial matters, allowing him to focus on his cultivation undisturbed.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Brother Qi Jin said solemnly.


    Just then, another communication technique flew in.


    ¡°Just as we mentioned Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang has arrived!¡± Li Shiming summoned the communication technique and cheerfully said to Brother Qi Jin after checking it.


    He opened the Formation; Jiang Pu was very familiar with the place and came directly inside without needing guidance.


    ¡°Junior Li, is it true that Master Li is no longer taking orders for Third Grade Spirit Pills for Middle Stage Golden Core?¡± Jiang Pu¡¯s voice could be heard even before he stepped into the living room.


    ¡°Oh, Brother Qi Jin is also here; Brother, you are indeed lucky. Master Li can concoct Third Grade Spirit Pills for Late-stage Golden Core!¡± he said as he entered the living room, his eyes flashing with envy.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, it used to be me who envied you all!¡± Brother Qi Jin replied irritably.


    Indeed, since joining their small circle, Brother Qi Jin, who could only trade in Third Grade Spirit Tea, had long envied the other Golden Core Elders who could ask Master Li to concoct Third Grade Spirit Pills.


    ¡°Junior Li, give me a straight answer, can we still ask Master Li to perform alchemy?¡± Jiang Pu turned to Li Yuanba and asked.


    ¡°The rule remains the same, but the news cannot be leaked, otherwise I can¡¯t guarantee the existence of this channel!¡± Li Shiming replied smilingly.


    ¡°I knew Junior Li would have a way! Now they can rest assured!¡± hearing Li Shiming¡¯s answer, Jiang Pu¡¯s face brightened with a smile, and he laughed loudly.


    The recent news had left them uneasy, and they could no longer focus solely on their cultivation.


    Because of the special channel through Li Yuanba, their cultivation levels could improve rapidly, increasing their chances of advancing to the Late-stage Golden Core.


    But if the alchemy channel were cut off at this time, their hopes would be shattered, a fate even worse than having no hope at all. To be given hope and then have it extinguished was the cruelest.

 Chapter 697 - 395: Surprise Attack

    Chapter 697: Chapter 395: Surprise Attack


    Jiang Pu had left first, he needed to inform the other Golden Core Elders.


    "Junior Li, seeing you¡¯ve reached the peak of the Early Stage Golden Core, are you looking for an opportunity to break through?" Brother Qi Jin looked at Li Yuanba and hesitated before speaking out.


    He didn¡¯t know how to repay Li Yuanba, so he started from another angle.


    Seeing that Li Yuanba had reached the peak of the Early Stage Golden Core, he still had some insights on breakthroughs.


    "Yes, I¡¯ve been stuck at the peak of the Early Stage Golden Core for seven months now!" Li Yuanba shook his head helplessly in response.


    Although he wasn¡¯t particularly anxious, his original body had already advanced to the Middle Stage Golden Core, and if he continued to delay, he feared that the gap between his avatar and his original body¡¯s realm would widen.


    His combat power was already far behind that of his original body, and if the realm fell behind further, the use of the avatar would become increasingly marginal.


    "Junior brother, you are a Sword Cultivator, and when reaching a bottleneck, what you need to do is battle, not meditate in seclusion!" Brother Qi Jin reminded him with a smile.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes lit up, he had almost forgotten the true nature of Sword Cultivators. Sword Cultivators are combative, and their reputation for being first in offense certainly wasn¡¯t built through cultivation alone.


    He was truly blinded by his involvement. Mainly because his master, Elder Jian, was in seclusion, without his master¡¯s guidance, he took a wrong turn.


    "But where can I find the right opponent?" Li Yuanba started to feel a headache coming on.


    Battles naturally require fighting enemies with comparable combat strength to be meaningful. If the enemies could be easily dispatched, it wouldn¡¯t have any sharpening effect at all.


    Brother Qi Jin heard his question and also scratched his head, equally unable to find a good solution.


    It¡¯s not that enemies at the peak of the Early Stage Golden Core were hard to find. As for Li Yuanba¡¯s true combat power, Brother Qi Jin knew it well; Li Yuanba simply couldn¡¯t be regarded as a typical Early Stage Golden Core peak cultivator.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Body Refinement strength was only a hair¡¯s breadth away from the Great Elder Level, only opponents close to the peak of the Late-stage Golden Core could match him.


    But in any power structure, such strengthened Golden Core cultivators were dignified in status and would not readily act.


    "Junior brother, I will ask friends from the sect to keep an eye on this matter, and I will notify you immediately once there is news!" Brother Qi Jin finally said.


    He owed Li Yuanba a rather large favor. This time he was ready to use some connections to try and find suitable opponents for Li Yuanba.


    After Brother Qi Jin left, Li Yuanba made a trip to Jieshan Mountain Pass and personally delivered a storage bag to Li Shiming¡¯s Silver Corpse within the territory of the Righteous Path forces.


    The materials this time were somewhat precious, and they were also related to Brother Qi Jin¡¯s injuries.


    Speaking of Li Shiming¡¯s Silver Corpse, it was quite a tale at the Shushan Sect.


    Li Shiming had applied for an entry certificate for his Silver Corpse from the sect, and the sect had surprisingly agreed.


    An unusual event occurred in the Shushan Sect, a Silver Corpse moving freely in and out of the Righteous Path¡¯s Shushan Sect, receiving guests at Sword Holding Peak, and handling Spiritual Medicine with the Beishu Trading Company.


    However, there was no objection from the cultivators of the Shushan Sect to this matter, as they agreed to make an exception for Li Shiming.


    Three days after Li Yuanba returned to Jieshan City, his Identity Jade Disc received an urgent message.


    He took out the Identity Jade Disc and discovered that it was an alert from Jieshan Mountain Pass, with cultivators attempting to break through the Jieshan Formation.


    Without any hesitation, he turned into a beam of sword light and headed towards the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    The relationship between Jieshan City and Jieshan Mountain Pass was one of mutual help, especially as in recent years, all miscellaneous tasks had been taken over by the Mountain Pass, allowing the Guardian Cultivator of Jieshan City, Li Yuanba, to be completely free.


    If there hadn¡¯t been a major issue, Jieshan Mountain Pass would not have issued an alert.


    As he flew, he contacted his original body, Li Shiming, and used the unmanned satellite system to check the situation at Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    His first priority was to confirm that no Nascent Soul Ancestor had appeared there.


    Of course, he had already set up multiple safeguards against the possibility of a Nascent Soul Ancestor breaking through Jieshan Mountain Pass and launching an attack on Jieshan City.


    Contacting the unmanned satellite system was also to doubly confirm, since he was truly scared by the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Upon reviewing the situation at Jieshan Mountain Pass through the unmanned satellite system, he couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply.


    In the buffer zone near the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass Formation, six teams were assaulting the Jieshan Formation, each team consisting of more than six cultivators.


    Only Golden Core cultivators would dare to do such a thing,


    Li Yuanba had been at Jieshan Mountain Pass for a long time, yet this was the first time he had seen so many Golden Core cultivators acting together to breach the defenses.


    "Brother Jiang, what has happened?" he connected his Divine Thought with the Identity Jade Disc and sent a message to Jiang Pu.


    "Junior Li, come help quickly! I¡¯m not sure of the specifics, but these Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators have gone mad, all Mid Late Stage Golden Core cultivators attacking the formation, and it looks like it can¡¯t hold much longer!" Jiang Pu¡¯s voice sounded urgent.


    Li Yuanba knew the Jieshan Formation at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, although it could block Golden Core cultivators, was not impenetrable.


    If there were enough Golden Core cultivators, they could break through the formation.


    The purpose of the formation was to detect and alert against enemies; it could block a few enemies for a while, but with a larger number, it would only hold out for a time while waiting for support from the sect.


    "I¡¯m almost there!" Li Yuanba answered solemnly.


    Unable to use "Step by Step Lotus," he could only use Sword Escape, which was already the fastest speed he could openly use.


    He also understood the Righteous Path Golden Core cultivators definitely had a plan, attacking from six directions simultaneously; even if he were to block one team, the other teams would still have time to break through the formation.

 Chapter 698 - 395: Sudden Attack_2

    Chapter 698: Chapter 395: Sudden Attack_2


    "When will the sect¡¯s support arrive?" Li Yuanba asked Jiang Pu through the Identity Jade Disc once again.


    "The sect is currently gathering the Golden Core Elders, you should be able to find the annihilation task very soon!" Jiang Pu replied quickly.


    At this moment, Li Yuanba had arrived at the Jieshan Mountain Pass. He didn¡¯t bother with the attacks further away from the mountain pass; even if those attacks managed to break through the formation, they wouldn¡¯t affect the three Golden Core Elders inside the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    However, the team directly attacking the Jieshan Mountain Pass was different. Once they broke through the formation, the three Golden Core Elders would become the primary targets.


    Since they were taking such a great risk to attack the Jieshan Mountain Pass, these righteous path Golden Core cultivators definitely didn¡¯t mind killing off the three Golden Core Elders in the process.


    At the very least, killing the three Golden Core Elders would slow down the recovery time of the Jieshan Mountain Pass, ensuring a smoother retreat from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    The frontal attack on the Jieshan Mountain Pass was led by a team of seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators, whose combat power was extremely formidable. The formation at the Jieshan Mountain Pass was the strongest in terms of defensive power, but by the time Li Yuanba arrived, the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators had already broken it.


    Jieshan City, where Li Yuanba was, was not far away from the Jieshan Mountain Pass. He didn¡¯t take long to get there using Sword Escape, but he was still one step too late.


    He first glanced over and did not recognize any familiar faces among the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators, which meant they were not from any of the three major righteous path sects.


    The reason he was so certain was that if the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators were indeed cultivators from a major righteous path sect, it would be impossible for Li Shiming, with his social circle and the memory of his natal Treasure, IBM z15, not to recognize any of them.


    Firstly, none of the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators were monks, which ruled out Qianye Temple. It was even less likely that Li Shiming would not recognize a cultivator from the Shushan Sect.


    Although he was not very familiar with the Thousand Illusion Sect, he would still be able to identify them.


    Secondly, he found two different markers on the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators, which should belong to two different sects.


    Since he didn¡¯t recognize them, he did not plan to hold back.


    "Kill them all!" the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator leading the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators commanded loudly.


    They were the main force of this attack, aimed at completely sweeping through the Jieshan Mountain Pass and destroying the foundation of the formation.


    That way, at least for a short time, the Senluo Sect would be unable to restore the formation¡¯s defenses, giving their cultivators who entered the Ten Thousand Great Mountains a chance to return.


    The aura of the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators soared as they first encountered a transport convoy that was passing through the checkpoint.


    Several treasures flew out towards the convoy. The strongest among the convoy was only an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and the rest even included some mortals, who could not withstand an attack from seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators.


    The entire convoy was instantly shattered into pieces. Whether cultivator or mortal, all were turned into a mist of blood under such power.


    Their attack did not significantly slow their speed, as their target was the core location of the Jieshan Mountain Pass, where Jiang Pu, Meng Sheng, and Shi Can, three Golden Core Middle Stage Elders, were grimly defending the core formation.


    However, the formation here was incapable of stopping them; it could be broken by just a few strikes from a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    Just as the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators approached the core of the Jieshan Mountain Pass, a loud shout came from the sky.


    "Suppress!" A tiny Ten Thousand Sword Peak flew out of Li Yuanba¡¯s hand and landed above the heads of the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators.


    The Ten Thousand Sword Peak returned to its giant mountain size, with the terrifying force of gravity and the Sword Intent of ten thousand swords buried within, all aiming at the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators.


    Li Yuanba was extremely proficient in how to use the Ten Thousand Sword Peak in battle, and he dove directly into the coverage area of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak.


    Instead of using the Xingyi Sword, he used the Third Grade Sword Base, utilizing his strong Body Refinement strength to fight in close combat.


    "Slash, slash, slash!" Amid his successive shouts, three Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators were slain by him.


    At this moment, Ten Thousand Sword Peak could no longer hold out, quickly shrinking and transforming back into a small mountain.


    The strength of the enemies simultaneously suppressed by Ten Thousand Sword Peak had been too great, and it broke free in just a moment¡¯s time.


    Even with Li Yuanba¡¯s swift action, he only managed to slay three Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators.


    He summoned back the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure with his Divine Thought, and the Xingyi Sword flew out from within his body, shooting towards the strongest Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    There were still two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators and two Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators left, all of whom were cultivators with rich combat experience.


    Having escaped the suppression of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, they launched an attack on Li Yuanba simultaneously. Four treasures, carrying terrifying might and because of the close distance between the two parties, made it seem like Li Yuanba had no way to escape or dodge.


    The Xingyi Sword blocked the treasure of the strongest Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, while his Third Grade Sword Base blocked another treasure from a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    As for the treasures of the two Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators, he smashed one away with a punch and kicked the other flying.


    "A Body Refining Golden Core!" the leading Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator exclaimed in surprise.


    What shocked him even more was that this Body Refining Golden Core was also a Sword Cultivator. The Supreme Yang Sword Intent emanating from the Xingyi Sword affected the spirit markings within his own treasure.


    It was only because his cultivation level was far superior to Li Yuanba¡¯s that his treasure had not been damaged. Otherwise, if it had been the treasure of a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator, it would likely have been damaged by that sword strike.


    While he was thinking, the speed of the Xingyi Sword suddenly increased several times, repeatedly striking his treasure and causing it to emit a mournful cry.


    He hastily retrieved this treasure and replaced it with another one to defend against the attacks.


    Li Yuanba felt completely invigorated. Although he wasn¡¯t fully employing the fighting methods of a Sword Cultivator, his enthusiasm for battle wasn¡¯t affected in the slightest.


    Since he was already very close to the four Golden Core Cultivators, after the Ten Thousand Sword Peak was broken, they chose to attack instead of creating distance, which was precisely what Li Yuanba preferred.


    After flinging aside the treasures of three Golden Core Cultivators, with a simple sidestep, he closed in on a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator.


    His Third Grade Sword Base pierced the opponent at an odd angle, and without halting his motion as he thrust the sword, the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator was breathless by the time he withdrew his Third Grade Sword Base alongside his movement.


    To him, a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator was no more than an existence that could be extinguished with a single sword strike.


    At that moment, the remaining Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator realized that one should not engage in close combat with such an enemy.


    His figure flew backward, but how could his speed compare to Li Yuanba¡¯s? Li Yuanba, transformed into a streak of sword light, flashed by him, and the cultivator fell from the sky.


    While it may sound complicated, the actual contact between Li Yuanba and the seven Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators did not last beyond three breaths, leaving only two Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators standing, while the other five Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators were all annihilated.


    At this time, seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s display of strength astonished the two remaining Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    Especially the strongest among the Late-stage Golden Core ones, entangled by the Xingyi Sword, was overwhelmed by the terrifying Supreme Yang Sword Intent combined with the Xingyi Sword, his personal treasure.


    He felt that even if Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t used his Body Refining abilities, just the Xingyi Sword alone could have restrained him.


    Li Yuanba diverted some of his focus to operate the Xingyi Sword while closing in on the other Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    Jiang Pu and the other two Golden Core Elders were also charging out from the formation. They could not let Li Yuanba fight alone, but halfway through their charge, they stopped dead in their tracks.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s combat strength clearly exceeded their expectations. When did slaying Gold Core Middle and Late Stage Cultivators become as easy as killing chickens?

 Chapter 699 - 396: Solution

    Chapter 699: Chapter 396: Solution


    Li Yuanba used the short-distance sprint secret technique "Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique," and his speed was noticeably faster than the nearby Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    The main reason was that the strength of this Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator was lacking; although he was at the realm of the Late-stage Golden Core, his combat power was far below that of Qi Jin, whom he knew.


    The Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator kept retreating, throwing out talismans one after another, which formed various defensive and offensive spells in front of him.


    Li Yuanba disregarded these spells, whether they were offensive or defensive, he broke through them with a casual stroke of his sword.


    Unless it was an attack at the Great Elder Level, nothing could breach his Body Refinement defense, and his Body Refinement attack, combined with the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, still predominantly embraced the Sword Cultivator¡¯s style in combat.


    When he engaged in close combat, he used a rather unique close-combat Sword Cultivation style.


    He was still using the "Sword Demon Secret Manual," a Sword Cultivation close combat technique, and its power was immensely formidable when combined with his Body Refinement strength in real combat.


    Flames and frost exploded before him, and he moved through the bursts of spells.


    His "Divine Vision" allowed him to clearly see the horror and despair in the eyes of the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, who had never expected that his strongest secret, accumulated over many years and totaling ten Late-stage Golden Core Magic Talismans, would be utterly ineffective.


    Even the impact on Li Yuanba¡¯s speed was minimal, which was beyond his comprehension and left him unable to understand.


    Breaking through spells was not easy; the power of a Late-stage Golden Core spell was immense, and using talismans to cast them required even a Great Elder to be cautious in response.


    What the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator did not know was that, under the observation of Li Yuanba¡¯s "Divine Vision," every talisman¡¯s energy node was detected by him the instant it activated.


    Although "Divine Vision" was reputed to be the least useful in combat compared to other Divine Skills, it still had some utility during fights.


    The energy nodes of an activating talisman, while typically beyond the influence of any cultivator, even those possessing a divine skill like "Divine Vision," were different for Li Yuanba.


    However, Li Yuanba was a Sword Cultivator; his Third Grade Sword Base accurately destroyed the energy nodes of each talisman at the moment of activation. His Supreme Yang Sword Intent penetrated into the spell¡¯s energy nodes and disrupted the internal energy balance of the spells.


    That is the nature of Sword Cultivators¡ªto break all spells with a single sword strike. Even though Li Yuanba was using a close-combat style, he remained a Sword Cultivator.


    In the eyes of the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, Li Yuanba seemed like an ancient demon, and the explosions caused by the ten talismans appeared to enhance Li Yuanba¡¯s attack with spectacular effects.


    Under the despairing gaze of the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, Li Yuanba closed the distance, and his Third Grade Sword Base, with unmatched force, sliced through the defensive artifact and broke through his defensive Spiritual Power.


    With a scream, the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator lost his life.


    Only then did Jiang Pu and the others catch up, but their help was not needed in the fight anymore.


    On the battlefield, there was only one other Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator left, constantly on the defensive against attacks, negating the need for their intervention.


    Li Yuanba sheathed his Third Grade Sword Base, focusing his mind entirely on controlling the Xingyi Sword.


    The speed of the Xingyi Sword suddenly increased, causing the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator to fail in his parry, and under full control of the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique," all aspects of the Xingyi Sword¡¯s power were significantly enhanced.


    The Xingyi Sword bizarrely cut through the body of the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, and his Supreme Yang Sword Intent continually dissipated his defensive Spiritual Power.


    Truthfully, the Xingyi Sword combined with the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" and Supreme Yang Sword Intent was not as powerful as Li Yuanba¡¯s Body Refinement prowess under the current circumstances.


    But combat power isn¡¯t considered that way; Li Yuanba¡¯s Body Refinement power was built with Fourth Grade Body Refining resources and by using the Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s cultivation resources on himself at the Golden Core Early Stage Peak.


    The "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" was his foundation; merely relying on that single flying sword, he could suppress a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator at the Golden Core Early Stage Peak, which truly illustrated the terrifying aspect of a Sword Cultivator.


    The Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator did not last long; it was merely a Five Breath Time before his defense was breached, and the Xingyi Sword ended his life.


    "It¡¯s the Spiritual Crane Sect, Endless Sect cultivators; why are they so crazed?" Jiang Pu stepped forward to examine the body and said to Li Yuanba in a grave voice.


    Jiang Pu pointed to the marks on the corpse¡¯s robe, which represented the two sects.


    Li Yuanba thought for a moment; these were two mid-sized sects, neither of which he nor his true self, Li Shiming, had any contact with.


    On the Beishu Continent, six major sects and various large forces are considered a tier on their own while the rest of the mid and small sects and forces are another tier, just slightly above Loose Cultivators, but far from significant enough for the major forces to take notice of.


    Because mid and small sects lacked Nascent Soul Ancestors, no matter how much they struggled, a single Nascent Soul Ancestor could easily annihilate them.


    Additionally, due to a disadvantage in resource distribution, it was very hard for any top-tier cultivators to emerge from these mid and small sects.


    Just like the seven Golden Core cultivators Li Yuanba faced; if they were Golden Core cultivators from the middle and late stages from the six major sects, the fight would not have been so easy.


    Whether it¡¯s in terms of resources or Cultivation Techniques and Secret Techniques, the Spiritual Crane Sect and Endless Sect were a level below the six major sects, and this was also reflected in the combat power of their sect cultivators.

 Chapter 700 - 396: Solution_2

    Chapter 700: Chapter 396: Solution_2


    "Ask Mr. Ying about it, there should be an explanation from the Righteous Path regarding this incident!" Li Yuanba pondered and said.


    Although he had a cooperative relationship with the Golden Core stationed by Ying Hou and they got along well, the lack of communication from Ying Hou¡¯s side regarding such a significant incident was rather suspicious.


    Jiang Pu made contact with Ying Hou and exchanged some information.


    Li Shiming, on the other hand, collected all the corpses and spoils of war without any hesitation.


    All the enemies were killed by him, so naturally, the spoils belonged to him. None of the other Cultivators had any objections.


    His Divine Thought entered the space objects of these Golden Core Cultivators and discovered that these cultivators were probably prepared to sacrifice themselves. Besides the very few Spiritual Objects reserved for battle, there was nothing else inside.


    This also indicated that the attack was deliberate and planned.


    However, initiating such a massive disturbance just to enter the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was bound to provoke retaliation from the Senluo Sect. It seemed pointless no matter how he looked at it.


    But on second thought, if Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t joined this team of seven, they would likely have been able to damage the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    It would take the Senluo Sect at least several months to repair the Formation at the Jieshan Mountain Pass. During that time, the Formation at the pass would be virtually undefended, and no amount of sect cultivators could guard such an extensive boundary.


    "Mr. Ying said that all the Golden Core Cultivators passed through the checkpoint in batches under the guise of business activities!" Jiang Pu told Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba was aware that the checkpoints controlled by the Righteous Path were not strictly managed for Daoist cultivators; after all, without the proper procedures, they couldn¡¯t pass through the strictly managed Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    On the contrary, the scrutiny was stringent for cultivators going from the Jieshan Mountain Pass of the Senluo Sect to prevent Devil Cultivators from smuggling through.


    "Brother Jiang, didn¡¯t I hear that there is hidden power at the checkpoint?" Li Yuanba asked, curious about something he had thought of.


    Under normal circumstances, he would not have inquired into such secrets.


    But given today¡¯s situation, he had not seen the hidden forces at the checkpoint.


    He estimated that there should be at least one Late-stage Golden Core strength hidden at the Jieshan Mountain Pass or even a Great Elder.


    Such a senior member from a major sect like the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator could certainly withstand the earlier attack from seven Middle and Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators for a considerable time, waiting for reinforcements from the sect.


    "Originally, there was a Late-stage Golden Core brother whose lifespan was nearing its end, but considering you were nearby, the sect decided to let that elder brother return to the sect to retire," Jiang Pu replied somewhat sheepishly.


    Li Yuanba was momentarily stunned, realizing that he had unexpectedly become the major figure at the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    He couldn¡¯t blame the sect, as controlling such a massive and complicated region like the Ten Thousand Great Mountains always resulted in a shortage of powerful forces.


    Once the sect realized that Li Yuanba¡¯s strength was comparable to that of a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, it naturally reallocated the excess combat power.


    "The sect has issued a mission, and many Golden Core Cultivators are on their way here!" Meng Sheng reminded as he observed the Identity Jade Disc.


    Li Yuanba took out his Identity Jade Disc, and indeed, among the sect missions, there was now one that involved hunting down Golden Core Cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect who had invaded the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    Following the Senluo Sect¡¯s usual procedures, most likely within three days, they could hunt down the invading cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect, leaving them no escape to heaven and no door to the earth.


    Li Yuanba merely glanced at the mission and had no intention of taking it.


    The rewards offered by the mission held no appeal for him, and he was too lazy to compete with other cultivators.


    "Since there¡¯s nothing more here, I¡¯m returning to Jieshan City!" he said, ready to leave after the matters at the checkpoint were concluded.


    "Thank you, Junior Li, for your assistance. We will report this to the sect!" Jiang Pu and the other two Golden Core Elders bowed in gratitude.


    Had it not been for Li Yuanba¡¯s timely arrival to help, their fate would have been uncertain.


    Li Yuanba returned to Jieshan City, where he connected to the drone satellite system and monitored the invading Golden Core cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect.


    He was curious, why so many Golden Core cultivators forced their way through the pass in such a manner, what could be so urgent.


    It should be known that if smuggling were to take place, as long as a price can be set, passing one or two Golden Core cultivators at a time would not be a big problem.


    Of course, the checkpoints on both sides would not allow too many smuggling Golden Core cultivators to pass through too often, which is probably why the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect had to force their way; otherwise, it would be difficult to allow so many Golden Core cultivators to enter the Ten Thousand Great Mountains simultaneously.


    The consequences of doing so are very severe, primarily, the mountain gates of the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect would definitely be lost.


    Even though the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect are situated within the territories of the Righteous Path, it wouldn¡¯t stop retaliation from the Senluo Sect.


    The Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect deliberately provoked the Senluo Sect, giving the Senluo Sect a reason to retaliate. This kind of provocation by medium and small forces against the six major sects is universally met by the six sects with a non-interference stance on revenge.


    Otherwise, how could the authority of the six major sects be established, and their interests maintained?


    The actions of the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect suggest only one possibility, that they have discovered interests in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains far more precious than their own sect bases, interests so significant they would undertake such extreme actions.


    Now, more than thirty Golden Core cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect have entered the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, divided into five teams.


    Their movements are all being monitored by the drone satellite system, with each team operating independently, yet according to the direction of their movements, they are all heading to the Nanyuan Mountain Range.


    The Nanyuan Mountain Range, that area is under the control of spirit beasts.


    Cultivators from the Senluo Sect rarely enter - once they do, they might be attacked by spirit beasts.


    There are many Great Demons there, especially in the core area of the Nanyuan Mountain Range, where the number of Great Demons is even more numerous.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes flickered, perhaps the target of the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect lies somewhere in the Nanyuan Mountain Range, a treasure so enticing that both sects even risk their foundations being destroyed.


    This greatly intrigued him, for if his assumptions were true, then perhaps this treasure could be immensely beneficial to him and his original self as well.


    Now that he was aware, he could not let this opportunity slip by - those who don¡¯t seize the gifts of heaven will be condemned.


    He needed to leave Jieshan City, and under these circumstances, he needed to leave forces to protect Jieshan City.


    He summoned Jiang Chen, whose combat abilities could handle Golden Core Early Stage cultivators without a problem, and in a dangerous situation, Jiang Chen could also notify him.


    Of course, Jiang Chen was just a precaution; with the drone satellite system¡¯s monitoring, should any cultivator attempt to harm Jieshan City, he would detect it beforehand.


    This time, he didn¡¯t tell anyone and quietly left Jieshan City.


    Once he left Jieshan City, he used "Step by Step Lotus" and headed towards the Nanyuan Mountain Range.


    Based on feedback from the drone satellite system while on the road, there were more than a hundred Golden Core cultivators from the Senluo Sect heading towards the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    It seems that the sect was extremely irritated by this provocation, ready to ensure that none of the invading Golden Core cultivators survived.


    However, in Li Yuanba¡¯s view, the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect¡¯s invading Golden Core cultivators had a clear target and a well-prepared plan; upon entering the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, they continually used various methods to set up many misleading tracking techniques.


    If it weren¡¯t for his monitoring from the space-based drone satellite system, even he might have been misled by these Golden Core cultivators.


    Through his continuous monitoring over this period, he has become more and more convinced that the target of the Spiritual Crane Sect and Endless Sect¡¯s invading Golden Core cultivators is indeed the Nanyuan Mountain Range.


    Due to his incredible speed, he stopped outside the Nanyuan Mountain Range and used a Fourth-grade Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate to set up a Fourth-grade Array, concealing himself.


    He did not know the actual target of the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect, so he needed their Golden Core cultivators to lead the way.


    Furthermore, considering the danger level of the Nanyuan Mountain Range, it was best to let the Golden Core cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and Endless Sect attract the attention of the spirit beasts, allowing him to act covertly with greater ease.

 Chapter 701 - 397 Tracking

    Chapter 701: Chapter 397 Tracking


    Li Yuanba glanced at the latest group of Golden Core cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect, noting that it would still take several hours for them to arrive.


    Night slowly fell, but fortunately, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) satellite system had undergone several upgrades. With the switching between various modes, they wouldn¡¯t lose track of those Golden Core cultivator groups.


    He took a deep breath, and with a slight stirring of his mind, his body began to transform, his aura undergoing an extreme shift as well.


    His body grew taller, reaching a full four meters, and his aura changed from Supreme Yang to Supreme Yin.


    It seemed that due to the naturally strong constitution of a Corpse Refining body, his strength in the Body Refinement regards while in a Corpse Refining state even surpassed that of his human form.


    In his human form, he was just one step away from Great Elder-level Body Refinement. In his Corpse Refining state, he was only a tiny bit short, feeling as if he could touch that level at any moment.


    Yet that tiny bit had still thwarted him for several months.


    He sighed helplessly, the sound of his sighing in the Corpse Refining state making the darkness around him even colder.


    The reason he switched to a Corpse Refining state was to disguise his identity.


    He didn¡¯t know how precious the Spiritual Objects intended for the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect were. If those Spiritual Objects were indeed precious to a certain extent, even if he managed to obtain them, but the news leaked that he had acquired the treasures, then he would be in some serious trouble.


    Without significant interests involved, because of Elder Jian and Ancestor Lu¡¯s relationship, the cultivators from the Senluo Sect would be friendly to him.


    But in situations involving significant interests, the cultivators of Senluo Sect would not be so easy to talk with, after all, the Senluo Sect is a Demon Sect with a large number of Devil Cultivators.


    Li Yuanba had indeed demonstrated extremely strong powers, but the deep reserves of a large sect like the Senluo Sect would not be lacking in top-tier Golden Core Stage combat power.


    Running the Secret Technique of the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record," the silver glow on his body receded into him, and he now appeared as just the most ordinary low-level Corpse Refining entity, without the ostentation of before.


    He put away the Sumeru Mustard Seed Array Plate, and in the darkness, his four-meter-tall body perfectly blended into the gloom.


    His Corpse Refining state was very special, almost like those rarely seen Corpse Refiners capable of practicing a Cultivation Method, each with the potential of a Corpse King.


    Yet even the most spiritually aware Corpse King was no match for Li Yuanba, who possessed real human wisdom, and like "Divine Eye Skill," "Telepathy," and "Divine Foot Skill," he could use all of them in his Corpse Refining state, so his combat strength didn¡¯t diminish.


    Although he could not use the Xingyi Sword or the Third Grade Sword Base in his Corpse Refining state, his hands transformed into claws. The sharp claws could completely compare with magical treasures, and with his strength nearly at Great Elder-level Body Refinement, his claws could easily penetrate the defenses of a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    "When will the third and fourth squads arrive?" Elder Jing Geng asked in a stern voice.


    Nearly twenty Golden Core cultivators were gathered around him. The collective power of so many Golden Core cultivators was formidable, but there wasn¡¯t the slightest smile on his face.


    Not long ago, intelligence from a covert line of the sect reported the total annihilation of the second squad; not one survived.


    Most importantly, the planned sabotage of the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass had not been successful.


    This made their retreat from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains extremely troublesome. Their surprise attack had been successful because it was unexpected.


    The Senluo Sect, being a large sect, had definitely not anticipated that medium-sized sects like the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect would marshal their full strength to attack the Jieshan Mountain Pass, hence the success of this raid.


    Elder Jing Geng had considered the Senluo Sect¡¯s potential retribution afterward, but in his view, everything was worth it.


    No one knew that the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect, these two medium-sized sects, were actually one entity. The apparent friction and opposition between the two sects had led the three Great Righteous Path sects to relax their supervision.


    The reality was the same for all six great sects; none would allow the power within their domain to rise too much.


    Oppression and limiting resources were common tactics used by the six great sects.


    Throughout history, many sects on the Beishu Continent had attempted to overthrow the pressure of the six great sects, but ultimately, those sects all became dust of history.


    After many years of accumulation, the number of Golden Core cultivators within the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect had surpassed the limit allowed by the large sects. If they were not existing as two opposing sects, perhaps one of the large sects would have already taken action to suppress them.


    After this incident, neither the Spiritual Crane Sect nor the Endless Sect would exist anymore, and the sect bases they had operated for countless years would be destroyed.


    But this was a rare opportunity. For his own interests as well as those of the disciples in both sects, Elder Jing Geng was willing to take the risk.


    "Great Elder, the third and fourth squads will arrive in thirty minutes!" a Golden Core cultivator who had contacted the incoming squads said.


    "The second squad has failed, and the cultivators from Senluo Sect who are tracking us will be here soon. The measures we set up along the way won¡¯t deceive them for much longer. Tell the third and fourth squads to speed up!" Elder Jing Geng ordered with a frown.


    The second squad was the one mainly attacking the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass¡ªcomposed of elites from both sects, their strength ranking second among the six squads.


    Despite having laid misleading measures en route to the Nanyuan Mountain Range, with the Senluo Sect¡¯s fiendish methods being numerous and strange, once the deception was uncovered, using the same tricks to mislead them again would be impossible.

 Chapter 702 - 397 Tracking_2

    Chapter 702: Chapter 397 Tracking_2


    If all the Golden Core cultivators hadn¡¯t entered the Nanyuan Mountain Range in time, moving into the territory of the spirit beasts, they would likely have been intercepted by the Golden Core cultivators of the Senluo Sect.


    The most worrisome event didn¡¯t occur, and three to four small teams arrived.


    A total of thirty-three Golden Core cultivators gathered together, especially with the presence of the Great Elder, which even made Li Yuan Ba, hiding in the distance, feel a sense of alarm.


    Of course, the thirty-three Golden Core cultivators couldn¡¯t discover Li Yuan Ba, who was more than three hundred miles away from them, observing these cultivators with the "Divine Eye Technique".


    "Form the array using the method we¡¯ve practiced before!" Elder Jing Geng waved his hand and commanded.


    A cultivator named Dong Wei was the center, with the rest of the Golden Core cultivators standing at different positions around him.


    This Dong Wei was an Array Master, responsible for controlling the array formed by the Golden Core cultivators and issuing commands to each one.


    Even Elder Jing Geng would follow his orders, which was a necessary method for entering the Nanyuan Mountain Range.


    "It¡¯s the Mysterious Mist Secret Array!" Li Yuan Ba saw clearly and recognized the origin of the array at a glance.


    The Mysterious Mist Secret Array is an expandable Third Grade Array with a simple setup, a single function, but a high tolerance for errors and is one of the few arrays that can be set up while moving.


    Especially, the Mysterious Mist Secret Array grows stronger in its concealment effect as more cultivators join.


    A Mysterious Mist Secret Array formed by thirty-three Golden Core cultivators wouldn¡¯t be exposed unless they encountered a Great Demon.


    This was probably the reason why these Golden Core cultivators dared to enter the Nanyuan Mountain Range; with such means, their safety greatly increased.


    The thirty or so Golden Core cultivators, under the control of the Array Master Dong Wei, were flying at a relatively slow speed, low in the sky toward the interior of the Nanyuan Mountain Range.


    The Mysterious Mist Secret Array enshrouded them in a layer of mist, which is very common in the mountains and even harder to spot at night.


    Li Yuan Ba moved as well, using the "Sky Concealing Secret Technique" and a Secret Technique from the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record" to conceal all traces of his presence. In the darkness, he didn¡¯t have to worry about being discovered and could use "Step by Step Lotus" to move quietly and without a trace.


    One after the other, both parties were flying through the Nanyuan Mountain Range, pushing into its depths.


    This time, Li Yuan Ba didn¡¯t maintain too great a distance from the thirty-three Golden Core cultivators. After they had used the Mysterious Mist Secret Array, the UAV satellite system was unable to detect them.


    This was also the reason for the cover of darkness; if it were daylight and it was known that they had formed a cloud of mist, they could still be tracked.


    Li Yuan Ba also discovered another feature of the Mysterious Mist Secret Array: it creates a cold mist that conceals the cultivators, which also prevents the body heat of the cultivators from being detected by the infrared monitoring of the UAV satellite system.


    Elder Jing Geng¡¯s gaze swept around in the darkness, and suddenly he waved his hand, sending a flying sword shooting out from the Mysterious Mist Secret Array.


    A Second Grade Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat, with a color like the earth, was looking at the low-flying fog with a puzzled gaze, sniffing repeatedly, trying to ascertain something via the scent.


    The flying sword struck like lightning and before the rat had a chance to react, it was slain by a single sword thrust.


    The flying sword, along with the corpse of the Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat, returned to Elder Jing Geng¡¯s side. He tossed the body of the rat to a fellow cultivator nearby.


    The sensing ability of the Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat is extremely keen, and although it is only of the Second Grade, its sensory talent surpasses that of many Great Demons.


    It also serves as a sentinel for the spirit beast territory, placed on the periphery of the domain by the Spirit Beast Clan.


    As soon as the Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat detects something unusual, it would use a unique sound to alert other spirit beasts. Many cultivators relying on stealth techniques to infiltrate the territory of the spirit beasts in search of fortune have been mysteriously surrounded by spirit beasts, most of which were due to the traces discovered by the Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat.


    Elder Jing Geng gestured to Dong Wei to continue moving forward, indicating that all was safe.


    Li Yuan Ba saw the flying sword emerge from the mist and strike down the Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat.


    "It seems this Great Elder is not easy to deal with!" he thought to himself.


    This Elder Jing Geng must have practiced some sort of sensory Secret Technique. The Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat naturally possesses the ability to hide, but it was still discovered by Elder Jing Geng, who managed to kill it in one fell swoop.


    However, this made things much easier for Li Yuan Ba.


    Although he also had methods of concealing his presence, it was impossible to hide from spirit beasts like the Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat with a special talent for perception.


    A cultivator¡¯s body inevitably emits a scent that distinguishes them from spirit beasts and nature, and the Ground-drilling Gold Absorption Rat would detect it.


    In Li Yuanba¡¯s state of Corpse Refining, there was also an aroma that belonged to the refined corpses and it was impossible to completely conceal.


    He didn¡¯t need to worry, with these Golden Core cultivators leading the way ahead, he could follow behind and benefit, without worrying about being discovered by spirit beasts.


    The routes taken by the Golden Core cultivators in front were somewhat special, often circumventing certain mountain peaks; from Li Yuanba¡¯s observations, these peaks were rich in Spiritual Energy and likely harbored Great Demons.


    Although this made the progress of the Golden Core cultivators slower, aside from Elder Jing Geng who took action several times to deal with some spirit beasts, they encountered no other trouble.


    Thirty-three Golden Core cultivators moving through the Nanyuan Mountain Range for several "two hours" was an incredibly unbelievable feat.


    This showed the extensive preparations these Golden Core cultivators had made to enter the Nanyuan Mountain Range.


    Finally, after walking for more than four "two hours," the sky slowly brightened.


    As the sky became brighter, the low-flying fog became evident.


    This fog, mingling among other clouds and weaving between mountain peaks, seemed ordinary.


    However, while all clouds normally drifted with the wind, today¡¯s wind direction was wrong. The clouds formed by Elder Jing Geng¡¯s Mysterious Mist Secret Array, however, were traveling against the wind.


    Ordinary beasts and first- and second-level spirit beasts had limited wisdom, and since the clouds were high above, this wasn¡¯t much of an issue.


    But this was the Nanyuan Mountain Range, where the number of Great Demons was particularly high.


    The Spirit Beast Clan, sharing the living space with human cultivators on the Beishu Continent, naturally possessed formidable strength.


    High above, an Iron Feather Golden Eagle, a Great Demon-level spirit beast, sped through the sky with remarkable vision, noticing something amiss as it flew over the clouds.


    A Great Demon-level spirit beast¡¯s wisdom hardly differed from that of a human, so it readily detected the abnormality in the cluster of clouds.


    The Iron Feather Golden Eagle let out a piercing cry, contracting its body and diving toward the clouds.


    "Change the Formation!" Dong Wei said in a deep voice.


    The thirty-three Golden Core cultivators shifted their positions as the fog from the Mysterious Mist Secret Array dispersed, letting the Iron Feather Golden Eagle fly into it.


    The instant the Iron Feather Golden Eagle entered the Mysterious Mist Secret Array, the Spiritual Power of thirty-three Golden Core cultivators collected and, assisted by the Formation, simultaneously trapped the Iron Feather Golden Eagle.


    The Iron Feather Golden Eagle was the king of the skies, with a flying speed so fast that not even Elder Jing Geng could compete with it.


    Therefore, to deal with such a flying spirit beast, they had to lure it into a trap.


    They couldn¡¯t give the Iron Feather Golden Eagle the slightest chance to escape; otherwise, their whereabouts would be exposed. If exposed within the Nanyuan Mountain Range, countless attacks from spirit beasts would await them.


    The Iron Feather Golden Eagle¡¯s strength was roughly at the Third Grade mid-phase. Although the combat power of a Great Demon could match several human cultivators of the same rank, against the simultaneous attack of thirty-three Golden Core cultivators, among them the supremely skilled Elder Jing Geng, it had no chance to resist.


    After the body of the Iron Feather Golden Eagle was trapped, Elder Jing Geng struck it down in an instant.


    His face showed no joy for having killed a Great Demon in an instant, as they had been on guard against encountering Great Demons since entering the Nanyuan Mountain Range and had not expected to meet one so soon.


    "Master Dong, let¡¯s find a place to rest and continue our journey tonight," he calculated the time and, after some thought, gave the order.


    Dong Wei did not object, nor did he have the authority to counter Elder Jing Geng¡¯s suggestion.


    Under his command, the Mysterious Mist Secret Array descended toward the ground, and upon reaching a mountain peak, he took out many array flags and set up a Formation.


    An Array Master¡¯s Formation easily concealed the figures and auras of thirty-three Golden Core cultivators completely. Even if a Great Demon approached, unless it came into contact with the Formation, it would not detect their presence.

 Chapter 703 - 398 Sacrifice

    Chapter 703: Chapter 398 Sacrifice


    Li Yuanba descended upon another peak, from which he could observe Elder Jing Geng¡¯s position; the distance between the two parties was not too far.


    His body sank into the soil, the ground automatically parted, and as his body entered the earth, the ground closed again, leaving no trace whatsoever.


    This was the Corpse Refining Talent Ability, allowing one to hide within the earth itself, a talent that was even more effective than some Secret Techniques for concealing one¡¯s presence.


    Li Yuanba rarely used his Corpse Refining state, and his current sensation was quite peculiar.


    After sinking into the ground, he did not feel suffocated at all; instead, the energy from the earth made him feel comfortable.


    Of course, despite feeling comfortable and gaining some benefits from the ordinary soil below, these effects were extremely mild. With his realm, perhaps staying underground for hundreds of years would accumulate energy equivalent to a few months of human state cultivation with Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    That was the disparity. The reason why human cultivators could dominate the world was that they could utilize cultivation resources more extensively.


    Although he was submerged underground, through drone satellite systems, he could still detect any movements from Elder Jing Geng¡¯s group.


    A whole day passed without any activity from Elder Jing Geng, until as the sky gradually darkened, Dong Wei began to retract the Formation, and the thirty-three Golden Core cultivators resumed the Mysterious Mist Secret Array.


    During this period, the drone satellite system focused on the changes at the mountaintop, and between the time the Formation was retracted and the thirty-three Golden Core cultivators formed the Mysterious Mist Secret Array, infrared mode detected them.


    Li Yuanba emerged from the soil, yet not a speck of dirt clung to his body.


    As Elder Jing Geng and the others mobilized, he followed behind them using "Step by Step Lotus."


    This time, Elder Jing Geng¡¯s group quickened their pace, constantly changing directions among the various peaks, always managing to avoid the mountains inhabited by Great Demons.


    Either due to good luck or thorough preparation, they traveled for another eight hours without encountering any great demons.


    Li Yuanba checked the map; they had already ventured deep into the core of the Nanyuan Mountain Range. Elder Jing Geng¡¯s group up ahead slowed down, thoroughly scanning the area before proceeding each time.


    For Li Yuanba, it was simple: all he had to do was follow the path carved out by Elder Jing Geng, with no need to worry about spirit beasts.


    From the looks of it, Elder Jing Geng¡¯s group seemed close to reaching their destination and getting ready.


    While contemplating, the thirty-three Golden Core cultivators descended towards the ground below. Since they were flying at a low altitude, they quickly reached the surface.


    "Be ready for battle at any moment!" Elder Jing Geng commanded in a deep voice.


    No one knew the price the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect had paid for the smooth arrival at this location.


    Reaching the target location filled his heart with extreme excitement.


    His eyes brimmed with hope, seeing this perhaps as his chance to change his fate; he was prepared to give his all to seize it.


    Being in the core area of the Nanyuan Mountain Range, where the number of Great Demons was extremely high, actually caused the number of lower-level spirit beasts to greatly diminish.


    Elder Jing Geng led the way to the base of a cliff.


    He slowly pushed aside a huge boulder, revealing a cave.


    Aside from him, the other Golden Core cultivators all showed expressions of surprise and curiosity.


    This mission was entirely commanded by Elder Jing Geng; they only knew it involved retrieving an item from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, an item critical for the emergence of a Nascent Soul Ancestor among their ranks.


    But the precise location of the item was known only to Elder Jing Geng.


    "Dong Wei, leave two people above to set up the entire array of flags prepared, conceal the entrance, and if spirit beasts attack, try to hold them off for as long as possible!" Elder Jing Geng ordered Array Master Dong Wei.


    "No problem, Great Elder!" Dong Wei nodded in response.


    He took out the Third Grade Array Flag, setting the flags around the cave entrance; soon, the cave entrance disappeared from Li Yuanba¡¯s sight.


    This also prevented Li Yuanba from using "Heavenly Eye" to observe Elder Jing Geng¡¯s lip movements and identify his words through lip reading.


    However, he was now certain that the cave was where the treasure lay.


    He waited the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then his figure flashed into the interior of the Formation.


    Even before Dong Wei activated the Array, while he was still setting the flags, Li Yuanba had noted the positions, recognizing the Formation used from that alone.


    Dong Wei¡¯s Formation inheritance wasn¡¯t particularly unique; it was a typical Formation inheritance from the Beishu Continent.


    The database of the original body Li Shiming¡¯s life-bound magic weapon, IBMz15, contained detailed information on the Formation Dong Wei was setting up, which meant that Li Yuanba didn¡¯t even have to break the Formation¡ªhe just took advantage of his familiarity with the Formation to appear within it using "Step by Step Lotus."


    Li Yuanba stood within the Formation, merely three meters from Dong Wei and the other two Golden Core cultivators, yet they were unable to detect his presence.


    For an Array Master, the Formation is their weapon, but when the opponent¡¯s understanding of Formations surpasses their own, that weapon can become the adversary¡¯s.


    Just like now, although Li Yuanba was not an Array Master, Li Shiming was, which was akin to Li Yuanba also possessing Array Master capabilities.


    Not to mention how could a mid-sized sect¡¯s Array Master stand a chance against Li Shiming, an Array Master of higher proficiency.

 Chapter 704 - 398 Sacrifice_2

    Chapter 704: Chapter 398 Sacrifice_2


    Regardless of the help the life-bound magical artifact IBMz15 gave to Li Shiming, which endowed Li Shiming with analytical and computational abilities beyond those of any other Array Master, Li Shiming¡¯s overall knowledge of formations had far surpassed that of Dong Wei.


    The structure of Li Shiming¡¯s knowledge on formations was divided into parts acquired from Sky Sea Island, Shushan Sect, Senluo Sect, as an Alchemy Master from various Golden Core cultivators, and from the Array Formation Books obtained from Elder Jing Geng of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    It was this comprehensive knowledge in formations that made Li Shiming far surpass other Array Masters, at least on the Beishu Continent, no Array Master¡¯s total knowledge could compare with him.


    Li Yuan Ba entered the formation, using its power to block the space between him, Dong Wei, and the two other Golden Core cultivators.


    He didn¡¯t attack these three Golden Core cultivators, as his combat strength could have killed them in no more than a single breath of time.


    Within the formation, he bypassed the three Golden Core cultivators and passed through the formation to enter the cave.


    As soon as he entered the cave, he felt refreshing coolness; the place was filled with Yin Cold Energy, the most favorable environment for Corpse Refining.


    On the cave walls, he saw engraved patterns, which were isolation patterns engraved with second-grade materials, that prevented the cave from being discovered.


    An isolation pattern was placed every five meters, ensuring maximum seclusion for the entire cave.


    This place was the Nanyuan Mountain Range, where placing so many isolation patterns was no easy task.


    Every visit here involved great risks, and the production of Spiritual Energy fluctuations during engraving meant each time required verification that no powerful spirit beasts were nearby before proceeding.


    Following the cave forward, he went deeper into the belly of the mountain.


    Li Yuan Ba felt the Spiritual Energy became denser; deep in the cave, there must be a high-level Spiritual Vein, though it was unclear whether it was a Golden Core Level Spiritual Vein or a higher-level Nascent Soul Level Spiritual Vein.


    In the rich Spiritual Energy, there was an even more intense mixture of Yin Cold Energy.


    He stopped advancing, sensing the presence of Golden Core cultivators ahead.


    It seemed that being within the isolation and inside the mountain belly made Elder Jing Geng and his companions no longer conceal their own energy, of course, they weren¡¯t intentionally spreading it either.


    Li Yuan Ba, also within the cave, could clearly sense the positions of these Golden Core cultivators.


    He did not proceed further; other Golden Core cultivators didn¡¯t concern him, but he sensed danger from Elder Jing Geng.


    No apparent Spiritual Energy fluctuations were ahead, indicating that the others hadn¡¯t started looting treasures yet.


    He was very curious about what treasure was here that made Elder Jing Geng bring so many Golden Core cultivators.


    Inside the depths of the cave, Elder Jing Geng stood at a gap, looking down at the vast space below.


    This place was accidentally discovered by Elder Jing Geng¡¯s master, who was at the time collecting Spiritual Medicine in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and was discovered and pursued by a Great Demon.


    In the process of escaping, he inadvertently entered a crack and not only evaded the Great Demon¡¯s pursuit but also stumbled upon an unexpected discovery.


    The crack was very deep, and the presence of the Great Demon outside made his master keep moving inward.


    His master knew a Secret Technique for reducing body size, passed through several gaps small enough only for a child to fit through, and after moving deeper into the belly of the mountain, he surprisingly found himself in a space inside the mountain.


    The first thing his master sensed was a change in Spiritual Energy; there happened to be a Nascent Soul Level Spiritual Vein, the value of which was unimaginable.


    Of course, to harvest the Spiritual Vein, one would need a Nascent Soul Ancestor to be able to do so.


    However, selling the information to a Nascent Soul Ancestor or a major trading company would yield ample rewards.


    His master made a great discovery in that space and for this great discovery, he repeatedly ventured there, opened a new path, and made several concealments.


    Unfortunately, Elder Jing Geng¡¯s master died before the harvest time arrived, leaving this great secret to Elder Jing Geng.


    Over the years, Elder Jing Geng had consistently been sending people to gather information about the path leading to the core of the Nanyuan Mountain Range.


    Finally, Elder Jing Geng had waited for an opportunity, and his strength had also reached the ability for major discoveries; he felt that all this was a miracle that heaven had given him.


    The Golden Core Cultivators by Elder Jing Geng¡¯s side were also secretly observing the space beyond the gap.


    Apart from the dense Spiritual Energy, they only saw a calm water surface.


    This water was definitely not ordinary; they were at the gap, tens of meters away from the water surface, yet they could still feel the chill emanating from the water.


    Such chill would have turned ordinary pond water into solid ice long ago.


    But the water surface in front of them showed no sign of icing; instead, there was only dead silence.


    "Everyone wait on the water surface, we have a Fourth-grade Lotus here, our goal this time is this Fourth-grade Lotus. Once the Fourth-grade Lotus appears, it needs to be picked immediately, no matter who picks it, it must be handed over to me!" Elder Jing Geng commanded in a stern voice to the Golden Core Cultivators by his side.


    Hearing his words, the Golden Core Cultivators¡¯ eyes twinkled.


    Although Elder Jing Geng did not specify what Fourth-grade Lotus it was, in the Cultivation World, a Spiritual Object reaching the fourth grade was unimaginably valuable, not to mention a special lotus among Spiritual Objects.


    Lotus Spiritual Objects have always been special treasures; for example, the Golden Lotus can purify Spiritual Energy, and various types of lotus Spiritual Objects each have their special functions, ranking among the top in Spiritual Objects.


    A Fourth-grade Lotus could conservatively be exchanged for enough resources to cultivate up to the Great Elder Level and might even help achieve a Nascent Soul with its capabilities.


    Though not all Golden Core Cultivators harbored this mindset, when faced with an object that could influence their cultivation¡¯s future, who could remain entirely without thoughts?


    Twenty-nine Golden Core Cultivators flew out of the gap, hovering above the water surface.


    Suddenly, they discovered that, for some reason, Elder Jing Geng had not passed through the gap into space with them.


    Furthermore, Elder Jing Geng slapped his hand at the gap, and a Formation¡¯s light sealed off the gap.


    "Great Elder, what are you doing?" a Golden Core Cultivator quickly noticed something was wrong and shouted loudly.


    Other Golden Core Cultivators were more direct, taking out their magic treasures and preparing to attack the sealed gap.


    Just as they were mobilizing Spiritual Power, the calm water surface suddenly began to churn.


    Numerous black roots emitting a foul odor stretched out from below the water surface, coiling upward toward the Golden Core Cultivators.


    Although the space was nearly thirty meters high and not small in area, the numerous black, stinking roots left no space for the twenty-nine Golden Core Cultivators to maneuver.


    The Golden Core Cultivators certainly wouldn¡¯t just sit and wait for death; they attacked the black, stinking roots with their magic treasures.


    The black, stinking roots were not sturdy; as the magic treasures attacked, they burst one after another.


    Initially, the Golden Core Cultivators were happy, as the black, stinking roots looked terrifying but proved to have limited power.


    But that soon changed as the roots, once burst, formed large clouds of poison gas.


    As soon as magic treasures came into contact with the black roots, they noticeably began to lose control, a sign they were being corroded by the potent venom from the roots.


    The Golden Core Cultivators tried various methods to ward off the poison; some used their magic treasures to form protective shields, others used spells in the hopes of dispersing the poison mist, and some even took out Detoxification Pills to prevent poisoning.


    The venom that could erode magic treasures was frightful; if it touched their bodies, the consequences would be extremely dire.


    A Cultivator¡¯s body is far less sturdy than the defensive power of magic treasures; the magic treasures were affected, so the Golden Core Cultivators tried using various methods to prevent the poison mist.


    For a short time, their methods seemed to work; the poison mist was blocked by protective shields and blown aside by the spells.


    However, the black, stinking roots stretching upward from the water did not stop, continuing to extend endlessly, and it was unclear what lay beneath the water, as the roots seemed infinite.


    The Golden Core Cultivators could only continue attacking, switching magic treasures whenever one was affected, and if a magic treasure became unusable, they resorted to talismans, or took the time to cast spells if necessary.

 Chapter 705 - 399: Corpse Lotus

    Chapter 705: Chapter 399: Corpse Lotus


    The Golden Core cultivators in the space were attacking the foul-smelling roots with all their might, trying to prevent the roots from entangling them.


    Every time the foul-smelling roots were attacked, they would explode and release a cloud of poison mist. More and more roots exploded, filling the space with an increasing amount of poisonous mist.


    The Golden Core cultivators soon discovered that with their attacks, the poison mist from the burst roots had now filled the space above the water surface.


    No matter what method they used to try and disperse the poison mist, the entire space was already saturated with it, leaving no room to clear it away.


    The intense poison made contact with the spiritual power shields, making a ¡¯ssss¡¯ noise that was very clear in the quiet space.


    The spiritual power shields were being depleted at an alarmingly fast rate, and it was clear they wouldn¡¯t hold out much longer, not to mention there were still foul-smelling roots reaching out.


    The first Golden Core cultivator, weaker than the rest, was entangled by the foul-smelling roots. His spiritual power shield hadn¡¯t been completely depleted yet, but as soon as the roots wrapped around him, they became extremely tough and no longer burst open like before with a single strike.


    "No, save me!" the Golden Core cultivator screamed in agony as he was dragged into the water, and his screams quickly faded away.


    After the first one, there came a second, and a third.


    These Golden Core cultivators, who were considered a central force in the Cultivation World, were dragged into the water one by one by the foul-smelling roots without being able to unleash even a tenth of their strength in such an environment.


    Elder Jing Geng watched everything that was happening in the space, and he couldn¡¯t hide the excitement in his eyes.


    He had deceived everyone. If he could abandon the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect, then he had never planned to rely on these Golden Core cultivators.


    Of course, the most important thing was that without the sacrifice of these Golden Core cultivators, when the time came for the spiritual objects to naturally mature, the opportunity would not fall to him to enjoy.


    His master had discovered, years ago, a crack in this space that had appeared after a certain seismic event. According to his research, this space was not unclaimed.


    Because the mountain had good spiritual energy but no Great Demons had come to claim it, it indicated that the mountain had an owner who could deter Great Demons.


    Moreover, from the walls of the space, one could find some isolation methods used by the Spirit Beast Clan.


    This was something only a Fourth Grade Spirit Beast could do, suggesting there was a high probability that this place was the private treasure land of a Fourth Grade Spirit Beast.


    It was just that the treasures here were not ripe yet, and the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast would only come to collect them when they matured.


    His master and he, after many years of research, had discovered how to use the lives of Golden Core cultivators to fill the energy requirements of a Fourth Grade Spirit Object and make it mature prematurely.


    For this, his master and he had always endeavored to cultivate Golden Core cultivators, even establishing two medium-sized sects, all to produce more Golden Core cultivators under the surveillance of major sects.


    After falling into the water, the twenty-nine Golden Core cultivators were dragged to the bottom, with countless roots piercing into their bodies.


    Their bodies quickly withered, and even the spiritual energy within their Golden Cores was extracted at an incredible speed. Throughout the process, they were still alive, but due to the intense poison and the chilling waters of the pool, they were unable to move.


    Feeling their centuries of cultivation being stripped away little by little, they were nearly driven mad, and in their hearts, they cursed Elder Jing Geng.


    They had been loyal to their sect, even fighting against the Senluo Sect without regard for their lives for the sake of their sect.


    But what did they get in return? They were sent to this fate by Elder Jing Geng.


    Soon after, they could no longer even think, as the strange creature in the pool not only absorbed their bodies and the energy within their Golden Cores but was also devouring their souls.


    The water parted, and a pristine lotus emerged from below.


    "Emerging from the muck unsoiled, who would have thought this was a Corpse Lotus?" Elder Jing Geng¡¯s eyes were fixed on the lotus, muttering to himself.


    A Corpse Lotus, a type of lotus that grew from a corpse. The stronger the corpse, even in death, the more energy it contained, not to mention that if a corpse remained in a special environment for a long time, it could undergo unusual transformations.


    This was like Corpse Refining, a sublimation of the original energy within a corpse, transforming it into another form of life.


    But with a Corpse Lotus present, no matter how powerful the corpse and no matter how suitable the environment, it could not transform into a refined corpse because all the energy would be used for the growth of the Corpse Lotus.


    A Corpse Lotus was like using a powerful corpse as fertilizer; any energy produced by the strong corpse would be devoured by the Corpse Lotus.


    A Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus. Elder Jing Geng could hardly imagine what sort of life¡¯s corpse could give rise to a Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus.


    But he didn¡¯t have the guts to investigate, as the pool water was not something he could endure even coming into contact with, let alone entering, being a practitioner of magic cultivation.


    He waited, for the Corpse Lotus to fully mature, which would signal the time for him to act.


    The essence of twenty-nine Golden Core cultivators¡¯ lives nurtured the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus, providing it with enough energy.


    In the center of the Corpse Lotus, a tender pod began to form.


    The color of the pod slowly changed from a tender yellow to gold, and then from gold to dark gold.


    In a cavern thousands of miles away from the mountain hollow, a Fourth Grade spirit beast with the head of a wolf and the body of a human opened its eyes, puzzled.


    It sensed a trace of energy, related closely to a precious object of its own that seemed to have matured prematurely.


    This was decades earlier than its predictions. Had it not been for a recent small enlightenment, which kept it in a phase of self-assessment, it might have missed the ripe moment of that object.

 Chapter 706 - 399: Corpse Lotus_2

    Chapter 706: Chapter 399: Corpse Lotus_2


    He leapt from his cave dwelling and transformed into a streak of light flying across the sky.


    Apart from a few exceptional species born with unique bloodlines, most Fourth Grade spirit beasts choose to transform their bodies into human forms.


    Because the human form is the most recognized by the rules of Heaven and Earth, it is the most conducive to cultivation and makes it easier to connect with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.


    Just like that, the wolf-headed human-shaped Fourth Grade spirit beast broke through the limitations of life and race to achieve the Fourth Grade.


    In terms of talent and opportunity, he was truly a favored child of Heaven and Earth.


    It is known that it is extremely difficult for spirit beasts to reach the Fourth Grade. Were it not for their lifespans far exceeding those of humans, giving them more time to cultivate, there wouldn¡¯t be so many Fourth Grade spirit beasts today.


    The wolf-headed human-shaped Fourth Grade spirit beast thought of the Corpse Lotus. It was a special corpse he had come across by chance¡ªa corpse with an extremely terrifying aura that even he could not directly face back then.


    Intending to make use of that corpse, he thought of employing a Corpse Lotus. Luckily, he had acquired the seedpod of a corpse lotus, though only a second grade, the uniqueness of a Corpse Lotus lies in its ability to absorb corpses of any grade, which would then determine its own grade.


    It had been more than a thousand years since then, and after devouring the Corpse Lotus, his strength could increase yet again.


    Probably only the lengthy lifespans of spirit beasts allowed them to engage in the cultivation of spiritual medicine like this, for even a Nascent Soul Ancestor among human cultivators would only have a lifespan of a thousand years at most, making it quite unlikely to witness the maturation of a Corpse Lotus.


    When Li Yuanba sensed the auras of the Golden Core cultivators disappearing one after another, he continued to move forward from his hiding spot.


    He moved with extreme caution, and the Yin Cold power of his environment had a bolstering effect on his Corpse Refining state, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of his concealment as he moved.


    Of course, part of this was due to Elder Jing Geng focusing all his attention on the changes occurring within the space, never expecting there to be a cultivator infiltrating secretly.


    Dong Wei, who was left at the entrance, had a communication talisman that directly connected him to Elder Jing Geng. At this distance, even without a Communication Array, contact could still be made.


    If any cultivator managed to breach the Formation and enter, Elder Jing Geng would be notified in advance to be prepared.


    Because of this, Elder Jing Geng¡¯s sensitivity towards his surroundings was greatly diminished, allowing Li Yuanba to sneak closer.


    Especially upon reaching the area near the gap, Li Yuanba found it heavily laced with various Formations.


    For other cultivators, this presented many difficulties.


    But for Li Yuanba, it offered a significant advantage.


    Taking cover behind the Formations and utilizing their isolating effects, he was able to get even closer to Elder Jing Geng¡¯s position.


    He did not attack Elder Jing Geng. With the combat strength of such a Great Elder, he could not guarantee that he would be able to handle it.


    As Li Shiming himself was at the Great Elder level, Li Yuanba had a deeper understanding of Great Elders.


    Although Li Shiming was a Great Elder Level Body Refining Golden Core, it reflected the uniqueness of a Great Elder.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Body Refinement strength had already surpassed the Golden Core Stage and was between the Golden Core Stage and the Nascent Soul Stage, touching upon the edge of the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Therefore, theoretically, Elder Jing Geng, in some aspect of his Magic Cultivation Technique, had also reached the fringe of the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Such an enemy, if not eliminated with a single strike, would pose a fatal threat to Li Yuanba once they counterattacked.


    His Body Refinement was not perfect and had not reached the Great Elder level.


    Though his Body Refinement was just a bit short of the Great Elder level, that little bit made a vast difference between his Body Refinement and that of a Great Elder level.


    His Body Refinement was still at the Golden Core Stage, while Great Elder-level Body Refinement had transcended the Golden Core Stage.


    With the help of the Formations, he managed to move above Elder Jing Geng¡¯s head, where through the gap, he could see the situation within that space.


    Li Yuanba, with his ¡¯Divine Eye¡¯, could see even more clearly.


    Seeing that lotus and considering the disappearance of the twenty-nine Golden Core cultivators, he speculated whether Elder Jing Geng had sacrificed those Golden Core cultivators through some means for the sake of that lotus.


    The seedpod within the Corpse Lotus kept growing larger, and the dark golden color along with the surrounding petals made the Corpse Lotus appear even more sacred.


    Suddenly, Li Yuanba¡¯s expression drastically changed, as he received a warning from his main body, Li Shiming.


    Through the unmanned drone satellite system¡¯s feed, an image blurring the void itself was approaching at a tremendous speed.


    From the distance, it would arrive in just a few breaths.


    It was too late for Li Yuanba to escape, the only ones capable of producing such a void-blurring image were Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Giving thought to this being a Fourth Grade resource, it was highly likely that the owner was on their way.


    Being in this place, to that owner, he would appear as a thief trying to steal the Fourth Grade resources and would naturally be eradicated on sight.


    At this moment, the Corpse Lotus had reached full maturity, and Elder Jing Geng, unaware of the outside developments, opened the spatial rift in the formation.


    A refreshing and heart-stirring fragrance wafted through, the mere scent causing Elder Jing Geng¡¯s inner energy to churn. He had a feeling that by consuming this Corpse Lotus, he would certainly ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    He looked at the Corpse Lotus with an irrepressible sense of urgency.


    For this Corpse Lotus, he had sacrificed so much, and today he would finally have his wish fulfilled.


    Turning over, he crossed through the rift into the space, carefully taking out a jade box with spatial storage effects, a Third Grade treasure specifically prepared for the Corpse Lotus.


    He didn¡¯t dare to touch the water, using Divine Thought to control the jade box as it flew next to the Corpse Lotus, and a flying sword shot out, severing the stem of the Corpse Lotus below.


    As the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus fell, it was caught by the opened jade box.


    Just as he retrieved the jade box, another white lotus appeared next to it, almost leading him to believe another Corpse Lotus had emerged.


    But then, a terrifying Corpse Refining creature appeared on the white lotus, it snatched the jade box in one grab, and the white lotus disappeared without a trace.


    Elder Jing Geng was stupefied; it never crossed his mind that at this crucial moment, a cultivator would intervene and snatch the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus from his hands.


    This was a Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus, the hope for his ascent to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    It had taken him and his disciples over six hundred years and countless efforts to attain this Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus.


    Just by inhaling the fragrance of the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus, he felt an imminent breakthrough, confident that actually consuming it would definitely allow him to advance.


    The moment of shock for Elder Jing Geng was transient, he quickly came to his senses, realizing that the Corpse Refining creature had used a technique, the ¡¯Divine Foot Skill,¡¯ known as ¡¯Step by Step Lotus.¡¯


    ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯ didn¡¯t have the ability to break through barriers, meaning that the Corpse Refining creature was still inside this space.


    Previously, this Corpse Refining creature had been hiding nearby undetected, indicating that it possessed immensely powerful stealth techniques.


    His breath erupted, the presence of a Great Elder enveloping the entire space, of course, he could only cover above the surface of the water, unable to affect what was beneath.


    Even with his strength, he did not dare to make contact with this pool, the Yin Cold Power within the water could also cause him great harm.


    "Not here, how could it not be here?" he bellowed in anger.


    He couldn¡¯t understand, it was clearly ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯ and he was standing at the rift, blocking the gap, so how could the Corpse Refining creature possibly use ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯ to leave this space.


    Unwilling to accept defeat, he commanded the flying sword to sweep back and forth across the space.


    If the Corpse Refining creature indeed had some special stealth technique, it would still be unable to avoid the indiscriminate sweep of a sword treasure.


    "There¡¯s..." Just at that moment, Elder Jing Geng received a message from Dong Wei, with whom he had maintained constant communication.


    Yet even so, Dong Wei managed to say just one word before falling silent.


    Elder Jing Geng¡¯s whole body broke out in cold sweat, an intense fear rising within him, an instinctual response from the body.


    His face paled, no longer concerning himself with the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus, he hastily retrieved a golden talisman from his storage space and without a hint of reluctance, activated it.

 Chapter 707 - 400 Hidden

    Chapter 707: Chapter 400 Hidden


    Elder Jing Geng transformed into a brilliance and drilled a hole in the mountain wall, escaping into the distance.


    This talisman was no simple matter, it was passed down from his lineage, which possessed a complete heritage, remnants of a great sect that had been destroyed in the past.


    This talisman had been transmitted within their lineage for thousands of years, carefully preserved without loss of its spiritual energy.


    He was resolute in his decision, immediately activating the talisman upon sensing extreme danger.


    He had no regard for the fact that this lifesaving talisman had been passed down for thousands of years, as it was intended for use in the most perilous times.


    The brilliance that he became tunneled out of the belly of the mountain, fleeing at a velocity several times faster than what a Golden Core cultivator should be capable of.


    The wolf-headed human-shaped fourth-grade spirit beast had arrived, its perception incredibly powerful, coupled with the fact that this was its territory.


    It instantly detected the formation at the cliff edge, perhaps if there had been no formation, it wouldn¡¯t have so directly discovered the anomaly.


    The formation laid by the Array Master Dong Wei might be useful against great demons, but it had no effect on a fourth-grade spirit beast, an existence equivalent to a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    The wolf-headed human-shaped fourth-grade spirit beast shattered the formation with a single palm strike, revealing the Array Master Dong Wei and two Golden Core cultivators within it.


    Array Master Dong Wei, maintaining contact with Elder Jing Geng, only managed to send out a single word with his Divine Thought before being engulfed by a terrifying presence.


    The three Golden Core cultivators were as powerless as infants before the fourth-grade spirit beast.


    By the time the wolf-headed human-shaped fourth-grade spirit beast passed by, the three Golden Core cultivators had turned into a pool of filth, their corpses no longer existent.


    It was then that the wolf-headed human-shaped fourth-grade spirit beast noticed the fleeing brilliance of Elder Jing Geng.


    The wolf-headed human-shaped fourth-grade spirit beast also realized that the Corpse Lotus it had cultivated for over a thousand years was gone, and that the fleeing brilliance had a hint of the Corpse Lotus¡¯s aura.


    Without any hesitation, it chased after the fleeing brilliance.


    As Elder Jing Geng fled, there was still a sliver of hope in his heart.


    In his mind, the refined corpse should still be within the cavity of the mountain. He couldn¡¯t detect the corpse, but he figured the arriving fourth-grade spirit beast certainly could.


    If the refined corpse could delay the spirit beast for just a moment, he could use the activated lifesaving talisman to escape with his life.


    As for the matter of the Corpse Lotus, he felt only relief. If there were no refined corpse, he might have lost his life, making the Corpse Lotus useless.


    However, just as he entertained this thought, he sensed the terrifying presence behind him.


    It was only because the fourth-grade spirit beast did not want to damage the environment of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains that it hadn¡¯t exerted its full power; otherwise, the sheer aura of the spirit beast would have immobilized him.


    "What¡¯s going on? Why is it not chasing the real thief?" He was filled with bewilderment, not knowing that the wolf-headed human-shaped fourth-grade spirit beast also had not discovered Li Yuanba¡¯s trail.


    Where was Li Yuanba at this moment?


    The place he was in was one that no one had anticipated.


    He was inside the body of a corpse underwater, an enormous body.


    The ice-cold pool water prevented the Divine Thought of Golden Core cultivators from penetrating, so they could not perceive what was beneath the water.


    But Li Yuanba didn¡¯t use Divine Thought; with "Divine Sight," he could see everything at the bottom of the lake.


    He saw a gigantic corpse, a kind of creature he had never seen before, not even mentioned in any of the archives.


    The body of the strange beast filled nearly half of the bottom of the pond, entwined by numerous remaining roots of the Corpse Lotus.


    When Li Yuanba realized a fourth-grade spirit beast was approaching, he didn¡¯t have time to think. Using his own legal treasure, IBMz15, he obtained the best plan.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he first used "Step by Step Lotus" to reach the side of the corpse in the water.


    He felt the ice-cold chill of the water. Fortunately, he was in a Corpse Refining state. The formidable strength of Body Refinement combined with the corpse¡¯s defensive power allowed him to withstand the chill.


    He didn¡¯t pause underwater, immediately channeling all his spiritual power to perform "Space Movement."


    Since his main body, Li Shiming, had reached the Golden Core Middle Stage and learned "Space Movement," Shiming also shared this knowledge with him.


    However, he was only in the Golden Core Early Stage and using "Space Movement" was still somewhat strenuous, hence why he needed to appear next to the corpse in the water to perform it again.


    Even so, his Corps Refining form¡¯s Yin Cold Spiritual Power was completely drained.


    That was exactly what he needed. According to the analysis from his life-bound legal treasure, IBMz15, in front of a fourth-grade spirit beast, it was safest to have no spiritual power fluctuations at all, to appear as an ordinary being.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t truly have no spiritual power, but when he used "Space Movement" to pass through the surface of the giant corpse and enter its belly, the giant body could shield any remaining spiritual power fluctuations.


    The biggest difference between "Space Movement" and "Step by Step Lotus" is that "Space Movement" allows for spatial movement that ignores physical barriers.


    He was successful. When he entered the interior of the giant corpse, Elder Jing Geng first failed to locate where he was hiding.


    Then, the wolf-headed human-shaped fourth-grade spirit beast that came in afterward also failed to discover Li Yuanba.


    But Li Yuanba was not having an easy time. He suspected the giant corpse had been a fourth-grade spirit beast. He had a deep understanding of the Nascent Soul Stage as well.

 Chapter 708 - 400 Hidden_2

    Chapter 708: Chapter 400 Hidden_2


    Although his Body Refinement strength had not yet reached the Great Elder Level, within the corpse of the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast, he was confident that nothing could go wrong.


    If an ordinary Golden Core cultivator were to approach the corpse of a Fourth Grade Spirit Beast at such a close distance, they might be affected by the imposing presence of the corpse.


    But never had he expected that while inside this gigantic corpse, he would be suppressed.


    The terrifying dominance was beyond his imagination, his spirit was affected, leaving him without the ability to even move.


    However, Li Yuanba was not panicked, for although he could not move, his true self, Li Shiming, was ready to take over his body control at any time.


    Furthermore, because this takeover could be done remotely and forcefully, it would not be affected by such suppression.


    He didn¡¯t immediately request his original self to take over his body, knowing that under the current circumstances, this place was actually the safest.


    He didn¡¯t know where the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast had gone, but as soon as he left the belly of the mountain, he could encounter the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast.


    Li Yuanba maintained the Corpse Refining state, which allowed him to better resist the oppressive force emanating from the terrifying corpse.


    He was now one hundred percent certain: this was definitely not the corpse of a Fourth Grade Spirit Beast, as just a corpse would not be able to suppress him¡ªa Golden Core cultivator close to Great Elder Level¡ªlike this.


    He saw the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast chasing after Elder Jing Geng through the unmanned satellite system.


    Thinking the time was right, he was about to ask his true self, Li Shiming, to take control of his body to leave.


    But the strength of the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast was beyond his imagination. Elder Jing Geng managed to escape for only about twenty breaths of time before being caught, and then he disappeared from the surveillance of the unmanned satellite system.


    It seemed likely that Elder Jing Geng had already been crushed to pieces, hence the satellite system could no longer track him.


    Afterwards, the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast returned to the Nanyuan Mountain Range, and the entire process took only a few dozen breaths of time.


    Li Yuanba truly understood the difference between a Fourth Grade Spirit Beast and a cultivator at the Golden Core Stage. It was evident that Elder Jing Geng¡¯s speed was incredibly fast; so much so that if it hadn¡¯t been for the satellite system monitoring from ten thousand meters in the sky, Elder Jing Geng would have likely been lost from sight much sooner.


    He could be sure that Elder Jing Geng¡¯s speed was almost comparable to his "Step by Step Lotus"; theoretically, even a Nascent Soul Ancestor not employing Nascent Soul Emergence would be unable to match this speed.


    Yet even at such speed, he was quickly caught up by the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast.


    It appears that this Fourth Grade Spirit Beast excels in speed, and might even possess a talent for it, which made him even more hesitant to act rashly.


    The wolf-headed human-shaped Fourth Grade Spirit Beast returned to the belly of the mountain and found no Corpse Lotus on Elder Jing Geng¡¯s body.


    With the racial talent of the wolf clan, his tracking skills were top-notch among spirit beasts.


    He sniffed lightly and detected a faint hint of the Corpse Refining scent.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Refinement Body had not reached the Great Elder level, so he was unable to completely conceal his scent, which was then caught by the wolf-headed human-shaped Fourth Grade Spirit Beast.


    However, the wolf-headed human-shaped Fourth Grade Spirit Beast then found that the scent of Corpse Refining had disappeared.


    Disbelieving, he exercised his abilities and began to inspect the vicinity, but no matter how much he checked, the result was the same¡ªthe Corpse Refining scent had simply vanished without a trace.


    He let out an angry roar, as decades of preparation had been lost.


    He glanced at the pond water, thought for a moment, and decided to go look for the seeds of the Corpse Lotus; that corpse was not something that could be consumed by a single Corpse Lotus.


    Without hesitation, his figure flew out from within the mountain and headed towards the distance.


    Li Yuanba let out a sigh of relief, ready to have his true self, Li Shiming, take over his body and move away from the giant corpse.


    But when Li Shiming took over the body, he found it stuck, unable to emerge from the huge corpse.


    Li Yuanba, when he entered the interior of the huge body, had used the "Great Distances Within Reach" technique of space movement.


    However, at that moment, the spiritual power within Li Yuanba¡¯s Golden Core was almost completely exhausted, and it could not be replenished in a short time.


    Li Shiming took control of Li Yuanba¡¯s body and attempted to forcibly break through the giant corpse by using his body refinement ability, but he quickly realized that such efforts were futile.


    The strength of the giant corpse was far beyond what Li Yuanba could penetrate, even using his Third Grade Sword Base, he could not inflict the slightest damage on the corpse.


    Li Shiming felt somewhat embarrassed, he had not expected to encounter this situation.


    Of course, given some time and allowing Li Yuanba to take Third-grade Spirit Pills to replenish spiritual power, he would be able to use the "Great Distances Within Reach" technique again once his spiritual power was restored.


    He took a Third-grade Spirit Pill from Li Yuanba¡¯s space ring and swallowed it.


    What followed was a long wait, without cultivating his main cultivation technique and relying solely on the Third-grade Spirit Pill to recover spiritual power, the recovery speed was extremely slow.


    Moreover, one could not ingest Third-grade Spirit Pills continuously without pause, consuming too much could lead to the formation of pill toxins inside the body, which would have a severely detrimental effect on the body.


    As time ticked by, Li Shiming initially didn¡¯t feel it, but as time went on, he noticed strands of Yin Cold Energy seeping into Li Yuanba¡¯s body, which was in a state of Corpse Refining.


    He quickly checked on Li Yuanba¡¯s condition, wary that the body of such a terrifying entity could potentially be contaminated, leading to damage to a cultivator¡¯s body.


    What surprised Li Shiming was that Li Yuanba¡¯s body condition was very good, with the Yin Cold Energy that entered his body actually strengthening his Corpse Refining body.


    A thought crossed his mind, and he began to operate the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record," a cultivation method for Corpse Refining.


    As the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record" was in motion, more Yin Cold Energy seeped into Li Yuanba¡¯s body from the giant corpse. This Yin Cold Energy, following the circulation route prescribed by the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record," continuously transformed the Corpse Refining body from within.


    With a ¡¯boom¡¯, Li Yuanba¡¯s Corpse Pill in his Corpse Refining state was influenced by this surge of Yin Cold Energy and underwent a direct breakthrough.


    He went from the Silver Corpse Early Stage to the Silver Corpse Middle Stage, and the Yin Cold Energy flowing into the Corpse Refining body from the giant corpse showed no signs of decreasing. In fact, as his realm advanced and the effectiveness of the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record" increased, even more Yin Cold Energy was entering his body.


    "This is a breakthrough?" Li Shiming and his clone, Li Yuanba, were both in amazement.


    Li Yuanba had not been as lucky as Li Shiming who, after observing the spirituality within Venerable Huijing and having an epiphany, coupled with a mental elevation after a trip home, barely lingered in the Golden Core Early Stage before breaking through.


    Instead, Li Yuanba, who was cultivating the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" and specializing as a Sword Cultivator, did not match Venerable Huijing¡¯s spiritual power system, and therefore, the insights gained were much less significant.


    He had been stuck at the peak of the Golden Core Early Stage for over seven months and, without this opportunity, it was uncertain how much longer it would take for him to break through.


    Within the Cultivation World, it was common for cultivators to remain at bottlenecks of the Golden Core Stage for decades, and there were many who could not break through for their whole lives.


    After Li Yuanba¡¯s Taiji Dao Body in his Corpse Refining state broke through, his human state would also breakthrough following the return to his human body.


    What shocked Li Shiming even more was that Li Yuanba¡¯s body continued to be strengthened, quickly bringing his Corpse Refining body to the Great Elder-level Body Refining.


    And upon reaching Great Elder-level Body Refining realm, it did not stop enhancing. It was unclear whether it was because the Corpse Refining realm had room for more improvements or if the Yin Cold Energy from the giant corpse was just too special.


    The Yin Cold Energy from the giant corpse was indeed special, as it was Li Shiming¡¯s first encounter with such high-quality Yin Cold Energy.


    By his estimate, the quality of this Yin Cold Energy was likely at the Nascent Soul Level energy quality, which correlated with his experience as he had not seen energy quality above the Nascent Soul Stage, and could only judge to this extent.


    The "Evil Corpse Spirit Record" continued to operate, and within Li Yuanba¡¯s Corpse Pill, due to his recent promotion to the Silver Corpse Middle Stage, there was only a very small amount of Yin Cold Spiritual Power.


    And this very small amount of Yin Cold Spiritual Power was a transformation of the Yin Cold Spiritual Power that was previously in his Corpse Pill, now at the Silver Corpse Middle Stage level.

 Chapter 709 - 401 Promotion

    Chapter 709: Chapter 401 Promotion


    Li Yuanba entered the massive corpse, which in itself was a rare stroke of fortune.


    Fortune, for a cultivator, can be both good and bad, depending on how the cultivator deals with it.


    When Li Yuanba entered the massive corpse, he did so in a Corpse Refining state, which turned this stroke of fortune into a good thing.


    In fact, this massive corpse was also in a state of Corpse Refining, only this state was not complete.


    Due to the Corpse Lotus, the Yin Cold Energy produced by the massive corpse was devoured and absorbed by the Corpse Lotus, becoming nourishment for it.


    However, the Corpse Lotus couldn¡¯t absorb a large amount of Yin Cold Energy in a short time, for as a Spirit Plant, its energy absorption rate was limited, especially when faced with the corpse of a creature surpassing a Fourth Grade Spirit Beast, which made the absorption process even longer.


    The Corpse Lotus had grown in the massive corpse for over a thousand years and, in fact, hadn¡¯t absorbed even a third of the corpse¡¯s energy.


    With a special method, the Corpse Lotus locked up the energy of the massive corpse, transforming it into a sort of Corpse-Refining existence; however, this Corpse Refining didn¡¯t generate a soul, its soul being artificially created by the Corpse Lotus.


    The Corpse Lotus, controlling the massive corpse, would emit a fixed amount of Yin Cold Energy daily; even with such control, a small amount of Yin Cold Energy would still leak out, creating this pool of Yin Cold water.


    Once the Corpse Lotus matured, the massive corpse would continue to slowly lose Yin Cold Energy until after many years all the Yin Cold Energy inside would be lost, and the massive corpse would become ordinary soil.


    But after the Corpse Lotus matured, when Li Yuanba entered the giant corpse in a Corpse-Refining state, the Yin Cold Energy in the massive corpse was of a higher quality. Moreover, since the massive corpse lacked even a trace of a soul, the high-quality Yin Cold Energy naturally flowed into the lower-quality Corpse-Refining body.


    If Li Shiming hadn¡¯t controlled Li Yuanba to cultivate the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record," perhaps the influx of Yin Cold Energy into Li Yuanba¡¯s Corpse-Refining body would have been extremely slow because the inflow rate was very slow in itself.


    But after Li Yuanba cultivated the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record," the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record" actively absorbed external Yin Cold Energy, and since the massive corpse had no awareness to actively lock down its loss of Yin Cold Energy, it resulted in Li Yuanba gaining immense benefits.


    The Yin Cold Spiritual Power inside the Corpse Pill was rapidly increasing. Given Li Yuanba¡¯s own cultivation speed, even in a saturated state using a Third Grade Cultivation Assistance High-level Spirit Pill, the increase of Yin Cold Spiritual Power in the Corpse Pill per breath was equivalent to what he could increase in a month of cultivation.


    Moreover, the quality of the Yin Cold Spiritual Power exceeded that of his own cultivation. The quality of the Yin Cold Spiritual Power in his Corpse Pill now surpassed that expected of a Silver Corpse at the mid-stage.


    All this was originally impossible, but who would have thought he¡¯d encounter a soulless Half-refined Corpse of a creature surpassing the Fourth Grade and be cultivating Corpse Refining Technique within it?


    After forty hours had passed, the massive corpse slowly dissolved into the pool of water, transforming into dust as it lacked the support of energy.


    Now there was no longer a need for Li Shiming¡¯s control, with the Corpse Pill inside Li Yuanba having reached the late stage of a Silver Corpse and being half full of spiritual energy.


    Actually, if all the Yin Cold Energy inside the massive corpse had been absorbed by his "Evil Corpse Spirit Record," his realm could possibly have reached the peak of a Silver Corpse directly.


    But the vast amount of Yin Cold Energy inside the massive corpse was transformed into reforming Li Yuanba¡¯s Corpse-Refining body.


    Li Yuanba slowly opened his eyes; he was still in the pool of water.


    This pool of water would have affected him significantly twenty hours ago, but now he felt not the slightest discomfort.


    He didn¡¯t need "Within a Hair¡¯s Breadth" to exit the massive corpse anymore, as the massive corpse had already fused into the pool, becoming the mud at the bottom.


    He moved his body, feeling a terrifying strength emanating from within, a strength even stronger than the Great Elder-level Body Refining strength of his main body, Li Shiming.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t examine his body further; he needed to leave immediately as he had been delayed here too long.


    There was no telling when the Wolf-headed Human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast would arrive, and now that the massive corpse was gone, its arrival would certainly reveal his presence.


    With a single step, he was out of the pool, and with another step, he exited the mountain belly.


    He discerned his direction and moved step by step, each step surpassing the distance covered by Li Shiming¡¯s use of "Within a Hair¡¯s Breadth" for Space Movement, almost covering nearly two kilometers with each step.


    This was still when he wasn¡¯t using his full strength, not because his spiritual power was stronger than the main body Li Shiming¡¯s, but because he wore Tiangu (Mind Ring) on his head, a special treasure.


    The function of Mind Ring is to greatly enhance the user¡¯s spiritual power, and the maximum distance of "Within a Hair¡¯s Breadth" also depends on the cultivator¡¯s spiritual power.


    The seemingly ordinary Mind Ring actually had the greatest effect.


    Li Yuanba did not know the importance of Mind Ring in Qianye Temple; he had obtained it from Zhi Xin Arhat, who had mastered Telepathy.


    The reason such a treasure was not used by his main body, Li Shiming, was because it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for Li Shiming to use it all the time.


    Most importantly, Mind Ring had its limitations. Once the spiritual power reached a certain level, the efficacy of this treasure would significantly decrease, and he estimated it would only be effective within the Golden Core Stage, losing its effect at higher realms.

 Chapter 710 - 401 Promotion_2

    Chapter 710: Chapter 401 Promotion_2


    Not long after Li Yuanba left the belly of the mountain, he switched to "Step by Step Lotus"; in such a perilous environment, he needed to conserve his Spiritual Power to respond to any potential dangers.


    He maintained his Corpse Refining state and did not switch to his human form.


    He needed a safe place to be able to switch to the human state, knowing that his current Corpse Refining state had reached the middle stage of Silver Corpse, and it was not just the beginning of that stage.


    Once he switched to human form, his Taiji Dao Body would automatically balance the cultivation between the Corpse Refining and human states, and he would face the advancement to Golden Core in his human state.


    Furthermore, the Body Refinement realm of the Silver Corpse was somewhat peculiar; he did not know what changes there would be in his Body Refinement when he switched to his human form.


    If something major happened and he encountered a spirit beast, he would be in trouble.


    With "Step by Step Lotus" fully activated, plus the concealment of his aura and the assistance of a mental restraint, his speed of movement was extremely fearsome.


    It did not take long for him to leave the Nanyuan Mountain Range, and upon leaving, he felt a great sense of relief.


    The Wolf-headed Human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast had finally found the seed of the Corpse Lotus. In the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, there were countless treasures and a plethora of special Spirit Plants in all varieties.


    Among them were those sown intentionally or unintentionally by spirit beasts. The Wolf-headed Human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast knew where to find the seeds of the Corpse Lotus, but retrieving them took some time; he was not in a hurry, after all, there was plenty of time.


    He returned to the heart of the Nanyuan Mountain Range with the seeds of the Corpse Lotus and went into the belly of the mountain, only to find that something was amiss.


    The Yin Cold Energy here had become diluted, and even without the Corpse Lotus, it should not have dissipated so quickly.


    When inspecting the pool, he discovered that the huge corpse within had disappeared without a trace.


    "Where did that huge corpse of mine go?" He did not believe that the huge corpse had just collapsed on its own in a short time; he thought that some being had stolen the huge corpse.


    The Wolf-headed Human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast frantically searched the surroundings. He found nothing, not even a trace of presence.


    The huge corpse had vanished into thin air, which made the situation incredibly eerie.


    Li Yuanba was unaware, fortunately, he had left in time; a bit later, and he would have encountered the Wolf-headed Human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast.


    What he was even more unaware of was that the strength of his Corpse Refining body was so great that there was not a trace of aura leaking from his body; thus, the Wolf-headed Human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast had not detected any of his presence, eliminating any possibility of tracking him.


    Li Yuanba, moving with "Step by Step Lotus," quickly returned to a location near Jieshan City.


    Next, he used "A Hair¡¯s Breadth In A World Apart" and entered the Cultivation Room several times in succession. Here, protected by Formations, no outsiders could discern the situation.


    Jiang Chen was still faithfully executing his orders. Looking at Jiang Chen, Li Yuanba could not help but shake his head in resignation.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s growth rate was quite rapid, which had a lot to do with him having enough resources for Corpse Refining.


    Add to that the innate Sword Intent within Jiang Chen¡¯s body, which endowed him with enormous potential.


    Jiang Chen might have become an important assistant to him, but from today onwards, without some special opportunity, Jiang Chen¡¯s assistance would become minimal.


    Having reached the early stage of Silver Corpse, he now felt as though he could crush Jiang Chen with just one hand.


    This was not the pressure of a middle-stage Silver Corpse over an early-stage one, but a disparity caused by the difference in life forms.


    He did not know whether his current state still counted as middle stage Silver Corpse, because his middle stage Silver Corpse and the middle stage Silver Corpse from his true body, Li Shiming, were completely different.


    It was only after returning to a safe place that he had the time to study this Corpse Refining body.


    As a middle-stage Silver Corpse, his body was covered in peculiar patterned rules, not just on the surface, but every part of his body bore these peculiar patterned rules.


    This peculiar rule pattern originated from the giant corpse, and as the ¡¯Evil Corpse Spirit Record¡¯ was practiced, some innate talent energy within the giant corpse was also absorbed, becoming part of the Corpse Refining body.


    As he sensed these peculiar rule patterns, a fragment of information about the mysterious rule pattern emerged in his heart unexpectedly.


    ¡¯Sky Splitting Rule,¡¯ this was the Talent Ability of the Sky-splitting Beast, a terrifying talent ability capable of tearing apart space.


    "Sky-splitting Beast?" Li Yuanba muttered to himself.


    Meanwhile, the original entity, Li Shiming, had already started to search for information about the ¡¯Sky-splitting Beast¡¯ from the database of his lifebound magic treasure, the IBMz15, but unfortunately found nothing.


    Spirit beasts are incapable of learning Divine Skills, but the talents innate to spirit beasts, once they reach the Fourth Grade, have a certain chance of evolving into Divine Skills.


    Like this ¡¯Sky Splitting Rule,¡¯ which is actually a talent that the Sky-splitting Beast naturally possesses, elevated into the Sky Splitting Divine Ability. Even after the death of a Sky-splitting Beast, some remnants of its Divine Skills remain within its body.


    However, extracting the Sky Splitting Rule pattern for one¡¯s own use is simply an impossible task. Throughout the countless years of Cultivation World¡¯s history, no cultivator has ever succeeded in extracting the rule pattern from a corpse.


    Li Yuanba was lucky, firstly, the Sky-splitting Beast was transformed by the Corpse Lotus over a thousand years, becoming a half-refined corpse without a soul, and when the Corpse Lotus absorbed the Yin Cold Energy in its body for growth, it did not disturb the remnants of the Divine Skills.


    Secondly, Li Yuanba incidentally absorbed the remnants of the Divine Skills into his own body while in the state of corpse refinement and while cultivating the ¡¯Evil Corpse Spirit Record.¡¯


    No cultivator in the Cultivation World had ever thought of this. Mainly because transferring the remnants of Divine Skills into a refined corpse¡¯s body seemed too wasteful, and additionally, self-cultivating refined corpses were extremely rare.


    In his confusion, Li Yuanba obtained the Sky Splitting Rule pattern.


    And for the enormous body of the Sky-splitting Beast, the remnants of Divine Skills within the huge corpse seemed scarce, but for the refined corpse of Li Yuanba, it was enough to cover his entire body with ¡¯Sky Splitting Rule patterns.¡¯


    He tried extending his hand, and since his cultivation realm was too low, he could only use his hand to display the ¡¯Sky Splitting Divine Ability.¡¯


    With a ¡¯crack,¡¯ as the Sky Splitting Rule pattern on his hand flickered, a black fissure appeared in the space before him.


    He understood that this was the space in front of him being torn apart; this was the Sky Splitting Divine Ability, an offensive class Divine Skill just like the Nanming Leaving Fire Divine Ability.


    Had his body not been covered with Sky Splitting Rule patterns, with his level of cultivation, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to use an offensive class Divine Skill that only Nascent Soul Ancestors could use.


    Regrettably, he could only use his hand to cast the ¡¯Sky Splitting Divine Ability,¡¯ which greatly diminished its usefulness in actual combat.


    No cultivator would allow another cultivator to approach and touch their body, whether in battle or in daily life. A cultivator¡¯s personal space always far exceeds that of an ordinary person.


    Of course, the Sky Splitting Rule patterns that spread all over Li Yuanba¡¯s refined corpse weren¡¯t meant solely for using the ¡¯Sky Splitting Divine Ability.¡¯ This state of the refined corpse body had defensive power, strength, and speed far surpassing that of the Golden Core Stage.


    According to Li Shiming¡¯s analysis and comparison, Li Yuanba¡¯s refined corpse body, in terms of defensive power, strength, and speed, was only slightly inferior to Venerable Huijing, but much stronger than the Great Elder Level.


    In other words, Li Yuanba¡¯s refined corpse state was infinitely close to the defensive power, strength, and speed of a Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s body.


    This conclusion made Li Yuanba take a long breath. His combat prowess during the Golden Core Stage had also reached an invincible level.


    Although fraught with danger, this outing had brought him enormous benefits.


    In addition to the advantages gained by his refined corpse body, he also obtained a complete Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus.


    In his view, the seeds of the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus contained energy that was easy for cultivators to absorb, and this energy was of extremely high quality, making it the best auxiliary Nascent Soul Elixir.


    The Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus had nine seeds, a quantity he felt was sufficient for both himself and his original entity, Li Shiming.


    Moreover, the Corpse Lotus from which the seeds were taken remained a special artifact refining material. Both the Buddhist and Taoist sects viewed the lotus as a symbol of purity and nobility.


    There were many methods to craft artifacts using the Spiritual Lotus, but the specifics of how to refine a Fourth-grade Lotus into an artifact required further research.

 Chapter 711 - 402: Promotion

    Chapter 711: Chapter 402: Promotion


    Li Yuanba became familiar with the state of Corpse Refining, deepening his understanding of the Corpse Refining body.


    It was then that he slightly moved his mind, transitioning from the state of Corpse Refining back to a human state.


    Upon returning to his human state, he felt weakness, a sensation akin to having adjusted to the body of a strong man but suddenly changing into that of a child.


    Indeed, in the state of Corpse Refining, his Body Refinement strength exceeded the Great Elder Level, and his realm had reached the Silver Corpse Middle Stage.


    Compared to his human state, which was only at the Golden Core Early Stage, even his strongest Body Refinement strength had not reached the Great Elder Level.


    He calmed his mind and slowly began practicing the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique," with the Sword Intent driving the Spiritual Energy inside his body, causing the external Spiritual Energy to flow into him as well.


    However, this time, the role of the external Spiritual Energy was almost negligible.


    For from an unknown area within his body, a surging energy was pouring into him.


    His Taiji Dao Body was capable of automatically balancing the human state with the Corpse Refining state.


    Previously, such a significant disparity between the human and Corpse Refining states had never existed; when in the human state, everything about the Corpse Refining state disappeared, even the Corpse Pill was hidden in some mysterious space.


    But under the influence of the Taiji Dao Body, the energy from the Corpse Refining state was being converted into energy usable in the human state.


    This energy was divided into two types: one was Spiritual Power, and the other was Body Refining Power.


    The Taiji Dao Body transformed the Yin Cold Spiritual Power from the Corpse Refining state into Pure Yang Spiritual Power, and the Yin Cold Body Refining Power into Supreme Yang Body Refining Power.


    Encountering no issues, the bottleneck at the Golden Core Middle Stage was immediately broken through under the assault of the higher-level Pure Yang Spiritual Power.


    His realm ascended to the Golden Core Middle Stage, the bottleneck that had stalled him for seven months now vanished.


    While Li Yuanba was practicing the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique," he did not simultaneously practice the "Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique" but when the Supreme Yang Body Refining Power surged into his body, his body instinctively began executing the "Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique."


    In that moment, his body turned to a jade-like substance, his skin almost transparent, faintly revealing his veins, muscles, and bones.


    The Supreme Yang Body Refining Power rapidly entered his skin, veins, muscles, and bones, reaching every tissue in his body.


    His entire body violently shook, and peculiar patterns appeared inside him, strengthening his physique.


    This was the manifestation of the "Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique" practiced to the utmost within the Golden Core Chapter; the peculiar patterns were the Supreme Yang Patterns of the "Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique," and his body had now refined the Supreme Yang Patterns.


    From then on, his physique moved beyond the realm of the Golden Core Stage, nearing the Nascent Soul Stage Taoist Body.


    If there were chance encounters, and the "Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯s" Supreme Yang Pattern filled in the missing parts, it would become the Nascent Soul Stage¡¯s Supreme Yang Pattern, and his body would truly reach the Nascent Soul Stage Taoist Body.


    This process is usually achieved when a Golden Core nurtures a Nascent Soul, which after passing the Heavenly Tribulation receives rewards from heaven and earth.


    To elevate one¡¯s body to the Nascent Soul Stage Taoist Body solely by practicing Body Refining Techniques is extremely rare in the history of the Cultivation World.


    Once his Body Refinement realm broke through to the Great Elder Level, there was no further enhancement in his Body Refining strength.


    He could sense that the Taiji Dao Body was still attempting to convert the Corpse Refining Power into his human body, yet his human body had reached its limit, incapable of advancing even slightly.


    Li Yuanba understood that the reason the Corpse Refining state could break through the Great Elder Level was probably related to the "Sky Splitting Divine Ability."


    From the Sky Splitting Rule, he only obtained the name of the Sky-splitting Beast and basic knowledge about the "Sky Splitting Divine Ability", knowing nothing else; thus, everything was his conjecture.


    His Body Refinement strength ceased to grow, yet his "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" continued to be cultivated, with a massive amount of energy replenishing his Golden Core, steadily raising his realm.


    After an unknown period, he opened his eyes, his human state¡¯s realm finally matching the Corpse Refining state¡¯s realm, both having reached the middle phase of the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    He sensed the time; this cultivation session had secluded him for twenty-five days.


    It was a good thing that Jieshan City did not require him to intervene in many matters, and Deacon Yue Xing would come to report the situation when he was available; otherwise, it would not affect the operation of Jieshan City.


    Feeling the Golden Core inside him, although his realm had been elevated, the most crucial aspect of the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" was the enhancement of the Sword Intent, a matching effort which would require a great deal of time.


    However, before that, he needed to deliver the treasures in his possession into the hands of his original self, Li Shiming.


    The Corpse Lotus, such a precious treasure, should not be kept with him; it was not even safe inside a Space Ring, only in a machine room space would it be secure.


    Li Yuanba stood up, analyzing his current combat strength.


    In his human state, he could easily challenge a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator with just the strength of a Sword Cultivator, without using any other methods.


    The Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators mentioned here are not ordinary ones, but those from the six major sects.


    Previously, he needed to utilize his Body Refinement strength to contend with them.


    However, using his Body Refinement strength now, with his current Great Elder Level Body Refinement strength, combined with the Sword Cultivation Close Combat Technique "Sword Demon Secret Manual," he was confident he could defeat a Great Elder of the same level.


    In this, his confidence was substantial, as the combat strength of Sword Cultivators is generally recognized as the most formidable; being invincible at the same level most of the time referred to Sword Cultivators.

 Chapter 712 - 402: Promotion_2

    Chapter 712: Chapter 402: Promotion_2


    Sword Cultivator¡¯s cultivation became increasingly difficult as they progressed, and those in the Golden Core Middle Stage were considered powerful even among Golden Core cultivators, not to mention those who also possessed Great Elder Level Body Refining Power.


    Unfortunately, the "Sword Demon Secret Manual" Golden Core section only included enhancements for Third Grade Sword Base, and lacked content in other areas.


    He had long harbored the idea of requiring a close-combat Sword Cultivation Technique similar to the "Sword Demon Secret Manual," but neither the Senluo Sect nor the Shushan Sect had satisfactory close-combat techniques to offer him.


    His standards had become too high. Ordinary close-combat sword techniques were of little use to him, and top-tier close-combat techniques were scarce, so it was normal for these two major sects not to have them in their collection.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s human form was not his strongest state; his most potent form was still the Corpse Refining state.


    Under the Corpse Refining state, his close-combat capability surpassed that of a Great Elder, and if he closed in, he could easily eliminate a Great Elder.


    Of course, the greatest potential of the Corpse Refining state lay in the "Sky Splitting Divine Ability." It was an attack-focused Divine Ability that could be used as early as the Silver Corpse Middle Stage, which was a tremendous advantage he gained from the Sky-splitting Beast¡¯s corpse.


    According to Li Shiming¡¯s analysis, the "Sky Splitting Divine Ability," when fully executed, was powerful enough to breach the defense of a Fake Infant Body and could even injure a Nascent Soul Body.


    Li Yuanba left Jiang Chen at the Guardian Mansion to protect Jieshan City while he flew toward the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    Following a breach incident, the number of cultivators guarding the Jieshan Mountain Pass had temporarily increased to twelve, divided into two teams rotating shifts.


    Additionally, numerous Golden Core cultivators from various sects went searching for the invading cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect. For some reason, no matter how they searched, they could not find any traces of these Golden Core cultivators.


    This situation greatly irritated the many Golden Core cultivators on sect duty; on one hand, they were unable to punish those who provoked the Senluo Sect, and on the other hand, they wasted a lot of time for this reason.


    These sect Golden Core cultivators did not halt their search. However, some cultivators discovered that the invading Golden Core cultivators had entered a spirit beast¡¯s territory and suspected that they might have been killed by the spirit beasts.


    But this suspicion was unconfirmed, so the sect¡¯s task would not cease; the sect Golden Core cultivators on duty had to keep busy.


    The situation was the same at the Jieshan Mountain Pass; the temporarily added guardian cultivators would not be withdrawn.


    Li Yuanba was unaware of the situation at the Jieshan Mountain Pass and only discovered the presence of so many Golden Core cultivators upon arrival.


    "Junior Li!" Jiang Pu greeted him with a smile. After exchanging pleasantries, his expression turned serious as he started to look Li Yuanba up and down in astonishment.


    "You¡¯ve advanced to the Middle Stage?" When he confirmed his own judgment, he somewhat rudely pointed at Li Yuanba and asked.


    He was very familiar with Li Yuanba¡¯s information. It was one thing for Li to have advanced to the Golden Core Stage at such a young age, but it was another for him to have reached the Golden Core Middle Stage in just a few years.


    At that moment, several other Golden Core Elders whom Li Yuanba did not recognize approached, and they too noticed Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation level.


    "Is guarding Jieshan City and the Jieshan Mountain Pass so lucrative?" one Golden Core Elder murmured softly.


    This time, they first noticed that the cultivators stationed at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, Jiang Pu, Meng Sheng, and Shi Can, had made significant progress in their strengths.


    Had it not been for Li Yuanba¡¯s advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage, perhaps the temporarily visiting Golden Core Elders would not have had much reaction.


    But upon seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage, their first thought was that the benefits from the guarding duties at the Jieshan Mountain Pass were incredibly substantial.


    Otherwise, how could they explain all three Golden Core Middle Stage guarding Elders showing significant improvement, and how could they explain Li Yuanba breaking through to the Golden Core Middle Stage just a few years after becoming a Golden Core cultivator?


    The eyes of these Golden Core Elders shone with interest. They had not paid much attention to the Jieshan Mountain Pass mission before, but now it was different.


    Jiang Pu naturally saw the greed in the eyes of the temporarily visiting Golden Core Elders and felt a headache coming on.


    It seemed that trouble was likely in the future, but the task of guarding the Jieshan Mountain Pass had to be kept secure.


    "I advanced during this seclusion after experiencing an epiphany!" Li Yuanba, unaware of the recent events, answered with a smile.


    Such an excuse was believed by no one to be a lie, as many cultivators often breakthrough suddenly when they feel a sense of insight.


    However, such insights required accumulation and, unless one consumed some gentle and high-grade spiritual medicine, trying to force a breakthrough through cultivation alone was extremely difficult.


    "I¡¯m really envious of you, it looks like I¡¯ll be calling you Brother Li soon!" Jiang Pu joked.


    "Brother Jiang, I need to go over there, is that alright?" Li Yuanba pointed across the Jieshan Mountain Pass and asked.


    "No problem, they¡¯re here just to assist in the defense, the authority is still in our three hands!" Jiang Pu glanced at the other Golden Core Elders and replied softly.


    Li Yuanba nodded; his relationship with Jiang Pu, as long as it did not involve other cultivators, did not require much discussion.


    He greeted the temporary Golden Core Elders and then entered the passage of the checkpoint.


    After passing through the buffer zone and getting close to the Righteous Gate, he found that the formation of the checkpoint emitted a fierce aura that locked onto him.


    He was surprised by this since his identity usually allowed him to pass through the Righteous Gate without any procedures; Ying Hou and others would normally let him through.


    "What audacity, daring to forcefully pass through the checkpoint!" a voice rang out beside him.


    Li Yuanba looked towards the Righteous Gate where a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator stood in the air, pointing at him with spiritual power surging around him, ready to attack at any moment.


    "I am Li Yuanba from the Senluo Sect, here to visit Mr. Ying!" Li Yuanba did not want to cause trouble here, he declared firmly.


    "Mr. Ying is resting, you will naturally get to meet him if you surrender now!" The Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, feeling he had an absolute advantage with the support of the formation, had no intention of reasoning with Li Yuanba.


    This Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, named Yang Bao from the Thousand Illusion Sect, was sent here to fill a vacant position.


    He was assigned here because he heard there were great benefits at this location, and as a Golden Core Elder from one of the three great Righteous Sects, he considered himself superior to the Golden Core Elders Ying Hou and Xin Tong.


    He had just been assigned and knew nothing about the situation here, but was reluctant to listen to explanations from Ying Hou and Xin Tong.


    He arbitrarily interfered with the checkpoint¡¯s transactions, seizing the profits from several trades for himself, which greatly annoyed Ying Hou and Xin Tong, but they were powerless to stop him.


    Compared to the deceased Wisdom Light Arhat, this Yang Bao was more troublesome; he was too greedy, seizing every profitable opportunity for himself, completely disregarding the original rules.


    Li Yuanba frowned, it seemed this matter could not be resolved amicably.


    In the future, it appeared that the Righteous Gate side would be very troublesome, and he would only be able to pass through the Righteous Formation by smuggling.


    As he was contemplating this, Yang Bao¡¯s flying sword had already been activated, shooting towards him.


    Li Yuanba no longer hesitated, his Xingyi Sword flew out to meet Yang Bao¡¯s flying sword treasure.


    When Yang Bao realized something was wrong, it was already too late; the moment he sensed the terrifying Sword Intent on the Xingyi Sword, he knew his opponent was a powerful Sword Cultivator.


    But his flying sword treasure had already collided with the Xingyi Sword, and the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, upon impact, entered the flying sword treasure and instantly destroyed the spiritual imprint within it.


    Li Yuanba stepped forward in mid-air, and strangely, the formation¡¯s lock lost effect. He flew next to the colliding flying sword treasure and grabbed it in his hand.


    After the Xingyi Sword dispersed the spiritual imprint in the flying sword treasure, it continued towards Yang Bao.


    Under the Golden Core Middle Stage¡¯s ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯s control, Xingyi Sword positioned itself in front of Yang Bao¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 713 - 403: Resolution

    Chapter 713: Chapter 403: Resolution


    "You should feel lucky that I have a good relationship with Mr. Ying Hou, otherwise you would already be a corpse!" Li Yuanba said coldly.


    At this moment, Yang Bao no longer had his previous arrogance. With his cultivation at the Golden Core Middle Stage, he was sweating profusely, with a flash of fear in his eyes.


    Yang Bao was not a cultivator who had never experienced danger. Any cultivator who could cultivate to the Golden Core Middle Stage had survived numerous adventures.


    But he had never encountered a cultivator like Li Yuanba, who, despite being at the same cultivation realm, he couldn¡¯t even block a single sword strike.


    He secretly regretted not gathering information about the checkpoint before coming.


    Originally, he came with the pride of a major sect disciple, as the Righteous Gate¡¯s checkpoint was usually manned by Golden Core cultivators from sects other than the three major Righteous Path sects. He had pulled strings to get the position of the stationed Golden Core cultivator, only to run into Li Yuanba.


    "The Thousand Illusion Sect will not let you off!" Yang Bao still said bitterly, despite the flash of fear in his eyes.


    Knowing that Li Yuanba had no intention of killing him, he felt somewhat relieved.


    "You¡¯re welcome to come and find me in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains!" Li Yuanba said with a faint smile.


    The Xingyi Sword flickered, and its body slapped Yang Bao¡¯s face, leaving a red mark, before flying back to Li Yuanba¡¯s side.


    Li Yuanba turned and walked away, taking Yang Bao¡¯s flying sword treasure with him.


    Watching Li Yuanba¡¯s figure disappear, Yang Bao spat out a mouthful of blood. It was the backlash from the broken spirit imprint of his treasure, which he had been suppressing for the sake of his dignity.


    "What happened?" Ying Hou and Xin Tong hurried over and, seeing Yang Bao¡¯s miserable state, asked in surprise.


    "Mr. Ying, do you know Li Yuanba?" Yang Bao asked, looking resentfully at Ying Hou.


    "You drove Mr. Li away?" Before Ying Hou could answer, Xin Tong exclaimed in shock.


    Xin Tong looked at Yang Bao with even more resentment than Yang Bao himself, as if he wanted to kill Yang Bao on the spot.


    Yang Bao was startled. Although he was somewhat stronger in combat, the advantage was limited, especially since he had lost a flying sword treasure, leaving him without much of an advantage in a fight with Xin Tong.


    "Mr. Yang, Li Yuanba is the disciple of Ancestor Lu of the Senluo Sect. Ancestor Lu has come to visit him multiple times. Now that you¡¯ve made an enemy of Li Yuanba, it looks like you won¡¯t be able to enter the outer buffer zone anymore!" Ying Hou warned in a grave voice.


    Yang Bao and Li Yuanba were both disciples of major sects, but not all sect disciples were equal.


    At the Golden Core Stage, it was mainly about one¡¯s background. Those from the Nascent Soul Ancestor lineage were naturally held in higher regard, especially disciples who caught the attention of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    A chill went down Yang Bao¡¯s spine. A grandchild cherished by a Nascent Soul Ancestor indeed had more status than a Golden Core Elder like him from the Thousand Illusion Sect, who lacked substantial backing.


    Despite the benefits of the Jieshan Mountain Pass, none of the Golden Core Elders who truly held power within the Thousand Illusion Sect would come here.


    A Golden Core Elder could manage resource-rich lands for the Thousand Illusion Sect or take care of important affairs within the sect, both of which brought far more benefits than the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    And not to mention that the Jieshan Mountain Pass was incredibly dangerous, as even Wisdom Light Arhat had perished there.


    Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t left the buffer zone but had just moved to a location far from the checkpoint. He was very familiar with the Righteous Path¡¯s grand formation and easily bypassed it.


    Previously, he found it troublesome, and if he encountered other cultivators while smuggling across the checkpoint, it was never a good thing for the Righteous Path.


    But he guessed that from now on, if he wanted to exchange Spiritual Objects with his original body, Li Shiming, it would need to be done this way, especially while Yang Bao was at the Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    A thousand miles from the checkpoint, he met with his original body, Li Shiming.


    This time Li Shiming had come not only to collect the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus treasure but also to deliver some Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills for Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation.


    Before, the Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills prepared for Li Yuanba were for the Golden Core Early Stage, but now that Li Yuanba¡¯s realm had improved, the Spirit Pills needed to be switched to ones suitable for the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Only because Li Shiming had an abundance of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills did he share some with Li Yuanba.


    Now, Li Yuanba had a higher Cultivation Realm than Li Shiming. A single adventure not only eliminated the gap between the two but also allowed Li Yuanba to surpass Li Shiming.


    Such is the meaning of adventure. Of course, if he had been discovered by the Fourth Grade Spirit Beast in that mountain cave, it would have been a different story.


    Just like Elder Jing Geng, who couldn¡¯t escape the pursuit of the wolf-headed human-shaped Fourth Grade Spirit Beast even with a Fourth Grade Life-saving Talisman.


    Li Yuanba handed the troublesome Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus over to Li Shiming in exchange for the needed Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills and other resources for cultivation before turning back.


    Although extremely precious, the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus wasn¡¯t needed by Li Yuanba or Li Shiming until they reached the Golden Core Peak, so it was better to store it in the Machine Room Space.


    After smuggling back through the grand formation, he arrived at the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    "Junior Li, I¡¯ve already heard about the situation. When should we set a trap and get rid of Yang Bao? The Thousand Illusion Sect wouldn¡¯t start a war over a single Golden Core Elder!" Jiang Pu clearly received the message from Ying Hou and spoke straightforwardly upon seeing Li Yuanba.


    For the sake of personal gain, Yang Bao had dared to stand in the way, so he had to bear the consequences.


    For significant matters related to cultivation resources, it wasn¡¯t just Yang Bao; Jiang Pu and other Golden Core Elders would figure out a way to deal with any trouble.


    "Just handle it yourselves; I just had a breakthrough and need to go into retreat for a while!" Li Yuanba waved his hand and said.

 Chapter 714 - 403: Solution_2

    Chapter 714: Chapter 403: Solution_2


    Let¡¯s see if Jiang Pu and his group can handle it. After enjoying the benefits for so long, they should contribute something. It can¡¯t always be him who steps forward to solve problems whenever they arise!


    Jiang Pu understood this as well and nodded.


    Yang Bao was completely unaware of the extent of the interests his actions had affected.


    He could have had the opportunity to join, becoming a Golden Core cultivator stationed at the pass would only have been a matter of time for him to enter this small circle of benefits.


    But he had offended Li Yuanba and thus completely shut down any possibility of joining.


    To make matters worse, he had made the Golden Core Elders on both sides of the checkpoint hate him to death, as a conspiracy was slowly unfolding.


    Li Yuanba, on the other hand, went back to the Guardian Mansion in Jieshan City and entered closed-door cultivation. For a Mid-stage Golden Core to advance to a Late-stage Golden Core, a lengthy period of cultivation is required, even with sufficient resources.


    He needed to settle his mind, as closed-door cultivation would become the norm for him.


    Similarly, Li Shiming had also entered closed-door cultivation, with only a Silver Corpse meeting guests outside, responsible for collecting Spiritual Medicine and delivering Spirit Pills.


    As the days passed by, various events were happening every day in the Cultivation World.


    Standing in the void outside the gates of Senluo Sect¡¯s Thirty-Three Heavens, Ancestor Lu looked at the wolf-headed human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast opposite him.


    "Lang Xiong, it¡¯s been many years since we last met!" Ancestor Lu said with a smile.


    Clearly, Ancestor Lu was very familiar with Lang Xiong, the Fourth-grade Spirit Beast, and the two interacted as if they were old friends catching up.


    "Someone stole my Fourth-grade Spiritual Medicine, and I found the aura of over thirty Golden Core cultivators at the scene. The only force capable of such an act in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains is your Senluo Sect, you must give me an explanation!" Lang Xiong said bluntly.


    Despite being a spirit beast, Lang Xiong had lived long enough and had extensive encounters with human cultivators to easily master the human language.


    However, there were very few cultivators that could make him converse in the human tongue. The weaker ones he could kill with a flick of his hand¡ªthere was no need for communication.


    Having lost his Fourth-grade Corpse Lotus and unable to find its whereabouts, he turned to Senluo Sect.


    After all, the Spirit Beast Clan had an agreement with Senluo Sect, and they coexisted within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    "Over thirty Golden Core cultivators? I think I know who¡¯s behind this. Not long ago, the Righteous Path sects, Spiritual Crane Sect, and Endless Sect had dozens of Golden Core cultivators attack the Jieshan Mountain Pass. They successfully breached the formation and entered the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and then disappeared. I didn¡¯t expect that their target would be your treasure!" Ancestor Lu quickly recalled the recent events and explained with a serious tone.


    "Don¡¯t lie to me!" Lang Xiong said as he looked at Ancestor Lu.


    He was well aware of how cunning human cultivators could be, a conclusion he had drawn from many years of interactions with them.


    "Why would I lie to you? The matter has caused a huge uproar, and I am also preparing to head over to the territory of the Righteous Path forces, planning to extinguish both sects!" Ancestor Lu spread his hands as he spoke.


    "I¡¯m going too. It seems these cultivators have forgotten our strength!" Lang Xiong wanted to witness it himself and, moreover, he was eager to find his Fourth-grade Corpse Lotus within the two sects.


    "We¡¯ll go together, so you won¡¯t suspect me of deceiving you!" Ancestor Lu didn¡¯t mind. He had already informed the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the three major Righteous Path sects about his actions, so having Lang Xiong join him would showcase the close relationship between Senluo Sect and the Spirit Beast Clan to other major sects.


    Lang Xiong was impulsive and could not wait another moment, urging Ancestor Lu to lead the way.


    Ancestor Lu shook his head helplessly, sent out a few messages with a communication tile, then descended from the Thirty-Three Heavens and flew towards the territory of the Righteous Path forces.


    On the Righteous Path side of Jieshan Mountain Pass, Yang Bao obtained information on Li Yuanba through his connections.


    Looking at Li Yuanba¡¯s dossier, the intelligence was still that of an Early-stage Golden Core Li Yuanba; aside from a few cultivators, outsiders were yet to learn of Li Yuanba¡¯s promotion.


    With this piece of information, he confirmed what Ying Hou had told him.


    He had crossed a devil cultivator with a formidable background and terrifying strength.


    In the records, Li Yuanba had the achievement of slaying Late-stage Golden Core cultivators while he was at the Early stage.


    The last time seven Golden Core Mid and Late Stage cultivators from Spiritual Crane Sect and Endless Sect attacked the Senluo Sect¡¯s Jieshan Mountain Pass, Li Yuanba single-handedly killed them all.


    Seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s age, Yang Bao was shocked; he had unwittingly made an enemy of such a prodigy.


    Originally, his hatred for Li Yuanba was immense because Li Yuanba had stolen his flying sword treasure, but after seeing Li Yuanba¡¯s martial achievements, his only consolation was that Li Yuanba had shown mercy, not killing him with a single blow.


    A deep sense of regret rose in his heart; if he could make amends, he was willing to pay the price.


    With this in mind, he prepared to seek out Ying Hou as a mediator to see if he could resolve the feud with Li Yuanba.


    Just as he was about to stand up to find Ying Hou for a talk, he sensed an alarm from the great formation.


    Although he had just become the resident Golden Core at the checkpoint, he was very clear about the alarm from this formation.


    "Is this a Nascent Soul Ancestor approaching, or perhaps two?" Yang Bao was shocked to discover the reason why the formation had triggered an alarm.


    He immediately thought of Li Yuanba; just after he had offended Li Yuanba, a Nascent Soul Ancestor had come.


    And according to the information he had received, Ancestor Lu, a Nascent Soul Elder managing the Senluo Sect, was Li Yuanba¡¯s master¡¯s master.


    Since Ancestor Lu had not concealed his aura, after the formation raised the alarm, it also identified Ancestor Lu¡¯s identity.


    Yang Bao now confirmed that this visit was intended for him.


    "Why is Li Yuanba so petty? It was just a fight or not even that, merely a bullying session, and yet Li Yuanba still went to the extent of calling a Nascent Soul Ancestor to pick a fight!" he thought to himself.


    After being defeated by Li Yuanba, Yang Bao¡¯s mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of him.


    If only he could calm his mind, he would realize that a Nascent Soul Ancestor would hardly bother to come after him over such a trivial matter as Li Yuanba¡¯s.


    He was not significant enough to warrant the personal attention of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, especially since Li Yuanba had the advantage.


    But, stuck in a dead end of his own making, all he could think of was that the Nascent Soul Ancestor had come for him.


    A talisman appeared in Yang Bao¡¯s hand; though not an especially precious life-saving talisman, it was one of the faster ones among the third-grade talismans.


    He activated the talisman, transforming into a streak of rainbow light as he flew off towards the deep territories of the Righteous Path.


    As Ancestor Lu flew past the Jieshan Mountain Pass, he slowed his pace out of respect for several Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Righteous Path and revealed his own aura.


    This was to notify the three major sects of the Righteous Path that he was passing through the checkpoint openly, indicating his whereabouts.


    However, just as he went through the Jieshan Mountain Pass, a figure fled the Righteous Gate.


    If Ancestor Lu had been alone, he would not bother with such affairs.


    But this time was different; Lang Xiong, the Wolf-headed Human-shaped Fourth-grade Spirit Beast, was beside Ancestor Lu.


    "This guy runs at the sight of me; he must be feeling guilty for being involved in the theft of my treasures!" That was Lang Xiong¡¯s first thought when he saw Yang Bao fleeing.


    A life-saving talisman was not to be used rashly; creating one was not easy, and it was even done at a loss, all for the sake of rapidly deploying an extreme speed flight spell.


    Once a life-saving talisman was used, it indicated that one had encountered extreme danger.


    Lang Xiong had a good understanding of human cultivators, and based on that, he believed Yang Bao was guilty.


    Forget Yang Bao¡¯s use of such a third-grade life-saving talisman; even not long ago, when Elder Jing Geng used a fourth-grade life-saving talisman, he couldn¡¯t escape from Lang Xiong.


    With murderous intent, Lang Xiong nonchalantly released an attack chasing after Yang Bao. Yang Bao had not fled far when the attack caught up with him, his body exploding into a cloud of blood mist in the sky.


    Ying Hou, still at the checkpoint, saw it all very clearly. His mouth agape, he watched in disbelief at what was happening outside.


    Just moments before, he had been in contact with Jiang Pu, discussing how to plot against Yang Bao.


    But what was happening now? Why would Yang Bao use a life-saving talisman to flee? Why would the Nascent Soul Ancestor strike at Yang Bao?


    No matter what, all Ying Hou could do was watch. Matters involving Nascent Soul Ancestors were beyond his interference; at most, he could report this incident to the Thousand Illusion Sect.

 Chapter 715 - 404 Message

    Chapter 715: Chapter 404 Message


    In the presence of two Nascent Soul Ancestors, no cultivator would concern themselves with the murder of Yang Bao, the Golden Core cultivator, even though Yang Bao was a Golden Core Elder of the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    Outside the Spiritual Crane Sect, Ancestor Lu stood side by side with Lang Xiong in the void.


    The great formation of the Spiritual Crane Sect was active, but such a formation couldn¡¯t block the senses of Ancestor Lu and Lang Xiong. They discovered that the strongest within the Spiritual Crane Sect were merely Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, with not a single Golden Core cultivator in existence.


    Although the Spiritual Crane Sect was a medium-sized sect, this should not have been the case; it only demonstrated that the Golden Core cultivators they lost before were all the Golden Core cultivators they had.


    Ancestor Lu had yet to look closer when Lang Xiong struck with his palm.


    This palm wielded a portion of the Dharma Manifestation¡¯s might, a gigantic palm descending from the sky towards the mountain gate of the Spiritual Crane Sect.


    The formation was instantly shattered; the dozen or so peaks where the mountain gate stood were enveloped by the gigantic palm, and before it even fully descended, all the cultivators at the mountain gate were shaken to death by the terrifying force.


    Not to mention them, even Golden Core cultivators could not have survived under such might.


    With a ¡¯boom,¡¯ the dozen or so peaks were all pulverized, and the grotto-homes within the mountain gate, no matter how they had been reinforced and defended, were likewise destroyed.


    The gigantic palm did not stop; it continued to press down, flattening the mountains.


    Lang Xiong made his move before Ancestor Lu could in order to find traces of the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus or the remnants of the Sky-splitting Beast.


    Of course, he understood that, looking at the state of the Spiritual Crane Sect, it was unlikely that a cultivator would have brought such precious items back, but as long as there was the slightest hope, he would not give up.


    The Dharma Manifestation¡¯s gigantic palm, whilst appearing destructive, carried his senses. If there was even the slightest trace of the Fourth Grade Corpse Lotus or the Sky-splitting Beast¡¯s remnants, the palm would halt its destruction and locate the position of the treasures.


    The Dharma Manifestation¡¯s gigantic palm did not stop, indicating that Lang Xiong hadn¡¯t found anything.


    Unwilling to give up, Lang Xiong continued to exert force with his Dharma Manifestation¡¯s gigantic palm. By this time, the mountain gate of the Spiritual Crane Sect had been pressed into the ground, forming a vast palm-shaped crater.


    Ancestor Lu frowned slightly, but he did not say anything.


    The destruction wrought by Lang Xiong was excessively thorough; this land, suitable for cultivators to practice in due to its spiritual nature, had not only its mountains destroyed under Lang Xiong¡¯s palm but also its spiritual veins and vitality extinguished.


    Eventually, Lang Xiong ceased the motion of his gigantic palm. After withdrawing it, the Spiritual Crane Sect no longer existed, and a daunting aura lingered over the area.


    For thousands of miles around, and perhaps even longer, there wouldn¡¯t be life here again.


    Even the most tenacious wild grass would not be able to survive in an area attacked by a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    "Old Lu, let¡¯s go to the Endless Sect!" Lang Xiong was incredibly proactive, immediately suggesting to Ancestor Lu after destroying the Spiritual Crane Sect.


    "Let¡¯s go," agreed Ancestor Lu with a nod.


    The Endless Sect met with the same fate as the Spiritual Crane Sect. The hand of the Nascent Soul Ancestors had destroyed two medium-sized sects, an event which stirred up considerable turmoil on the Beishu Continent.


    It had been many years since such an event occurred, with no forces daring to challenge the major sects for a millennium.


    The Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect had once again demonstrated to the Cultivation World the consequences of offending a major sect.


    It was simply the misfortune of the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect; under normal circumstances, even if a large number of Golden Core cultivators were to challenge the Senluo Sect, the Golden Core Elders of the Senluo Sect would handle the matter themselves.


    The Senluo Sect would definitely not awaken a Nascent Soul Ancestor from seclusion for such an affair, even though it would require negotiations with the three major Righteous Path sects due to the location of the mountain gates of the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect being within the Righteous Path¡¯s influence. However, it hadn¡¯t escalated to the point where the involvement of a Nascent Soul Ancestor was absolutely necessary.


    The misfortune of the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect was that at the time of their mishaps, due to the invasion of external forces, Ancestor Lu was guarding the mountain pass.


    Furthermore, with Lang Xiong arriving on the scene, it prompted the action of a Nascent Soul Ancestor personally stepping out to annihilate the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect.


    The forces that seemed to have forgotten the majesty of the major sects were once again reminded of their terror, and they all backtracked on their various scheming thoughts.


    This was also an outcome the six major sects were happy to see - the six major sects were not to be challenged, which was a shared interest.


    All these matters were of little concern to Li Shiming and Li Yuanba, who had both entered into arduous cultivation.


    Another five years passed, and throughout that time, nothing significant happened in the Cultivation World.


    The only thing that affected Li Yuanba was that the Golden Core Elders of the sect were desperately vying for the tasks of guarding Jieshan Mountain Pass and Jieshan City.


    This caused Jiang Pu extreme distress; only after using many favors and connections were they able to retain the positions for the guarding Golden Cores.


    As for Li Yuanba¡¯s side, with Ancestor Lu present, unless the high echelon of the sect went mad, they would not touch Li Yuanba¡¯s position.


    The high echelon of the sect was extremely content with Li Yuanba remaining in Jieshan City.


    Li Yuanba had no interest in power; otherwise, with the way Ancestor Lu valued him, he could return to the sect and enter the high hierarchy at any moment, seizing control of the sect¡¯s power.


    All the key positions of authority within the sect were occupied, and if he wished to intervene, it would mean displacing one of them.


    Therefore, the high echelon would certainly not disrupt Li Yuanba¡¯s position; in fact, they were even pleading for him to stay in Jieshan City.


    During those five years, the Righteous Gate saw the arrival of a new Golden Core Elder, who was not from the three major Righteous Path sects this time.


    This Golden Core Elder was also a man of understanding, quickly making his subordination clear to Ying Hou upon arriving.


    The once-severed connection channel with the Alchemy Master Li Shiming was restored, satisfying the stationed Golden Core Elders as they enjoyed their special privileges.

 Chapter 716 - 404 News_2

    Chapter 716: Chapter 404 News_2


    Five years may seem like a long time, but for a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, it truly isn¡¯t much.


    During those five years of cultivation, Li Yuanba consistently took large doses of Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills suitable for the Golden Core Middle Stage. However, the increase in the Spiritual Power Pattern within his Golden Core was very limited compared to five years ago; he was still at the middle phase of the Golden Core Middle Stage, a long way off from the Late-stage Golden Core.


    In the same span of five years, his original body, Li Shiming, had only progressed to one-third of the Golden Core Middle Stage, even though Li Shiming had the enhancement of a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein. His progress through five years of cultivation was still slow.


    Of course, their cultivation speed, if compared with other Golden Core cultivators in the Cultivation World, was like being boosted by a rocket.


    Not to mention that the majority of Golden Core cultivators spend a large amount of time striving to obtain Third-grade Spiritual Medicine and have very little time actually available to use such Spirit Pills for cultivation.


    This is why it takes some Golden Core cultivators hundreds of years to progress from the Golden Core Early Stage to the Middle Stage. Resources are always the biggest challenge in cultivation.


    Li Yuanba sat cross-legged in the Cultivation Room, with the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure floating in front of him.


    Although his cultivation level hadn¡¯t increased much in five years, his actual combat power had greatly improved.


    Because of the energy absorbed in balancing the Corpse Refining state previously, his realm had greatly advanced in a short time, but this also made his realm unstable.


    Over five years, he had spent a long time practicing the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" to enhance his Sword Intent and stabilize his realm.


    Perhaps because of his Body Refinement reaching the Great Elder Level, his speed in cultivating Sword Intent had increased significantly.


    Now, his Sword Intent had reached the Golden Core Middle Stage Sword Intent as described in "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique". It was in line with his realm¡¯s progression, which had elevated his overall strength by a significant notch.


    Long-term use of the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure to cultivate "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" had also strengthened his connection with the treasure significantly. He even felt that his connection with the Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure was nearly approaching that of the Xingyi Sword.


    This surprised him, as he knew that the Xingyi Sword was his life-bound treasure.


    Yet, it was not unexpected. As a Sword Cultivator, Sword Intent is his strongest weapon, and the long-term interaction of Sword Intent with the Ten Thousand Sword Peak made the Sword Intent within it increasingly compatible with his own. This bond at the level of Sword Intent was nearly equivalent to that with a life-bound treasure.


    As he was cultivating, his Identity Jade Disc received a message.


    For a message to come through while he was cultivating, only a very few people had such privilege.


    He slowly withdrew his Sword Intent from the Ten Thousand Sword Peak and ended this cultivation session.


    He took out the Identity Jade Disc and, upon seeing the message, he realized it was indeed something that required immediate attention.


    Ancestor Lu had sent him a message, urging him to return to the sect immediately.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t know what had happened, but he couldn¡¯t defy Ancestor Lu¡¯s orders.


    He sent a message to Steward Yue Xing, informing him of his returning to the sect, and then he activated his Sword Escape towards the direction of the sect.


    Though he wasn¡¯t employing the "Step by Step Lotus," as a Middle Stage Golden Core Sword Cultivator who based his practice on the top-tier Sword Cultivation Technique "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique", his Sword Escape speed was not slow.


    When he arrived at the sect, he found that the great formation was operating at its maximum capacity.


    Such a situation hardly ever occurred; clearly, an Array Master was controlling the formation, which only happened when major events unfolded in the sect.


    After showing his Identity Jade Disc and passing through a thorough scanning by the grand formation, he was finally allowed into the sect.


    This rigorous inspection alone was entirely different from usual times.


    "Come to Three Saints Peak!" Ancestor Lu¡¯s voice rang in his ear just as he entered the sect.


    Without stopping his Sword Escape, he flew toward Three Saints Peak.


    As he soared past various parts of the sect, he noticed that every formation was activated, and numerous Golden Core cultivators were stationed at many significant nodes of these formations.


    A tense atmosphere enveloped the sect, prompting Li Yuanba to wonder what had happened.


    Upon arriving at Three Saints Peak, he saw several high-level members of the sect and four Golden Core Elders emitting the aura of Great Elders standing in the void outside the peak, seemingly waiting for something.


    The sect¡¯s high-ranking members smiled warmly when they saw Li Yuanba.


    This gave Li Yuanba a chill, as he was not familiar with the high ranks of the sect, but he knew that these were well-known Devil Cultivators; their warm smiles did not match the typical persona of Devil Cultivators.


    No cultivator spoke to him, and the formation at Three Saints Peak opened a passage, allowing him to enter.


    As soon as he entered the formation at Three Saints Peak, he felt the restlessness of the Spiritual Energy, a highly unstable state of Spiritual Energy that should not have appeared at such a location.


    "I¡¯ve seen Ancestor Lu!" Li Yuanba greeted Ancestor Lu with a bow.


    "You¡¯ve arrived; your master will soon attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. You are his true inheritor. You should observe the process from the sidelines; it¡¯s a rare opportunity, so cherish it!" Ancestor Lu said with a smile upon seeing Li Yuanba.


    Surprise showed on Li Yuanba¡¯s face; his master, Elder Jian, was finally about to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    This was great news. Although Ancestor Lu always protected him, Ancestor Lu belonged to a different generation, so their relationship was naturally not as close as his relationship with Elder Jian.


    Once Elder Jian successfully broke through, he would have two Nascent Soul Ancestors to rely on.


    Regarding whether Elder Jian could successfully break through, Li Yuanba, who also practiced the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique, was very confident.


    The Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique, a top-tier Sword Cultivation Technique, had enhancements for forming the nascent soul; with the sect¡¯s resources and the resources prepared by Elder Jian himself, his chances of breaking through were higher than those of other cultivators.


    In the Beishu Continent, there were likely no techniques at the same level as the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique, which could break through the Nascent Soul Stage and reach even higher levels.


    And in the Beishu Continent, techniques could at most reach the Nascent Soul Stage, which was considered the peak.


    This difference in techniques has a significant impact on forming the nascent soul.


    Sword cultivators who practiced the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique aimed not only at the Nascent Soul Stage but also at much higher levels, both mentally and in other aspects, far surpassing others.


    "Ancestor, how is my master doing?" Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Feel the Spiritual Energy of this place. He has excellent talent and can now sense the natural energies. I am very optimistic about his advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage!" Ancestor Lu said candidly, as Li Yuanba was considered family.


    "What about those people outside?" remembering the Golden Core cultivators outside when he entered Three Saints Peak, Li Yuanba asked.


    "They wanted to observe the advancement process, wishful thinking on their part. The more observers, the more potential complications. Anyway, the sect¡¯s requirement is to have at least one exceptionally talented junior to witness it; your presence is sufficient!" Ancestor Lu replied with a laugh.


    Li Yuanba then understood the reason those Golden Core cultivators were waiting outside; probably because they could not enter Three Saints Peak to observe, staying outside allowed them to sense the atmosphere of advancement to some extent.


    As for his exceptional talent, it was acknowledged within the sect.


    Someone who advanced to Golden Core in his thirties and reached the Golden Core Middle Stage in just a few years, his cultivation speed alone, if not considered an exceptional talent, would mean there were no exceptionally talented juniors within the sect.


    "Your cultivation speed is somewhat quick!" Ancestor Lu observed Li Yuanba closely.


    However, after carefully sensing Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation level, a look of admiration appeared in his eyes.


    "Indeed, although your cultivation speed is fast, your realm is very stable. To say you have exceptional talent is an understatement; your talent is rare in a thousand years!" Ancestor Lu said with a smile.


    He was naturally very happy, as his disciple was about to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage, while his grand-disciple had already reached the Golden Core Middle Stage and had completed more than half of the cultivation process at that stage.


    Back in the day, Elder Jian did not possess the talent Li Yuanba had, and in his view, Li Yuanba had an extremely high probability of advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage.

 Chapter 717 - 405: Observing

    Chapter 717: Chapter 405: Observing


    If within a hundred years, Elder Jian and Li Yuanba, two Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, were to emerge successively, then the Senluo Sect would gain a larger quota in the distribution of fourth-grade resources on the Beishu Continent.


    The Senluo Sect would also become stronger and its influence on the Beishu Continent would similarly increase.


    Ancestor Lu couldn¡¯t help but look towards the direction where Elder Jian was cultivating; the most important issue now was whether Elder Jian could successfully advance to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    "Follow me, and during the observation process, do not manipulate any vital force. Even the slightest influence could cause an accident in the advancement process!" Ancestor Lu cautioned Li Yuanba in a deep voice.


    If it weren¡¯t for the special relationship between Li Yuanba and Elder Jian as facilitated by Ancestor Lu, it would be impossible to allow observers to enter the cultivation area during such a critical moment of impacting the Nascent Soul Stage.


    At most, for the Sect¡¯s requirements, observers would be placed in a relatively far and safe position when the final breakthrough took place.


    Li Yuanba entered the mountain peak where Ancestor Lu¡¯s cave dwelling was located; Elder Jian was now at the peak, where a massive Formation had been set up.


    This Formation was a fourth-grade Array, and its main materials were fourth-grade materials.


    This was not unusual; as a major Sect like Senluo, such Arrays that could be used multiple times to aid in breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage had to be built to the best standards.


    After so many years, he saw his master Elder Jian once again.


    Elder Jian¡¯s appearance had not changed at all, but his aura was extremely sharp, like a drawn sword standing within the Formation.


    This sharp aura gave Li Yuanba a true sense of the terror of a Sword Cultivator. He too was a Sword Cultivator, and a rather powerful one at that, as his midstage Golden Core realm allowed him, relying solely on his sword cultivation skills, to battle across levels.


    But compared to the Sword Cultivator aura Elder Jian was now exhibiting, Li Yuanba was far too weak.


    Li Yuanba had heard many stories about Elder Jian in the Senluo Sect. Elder Jian was a nightmare for an entire generation of cultivators.


    Elder Jian had suppressed all the Golden Core cultivators of his era; even though he had few friends within the Senluo Sect, no cultivator dared to overlook his presence.


    His prowess was his sword, his very self, and his combat power gave him the right to be arrogant.


    Elder Jian had not completely shut off his perceptions, and when he noticed Li Yuanba, a smile of relief appeared on his face.


    He sensed Li Yuanba¡¯s power; the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" in his hands now had a successor, and the development of this successor alleviated his most worrying concern.


    Previously, he had some lingering worries. If Li Yuanba was too weak and failed to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage, he could have been killed before he reached his full potential.


    He had made far too many enemies in his life, both within his Sect and among other major sects.


    As long as he did not fall, these enemies would not be able to blame Li Yuanba, but once he fell, the hatred would transfer to Li Yuanba.


    Now, with Li Yuanba¡¯s strength, even if he failed to advance and fell, Li Yuanba would have enough power to deal with all troubles.


    Ancestor Lu sensed a slight change in Elder Jian¡¯s aura, a lightness that came with releasing a burden, which made Ancestor Lu unwittingly chuckle.


    The reason Ancestor Lu brought Li Yuanba here was not only in hope that Li Yuanba could gain some insights from Elder Jian¡¯s advancement process but also to reassure Elder Jian.


    Elder Jian¡¯s current state could increase the likelihood of a successful advancement.


    Elder Jian did not speak, maintaining the stability of his mind as even the slightest external factor could negatively impact his breakthrough.


    Ancestor Lu and Li Yuanba were a hundred meters away from the Formation, Li Yuanba observing the Formation.


    Using the "Divine Eye," one could clearly see the operational mode and Spiritual Power Patterns of the Formation. This Formation was definitely a secret transmission of the Senluo Sect and might prove useful to Li Shiming later.


    It¡¯s not that the Formation would be set up when Li Shiming advanced, but with Li Shiming¡¯s formation capabilities, perhaps he could combine this secret transmission Formation of the Senluo Sect with other Formations to obtain an even better Formation that would greatly help in advancements.


    Time unknowingly passed, and Sword Intent started to rise slowly around Elder Jian.


    Intermittently, Sword Intent burst out from his body, indicating some loss of control over his own Sword Intent.


    For a Sword Cultivator who had practiced for hundreds of years like him, the only explanation for this phenomenon was a significant internal change preventing him from restraining his own Sword Intent.


    The Sword Intent slicing through the void emitted a piercing, bone-chilling sound.


    In Li Yuanba¡¯s judgment, any random strand of this Sword Intent could penetrate the physical defenses of a human body.


    When he had interacted with Elder Jian in the past, due to his low realm, he hadn¡¯t comprehended how powerful Elder Jian truly was.


    Only now did he truly perceive the formidable nature of Elder Jian.


    And this was just Elder Jian using his Sword Intent without employing his flying sword; the combination of a flying sword and Sword Intent is the most powerful state for a Sword Cultivator.


    Ancestor Lu waved his hand, and a gentle force sealed off the area outside the Formation, preventing the Sword Intent from breaking free.


    The Formation itself wouldn¡¯t be harmed by the Sword Intent due to its aid, but the exterior was different; this was the location of his cave dwelling, and he couldn¡¯t allow Elder Jian to destroy it.


    Indeed, some strands of Sword Intent broke out of the Formation but collided with the barrier and caused no effect at all, like stones tossed into water.


    Li Yuanba sensed a terrifying presence emanating from within Elder Jian and immediately turned on his "Divine Eye" to observe Elder Jian.

 Chapter 718 - 405: Observing_2

    Chapter 718: Chapter 405: Observing_2


    Using Divine Thought was impossible as it would disturb Elder Jian¡¯s advancement, but the "Eye of the Divine" was different, as it did not have any effect.


    Yet, it allowed him to see much more, an opportunity incredibly rare, perhaps once in a millennium.


    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of a great sect producing a Nascent Soul Ancestor that provided a chance to observe; both the cultivator¡¯s breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage and their willingness to allow others to observe were required. No one besides Elder Jian, this master, could make it possible.


    As for Li Shiming himself, his master, Elder Su, hadn¡¯t even reached the late-stage Golden Core; perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be long before Li Shiming could catch up to Elder Su¡¯s realm.


    Li Shiming was unable to observe his own master¡¯s breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage. It was very likely that it should be Elder Su observing Li Shiming¡¯s breakthrough instead.


    "Be alert, the Nascent Soul is beginning to form!" Ancestor Lu reminded Li Yuanba through a transmitted message.


    The gestation of the Nascent Soul from the Golden Core was the most crucial process.


    Li Yuanba didn¡¯t need Ancestor Lu¡¯s reminder, as he could see what was happening to Elder Jian much more clearly through the "Eye of the Divine."


    The Nascent Soul was formed within the Golden Core, originally merging with the cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power and Spirit, yet it was akin to an inert object.


    At this moment, the Golden Core was nurturing life; the Spiritual Power and Spirit within it assumed the form of a baby through some special method, while continuously absorbing all energy present within the Golden Core.


    Beside Elder Jian, a Spirit Pill flew out of a jade bottle and into his mouth.


    It was a fourth-grade Spirit Pill, presumably prepared by Elder Jian to assist in the breakthrough.


    After the fourth-grade Spirit Pill was ingested, the aura of Elder Jian¡¯s Nascent Soul significantly increased.


    At the same time, his Sword Intent sharply contracted, rushing towards the Golden Core.


    The Nascent Soul is essentially another incarnation of a cultivator, even to the extent that the Nascent Soul is, in some ways, everything of the cultivator.


    During the process of the Nascent Soul¡¯s gestation, it is necessary to concentrate one¡¯s strongest abilities within the Nascent Soul, so that after the breakthrough, the Nascent Soul can freely utilize this ability and continuously enhance it.


    This ability will also become the foundation of the Nascent Soul Stage, a process that every Nascent Soul Ancestor must undergo.


    Elder Jian¡¯s Sword Intent completely disappeared, but his Nascent Soul aura was mixed with a terrifying Sword Intent.


    At this moment, his aura and the Nascent Soul¡¯s aura were two different currents, unrelated to each other.


    This process lasted six whole days, after which the Nascent Soul aura stabilized without further changes.


    "What follows is the process of the Nascent Soul breaking out of the Golden Core!" Ancestor Lu, who had been silent for six days, reminded Li Yuanba through a transmitted message.


    Li Yuanba dared not be distracted in the slightest; through his connection with his true form, Li Shiming, his lifebound treasure, an IBM z15, recorded all the changes occurring to Elder Jian.


    A crisp sound emitted from inside Elder Jian¡¯s body, followed by a sudden great increase in the Nascent Soul aura. After this increase, Elder Jian¡¯s aura eerily disappeared.


    Li Yuanba anxiously followed Elder Jian¡¯s condition. Normally, the disappearance of a cultivator¡¯s aura would mean the cultivator¡¯s death.


    But the Nascent Soul aura was still present, indicating Elder Jian was still alive.


    Elder Jian¡¯s body quickly weakened, his entire appearance aging significantly.


    Yet, the Nascent Soul aura grew stronger, and had it not been for Ancestor Lu protecting him at the side, Li Yuanba might have been overcome by this uncontained Nascent Soul aura.


    Just then, a tiny head peeked out from the top of Elder Jian¡¯s head.


    This was Elder Jian¡¯s Nascent Soul. After peeking out its head, the Nascent Soul suddenly leapt upwards, its entire body springing out of Elder Jian¡¯s physique.


    Li Yuanba noticed that in the hands of the Nascent Soul, there was a flying sword which was Elder Jian¡¯s lifebound treasure.


    The Nascent Soul seemed curiously attuned to this state, a sensation it had never experienced before.


    "Foolish boy, quickly restore your physical body!" Ancestor Lu said sternly.


    The Nascent Soul flinched, seemingly only then realizing the situation. With a wave of its tiny hand, a Spirit Pill flew out from a jade bottle nearby and entered the mouth of Elder Jian¡¯s physical body.


    "When a Nascent Soul is just born, there is a period of memory lapse. Its behavior is like that of a newborn, driven by curiosity and exploration. It¡¯s best to have a cultivator as a protector, otherwise, accidents are likely to occur!" Ancestor Lu explained to Li Yuanba upon seeing the Nascent Soul¡¯s reaction.


    Li Yuanba also noticed that the behavior of the Nascent Soul just now was completely different from Elder Jian¡¯s usual composure, as if he were a different person.


    Upon hearing Ancestor Lu¡¯s explanation, he then understood why.


    "The Heavenly Tribulation is coming!" Ancestor Lu looked up at the sky and said in a grave voice.


    He was not only informing Li Yuanba but also reminding Elder Jian.


    Elder Jian¡¯s Nascent Soul retracted back into his body, and his life-bound flying sword floated above his head.


    After swallowing the Spirit Pill, Elder Jian¡¯s body recovered somewhat.


    Though the Nascent Soul retracted into his body, his aura was still that of the Nascent Soul, or perhaps when the Nascent Soul burst from the Golden Core, it merged with him, becoming one.


    Elder Jian quickly took out a jade box. Upon opening, it contained some liquid, which he then applied all over his body.


    "This is the Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice, a Fourth-grade Tribulation Crossing Spiritual Object. Applying it on the body can temporarily enhance resistance to Heavenly Thunder. The sect still has some in stock. If you break through to the Nascent Soul Stage within a hundred years, you can also get a portion!" Ancestor Lu explained to Li Yuanba about the spiritual item that Elder Jian was using.


    He explained this to highlight the importance of the ¡¯Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice¡¯ and to encourage Li Yuanba to diligently cultivate.


    The quantity of ¡¯Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice¡¯ was not abundant and belonged to the rare Fourth Grade Spiritual Objects; the Sect¡¯s stock diminished with each use, and replenishment was nearly impossible.


    Li Yuanba nodded, somewhat confident about breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage within a hundred years.


    Shortly after Elder Jian applied the ¡¯Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice¡¯, dark clouds appeared in the sky.


    The tribulation clouds stirred tremendously, terrifying lightning flickering within, with powerful electric fluctuations spreading around.


    An unmanned drone, flying at an altitude of ten thousand meters and closest to the airspace above Senluo Sect, was monitoring but got affected by the electric fluctuations.


    Even though Li Shiming had equipped the drone with a Formation to prevent lightning strikes when creating it, it was instantly destroyed under such electric fluctuations.


    Through the last images transmitted by the drone, Li Yuanba saw that the thickness of these storm clouds reached nearly the height of the Thirty-Three Heavens, which was ten thousand meters high.


    With the appearance of the tribulation clouds, the terrifying noise immediately attracted attention from all the major sects across Beishu Continent, as well as other powerful beings.


    The other five major sects sensed the tribulation cloud fluctuations coming from the location of Senluo Sect. They realized that Senluo Sect might soon gain a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    They knew more; it was Elder Jian who was breaking through, as he was the most likely to succeed in recent decades within Senluo Sect.


    Luckily for them, even if Elder Jian succeeded in his breakthrough, he wouldn¡¯t stay in the Beishu Continent for long.


    The fact that Elder Jian would leave the Beishu Continent after becoming a Nascent Soul was no secret, which made the other five major sects not particularly concerned about his breakthrough.


    Ancestor Lu released his own aura, spreading out strong energy parallel to the tribulation clouds.


    He did this to signal to everyone that he was protecting the breakthrough process, to prevent any powerful beings from causing trouble.


    This was not impossible, as historically several cultivators had been attacked by their enemies during their Nascent Soul transformation, some managing to ascend and kill their enemies, while others were disturbed and died under the Heavenly Tribulation.


    Though being in Senluo Sect made this possibility extremely low, it didn¡¯t mean there was absolutely no chance.


    Especially since years ago, Qianye Temple had been attacked, resulting in the death of monks within and giving birth to a heart demon in Venerable Huijing.


    This incident served as a warning to the six major sects. Additionally, the disappearance of Patriarch Weng Zhao of Skywalk Trading Company was another destabilizing factor¡ªno chance of accidents could be afforded at such a crucial moment.


    Soon after Ancestor Lu released his aura, a Nascent Soul Aura also rose from within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, supporting Ancestor Lu. Li Yuanba sensed that it was Lang Xiong¡¯s aura.

 Chapter 719 - 406: Surviving the Calamity

    Chapter 719: Chapter 406: Surviving the Calamity


    Ancestor Lu began to laugh. Having annihilated the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect with Lang Xiong last time, Lang Xiong, though he didn¡¯t say any words of thanks, was now showing his support through actions at this critical time.


    Although the foundation of the Senluo Sect was profound and the support of Lang Xiong didn¡¯t make much of a difference, this represented a further step in the relationship between the Senluo Sect and the Spirit Beast Clan, which was extremely beneficial to the sect.


    The Ten Thousand Great Mountains were both part of the Senluo Sect and the Spirit Beast Clan, and this coexistence relationship became particularly important after the Senluo Sect completely occupied the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.


    In the sky, the terrifying clouds of tribulation were still brewing. Li Yuanba didn¡¯t know how much longer they would continue to form, but the energy they had amassed so far filled him with a sense of terror.


    As he was thinking, the hair on his body stood on end, and he tapped into the strength of the Great Elder level body refinement, turning his body completely jade-like.


    This was his body¡¯s instinctive self-protection response, triggered by sensing a danger beyond his imagination.


    Ancestor Lu cast a surprised glance at Li Yuanba. He hadn¡¯t expected Li Yuanba to have reached such a level in body refinement.


    Even the previous Li Yuanba had surprised him. He had once joked about whether Li Yuanba intended to choose the path of body refinement, but he never imagined that Li Yuanba¡¯s body refinement had reached the pinnacle of Golden Core, just one step away from the Nascent Soul Level.


    "Don¡¯t be nervous," Ancestor Lu said calmly.


    As he spoke, a thick Heavenly Thunder gathered in the clouds above and struck down towards Elder Jian at the mountaintop.


    "Sword, come!" Elder Jian, looking up at the Heavenly Thunder in the sky, laughed and waved his hand.


    His lifebound flying sword suddenly grew larger, turning into a massive sword.


    Elder Jian didn¡¯t defend himself; with a swing of his hand, the giant sword met the Heavenly Thunder in the sky head-on.


    The Heavenly Thunder struck the giant sword, causing it to emit a cry of distress and fall from the sky; then, the Heavenly Thunder continued down to hit his body.


    His figure atop the mountain peak was sent flying violently, and he landed on the ground, creating a large crater.


    "Master!" Li Yuanba cried out in alarm.


    "Watch!" Ancestor Lu pressed one hand on Li Yuanba¡¯s body, rendering him immobile. Even his Great Elder level body refinement abilities were as weak as an infant¡¯s before Ancestor Lu.


    Elder Jian had been struck by Heavenly Thunder, his lifebound flying sword damaged, and he had been sent flying, seemingly failing the tribulation.


    However, the clouds of tribulation in the sky did not dissipate but continued to accumulate lightning.


    After a few moments, Elder Jian slowly flew out from the crater. His robe was torn, his hair partly scorched, and his face was covered with dust.


    Though he looked extremely disheveled, his eyes were still full of light.


    Even though he had been struck by Heavenly Thunder and his lifebound flying sword was damaged, he was still a Sword Cultivator, a living sword himself.


    He motioned toward his fallen lifebound flying sword; it rose from the ground and flew to him with unstable movements.


    He slapped his chest, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the lifebound flying sword.


    Nourished by the essence blood, the lifebound flying sword seemed to return to its condition before it was damaged.


    Li Yuanba knew this was a secret technique from the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique," which forcibly replenished the flying sword with essence blood for short-term use¡ªnot a true repair.


    "Sword, come!" Elder Jian shouted again. He was not deterred by the first Heavenly Thunder strike; instead, his fighting spirit grew stronger.


    This time the lifebound flying sword didn¡¯t grow in size, but the Sword Intent on it was even sharper.


    Another Heavenly Thunder, seemingly stronger than before, grew within the thunderclouds.


    The Heavenly Thunder broke through the clouds and struck at Elder Jian, turning the sky and earth silver with its white brilliance.


    The lifebound flying sword, unstoppable as ever, met the Heavenly Thunder without defense, attacking it head-on.


    Meeting the Heavenly Thunder, the lifebound flying sword didn¡¯t even cry out this time as it was sent flying as if it had lost its spirit.


    The remaining force of the Heavenly Thunder struck Elder Jian, who was once again sent flying by the unavoidable bolt.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s worry deepened; he dared not use his Divine Thought, as it would affect Elder Jian¡¯s tribulation.


    Under normal circumstances, the Nascent Soul Tribulation was a solitary affair for the cultivator undergoing it. However, if someone interfered, the intensity of the tribulation would increase to match the power of a human, which is why powerful cultivators must protect those who undertake it. Not only are the cultivators weak during the tribulation, but if another cultivator had a death wish, they could definitely drag the tribulation-taker down to hell with them.


    The Nascent Soul Tribulation was already difficult to endure, let alone with its power multiplied manifold¡ªalmost certainly a situation with little chance of survival.


    One breath, two breaths, three breaths... until after six breaths, Elder Jian climbed out of the crater, staggering.


    Yes, he climbed out. His body bore multiple injuries, his robe was completely destroyed, revealing his body and showing the extent of his wounds.


    He had a charred hole in his shoulder so large that one could see through to the other side.


    Part of his leg was missing, and no blood flowed because the amputated section had turned into black char from the thunder.


    Elder Jian¡¯s state was dire, but the aura emanating from him didn¡¯t weaken; instead, it grew stronger.


    His eyes blazed with a fighting spirit, and now he couldn¡¯t control his lifebound flying sword, but he showed no signs of retreating.


    "Sword, come!" he cried out once more.


    His Nascent Soul emerged from his body, forming an ethereal giant sword above his head, facing the oppressive thunderclouds in the sky.

 Chapter 720 - 406: Surviving the Calamity_2

    Chapter 720: Chapter 406: Surviving the Calamity_2


    He was going all out. A Nascent Soul is not like the others; once it¡¯s damaged, it¡¯s a complete downfall.


    Admiration flashed in Ancestor Lu¡¯s eyes. Many a promising talent faced their Nascent Soul Tribulation, but very few could exhibit the resilience and courage like Elder Jian did.


    Cultivators who wish to contend with the heavens must be prepared to be pushed to the brink of death before they can hope to survive.


    If one is preoccupied with concerns, they can never unleash their full potential, and failure is then inevitable.


    Every cultivator undergoing tribulation understands this principle, but to truly put it into practice is no easy feat.


    "Sword Intent Sky Towering!" This time, Elder Jian did not wait for the Heavenly Thunder to strike. He let out a manic laugh, and the giant sword transformed from his Nascent Soul charged towards the thunderclouds above.


    His momentum was rising continuously and also growing stronger, his Sword Intent on the giant sword becoming more concentrated. The space in front of him even felt like it was about to be cleaved open by the sword.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes shone. He witnessed the pinnacle of the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" at the Golden Core level.


    He was unable to execute such a powerful move. It required the honing of Sword Intent and the utmost coordination between spirit and Sword Intent, areas in which he still had a long way to go.


    At that moment, the thunderclouds seemed to sense the challenge. The lightning within quickly gathered, and another bolt of Heavenly Thunder slashed down towards Elder Jian, who was ascending towards the sky.


    With a ¡¯boom¡¯, the Heavenly Thunder struck Elder Jian, and the whole sky turned white.


    It was blindingly white, so white that the cultivators couldn¡¯t look directly at it.


    Apart from Ancestor Lu, the Nascent Soul Ancestor, only Li Yuanba, who used the "Divine Eye Technique," could see what was happening in the sky.


    In that instant, as the Heavenly Thunder struck the giant sword formed by the Nascent Soul, layers of the sword began to peel off from its core, the sword shrinking rapidly.


    Just as the sword formed by the Nascent Soul was about to be destroyed by the Heavenly Thunder, Elder Jian grasped the hilt. In the final moment, he became one with the giant sword.


    Either he and the giant sword formed by the Nascent Soul would be completely obliterated by the Heavenly Thunder, or he would survive under its immense power; there was no other choice.


    Li Yuanba saw that Elder Jian¡¯s body was partially destroyed and was falling heavily towards the ground.


    The tribulation clouds in the sky also dissipated after releasing the final bolt of Heavenly Thunder, leaving no trace behind.


    Li Yuanba felt the pressure from Ancestor Lu lift from him, and with a flash, he flew toward the location where Elder Jian was falling.


    "Master, how are you doing?" He caught Elder Jian¡¯s body just before it hit the ground, calling out somewhat helplessly.


    In his perception, Elder Jian¡¯s aura was extremely weak, his life force seemingly hanging by a thread.


    "Silly boy, you should be rejoicing!" Ancestor Lu appeared beside him, laughing as he spoke.


    Li Yuanba was confused, but he would soon understand why.


    The body of Elder Jian that he was holding in his hands began to show a Nascent Soul Aura anew, and the injuries on his body were healing at an eerily fast rate.


    The missing half of his body, along with all the wounds large and small, fully recovered in just a few dozen breaths.


    Regardless of whether Elder Jian was at the Golden Core Realm or Nascent Soul Realm, such injuries could not possibly heal so quickly, even with the finest healing Spirit Pills.


    There was only one possibility; Elder Jian had passed the trial of heaven and earth. He had overcome the Nascent Soul Tribulation and received the rewards from the heavens and the earth.


    Elder Jian¡¯s body rose from Li Yuanba¡¯s hands and landed on the ground nearby.


    "I pay respect to you, Master!" Elder Jian opened his eyes and bowed to Ancestor Lu.


    "You have finally become a Nascent Soul Cultivator!" Ancestor Lu said with satisfaction.


    When he first met Elder Jian, he knew that Elder Jian was destined to reach the Nascent Soul Stage one day.


    After all, Elder Jian was heir to the "Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion", surpassing the heritage of any major sect on the Beishu Continent.


    Elder Jian¡¯s talent was indeed astonishing; during the Golden Core Stage, he nearly dominated an era.


    "Thank you, Master, for everything you¡¯ve done for me!" Elder Jian said with a smile.


    He then turned his gaze to Li Yuanba, his eyes filled with admiration.


    "Yuan Ba, your rate of growth has truly exceeded my expectations. Your talent surpasses even mine!" Elder Jian revealed a gratified expression akin to that of Ancestor Lu.


    "Indeed, he is much stronger than you were at his age!" Ancestor Lu laughed heartily.


    "The guidance I¡¯ve given him is far too little; I am an irresponsible master!" Elder Jian said, shaking his head and smiling.


    He had entered seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage while Li Yuanba was still at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Although before secluding himself, he thoroughly explained the Foundation Establishment Chapter of the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" to Li Yuanba, he had not anticipated that in just a few short years, Li Yuanba would have reached the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    "Then you should stay in the sect for a few more years, and guide Yuan Ba¡¯s cultivation properly!" Ancestor Lu suggested.


    He did not wish for Elder Jian to leave the sect or Beishu Continent too soon, yet he had long since promised not to prevent Elder Jian from returning to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    To this point, he was extremely satisfied with the situation.


    Elder Jian had become a Nascent Soul Cultivator, and the successor he found, Li Yuanba, possessed a talent that even surpassed Elder Jian, now already a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, and had even reached the Great Elder Level in body refinement.


    If nothing unexpected happened, Li Yuanba had a great chance of advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage. What could Elder Jian be unsatisfied with?


    "Master, I will try to stay for a few more years. I¡¯ve waited so many years already; a few more won¡¯t matter!" Elder Jian replied to Ancestor Lu, disproving without any intention to refute, smiling.


    "You take some rest first, get familiar with the Nascent Soul Realm. Oh, and since your disciple refined Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a magical treasure, I¡¯ve arranged a new cave dwelling for you. It¡¯s on the mountain next to Three Saints Peak, you can name it yourself!" Ancestor Lu said in a very good mood upon hearing Elder Jian¡¯s reply.


    Hearing Ancestor Lu mention Ten Thousand Sword Peak, Li Yuanba felt a little embarrassed and scratched his head.


    "Ten Thousand Sword Peak was always meant for Yuan Ba. The path of a Sword Cultivator does not necessarily have to be the same as mine; his talent exceeds mine, and I will not overly constrain his growth!" Elder Jian looked at Li Yuanba, replying with evident satisfaction.


    He bowed deeply to Ancestor Lu and then waved to Li Yuanba, leading him away from the mountain.


    "Congratulations to Jian Wuwei on advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage; our sect has gained another Nascent Soul Cultivator!" Ancestor Lu¡¯s voice echoed throughout the gates of the Senluo Sect.


    Upon hearing this news, the cultivators at the gate displayed various expressions.


    Those cultivators without grievances against Elder Jian were excited; Elder Jian was relatively young for a Nascent Soul Cultivator and could protect the sect for at least six hundred more years.


    As for the cultivators who bore grudges against Elder Jian, their mood wasn¡¯t as pleasant; they only hoped Elder Jian would not dwell on past grievances.


    Some cultivators harbored envy, wondering why Elder Jian could advance to the Nascent Soul Stage, deeming it profoundly unjust.


    The majority of cultivators were not surprised by Elder Jian¡¯s successful advancement; he had been the most likely candidate to become a Nascent Soul Ancestor over the years.


    No matter the reactions of the cultivators at the gates, Elder Jian¡¯s ascension to a Nascent Soul was a significant event for the Senluo Sect.


    Li Yuanba followed behind his master, Elder Jian, who could no longer be simply called an elder. Upon achieving the Nascent Soul Stage, he was referred to as an ancestor.


    However, because Elder Sword was Li Yuanba¡¯s master, there was no need for him to address Elder Sword in such a manner.


    "Come and join me in paying homage to our founding master!" Elder Sword, not overly concerned with the sect¡¯s arrangement of the mountain, hung up a painting on the main hall wall as soon as they entered the dwelling and instructed Li Yuanba.


    The painting was the same one Li Yuanba had paid respect to upon his initiation, depicting the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion amidst the clouds, a treasured item.


    Li Yuanba knelt behind Elder Sword, respectfully performing a grand salute towards the Sword Intent Sky Towering Scroll.


    Elder Sword murmured softly, seemingly recounting something. Li Yuanba quietly accompanied him, not wishing to disturb Elder Sword.


    Li Yuanba knew that Elder Sword had always longed to return to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion. Elder Sword¡¯s affection for the pavilion was profound, and now that he had become a Nascent Soul Ancestor, he naturally wished to inform the founding master.

 Chapter 721 - 407: Instruction

    Chapter 721: Chapter 407: Instruction


    "Yuan Ba, this Ancestor Master Painting shall be in your keeping, which represents our lineage, and by placing your Divine Thought within the painting, you can sense the status of our entire lineage!" Elder Sword carefully put away the painting scroll of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, but instead of storing it in his own spatial storage, he handed it over to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba bowed and took the scroll with both hands, understanding the significance of the painting scroll.


    "I need to enter seclusion for two months, and I¡¯ll notify you to come after two months," Elder Sword waved his hand and said.


    Li Yuanba then left the cave dwelling and flew out of the mountain peak.


    He didn¡¯t linger at the gate, as he had turned his original cave dwelling into a magical treasure. Even though he could set the Ten Thousand Sword Peak back in its original place, he now had a mission to fulfill.


    After all, there were two more months to wait, so he would deal with it after two months.


    It took him some time to return to his Guardian Mansion in Jieshan City, and after entering the Cultivation Room, he finally took out the painting scroll of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    Unfolding the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion scroll, he looked at the depicted mountains, as well as the pavilions on the mountains, and attempted to project his Divine Thought into the pavilion.


    Subsequently, he found himself in a space that mirrored the scene on the scroll, yet within this space, it was as though everything truly existed.


    His spirit could move freely within the space, so he moved it in front of the pavilion.


    There were three cultivators conversing in front of the pavilion, and his spirit went towards them, only to pass through the three cultivators.


    The three cultivators were illusory, yet even with his keen eyesight, he could not discern how the illusion was made to be so deceptively real.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s spirit pushed open the grand doors of the pavilion and saw hundreds of cultivators seated in the main hall.


    When he focused his spirit on one of the cultivators, he received a piece of information:


    "Zhao Biao, the sixteenth-generation disciple of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, fell at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage!"


    He was startled, remembering that when he joined the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, his master had told him that he was the one hundred and fifteenth-generation disciple.


    One must understand that the succession of a martial sect is not like that of ordinary people, where ordinarily, thirty years might pass for a single generation.


    In a martial sect, however, generations are counted by centuries, and it¡¯s normal for great sects not to accept disciples until they reach the Golden Core Stage, sometimes several hundred years passing before the first disciple is taken.


    The difference between the one hundred and fifteenth generation disciple and Zhao Biao, the sixteenth generation, likely spanned ten thousand years.


    The figures sitting in this hall, according to what his master said, were all ancestral masters of their lineage within Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    He investigated them one by one and discovered that none of the ancestral masters here were below the Nascent Soul Stage.


    This meant that Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion had produced so many Nascent Soul Ancestors from their lineage, and only those who were Nascent Soul Ancestors had the privilege to be included here for the posterity to venerate.


    As he was observing, he spotted a familiar figure in the last row¡ªit was his master, Elder Sword.


    Elder Sword was also sitting cross-legged, and Li Yuanba focused his Divine Thought on him:


    "Jian Wuwei, the one hundred and fourteenth-generation disciple of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, currently at the Nascent Soul Early Stage!"


    Li Yuanba was unsure whether the information within the scroll about Elder Sword was added by Elder Sword himself, or it updated automatically.


    He also discovered several Nascent Soul Ancestors whose demises weren¡¯t mentioned; these descriptions were of their current state of cultivation, suggesting that these Nascent Soul Ancestors, like Elder Sword, were still alive.


    However, he noticed some special presences as well, for instance, he tried to seek information on several ancestors seated at the forefront but received no feedback at all.


    Yet, he was certain that these ancestors, without any feedback, must have powers exceeding the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Because there was no feedback, he had no way of knowing if any of these ancestors were still alive.


    He truly understood the might of "Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion." Just considering the number of Nascent Soul Ancestors he had confirmed to be alive, there were many more than the Senluo Sect.


    And this was only a lineage of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, how many more formidable entities could the whole of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion possess?


    He started to grasp Elder Sword¡¯s intentions, perhaps Elder Sword was just like himself back on Sky Sea Island, sensing the barrenness of the island and yearning for a mainland with richer resources, where it was easier to improve one¡¯s cultivation.


    Of course, all these matters were still far away from him, as leaving the Beishu Continent required at the very minimum being at the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Without the strength of the Nascent Soul Stage, one could not survive on the vast sea.


    Li Yuanba put away the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion painting scroll and immersed himself back into cultivation.


    News of Jian Wuwei¡¯s advancement to the Nascent Soul spread quickly throughout all the major forces on the Beishu Continent.


    All the forces, be they the three great Righteous Path sects or the other two great Demonic Path sects, sent elders to the Senluo Sect with congratulatory gifts.


    This was a custom, and, in addition, the Nascent Soul Ancestors would also attend the ceremonies at the Senluo Sect upon receiving an invitation to celebrate Jian Wuwei¡¯s ascension.


    The most important was to introduce Jian Wuwei to the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Beishu Continent. No matter what choices Jian Wuwei made afterwards, he was now a Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Beishu Continent, who would have dealings with other Nascent Soul Ancestors in the future.


    Jian Wuwei needed resources, and the six major sects controlled the distribution of grade-four resources. They needed to sit down and discuss the allocation of resources for Jian Wuwei.


    Jian Wuwei needed to showcase his strength, as the stronger he was, the more generous the allocation of grade-four resources he could obtain.


    Of course, what could be allocated was only the openly acknowledged grade-four resources. The private grade-four resource yields hidden by the six major sects wouldn¡¯t be disclosed.

 Chapter 722 - 407: Instruction_2

    Chapter 722: Chapter 407: Instruction_2


    Just as Li Yuanba and his peers discovered, the Muyang Bee Royal Jelly resource is a private Fourth Grade resource of the Senluo Sect.


    Two months later, Li Yuanba received a message from Elder Sword, and he immediately set out on his journey.


    Upon his return to the sect¡¯s gate, he flew towards Chongxiao Peak next to Three Saints Peak. Chongxiao Peak was a name given by Elder Sword, its meaning was undoubtedly in commemoration of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    When he arrived outside Chongxiao Peak, the formation automatically opened and let him enter.


    Meeting Master Elder Sword again, Elder Sword¡¯s aura was even more condensed. Although he was controlling his own Sword Intent, that hidden edge of his swordsmanship felt even more terrifying.


    Li Yuanba had a feeling that once Elder Sword drew his sword, it would surely exhibit Sky-Surging Sword Intent.


    "Yuan Ba, I plan to stay in the Beishu Continent for ten years. In the first three years of this decade, I will set aside two days each month to teach you. After that, if you have any questions, send me a message, and I will respond to you all at once!" Elder Sword said solemnly, revealing his arrangement.


    It was clear that Elder Sword¡¯s stay was not just for his tutelage; he had other matters to attend to.


    However, being able to set aside three years to teach him individually was already extremely rare.


    Elder Sword was now at the Nascent Soul Stage, a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator. Even though he had only ascended to the Nascent Soul Stage not long ago, his combat power was definitely strong.


    "Thank you, Master!" Li Yuanba bowed deeply in gratitude.


    "If you have any problems with your cultivation, you can ask now!" Elder Sword waved his hand and said.


    Li Yuanba did not hold back. He presented all the uncertainties he had while cultivating the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique one by one.


    In fact, all these issues had been analyzed and answered by his Lifebound Magical Treasure, the IBMz15.


    However, this was a Sword Cultivation Technique after all, and the Lifebound Magical Treasure IBMz15 did not have a deep understanding of such techniques. Moreover, the ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ was too advanced, making it difficult for other techniques to provide relevant insights.


    Therefore, the answers given by the Lifebound Magical Treasure IBMz15 to the problems Li Yuanba encountered in cultivating the ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ were not necessarily accurate.


    Elder Sword patiently explained each issue, even demonstrating on Li Yuanba¡¯s body with Spiritual Power.


    The master and disciple¡¯s question-and-answer session lasted for twenty hours, which finally resolved all the problems Li Yuanba had accumulated.


    Li Yuanba felt that he had learned a great deal. Many answers provided by the IBMz15 were not precise. While they couldn¡¯t be considered wrong, following them would help avoid some detours in his cultivation.


    "Master, I have taken up much of your time. This is a small gift I¡¯ve prepared!" It wasn¡¯t until then that Li Yuanba found the time to present the gift he had brought for his master.


    Li Yuanba pulled out a jade box made from Third Grade Jade Material, which piqued Elder Sword¡¯s curiosity.


    Elder Sword naturally knew that this disciple of his was exceptional; he had reached the Golden Core Middle Stage without relying on his master¡¯s resources.


    When Elder Sword entered seclusion, he had considered that Li Yuanba might ascend to the Golden Core Stage. Li Yuanba had a set of resources for forming his core, which Elder Sword thought would be sufficient.


    But it had only been ten years since he entered seclusion, and not only had Li Yuanba ascended to the Golden Core Stage, but he had also reached the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    If Li Yuanba had not encountered some sort of opportunity, that would have been absolutely impossible.


    Elder Sword did not mind what opportunities Li Yuanba had encountered; every successful cultivator had their own chances.


    He took the jade box, opened it, and a refreshing fragrance of Third Grade Spirit Tea filled his senses.


    "Is this Third Grade Spirit Tea fried by Master Li of the Shushan Sect? Where did you get so much of it?" Elder Sword immediately recognized the origin of the Third Grade Spirit Tea in the jade box.


    Not long ago, when Ancestor Lu visited, he brought some of this Third Grade Spirit Tea to share with him.


    Given Ancestor Lu¡¯s regard for this Third Grade Spirit Tea, although it is only of third-grade quality, its preciousness is by no means inferior to that of Fourth Grade Spiritual Objects.


    According to Ancestor Lu, the Third Grade Spiritual Tea made by Master Li is exceedingly rare, and most of it is supplied to the masters and friends within the Shushan Sect; outsiders find it very difficult to obtain.


    It was the Beishu Trading Company that intervened for Ancestor Lu to obtain this Third Grade Spirit Tea, and for this, Ancestor Lu paid a significant price.


    Master Li is one of the very few Golden Core cultivators on the Beishu Continent who would not be threatened by a Nascent Soul Ancestor, and the reason is simple; Master Li¡¯s displayed alchemy talent, coupled with his Golden Core Middle Stage realm, ensured that as soon as he advanced to the Late-Stage Golden Core, he would become a person whom every Nascent Soul Ancestor would want to cozy up to.


    Nascent Soul Ancestors would not force Master Li to do things; Master Li is not a cultivator without backing, after all. If he doesn¡¯t refine pills for a certain Nascent Soul Ancestor, well, there is really nothing they could do about it.


    No sooner had Elder Sword heard of the preciousness of the Third Grade Spiritual Tea refined by Master Li than Li Yuanba sent over a full two pounds of it.


    He almost thought Ancestor Lu was playing a joke on him, but upon reflection, that seemed impossible; his master, Ancestor Lu, surely wouldn¡¯t make light of such a matter.


    Besides, perceiving the Third Grade Spirit Tea in the jade box, even a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator could sense the benefits it brought to one¡¯s state of mind; this truly was extremely precious Third Grade Spirit Tea.


    Making this Spirit Tea required just one leaf per brew, so two pounds would be enough for him to indulge in a cup every day for several years.


    "Master, I have some dealings with Master Li, and I got this Third Grade Spirit Tea through certain connections!" Li Yuanba explained with a smile.


    "You¡¯re quite fortunate to have a relationship with Master Li; it seems I won¡¯t have to worry about drinking Spirit Tea in the future!" Elder Sword joked.


    "When you¡¯ve finished drinking, just let me know how much you need, and I¡¯ll get it for you!" Li Yuanba was quite serious.


    There wasn¡¯t much he could do to help Elder Sword, but if Elder Sword was interested in the Third Grade Spirit Tea, he could absolutely satisfy that need.


    Third Grade Spirit Tea might be difficult for others to obtain, but for him, it was quite an easy task.


    Li Shiming himself planted several Third Grade tea trees and from time to time, Alchemy Seekers who sought his services would offer fresh, unprocessed Third Grade tea leaves as tribute, knowing that the Third Grade Spirit Tea refined by Master Li was of the highest quality; thus, fresh Third Grade tea leaves were the obvious choice for gifts.


    Elder Sword laughed merrily; his disciple really was wonderful.


    Even ordinary Third Grade Spirit Tea is very precious to a Golden Core cultivator. The quantity distributed by the sect is limited, just enough to entertain important guests.


    Yet his disciple planned to keep supplying such precious Third Grade Spirit Tea, just because he knew his master liked it.


    "Master, how is your Lifebound Flying Sword doing?" Li Yuanba remembered something of utmost importance and asked with concern.


    If Elder Sword¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword was damaged, he was prepared to request a Fourth-grade Flying Sword from Li Shiming, at least to ensure that his master had the power to protect himself in the Early Nascent Soul Stage.


    After all, there were several Fourth-grade Flying Swords with Li Shiming, and it would be a long time before Li Shiming or he himself would need to use one.


    "I¡¯ve never told you before, but today I¡¯ll tell you a bit about Nascent Soul Stage Lifebound Flying Swords.


    The Lifebound Flying Swords of the Golden Core Stage are refined from Third Grade materials, and Sword Cultivators continue to strengthen their Lifebound Flying Swords. Generally speaking, there is at least three hundred years¡¯ time between advancing to the Golden Core Stage and advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage." Elder Sword was in a good mood today and kept talking cheerfully, though he paused momentarily as he said this.


    The disciple before him took less than twenty years to reach the Golden Core Middle Stage, and it was unlikely to take three hundred years to reach the Nascent Soul Stage.


    In fact, there was a great possibility that he could attempt to reach the Nascent Soul Stage within one hundred years, which made the time frame Elder Sword mentioned quite different from Li Yuanba¡¯s experiences.


    "In those three hundred years, the strengthening of the Lifebound Flying Sword by a Sword Cultivator would already have made the sword incredibly powerful. Even after becoming a Nascent Soul Cultivator and switching to a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure, for a short time, it couldn¡¯t compare with the cultivational enhancements of a Third Grade Lifebound Flying Sword in terms of intensifying Sword Intent.


    Most Sword Cultivators would not choose to change their Lifebound Flying Swords after becoming a Nascent Soul Cultivator; that would mean losing three hundred years of hard effort.


    There is one method for Sword Cultivators, however, which involves using Fourth Grade materials that do not conflict with the Third Grade Lifebound Flying Sword to replace the original Third Grade materials. Though this process takes an extremely long time, it allows for the upgrade of the Third Grade Lifebound Flying Sword to a Fourth-grade Lifebound Flying Sword while retaining the enhancements within the Lifebound Flying Sword." Elder Sword continued.

 Chapter 723 - 408 Invitation

    Chapter 723: Chapter 408 Invitation


    Li Shiming had arranged the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array next to him because he was preparing to test the results of his five years of cultivation.


    In front of him, inside the body of Silver Corpse Nanming, from the position of the Corpse Pill to a right arm, and then from the right arm to the fingertip of the right index finger, a channel had already formed, composed of the Nanming Leaving Fire pattern.


    This was built over five years with the help of Silver Corpse Nanming. His life-bound magic weapon, IBMz15, based on the characteristics of Nanming Leaving Fire, had provided this scheme after countless simulations.


    Following his will, a small orange flame appeared at the fingertips of Silver Corpse Nanming and slowly drifted away from the fingertip.


    This was the greatest progress Silver Corpse Nanming had made in the cultivation of Nanming Leaving Fire, as it finally could leave the body of Silver Corpse Nanming to be controlled.


    Furthermore, Silver Corpse Nanming¡¯s ability to control the Nanming Leaving Fire had also greatly improved, a point that even Li Shiming envied.


    Li Shiming was also cultivating the Nanming Leaving Fire, but he was still stuck on the phase of building the internal fire pattern and couldn¡¯t even achieve basic control.


    The body of Silver Corpse Nanming had been specially modified, which naturally endowed it with the ability to control Nanming Leaving Fire. As its level increased, this control ability also improved continuously.


    The level of Silver Corpse Nanming had advanced to the middle stage of Silver Corpse, and sometimes advancing a Silver Corpse¡¯s strength was even easier than that of a cultivator.


    The prerequisite was having sufficient cultivation resources, and Third-grade Corpse Refining resources were extremely precious.


    Of course, the most important thing was that Li Shiming, the master, had reached the Golden Core Middle Stage, raising the level limit of Corpse Refining to the Golden Core Middle Stage as well.


    Not just Silver Corpse Nanming, Li Shiming originally only had one Silver Corpse from Elder Lv that was already at the middle stage. Now, his other Silver Corpses had all ascended to the middle stage.


    No, there was one Silver Corpse that had not ascended; that was the one he left in Xia Country, Silver Corpse Shasheng, which remained at the early stage of Silver Corpse due to lack of resources.


    Without resources, the time needed for a Silver Corpse to promote was extremely long.


    Although Silver Corpse Shasheng had the help of formations set up by Li Shiming, without a couple hundred years, it was not likely to make any progress.


    Before Silver Corpse Nanming appeared a ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯.


    Li Shiming¡¯s consciousness entered the body of Silver Corpse Nanming and completely controlled Silver Corpse Nanming using the master¡¯s identity.


    The Nanming Leaving Fire flame that flew out entered into the ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace,¡¯ and the ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯ suddenly trembled as the temperature of the Nanming Leaving Fire flame was too high, triggering its self-protection.


    Luckily, since the ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯ was a magical artifact, and also because Li Shiming was intentionally controlling the power of Nanming Leaving Fire, it did not get burnt down.


    "It looks like I need to make a new Pill Furnace!" Li Shiming said helplessly, shaking his head.


    The ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace,¡¯ although top-grade among Third-grade Pill Furnaces, disappointed him with its inscribed magic patterns.


    The ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯ could accommodate the use of most Spiritual Fires, but it struggled when encountering higher-level Nanming Leaving Fire.


    He carefully controlled the Nanming Leaving Fire and began refining Second Grade Spirit Pills in the ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace.¡¯


    The reason he started with Second Grade Spirit Pills was because he was still in the practice phase, and Third-grade Spirit Pills were too wasteful.


    Indeed, although Silver Corpse Nanming¡¯s ability to control Nanming Leaving Fire had improved quite a bit, using Nanming Leaving Fire for alchemy was still insufficient.


    The Second Grade Spirit Medicine in the ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯ turned to ashes, but Li Shiming was not disappointed. He cleaned the inside of the ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace¡¯ and started to place another portion of Second Grade Spirit Medicine inside.


    What he was doing currently was allowing his life-bound magic weapon IBMz15 to collect data. With enough data, the IBMz15 could make targeted plans.


    The materials for Second Grade Spirit Pills were almost inconsequential in value to Li Shiming, allowing him to use them liberally.


    Repeated failures, if known by the cultivators outside, would surely astonish them.


    Master Li, who had never previously failed, was even failing to refine Second Grade Spirit Pills.


    However, what Li Shiming was doing was akin to roasting a chicken at thousands of degrees higher than needed; roasting a chicken is easy, but doing so with such excessive heat turns it into an impossible task.


    Were it not for his life-bound magic weapon IBMz15, he would not have proceeded in this manner.


    Sensing the data collected by IBMz15, Li Shiming stopped Silver Corpse Nanming¡¯s actions. This session¡¯s data collection was complete, and he would wait for the analysis by IBMz15 to see if more data collection was necessary.


    Li Shiming had an ambition to refine Fourth-grade Spirit Pills at the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Without Nanming Leaving Fire, such an idea would be unattainable, but with Nanming Leaving Fire, all he needed to do was keep practicing its control. Once he reached a suitable level of control over Nanming Leaving Fire, he had confidence in refining Fourth-grade Spirit Pills during the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Additionally, during this process, the combat power of Silver Corpse Nanming would also greatly enhance. Nanming Leaving Fire, once externalized, could affect not only alchemy but was also critically important in combat.


    Li Shiming put away the ¡¯Five Elements Nine Revolutions Furnace,¡¯ and he also sent Silver Corpse Nanming into the Corpse Refining space, which was the best environment for its cultivation.


    He left the task of designing the new Pill Furnace to his life-bound magic weapon IBMz15. Once IBMz15 completed the design, he could then begin considering the appropriate Artifact Refining materials.

 Chapter 724 - 408 Invitation_2

    Chapter 724: Chapter 408 Invitation_2


    However, this time, he had no intention of completing the artifact refining process within the sect¡¯s gate, as he did not want to once again attract attention because of the Artifact Tribulation.


    Being an Alchemy Master was already enough; if he could easily produce a third-grade treasure that caused an Artifact Tribulation, it would only lead to additional trouble.


    He then put away the Fourth Grade Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array Plate. There were four figures sitting cross-legged in the cultivation room, the vein-locking plate placed in the center position, from which Spiritual Energy was vigorously bursting out.


    The four figures were of the Great Elder Level Golden Core Body, the Fake Infant Body, and the Nascent Soul Body, and the other was Venerable Huijing.


    The Heavenly Ghost intermittently moved among the three bodies, controlling them to absorb Spiritual Energy and maintaining their bodily needs.


    Venerable Huijing had altered his appearance and was holding the Fourth Grade Treasure Appearance Ruyi Buddha Beads Lifebound Treasure in his hands, closing his eyes to absorb the Spiritual Energy and cultivate.


    The reason Li Shiming was so eager to refine Fourth-grade Spirit Pills was for Venerable Huijing.


    In five years, Venerable Huijing¡¯s injuries had only been stabilized without any sign of improvement.


    He also understood that for a Nascent Soul Ancestor like Venerable Huijing, recovery time would be extremely lengthy without resources, but having Nascent Soul Stage combat power and not being able to use it felt terrible.


    After cultivating for five years, he realized that without fortuitous encounters, it was not possible to advance to the Peak of Golden Core Late Stage in a short period.


    With his rate of cultivation, he feared that it would take no less than twenty years to reach the late stage of Golden Core.


    Twenty years might be a very short time for other cultivators, but for Li Shiming, it was nearly as long as he had been practicing cultivation since the beginning.


    Over these years, he had tried administering third-grade Healing Spirit Pills of Golden Core Late Stage to Venerable Huijing, and even though the quality of the pills was high, they had no effect on Venerable Huijing.


    Moving his attention away from Venerable Huijing, his consciousness entered the mechanical room space.


    In the mechanical room space, nine flying swords were neatly arranged together, all of them being ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ third-grade flying sword treasures.


    However, these nine ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ third-grade flying sword treasures differed a bit from the one he refined, as they were one step away from being activated.


    Once activated, an Artifact Tribulation would descend. His current combat power was sufficiently strong, and his need for flying sword treasures was minimal.


    Especially over the past five years, the ¡¯Silver Light Sword¡¯ and ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella,¡¯ which he had obtained from the relics of the Five Qi Sect, had already regained their spirituality.


    The ¡¯Silver Light Sword¡¯ was an extremely fast flying sword, almost comparable in speed to ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯. Since he had ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯, the role of the ¡¯Silver Light Sword¡¯ was naturally limited.


    But the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯ was different; he had not possessed a defensive treasure before, and ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯ served as such.


    The defensive effect of the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯ was excellent, and it was particularly well-suited to him.


    The surface of the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯ was divided into five areas, each corresponding to one of the Five Elements. By inputting the respective Five Elements Spiritual Power, different defensive effects could be produced to counter various attacks.


    And when all four kinds of Five Elements Spiritual Power were input simultaneously, the defensive power of the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯ would be maximized.


    With the Five Elements Spiritual Power of Li Shiming¡¯s Middle Stage Golden Core, enhanced by the ¡¯Five Elements Qi Absorption Array¡¯ within the five Golden Cores, his Five Elements Spiritual Power reached the peak of the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    When Five Elements Spiritual Power at the peak of Golden Core Middle Stage was simultaneously input into the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯, the resulting defensive power was able to withstand attacks even from the peak of the Late-stage Golden Core.


    According to his estimates, once he entered the Late-stage Golden Core, merely relying on the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯ would allow him to block the attacks of a Great Elder.


    Although his own body refinement had reached the Great Elder Level, the defensive power of a Great Elder level body refinement could also withstand a Great Elder¡¯s attack. However, an additional layer of defense provided extra safety assurance.


    Who could predict what means existed in the Cultivation World? Using one¡¯s body as a final safeguard was not the best choice.


    With the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯ at hand, if a cultivator¡¯s methods could breach the defenses of the ¡¯Mo Yu Spirit Umbrella¡¯, then Li Shiming could gauge the strength of their attacks and thus dodge their assault.


    Li Shiming tossed out a third-grade Spirit Pill, which suddenly disappeared in mid-air, and shortly after, he felt the joy from the Illusion Spirit Jiao.


    The growth speed of the Illusion Spirit Jiao was not slow; it was about to reach the middle stage of a Great Demon.


    The rapid growth of the Illusion Spirit Jiao naturally could not be separated from a large number of Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    These Third-grade Spirit Pills, if placed within some powers, could sustain nearly ten Golden Core Early Stage cultivators.


    But Li Shiming did not feel it was a pity, as the potential of the Illusion Spirit Jiao was enormous, which became increasingly apparent as its strength continually improved.


    Each time he sensed the Jiao bloodline within the body of the Illusion Spirit Jiao, he always felt this bloodline possessed an extremely high level of life, giving him a natural sense of being suppressed.


    Although this feeling was very subtle, it also indicated that the bloodline of the Illusion Spirit Jiao was not simple.


    It was just a waste of some Third-grade Spirit Pills. The Third-grade Spirit Pills for Golden Core Early Stage were no longer needed by him and his avatar, Li Yuan Ba, and he still had many left in his hands.


    After playing with the Illusion Spirit Jiao for a while, a communication technique flew in.


    He beckoned and opened the communication technique, his face showing a look of astonishment.


    It was an invitation, inviting him to attend the promotion ceremony of the Elder Sword of the Senluo Sect, issued by the Senluo Sect.


    However, the fact that this invitation reached him indicated that the Shushan Sect also agreed to his participation.


    It should be noted that he had always been in seclusion, and all external communications were conducted through the Silver Corpse.


    The outside world had numerous invitations asking him to participate in various activities.


    For example, events for alchemists, some sect celebrations, and even auctions, among others; being invited to these high-end activities was natural given his identity.


    To avoid trouble, he asked his sect to handle these invitations; he was too lazy to participate in these activities.


    Currently, he was still in a period of rapidly increasing his strength, at least until he reached the peak of Golden Core Middle Stage, he did not intend to leave the sect.


    He did not have to worry about cultivation resources, and had cut off connections with the mortal world. Even with Yin Shilan, due to her long-term seclusion, they had resorted to leaving messages for each other.


    Aside from alchemy matters, Li Shiming focused entirely on cultivation, uninterested in anything else.


    Clearly, the invitation from the Senluo Sect had been considered by the sect before it was forwarded to him.


    "Master, I have received an invitation from the Senluo Sect, do you know what this is about?" Li Shiming took out the Identity Jade Disc and sent a message to Elder Su.


    "The promotion ceremony of Elder Sword of the Senluo Sect is a gathering of Nascent Soul Ancestors, and your invitation is a significant honor, one that you cannot refuse!" Elder Su was free at the moment and, knowing the purpose, immediately responded.


    Actually, the sect had discussed this invitation with Elder Su first before sending it to Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming was stunned; what business did he have attending such a gathering of Nascent Soul Ancestors?


    But since he had been invited, he truly could not refuse; who knew if any of the Nascent Soul Ancestors had extreme personalities? His absence might make them think he was looking down on them, potentially causing enmity between them.


    Although this possibility was very small, it was not impossible.


    It was precisely because he knew how formidable Nascent Soul Ancestors could be, that he was even more reluctant to have any disagreements with them.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry; Elder Zuo from our sect will also attend. Additionally, most Nascent Soul Ancestors will bring their most accomplished disciples along. You can make more friends at the ceremony, which will benefit you!" Elder Su continued.


    Those who could be accompanied by a Nascent Soul Ancestor were the top cultivators of their respective sects, hopeful to become Nascent Soul Cultivators themselves.


    If Li Shiming could form connections with such cultivators in advance, he could build a strong network across the Beishu Continent.


    Of course, this was reciprocal; being invited alone and treated on the same level as a Nascent Soul Ancestor, he was also a person many cultivators wanted to connect with.

 Chapter 725 - 409: Heading Towards

    Chapter 725: Chapter 409: Heading Towards


    Li Shiming sat atop the massive Flying Boat Magical Treasure, a public asset of the Shushan Sect controlled by Elder Zuo.


    Apart from Elder Zuo and him, there was also a disciple of Elder Zuo and his senior sister Ye Jingxian present on the massive Flying Boat Magical Treasure.


    Bringing Ye Jingxian was Elder Su¡¯s idea, as each invited cultivator was allowed to bring one person along.


    Li Shiming had no juniors of his own, and his other senior brothers hadn¡¯t even reached the Golden Core Stage, thus were not eligible to attend, only Ye Jingxian, his senior sister in the early Golden Core Stage, barely qualified.


    Therefore, he brought Ye Jingxian, who, despite her tall stature, behaved very modestly on the flying boat, unlike her usual carefree self.


    Li Shiming occasionally smiled at her, understanding the reason behind her behavior¡ª with Elder Zuo present, she strived to restrain her usual demeanor.


    "Shiming, have you encountered any issues with your cultivation recently?" Elder Zuo asked with a smile.


    Elder Zuo¡¯s question sparked a flash of envy in the eyes of the disciple standing beside him.


    Even though the disciple Elder Zuo brought this time was at the Great Elder level, Elder Zuo had never spoken to him so cordially.


    "Elder Zuo, my cultivation has been going smoothly, although the increase in my cultivation level seems slow!" Li Shiming replied with a sigh.


    His words immediately caused both the Great Elder and Ye Jingxian to widen their eyes, thinking he was boasting.


    Ye Jingxian, with a hundred years of cultivation, had barely reached the early Golden Core Stage, and after several years of effort, she barely managed a bit of combat power at the Golden Core level.


    When compared to Li Shiming, who had subsequently caught up and now was in the middle Golden Core Stage, yet still complaining about his cultivation speed.


    Even though the Great Elder¡¯s realm was high, he had already spent over three hundred years, with only a hundred left to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    With Li Shiming¡¯s current rate of cultivation, it was feared he could reach the Great Elder level before he turned one hundred and forty, thereafter having almost four hundred years to breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Still, Li Shiming commented on the slowness of his cultivation speed, which left them speechless.


    Yet Elder Zuo saw the sincerity in Li Shiming¡¯s words¡ª a cultivator who had only been practicing for a bit over twenty years, and had spent six years at the mid Golden Core Stage, could certainly call it a lengthy period.


    "Shiming, you also need to pay attention to your mental state. Your cultivation time has been very short, and your level has increased too rapidly, making you feel it is too easy to cultivate. This phenomenon can easily cause instability in your mental state, thereby creating inner demons!" Elder Zuo solemnly advised.


    Li Shiming was startled but quickly thought of his Heavenly Ghost.


    The Heavenly Ghost could even devour the inner demons of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, so if he indeed developed his own inner demons, the Heavenly Ghost would likely handle it even more effortlessly.


    With this thought, a weight lifted from his heart, as if he had set down a heavy stone.


    As his mind relaxed, he began to gain new insights into the five Golden Cores within his body. Without any hesitation, he sat cross-legged, tossed dozens of mid-grade Spirit Stones around him, and formed a small Spirit Gathering Array.


    "Shiming¡¯s talent is truly..." Elder Zuo, watching Li Shiming suddenly make such a move, shook his head with a mix of emotions.


    Failing to find a suitable adjective to describe Li Shiming¡¯s talent, his mere comment had triggered an epiphany in Li Shiming.


    He then glanced at his own Great Elder disciple, who was staring blankly at Li Shiming, then back at him.


    "Really a piece of rotten wood!" Elder Zuo regretted bringing this disciple.


    The disciple he once held in high regard now seemed like dead wood compared to Li Shiming.


    He waved his hand, channeling the Spiritual Energy from the massive Flying Boat Magical Treasure towards Li Shiming¡¯s location, supplemented by the small Spirit Gathering Array set up by Li Shiming, which immediately enriched the area with spiritual energy.


    Although the disciple was surprised by Li Shiming¡¯s ability to quickly set up a Spirit Gathering Array with just a handful of mid-grade Spirit Stones, this mastery of formations paled in comparison to his sudden epiphany.


    Li Shiming dared to cultivate on the spot only because Elder Zuo was present. If the location of a Nascent Soul Ancestor wasn¡¯t safe, then no place in the Cultivation World was.


    He felt grateful to Elder Zuo. In the last five years of cultivation, a sense of impatience had indeed arisen in his heart.


    Though he suppressed this impatience, it was difficult to completely eradicate it after it had emerged.


    But after Elder Zuo pointed it out, Li Shiming became aware of this aspect, and thinking of the Heavenly Ghost¡¯s capabilities, the impatience in his heart dissipated, leading to a mental advancement.


    Cultivation involved not only the practice of cultivation techniques but corresponded with the advancement in mental state, which is sometimes even more crucial.


    The Spiritual Power within the five Golden Cores was extremely active, accelerating the flow of spiritual energy through his body as he practiced the "Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique," mobilizing energies previously inaccessible and accumulating throughout his body to join the circulation during this cultivation session.


    These accumulated energies, usually unreachable by the cultivation technique in regular practice, started mobilizing effortlessly after his revelation, bringing him a profound sense of integration with the "Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique."


    The increasing influx of Spiritual Power into the five Golden Cores accelerated during this epiphanic session, the effect of which was many times greater than that of usual practice.


    Li Shiming slowly opened his eyes, the dozens of mid-grade Spirit Stones beside him had crumbled, and he felt the Spiritual Energy of the massive Flying Boat Magical Treasure gathering around him.

 Chapter 726 - 409: Heading Towards_2

    Chapter 726: Chapter 409: Heading Towards_2


    This could only be the work of Elder Zuo helping him, ensuring that his cultivation wasn¡¯t affected by any issues with the Spiritual Energy.


    He examined the condition within his body and discovered that his realm had reached the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Middle Stage, jumping from one-third to half-way of the progress.


    "Thank you, Elder Zuo!" Li Shiming bowed deeply to Elder Zuo in gratitude.


    "No need to thank me; I merely made a mention," Elder Zuo chuckled, dismissing the thanks with a wave of his hand as he helped Li Shiming up.


    He didn¡¯t regard Li Shiming as a junior, but rather treated him as an equal.


    This change had actually begun subtly shifting as soon as Li Shiming ascended to the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Everyone knew that Li Shiming¡¯s advancement to the Late-stage Golden Core was inevitable, and once Li Shiming reached the Late-stage Golden Core, he would be capable of concocting Fourth-grade Spirit Pills.


    As for the level of Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills, any Golden Core cultivator on the Beishu Continent could confidently testify that he was the top Alchemy Master of the Beishu Continent.


    And when Li Shiming could concoct Fourth-grade Spirit Pills, that meant the Nascent Soul Ancestors could enjoy the effects of High Grade Fourth Grade Spirit Pills, whose efficacy was several times that of mid and low-level Fourth-grade Spirit Pills.


    The preciousness of Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine, the gap between them, is truly vast.


    Although the Nascent Soul Ancestors did not voice it, they all understood this point in their hearts.


    In fact, this invitation was nothing less than recognition of Li Shiming¡¯s equal status by Ancestor Lu and Elder Sword of the Senluo Sect.


    "Elder Zuo, I heard you have extremely high-quality spiritual spring water; I wonder if I could have some to share, as I happen to have some Spirit Tea that needs brewing!" With no further words of thanks, Li Shiming smiled and proposed.


    "Haha, I never have enough of your Spirit Tea; this time I must drink more!" Elder Zuo joyfully laughed as he brought out the spiritual spring water.


    Li Shiming took out a Third Grade Tea Set, and seeing such luxurious tea apparatus, not only did the Great Elder¡¯s disciples and Ye Jingxian¡¯s eyes widen in astonishment, but even Elder Zuo himself shook his head with a smile.


    Li Shiming, of course, didn¡¯t explain that the Third Grade Tea Set was his spoils of battle, and using it wasn¡¯t to flaunt his wealth.


    There was no need for him to show off his wealth; any cultivator on the Beishu Continent who had heard of his name was well-aware of his riches.


    An Alchemy Master who never failed, one whom all Golden Core cultivators sought out for alchemy services, could find acquiring wealth too easily.


    Moreover, no cultivator would envy this way of acquiring wealth, as gaining riches through one¡¯s own abilities is recognized and respected among cultivators.


    The reason he used the Third Grade Tea Set was that it could maximize the spirit and flavor of the Third Grade Spirit Tea.


    He used Spirit Tea that he had grown and roasted himself, particularly the highest quality tips which he generally reserved for his own personal enjoyment.


    He skillfully brewed the Third Grade Spirit Tea, using Red Sun Spirit Fire to heat it in the process.


    Elder Zuo watched Li Shiming¡¯s tea brewing, nodding continuously. He saw Li Shiming fully bringing out the fragrances and spirituality of the Third Grade Spirit Tea. Although this process was much simpler than alchemy, it shared a mysteriously similar finesse.


    Li Shiming now had much free time ¡ª this meant he had many brains in an idle state, although he was actually doing many things simultaneously.


    Take his daily life on Sword Holding Peak, for example: he controlled eleven Silver Corpses with eleven brains working in the subterranean factory space for research experiments; another brain managed another Silver Corpse handling reception duties, transferring Spiritual Medicines and Spirit Pills.


    He had another brain controlling a Silver Corpse Nanming during cultivation, and another brain managing the Heavenly Ghost switching between three living dead bodies for cultivation, with another brain always keeping him in the state of cultivating the "Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique."


    Additionally, there was the cultivation of his primary and secondary Cultivation Techniques, along with Alchemy and Artifact Refining.


    While he seemed extremely busy, to someone with one hundred and ninety-one brains at his disposal, there were always a lot of idle brains each day.


    This allowed him time to ponder over many things, including how to enhance the brewing of Spirit Tea, which was one such matter he had given much thought to.


    "Elder Zuo, please try this!" Li Shiming said, presenting the first cup of Spirit Tea to Elder Zuo.


    Elder Zuo received the cup, sniffed it lightly, and a smile spread across his face.


    Li Shiming then served two cups of Spiritual Tea to the Great Elder¡¯s disciple and Ye Jingxian. While they were juniors to Elder Zuo, to Li Shiming, they were his peers.


    The last cup was his own. After taking a light sip of the Spiritual Tea, he savored the delicate essence within it.


    No matter how many times he drank it, this Spiritual Tea, processed with nano-level precision, always gave him an inexplicable sense of pleasure.


    Combined with the "Greedy Heaven Sleep Dream Technique," his spirit improved quickly, but this increase paled in comparison with that of Body Refinement. Thus, it wasn¡¯t especially remarkable on him.


    "It is indeed a privilege to taste the Spiritual Tea personally prepared by you. If there¡¯s ever a chance to obtain Fourth-grade Spirit Tea Leaves, I will definitely ask for your assistance!" Elder Zuo exclaimed, after emerging from the essence of the Spiritual Tea.


    "Thank you for your constant support, Elder Zuo. Please take this box of Spiritual Tea for your enjoyment," said Li Shiming with a smile as he handed over a jade box.


    Though there had been friction with Elder Zuo¡¯s descendants, Elder Zuo had been good to him, a worthy predecessor.


    Li Shiming had long intended to thank Elder Zuo, but opportunities were rare. Now, he took the chance to offer Third Grade Spirit Tea as a token of appreciation.


    The amount of Third Grade Spirit Tea he offered wasn¡¯t much, just two taels, but on the Beishu Continent, the two taels of Third Grade Spirit Tea he produced were extremely precious.


    This related to his intentional reduction in the sale of Third Grade Spirit Tea. Except for those who relied on connections to obtain it from him, acquiring it through trade was not easy.


    Elder Zuo accepted the jade box with a smile¡ªthere was no need for courtesy in this matter.


    Li Shiming then took out two smaller jade boxes and handed them to Ye Jingxian and the Great Elder¡¯s disciple, respectively.


    The Great Elder¡¯s disciple was surprised that Li Shiming had also given him a gift.


    "Since we are traveling together, we are likewise connected by fate!" Li Shiming said with a smile.


    "Thank you, Master Li!" the Great Elder¡¯s disciple said earnestly in thanks.


    Ye Jingxian remained silent but happily accepted the jade box.


    "Big Sister, if you need anything, just come to me. I¡¯m still your junior brother!" Li Shiming earnestly said to Ye Jingxian.


    Ever since he advanced to the Golden Core Stage, the frequency of Ye Jingxian¡¯s visits had noticeably decreased.


    Especially after he reached the Middle Stage of Golden Core, she had not visited Sword Holding Peak again.


    "That¡¯s what you¡¯ve said. I¡¯ve prepared quite an array of Spiritual Medicines, and I¡¯ve been waiting to see you!" Ye Jingxian instantly returned to her usual spirited demeanor, smiling.


    It wasn¡¯t that she avoided Li Shiming for reasons other than embarrassment; being the senior-most disciple, she felt awkward being weaker in cultivation compared to her junior brother Li Shiming, which made her hesitant to face him.


    Today, after being addressed directly by Li Shiming, she reclaimed her straightforwardness.


    "Bring as much as you have, and I won¡¯t charge you!" Li Shiming said cheerfully, feeling very happy to see his senior sister as she always was.


    The Great Elder¡¯s disciple, who was standing aside, envied Ye Jingxian; he knew how beneficial Li Shiming¡¯s promise was.


    But what he did not realize was that Li Shiming understood Ye Jingxian¡¯s character very well. Apart from her own Spirit Pills, unless it was an unavoidable relationship, Ye Jingxian would not send anything to Li Shiming.


    As the enormous Flying Boat Magical Treasure sailed through the sky, a deliberate and willful connection was forming between Li Shiming and Elder Zuo, making their relationship increasingly harmonious.


    Even the Great Elder¡¯s disciple was added to Li Shiming¡¯s list of friends, and Li Shiming learned his name was Wei Xi.


    Previously, Wei Xi had always been in a semi-secluded state within the sect, focusing on his cultivation without interacting with the external world, hence he had barely any interaction with Li Shiming.


    Of course, even among the cultivators who had interacted with Li Shiming, few could enter his list of friends, which implied the possibility of queue-jumping for Alchemy.


    In an atmosphere of harmony, the enormous Flying Boat Magical Treasure passed through Jieshan Mountain Pass.

 Chapter 727 - 410: Welcome

    Chapter 727: Chapter 410: Welcome


    Outside the gate of the Senluo Sect, a mountain peak hovered in the air; it was prepared by the Senluo Sect as the venue for the celebration.


    The mountain peak was a magical treasure, its grade nearing Fourth-Grade.


    The reason it was said to be nearing Fourth-Grade was that the main material of the mountain peak was Third Grade Wood, but Fourth-grade materials were used in key areas.


    Although this Mountain Peak Treasure had not reached a true Fourth-Grade, due to its own characteristics, the power of this Mountain Peak Treasure was even stronger than most Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures.


    The Senluo Sect used this Mountain Peak Treasure as the venue for the celebration to showcase the power of the Senluo Sect.


    It is worth noting that this was a gathering of Nascent Soul cultivators; failing to uphold face in front of many Nascent Soul Ancestors would be extremely embarrassing for the Senluo Sect.


    The mountaintop had been arranged, with Third Grade Wood furniture placed on a floor made of Second Grade jade stones, exhibiting extreme luxury, and Golden Core cultivators moved among them delivering Spirit Fruits and Spiritual Wine to every spot.


    Second Grade jade stones were not only the floor but also a formation, drawing the Spiritual Energy from a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein to the top of the Mountain Peak Treasure, making the Spiritual Energy in this area exceptionally dense.


    All the Spirit Fruits and Spiritual Wine were Third Grade, as Second Grade Spiritual Objects were not presentable in such an occasion.


    Elder Sword and Ancestor Lu stood above the Mountain Peak Treasure; they were the hosts for this gathering, the guests who came had prestigious identities, and other cultivators of the sect did not qualify to receive them.


    Li Yuanba stood behind the two ancestors; it was unavoidable, as he was also a prominent young talent of the Senluo Sect, and since he was a disciple of the Elder Sword and a grand-disciple of Ancestor Lu, having him accompany them was inevitable.


    "The first to arrive is Ling Xueling, one of the two Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Beishu Trading Company!" Ancestor Lu said with a smile as he watched a Flying Boat approach from afar, introducing her to the two beside him.


    Elder Sword had also just achieved the Nascent Soul stage, and he hadn¡¯t had many interactions with Nascent Soul Ancestors before.


    Nascent Soul Cultivators on the Beishu Continent form a distinct group, seldom interacting with Golden Core cultivators, and instead, they communicate more with other Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    The main reason for this is that Nascent Soul Cultivators and Golden Core cultivators do not share common interests, and even their resources differ.


    Nascent Soul Cultivators can share and exchange with each other, but interacting with Golden Core cultivators is mostly a waste of time.


    A Nascent Soul Cultivator has a lifespan of at least a thousand years, standing at the pinnacle of cultivators.


    As Ancestor Lu softly introduced her, the Flying Boat drew closer.


    The Flying Boat vanished, and Ling Xueling Ancestor appeared in the air.


    When Li Yuanba saw Ling Xueling Ancestor, he was slightly startled, as she did not look like a centuries-old Nascent Soul Ancestor, but rather like a young girl.


    Even Ancestor Lu was surprised when he saw Ling Xueling Ancestor¡¯s appearance.


    "Fellow Daoist Ling, it¡¯s been many years, you look even younger and more beautiful!" he greeted Ling Xueling Ancestor with a smile.


    This was not flattery, but sincere admiration.


    Nascent Soul Ancestors have means to maintain a youthful appearance, but no matter how one alters their appearance, the sense of time borne by the years cannot be erased.


    Thus, most male Nascent Soul Ancestors do not concern themselves with their appearance.


    The more weathered their appearance, the more dignified they seem; cultivators are not judged by their looks after all.


    However, female Nascent Soul Ancestors are willing to spend time to alter their appearances in order to maintain the youngest state possible.


    Yet, the youthful state of the Ling Xueling Ancestor before them was not cultivated, but exceedingly natural.


    "Fellow Daoist Lu, I obtained a Youthful Elixir from Master Li!" Ling Xueling Ancestor said proudly.


    Li Yuanba recalled then that this Ancestor Ling had indeed used considerable resources to snatch away the Youthful Elixir that was meant to be auctioned by the Beishu Trading Company to Li Shiming; subsequently, the Beishu Trading Company had even issued an apology to Li Shiming.


    "I heard that Master Li will also be coming?" Ling Xueling Ancestor remembered something and asked with a smile.


    "Yes, we extended an invitation, and according to the reply from the Shushan Sect, Master Li will definitely come!" Ancestor Lu responded.


    "Then I must personally thank Master Li!" Ling Xueling Ancestor nodded and said with a light smile and then looking at Elder Sword, she asked with a smile, "This must be Mr. Jian, right?"


    "It¡¯s my fault, I got caught up talking and forgot to introduce him, this is my disciple Jian Wuwei!" Ancestor Lu slapped his head as he spoke.


    "Mr. Jian need not be so formal, once reaching the Nascent Soul Stage we are all fellow Daoists of the same generation, you¡¯re a Sword Cultivator, maybe I will rely on you someday!" Ling Xueling Ancestor returned the greeting with a smile.


    Li Yuanba noticed that Ling Xueling Ancestor had not brought any juniors with her, though the reason was unclear.


    Yet, by Ancestor Lu¡¯s expression, it was clearly anticipated.


    "Fellow Daoist Ling, let¡¯s go have a cup of tea first, Yuan Ba, lead Fellow Daoist Ling there!" Ancestor Lu turned his head and spoke, unable to keep the guest waiting with them.


    Today, Li Yuanba didn¡¯t wear a mask, which was unavoidable; he usually wore one, but wearing it today would be extremely impolite, so he had taken it off.


    Besides, wearing a mask in front of a group of Nascent Soul Ancestors wouldn¡¯t have any effect, even if it were a Spiritual Artifact-grade mask.


    When Ancestor Lu mentioned Li Yuanba, Ling Xueling Ancestor¡¯s gaze fell on Li Yuanba, and her eyes shimmered with astonishment.


    Given the many years Ling Xueling Ancestor had lived, she had seen many handsome young men, but the handsomeness of the young man before her almost exceeded her imagination.

 Chapter 728 - 410: Welcoming_2

    Chapter 728: Chapter 410: Welcoming_2


    Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t a female cultivator who practiced any sinister cultivation techniques, had long been indifferent toward romantic feelings between men and women, and harbored no thoughts of falling in love with a handsome young man; she purely admired Li Yuanba with appreciative eyes.


    "Ancestor Ling, please!" Li Yuanba bowed and made a gesture of invitation.


    He had almost forgotten his own appearance; initially, he used his looks as a weapon because any cultivator who saw his face would momentarily be dazed, giving him a chance for a fatal strike.


    However, as his strength swiftly increased, he no longer needed to use his appearance as a weapon.


    The appearance of Li Yuanba was perfected through a significant amount of computation analysis by IBM z15, referencing a vast amount of facial data, combined with many related studies from a previous life, and accomplished through micrometer-level surgery in the server room initially.


    "Eh, already at the Golden Core Middle Stage at just forty years old, Mr. Lu, Mr. Jian, the Senluo Sect has indeed produced a genius!" Ancestor Ling Xueling, just about to leave, suddenly noticed the special aspect of Li Yuanba and couldn¡¯t help but stop and exclaim.


    "Not at all, he is Jian Wuwei¡¯s disciple, and his talent is decent!" Ancestor Lu said modestly with a smile in his eyes.


    Ancestor Ling Xueling didn¡¯t say anything further because she sensed another Nascent Soul Ancestor approaching, and she didn¡¯t want to be seen receiving the guest with the host, which could lead to misunderstandings about the relationship between the Beishu Trading Company and the Senluo Sect.


    While it seemed that the Beishu Trading Company was close to the six major sects, it was actually neutral, which allowed for its comprehensive development on the Beishu Continent.


    Being misunderstood could certainly affect the development of the Beishu Trading Company.


    The other Nascent Soul Ancestor also seemed to notice the situation and intentionally slowed down.


    When Li Yuanba led Ancestor Ling Xueling to the resting area and turned back, Ancestor Lu was already in conversation with a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    "Yuan Ba, come and meet Ancestor Zhan!" Ancestor Lu waved to Li Yuanba.


    "Li Yuanba pays his respects to Ancestor Zhan!" Li Yuanba stepped forward and greeted.


    "Li Yuanba, I have indeed heard of him, he suppressed a group of cultivators at Jieshan, much like Mr. Jian in his early days!" Ancestor Zhan looked at Li Yuanba and smiled.


    Li Yuanba heard Elder Sword transmitting to him, introducing the identity of this Ancestor Zhan.


    This was a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Thousand Illusion Sect, no wonder he knew about the events at Jieshan Mountain Pass.


    "Mr. Zhan flatters me!" Elder Sword interjected with a laugh.


    Li Yuanba was curious about the relationships between the Nascent Soul Ancestors; he observed that their interactions seemed free of the usual distinctions between the Righteous and Demon paths.


    "Li Yuanba, this is my disciple Ling Qin, get to know each other well!" Ancestor Zhan unexpectedly introduced the cultivator Ling Qin standing behind him to Li Yuanba.


    The aura of Cultivator Ling Qin was incredibly robust, truly that of a Great Elder.


    This was yet another Great Elder whom he had never met before; even considering his original identity, Li Shiming, and his relationship with the Thousand Illusion Sect, he had not heard of this Great Elder Ling Qin.


    Of course, this was understandable, as cultivators of the Great Elder level within the Golden Core stage were often in closed-door cultivation.


    And the seclusion of Golden Core cultivators could easily last a decade or two; Li Shiming and his incarnation Li Yuanba had only been involved in cultivation for just over twenty years.


    Great Elder Ling Qin and Li Yuanba exchanged greetings, acknowledging each other.


    "Venerable Huike is here!" To Li Yuanba¡¯s surprise, Ancestor Zhan did not proceed to rest, and even Ancestor Lu did not say anything, allowing Ancestor Zhan to stand alongside them in the air as Ancestor Zhan looked into the distance and smiled.


    "It is said that Qianye Temple has been having quite a bit of trouble lately!" Ancestor Lu said with a mischievous smile.


    "Didn¡¯t you lend a hand? Today you are the host!" Ancestor Zhan pointed at Ancestor Lu and laughed.


    It was evident that Ancestor Lu and Ancestor Zhan shared an exceptionally good relationship and did not mind other Nascent Soul Ancestors knowing about their camaraderie.


    This situation left Li Yuanba astonished, as even Great Elder Ling Qin was learning of it for the first time, his eyes showing a hint of astonishment.


    If any other cultivator from the Thousand Illusion Sect had acted this way, they would have immediately been accused of betraying the sect, but this was a Nascent Soul Ancestor, Great Elder Ling Qin. Even if he had seen it, he could only bury it in his heart.


    When Venerable Huike, who was jokingly talked about by the two ancestors, arrived, Ancestor Lu did not say anything unpleasant and smiled as he came forward to greet him.


    Venerable Huike also seemed to have forgotten the incident of Ancestor Lu challenging him at his doorstep, and he exchanged greetings with a benign smile on his face and got to know Elder Sword.


    Behind Venerable Huike was a Great Arhat, exuding a spiritual power aura like fire, giving off an explosive air.


    Naturally, with so many Nascent Soul Ancestors here, even if one were fiery by nature, they were now as calm as lambs.


    "Our monastery¡¯s Wisdom Fire, given time, can grow by interacting more with his peers!" Venerable Huike introduced the fiery Great Arhat, from his tone, Li Yuanba sensed something special.


    However, Li Yuanba didn¡¯t mind, with his combat strength, he was confident in battling any Great Elder even in human form.


    Ancestor Lu called over a Golden Core cultivator and took Venerable Huike and Wisdom Fire Arhat to the resting area.


    It was clear from this gesture that the relationship between the Demon Sect Senluo Sect and Qianye Temple was not good, otherwise, they would have had Li Yuanba lead the way.


    Next to arrive was Ancestor Lou Song from the Earth Evil Sect, who also brought with him a Great Elder named Mo Bao.


    Although the reply had not yet come, Li Yuanba could see that all who came with the Nascent Soul Ancestors were Golden Core cultivators of Great Elder Level.


    He guessed that if it were not for his being a disciple of Elder Sword and having shown sufficient talent, the Senluo Sect would probably have arranged for a Great Elder to receive them as well.


    "Mr. Zuo, this must surely be Master Li, right?" Ancestor Lu stepped forward to greet them upon their arrival, eyeing Li Shiming as he spoke to Elder Zuo.


    He and Elder Zuo had fought side by side a few years ago and were very familiar with each other, so there was no need for excessive formalities, and instead, he was more interested in Li Shiming.


    "Li Shiming has met Elder Zuo, and met Elder Lu!" Li Shiming said with a smile as he bowed.


    "Mr. Li, by accepting our invitation to come here, you have truly honored me. If you ever have any trouble, just let me know!" Ancestor Lu said with a smile as he returned the bow.


    "Mr. Lu, Shiming is a disciple of our sect, what trouble could there be that the Shushan Sect couldn¡¯t solve that you would need to help with?" Elder Zuo was somewhat displeased upon hearing this.


    "I have met Mr. Li!" Li Shiming then bowed to Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba smiled and returned the bow.


    Rumors of their association had already spread, so they were not too secretive about it.


    Given the status of Li Shiming and Li Yuanba, they no longer cared about revealing their connection.


    No cultivator knew their biggest secret: they were the same person.


    One was an Alchemy Master from the Righteous Path Shushan Sect, backed by Fan Ancestor, and the other a Golden Core cultivator from the Demon Sect Senluo Sect, backed by Sword Elder and Ancestor Lu, two cultivators seemingly without connection yet the same person.


    Elder Wei Xi, a disciple of Elder Zuo, also came over to meet Li Yuanba. Ancestor Lu, Elder Zuo, Ancestor Zhan, and Sword Elder then started a conversation here.


    It was mainly Ancestor Lu introducing two good fellow Daoists to Sword Elder, with the future relationship depending on Sword Elder himself.


    However, Sword Elder would eventually leave the Beishu Continent, and this acquaintanceship was still at an early stage; deepening it further was uncertain.


    To Li Shiming, it seemed strange that a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Demon Sect appeared to be closer to the Nascent Soul Ancestors from the two major Righteous Path sects.


    Conversely, Ancestor Lou Song from the Earth Evil Sect of the same Demon Sect seemed to have a more ordinary relationship with Ancestor Lu.


    This fear stemmed from the Cultivation Technique of the Earth Evil Sect as no sect appreciated cultivators who absorbed the Earth Evil Power.


    "Finally, the last one has arrived. Yin Yang Sect really puts on airs, making us all wait!" Elder Zuo looked into the distance and spoke without any reservation, as he was not the host.

 Chapter 729 - 411 Gathering

    Chapter 729: Chapter 411 Gathering


    "Giggle giggle giggle!" A light and spirited laugh came from afar, and soon two figures appeared before the crowd.


    The representative from the Yin Yang Sect was a female Nascent Soul Ancestor, who seemed full of charm. Yet upon closer observation, one could see the sense of time in her eyes, marks left by the years.


    "How come there is such a handsome young man at this gathering?" The gaze of the female Nascent Soul Ancestor lingered on Li Yuanba¡¯s face, her voice brimming with allure.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s aura surged, the divine light in his eyes almost tangible, as strands of an elder level Body Refinement aura radiated from his being.


    He was resisting the charm of the Yin Yang Sect¡¯s female Nascent Soul Ancestor. Fortunately, she had restrained herself, for there were many Nascent Soul Ancestors present. She had not used her full power to charm, allowing him to maintain his sense of self under her seduction.


    "Ancestor Lan, are you preparing to start a battle?" Ancestor Lu asked in a stern voice.


    Elder Sword was even more direct, his fierce Sword Intent already enveloping Ancestor Lan, ready to launch a full-force strike at any moment.


    "There¡¯s no need to be so tense; it was just a small joke!" Ancestor Lan Weiyan slightly moved to the side to dodge Elder Sword¡¯s Sword Intent, laughing lightly as she spoke.


    Even though Elder Sword had only recently ascended to the Nascent Soul Stage and hadn¡¯t developed a strong combat power at that stage, it¡¯s important to remember that as a Sword Cultivator, even a nascent Nascent Soul Stage Sword Cultivator is still a threat to other Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Not to mention that Ancestor Lu was nearby. Should a fight break out, she feared she would be at a disadvantage.


    Ancestor Lan Weiyan cast a somewhat regretful glance at Li Yuanba. She had never seen a man with his looks before.


    For the female Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Yin Yang Sect, a male cultivator like Li Yuanba was precisely the type she desired.


    "This is a disciple of Jian Wuwei. You would do well to put away those filthy thoughts, otherwise I would not mind having a fight with you!" Ancestor Lu warned sternly.


    Elder Sword¡¯s eyes also flashed with a fighting spirit. He had expected all the Nascent Soul Ancestors to be amicable and thought there would be no chance for a fight, but he had not anticipated Ancestor Lan Weiyan provoking him.


    Sword Cultivators rely on battle to enhance themselves, and Elder Sword had recently mastered several secret techniques of the ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ appropriate for the Nascent Soul section. He was eager to find an opponent to test them.


    As for his recent ascension and whether he could compare to the veteran Ancestor Lan Weiyan in terms of strength, he didn¡¯t care. Without the mentality to face pressure, how could one possibly become a good Sword Cultivator?


    "You all are taking this too seriously!" Ancestor Lan Weiyan put away her thoughts and said with a laugh.


    Her gaze once again fell on Li Shiming. Although not as handsome as Li Yuanba, he was also very young.


    To possess the cultivation level of the Golden Core Middle Stage at such an age made him a young hero worth making an acquaintance.


    With her age, it was no problem for her to refer to Li Shiming and Li Yuanba as young men.


    In the cultivation world, being in the forties is indeed still considered young. The lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator is five hundred years; the forties are just the beginning.


    "Young man, would you like to join the Yin Yang Sect? I can betroth my daughter to you!" Ancestor Lan Weiyan looked at Li Shiming, gesturing towards the accompanying Great Elder female cultivator with a smile as she spoke.


    She understood that all those who came this time were related to Nascent Soul Ancestors, so she had brought just a tinge of charm out of habit, without really using her Charming Secret Technique.


    But as soon as these words left her mouth, all the Nascent Soul Ancestors present locked onto her, turning to see what Li Shiming¡¯s reaction would be.


    Ancestor Lan Weiyan was startled. Although she acted carefree, she was not a fool. Upon realizing something was off, she understood she might have provoked the wrong person.


    "Ancestor Lan, Li Shiming is a disciple of the Shushan Sect and it¡¯s not convenient for him to join the Yin Yang Sect!" Li Shiming said indifferently.


    "Hehe, that¡¯s what I thought, who else could be so young and promising besides Master Li!" Ancestor Lan Weiyan immediately changed her tone, praising without a hint of seduction this time.


    However, her praise once again elicited strange looks from the cultivators present, as Li Yuanba was close in age to Li Shiming, roughly equal in cultivation, and even a bit higher in the realm.


    Other than not being an Alchemy Master, Li Yuanba could compare to Li Shiming in terms of cultivation talent.


    "That¡¯s enough, everyone has arrived, let¡¯s go inside!" Ancestor Lu, finding Ancestor Lan Weiyan¡¯s conduct exasperating, still played the host and rounded off the incident.


    Ancestor Lan Weiyan didn¡¯t seem to care, which was a characteristic trait of the Yin Yang Sect¡ªthey didn¡¯t pay much heed to outsiders¡¯ opinions.


    The group made their way to a place on the mountain top that had been prepared well in advance. The Nascent Soul Ancestors exchanged pleasantries for a while.


    "Thank you, fellow Daoists, for attending the advancement ceremony of my disciple Jian Wuwei. Jian Wuwei has become one of us and will join us in our efforts to maintain the stability of the Beishu Continent!" Ancestor Lu cleared his throat, waiting for the other Nascent Soul Ancestors to look over before he said in a deep voice.


    "According to tradition, Jian Wuwei needs to demonstrate some of his power for everyone¡¯s evaluation," he signaled Elder Sword, then continued.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors knew each other well and needed no undue formalities. Other than a few necessary steps, there was no need for extra words, so Ancestor Lu spoke very directly.


    "I have paid my respects to all the fellow Daoists. My Lifebound Flying Sword has not yet recovered, and given the limited endurance of the Formation here, I will demonstrate my powers up to its limit!" Elder Sword said, bowing slightly to the other Nascent Soul Ancestors.

 Chapter 730 - 411 Gathering_2

    Chapter 730: Chapter 411 Gathering_2


    If the Nascent Soul Ancestor had truly exerted all his strength, only reaching the Thirty-Three Heavens would be considered safe.


    The Nascent Souls present each possessed exceptional insight; Elder Sword only needed to display part of his power, and they would be able to deduce his combat strength.


    The Sword Intent on Elder Sword was fierce. He had not been in the Nascent Soul Stage for long, but the inheritance of the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" was exceedingly comprehensive, allowing him to quickly form a substantial combat capability.


    Though he had intended to suppress his Sword Intent, the Nascent Souls present simultaneously felt a bone-chilling coldness. The Sword Intent had not yet been unleashed, but it had already instilled a terrifying pressure on the spiritual level.


    A few of the Nascent Soul Ancestors exchanged glances, each flashing a look of shock in their eyes.


    Especially Venerable Huike, whose eyes held a hint of worry, lamenting Qianye Temple¡¯s loss of Venerable Huijing, while the Senluo Sect had gained such a Sword Cultivation Nascent Soul.


    Elder Sword gestured with his hand, slicing a streak of sword light across the void in front of him.


    A crack appeared in the void, persisting for ten breaths before gradually fading away.


    The Nascent Souls present could muster one strike powerful enough to fracture the void, but maintaining that crack for ten breaths was no easy feat.


    Yet, Elder Jian, having just ascended to a Nascent Soul Ancestor, already possessed such ability. How could this not evoke a profound sense of astonishment among them?


    The fearsome nature of a Sword Cultivator was fully revealed, and the Nascent Souls already considered that once Elder Sword fully grasped the power of the Nascent Soul Stage, none present could withstand his Sword Intent.


    However, they soon realized something; Elder Sword would not stay long on the Beishu Continent.


    This was good news. Both the Righteous Path and the sects of the darker alignments did not wish for such a powerful Sword Cultivating Nascent Soul to disrupt the previous balance of power.


    "Sword Cultivators are indeed formidable!" declared Ancestor Zuo.


    "Indeed, if Mr. Jian had ascended earlier, we would have had a much easier time dealing with that person!" agreed Ancestor Lou, nodding.


    Ancestor Lan Weiyan¡¯s gaze flickered, internally relieved that no conflict had arisen with Elder Sword; she also dismissed her last lingering thoughts about Li Yuan Ba.


    Of course, whether she would still harbor any ideas once Elder Sword left the Beishu Continent remained unknown.


    "I propose that beginning this year, Jian Wuwei can be allocated the full quota of fourth-grade resources!" suggested Ancestor Lu with a smile.


    Usually, a Cultivator¡¯s promotion to the Nascent Soul Stage does not warrant a full allocation of fourth-grade resources; it is based on combat strength and only a fraction is given at first, increasing as their strength grows.


    Ancestor Lu¡¯s proposal was naturally based on the combat power displayed by Elder Sword.


    "I agree!" Ancestor Zhan was the first to voice his stance.


    "Agreed!" continued Ancestor Zuo.


    "Agreed!" After a moment, Ancestor Lou Song from the Earth Evil Sect stated.


    "Amitabha, our temple agrees!" Venerable Huike also expressed his approval.


    "Hehe, it seems my stance makes no difference now, but I agree too!" laughed Ancestor Lan Weiyan.


    Truly, with the four major sects plus the Senluo Sect in agreement, there were already five major sects consenting; Ancestor Lan Weiyan¡¯s opposition would have been futile.


    As for Ancestor Ling Xueling from the Beishu Trading Company, she had not even expressed an opinion. The six major sects, including the Beishu Trading Company, shared the allocation of fourth-grade resources, but the Trading Company had no managerial rights.


    This decision was passed exceptionally easily, a very rare occurrence.


    In the past, the distribution of fourth-grade resources always required extensive negotiations.


    But all the Nascent Souls present understood why, as the fourth-grade resources Elder Sword could claim were very limited.


    Fourth-grade resources are not available every year; they typically appear once every ten, several decades, or even a hundred years and are then distributed based on commonly accepted rules.


    If Elder Sword stayed on the Beishu Continent for a decade, he would likely only receive a minimal amount of fourth-grade resources.


    For such a meager amount of resources, it was exceedingly unwise to offend a powerful Sword Cultivating Nascent Soul. The various Nascent Souls would certainly not choose to do so.


    "Next up is the performance of the younger generation; please don¡¯t hesitate to offer your advice!" Ancestor Lu said with a satisfied smile, waving his hand.


    Li Shiming was slightly taken aback; he was unaware of this part of the program. He had brought Ye Jingxian, his senior sister, whose strength was indeed too weak.


    "Senior sister, just watch and learn!" he said, turning his head to Ye Jingxian.


    Ye Jingxian obediently nodded her head; today, she truly had her eyes opened.


    The number of Nascent Soul Ancestors she had seen today exceeded the number of times she had seen Nascent Soul Ancestors before.


    Every individual here was a legendary figure, and yet they were right in front of her eyes.


    "Wisdom Fire Arhat seeks guidance from Mr. Li Yuan Ba!" Wisdom Fire Arhat was the first to step aside, nodding at Li Yuanba.


    Venerable Huike smiled, saying nothing.


    Neither Ancestor Lu nor Elder Sword felt it appropriate to intervene in the sparring among the younger generation, as this was one of the intended elements of this gathering.


    Initially, this was decided so that the younger generation could demonstrate their skills in front of Nascent Soul Ancestors, receive advice, and also witness the capabilities of other strong cultivators of the same level.


    It is rare for Great Elders of major sects to take action, and opportunities for Great Elders from different sects to meet and battle are even rarer.


    This arrangement is very beneficial for the growth of Great Elders, whether fighting against peers or getting advice from Nascent Soul Ancestors; all of these can strengthen a Great Elder¡¯s foundation and increase their chances of advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Aside from Ye Jingxian, everyone else brought here was a top talent from their respective major sects, with potential to become Nascent Soul Cultivators.


    When Wisdom Fire Arhat approached Li Yuanba, had Li Yuanba not demonstrated Great Elder-level Body Refining power, Elder Sword might indeed have intervened. However, since Li Yuanba possessed corresponding combat power, Elder Sword had nothing to say.


    Of course, the disputes between Qianye Temple and Li Yuanba were well known among the cultivators present; it was no secret. Those who didn¡¯t know would be informed by other cultivators.


    Li Yuanba did not refuse; such an occasion did not allow him to refuse.


    "Wisdom Fire Arhat, please!" he stepped into the arena and made an inviting gesture to Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    Wisdom Fire Arhat¡¯s body surged with flames, and a Fire Phoenix emerged, attacking Li Yuanba with terrifying high temperatures.


    No sooner had Wisdom Fire Arhat launched an attack, the flames on his body surged again, nearly readying a second strike.


    Li Yuanba frowned; dealing with a Great Elder proficient in Fire Magic was extremely troublesome, unless he engaged in close combat, otherwise he would constantly be suppressed.


    He chuckled to himself; why was he still worried at this point? Was he truly concerned that revealing his Divine Foot Skill would cause him any trouble?


    Qianye Temple was aware that he had mastered Divine Foot Skill, but they had never publicized it, thus keeping this secret well-guarded.


    Yet now, he was already at the Golden Core Middle Stage, with Elder Sword and Ancestor Lu as his backings; why should he have any need to hide?


    With this thought, a white lotus appeared beneath his feet.


    "Step by Step Lotus!" Ancestor Lu exclaimed in amazement.


    Elder Sword¡¯s face also showed surprise, but it quickly turned into a smile.


    Divine Foot Skill, a divine power mastered by Venerable Huike, allowed him to stand almost invincible among Nascent Soul Cultivators. By possessing this power, a Sword Cultivator could deploy Sword Intent fully without worrying about their safety.


    The feeling of deploying flying swords to attack the enemy, such that the enemy can neither escape nor strike back, is coveted by every Sword Cultivator.


    The other Nascent Soul Ancestors looked at Li Yuanba, and then at Venerable Huike; had they not known Li Yuanba was a disciple of Elder Sword, they might have thought he was a disciple of Venerable Huike.


    Only Venerable Huike looked upset; it had always been a secret that Li Yuanba mastered Divine Foot Skill, and now that the secret was revealed, Qianye Temple was embarrassed.


    What was most important was that Li Yuanba¡¯s other secret might no longer be safe.


    However, he quickly recovered, realizing that since Li Yuanba had possessed Divine Foot Skill for many years, its exposure would merely suggest that Li Yuanba was talented in this area and would not make people suspect Li Yuanba could be a reincarnated Buddhist power.

 Chapter 731 - 412 Sparring

    Chapter 731: Chapter 412 Sparring


    Li Yuanba, along with the white lotus under his feet, disappeared, causing the Fire Phoenix to miss and explode where he had been standing, transforming into a sea of flames.


    The Wisdom Fire Arhat¡¯s second Fire Phoenix was released but was momentarily unable to lock onto Li Yuanba¡¯s figure.


    That was because Li Yuanba¡¯s figure was elusive, continually appearing and disappearing at various places across the battlefield within a short span of time.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Xingyi Sword shot out, slashing towards the Wisdom Fire Arhat, who was protected by a barrier formed by a Fire Dragon, a transformation of the Fire Dragon Cover magical treasure.


    When the Xingyi Sword struck the Fire Dragon barrier, it received a backlash of fire properties.


    However, this backlash was immediately cleansed by the Sword Intent on the Xingyi Sword itself, indicating that the Fire Dragon Cover was not merely a defensive treasure but also featured a counter-attack capability.


    Regarding magical treasures, even though Li Yuanba had started cultivation hundreds of years later than the Wisdom Fire Arhat, the Xingyi Sword had been refined for centuries by its previous master, the Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi. Therefore, it was not only comparable but also superior to the Arhat¡¯s treasure.


    Sword Cultivators refine their lifebound magical treasures exclusively, unlike other cultivators who must also attend to their other treasures. Since the strongest aspect of Sword Cultivators is their flying swords, the energy they invest into a single flying sword exceeds what other cultivators would distribute across multiple treasures.


    So, in terms of magical treasures, Li Yuanba was not much inferior to the Wisdom Fire Arhat. The Xingyi Sword, bolstered by the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique," was formidable enough to command the Arhat¡¯s respect, despite Li Yuanba¡¯s slightly lower realm.


    The Wisdom Fire Arhat, feeling the feedback from the Fire Dragon Cover, was slightly surprised.


    Originally, he had thought that Li Yuanba would engage him using Body Refinement skills, but he had not expected Li Yuanba¡¯s flying sword to be so fierce.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent carried the essence of the blazing sun, not at all typical of a cultivator from the Demon Sect, and indeed more righteous than those from the righteous Taoist sects.


    The Wisdom Fire Arhat, who cultivated a fire-attribute Buddhist cultivation technique, found his spiritual power subtly overpowered by Li Yuanba¡¯s Supreme Yang Sword Intent during their treasure¡¯s clash.


    Had it not been for his status as a Great Elder, it might have been possible for the Fire Dragon Cover to be breached by Li Yuanba¡¯s attacks.


    He was familiar with the "Step by Step Lotus," which left him feeling rather helpless.


    His fire-attribute Buddhist cultivation technique had powerful offensive capabilities, ranking him high even among Great Elders.


    However, no matter how powerful the attack, it needed to hit the target to be effective, but in the presence of the "Step by Step Lotus" Divine Foot Skill, no attack seemed to reach Li Yuanba.


    Even when he used self-detonation of the Fire Phoenix, it had no effect whatsoever.


    The battle took on a bizarre quality, with Li Yuanba appearing randomly in various parts of the battlefield, rendering the Wisdom Fire Arhat¡¯s attacks completely ineffective, while the Xingyi Sword continued its relentless assault.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors present understood that the battle, if continued in this manner, could not be resolved.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Xingyi Sword was unable to break through the Wisdom Fire Arhat¡¯s Fire Dragon Cover, and the Wisdom Fire Arhat was likewise unable to land a hit on Li Yuanba.


    However, they were also waiting to see when Li Yuanba would employ his Body Refinement attack, since only through his Great Elder-level Body Refinement would he truly be able to harm the Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    Li Yuanba, however, was not in any rush; he enjoyed the fight, considering such an opponent rare and allowing him to use his Lifebound Flying Sword without any reservations.


    In controlling the attacks of his Lifebound Flying Sword, his understanding of the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" and Sword Intent itself deepened.


    The "Divine Eye Skill" was activated without revealing any external aura, making it undetectable to even the Venerable Huike present at the scene.


    The spiritual power circuits within the Fire Dragon Cover and the densely scattered Fire Phoenixes in the sky were observed by Li Yuanba through the "Divine Eye Skill."


    Standing by, the original body, Li Shiming, also used the "Divine Eye Skill" with more directness, and with the assistance of the Lifebound Treasure IBMz15, he analyzed the spiritual power nodes of the Fire Dragon Cover and Fire Phoenixes faster than Li Yuanba¡¯s incarnation.


    Just as the Nascent Soul Ancestors thought the fight would stall into a sustained deadlock until Li Yuanba initiated a Body Refinement attack, a sudden thrust of the Xingyi Sword pierced a Fire Phoenix next to the Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    Now, thirty-six Fire Phoenixes conjured by the Wisdom Fire Arhat adorned the battlefield, making their presence felt everywhere.


    The Fire Phoenix next to the Wisdom Fire Arhat was struck by the Xingyi Sword and detonated with a ¡¯boom.¡¯


    This explosion was unexpected for the Wisdom Fire Arhat, as it was not controlled by him.


    The Fire Phoenix was his attack spell, noted for its flexibility and power, his most adept fire attribute secret technique in which he had immersed himself for centuries¡ªit was unfathomable that such an error could occur.


    And this accidental explosion of the Fire Phoenix, due to its loss of control, also impacted the Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    The Wisdom Fire Arhat¡¯s external Fire Dragon Cover was affected by the explosion, which, if occurring only once, would not pose much threat to the Fire Dragon Cover.


    But the Xingyi Sword struck again, piercing another Fire Phoenix close to the Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    Strangely, this Fire Phoenix also exploded, and the Wisdom Fire Arhat was caught within the blast radius.


    Even though the Wisdom Fire Arhat adjusted the Fire Phoenixes to move away from him, four Fire Phoenixes were still detonated by the Xingyi Sword.

 Chapter 732 - 412 Sparring_2

    Chapter 732: Chapter 412 Sparring_2


    Xingyi Sword seemed to have found the switch to the Fire Phoenix, for each strike would cause it to burst explosively.


    The Great Elders present couldn¡¯t grasp what they were seeing due to the limits of their understanding. However, the Nascent Soul Ancestors marveled at Li Yuanba¡¯s perception of the Spiritual Power Pattern.


    At the Nascent Soul Stage, they, too, could sense the Spiritual Power Pattern node of the Fire Phoenix, but only by observing from a higher level. Yet Li Yuanba, whose realm was even lower than that of Wisdom Fire Arhat, faced greater challenges in discovering these nodes.


    After sustaining the impact of four explosions from the Fire Phoenixes, the Fire Dragon Cover showed signs of instability.


    It couldn¡¯t be said that the Fire Dragon Cover¡¯s defensive power was weak, as the Fire Phoenix was a spell attack of the Grand Elder Level, almost as strong as that of a Sword Cultivator of the same rank.


    The explosions of four Fire Phoenixes equated to four instances where a Great Elder deployed a full-power magical attack against the Fire Dragon Cover.


    At that moment, Xingyi Sword struck the Fire Dragon Cover again.


    With a "crack," the Fire Dragon roaming on the cover shattered into pieces, which then dispersed into pure Spiritual Power.


    The figure of Wisdom Fire Arhat swiftly retreated, and beside him, the Fire Dragon Cover transformed back into its original form and fell from the sky.


    Li Yuanba gave a slight smile and suddenly appeared next to the Fire Dragon Cover, grabbing it in his hand. He didn¡¯t pursue Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    In such a setting, even if he wasn¡¯t the host, it was unlikely he would have the opportunity to slay his opponent, especially with eight Nascent Soul Ancestors present to ensure no casualties in the battle.


    Thus, he chose to seize the benefits first. The Fire Dragon Cover was of high quality and a Third Grade artifact suitable for both offense and defense, perfect for Li Shiming to study.


    Having obtained the Fire Dragon Cover, he scanned it inside and out with his Divine Thought, even using Sword Intent to cleanse the spiritual imprint inside.


    This action involuntarily made Wisdom Fire Arhat grunt, as he forcefully suppressed the backlash from being driven out of the spiritual imprint for the sake of his pride.


    "Thank you for the lesson!" Li Yuanba said with a bow and a smile to Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    "Mr. Li is skilled, Wisdom Fire admits defeat!" Wisdom Fire Arhat bowed back in respect.


    The other Great Elders nearby showed expressions of disbelief; Wisdom Fire Arhat had actually lost.


    Moreover, Li Yuanba had defeated him without even using his most proficient Great Elder Level Body Refinement but merely relying on his Golden Core Middle Stage Sword Cultivator strength.


    Although Li Yuanba had taken advantage of the backlash from Wisdom Fire Arhat¡¯s spells, a victory was still a victory.


    "Yuan Ba, return the artifact to Wisdom Fire!" Elder Sword chuckled and instructed Li Yuanba.


    Today he was the host, and as his disciple, Li Yuanba was as well.


    It would be embarrassing to claim the opponent¡¯s artifact after winning a sparring match.


    Besides, Li Yuanba was a Sword Cultivator; what use did he have for the Fire Dragon Cover? Was he planning to sell it for Spirit Stones?


    "Yes, Master!" Li Yuanba didn¡¯t refuse and tossed the Fire Dragon Cover to Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    Wisdom Fire Arhat had already been scanned with his Divine Thought, and all the data was recorded in his life-bound artifact, the IBMz15, making the Fire Dragon Cover unnecessary for him.


    Wisdom Fire Arhat caught the Fire Dragon Cover, and despite his exceptional ability to maintain composure, his face turned alternatively blue and white.


    It was bad enough that Li Yuanba had snatched the Fire Dragon Cover, but throwing it back so carelessly infuriated Wisdom Fire Arhat even more.


    The spiritual imprint inside the Fire Dragon Cover had been dispersed, and Wisdom Fire Arhat needed to re-infuse it. It was unknown how long it would take to reach the previous degree of infusion.


    Given Wisdom Fire Arhat¡¯s realm and his preparations to ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage, he had little energy to re-infuse the Fire Dragon Cover.


    However, he couldn¡¯t just throw it back; the Fire Dragon Cover was extremely compatible with him, and until he reached the Nascent Soul Stage, it was still the most suitable defensive artifact for him. Moreover, throwing it back like this would be a slap in the face to Elder Sword, the host.


    Venerable Huike might do something like that, but he, a mere Arhat, dared not.


    "Please instruct my disciple, Yuan Ba!" Elder Sword said with a smile to the Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    "Where is there need for instruction? Defeating a Great Elder in the Golden Core Middle Stage, such an achievement will shock all quarters!" Ling Xueling Ancestor said with a light laugh.


    "Indeed, such perceptiveness, such Sword Intent, it seems he has received the true teachings of Mr. Jian¡¯s lineage!" Elder Zuo also laughed and responded.


    "Yuan Ba is hardworking, and he has good movements too, Venerable Huike. Don¡¯t you think so?" Ancestor Lu looked at Venerable Huike with a smile and asked.


    "Indeed, not bad. Mr. Li has a connection with Buddhism. When you have time, come visit Qianye Temple!" Venerable Huike said indifferently.


    Ancestor Lu glanced coldly at Venerable Huike, and Venerable Huike also looked back at Ancestor Lu, creating a tense atmosphere between the two Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    "Let¡¯s continue watching the juniors¡¯ performances!" Ancestor Zhan interrupted their hostility and said with a smile, attempting to smooth things over.


    "Hmph!" Ancestor Lu snorted coldly and turned his head away.


    Previously, Li Yuanba was captured by Venerable Huike and brought to Qianye Temple, which caused quite a stir. If it weren¡¯t for Li Yuanba returning unharmed, a war might have actually erupted between the two sects.


    Venerable Huike mentioning again that Li Yuanba should visit Qianye Temple infuriated Ancestor Lu.


    Elder Sword still didn¡¯t know about this matter. If he did, he might be even more impulsive than Ancestor Lu.


    "Lan Hongxi asks for Master Li¡¯s guidance!" Grand Elder Lan Hongxi of the Yin Yang Sect stepped forward and bowed to Li Shiming, smiling as he spoke.


    "Master Li, do you accept?" Elder Sword hesitated for a moment before asking.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Grand Elder Lan Hongxi to ask Li Shiming for a duel, as Li Shiming was invited as a guest and wasn¡¯t supposed to participate in the duels of the juniors.


    But since Li Shiming¡¯s generation is indeed among the juniors, it would be appropriate for him to participate in the duels if he wished.


    "Shiming, be cautious. The cultivators of the Yin Yang Sect are very tricky!" Elder Zuo didn¡¯t make the decision for Li Shiming but instead gave him a warning.


    Li Shiming smiled at Elder Zuo and nodded at Elder Sword, then walked towards the battleground.


    All the Nascent Soul Ancestors and other cultivators became interested.


    Li Shiming¡¯s fame was immense. Being known as the top Alchemy Master in Beishu Continent, his reputation was known in every corner of the continent.


    However, his combat prowess was always a topic of debate, and his true strength remained unknown to all.


    "Junior brother, fight on!" Ye Jingxian shouted loudly but quickly realized that there were several Nascent Soul Ancestors present, retracting her body to look smaller.


    None of the Nascent Soul Ancestors reproached her. Not to mention other things, the fact that she was brought by Li Shiming meant that no Nascent Souls would take such an action.


    "Master Li, I have long heard of your reputation. Please don¡¯t hesitate to enlighten me!" Grand Elder Lan Hongxi, seeing that Li Shiming had actually entered the field, revealed a flirtatious smile.


    She thought of using the methods of the Yin Yang Sect to ensnare Li Shiming¡¯s spirit. If she could make Li Shiming join the Yin Yang Sect and become her Daoist couple, she would no longer need to worry about her cultivation resources and could take as many Spirit Pills as she wanted.


    Who doesn¡¯t know that Li Shiming is the wealthiest among the Golden Core cultivators?


    "It¡¯s all fair in competition, let¡¯s begin!" Li Shiming smiled and said.


    He waved his hand, and twelve Silver Corpses appeared by his side, each holding a different number of Third Grade Array Flags.


    Li Shiming did not summon all his Silver Corpses; he kept Silver Corpse Nanming hidden.


    Silver Corpse Nanming had mastered the Nanming Leaving Fire, which he didn¡¯t dare to expose to other cultivators lightly.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors exchanged looks, feeling a sense of strangeness in their hearts.


    Previously, Li Yuanba, a disciple of the Demon Sect Senluo Sect, possessed a Sword Intent that was upright and majestic like a brilliant sun.


    But the current Li Shiming, a disciple of the righteous Shushan Sect, summoned twelve Silver Corpses.


    Moreover, among these twelve Silver Corpses, eleven had three heads and six arms, showing that they were modified corpses.


    This technique was scarce even among Devil Cultivators, as such modifications require a vast amount of experimentation and trial-and-error to develop potent combat abilities.


    The modification of corpse refining isn¡¯t something that can be done at will; it requires the modified body to freely channel spiritual power, and the muscles and bones must align with Heaven and Earth Rules, otherwise, the combat efficacy of the corpse will significantly diminish.

 Chapter 733 - 413 Battle

    Chapter 733: Chapter 413 Battle


    Twelve Silver Corpses were divided into two formations, and upon their arrival, they spread around the battlefield, encircling the entire field within.


    Elder Li Shiming flashed a slight smile at Grand Elder Lan Hongxi, then stepped back and retreated, disappearing within the formation.


    Of course, this disappearance was only relative to Grand Elder Lan Hongxi, the spectating cultivators on the outside could still see him.


    Six Silver Corpses moved toward the inner circle for some distance, maintaining the formation, and then the other six Silver Corpses moved inward as well, surpassing the distance of the previous six and also keeping the formation intact.


    Grand Elder Lan Hongxi wanted to deploy her Charming Secret Technique, but facing only Silver Corpses, it was as pointless as winking at a blind person.


    She had more than just that skill at her disposal, with a red silk treasure about the length of a zhang appearing around her, the red silk fluttered, and a powerful Spiritual Power Pattern assaulted the formation.


    But to her surprise, her powerful attack was like a clay ox entering the sea, disappearing without a trace or sound.


    With the strength of Grand Elder Lan Hongxi, not to mention twelve Mid-stage Silver Corpses, even twelve Late-stage Silver Corpses wouldn¡¯t pose a threat in her eyes.


    Yet the situation on the battlefield was different, to say she was fighting against twelve Mid-stage Silver Corpses would be less accurate than saying she was battling Array Master, Li Shiming.


    Being in the formation constructed by Li Shiming using twelve Silver Corpses, especially with Li Shiming himself controlling it nearby, the power of the Silver Corpses¡¯ formation faced by Grand Elder Lan Hongxi was greatly amplified.


    Li Shiming did not wish to reveal much of his combat power, let alone take out the ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ sort of sword treasure for combat, as the matter of his refining resulting in an Artifact Tribulation Treasure was already sealed within his sect, and he certainly did not want to expose himself in front of the Nascent Soul Ancestors again.


    Besides, although Grand Elder Lan Hongxi was strong, her forte was not in attack, but in her Spirit¡¯s influence.


    Such influence of the Spirit had its limitations, just like now, against Silver Corpses devoid of any perception, Grand Elder Lan Hongxi¡¯s Charming Secret Technique was utterly useless.


    This was a case of cultivation technique suppression, Li Shiming had dealt with cultivators from the Yin Yang Sect before, so naturally, he knew the ins and outs of the Yin Yang Sect¡¯s cultivation techniques and had already thought of countermeasures when Grand Elder Lan Hongxi challenged him to battle.


    "Master Li¡¯s skill in forming arrays is exceedingly high, using Silver Corpses to form arrays against enemies is simply a stroke of genius!" Ancestor Lu laughed heartily.


    Seeing Master Li summon so many Silver Corpses showed that he held no prejudice against Devil Cultivators, which was exactly what Ancestor Lu, who hailed from the Demon Sect, liked to see.


    Nobody wanted Master Li to be an Alchemy Master brimming with a sense of justice; if that were the case, it would be difficult for Devil Cultivators to seek his services.


    "Indeed, Master Li has to be busy with alchemy, cultivating some Silver Corpses for defense is indeed a good choice!" Ancestor Zhan from Thousand Illusion Sect followed up.


    As Master Li was Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s son-in-law, he naturally spoke in his defense. Moreover, in such an occasion, who would want to offend Master Li, especially if there was a need for his alchemy services in the future?


    "Yes, indeed!" other Nascent Soul Elders nodded in agreement.


    Although they couldn¡¯t discern Master Li¡¯s true combat power, one thing was certain: Master Li must be exceedingly wealthy.


    Otherwise, how could he afford to refine so many Silver Corpses? These weren¡¯t just Silver Corpses; they were practically mountains of gold constructed from Third Grade Corpse Refining Materials.


    Even for big sect Golden Core Elders, at most they would have up to three Silver Corpses, and typically only one would be cultivated, for quantity would compromise the strength of the Silver Corpses.


    But looking at Li Shiming¡¯s Silver Corpses, each one maintained the same realm as their master, and it was evident that each corpse had been selected from the optimum bodies available.


    With his age, it would have been impossible for him to obtain so many top-quality bodies for Corpse Refining.


    Only with an exchange of vast resources could he have collected so many of the finest bodies for Corpse Refining.


    Little did they know, Li Shiming had obtained a pile of bodies for Corpse Refining after he killed Elder Lv from Senluo Sect and had nurtured them to the scale they were at today; he actually refined very few corpses himself.


    The battle continued, with Grand Elder Lan Hongxi constantly launching attacks, trying to break through the Silver Corpses¡¯ formation.


    But no matter how she attacked, a slight wave of the Third Grade Array Flag in the hands of the Silver Corpses was enough to neutralize her attacks.


    The Silver Corpses continued to move inward in batches, shrinking Grand Elder Lan Hongxi¡¯s space to maneuver.


    Grand Elder Lan Hongxi tried various methods, even resorting to using potent poison, but it had no effect on the Silver Corpses.


    A lone Mid-stage Silver Corpse¡¯s power was not significant, but twelve of them under the command of Li Shiming produced a chemical reaction that even a Great Elder couldn¡¯t counteract.


    Finally, as the Mid-stage Silver Corpses pushed the formation inward, Grand Elder Lan Hongxi was enveloped by it.


    Grand Elder Lan Hongxi only felt dizziness before her eyes; her vision, Divine Thought, and hearing were all confused by the formation, and she could do nothing but activate the red silk treasure with all her might to protect herself.


    At this moment, smirks appeared on the faces of the spectating Nascent Soul Elders, that is, excluding Ancestor Lan Weiyan.


    Because Li Shiming had moved to the edge of the battlefield and exited the fight, the battle was entirely between Grand Elder Lan Hongxi and the twelve Silver Corpses.


    Li Shiming seemed more like a bystander than a participant.


    Grand Elder Lan Hongxi didn¡¯t realize this and continued to operate her red silk treasure. Her Spirit was incredibly strong, and she figured out she had been blinded by the formation, so she aimed to delay time.

 Chapter 734 - 413 Battle_2

    Chapter 734: Chapter 413 Battle_2


    This spar couldn¡¯t go on forever; the time of a Nascent Soul Ancestor was precious. Once the fight reached a deadlock, the spar would come to a halt.


    Shiming¡¯s thoughts stirred slightly, and the formation formed by the twelve Silver Corpses suddenly changed.


    Previously, the formation of the twelve Silver Corpses used the twelve Silver Corpses themselves as the nodes, and these corpses were the power source of the formation.


    At this time, the change in the formation turned Grand Elder Lan Hongxi into a formation node.


    No other Array Master could accomplish such a maneuver, as it required ultimate mastery and control over the Spiritual Power Patterns.


    It wasn¡¯t just the twelve Silver Corpses that needed to be mastered and controlled; it also required mastering and controlling the Spiritual Power Patterns of Grand Elder Lan Hongxi to an extreme degree.


    But when Grand Elder Lan Hongxi stopped attacking the Silver Corpses and instead fully powered the Red Silk Magical Treasure for defense, her Spiritual Power Patterns changed less. Shiming¡¯s "Divine Eye" detected and took advantage of this.


    Sixty-eight Third Grade Array Flags connected to Grand Elder Lan Hongxi¡¯s Spiritual Power Patterns, directing her spiritual power into the formation.


    In just an instant, Grand Elder Lan Hongxi felt the spiritual power she had fed into the Red Silk Magical Treasure suddenly depleted, uncontrollably drawn elsewhere.


    Just as she attempted to regain control, a large silver foot kicked the Red Silk Magical Treasure, causing the now significantly weakened magical treasure to fly aside and thwarting her immediate attempts to regain control.


    More silver feet followed, each attack concealed by the formation, rendering her unable to anticipate or judge their coming.


    She was struck by one, a hit from a Mid-stage Silver Corpse, which under normal circumstances would not damage her significantly even without the defense of the Red Silk Magical Treasure.


    However, it was a kick controlled by Shiming, targeting the node of her Spiritual Power Patterns. The strike destabilized her spiritual power, rendering her protective spiritual power ineffective.


    As her spiritual defense vanished, continuous attacks from the silver feet ensued.


    Grand Elder Lan Hongxi felt like a punching bag, being hit repeatedly.


    What was most infuriating was that the attacking Mid-stage Silver Corpse was too weak¡ªit could only bruise her skin but not injure her body.


    Being attacked in such a manner by someone weaker made Grand Elder Lan Hongxi feel even more humiliated.


    The observing Nascent Soul Ancestors had no idea what to say, as the twelve Silver Corpses were tormenting Grand Elder Lan Hongxi. The Silver Corpses cared nothing for beauty, much less for a female cultivator¡¯s seductive appearance and tactics.


    The twelve Silver Corpses struck Grand Elder Lan Hongxi repeatedly, each blow dispersing her spiritual power and preventing it from consolidating.


    "Hongxi admits defeat!" Ancestor Lan Weiyan couldn¡¯t bear to watch her daughter being humiliated any longer and hastened to admit defeat.


    She was worried that if she didn¡¯t concede, her daughter might suffer a psychological trauma significant enough to prevent any further breakthrough in the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Shiming waved his hand, and the twelve Silver Corpses disappeared.


    With the disappearance of the twelve Silver Corpses, the formation also vanished, revealing the figure of Grand Elder Lan Hongxi.


    At this moment, Grand Elder Lan Hongxi¡¯s face was bruised and slightly swollen, lacking her former beauty.


    Ancestor Lan Weiyan glanced at Shiming but said nothing, not wanting to create animosity over this affair.


    "Ahem, Master Li, I fear that only you could deploy such a method of combat!" Ancestor Ling Xueling coughed lightly, somewhat at a loss for words.


    Her comment encompassed not just the cultivation of Silver Corpses but also mastery over the formation and an acute observational skill in combat.


    The recent fight between Shiming and Grand Elder Lan Hongxi might have seemed ordinary, but it involved far too many complexities.


    As Ancestor Ling Xueling mentioned, no other cultivator could replicate this method of fighting.


    Firstly, one would need sufficient wealth to refine the twelve Silver Corpses and a substantial amount of Third Grade Array Flags.


    Next, the ability in Formation had to reach the level of an Array Master in order to control twelve Silver Corpses in formation.


    Finally, one must possess strong combat instincts. Ancestor Ling Xueling was unaware that Li Shiming had mastered "God¡¯s Eye" and also had the life-bound magical treasure IBMz15 to assist him. She mistook Li Shiming¡¯s control of twelve Silver Corpses that broke through the defenses of Grand Elder Lan Hongxi during the fight as a natural combat instinct.


    "Shiming, your Silver Corpses are so formidable!" Elder Zuo said with a smile.


    The entire Shushan Sect knew that Li Shiming had many Silver Corpses, but as he was an Alchemy Master, no cultivator said anything.


    It was only today that they truly understood the terror of the Silver Corpses in Li Shiming¡¯s hands; without lifting a finger himself, he relied solely on the Silver Corpses to defeat the Great Elder.


    The performance of Li Yuanba and Li Shiming made the subsequent battles look tense but failed to arouse the interest of the Nascent Soul Ancestors present.


    After the Great Elders stopped sparring, the gathering moved into free time.


    Eight Nascent Soul Ancestors and Li Shiming sat down together to enjoy the Spirit Fruits, Spiritual Wine, and Spiritual Tea prepared by the Senluo Sect, while the younger generation exchanged views on the other side.


    "I have a bottle of Fourth Grade Demon Pill here and wish to exchange it for Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Refining Material!" Ancestor Lu took out a jade bottle and said.


    "A Fourth Grade Demon Pill, such a rarity! You¡¯re willing to offer it, so it must be for finding materials for Mr. Jian¡¯s life-bound magical treasure, right?" Elder Zuo said with a laugh.


    A thought crossed Li Shiming¡¯s mind; a Fourth Grade Demon Pill was equivalent to the output of a Nascent Soul Stage spirit beast, but he was unsure of its origin.


    "It¡¯s not easy to have a Sword Cultivation Nascent Soul; our sect¡¯s stores are insufficient. I ask for everyone¡¯s help!" Ancestor Lu said straightforwardly with a smile.


    Of course, none of the Nascent Soul Ancestors present truly believed Ancestor Lu¡¯s words; some of it might be true, but one should never fully believe him.


    A millennium-old major sect has terrifying accumulations.


    Perhaps they could not produce Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine, but they would not lack Fourth-grade materials.


    However, finding Fourth-grade materials that matched him perfectly was somewhat difficult.


    "I have a piece of Fourth-grade Metal here; does it meet the requirements?" Ancestor Lou Song of the Earth Evil Sect took out a jade box and slightly opened a crack to ask Elder Sword.


    The other Nascent Soul Ancestors knew the rule and did not deliberately sense the Spirit Item in the jade box.


    Only Elder Sword sensed the Fourth-grade Metal inside the jade box; he frowned tightly and finally shook his head in resignation.


    Ancestor Lou Song was not surprised; he put away the jade box.


    Ancestor Lu looked at the other Nascent Soul Ancestors, and as none of them spoke up further, disappointment was evident in his eyes.


    In fact, this situation was not unexpected; on the Beishu Continent, it was slim for a Nascent Soul Ancestor to find perfectly matching Fourth-grade Refining Materials.


    However, Elder Sword¡¯s situation was different; he had only one magical treasure, a life-bound flying sword.


    Other Nascent Soul Ancestors could choose a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure from the sect to use first and wait for suitable Fourth-grade Refining Materials to appear.


    But Elder Sword could not wait; without suitable Fourth-grade Refining Materials, he would never be able to form a real combat power.


    Then, each of the Nascent Soul Ancestors brought out some items for trade, all being Fourth-grade resources; some trades succeeded, but most did not.


    In the Beishu Continent, the circle of Nascent Soul Ancestors is really too small, and it is also difficult to gather all Nascent Soul Ancestors together.


    Being able to gather eight Nascent Soul Ancestors this time was extremely rare, especially coinciding with the event involving an external Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Skywalk Trading Company, which necessitated one of the Nascent Soul Ancestors from the six major sects to be present; otherwise, organizing such a gathering would have been uncertain of when it could next occur even with Elder Sword advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Although eight Nascent Soul Ancestors brought Li Shiming along for events, they did not expect much from him in terms of Fourth-grade resources.


    Although Li Shiming had Fourth Grade Spirit Items in his possession, he dared not bring them out as they were acquired from False Infants and Nascent Soul Ancestors; revealing this could cause significant trouble.

 Chapter 735 - 414: Accident

    Chapter 735: Chapter 414: Accident


    "Huh!" Elder Zuo suddenly stopped his actions and looked towards the distance.


    The other Nascent Soul Ancestors, except for Elder Sword, seemed to have received some message, and they too looked in the same direction.


    "It seems we are in trouble, Wuwei, you stay, we¡¯ll have a look," Ancestor Lu said to Elder Sword in a grave voice.


    At that instant, the six Nascent Soul Ancestors from the six great sects and Ling Xueling Ancestor from Beishu Trading Company all stood up.


    Regardless of any conflicts among them, when it came to important matters, they were allies.


    "Venerable Huike, we are in your hands," Ancestor Lu nodded to Venerable Huike and said.


    The six Nascent Soul Ancestors surrounded Venerable Huike and connected some of their spiritual power to him.


    Venerable Huike¡¯s Divine Foot Skill activated, and with one step using "A Stone¡¯s Throw, A World Apart," he moved five li in distance, taking the six Nascent Soul Ancestors with him.


    Li Shiming sensed it most clearly; the merged energy of the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors formed a whole, enabling Venerable Huike to use "A Stone¡¯s Throw, A World Apart" to its utmost effect beyond his own capability.


    The figures of the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors disappeared from the cultivators¡¯ sight at an incredible speed, and even Li Shiming, who possessed the Divine Eye Skill and could see a thousand li, witnessed them exceed that range in little time.


    Li Shiming did not know what had happened, so he activated the unmanned satellite system, watching the direction in which the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors moved.


    No abnormalities appeared in that direction, at least not until the coastline.


    The most likely scenario was that something had occurred at sea, requiring all seven Nascent Soul Ancestors to address it together.


    "Master, do you know what has happened?" his mind stirred, and through Li Yuanba who had a connection with Elder Sword, he asked Elder Sword using a sound transmission.


    Elder Zuo had not mentioned anything when he left, which showed the urgency of the situation, or perhaps even if Elder Zuo told Li Shiming what it was, it would not help but might instead cause trouble.


    Regardless of what had happened, Li Shiming wanted to know the reason; the feeling of not being in control was quite unsettling to him.


    "I have just become a Nascent Soul Cultivator and have not truly integrated into the Nascent Soul System of Beishu Continent. They did not share the reason with me, but I can sense a terrifying aura belonging to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage approaching Beishu Continent!" Elder Sword had no hesitation and answered Li Yuanba¡¯s question through sound transmission.


    Li Yuanba was startled; since he had arrived on Beishu Continent, after encountering the Nascent Soul Ancestors, he had not heard of Nascent Soul Ancestors being categorized into early, middle, or late stages.


    He knew there must be stages within the Nascent Soul Stage, but for some reason, the Nascent Soul Ancestors on Beishu Continent seemed to be of the same stage, without any divisions, and each Nascent Soul Ancestor¡¯s status was equal.


    Just like Elder Sword, who had recently become a Nascent Soul Ancestor, after being accepted by the other Nascent Soul Ancestors, he was treated as a cultivator of the same stage.


    This was unlike the Golden Core Stage, where a newly promoted cultivator, in front of Middle Late Stage Golden Core Cultivators, had a much lesser status.


    "Could it be that there are no Nascent Soul Middle Stage practitioners in Beishu Continent?" Li Yuanba seized the opportunity to ask further.


    "Actually, I should also tell you, let¡¯s first settle these cultivators and then I will explain to you in detail!" Elder Sword said with a smile.


    The gathering concluded, and the Nascent Soul Ancestors departed, leaving the Golden Core cultivators to be escorted away by Golden Core practitioners sent by the Senluo Sect.


    Like Grand Elder Lan Hongxi from the Yin Yang Sect and Grand Elder Mo Bao from the Earth Evil Sect, who needed the Senluo Sect along with the three great Righteous Path sects to inform and coordinate in advance, to avoid any mishaps as these two passed through the Righteous Path domain on their way back.


    Of course, these matters only needed Elder Sword to give the order, and Sect Elders from the sect would take care of them.


    Li Shiming did not linger in the Senluo Sect but left with his senior sister Ye Jingxian and Elder Wei Xi.


    In times of major events, it was safer to stay within the walls of Shushan Sect.


    Back at Chongxiao Peak, Elder Sword appeared slightly worried and gestured for Li Yuanba to sit on the chair opposite him.


    Li Yuanba poured a cup of Spiritual Tea for Elder Sword, then sat down.


    "Yuan Ba, you¡¯re now in the Golden Core Middle Stage, and with your talents, the prospect of advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage is very high; you also need to consider the matters of the future," Elder Sword said, taking a sip of the Spiritual Tea and looking at Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba adjusted his posture, knowing that what Elder Sword was about to discuss might be extremely important to him.


    "You earlier asked about the Nascent Soul Middle Stage; I can tell you specifically, there are currently no Nascent Soul Middle Stage practitioners in Beishu Continent, the strongest are merely close to the peak of the Nascent Soul Early Stage. Even in the history of Beishu Continent, those who have advanced to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage are no more than a handful," Elder Sword spoke slowly.


    "Master, I don¡¯t understand. Although the cultivation techniques in the sect are not as profound as ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,¡¯ surely cultivating to the later stages of Nascent Soul shouldn¡¯t be a problem; why does this situation occur?" Li Yuanba asked, puzzled.


    "It¡¯s simple, because of resources. The quality of fourth-grade resources in Beishu Continent is not sufficient to support a practitioner from the early to middle stage of Nascent Soul, unless it is a rare genius with shocking talent who could rely on limited resources to break through the shackles.


    Normal practitioners at the early stage of Nascent Soul have a lifespan of a thousand years, but subtracting the lifespan consumed before, the actual time left for cultivation in the Nascent Soul Early Stage is only about five to six hundred years."

 Chapter 736 - 414: Accident_2

    Chapter 736: Chapter 414: Accident_2


    "I have merely an average talent. I am four hundred and thirty-five years old this year, and after ascending to the Nascent Soul Stage, I will have over five hundred years of life span left," Sword Elder said, his face revealing a wry smile.


    Sword Elder thought about how it took him much longer to reach the Nascent Soul Stage compared to his predecessors at the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    But that did not mean his talent was inferior; rather, it was because he was in the Beishu Continent, where the resources could not compare with those at the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.


    "Nascent Soul, perhaps with your talent, you could ascend to Nascent Soul at the age of two hundred. Then, you would have eight hundred years in the Nascent Soul Early Stage to cultivate, which would allow you to ascend to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage before your life span ran out. But this would also exhaust all your potential and leave you unable to advance any further. The resources of Beishu Continent would not allow you to progress!" he continued.


    "Master, do you mean I should also leave Beishu Continent after I ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage?" Li Yuanba guessed the meaning of Sword Elder¡¯s words.


    "The decision should be yours to make. If a Mid-stage Cultivator had not come close today, I would not have spoken with you about this. Perhaps by achieving Nascent Soul on Beishu Continent, you could live safely and comfortably. However, leaving Beishu Continent, you may encounter many dangers," Sword Elder said with a wave of his hand.


    Originally, Sword Elder had planned to discuss these matters with Li Yuanba when he himself was about to leave Beishu Continent. But the arrival of a formidable enemy made him feel the urgency of time, and he needed to convey some important things to Li Yuanba ahead of time.


    Li Yuanba showed a pensive expression. If he were to leave Beishu Continent, it wouldn¡¯t just be him departing; he would be leaving together with his main body, Li Shiming.


    To tell the truth, he and Li Shiming had genuinely taken root in Beishu Continent. Although they belonged to different sects of righteousness and deviltry, they both held extremely high statuses.


    There are few on Beishu Continent who could bully them now, and as their strength increased, once they ascended to the Nascent Soul Stage, with their methods, it would be no problem for them to roam the continent unchecked.


    However, Sword Elder had made it clear that no matter how talented they were, the resources of Beishu Continent would limit them to, at most, the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.


    Knowing that the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion had ancestors who had ascended, Li Shiming had long set his sights on ascension. He wanted to witness the higher realms; he did not want to fade away like the grass and trees.


    "Master, after I reach the Nascent Soul Stage, I will make the same choice as you. I, too, am a disciple of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, and I will return there!" Li Yuanba pondered for only a moment and, after communicating with Li Shiming, made a decision.


    When he became a disciple of Sword Elder, he also joined the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion as a disciple.


    "Good, once you reach the Nascent Soul Stage, you will be able to find a map to leave within the scroll painting. Following that map, you will find the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, and I will be waiting for you there!" Sword Elder said with a laugh.


    "Master, if your Lifebound Flying Sword cannot be upgraded, should we consider switching to a Fourth-grade Flying Sword first?" Li Yuanba brought this up, thinking of the impending arrival of a Nascent Soul Middle Stage enemy.


    He had already thought it through. If Sword Elder truly had this in mind and the Senluo Sect did not have a suitable Fourth-grade Flying Sword, he would first bring one over from his main body.


    Unlike Sword Elder, a pure Sword Cultivator, he had, in addition to his Lifebound Flying Sword, a Ten Thousand Sword Peak Treasure and a Silver Corpse, as well as a Third Grade Sword Base for close combat.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about this; the sect has Fourth-grade Flying Swords. But it seems there won¡¯t be a need for me to cultivate a new Fourth-grade Flying Sword!" Sword Elder said with a light smile.


    "Master, have you found the upgrade materials?" asked Li Yuanba excitedly, catching the implication.


    He wasn¡¯t sure where Sword Elder¡¯s confidence came from, as there hadn¡¯t been any such news in the trade with the Nascent Soul Ancestors before.


    "With a great enemy coming to Beishu Continent, the other sects will naturally consider finding upgrade materials for me as a priority!" Sword Elder said with a smile.


    After all, he was a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator. As long as he could truly exert his own battle strength, even if he might not necessarily defeat a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner, he could play a significant role in a fight.


    Li Shiming, on the road, was sharing in the conversation between Sword Elder and Li Yuanba, his brows tightly furrowed.


    The drone satellite system did not cover the maritime area, leaving him unable to understand the situation of the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors. He worried that if the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors were defeated, his peaceful cultivation time would be gone.


    Despite his esteemed status as an Alchemy Master and the granddisciple of a Nascent Soul Ancestor from Shushan Sect, these would not be of much use in the face of crisis, and instead, he could become a prime target for attack.


    Venerable Huike used "Close-yet-Worlds-Apart" to travel and intercepted a giant airship approaching the Beishu Continent over the great sea.


    "It¡¯s the Skywalk Trading Company!" Ancestor Lu said, using spiritual power to send his voice upon seeing the mark on the giant airship.


    There was no need for him to remind them; all Nascent Soul Ancestors had already noticed this.


    The Skywalk Trading Company was the force they valued most; it was precisely because of the Skywalk Trading Company that each of the six great sects had a Nascent Soul Ancestor who could not enter seclusion.


    However, the elusive Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Skywalk Trading Company had disappeared, which left the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the six great sects unable to go into seclusion with peace of mind.


    Whenever a Nascent Soul Ancestor was involved, there was no such thing as a trivial matter.


    But what they hadn¡¯t anticipated was the existence of a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner within the Skywalk Trading Company.


    "Just one at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage; I didn¡¯t sense that one!" Ancestor Lan Weiyan sent her voice.


    Her cultivation wasn¡¯t the strongest among all the Nascent Soul Ancestors, but her spiritual power was the highest. Together with a special spiritual secret technique, her perceptions were able to reveal more than the other Nascent Soul Ancestors could sense.


    "Could it be that the elder suffered injuries and perished?" Elder Zuo speculated.


    "Regardless, when this Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner asks, we¡¯ll just say we don¡¯t know; indeed, we really don¡¯t know!" Ancestor Lu continued.


    They had no wish to engage in battle with a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner. The reason they were able to preside over affairs without entering seclusion was that they were still relatively young.


    A great battle at the level of Nascent Soul Ancestors, especially with a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Elder, would greatly deplete them and could potentially result in significant life-span damage.


    Moreover, the most important point was that they had fought a battle with Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    In a situation of absolute disadvantage, Patriarch Weng Zhao still managed to break through the encirclement and escape. His strength and methods made them aware of the formidable power of a Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Skywalk Trading Company.


    The one before them had a higher realm than Patriarch Weng Zhao, so his strength needed no further elaboration.


    If there truly were a battle, perhaps among the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors present, there would most likely be casualties.


    "The Beishu Continent has such a grand reception; am I to believe that as soon as I approach, so many Nascent Souls come to greet me?" a voice emanated from inside the giant airship, and then a person appeared on the bow of the ship.


    "I am Lu Gong, my fellow practitioners and I were just holding a gathering and sensed the arrival of the elder, so we came to welcome you. May I know which elder from the Skywalk Trading Company it is?" Ancestor Lu said, bowing deeply.


    Within the Nascent Soul Stage, each realm was a world apart, so it was absolutely normal for those in the early stage to address those in the middle stage as their seniors.


    Ancestor Lu¡¯s respectful attitude was also an attempt to probe what the Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner intended to do.


    The Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner deliberately revealed his Nascent Soul Middle Stage aura, showing an interest in formal contact rather than forcefully entering the Beishu Continent. This indicated that he might not necessarily intend to initiate battle.


    "I am Jin Kai of the Skywalk Trading Company. I have come to the Beishu Continent for two matters: one is to rebuild the Skywalk Trading Company, and the other is to inquire about the whereabouts of Fengyi and Weng Zhao, as both have not been in contact for some time!" Elder Jin Kai said indifferently.


    While speaking, he released a powerful aura and also observed the expressions of the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    He practiced a secret technique that allowed him to sense the emotional changes of cultivators weaker than him, which enabled him to infer certain situations.

 Chapter 737 - 415 Compromise

    Chapter 737: Chapter 415 Compromise


    The Skywalk Trading Company did not place much importance on the Beishu Continent; this was but a location awaiting development for them.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the successive disappearances of both a False Infant Sealing Instrument and Patriarch Weng Zhao, an elder at the Nascent Soul level, Elder Jin Kai would not have come to investigate.


    The various Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Skywalk Trading Company each had their own concerns, and it was merely by chance that Elder Jin Kai had finished his duties and was able to come here.


    Furthermore, the continuous disappearances at the Nascent Soul level on the Beishu Continent required an explanation.


    When Elder Jin Kai discovered that seven Nascent Soul Ancestors had come over from the Beishu Continent, he had thought that Patriarch Weng Zhao and the False Infant Sealing Instrument had been killed by them, but after using a Secret Technique to observe the situation, he found this was not the case.


    This led to a change in his approach toward the Beishu Continent; he had no desire to make an enemy of an entire continent.


    Even though the strength of the Nascent Soul Cultivators on this continent was not formidable, the number of Nascent Soul Cultivators a continent possesses would not be small.


    The Skywalk Trading Company was in the business of trade, although sometimes they dealt with the selling of intelligence, they would not lead the charge to attack a continent.


    The seven Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Beishu Continent were relieved to hear about the two-year plan proposed by Elder Jin Kai.


    Re-establishing the Skywalk Trading Company would face no more obstacles with Elder Jin Kai¡¯s presence.


    A mid-stage Nascent Soul Practitioner stepping in was definitely sufficient to open up a trade route.


    After all, who wouldn¡¯t want an additional channel for purchasing resources from other continents?


    The reason why the Skywalk Trading Company had previously been banned was due to engaging in activities they shouldn¡¯t have¡ªprobing into the intelligence of the six major sects and various other forces, involving too many of their secrets.


    As a trading company dealing in Spiritual Objects, the collection of such a vast amount of confidential information led the six major sects to view their actions with suspicion.


    The second matter Elder Jin Kai spoke of was locating the whereabouts of the False Infant Sealing Instrument and Patriarch Weng Zhao.


    The fact that Elder Jin Kai himself announced this news reassured the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors even further; it meant that Patriarch Weng Zhao had not been able to return to the Skywalk Trading Company and, perhaps as they had previously suspected, had actually perished.


    As for the False Infant Sealing Instrument, it was even less related to the six major sects, who also found its disappearance peculiar.


    "We agree to the reconstruction of the Skywalk Trading Company, and if necessary, we can also offer assistance in finding the whereabouts of Weng Zhao and the False Infant Sealing Instrument," said Ancestor Lu on behalf of all the Nascent Soul Ancestors after a brief consultation.


    "I will need a place to settle down for the reconstruction of the Skywalk Trading Company, to facilitate the entry of subsequent personnel. As for finding the False Infant Sealing Instrument and Patriarch Weng Zhao, just make it somewhat convenient for my trading company¡¯s personnel," said Elder Jin Kai, as if he had anticipated this response, spoke calmly.


    The discussion among the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors lasted longer this time due to the involvement of territory.


    Labeled as a foothold, once this territory was conceded, it would be difficult to reclaim.


    If the Skywalk Trading Company used this as a springboard to influence the Beishu Continent, it could become a considerable problem for the continent in the future.


    However, the conditions posed by Elder Jin Kai were not excessive, and refusing them might lead to war.


    Even if war were to break out, they certainly could not afford it at present.


    At the very least, they needed to allow the six major sects of Beishu Continent enough time to prepare and awakens any Nascent Soul Ancestors that could be awakened, as well as gather all other Nascent Soul Ancestors from various forces to stand a chance in battle against the Skywalk Trading Company.


    No one had anticipated the existence of a mid-stage Nascent Soul Practitioner within the Skywalk Trading Company, a presence capable of confronting many early-stage Nascent Soul Practitioners.


    "Elder, we will evacuate the personnel on Yongle Island and hand it over to the Skywalk Trading Company," Ancestor Lu stated somberly.


    Uttering these words brought him discomfort; when had they ever suffered such indignity.


    "Yongle Island..." Elder Jin Kai took out a Jade Scroll to check, quickly locating Yongle Island and considering its position and size, he nodded in satisfaction.


    The Beishu Continent hadn¡¯t tried to fob him off with a small island; Yongle Island was capable of accommodating a hundred thousand people, with a Golden Core Level Spiritual Vein and a considerable number of spirit fields.


    With Yongle Island secured, it was entirely feasible for the Skywalk Trading Company to relocate a large number of cultivators there.


    "Very well, I¡¯ll accept Yongle Island!" Elder Jin Kai agreed with a nod.


    Thinking that the issue was settled for the moment, the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors prepared to return to their respective sects to begin the awakening of other Nascent Soul Ancestors, but they then heard further words from Elder Jin Kai.


    "Since Beishu Continent has purged the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s local branch, this grudge does not warrant us engaging in full-blown combat at the Nascent Soul level. However, for conflicts below the Nascent Soul level, Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators should not intervene!" Elder Jin Kai stated flatly.


    His statement took the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors aback; this meant he was preparing for the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s cultivators to engage in battle with those of the Beishu Continent.


    Given that the Skywalk Trading Company was from afar, even if they were to relocate cultivators, their numbers would be very limited.


    Whereas the Beishu Continent had six major sects, many other forces, as well as numerous smaller sects and a large body of Loose Cultivators; the Skywalk Trading Company was preparing to use Golden Core Stage cultivators against the entire Beishu Continent¡¯s Golden Core cultivators.


    "Since the elder has spoken thus, let¡¯s settle it this way!" Ancestor Lu made the response after garnering opinions from the other five major sects and the Beishu Trading Company.


    "I will head to Yongle Island in ten days, I assume ten days is sufficient time, right?" Elder Jin Kai asked with a smile.

 Chapter 738 - 415 Compromise_2

    Chapter 738: Chapter 415 Compromise_2


    "Ten days should be enough; Yongle Island will be evacuated in ten days," Ancestor Lu nodded and said.


    After the negotiations concluded, the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors retreated until they were far away from Elder Jin Kai, only then did they feel somewhat relaxed.


    In the presence of Elder Jin Kai, they maintained their formation, ready to engage in joint combat tactics should a battle arise.


    Neither side was concerned about the attitudes of the inhabitants of Yongle Island during the negotiations.


    The six major sects and the Beishu Trading Company dispatched nearly thirty giant Flying Boats and managed to evacuate all residents of Yongle Island within a day.


    A medium-sized sect that was originally on the island didn¡¯t even dismantle their Sect Formation during the evacuation, leaving behind everything in the spirit fields.


    Across from Yongle Island on the coast, the six major sects established a stronghold and selected experienced Golden Core Cultivators from various sects to station there.


    The first batch of Golden Core Cultivators exceeded a hundred, and more would be continuously transferred later, not only from the six major sects but also from smaller sects and Gold Core Loose Cultivators under various pretexts.


    Special individuals oversaw these tasks, and in order to attract Golden Core Cultivators, the major sects also offered a number of resources as rewards for killing enemies.


    The six major sects did this to confine the battlefield between Gold Core Cultivators to the area between Yongle Island and the coast, avoiding the spread of slaughter to a larger area.


    Before long, a year passed, and Yongle Island became a focal point on the Beishu Continent.


    Initially, the Golden Core Cultivators of the Beishu Continent had had their share of victories and defeats against those from the Skywalk Trading Company, but with the arrival of the second batch of Golden Core Cultivators from the company, the situation began to change.


    Lately, nearly twenty Golden Core Cultivators had been killed. If not for the stronghold, the Golden Core Cultivators on Yongle Island might have already advanced deep into the interior of the Beishu Continent.


    The most unexpected development for the six major sects was that Skywalk Trading Company began using resources as bait to buy over Gold Core Cultivators from smaller sects and Loose Cultivators, which increased the number of Golden Core Cultivators on Yongle Island continuously.


    Li Yuanba sat cross-legged opposite Elder Sword, who stopped lecturing with a smile.


    Over the span of a year, Li Yuanba visited twice a month, and his gains were substantial, sorting out the key aspects of the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" from the Golden Core Stage to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Thanks to the personal guidance of Elder Sword, Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent improved extremely fast.


    "Master, has your Lifebound Flying Sword been repaired?" Li Yuanba asked with concern.


    Just as Elder Sword had predicted, after paying some price, he obtained a Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Material from Qianye Temple, which was a perfect match for Elder Sword.


    "It¡¯s almost there; it will be upgraded to fourth grade soon!" When it came to his Lifebound Flying Sword, Elder Sword made no attempt to hide his mood in front of his disciple and answered with a smile.


    Although there had been no war between Skywalk Trading Company and the Beishu Continent, over the past year, more Nascent Soul Ancestors had been awakened.


    Should Skywalk Trading Company overstep, despite the presence of Elder Jin Kai, a Nascent Soul Middle Stage being, the Beishu Continent would not hesitate to fight.


    In reality, if Beishu Continent truly battled Elder Jin Kai, they would surely win, but the number of Nascent Soul Ancestors the Beishu Continent would have to sacrifice is unknown.


    Most importantly, it would be very difficult to kill Elder Jin Kai; at most, they could severely injure him.


    Such a cost is unbearable for any major sect, so the Beishu Continent continued to accumulate strength.


    The Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Material of Elder Sword was obtained under these circumstances.


    "Yuan Ba, although your Supreme Yang Sword Intent is more powerful, it also limits the choice of fourth-grade materials for enhancing your Lifebound Flying Sword after ascending to the Nascent Soul Stage. I blame myself for not having advised you timely!" Elder Sword thought of Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent and couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat helpless as he spoke.


    Li Yuanba indeed understood his master¡¯s concerns, as a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Sword Intent with a special attribute would make it much stronger.


    However, why did Elder Sword always maintain the purity of his Sword Intent, solely characterized by its unparalleled sharpness? This was, in fact, a compromise.


    After advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage, Elder Sword needed a Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Material to upgrade his Lifebound Flying Sword.


    Without a special attribute Sword Intent, he had more choices of Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Materials available, which is why he found a match with the second Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Material he encountered.


    It is known that other Nascent Soul Ancestors rarely come across the Fourth Grade Refining Materials that perfectly match their own attributes in their lifetime.


    Elder Sword only required to adjust his own Sword Intent according to the attributes of the Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Material he obtained to make a perfect match with it.


    This choice would make his Sword Intent subject to passive changes, yet it was a method to rapidly deploy the combat strength of a Sword Cultivator.


    As for Li Yuanba, with his Sword Intent possessing the Supreme Yang Attribute, he would need to find a Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Supreme Yang Material to upgrade his Lifebound Flying Sword after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage.


    If he never finds the Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Supreme Yang Material in his lifetime, Li Yuanba might not be able to fully exert the power of his Lifebound Flying Sword.


    If a Sword Cultivator cannot exert the power of his Lifebound Flying Sword, it is as if being restricted, practicing the Sword Cultivation Technique but failing to become a true Sword Cultivator.


    "If push comes to shove, I¡¯ll just switch to using a Fourth-grade Flying Sword for now!" Li Yuanba didn¡¯t take it too much to heart and said with a laugh.


    His self-perception was not that of a pure Sword Cultivator. If he could upgrade the Xingyi Sword, it would be best, but if not, he would use other methods to possess combat strength for the time being.


    "I don¡¯t like close-range sword techniques, but records of them exist in the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion along with top-notch Body Refining Techniques. After you return, you might consider improving yourself in these areas!" Elder Sword had considered this for him and offered his opinion.


    Their exchanges almost never considered whether Li Yuanba could reach the Nascent Soul Stage or not.


    In one year¡¯s time, Elder Sword spent the most time with Li Yuanba and profoundly perceived how terrifyingly fast Li Yuanba¡¯s growth was.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation speed was increasing at a rate even Elder Sword envied.


    After all, Li Yuanba was continuously consuming Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills specifically for Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators, while other Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators were busy obtaining Third-grade Spiritual Medicine, severely limiting their actual cultivation time with Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    Even in his days, Ancestor Lu couldn¡¯t possibly provide him with a large amount of Third-grade Spirit Pills, as he had to consider the influence it would have within the sect, waiting for a Third-grade Spirit Pill among Golden Core Cultivators was simply too many.


    An uneven distribution might cause instability within the sect, a major taboo for a sect that has a lineage of over ten thousand years.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes brightened; he had long decided to head to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, and Elder Sword¡¯s words deepened this thought.


    "Yuan Ba, I¡¯ve finished the lecture on the Golden Core Chapter of the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique. My master has sent a message, asking you to go to the Yongle Battlefield. It is said that recently the sect has lost three Middle Late Stage Golden Core Cultivators, and many more are injured; the sect is already mobilizing a Great Elder there!" Elder Sword said, looking at Li Yuanba.


    Ever since Yongle Island was acquired by the Skywalk Trading Company, seven Nascent Soul Ancestors have been stationed at that outpost.


    As long as Elder Jin Kai from Yongle Island does not leave, they cannot return.


    Elder Sword didn¡¯t oppose Li Yuanba going to the battlefield, where fighting against powerful Golden Core Cultivators was the best environment for a Sword Cultivator¡¯s growth.


    As for the dangers, ever since knowing that Li Yuanba possessed Great Elder Level Body Refining Power, Elder Sword no longer worried about any dangers Li Yuanba might face.


    Even without displaying his Great Elder-level Body Refining Power, Li Yuanba was able to defeat a Great Elder using just his pure Lifebound Flying Sword; once he utilized his full battle power, Elder Sword couldn¡¯t believe there were any Golden Core Cultivators who could withstand it.


    Elder Sword was not a man of shallow insight; in fact, his knowledge surpassed that of many Nascent Soul Ancestors on the Beishu Continent.


    He acknowledged Li Yuanba¡¯s strength. Even if a Great Elder beyond the Beishu Continent¡¯s standards appeared from the Skywalk Trading Company, at most, their strength would be equivalent to Li Yuanba¡¯s; it was not possible for anyone to totally overpower Li Yuanba, not to mention Li Yuanba also mastered "Step by Step Lotus", assuring his survival was not a problem.

 Chapter 739 - 416: Arrival

    Chapter 739: Chapter 416: Arrival


    Over the sky of Yongle Island battlefield, Li Shiming specially added a drone, but it was kept far from Yongle Island.


    Ever since he learned that there was a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Elder Jin Kai on Yongle Island, he had paid extra attention to it, dedicating a part of his mind to constantly monitor the place.


    Recently, he had noticed an odd phenomenon¡ªthat the number of Golden Core cultivators on Yongle Island had significantly increased.


    These Golden Core cultivators were not outsiders; they were attracted by the superior conditions of Yongle Island.


    After being recruited by the Skywalk Trading Company of Yongle Island, some of these Golden Core cultivators joined the Yongle Battlefield, but others entered deeper into the continent.


    Since these Golden Core cultivators were originally from the Beishu Continent, they didn¡¯t attract attention from any factions.


    If it weren¡¯t for several upgrades to Li Shiming¡¯s unmanned satellite system that greatly enhanced its computational analysis capabilities, he might not have noticed this situation.


    Li Shiming had a feeling that the Skywalk Trading Company was not just interested in doing business but had some ulterior motives.


    However, these Golden Core cultivators did not seem to have a specific destination; their tracks and directions were scattered, which made him feel that they could be searching for something.


    He didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, reasoning that whatever the Golden Core cultivators might find, any major activities on Yongle Island could not escape his notice.


    Moreover, his clone Li Yuanba had already rushed to the Yongle Battlefield. Having a first-person perspective allowed him to observe more situations.


    This was just as well, as Li Shiming¡¯s identity made it impossible for him to directly participate in such battlefields, not because the sect doubted his strength, but because his value did not lie in combat.


    Not just the sect, no Nascent Soul Ancestor from Beishu Continent would agree to him going to the battlefield.


    With Beishu Continent unprecedentedly united, as long as Li Yuanba declared his identity at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, he could pass with just a record, without needing any further procedures.


    Li Yuanba no longer concealed his strength. Using "Step by Step Lotus" to speed his travel, he reached a stronghold opposite Yongle Island in just several two hours.


    The stronghold was still under construction but had already formed an extensive Formation that blocked the direction of Yongle Island.


    Yongle Island could only be accessed inland from this direction; islands on either side in the sea each had a medium-sized sect¡¯s Formation, creating an encirclement.


    Six major sects also had stationed cultivators in the two medium-sized sects, boosting their power.


    Perhaps Yongle Island could secretly let a few particularly powerful Golden Core cultivators slip out, but moving a large group of Golden Core cultivators without being noticed was impossible.


    When the decision to hand over Yongle Island to the Skywalk Trading Company was made, the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors had already considered the blockade.


    Now, a blockade had indeed been formed; previous tactics had not affected native cultivators, but extreme monitoring had been achieved for foreign cultivators.


    "Yuan Ba, come here!" Li Yuanba had just arrived at the stronghold when he heard Ancestor Lu¡¯s transmission.


    Li Yuanba flew into the Formation and saw seven mountains laid out in the Formation.


    These seven mountains were not originally there; seven mountains and a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein had been moved there by the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors for collective use.


    When Beishu Continent united against external forces, the resources and energy they could muster were beyond imagination.


    Li Yuanba flew into one of the mountains and met Ancestor Lu at the peak.


    "Yuan Ba pays respect to the Great Ancestor!" he came forward and bowed respectfully.


    "Take a seat. I called you here to join the battle, not just you, but many Great Elders from various major sects and other forces will be called in!" Ancestor Lu said with a wave of his hand.


    "Disciple thanks the Great Ancestor for allowing me to join the battle!" Li Yuanba said with a smile.


    He was brimming with a battle spirit, having spent the past year listening to Elder Sword¡¯s teachings, accumulating a plethora of experience and insights.


    These experiences and insights, if constantly tempered through battle, could be absorbed more quickly.


    "You and Wuwei are alike, both particularly fond of battle!" Ancestor Lu laughed and then changed the subject: "I want to explain the current situation to you, so you know what to expect."


    Ancestor Lu¡¯s regard for Li Yuanba was not just because he was his disciple, but also because Li Yuanba had become one of the strongest Golden Core Stage cultivators in the Senluo Sect.


    His Great Elder-level Body Refining strength, in actual combat, his survivability and close-combat abilities even surpassed those of Magic Cultivation Great Elders.


    Great Elder-level Body Refining Practitioners were most suited for such battlefield environments, with their intense defensive power, terrifying offensive capability, and prolonged combat endurance¡ªthis was why Ancestor Lu valued him so significantly.


    Indeed, the movements of Elder Jin Kai had caught the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors off-guard.


    They had not expected the conflict described by Elder Jin Kai¡ªthat Nascent Souls would not interfere with the quarrels among lower level cultivators¡ªto escalate to such a degree of battle.


    What had started as mere skirmishes among ordinary Golden Core cultivators escalated within a year to fights involving Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    Though Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators were not rare in Beishu Continent, each of these had been cultivated over hundreds of years, and each was a figure of immense talent and brilliance.


    If too many Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators were to fall, it would impact the overall strength of Beishu Continent¡¯s cultivators.


    Even the six major sects would be profoundly grieved by the death of several Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.

 Chapter 740 - 416: Arrival_2

    Chapter 740: Chapter 416: Arrival_2


    Needless to say, the appearance of Great Elder Level Golden Core cultivators on the battlefield was the recent cause of substantial losses among the Golden Core cultivators.


    Once the battle escalated to the level of a Great Elder, although it wasn¡¯t quite as intense as a battle at the Nascent Soul Stage, the significance was more or less the same.


    A Great Elder is the foundation of a Nascent Soul cultivator; each one has the potential to advance to a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    They are the essence and foundation of various forces; losing one is an enormous loss.


    "Skywalk Trading Company now has three Great Elders present on the battlefield, which is why we called upon you batch of cultivators with Great Elder strength to come here," Lu Ancestor solemnly informed.


    The three Great Elders of the Skywalk Trading Company, namely the Body Refining Grand Elder, the Thunder Cultivation Great Elder, and the Sword Cultivation Great Elder, are not easy to handle. You must not be careless," Lu Ancestor said in a deep voice.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly, having strength comparable to the Body Refining Grand Elder while the presence of the Thunder Cultivation and Sword Cultivation Great Elders was unexpected.


    Sword Cultivator is acclaimed as the strongest combat profession among cultivators, with unrivaled offensive power and the ability to break all spells with a single sword¡ªbecoming the nightmare of cultivators.


    Li Yuanba, being a Sword Cultivator himself, understood very well the formidable nature of the Sword Cultivation Great Elder.


    Elder Jian had suppressed all the Golden Core cultivators across the entire Beishu Continent because he was a Sword Cultivator, and trained in the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique".


    The "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" is not a Sword Cultivation Technique from Beishu Continent and stands a notch above all the Sect Inheritance Techniques on the Beishu Continent.


    According to Li Yuanba¡¯s judgment, the Sword Cultivation Great Elder of Skywalk Trading Company may very well be as powerful as the former Elder Jian.


    This Sword Cultivation Great Elder of Skywalk Trading Company, although his primary Sword Cultivation Technique remains unknown, is likely similar to the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique," or perhaps slightly inferior, but definitely surpasses the techniques known in Beishu Continent.


    As for Thunder Cultivation, Li Yuanba also has a say since Li Shiming himself had practiced Thunder Skill and understood deeply the terror of Thunder Cultivators.


    Thunder Cultivator is the most unique among Magic Cultivators. Other cultivators may cast spells quickly, still allowing time to dodge, but once a Thunder Cultivator unleashes Thunder magic, the likelihood of evasion is extremely low.


    Thunder magic is incredibly fast, so fast that most cultivators cannot dodge it and must withstand it.


    Another perverse aspect of Thunder magic is its paralyzing effect; in a life-or-death battle, being hit can paralyze instantly, rendering one incapable of action and virtually ensuring death.


    "Yuan Ba, I know these three Great Elders are powerful, but you have the ¡¯Step by Step Lotus.¡¯ I hope you can eliminate any one of them. This time, the six major sects along with Beishu Trading Company have provided three resources for advancing to the Nascent Soul. If you can eliminate one of them, you¡¯ll receive one of these Nascent Soul advancement resources!" Lu Ancestor continued.


    Seven Nascent Soul Ancestors had discussed this. They had gauged the strength of the three Great Elders from Skywalk Trading Company and didn¡¯t have much confidence in the Great Elders of their own sect.


    However, they unanimously believe that Li Yuanba is the most likely to eliminate a Great Elder from Skywalk Trading Company.


    Mainly because Li Yuanba¡¯s way of fighting is very intelligent, achieving victory with minimal cost, and with the help of "Step by Step Lotus," he can advance or retreat.


    "Master Ancestor, I will do my best," Li Yuanba did not make any promises as fighting such formidable foes, the prospect of killing them was too challenging.


    Actually, calling Li Shiming over would be the simplest solution; his current combat capabilities far exceed those of Li Yuanba, and together with his Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent and "Flowing Light Star Meteor" Flying Sword, eliminating a Great Elder wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    It¡¯s worth noting that the "Flowing Light Star Meteor" Flying Sword is almost equivalent to a Fourth-grade Flying Sword. Attacking a Great Elder with a fourth-grade sword would overcome any strong defense, even a third-grade magical treasure couldn¡¯t withstand an attack from a "Flowing Light Star Meteor."


    Unfortunately, no matter what is said, none of those Nascent Soul Ancestors would let Li Shiming, the Alchemy Master, make a move.


    After leaving Lu Ancestor¡¯s place, the Sect Elder from here approached him and arranged accommodation for him¡ªit was a newly built courtyard.


    Li Yuanba received some data in his Identity Jade Disc, not only about the resources of the three Great Elders from Skywalk Trading Company but also about some well-known Golden Core cultivators from the opposing side.


    Among these Golden Core cultivators, there were those from the Skywalk Trading Company, as well as those who had been bought over.


    In the records, Li Yuan Ba also saw that there was a market here for Golden Core cultivators, established by the Beishu Trading Company.


    Li Yuan Ba became somewhat interested, this place was close to the Yongle Battlefield, perhaps some spiritual objects from other continents might appear.


    The market covered a large area, and it was not just the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s shops that were here; many other trading companies had gathered here as well.


    Most of these trading companies had the backing of major sects, enabling them to come here and compete with the Beishu Trading Company.


    The number of cultivators in this place was very high, it was said that currently on the Yongle Battlefield alone, the number of Golden Core cultivators from both sides had surpassed three hundred, not to mention even more Foundation Building cultivators.


    Golden Core cultivators, usually very rare in various markets, could be seen everywhere here.


    Li Yuan Ba sensed that many were in the Middle Late Stage Golden Core, this market being able to attract so many Golden Core cultivators indicated that the goods were quite extraordinary.


    "Hu, how have you improved your strength so quickly, I remember last year when I saw you, you were just at the Early Stage Golden Core?" just as he was moving forward, he overhead a conversation between two Golden Core cultivators.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was eavesdropping; rather, his perceptive ability was too strong. "Divine Eye" along with "Telepathy" allowed his perceptiveness to far surpass that of his peers.


    Furthermore, the two Golden Core cultivators were not using any means to conceal their communication, allowing him to hear everything clearly.


    "Mr. Zhao, I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone else, but we are sworn friends. I¡¯ll tell you the truth, do you know about the Yongle Island over there?" Hu pointed secretly towards the direction of Yongle Island and asked in a lowered voice.


    "Of course, I came here for the rich rewards of killing enemies. I heard that killing the cultivators from the other side can be exchanged for cultivation resources, including even third-grade Spirit Pills from Master Li!" Mr. Zhao replied with a nod.


    When Mr. Zhao mentioned Master Li¡¯s third-grade Spirit Pills, his eyes lit up.


    "Master Li¡¯s third-grade Spirit Pills are indeed excellent, but extremely hard to obtain. However, if you defect to the other side and sign a contract, you can immediately get the corresponding resources. Moreover, once you gain military merits, you can exchange them for even more resources; the resources over there are far more than here!" Hu said with a tempting voice.


    "Hu, if you defect over there, won¡¯t you be making enemies with the several major sects?" Mr. Zhao asked hesitantly.


    He understood now why Hu had been able to advance to the Middle Stage Golden Core; his greed was stirred, yet he also felt some fear.


    The six major sects had ruled the Beishu Continent for countless years, and they had long established a fear in the hearts of all cultivators.


    "Are you silly? Can¡¯t you play both sides?" Hu chuckled.


    Afterward, Li Yuan Ba could no longer hear anything further, likely because the two Golden Core cultivators had applied a method to block out their voices.


    Li Yuan Ba shook his head, the situation here seemed rather chaotic, what was the Skywalk Trading Company planning?


    Honestly, thinking of using the hands of these Golden Core cultivators to attack the six major sects was way too optimistic.


    These Golden Core cultivators were mostly Loose Cultivators or cultivators from small or medium sects; they lacked not only the cultivation realm but also the primary Cultivation Techniques and Secret Techniques, and their magical treasures were also significantly inferior.


    If the Skywalk Trading Company intended to bridge these gaps among the Golden Core cultivators, it was not something that could be achieved in a short time.


    Once one reached the Golden Core Stage, wanting to change primary Cultivation Techniques came with too great a cost, almost tantamount to starting over.


    Unless one crafted it themselves, changing magical treasures required time to bring out their power as well, not within just a few years.


    Li Yuan Ba sensed there must be some reason he was unaware of, and when an appropriate occasion arose, he might use "Telepathy" to target some cultivators from the Skywalk Trading Company for investigation.

 Chapter 741 - 417: Battlefield

    Chapter 741: Chapter 417: Battlefield


    "Mr. Li!" A greeting made Li Yuanba lift his head, and he saw Elder Wei Xi smiling at him.


    Elder Wei Xi, a disciple of Elder Zuo from the Shushan Sect and a friend of Li Shiming.


    "Greetings to Fellow Daoist Wei!" Li Yuanba responded with a smile.


    He was extremely friendly, clearly indicating his intention to make connections.


    Now was not the time for righteous and devil cultivators to fight; the six major sects were unprecedentedly united, and their relationship could be considered an alliance.


    Elder Wei Xi had a very good impression of Li Yuanba, mainly because Li Yuanba wasn¡¯t a true devil cultivator. The pure Yang Sword Intent revealed that Li Yuanba¡¯s cultivation technique should more rightfully belong to the righteous path.


    Then there was Li Yuanba¡¯s combat power, at the Golden Core Middle Stage and Great Elder-level Body Refining, capable of defeating the Wisdom Fire Arhat with just a middle-stage Sword Cultivator¡¯s power. On the battlefield, he would much rather have Li Yuanba as a comrade-in-arms.


    Most importantly, Li Yuanba was a friend of Li Shiming, which was crucial and also the reason Elder Wei Xi was willing to take the initiative to befriend him.


    "Has Mr. Li just arrived as well?" Elder Wei Xi asked with a smile.


    "It seems Fellow Daoist Wei was also urgently summoned!" Li Yuanba said with a laugh.


    Both understood that they were there to carry out assassination missions, and the same task did not make them feel competitive but instead gave them a sense of shared animosity toward their enemies.


    "The three we¡¯re up against this time are very strong; let¡¯s keep each other informed with any news!" Elder Wei Xi suggested.


    "No problem!" Li Yuanba agreed with a laugh, then he looked around at the cultivators and whispered, "The cultivators here are not very trustworthy; we still don¡¯t know how many have been bought by the other side!"


    "You¡¯ve noticed too. I discovered the same when I arrived. These cultivators are very bold, nearly recruiting openly, and it¡¯s said that for every Golden Core cultivator they recruit, there¡¯s a corresponding reward!" Elder Wei Xi was well aware of this and spoke sentimentally.


    "Why doesn¡¯t the sect do something about it?" Li Yuanba asked, puzzled.


    Logically speaking, the six major sects, together with the Beishu Trading Company, should be able to control the situation here.


    "I¡¯m afraid the sects might be doing this intentionally, letting the situation develop. Until now, the sects still don¡¯t know what exactly the Skywalk Trading Company is planning, so using these cultivators to gather information isn¡¯t a bad idea!" Elder Wei Xi sent this thought privately.


    Li Yuanba hardly meddled in sect affairs, while Elder Wei Xi held a high position in the Shushan Sect and likely had his information sources, so his words were probably not without basis.


    He smiled and walked through the marketplace with Elder Wei Xi.


    Ahead was the Beishu Trading Company¡¯s store, a wooden building that had only one floor but covered an area of over a thousand square meters.


    At that time, many Golden Core cultivators were excitedly shouting about something, seemingly attracted by whatever was there.


    "It¡¯s about the third-grade Spirit Pills seized from the Skywalk Trading Company. Almost every Golden Core cultivator from the Skywalk force that¡¯s been killed has third-grade Spirit Pills on them, and the quality is quite good. If it weren¡¯t for Master Li being such a top-notch Alchemy Master, perhaps our third-grade Spirit Pills would be far inferior to theirs," Elder Wei Xi, who had arrived a bit earlier, knew what was happening and explained softly.


    Li Yuanba nodded. He knew his own affairs.


    In the past, Li Shiming did a lot of alchemy, but since advancing to the Golden Core Middle Stage, he had reduced the amount of alchemy he performed.


    This made it difficult for ordinary Golden Core cultivators to access the third-grade Spirit Pills made by Li Shiming, as these resources were all in the hands of the major sects and the Beishu Trading Company.


    Of course, recently Li Shiming had also increased the quantity of his alchemy at the request of the Shushan Sect.


    The purpose was to send them to the Yongle Battlefield as rewards for combat.


    Nevertheless, the reason why the third-grade Spirit Pills from Yongle Island were more popular was partly because the quantity of Li Shiming¡¯s third-grade Spirit Pills was still limited, and more importantly, the third-grade Spirit Pills from Yongle Island were not available on the Beishu Continent.


    New third-grade Spirit Pills gave the best effects for Golden Core cultivators, especially upon first use.


    Even Golden Core cultivators from the six major sects desired the third-grade Spirit Pills from Yongle Island.


    "Mr. Li, what are your plans for the near future?" Elder Wei Xi asked casually after they had walked a while.


    "I plan to enter the battlefield first to get a feel for the atmosphere. If Fellow Daoist Wei gets any news about those three Great Elders, you can contact me with this communication token!" Li Yuanba said, producing a communication token from the Beishu Trading Company.


    The Beishu Trading Company¡¯s communication tokens were a universal means of contact. In this place, Beishu Trading Company had even installed additional Communication Arrays, ensuring the tokens would function conveniently on the battlefield without any dead zones in communication.


    Once the two sides added each other to their tokens as friends, they could contact each other at any time.


    "Mr. Li, be extra careful. I¡¯m still contacting other Great Elders. To deal with those three, we might need to join forces!" Elder Wei Xi said with a smile.


    Great Elders generally moved in the same circles, and Li Yuanba was recognized because of his status as a Body Refining Grand Elder.


    Indeed, a Great Elder¡¯s combat power was on a different level compared to ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivators. Without the ability to mutually assist each other, how could they form equal friendships?


    This wasn¡¯t the Great Elders being snobbish; it was a common behavioral standard in the cultivation world.


    Li Yuanba walked around the marketplace but didn¡¯t find any spiritual objects to his liking.


    He didn¡¯t even consider that the spiritual objects he preferred, if available, wouldn¡¯t be sold in stores; they would probably only be seen at auction.

 Chapter 742 - 417: Battlefield_2

    Chapter 742: Chapter 417: Battlefield_2


    He applied the "Sky Concealing Secret Technique" to himself, concealing his aura, activated "Divine Vision" and "Telepathy," and turned into a sword light that left the coast and flew towards the sea.


    His true cultivation level was actually the best disguise; if anyone really treated him as a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, they would probably not even know how they died.


    However, this was his first time entering the battlefield, so he also wanted to take a look at the situation within the battlefield before anything else.


    From the coast to Yongle Island, there was a distance of roughly eight hundred li, and considering the distance to the other two islands on both sides, the width was about twelve hundred li.


    This expanse of sea was the Yongle Battlefield, the chosen battleground for both sides.


    A sea battlefield like this one differed from typical land battlefields; enemies could be found not only in the sky and on the sea surface, but also hiding deep in the sea.


    When Golden Core cultivators extend their Divine Thought below the sea surface, they experience a great interference. The sea bed here is very deep, making it highly suitable for hiding.


    Li Yuan Ba took no chances; with "Telepathy" continuously active, within the range of his Divine Thought, as long as he did not encounter a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, he could detect others in advance.


    Even if he encountered a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, if they harbored hostility towards him, he could still sense some traces and thus prepare in advance.


    "Be alert, this one¡¯s an easy target; make sure to strike only after he¡¯s inside the encirclement!" Li Yuan Ba heard a thought through "Telepathy"¡ªsomeone was using a secret sound transmission method to inform other cultivators. This secret sound transmission method required the user to think of the content they wanted to speak.


    Li Yuan Ba shook his head helplessly; he had anticipated such a scenario.


    This area of the sea was already extremely chaotic. Although some Golden Core cultivators had sided with Skywalk Trading Company, after receiving resources and improving their strength, they not only opposed cultivators from the Beishu Continent but also other cultivators within the Skywalk Trading Company.


    No one knew which Golden Core cultivators were innocent; as long as they weren¡¯t recognized, they were all enemies.


    On guard against each other, whether friend or foe, upon meeting they would either avoid each other or engage in battle.


    Probably only the disciples of the six major sects counted as allies. Disciples of the great sects would never side with the Skywalk Trading Company, as that would be considered a grave sin of betrayal to their sect.


    Li Yuan Ba¡¯s robe bore the mark of the Senluo Sect. These Golden Core cultivators had set their sights on the disciples of the great sects, which showed the extent of courage given to them by the Skywalk Trading Company.


    This surprised him because in the Beishu Continent, Golden Core cultivators from small and medium sects as well as Loose Cultivators always treated Golden Core cultivators of the great sects with respect. There had never been any provocations, let alone assassination attempts.


    As he was musing, four figures flew out from beneath the sea surface. These were four Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators who instantly sealed off all of Li Yuan Ba¡¯s escapades, and four magic treasures were launched at him.


    A white lotus flashed beneath Li Yuan Ba¡¯s feet, and he vanished.


    At the spot where he disappeared, the Xingyi Sword shot out towards one of the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators.


    Overwhelming Sword Intent enveloped the targeted Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, and the other two showed a look of terror in their eyes.


    "Sword Cultivator!" they exclaimed in shock.


    What shocked them even more was that behind another one of their companions, a white lotus appeared, and by the time Li Yuan Ba¡¯s figure emerged, this Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator was punched to death by Li Yuan Ba.


    The Xingyi Sword then slew the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator and flew toward another one.


    The one targeted by the Supreme Yang Sword Intent understood why the previous Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator hadn¡¯t made any defensive move.


    When the Supreme Yang Sword Intent locked onto him, his entire body was in agony, and his spirit was so suppressed by the Supreme Yang Sword Intent that he couldn¡¯t use his magic treasure.


    He could only watch as the Xingyi Sword pierced his heart, erasing his life.


    The last Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator did not live past the death of his companions; a white lotus appeared behind him, and with another punch, his life was ended by Li Yuan Ba.


    Throughout the entire battle, Li Yuanba didn¡¯t feel any pressure from the fight; it was simply too easy for him.


    These Golden Core cultivators were obviously Loose Cultivators who had likely just used Spirit Pills to advance their realms, thinking they could match the Golden Core cultivators from a major sect.


    Perhaps, in a four against one situation, they really could have fought on par with an ordinary Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator from a major sect.


    But they encountered Li Yuanba, who had used the "Sky Concealing Secret Technique," leading them to believe Li Yuanba was merely at the Golden Core Early Stage when, in fact, he was stronger than a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    Li Yuanba was also not satisfied with this fight; without a sense of pressure, there was no meaning in battle, and his Sword Intent hadn¡¯t been honed.


    However, through this battle, he also saw the disparity between ordinary cultivators and those from major sects.


    Although his Supreme Yang Sword Intent had improved quite a bit over the course of a year, influenced by Elder Sword¡¯s teachings, to say that he could immobilize a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator solely with Sword Intent was not possible.


    It could only be said that the Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator he faced just now had not reached the combat power of the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Divine Thought picked up all the corpses, took their space items, and casually threw their bodies into the sea.


    Such Golden Core cultivators with that level of talent didn¡¯t even qualify to be used for his Corpse Refining.


    Among the four space items, the only thing worth a second glance were the Third-grade Spirit Pills.


    He obtained three Third Grade Spirit Pills, which were of Intermediate quality and displayed a unique refinement technique; the Alchemy Master¡¯s skill level exceeded that of Elder Ma from Shushan Sect.


    Elder Ma was the inheritor of Shushan Sect¡¯s alchemy, implying that Skywalk Trading Company might surpass Shushan Sect in terms of alchemy inheritance.


    In terms of alchemy inheritance, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to include Li Shiming in the comparison; Shiming¡¯s alchemy skill was related to the alchemy inheritance but not significantly so.


    Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skill mainly depended on his life-bound magic treasure, IBMz15, and his previous micron-level, now nanometer-level control over the compute space; these were the reasons he could refine Third Grade Advanced Spirit Pills.


    Considering how highly Beihai Continent valued Third-grade Spirit Pills, and yet Skywalk Trading Company distributed them to the four Golden Core cultivators just now, those cultivators of such caliber would probably never have advanced beyond the Golden Core Early Stage without a new type of Third-grade Spirit Pill, one never before seen on the Beishu Continent.


    From this, it can be inferred that Skywalk Trading Company doesn¡¯t place much importance on such Third-grade Spirit Pills; perhaps the quantity of these pills is so vast that they can afford to squander them freely.


    Li Yuanba thought further, recalling Elder Sword¡¯s comments about the scarcity of resources on the Beishu Continent; now it seemed likely to be true.


    Although the three Third-grade Spirit Pills were a new variety, their quality was too low for him to consider taking.


    He casually stored the three Third-grade Spirit Pills, planning to exchange them with other cultivators for Spiritual Objects later on.


    His gaze turned toward the distance. The battle had been very short, but he had sensed several gazes; with nothing between sea and sky, any cultivator who had practiced visual secret techniques could see events happening far away.


    His "Telepathy" also spotted some cultivators, some of whom appeared to be using communicators, seemingly passing on messages. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them.


    Those cultivators were simply too weak and too poor to evoke his desire for battle.


    Instead, he stopped and hovered in midair, contacting the drone satellite system while waiting.


    As soon as Li Yuanba noticed that some cultivators were signaling to one another, his immediate thought was whether they were informing cultivators from Yongle Island; he didn¡¯t need to look for them.


    With "Telepathy" and the drone satellite system, if any cultivators were to approach, he would be able to detect them.


    The likelihood of them approaching underwater was very low, as their speed would be greatly hindered in water. Generally, they would hide beneath the surface in advance, and movement underwater would be unlikely unless they had mastered secret techniques like Water Escape.


    Yet Water Escape techniques tend to be noisy and fail to achieve the element of surprise, not as quick and convenient as flying through the sky.

 Chapter 743 - 418 Sword Cultivator

    Chapter 743: Chapter 418 Sword Cultivator


    Yongle Island, an island that had no fame a year ago, was now widely acclaimed.


    Cultivators constantly entered and exited the island, each with faces alight with excitement and joy.


    They saw Yongle Island as an opportunity, perhaps a chance to break free from the shackles of their talents and significantly advance their cultivation.


    In Yongle Island, there were ample opportunities to acquire resources.


    "Move aside, it¡¯s Elder Shi Ming!" a cultivator whispered urgently, pulling a friend to dodge aside.


    At that moment, a figure shot out from the central area of the island, flying towards the sea.


    Initially, the speed was not fast, allowing the cultivators of Yongle Island to avoid in time.


    But once he had left the bounds of Yongle Island, his speed suddenly increased, and a chilling Sword Intent emanated from him.


    Ahead, an unsuspecting Foundation Establishment Cultivator from an unknown sect was stunned by the formidable Sword Intent, standing directly in the figure¡¯s path.


    Without the slightest pause, the figure charged through the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, whose body exploded into icy fragments upon contact with the Sword Intent, falling into the sea.


    All the cultivators who witnessed this held no sympathy for the Foundation Establishment Cultivator; such was the reaction he dared to show.


    Elder Shi Ming, a Sword Cultivation Great Elder sent by the Skywalk Trading Company, had arrived and since then, the number of Golden Core cultivators from the six major sects on the battlefield had noticeably decreased, and they had become much more cunning.


    He relished in slaughter and was always waiting for the true powerhouses of the six major sects to emerge.


    When news reached Yongle Island, he recognized Li Yuanba from the intelligence.


    Li Yuanba was very famous, and although he wasn¡¯t a Great Elder, he held a status equivalent to a Great Elder within the six major sects, thanks to the spar with the Wisdom Fire Arhat a year ago.


    With his mid-stage Golden Core, he had thoroughly defeated the Wisdom Fire Arhat, making Li Yuanba¡¯s combat prowess equivalent to that of a Great Elder.


    Of course, the rumors outside did not describe Li Yuanba possessing the strength of Great Elder-level Body Refinement.


    This was deliberately controlled by the six major sects, not just for Li Yuanba but also for the other Great Elders. Information about their secret techniques and more was strictly confidential, intended to prevent the Skywalk Trading Company from learning details about the Great Elders¡¯ strengths and preparing targeted responses.


    Upon knowing that Li Yuanba had appeared, Elder Shi Ming could no longer wait. The Golden Core cultivators he had previously slain were not satisfying at all, being too weak.


    Finally, a worthy opponent had appeared; slaying such talent was his favorite pursuit.


    Elder Shi Ming never underestimated any enemy. Through his informants, he knew that Li Yuanba had stopped moving. He targeted Li Yuanba¡¯s location from a distance and began preparing for battle.


    Apart from the explosive unleashing at close quarters, a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Sword Intent could also be accumulated through secret techniques prior to battle, allowing a Sword Cultivator to unleash far stronger Sword Intent at the moment of combat than usual.


    Elder Shi Ming did just that, specializing in Icy Sword Intent. Flying above the sea, the Icy Sword Intent emanating from him grew increasingly robust with his flight.


    The sea over which he flew was actually formed into a strip of floating ice crystals by the Icy Sword Intent.


    In the chaotic Yongle Battlefield, no cultivator dared to attack Elder Shi Ming or stand in his path; the original cultivators one by one moved aside.


    Those who did not move away were affected by the chilling Sword Intent; they were either severely injured by the Sword Intent or fell directly.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly; from the unmanned satellite system¡¯s monitoring screen, he saw Elder Shi Ming¡¯s trajectory.


    He did not know Elder Shi Ming¡¯s identity, but from the trail of ice crystals, he could tell this was a Great Elder-level Golden Core powerhouse.


    He had no intention to shrink back or evade; he was very eager to find out just how powerful the Great Elders from the mainland were.


    He took a deep breath as the ¡¯Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ started running, his skin and even internal organs beginning to jadeify, releasing a terrifyingly high temperature, forming a mist around him above the damp sea surface.


    A Third Grade Sword Base appeared in his hand, and the Xingyi Sword floated beside him.


    Li Yuanba continued to use ¡¯Divine Eye Vision¡¯ to observe the approaching Elder Shi Ming. As Elder Shi Ming got closer, the towering icy Sword Intent pointed at him like a heavenly blade, ready to strike at any moment.


    This was the psychological oppression of Sword Intent, and this kind of mental pressure would intensify as they drew closer.


    "So strong!" Li Yuanba¡¯s eyes shone as he watched Elder Shi Ming, muttering to himself.


    He fully activated his Supreme Yang Sword Intent and Great Elder-level Body Refinement, unleashing the strongest combat power he had in his human form.


    Elder Shi Ming also saw Li Yuanba. His eyes were utterly devoid of emotion, the coldness within resonating with his Icy Sword Intent.


    Seeing that Li Yuanba had no intention to dodge but was preparing for a head-on clash, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to smirk, but it was incredibly stiff since he hadn¡¯t smiled in a long time.


    From the slightly open corners of his mouth, his pale, bloodthirsty teeth were visible.


    He had accumulated hundreds of li of Icy Sword Intent, converging it in front of him on his Lifebound Flying Sword, slashing towards Li Yuanba.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s expression changed; the might of the Icy Sword Intent exceeded his expectations. This strike was definitely the strongest he had ever seen among all the Great Elders.

 Chapter 744 - 418 Sword Cultivator_2

    Chapter 744: Chapter 418 Sword Cultivator_2


    Great Elders differ from each other, these differences arising from the various primary Cultivation Techniques they practice and the different magical treasures they use.


    At the level of Great Elder, even the slightest gap can be immensely magnified.


    Li Yuanba switched from holding the Third-grade Sword Base with one hand to grasping it with both hands, abandoning the idea of using the Xingyi Sword to block.


    Whether it was the Supreme Yang Sword Intent or the Golden Core Middle Stage Spiritual Power within the Xingyi Sword, both were far inferior to Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure.


    Most frightening was that, through the use of ¡¯Divine Eye Skill,¡¯ Li Yuanba observed that Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure was almost impregnable¡ªat least to his vision, he could find no weaknesses to counterattack.


    However, with the support of ¡¯Divine Eye Skill,¡¯ he could see clearly the attack trajectory of Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure, while the ¡¯Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ ensured his body remained agile under the influence of the opponent¡¯s ice Sword Intent.


    "Chop!" Elder Shi Ming shouted loudly, and his Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure struck towards Li Yuanba with an unrivaled force.


    Li Yuanba also shouted loudly, his hands gripping the Third-grade Sword Base as he attempted to block the Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure.


    With a thunderous boom, Li Yuanba felt an indescribable cold sweep over his entire body. Although his body was protected by the ¡¯Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique,¡¯ he was still enveloped by a mass of solid ice.


    At the same time, the tremendous force from Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure made it impossible for his body to resist being knocked away.


    Since Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure had struck at a downward angle, Li Yuanba, now a big ice block, was hit and plunged into the sea.


    Elder Shi Ming did not show any signs of joy because he had knocked Li Yuanba into the sea. His gaze followed the location where the ice block had created a splash, and without the slightest hesitation, he rushed towards that spot.


    He was very clear that Li Yuanba had not suffered any severe damage because he noticed that Xingyi Sword, carrying Li Yuanba¡¯s life essence, had entered the sea first.


    The Xingyi Sword had Li Yuanba¡¯s life essence on it, meaning it was his Lifebound Magical Treasure.


    If Li Yuanba had perished, this Lifebound Magical Treasure would not display such spirituality.


    Elder Shi Ming had no intention of showing mercy. He knew that Li Yuanba, having taken his full-strength strike, was definitely not in good shape, and at the very least had sustained considerable injuries.


    Indeed, Li Yuanba had some regrets. He had not expected that with the strength of Great Elder-level Body Refining, he would fail to defend against Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Lifebound Flying Sword attack.


    The terrifying ice Sword Intent desperately tried to destroy his insides, while the Supreme Yang ¡¯Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique¡¯ filled him with Supreme Yang Energy, striving to prevent the ice Sword Intent from invading.


    In such a state, his combat strength was less than half, nowhere near enough to face a Sword Cultivation Great Elder as formidable as Elder Shi Ming.


    He finally understood the terror of a Sword Cultivation Great Elder. As a Sword Cultivator himself, Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Sword Intent was at least several times more powerful than his own.


    After falling into the sea, he found that being wrapped in the ice block transformed by the ice Sword Intent made him unable to perform ¡¯Step by Step Lotus.¡¯


    With a thought, his body transformed, shifting from human form to the Corpse Refining state.


    The moment he transformed into the Corpse Refining state, his body forcefully engulfed the ice Sword Intent.


    In the Corpse Refining state, the Extreme Yin Energy within Li Yuanba was colder than the ice Sword Intent. Besides the Sword Intent itself, the ice property could not affect his Corpse Refining body.


    His defensive power in the Corpse Refining state was much stronger than in human form, which allowed him to absorb the ice Sword Intent into his body, which in turn forcibly consumed it.


    Nevertheless, digesting this ice Sword Intent and converting it to energy for his body would still take some time, and he did not concern himself with this Sword Intent for now.


    With a slight shake of his body, the ice block surrounding him crumbled to dust.


    Because of the impact, he had been driven over a hundred meters below the sea surface along with the large ice block. He sensed Elder Shi Ming chasing after him from above.


    A white lotus appeared beneath his feet, and his figure disappeared in an instant.


    Elder Shi Ming entered the water, his Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure in the lead, and himself following behind, a standard combat style for a Sword Cultivator.


    After entering the water, his divine thought spread out, and he discovered the transformation process of Li Yuanba. At last, his face showed an expression, revealing a look of shock.


    Even though he was from the Skywalk Trading Company and had seen much of the world, he had never seen a cultivator transform into a refined corpse.


    Or perhaps Li Yuanba was originally a refined corpse, typically transforming into a human being.


    While he was pondering, Li Yuanba¡¯s figure vanished, and soon after he felt a trace of spatial energy fluctuation beside him.


    Elder Shi Ming immediately commanded his lifebound flying sword magical treasure to return. The sword was almost a hundred meters away from him, a distance that would normally be crossed in an instant.


    But this was in the sea, where the flying sword magical treasure¡¯s speed was slower than in the air.


    This slight delay, insignificant under normal circumstances, represented the most lethal danger at this moment.


    In his state of body refinement, Li Yuanba used ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯, along with the headband on his forehead, to directly appear beside Elder Shi Ming.


    No matter how fast a sword cultivator¡¯s lifebound flying sword was, it couldn¡¯t surpass Li Yuanba¡¯s preemptive use of the Divine Foot Skill, which was faster than the flying sword.


    Elder Shi Ming wasn¡¯t panicked; he had been through too many battles. To grow into a Great Elder, especially a Sword Cultivation Great Elder, he had extremely rich combat experience.


    If given just a tenth of a breath¡¯s time for the lifebound flying sword magical treasure to defend, he could escape the dangerous situation.


    Although a sword cultivator¡¯s defensive power could not compare to a cultivator who specialized in body refinement, the sword intent¡¯s long-term enhancement made their defensive power much stronger than that of other cultivators.


    Moreover, with the power of a Great Elder, he was confident he could block Li Yuanba¡¯s single strike, and Li Yuanba had only one chance.


    He had many secret techniques, each capable of exerting tremendous power, enough to place Li Yuanba in a deadly situation.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s claws reached toward Elder Shi Ming, and as they made contact with Shi Ming¡¯s defensive spiritual power, strange patterns flashed on the claws.


    Elder Shi Ming¡¯s eyes widened. When faced with danger, his mind was exceptionally clear, and he sensed the essence on Li Yuanba¡¯s claws.


    He wanted to scream, wanted to dodge, but it was too late.


    The conditions for using the ¡¯Sky Splitting Divine Ability¡¯ were harsh, but in the sea water, Elder Shi Ming¡¯s movement speed was reduced. Added to that, he had placed his hope on the lifebound flying sword magical treasure, giving Li Yuanba the opportunity to execute the ¡¯Sky Splitting Divine Ability¡¯.


    Executing a close-range Divine Skill, the defensive spiritual power on Elder Shi Ming¡¯s body had no effect at all, and a terrifying spatial tear appeared on him.


    Along with it came a large amount of horrific corpse poison as well as Crack Space Energy, causing Elder Shi Ming¡¯s body to stiffen.


    At that moment, his lifebound flying sword magical treasure flew back, shooting towards Li Yuanba.


    Unfortunately, due to the severe damage Elder Shi Ming suffered, the lifebound flying sword magical treasure lost most of its spirit, and Li Yuanba caught it with an outstretched hand.


    In his state of a refined corpse, a Third-grade Lifebound Flying Sword Magical Treasure without the support of a sword cultivator simply could not break through his defense.


    Li Yuanba then dealt another blow to Elder Shi Ming, finishing him off completely.


    He took the space ring from Shi Ming¡¯s body and collected the corpse.


    He let out a long sigh of relief. He had been careless this time, but at least he now knew the gap between himself and a Sword Cultivation Great Elder.


    The sword cultivation technique practiced by Elder Shi Ming was indeed, as he had guessed, of lower quality compared to his ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯, a conclusion that could be made from the sword intent itself.


    Although Elder Shi Ming¡¯s sword intent was extremely formidable, vanquishing him with a single blow, objectively speaking, it was mainly the frost effect of the ice sword intent that played a decisive role.


    Having personally come into contact with Elder Shi Ming¡¯s ice sword intent, Li Yuanba had an accurate judgment of the cultivation technique practiced by Shi Ming.

 Chapter 745 - 419: Inventory Check

    Chapter 745: Chapter 419: Inventory Check


    Elder Jin Kai was reviewing the intelligence when suddenly his thoughts became disturbed, and his gaze turned toward the battlefield outside Yongle Island.


    Just as he intended to investigate, the auras of seven Nascent Soul Ancestors rose from the opposite stronghold, reacting to his actions.


    "Shi Ming has fallen!" Elder Jin Kai already realized what had happened.


    He no longer wished to investigate further, considering that under the current circumstances, it was best to maintain the status quo with Beishu Continent.


    Although he was stronger than these Nascent Soul Ancestors, alone he couldn¡¯t possibly contend against seven Nascent Soul Ancestors and the whole Beishu Continent.


    Besides, his purpose here wasn¡¯t to fight over the resources of this resource-poor area but rather for another scheme, which was proceeding very smoothly; he did not want to disrupt the current situation.


    However, the unexpected demise of Elder Shi Ming greatly infuriated Elder Jin Kai.


    The three Great Elders brought from the headquarters of Skywalk Trading Company were the strongest among them, any of whom, once advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage, would become a formidable force within it.


    Although Elder Jin Kai hadn¡¯t fully investigated, he had detected the aura of Li Yuanba at the site of Elder Shi Ming¡¯s fall.


    He memorized the aura, planning to seek revenge for Elder Shi Ming once his plan was complete, if there was an opportunity.


    He was also very curious about how Li Yuanba had the strength to kill Elder Shi Ming and planned to study this before exacting his vengeance.


    Elder Shi Ming, being a Sword Cultivation Great Elder, should indeed overpower all the Golden Core cultivators across the entire Beishu Continent in terms of combat strength.


    As long as no Nascent Soul Ancestors intervened, Elder Shi Ming should have been invincible.


    A place as barren as the Beishu Continent shouldn¡¯t have anyone capable of killing Elder Shi Ming.


    Yet, in reality, under the collective watch of Elder Jin Kai and the seven Nascent Soul Early Stage Ancestors, it was impossible for any faction to act beyond the Golden Core Stage.


    Having collected his spoils of war, Li Yuanba suddenly felt all of his body hair stand on end, sensing he was being watched by some terrifying presence.


    Without a second thought, "Step by Step Lotus" activated, and his figure flickered as he returned to the stronghold.


    Only upon entering the grand formation of the stronghold did he finally take a deep breath.


    He was certain that the feeling just now was indeed from Elder Jin Kai; being noticed by a hostile Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner was nothing to take lightly.


    "Yuan Ba, what has happened?" Ancestor Lu¡¯s figure appeared beside Li Yuanba and asked.


    The sudden change in Elder Jin Kai on Yongle Island had given the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors a scare.


    Especially Ancestor Lu, who thought that since Li Yuanba had entered Yongle Battlefield, he might have done something to provoke such a reaction from Elder Jin Kai on the opposite side¡ªsomething likely only a Great Elder could accomplish.


    Other cultivators, even if killed, could not draw the attention of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    "Ancestor, I have slain Elder Shi Ming!" Li Yuanba did not conceal his achievement; he respectfully reported it.


    "No wonder there was such a big reaction from the other side!" Upon hearing this, Ancestor Lu said with a laugh.


    Regarding Li Yuanba¡¯s claim, he had no doubts; such a matter could be verified easily.


    With only three Great Elders on Yongle Island, the fall of a Sword Cultivation Great Elder was too significant an event to conceal.


    "Ancestor, here¡¯s the body!" Li Yuanba presented Elder Shi Ming¡¯s body as evidence, considering the promotion resource from the six major sects.


    For that ascension resource, he had exhibited all his strength, even employing his deepest hidden Corpse Refining state.


    Although the combat was brief, the peril was unlike anything he had encountered in recent years.


    If not for his Corpse Refining state, he might have been the one to fall.


    Elder Shi Ming¡¯s flying sword attack had left his human form powerless to retaliate.


    "Good, did the others see that?" Ancestor Lu nodded, then with a smile turned to the void and asked.


    "It¡¯s just like Ancestor Lu¡¯s lineage, to slay a Great Elder upon arrival!" Elder Zuo¡¯s voice sounded.


    "Well put, don¡¯t forget the reward due to Yuan Ba, this young man!" Ancestor Lu said with a big laugh.


    Having gained face in front of several Nascent Soul Ancestors made him extremely cheerful.


    "Li Yuanba, what was Elder Shi Ming¡¯s combat strength like?" Ancestor Zhan from the Thousand Illusion Sect then asked.


    Although he could not see the faces of the other Nascent Soul Ancestors, Li Yuanba could still sense their focus on this question.


    His sharp senses let him know that the other six Nascent Soul Ancestors, all from their own mountainous retreats, were watching and awaiting his response.


    Previously, other cultivators had seen Elder Shi Ming in action, but as mere onlookers, and with such a vast gap in their realms, they couldn¡¯t provide an accurate assessment.


    However, Li Yuanba was different; he had personally faced Elder Shi Ming in combat and could more accurately judge his strength.


    Knowing Elder Shi Ming¡¯s strength would allow them to estimate the combat abilities of the other two Great Elders.


    This was extremely important intelligence for the safety of their own Great Elders, enabling a more accurate analysis and judgment on their part.


    "Elder Shi Ming¡¯s strength is very strong, stronger than any other Great Elder I have encountered. Normal Great Elders probably cannot endure too many strikes from him!" Li Yuanba thought for a moment, then replied.


    His answer was both agreed upon and surprising to the other Nascent Soul Ancestors; they agreed because, after all, Skywalk Trading Company came from an external continent, and in terms of resources, cultivation techniques, and magical artifacts, it was superior to Beishu Continent.

 Chapter 746 - 419 Inventory_2

    Chapter 746: Chapter 419 Inventory_2


    Unexpectedly, Li Yuanba¡¯s judgment elevated his own combat power to a higher level.


    But all the Nascent Soul Ancestors were intelligent people; they would not foolishly ask Li Yuanba what kind of trump cards he had.


    They each thought about how to deal with the remaining two Great Elders from Yongle Island.


    "Ancestor, I need to rest first," Li Yuanba said, holding up Elder Shi Ming¡¯s corpse and bowing to Ancestor Lu.


    Ancestor Lu sensed the instability in his aura and knew he was injured.


    "You go and heal properly; you¡¯ve done well enough!" Ancestor Lu said, waving his hand.


    Though he did not know the details of Li Yuanba¡¯s battle, Ancestor Lu could guess the risks involved.


    For a cultivator like Li Yuanba, who mastered the ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯ Divine Foot Skill to be injured, the battle was not a simple one.


    Since Nascent Soul Ancestors could not interfere with the Yongle Battlefield, they all monitored each other. None could fully immerse their divine thoughts into the battlefield, so the details of the events happening there were unknown to them.


    They could only speculate on some situations based on the fluctuations of aura.


    Li Yuanba put away Elder Shi Ming¡¯s corpse and turned to fly towards the temporary courtyard.


    Elder Shi Ming¡¯s body, after verification, would not be taken away.


    The body of a powerful being, especially that of a strong enemy, was an extremely precious resource.


    After activating the courtyard¡¯s formation, he took out his Lifebound Flying Sword treasure.


    "What a pity," he mused, holding the Lifebound Flying Sword treasure, its quality exceptionally good, reaching the peak level of third-grade, and considered a supreme item among high-grade magical treasures.


    However, because it belonged to Elder Shi Ming, the spirit imprint had mostly dissipated due to its master¡¯s death, leaving only some remnants within the Lifebound Flying Sword.


    These residual spirit imprints were extremely difficult to remove, at least impossible for a Golden Core cultivator.


    Wielding such a Lifebound Flying Sword treasure, one could only unleash half of its power at best.


    He set aside the Lifebound Flying Sword treasure and took out Elder Shi Ming¡¯s Space Ring.


    It was a Mustard Seed Ring, a third-grade magical treasure level Space Ring with a huge space inside measuring ten thousand meters in length, width, and height, similar to the Mustard Seed Ring that the main body Li Shiming had obtained.


    It also had divisions for time-stopped space, life space, and regular space; the Mustard Seed Ring alone was an extremely precious treasure.


    That is, had Elder Shi Ming not concealed it, finding the Mustard Seed Ring on the corpse would have been difficult for Li Yuanba, given the ring¡¯s properties.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s divine thought entered the Mustard Seed Ring, and he was stunned by the number of Spiritual Objects inside.


    In the life space alone, there were thirty third-grade spirit fruit trees and ten third-grade spirit tea trees; just these spirit fruit trees and spirit tea trees were enough for a Golden Core cultivator¡¯s hospitality and personal use.


    The spirit soil used for planting was close to fourth-grade quality.


    He then turned his attention to the time-stopped space, where there were hundreds of Spiritual Medicines.


    Judging by the aura of the Spiritual Medicines, they were all third-grade Spiritual Medicine.


    Yet, judging by the level of Li Shiming as an Alchemy Master, he still could not recognize these third-grade Spiritual Medicines.


    Of course, this did not mean that Li Shiming would be unable to make use of these third-grade Spiritual Medicines. As long as the properties of these medicines were computationally analyzed, they could utilize the computational power of the lifebound treasure IBM z15 to reformulate the Elixir Recipes.


    However, when Li Yuanba¡¯s divine thought reached the ordinary space, he found that his worries were unfounded, as he discovered numerous Elixir Recipes within the Jade Scrolls.


    Among these Elixir Recipes, all the third-grade Spiritual Medicines in the time-stopped space were recorded.


    Perhaps some of the lower-grade spiritual medicines in these elixir recipes are not found on the Beishu Continent, but with these recipes, Li Shiming could more easily research and create recipes that match the spiritual medicines from the Beishu Continent.


    Li Yuanba searched the Jade Scrolls and did not find Elder Shi Ming¡¯s main cultivation technique.


    It is understandable, after all, even Li Yuanba himself didn¡¯t possess the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" in the form of a Jade Scroll; such inheritances are passed down through the master-disciple tradition.


    The downside of this method is that if an accident happens to a disciple, the lineage could be severed; however, the benefit is that the inheritance will not leak out.


    He did find quite a few other cultivation techniques, but judging by the quality of the techniques, they appeared to be seized from relatively weaker forces, a level below Elder Shi Ming¡¯s main cultivation technique, roughly on par with the inherited techniques of the six major sects.


    He casually flipped through them, not paying much attention, as with access to a better inheritance, he would not hold these in high regard.


    "What a stroke of luck!" he exclaimed excitedly all of a sudden.


    When he opened a Jade Box, he discovered a spirit pill inside.


    This was a fourth-grade ¡¯Supreme Sensing Pill,¡¯ one of the various auxiliary fourth-grade spirit pills that helped Golden Core cultivators sense the nascent soul and greatly promoted the transition from Golden Core to Nascent Soul.


    The value of this ¡¯Supreme Sensing Pill¡¯ alone was so great that Li Yuanba wouldn¡¯t trade it for four fourth-grade magical treasures.


    This ¡¯Supreme Sensing Pill¡¯ was probably prepared by Elder Shi Ming for his own use; it ended up benefiting Li Yuanba instead.


    Li Yuanba was extremely delighted; he continued to check the other Spiritual Objects within the Mustard Seed Ring.


    The various third-grade spiritual items did not pique his interest much; while valuable to other cultivators, they were not considered significant to Li Yuanba, who had Li Shiming as a backing.


    It was only when he reached the section with the artifact refining materials and found four-grade metal sealed by multiple talismans that his smile returned.


    Indeed, cultivators from other continents were wealthy, especially such high-ranking elders, who were confident in advancing to Nascent Soul Ancestors, their possession of fourth-grade materials was indicative of this.


    Theoretically, as a Golden Core cultivator, one would not store fourth-grade materials in space-themed items; even if they had fourth-grade materials, they could be kept in a much safer haven like a cave dwelling.


    But Elder Shi Ming was so confident in his own strength that he believed himself to be invincible, thinking no Golden Core cultivator could defeat him, let alone kill him.


    This kind of confidence couldn¡¯t be blamed, as it was the state of mind needed by Sword Cultivators to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    However, in reality, Elder Shi Ming had effectively handed these fourth-grade materials right into the hands of Li Yuanba, thus boosting Li Yuanba¡¯s future potential.


    The only regret was that the spirit iron was of a fourth-grade ice attribute, which didn¡¯t match Li Yuanba¡¯s affinity but could be used by Li Shiming, his original self.


    After some thought, Li Yuanba took out fifteen Cultivation Technique Jade Scrolls; these scrolls could enrich the collection of the Senluo Sect¡¯s techniques.


    Having decided to leave the Senluo Sect after becoming a Nascent Soul Cultivator, compared to the contributions of the Shushan Sect¡¯s Li Shiming to his sect, Li Yuanba¡¯s contributions to the Senluo Sect were not as significant.


    On the other hand, the care that he had received from the Senluo Sect was substantial; he needed to repay the sect, which would give him peace of mind.


    These fifteen techniques had already been recorded in the data repository of Li Shiming¡¯s essential magical treasure, the IBMz15.


    Inside the Mustard Seed Ring were also three bottles containing twenty-seven third-grade mid-stage spirit pills for the late Golden Core stage; they were all auxiliary cultivation spirit pills. He took them out, planning to trade with other cultivators when necessary.


    In the Beishu Continent, these third-grade mid-stage spirit pills for the late Golden Core stage were extremely rare and valuable. Most of the late-stage Golden Core cultivators were concentrated in the six major sects and various powerful forces. Yet, even so, they could not ensure a regular supply of these third-grade spirit pills for their cultivation.


    Even if Li Yuanba reached the latter stages of the Golden Core, he would not consider these mid-stage third-grade spirit pills significant since he had better high-grade third-grade spirit pills to choose from.


    Having heard from Elder Wei Xi, there will be an auction organized later where Spiritual Objects from other continents will be sold. He hoped to exchange these third-grade spirit pills for desired Spiritual Objects then.


    Such third-grade mid-level spirit medicines for the late Golden Core stage were prime commodities, highly sought after, and the most readily accepted for trading.


    Li Yuanba imprinted his spirit onto the Mustard Seed Ring, wore it on his finger, and with a slight motion of his mind, the ring disappeared from view.

 Chapter 747 - 420: Promotion

    Chapter 747: Chapter 420: Promotion


    Li Yuanba had another matter to deal with, that was the cold frost Sword Intent within his body.


    This cold frost Sword Intent had been devoured by his Corpse-refined body, completely losing its aggressiveness; furthermore, with the death of his master, Elder Shi Ming the Great Elder, the spiritual consciousness within the Sword Intent dissipated as well.


    After Li Yuanba¡¯s transformation from a Corpse-refined state into a human state, this cold frost Sword Intent still remained inside his body. Though it no longer had any aggressiveness, it was after all not naturally his own.


    He had originally planned to transform back into the Corpse-refined state and have the body in that state absorb it for his own use.


    But after perceiving the cold frost Sword Intent, he had another thought.


    Now that the cold frost Sword Intent lacked aggressiveness and had no owner, perhaps he could attempt to absorb it in his human state.


    After all, his human state was that of a Sword Cultivator, the same as that of Elder Shi Ming the Great Elder.


    It¡¯s just that the attributes of their Sword Intent were different. For Li Yuanba to absorb this Sword Intent, he had to consider the influence of the cold frost attribute.


    He contacted his main body, Li Shiming, and through his life-bound magical treasure, the IBMz15, carried out an analysis and judgment, arriving at a most plausible conclusion.


    He hesitated no more, as the Supreme Yang Sword Intent within him suddenly wrapped around the cold frost Sword Intent.


    Sword Intent possesses a slight autonomous consciousness, which is a special trait of Sword Intent.


    Being enveloped by the Supreme Yang Sword Intent and the intense clash of attributes made the cold frost Sword Intent want to resist being devoured.


    If the cold frost Sword Intent had not been devoured by the Corpse-refined body and had its aggressiveness erased, perhaps Li Yuanba, relying on his human state¡¯s Golden Core Middle Stage Supreme Yang Sword Intent, really would have been unable to cope with this cold frost Sword Intent.


    But now, even if the cold frost Sword Intent resisted, it lacked much aggressiveness and was passively defending.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Supreme Yang Sword Intent was like a fountain with a source, while the cold frost Sword Intent was like rootless duckweed. Initially, the Supreme Yang Sword Intent could do nothing against the cold frost Sword Intent, but as time passed, the cold attribute within the cold frost Sword Intent was worn down gradually and weakened.


    Elder Shi Ming the Sword Cultivation Great Elder was indeed a formidable Sword Cultivator and this cold frost Sword Intent of his was accumulated over a long distance through a Secret Technique. Li Yuanba, gaining the upper hand, took a full three days to eradicate the cold attribute of the cold frost Sword Intent.


    Right after the cold attribute was completely worn away, the pure Sword Intent integrated into Li Yuanba¡¯s Supreme Yang Sword Intent.


    This was a Sword Intent several times purer than his own, even devoid of the cold attribute, it was still a Sword Intent above the Golden Core Stage.


    With the integration of the Sword Intent, Li Yuanba came to a comprehension of Elder Shi Ming the Great Elder¡¯s Sword Intent.


    In one year, with lessons on the Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique explained by Elder Sword, he had reached an extremely high theoretical level, but even with Elder Sword¡¯s help, he could not fully comprehend the true Sword Intent at the Golden Core Peak.


    Now, the Golden Core Peak Sword Intent, without a hint of concealment, was being merged by his own Sword Intent, revealing all its secrets without reserve.


    With the theoretical explanations by Elder Sword and now contrasting with the actual Golden Core Peak Sword Intent, his understanding of Sword Intent deepened greatly in a short time.


    Another three days passed, and outsiders of this courtyard didn¡¯t know what was going on inside. If not for Li Yuanba having previously strengthened the courtyard¡¯s Formation, perhaps things would have been completely different by now.


    In the Cultivation Room within the courtyard where he was located, Sword Intent continuously surged out from his body, tracing mysterious arcs in the void, before returning to his body.


    Suddenly, a Sword Intent shot towards the wall, an uncontrolled Sword Intent, a result of his cultivation without consciousness.


    The Sword Intent, upon colliding with the wall, was blocked by the Formation, specifically the Fourth-grade Array, the Sumeru Mustard Seed Array, which he had laid out.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s tightly closed eyes opened, his eyes flashing with sharp cold light in the darkness of the room, like two unsheathed swords.


    "Phew!" he exhaled a long breath, and the Sword Intent in his eyes disappeared.


    The gains from these six days surpassed those of his two years in closed-door cultivation.


    With his judgment, his Sword Intent had improved to the level of just entering the Late-stage Golden Core. This greatly reduced the bottleneck in advancing to the Late-stage Golden Core.


    Although he couldn¡¯t say that there was no bottleneck in advancing to the Late-stage Golden Core, with the breakthrough in his Sword Intent level, the bottleneck he faced as a Sword Cultivator entering the Late-stage Golden Core was much weakened, making it easier for him to breakthrough.


    Next, he just needed to cultivate step by step, gradually accumulating Spiritual Power until the Golden Core was full.


    Six days later, Li Yuanba left his courtyard for the first time.


    Upon leaving the courtyard, he instantly felt the oppression of this stronghold, an oppressing feeling that made him extremely uncomfortable.


    He looked up at one of the seven mountain peaks, the source of the oppression was that mountain.


    That mountain peak was where Venerable Huike resided. It was unclear what had happened to cause the Venerable to reveal his emotions, thereby affecting the surroundings.


    In fact, Venerable Huike¡¯s emotional influence only affected those Cultivators with strong spirits and heightened sensitivity. Venerable Huike was also holding back his own emotions, not wishing to harm the Cultivators of his faction due to his personal reasons.


    Li Yuanba did not disturb Ancestor Lu but took out a communication plaque and contacted Elder Wei Xi, a new friend he had just made.


    Elder Wei Xi was his natural ally; coming from Shushan Sect and a disciple of Elder Zuo, Elder Zuo had been favorable towards his original body, Li Shiming.


    And as many Cultivators knew, Li Yuanba and Li Shiming were friends, making his relationship with Elder Wei Xi harmonious when they first became acquainted.


    "Mr. Li, are you out of seclusion?" Elder Wei Xi communicated through the communication plaque after connecting.

 Chapter 748 - 420 Enhancement_2

    Chapter 748: Chapter 420 Enhancement_2


    "Fellow Daoist Wei, how did you know I was in seclusion?" Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t help but be stunned, and he asked directly without any hesitation.


    The matter of his seclusion was only known to Ancestor Lu, and it was because he was injured that he went into seclusion.


    "Mr. Li, you probably don¡¯t know yet, but you are now known as the foremost person below the Nascent Soul!" Elder Wei Xi said with a laugh.


    Although they were communicating through a contact tablet, Li Yuanba could tell that this was no joking matter from Elder Wei Xi, especially when he emphasized "foremost person below the Nascent Soul," conveying his seriousness.


    "I am but at the Golden Core Middle Stage, how can this be?" Li Yuanba asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "Wasn¡¯t it you who killed the Elder Shi Ming from the Skywalk Trading Company?" Elder Wei Xi asked with a smile.


    "Indeed, after we parted that day and entered the battlefield, I encountered Elder Shi Ming and was injured in the battle with him!" Li Yuanba admitted.


    This matter needed no further discussion; seven Nascent Soul Ancestors had verified it, and the resources for his promotion to the Nascent Soul Stage would also come into his hands.


    "Then are you aware that the Wisdom Fire Arhat has fallen?" Elder Wei Xi continued to ask.


    Li Yuanba was truly surprised. Despite having defeated the Wisdom Fire Arhat without even using his Great Elder-level Body Refining power,


    it did not mean the Wisdom Fire Arhat was weak. On the contrary, the burst of power from a Fire Cultivation Great Grandmaster was extremely terrifying.


    If it weren¡¯t for Li Yuanba¡¯s mastery of "Divine Eye Skill" and "Divine Foot Skill," plus the help of his original body, Li Shiming, by his side, it would not have been so easy to defeat the Wisdom Fire Arhat.


    No wonder Venerable Huike was in such a bad mood. The Wisdom Fire Arhat was a seedling of the Venerable, being taken by Venerable Huike to attend Elder Sword¡¯s celebration showed how highly Venerable Huike regarded him.


    Given the current situation at Qianye Temple, a Great Arhat who had the potential to ascend to Venerable status was extremely important for the future of Qianye Temple, and his fall could affect the temple¡¯s situation for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.


    "How could this happen?" Li Yuanba asked, shocked.


    With the strength of the Wisdom Fire Arhat, he should not have easily perished on the Yongle Battlefield.


    "The Wisdom Fire Arhat arrived here five days ago, heard about your achievements, and entered the battlefield, slaying all in his path, but then he ran into Great Elder Sun Ao and was killed by him!" Elder Wei Xi answered.


    Li Yuanba couldn¡¯t help but mourn for the Wisdom Fire Arhat. The Arhat¡¯s talent was indeed excellent, but his nature was like fierce fire.


    It is likely that he, eager to show off after hearing that someone had just killed a Sword Cultivation Great Elder upon entering the battlefield, did not inform Venerable Huike, leading to this incident.


    Li Yuanba had made it clear to the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors six days after returning, just how powerful Elder Shi Ming was, explicitly stating that Elder Shi Ming was much stronger than any Grand Elder of the Beishu Continent.


    In such matters, the Nascent Soul Ancestors would not allow their own Grand Elders to take risks, the best method being for several Grand Elders to join forces.


    The side of Beishu Continent held the home-ground advantage, and with only three Grand Elders coming from the Skywalk Trading Company, one of whom was killed by Li Yuanba, leaving the remaining two Grand Elders,


    if the Beishu Continent side were careful in their response, it would be difficult for the opposing two Grand Elders to make much of an impact.


    After understanding the situation, Li Yuanba and Elder Wei Xi scheduled a time to meet.


    Li Yuanba walked toward the market district, and he noticed many cultivators were covertly observing him.


    Their gazes were not due to his appearance but were filled with awe.


    "The foremost person below the Nascent Soul!" Li Yuanba thought of what Elder Wei Xi had said and couldn¡¯t help sighing in resignation.


    This title was not easy to hold, as it made others too envious.


    Furthermore, he was very aware of his own combat capabilities, and if truth be told, the strongest should be his original body, Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming had numerous methods, each powerful, especially the third-grade "Flowing Light Star Meteor" magical artifact, which possessed the power of the fourth grade.


    Even without using the Great Elder-level Body Refining power, the power of "Flowing Light Star Meteor" alone was enough to withstand any Golden Core cultivator.


    Li Yuanba arrived at a tea house in the market area, built by the Beishu Trading Company, not for business purposes but to provide a place for cultivators to gather and exchange ideas.


    "Senior Li, Mr. Wei is waiting for you in the private room, let me show you the way!" a Foundation Establishment Stage server came over and bowed respectfully.


    Using a server of the Foundation Establishment Stage was of course meant to serve Golden Core cultivators, a feat only the Beishu Trading Company could manage.


    "Thank you!" Li Yuanba casually threw a second-grade Spirit Pill as he spoke.


    The Foundation Establishment Stage server caught the second-grade Spirit Pill, suppressed the surprise in his heart, his steps became lighter, and he became even more respectful and cautious.


    He led Li Yuanba to the front of a private room, and before he could open the door, it opened from inside.


    "Mr. Li, we¡¯ve been waiting for you!" Elder Wei Xi greeted with a hearty laugh, then waved the Foundation Establishment server away.


    The Foundation Establishment Stage server bowed and stepped back.


    Li Yuanba sensed several familiar auras inside the private room and couldn¡¯t help but smile as well.


    Upon entering the private room, all the Great Elders from their last gathering were present except the Wisdom Fire Arhat; the others were all there.


    The Earth Evil Sect¡¯s Grand Elder Mo Bao, Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s Grand Elder Ling Qin, Yangming Sect¡¯s Grand Elder Lan Hongxi, together with Shushan Sect¡¯s Elder Wei Xi, and Li Yuanba himself also counted as a force of a Great Elder, gathered five Great Elders in the small room.


    "No need for introductions; when you sent your message, we were discussing how to deal with the Great Elder of Yongle Island!" Elder Wei Xi said with a smile.


    The reason these Great Elders could gather here was partly the demands of their respective sects and partly because they had sparred and understood each other¡¯s strength during a previous celebration.


    It is very hard for Great Elders of the same sect to cooperate without any gaps.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors of the sects understood this too, given that each sect¡¯s resources for advancing to Nascent Soul were extremely limited and could not possibly support every Great Elder at once.


    They could only progress in batches, and it was always better for Golden Core cultivators in the queue to be as close to the front as possible.


    The cultivators involved in the competition were not fixed; every few years, new competitors would emerge, making the competition for Nascent Soul advancement resources within the same sect reach a fierce level.


    Under these circumstances, it was difficult for Great Elders of the same sect to fully trust their sect mates with their backs.


    Instead, alliances with fellow cultivators whom they knew somewhat but had no competitive relationship with were more reassuring to the Great Elders.


    "Mr. Li, we were just hoping you could share about the combat strength of the Great Elder of Yongle Island. We know about the capabilities of Wisdom Fire Arhat - he was said to have been slain on the spot by Great Elder Sun Ao within Five Breath Time!" Grand Elder Lan Hongxi asked seriously, her face devoid of its usual seductive expression.


    These were all comrades ready to team up for battle; she certainly didn¡¯t want her words and actions to provoke hostility among her comrades, as that would be beneficial to no one.


    Li Yuanba knew Great Elder Sun Ao, a Body Refining Grand Elder, and Li Yuanba was himself a Body Refining Grand Elder, but without using "Step by Step Lotus," he wouldn¡¯t have been able to slay Wisdom Fire Arhat within Five Breath Time.


    "I can only say that Elder Shi Ming, with whom I fought, had extremely strong combat power. Had I not been a bit lucky, perhaps it would not have been Elder Shi Ming who died in that battle! As for the other two elders, I haven¡¯t met them, but comparing with Elder Shi Ming¡¯s strength, the three Great Elders should be on par," Li Yuanba pondered and said.


    He thought about whether Elder Shi Ming, using his tactics against him, would attack any one of the Great Elders here; he was afraid that not even Five Breath Time would be needed, certainly, the first sword strike could instantly slay any one of the Great Elders.


    "Is he really that strong?" Grand Elder Lan Hongxi muttered.


    The fall of the Wisdom Fire Arhat might have been due to his own mistake, as he was proficient in fire techniques, and the battlefield environment was the sea surface, inherently restraining the performance of fire cultivators.


    But Li Yuanba, having personally fought against Elder Shi Ming, had more authority on the latter¡¯s power.

 Chapter 749 - 421 Interception

    Chapter 749: Chapter 421 Interception


    Li Yuanba flew above the sea surface, with Elder Wei Xi to his left about fifty meters away, and Grand Elder Mo Bao to his right at the same distance.


    Following him were Grand Elder Lan Hongxi and Great Elder Ling Qin, which made five elders entering the battlefield together.


    Li Yuanba did not overestimate his abilities, for he did not want to rely on luck every time. The remaining two elders from the Skywalk Trading Company, one a Thunder Cultivator and the other a Body Refining cultivator, were not easy to deal with.


    Therefore, he agreed to join the four elders, considering this a collective action of the six major sects. As for Qianye Temple, after losing the Wisdom Fire Arhat, they had not sent a second Great Arhat.


    In Li Yuanba¡¯s mind, there was another scene¡ªa surveillance feed coming from the unmanned satellite system controlled by his original body, Li Shiming.


    These elder-level cultivators had been here for over an hour, and had encountered many cultivators along the way. It seemed that the news of their appearance must have already reached Yongle Island, but it appeared there was no reaction from there.


    At the core of Yongle Island, Elder Jin Kai was looking at the intelligence in his hand.


    In front of him, Elder You Xia and Great Elder Sun Ao stood with their hands clasped in a respectful manner.


    "Sun Ao, the cultivators we sent out have found a suspicious place. Can you go and find out if it¡¯s what we are looking for?" Elder Jin Kai casually threw a Jade Scroll to Great Elder Sun Ao and ordered in a deep voice.


    "Yes!" Great Elder Sun Ao took the Jade Scroll and bowed in response.


    "Elder Jin Kai, the elders from the six major sects are provoking us outside. What should we do?" Elder You Xia cautiously inquired.


    "Why bother with them?" Elder Jin Kai waved his hand indifferently.


    Although he was the instigator of the Yongle Battlefield, he did not value it greatly.


    "Elder Jin Kai, the Golden Core cultivators that have joined us did so on the condition that we can confront the six major sects. If they believe we cannot oppose them, I¡¯m afraid many Golden Core cultivators will leave!" Elder You Xia expressed his concern.


    To attract these Golden Core cultivators from the Beishu Continent, the contracts had been made very lenient, but the rewards were exceptionally high.


    "Sun Ao is going to investigate, and you alone will not be able to handle those elders. First, get the Golden Core cultivators who have joined us to take action. Kill more of the opposing sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators. We¡¯ve invested so much resources, not to raise them for nothing!" Elder Jin Kai said after some thought.


    The fall of Elder Shi Ming had disrupted Elder Jin Kai¡¯s plans.


    He also did not want to call for more elders from the Skywalk Trading Company headquarters. Skywalk Trading Company had enemies too, and mobilizing too much force could affect the stability in other regions.


    "Yes, Elder Jin Kai!" Elder You Xia bowed and agreed.


    He was very interested in meeting the Golden Core Mid-stage Cultivator who had killed Elder Shi Ming, Li Yuanba, who was rumored to be the first below the Nascent Soul on the Beishu Continent.


    But since Elder Jin Kai had spoken, he must obey the order.


    "What we need is to buy time, not to fight for a quick victory here. When we find our target and before leaving, you can unleash a massacre as you please!" Elder Jin Kai knew his thoughts and shook his head as he spoke.


    After leaving the core area, Grand Elder Sun Ao donned a black robe, a treasure that concealed his aura.


    The grand elder-level Body Refining aura on him was concealed by the black robe as he flashed to the left, indicating that he planned to bypass the battlefield and the opposing coast.


    With the treasure concealing his aura allowing him free passage through the areas controlled by mid-sized sects on either side without being detected by their Formations.


    He did not use invisibility, perhaps he was extremely confident that his movements would not be discovered. The strong suit of this treasure was that it did not affect the strength of his power; confident in his grand elder-level Body Refining capabilities, he believed he would not be detected by any cultivator as long as the Formations did not sense his aura.


    However, he was unaware that the unmanned satellite system monitoring this region had taken special notice of him as he flew toward the direction of the mid-sized sect on the left.


    That direction was blockaded by cultivators from both the mid-sized sect and the six major sects, and should he be intercepted there, he would be attacked by a group of Golden Core cultivators along with the cooperation of a Sect Formation.


    Of course, such blockades were against large numbers of cultivators; no matter how perfect the blockade was, there would always be loopholes for individual cultivators with special abilities.


    But for many days, this was the first cultivator who attempted to pass through from the left side.


    When Li Shiming spotted Great Elder Sun Ao, although he did not know the elder¡¯s identity, he still left the sect¡¯s gates.


    As long as he was not heading toward the Yongle Battlefield, the sect would not intervene.


    After leaving the sect gates, he activated the "Charming Soul Concealing Secret Technique" and the "Sky Concealing Secret Technique," moving extremely quickly through the shadows with "Step by Step Lotus."


    Curious about what exactly Skywalk Trading Company was after, he had decided not to intercept the cultivator right away but to follow and uncover his purpose instead.


    On Li Yuanba¡¯s side, he held a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator in one hand, ready to use "Telepathy" to invade his spirit.


    For those whose spirits were comparatively weak, having been forcibly elevated to Golden Core Middle Stage with the aid of Spirit Pills, there would be no energy left to resist his "Telepathy" at such close range.

 Chapter 750 - 421 Interception_2

    Chapter 750: Chapter 421 Interception_2


    He was using "Telepathy" to interrogate the purpose of Skywalk Trading Company, but this was already the fifth Golden Core cultivator he had caught, and none of the five Golden Core cultivators knew the company¡¯s purpose.


    To his greater surprise, all the Golden Core cultivators who were attacking the cultivators of the Beishu Continent were native cultivators from the Beishu Continent, who had only defected to Skywalk Trading Company within the last year.


    When he learned about Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s generous treatment and the lax contract terms through "Telepathy," he almost felt like Skywalk Trading Company was a great benefactor of the Cultivation World.


    How could this be possible? There couldn¡¯t be such a force in the Cultivation World. The returns Skywalk Trading Company planned to get would be a hundredfold of its investment.


    With Skywalk Trading Company causing such a stir, Li Yuanba refused to believe that its sole purpose was to do business on the Beishu Continent. If it was truly for the sake of doing business, why would it go about purchasing Golden Core cultivators, and only to confront the six major sects?


    The six major sects must have also noticed this, but they didn¡¯t know Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s purpose either.


    "Mr. Li, let¡¯s go back. It seems they are afraid!" Elder Wei Xi said in a deep voice.


    They had been out for a day, yet looking at the results, they were all Early-stage to Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators killed after responding to distress signals, and based on the Spiritual Objects in their spatial items, they were still native cultivators.


    "That¡¯s fine!" Li Yuanba nodded in agreement.


    This kind of action was just too wasteful; five Great Elders were doing something that ordinary sect disciples could do.


    They withdrew from the Yongle Battlefield, and everything went very smoothly.


    At the same time, Great Elder Sun Ao had already sneaked past the seal blockade of the medium-sized sect on the left side and landed on the shore, advancing towards the inland of the Beishu Continent.


    After leaving the maritime area, his speed suddenly increased significantly.


    In his hand, the Jade Scroll was constantly probed by his Divine Thought. He compared the landscape ahead with the map in the Jade Scroll.


    From time to time, he would bypass some areas occupied by powerful sects. His familiarity with the Beishu Continent came from the information previously sent back by Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s influence there.


    After more than thirty hours, he finally arrived at the location marked on the Jade Scroll.


    "I pay my respects to the Great Elder!" A Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator walked out from a hidden place, his eyes flashing with excitement as he bowed to Great Elder Sun Ao.


    This Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator named Jiang Shu was a local cultivator, but because he had accepted more stringent conditions and showed obedience to Skywalk Trading Company in the test, he was given another task.


    The task was very simple: just by scouting a designated area, he could receive a considerable amount of resources.


    Furthermore, once he reported useful information, he could be recalled to the headquarters by Skywalk Trading Company to receive better treatment.


    A batch of Golden Core cultivators took on this task; they were all local Golden Core cultivators, mostly returning to their respective areas to scout, so their actions did not raise much suspicion.


    "Tell me what you have discovered!" Great Elder Sun Ao waved his hand to interrupt Jiang Shu and commanded directly.


    "Please follow me! " Jiang Shu hurriedly pointed towards a location and said.


    Great Elder Sun Ao nodded his head and followed him.


    "I was using the compass by the waterfall up ahead when I noticed the compass beginning to spin continuously, consistent with the mission description, and that¡¯s when I sent back the signal!" Jiang Shu pointed to the distant waterfall and explained.


    He did not know the purpose of the compass. His task was particularly simple: to walk around with the compass until it showed an abnormal spin.


    He was particularly lucky; it didn¡¯t take him long to find this place after returning to his area of inspection.


    He was already envisioning the rewards he would get, the prospect of becoming an important member of Skywalk Trading Company, and receiving a vast amount of cultivation resources; it would influence his entire life.


    Skywalk Trading Company, this was a force that could make the six major sects bow their heads. Just by looking at its capability to stand against the six major sects, one could tell how powerful it was.


    In the past, with Jiang Shu¡¯s background and aptitude, it was impossible for him to join such powerful forces as the six major sects.


    Without joining one of the six major sects with vast influence, one lacks sufficient resources for cultivation and thus has no future.


    It was precisely this point that made him prefer to risk becoming an enemy of the six major sects and choose to join the Skywalk Trading Company to serve them; even if he wanted to serve the six major sects, they wouldn¡¯t give him the chance.


    This was his opportunity, which he truly managed to seize.


    The Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s eyes brightened as his speed increased, and he arrived in front of the waterfall.


    He took out a higher-quality compass from his spatial item, injected a stream of Spiritual Power into it, and several beams of light flashed on the compass.


    "There are space fluctuations, but these fluctuations are not intense!" His face shifted expression in tandem with the compass¡¯s light, muttering to himself.


    Disappointment was more evident on his face, for with space fluctuations of this magnitude, this was not the target they were seeking.


    Li Shiming watched the Great Elder Sun Ao from a distance, using "Divine Eye Skill" and lip-reading to decipher the words spoken by Jiang Shu.


    He knew he had found the right person; perhaps Jiang Shu knew little, but the Great Elder Sun Ao must be aware of the entire situation.


    With a single step, he used "Inch Cape Interworld," positioning himself a hundred meters away from the Great Elder Sun Ao.


    "Who?" The Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s compass suddenly emitted a particularly eye-catching beam of light, as he simultaneously sensed an energy fluctuation and immediately turned towards the direction of Li Shiming, shouting aloud.


    The compass in his hand was specifically designed to detect space fluctuations, and Li Shiming¡¯s "Inch Cape Interworld" belonged to Divine Foot Skill, a type of space movement Divine Skill; thus, the compass reacted so vigorously.


    Li Shiming did not answer him; instead, as he appeared, he waved his hand, and twelve Silver Corpses holding Third Grade Array Flags surrounded the entire area, including the Great Elder Sun Ao and Jiang Shu.


    The twelve Silver Corpses he released were deliberate, immediately forming a Formation.


    The Great Elder Sun Ao did not act immediately, knowing that Li Shiming¡¯s ability to track him silently to this place meant that Li Shiming was no ordinary man.


    "Master Li!" Jiang Shu exclaimed at that moment.


    Although Jiang Shu was a Loose Cultivator, he harbored ambitions and had once considered selling his services to Master Li Shiming. He had even managed to obtain a portrait of Master Li but sadly, not only was Master Li not willing to meet him, but even some of the established Golden Core cultivators hadn¡¯t had the chance to see Master Li.


    But Jiang Shu would never forget Master Li¡¯s appearance, as he was the Alchemy Master he dreamed of meeting.


    Now, Master Li was before him, yet he could not feel any joy.


    It was clear that Master Li had discovered his act of betrayal against the six major sects. Not to mention knowing Master Li, he was afraid he would be pursued by the six major sects in the future.


    "Li Shiming, the number one Alchemy Master of the Beishu Continent, I didn¡¯t expect you to seek me out personally!" The Great Elder Sun Ao calmly glanced at the twelve Silver Corpses that had formed a Formation and spoke in a deep voice.


    After forming the Formation, the twelve Silver Corpses could no longer be sensed. However, this Formation did not appear to be an offensive one but rather an internal blockade that prevented easy breakthrough.


    With his confidence, he believed that if given a chance to launch a full-powered attack, it would only take him one or two strikes to break the Formation.


    Therefore, he was not worried about the Formation but instead became interested in Li Shiming after hearing Jiang Shu revealing his identity.


    During his time on the Beishu Continent, the stories he heard the most about were the legendary tales of Li Shiming.


    Reputed never to fail and always producing full batches of high-grade Spirit Pills, each pill extracted the greatest potential from the Spiritual Medicine.


    He had even, through connections, obtained a batch of Third-grade Spirit Pills refined by Li Shiming, leaving him in awe.


    Even the Xinkai Ancestor had said that recruiting Master Li to the Skywalk Trading Company would bring unimaginable immense benefits.


    And now, Master Li came to him on his own initiative, presenting an opportunity to establish great merit. If he could capture Master Li and bring him back, the Skywalk Trading Company would certainly fully assist his advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage.

 Chapter 751 - 422 Suppression

    Chapter 751: Chapter 422 Suppression Great Elder Sun Ao waved his hand and put away the black robe he was wearing, fully revealing his elder-level refining strength.


    Terrible blood energy surged to the sky, and the sound of ripping filled the air, as if the blood energy was tearing through the void itself.


    He looked at Li Shiming, hoping that the display of his power would suppress Shiming and make it easy to subdue him.


    He didn¡¯t want to accidentally injure Shiming in the process, since Shiming was only valuable alive.


    Besides, if Shiming ever fully allied himself with Skywalk Trading Company, then Great Elder Sun Ao himself would come asking for Shiming¡¯s help. Offending Shiming too much now would be creating trouble for himself later on.


    Li Shiming could feel the blood energy oppression from Great Elder Sun Ao and smiled lightly. The other party hadn¡¯t attacked immediately, giving him ample time to set up his formation.


    Now he was sure that Great Elder Sun Ao would not be able to escape.


    However, he shared the same thought as Great Elder Sun Ao, which was not to kill the opponent but to capture him alive instead.


    He wanted to obtain intelligence from Great Elder Sun Ao; the secret behind why a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner would oppose an entire continent intrigued him greatly.


    His aura suddenly surged, and an aura belonging to the Body Refining Grand Elder rose from him, his blood energy confronting Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s in the void.


    Behind him, the phantom of the ¡¯Angry-eyed Vajra¡¯ appeared, elevating his aura even above that of Great Elder Sun Ao.


    "I didn¡¯t expect you to have refined your body to the level of a great elder in such a barren land as the Beishu Continent, and that too at Golden Core Middle Stage!" Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s expression changed slightly, but he soon composed himself and spoke in a steady voice.


    His look towards Li Shiming became much more serious; he now regarded Shiming as a true opponent.


    "It¡¯s a pity that the ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ you¡¯re cultivating is of such low grade!" Great Elder Sun Ao maintained his confidence of victory as he spoke.


    Even if Li Shiming had manifested the true form of the ¡¯Angry-eyed Vajra¡¯, the ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ itself was just too low-end.


    Of course, this "low-end" was relative to the Skywalk Trading Company. In the Beishu Continent, the ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ was still considered the top Body Refining Techniques.


    Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s aura strengthened again, and a huge phantom of the Mysterious Turtle faintly appeared around him, but this phantom had not reached the true form manifestation, indicating that he had not mastered the Body Refining Techniques to the extent of Li Shiming¡¯s ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯.


    This might indeed be as he said: the higher the level of the Body Refining Techniques he cultivated, the harder it was to master them in the cultivation world.


    "Let¡¯s give it a try then!" Li Shiming wasn¡¯t concerned about the words of Great Elder Sun Ao, and with a faint smile, he waved his hand and said.


    As he waved his hand, the Third Grade Sword Base appeared from his hand.


    The quality of the Third Grade Sword Base changes according to the physique of the cultivator; the stronger the physique, the higher the quality of the Third Grade Sword Base.


    With the strength of Shiming¡¯s great-elder-level refinement, the quality of his Third Grade Sword Base had already exceeded the third grade, reaching a level between the third and fourth grades.


    Great Elder Sun Ao sensed the sharpness of the Third Grade Sword Base, and a long staff treasure also appeared in his hand.


    The staff treasure is considered a heavy treasure among treasures, especially in the hands of a Body Refining Grand Elder. When wielded by a Body Refining Grand Elder, a heavy hit could likely shatter even an ordinary cultivator¡¯s defensive treasures and crush them to dust.


    Li Shiming activated his ¡¯Divine Sight¡¯, and through his vision identified the Spiritual Power Pattern on Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s body.


    Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern was nearly perfect, without a single flaw, which was something Shiming had never encountered before.


    Even among the great elders of the Beishu Continent whom he had observed, none had reached the perfection of Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s.


    Li Shiming had studied his own Spiritual Power Pattern before and saw its flaws, always believing it to be an issue of cultivation level, which would be repaired naturally when reaching the Nascent Soul Stage.


    But after seeing Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s condition, he began to doubt if it was solely related to cultivation level; mastering elder level might also be related to the Cultivation Technique being practiced.


    Perhaps when he and his incarnate Li Yuanba both reached the Great Elder level in the Golden Core Realm, they too would have flawless patterns on their bodies, achieving the perfect circulation of spiritual power, just like Great Elder Sun Ao.


    That¡¯s because he was practicing the ¡¯Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡¯, and his incarnate Li Yuanba was practicing the ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯, both of which are the most top-notch techniques in the Immortal World.


    Of course, his judgment of the techniques was based on the standards of the Beishu Continent.


    ¡¯Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique¡¯ and ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ were a step above the Inheritance Techniques of the six major sects in the Beishu Continent. He based his assessment of the two techniques on this comparison.


    At this moment, Li Shiming became interested in the Body Refining Techniques practiced by Great Elder Sun Ao. Indeed, his ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ was only a relatively common Body Refining Technique from the Buddhist sects, not even the most top-notch within the Qianye Temple itself.


    Now that he had reached the limit of his ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯, he needed to find another, stronger Body Refining Technique for future cultivation. He had not found any suitable Body Refining Techniques in the Beishu Continent to his satisfaction.


    Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s staff treasure swung in his hand, and the huge phantom of the Mysterious Turtle moved slowly with his motion. As the Mysterious Turtle turned, the staff treasure burst with an unrivaled force.

 Chapter 752 - 422 Supression_2

    Chapter 752: Chapter 422 Supression_2


    A sonic boom appeared in front of the staff treasure, and it seemed to disregard spatial distance, as it appeared in front of Li Shiming after the swing.


    The distance of over a hundred meters, Great Elder Sun Ao arrived in an instant, which was virtually indistinguishable from close quarters.


    Li Shiming realized why even the Wisdom Fire Arhat could not withstand Great Elder Sun Ao for even five breaths.


    Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s short-range burst speed was simply too fast, for someone like Wisdom Fire Arhat who was a Fire Cultivator, once gotten close by a Body Refining Grand Elder, the consequences were extremely tragic.


    Not to mention that the Body Refining Techniques practiced by Great Elder Sun Ao were extremely advanced, overwhelmingly surpassing the Wisdom Fire Arhat in technique level, leaving the Wisdom Fire Arhat who was unaware of Sun Ao¡¯s details without any power to fight back.


    Li Shiming was able to think so much while facing such a powerful presence as Great Elder Sun Ao because he had the natal treasure IBMz15.


    Not only did he think of a lot in his mind, but under the combined effect of ¡¯Divine Vision¡¯ and the natal treasure IBMz15, every move of Great Elder Sun Ao was clearly visible to Li Shiming.


    Although his Body Refinement strength was not as formidable as that of Great Elder Sun Ao, he was still able to achieve the speed required by his natal treasure IBMz15.


    In this world, under one-on-one close combat, no Golden Core cultivator was a match for Li Shiming, and this was not an empty boast.


    The natal treasure IBMz15 precisely analyzed and predicted the attack trajectory of the staff treasure in Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s hands, and suggested several response strategies.


    Li Shiming¡¯s body slightly shifted, causing Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s staff treasure to miss its mark.


    Great Elder Sun Ao, with eyes filled with disbelief, had been confident in his strike, which should have hit, but Li Shiming¡¯s seemingly unintentional movement at the last moment caused his attack to miss.


    The staff treasure was just an inch away from causing severe damage to Li Shiming, yet it was this slight gap that rendered the attack ineffective.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Third Grade Sword Base swept out, feeling a resistance coming through it.


    Great Elder Sun Ao retreated vigorously like he had been electrocuted, retreating back a hundred meters.


    On his chest, there appeared a long sword mark, caused by the Third Grade Sword Base.


    But unfortunately, this strike left only a shallow mark, without even cutting through the skin, let alone injuring his internal organs.


    What made Great Elder Sun Ao uncomfortable was partly Li Shiming¡¯s swordsmanship, which was too eerie; it looked like a casual sweep, yet he couldn¡¯t even dodge in time and was struck.


    On the other hand, the Sword Intent within the Third Grade Sword Base was too terrifying, containing the essence of Heavenly Thunder within Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent.


    Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent, the cultivators who encounter this Sword Intent for the first time all harbor fear, as each cultivator who has survived a Heavenly Tribulation can never forget the might of Heavenly Thunder.


    This strike by Li Shiming reminded Great Elder Sun Ao of a not so pleasant memory from the past.


    "Master Li, your swordsmanship is exceptional, and your Sword Intent is even more unique!" Great Elder Sun Ao, watching Li Shiming, praised aloud.


    "You flatter me, please continue to enlighten me!" Li Shiming, pointing at Great Elder Sun Ao with his Third Grade Sword Base, said with a smile.


    In fact, he was immensely shocked in his heart. That strike seemed ordinary, but it was indeed his full-strength hit, infused with his Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent and a large amount of Spiritual Power, paired with Great Elder-level Body Refining strength, he had expected it to heavily injure Great Elder Sun Ao.


    However, the actual effect was only a shallow wound.


    Were it not for the effectiveness of the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent, perhaps the wound would have already started to heal.


    Great Elder Sun Ao, feeling the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent in the wound, slapped his hand powerfully on the wound site, dispersing the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent from his body along with splashing blood, suffering some blood loss in the process.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Golden Core Realm was still too low; even though he possessed the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent, he couldn¡¯t use its effect to continuously impact Great Elder Sun Ao.


    Once the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent was expelled, the wound on Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s body closed visibly fast and soon healed completely.


    The Body Refining Grand Elder only needed to ensure that his injuries were not in vital areas, as such minor wounds could heal themselves with his powerful recovery abilities.


    "Master Li, you are strong, but as I¡¯ve said before, the level of your cultivation technique is too low!" Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s eyes showed solemnity, yet his words still carried disdain.


    This time, Li Shiming lunged forward as he spoke, executing a short sprint to appear right before him.


    With a thrust of his Third Grade Sword Base, Jiang Shu, who was nearby, turned pale, his gaze vacant, his body utterly devoid of strength.


    Jiang Shu was not only terrified; the combat strength of both Li Shiming and Great Elder Sun Ao had exceeded his imagination. He was indeed frightened, but what affected him most was the dreadful pressure emanating from the two Body Refining Grand Elders.


    He was just a minor Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator, and one who hadn¡¯t received powerful inheritance at that.


    Any Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator from the six major sects could easily defeat him.


    Yet, this Jiang Shu had to face the pressure from both Body Refining Grand Elders at once.


    Neither Li Shiming nor Great Elder Sun Ao held back because Jiang Shu was present.


    Li Shiming did so because with Great Elder Sun Ao around, Jiang Shu, a cultivator unaware of much inside information, was insignificant.


    Great Elder Sun Ao didn¡¯t care about Jiang Shu¡¯s life or death at all; Jiang Shu had completed his task, and if he died, so be it.


    Jiang Shu¡¯s current state was total rigidity, his spirit in chaos, as he had fallen into self-preservation mode.


    Any cultivator from the outside could easily take his life. As for whether he could wake up and when that would be was anybody¡¯s guess.


    "Well met!" Great Elder Sun Ao, who hadn¡¯t encountered a cultivator capable of close combat with him for a long time, shouted enthusiastically, his staff treasure swirling to strike at Li Shiming.


    He was well aware that Li Shiming could at most inflict minor injuries on him, while his own strike would severely wound Li Shiming if it connected.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t even bother defending, fully deploying his staff treasure to attack Li Shiming.


    However, his frustration arose when Li Shiming dodged every single attack of the staff treasure with mere inches to spare during close combat.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Third Grade Sword Base, from all sorts of unimaginable angles, continually poked, slashed, swept, and flicked on his body, creating wounds everywhere.


    Great Elder Sun Ao felt as if his strength was futile, like a strong man battling a monkey.


    In fact, it was only because Li Shiming was also a Body Refining Grand Elder that he could fight like this with Great Elder Sun Ao.


    For other cultivators, it wasn¡¯t necessary for the staff treasure to directly hit; even the residual force stirred by its proximity could severely injure a regular cultivator.


    But the attack¡¯s residual force from using the staff treasure couldn¡¯t affect a Body Refining Grand Elder, whose defensive power could only be breached by an actual hit from the staff treasure.


    In Li Shiming¡¯s eyes, his life-bound treasure IBMz15 traced a multitude of movement trajectories on Great Elder Sun Ao, each of these trajectories allowing every movement of Great Elder Sun Ao to be calculated by the IBMz15.


    Li Shiming¡¯s task was to attack Great Elder Sun Ao at the next moment based on the analysis by IBMz15.


    This led to Great Elder Sun Ao essentially delivering himself onto Li Shiming¡¯s Third Grade Sword Base, sustaining injury upon injury.


    Fear flashed in Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s eyes. He thought he was unbeatable in a fight with Li Shiming, who was supposedly unable to cause him significant harm.


    Yet, in reality, he was repeatedly hit by the Third Grade Sword Base; each hit left a shallow wound, within which lingered a trace of Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent.


    One shallow wound, and the Thunder Sword Intent it contained, was of little consequence to Great Elder Sun Ao.


    However, when those shallow wounds accumulated into dozens or hundreds, the concentrated Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent became terrifying.


    Each time, it cost him a bit of blood to drive out the Thunder Sword Intent. He feared that continuing this way would drain all his blood dry.

 Chapter 753 - 423 Origin

    Chapter 753: Chapter 423 Origin


    Great Elder Sun Ao was afraid, something that had not happened to him since he became the Body Refining Grand Elder.


    Even when facing Elder Shi Ming and Elder You Xia, he could handle them with composure; he might not be able to defeat these two Great Elders, but they could not defeat him either.


    He had always thought that in the Golden Core Stage, he was the pinnacle of combat strength, especially unbeatable in close combat.


    But now, he had been defeated by a Golden Core Realm alchemy master who was only at the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    No longer did he harbor any thoughts of capturing Li Shiming; how could Li Shiming be so easily caught? In close combat, he couldn¡¯t even get a touch of Li Shiming¡¯s shadow.


    Great Elder Sun Ao once again used a secret technique; this time, his target was the outer formation.


    His vitality surged, and after a short burst, he appeared beside the formation¡¯s protective barrier.


    Just as he was about to deliver a heavy blow to the formation¡¯s barrier, suddenly he saw a white lotus appear beside him.


    Accompanied by the white lotus was Li Shiming, wielding the Third Grade Sword Base. Before he could launch an attack, Li Shiming struck his arm with a sword.


    Li Shiming was also a Body Refining Grand Elder, and although he couldn¡¯t completely break through Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s defense, his full-strength strike was enough to impede Sun Ao¡¯s attack.


    "Divine Foot Skill, you¡¯ve actually mastered the Divine Foot Skill!" Great Elder Sun Ao let out a cry of astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    He had the thought of re-evaluating the Beishu Continent; how could the waters of the Beishu Continent run so deep?


    Just an alchemy master, yet so terrifying in close combat and even mastering the Divine Foot Skill.


    A Body Refining Grand Elder mastering the Divine Foot Skill was a chilling thought indeed.


    Think about it, the biggest hassle for a Body Refining Grand Elder fighting other Great Elders was getting close to them.


    All the Great Elders knew about the close combat strength of a Body Refining Grand Elder, so they would do everything possible to avoid letting them get close.


    The Body Refining Grand Elder would also use various short-range explosive secret techniques to attempt to close in, but once the other cultivators became aware of these techniques, their effectiveness would be greatly reduced.


    But the Divine Foot Skill of Li Shiming was different; it was an inescapable method of closing in.


    This means that cultivators fighting against Li Shiming couldn¡¯t run away, and they couldn¡¯t refuse Li Shiming¡¯s approach.


    Great Elder Sun Ao was ¡¯fortunate¡¯ enough to become a victim of this kind of combat method from Li Shiming.


    Li Shiming smiled faintly; what he needed to do was to make Sun Ao bleed and weaken him.


    This was the simplest and most effective method. There were other methods, but they all had risks.


    The Illusion Spirit Jiao, invisible on the side, was already ready; at Li Shiming¡¯s command, it would immediately take a bite at Sun Ao.


    Perhaps the Illusion Spirit Jiao couldn¡¯t break through Sun Ao¡¯s defense, but remember, Sun Ao had quite a few wounds not yet healed; a bite at any of these wounds would introduce deadly poison into his body.


    However, by doing this, Li Shiming would most likely end up with a corpse, as the Illusion Spirit Jiao¡¯s poison was extremely lethal; contact with it meant almost certain death.


    After realizing Li Shiming had mastered the Divine Foot Skill, Sun Ao did not attack the formation anymore; instead, he stopped attacking Li Shiming and contracted his body tightly, his movements similar to the previously glimpsed gargantuan Mysterious Turtle.


    Li Shiming noticed the effectiveness of the Third Grade Sword Base against Sun Ao had decreased significantly; in this state, Sun Ao¡¯s defensive power had increased a lot.


    The Third Grade Sword Base needed multiple slashes at the same spot to create a single wound.


    Moreover, when he attacked elsewhere, this wound that had just opened would heal even faster; even the effect of the Heavenly Thunder Sword Intent was reduced by several times and could easily be dispelled.


    Li Shiming¡¯s brows furrowed; he had not expected Great Elder Sun Ao to have this trick up his sleeve.


    This was a special technique of Sun Ao¡¯s Body Refining cultivation technique, abandoning all offensive power in exchange for the strongest defense.


    At this time, Sun Ao seemed to him like the colossal Mysterious Turtle, immune to his attacks as if they were landing on its amazingly defensive shell.


    The light flickered in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes; in this state, Sun Ao¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern also had flaws.


    It couldn¡¯t exactly be called flaws, as Sun Ao¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern had less variation when he remained still, allowing the ¡¯Divine Eye Skill¡¯ to accurately identify it.


    Li Shiming¡¯s ¡¯Divine Eye Skill¡¯ saw Sun Ao¡¯s Spiritual Power Pattern, and his lifebound artifact, IBMz15, analyzed the nodes of the Spiritual Power Pattern.


    He needed to find a spot that wasn¡¯t fatal but could break Sun Ao¡¯s defense.


    Great Elder Sun Ao felt extremely frustrated, yet he was somewhat relieved that Li Shiming¡¯s Golden Core Realm was only at the middle stage; otherwise, with Li Shiming¡¯s Sword Intent, he feared it really could break his Mysterious Turtle defensive posture.


    He didn¡¯t need to rush now; in his Mysterious Turtle defensive state, not only was his defensive power astounding, but his body¡¯s consumption also decreased.


    He could entirely afford a battle of attrition with Li Shiming, whose main technique meant greater consumption; all he had to do was wait for Li Shiming¡¯s Spiritual Power to drain excessively, then he could counterattack or escape.


    While he was pondering, suddenly he sensed an unparalleled sharpness.


    Alarmed, he felt a flying sword headed his way; this flying sword carried a certain aura, making it possess the might of a fourth grade, despite being only a third grade material.

 Chapter 754 - 423 Origin_2

    Chapter 754: Chapter 423 Origin_2


    As the thought crossed his mind, the flying sword pierced into his body.


    "How can this flying sword be so fast?" That was his first thought.


    "How did the flying sword break through my defenses!" That was his second thought.


    These two thoughts flashed by in an instant, and as his Mysterious Turtle defensive stance was breached, his defenses crumbled.


    He was left with only the innate defensive power of his Body Refining Grand Elder physique, but without running the Body Refining Techniques, this physique¡¯s defensive power couldn¡¯t provide much defense against peers of the same rank.


    The sword that penetrated Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s body was the ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ flying sword treasure.


    This was Li Shiming¡¯s first time using the ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ flying sword treasure in real combat, and he had only utilized its sharpness; the rest went unused.


    Who would have thought that Great Elder Sun Ao wouldn¡¯t even move, just a living target, making the attack lack any difficulty, and not showing off the power of ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ at all.


    The ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ penetrated the critical nodes of Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s Body Refining Techniques, reaching deep into his bones.


    With the ¡¯Divine Eye Technique,¡¯ Li Shiming saw the state of Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s body, and without his defensive abilities, he was like meat on a chopping board, completely at Li Shiming¡¯s mercy.


    The Third Grade Sword Base in Li Shiming¡¯s hand disappeared; at this moment, it would have been enough to end Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s life.


    He swung his fists, just like an ordinary person fighting, striking Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s body with punch after punch.


    His attacks were calculated; each one struck the critical nodes previously analyzed by his lifebound IBMz15 treasure, rendering Sun Ao completely immobilized.


    At the same time, he let out shrill screams; this was the ¡¯Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear.¡¯


    Had ¡¯Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ been used on a healthy Great Elder Sun Ao, given the gap between Li Shiming and him, the effect would have been almost negligible.


    But now, as Great Elder Sun Ao lost his power to resist, each use of ¡¯Heavenly Demon Entering the Ear¡¯ weakened his spirit¡¯s resistance.


    With both his body and spirit under attack, Great Elder Sun Ao couldn¡¯t even muster the thought to refocus his mind; his brain was muddled.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought searched Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s body and took the staff treasure and the Space Ring.


    The Space Ring was a Mustard Seed Ring; while Great Elder Sun Ao was still alive, it would take some effort to open, so Li Shiming didn¡¯t immediately open it but took it instead.


    Li Shiming¡¯s fists and screeches continued for two hours, leaving Great Elder Sun Ao limp as mud, his eyes unfocused, his spirit severely weakened.


    At this time, Li Shiming¡¯s ¡¯Telepathy¡¯ was deployed, entering the mind of Great Elder Sun Ao.


    "What is the purpose of your coming to the Beishu Continent?" Li Shiming asked gravely.


    The newly awakened Great Elder Sun Ao was shocked. Instinctively, his mind went to the purpose of coming to the Beishu Continent and thought resolutely about not being a traitor.


    Li Shiming, through ¡¯Telepathy,¡¯ heard the inner voice of Great Elder Sun Ao and his face showed a look of astonishment.


    It turned out that the purpose of Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s visit was a Grotto Heaven opened by a great power named Zhai Ge.


    Of course, Skywalk Trading Company wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but the great power Zhai Ge had indeed come to the Beishu Continent and had lived here for many years, leaving some traces.


    These traces were detected by the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s branch on the Beishu Continent, confirming that Zhai Ge had stayed for several centuries.


    Afterward, there was no more news of Zhai Ge, leading Skywalk Trading Company to suspect that he had perished on the Beishu Continent.


    The demise of a great power is never so simple.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t understand what realm Zhai Ge belonged to, as that was not something Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s inner voice mentioned, but from the ability to open Grotto Heavens, one could tell that he was definitely not comparable to those Nascent Soul Early Stage Practitioners from the Beishu Continent.


    According to Li Shiming¡¯s judgment, Zhai Ge very likely exceeded the Nascent Soul Stage, and the Grotto Heaven that remained would be where Zhai Ge¡¯s relics are kept.


    It¡¯s no wonder that Skywalk Trading Company continuously investigated the Beishu Continent, estimating that if it weren¡¯t for Li Shiming¡¯s discovery of Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s intentions and finding evidence of their exploration of various sects and powers, perhaps Skywalk Trading Company would slowly develop and continue its investigations in Beishu Continent.


    Until they discovered the Grotto Heaven of the Great Power Zhai Ge and stealthily took away the treasures within.


    What Li Shiming did not know was that, before it was annihilated by the six great sects, Skywalk Trading Company had found a piece of key evidence.


    This is also why, after the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s Beishu branch was destroyed, Patriarch Weng Zhao immediately came, originally to verify the news, but he had not expected the local branch to be ruined.


    With the strength of Patriarch Weng Zhao, it was not possible to support the whole sky with one hand in Beishu Continent, and other Nascent Soul Ancestors of Skywalk Trading Company still needed time to arrive, so he was preparing to proceed slowly.


    However, Patriarch Weng Zhao eventually failed and fell at the hands of Li Shiming.


    Elder Jin Kai of Skywalk Trading Company arrived next, possessing great strength, and so he was even more direct, enticing local cultivators to serve him through various means.


    A large amount of resources were invested, winning over countless local cultivators and investigating the locations of Grotto Heavens throughout the Beishu Continent.


    "Sun Ao, which Body Refining Technique do you practice?" Li Shiming asked another question through ¡¯Telepathy¡¯.


    In the inner voice of Great Elder Sun Ao, a technique named ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique¡¯ appeared. According to legend, the Taiqing Xuan Turtle was the first Mysterious Turtle between heaven and earth, possessing tremendous strength and an immortal body.


    Legend has it that the Taiqing Xuan Turtle supported the sky, separating heaven and earth, and withstood countless attacks without affecting its body that held up the sky.


    All this was heard from the inner voice of Great Elder Sun Ao, who had a zealous identification with the Body Refining Technique he practiced.


    "Do you still remember the content of the ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique¡¯?" Li Shiming asked again.


    This time, through the ¡¯Telepathy¡¯ of Li Shiming, he saw a turtle shell.


    What surprised him even more was that this turtle shell was inside Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s Mustard Seed Ring.


    A look of surprise flickered in Li Shiming¡¯s eyes; he didn¡¯t ask Great Elder Sun Ao anything more and, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, used ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ to strike at Sun Ao¡¯s vital points.


    The light in Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s eyes disappeared, and life rapidly drained from his body, soon losing all vitality.


    Although Li Shiming wanted to control Great Elder Sun Ao, he could not be certain he could genuinely control a Body Refining Grand Elder from an external continent who might possess many Secret Techniques.


    As long as he gave Great Elder Sun Ao the slightest chance, Sun Ao might erupt in resistance.


    Most crucially, there was a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner before and after Great Elder Sun Ao, so killing Sun Ao was the safest option.


    Li Shiming glanced once more at Jiang Shu, who was on the brink of death beside him, a Golden Core cultivator who had betrayed the Beishu Continent. With a casual strike, Li Shiming killed Jiang Shu, and a flame turned the body to ashes.


    After doing these things, his gaze fell upon the waterfall in front of him.


    Although Great Elder Sun Ao had determined that this waterfall was not the location of Great Power Zhai Ge¡¯s Grotto Heaven, that compass could detect spatial fluctuations, which means there was a special space here.


    Li Shiming¡¯s Divine Thought spread out, searching every inch of the waterfall.


    The waterfall flowed down to form a small pond, slight in size but extremely deep.


    As his Divine Thought spread out, he probed as deep as one hundred and fifty meters before reaching the bottom of the pond.


    There he discovered traces of formations. With his knowledge of formations, a few traces allowed him to infer many things.


    It was a spatial formation. Someone used a formation to carve out a space within this pond.


    That was why the compass that detected spatial fluctuations had discovered something, and such spatial fluctuations were extremely rare in the Cultivation World, at least they would not appear in the wild.


    Spatial formations were only inherited by great sects or powers, typically used within sect gates, or upon Flying Boats, and sometimes for personal grotto-homes. It is likely that this pond concealed a wild grotto-home.

 Chapter 755 - 424: Fortuitous Encounter

    Chapter 755: Chapter 424: Fortuitous Encounter


    Li Shiming flew into the pool, and the spiritual power from his Water Attribute Golden Core formed a spiritual power barrier around him, allowing him to move through the water without any restraint, much like a fish.


    Having learned that there was a space beneath the water, his curiosity to explore this area was piqued.


    After observing for a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but slap his forehead.


    Perhaps overly confident in his formation abilities, he had forgotten the capability of "Divine Foot Skill": "Inches Apart, Worlds Away".


    If formation ability was a method to decrypt a formation, then "Inches Apart, Worlds Away" was essentially a cheat for breaking through formations.


    He took a step and activated "Inches Apart, Worlds Away"; his vision brightened, and he found himself within another space.


    This space was an ancient cave mansion, where the array formation patterns on the walls and floor emitted a faint light, illuminating the inside of the cave mansion.


    He carefully extended his Divine Thought but soon realized this was unnecessary.


    This cave mansion had no additional defenses; it was simply concealed from the main world by a spatial formation, making it an independent space.


    If one lacked the means to detect spatial fluctuations or the ability to decode the mansion¡¯s formations, even if they knew of the cave mansion¡¯s existence, they would be unable to find its location.


    After inspecting the cave mansion, Li Shiming quickly lost most of his interest in it.


    Judging by the size and the methods used to arrange it, it was unlikely that its owner had been a Nascent Soul Ancestor; at best, it was the abode of a Golden Core cultivator.


    A Golden Core cultivator¡¯s cave mansion really wasn¡¯t something that caught his attention; he also knew that the mansion posed no safety threat to him.


    Even if the owner, a Golden Core cultivator, were still alive, they wouldn¡¯t be able to harm Li Shiming, the Body Refining Grand Elder, let alone with such an inanimate object as the mansion itself.


    Upon entering the front hall of the cave mansion, he saw a stone table with a skeleton sitting beside it, and next to the skeleton was a Jade Scroll.


    Li Shiming shook his head; from the skeleton¡¯s bones, he immediately speculated that the owner¡¯s cultivation level had been at the Golden Core Middle Stage.


    The bones of a cultivator typically changed with their cultivation level unless they had cultivated body refining techniques.


    He picked up the Jade Scroll and his Divine Thought entered it.


    Soon, he withdrew his Divine Thought from the scroll, looking at the skeleton he shook his head slightly.


    An all too familiar story unfolded: the skeleton was the last cultivator of a mid-sized sect from five thousand years ago, which, having accidentally discovered a resource land, saw rapid growth.


    But as the mid-sized sect¡¯s power swelled, it fell under attack from the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    The Thousand Illusion Sect produced evidence that the mid-sized sect had connections with the Demon Sect, using it as a pretext to annihilate the sect.


    The owner of this place managed to escape with the sect¡¯s legacy and hope but was gravely injured along the way. He set up this cave mansion to treat his wounds, but unfortunately, succumbed to them in the end.


    The owner left the sect¡¯s legacy, hoping that a person of fate might rebuild the sect and, if powerful enough, seek vengeance on the Thousand Illusion Sect.


    If one agreed, they would need to kneel to the skeleton and swear an oath to receive this legacy.


    Li Shiming tossed the Jade Scroll aside, feeling no sympathy for the destruction of the mid-sized sect.


    The Cultivation World was a world where the strong preyed on the weak; without sufficient strength, a mid-sized sect that acquired resources beyond its capabilities would suffer backlash.


    Not just this mid-sized sect, even the six great sects tread carefully and keep secrets when they discover important resources.


    As for kneeling to the skeleton and swearing an oath, that was even less likely.


    Li Shiming¡¯s "Divine Eye Skill" activated, scanning over the skeleton, and he discovered a small array underneath it¡ªa Vow Feedback Formation, a peculiar type among arrays.


    The function of a Vow Feedback Formation is to determine whether an oath made by a cultivator matches pre-designed conditions by the Array Setter, and if so, it would trigger a preset outcome.


    After discovering the Vow Feedback Formation, the matter became simple.


    He released a wave of spiritual power, easily infiltrating the Vow Feedback Formation, bypassing its judgment mechanism and forcibly triggering the intended result.


    With a "click," the stone table split apart, revealing another Jade Scroll within.


    He seized the second Jade Scroll with his Divine Thought and began to examine its contents.


    This time, he was indeed surprised; this was the location of a land rich with resources, precisely what the mid-sized sect had discovered five thousand years ago.


    Despite the Thousand Illusion Sect annihilating the sect, knowledge of this resource land was incredibly scarce. Once the key members were slain, the land was once again obscured by time.


    Li Shiming pulled up the drone satellite system¡¯s map and quickly located the place where the resource land lay.


    "So close to the Thousand Illusion Sect?" He was surprised to find that the resource land was only about thirteen hundred Baili away from the Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s headquarters.


    He knew that the vicinity of a major sect¡¯s headquarters would have been explored countless times, watched over intentionally or unintentionally by Nascent Soul Ancestors; any resource land would surely have been discovered long ago.


    However, the Jade Scroll contained detailed records on how to enter the resource land, which seemed unlikely to be a fabrication.


    Yet, with five thousand years passed, whether the resource land still remained or if it had already been discovered and claimed by the Thousand Illusion Sect or other cultivators was uncertain.


    He searched the cave mansion further but only found a single damaged treasure of mediocre quality, with no other spiritual objects worth noting.

 Chapter 756 - 424: Fortuitous Encounter_2

    Chapter 756: Chapter 424: Fortuitous Encounter_2


    The owner of this cave abode seems to have left behind nothing but some materials for setting up arrays.


    Li Shiming conducted a thorough search of the cave abode but couldn¡¯t find the so-called legacy, which left him somewhat disappointed.


    That said, this mid-sized sect¡¯s research in formations was not weak, and the person who had set up this rather innovative spatial formation here while being seriously injured was still worth studying.


    He didn¡¯t linger any longer and activated "A World Within a Step" to leave the space where the cave abode was located.


    Using "Step by Step Lotus," he moved invisibly towards the location of the legacy.


    As for the purpose of the Skywalk Trading Company, he had no intention of sharing it with anyone, but would wait until they actually discovered the Grotto Heaven opened by the Great Power Zhai Ge.


    Several hours later, he arrived at the location with the resources.


    "Indeed, this mid-sized sect has a unique heritage in the art of formations!" Li Shiming arrived at a valley following the records on the Jade Scroll, and he couldn¡¯t help but express his admiration.


    In five thousand years, ordinary arrays set up in the wilderness are very likely to malfunction due to changes in terrain or spiritual energy, or for other reasons.


    However, as soon as he entered the valley, he detected an exceedingly faint fluctuation of array energy, indicating that the array here was still effective.


    An array set up five thousand years ago that still maintains its concealment function to this day is something even Li Shiming, an Array Master, admires the level of skill of the original array-setting cultivator.


    Without needing to break the array, he followed the description in the Jade Scroll and used specific steps to enter deeper into the valley. In a turn, he discovered the marvelous use of the array placed here.


    The function of the array was to draw on space; when he moved within the array using particular steps, he was actually walking through a spatial corridor opened by the array. It¡¯s only at the last moment that the changes in space would be triggered.


    "If those cultivators holding compasses were to come here, they¡¯d probably detect the spatial fluctuations too!" Li Shiming murmured to himself.


    However, the likelihood of this was low. Even if the Skywalk Trading Company mobilized many local cultivators, they were still searching based on the clues left by the Great Power Zhai Ge.


    Although the Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s suspected area was somewhat large, there was still some target to it.


    If cultivators were to search the entire Beishu Continent, not to mention whether it¡¯s possible, even if it could be done, it would take hundreds or thousands of years.


    Such prolonged searching would definitely attract the attention of the six major sects.


    Li Shiming sensed a space close at hand, and with one step, he crossed a barrier as described in the Jade Scroll.


    Once again, he discovered a space. He surmised that only such a high-level independent space could remain undiscovered near the Thousand Illusion Sect¡¯s mountain gate for five thousand years.


    This space was filled with an extremely rich spiritual energy, almost equivalent to that emitted by a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein.


    However, his Divine Thought did not sense the presence of a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein.


    The space was not very large, about the size of a fifty-acre spirit field, and he found it somewhat regrettable that except for a bit of green in the center, the rest of the place had largely lost its spiritual essence.


    But based on the condition of the spirit field he discovered, it originally had a third-grade potency.


    "Eh!" When his Divine Thought reached the small patch of green in the center, he was surprised to find that, although only a portion remained, the grade of the spirit field was fourth-grade.


    There, two stalks of Fourth Grade Three Elements Illusion Spirit Grass swayed, which was the main ingredient in a four-grade pill formula from Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy heritage and could be used to refine Fourth-grade Spirit Pills necessary for Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ cultivation.


    The fact that two stalks of Fourth Grade Three Elements Illusion Spirit Grass were cultivated in such a place was astonishing.


    If the Nascent Soul Ancestors from the six major sects knew of this, they would likely fight tooth and nail to seize this treasure spot.


    Li Shiming was also stunned, standing there in shock. He had never imagined that he would make such a discovery simply by stepping out to gather information from the cultivators of the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Yet it was from a Jade Scroll found in the cave abode of a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator from five thousand years ago that he had stumbled upon this place.


    No wonder that medium-sized sect was annihilated, Li Shiming even doubted whether they had taken out the Four-grade Three Elements Illusion Spirit Grass to concoct elixirs or to exchange for some resources.


    Such Fourth-grade resources were not so easily obtainable without sufficient strength to protect them; they would definitely be targeted by the six major sects and devoured, bones and all.


    "No, that¡¯s not right!" Li Shiming was about to pick the two stalks of Four-grade Three Elements Illusion Spirit Grass, but he shook his head with a strange expression, murmuring to himself.


    In the five thousand years without cultivators tending to it, the originally planted Spiritual Medicines had all died, leaving only the Three Elements Illusion Spirit Grass, which required lengthy years to grow, to survive.


    But the Spiritual Energy here could not explain how, over five thousand years, even with a Gathering Spirit Array present, it could remain so abundant as to be at the Nascent Soul Level.


    Moreover, during his investigation, he always felt there was something particularly peculiar about this place.


    The fifty-acre spirit field existed like rootless duckweed, floating in space.


    Given Li Shiming¡¯s knowledge and understanding, no matter what kind of space it was, it needed something to bear its weight, otherwise how could it exist stably for thousands of years.


    This cultivation space had been discovered by the previous medium-sized sect five thousand years ago, and perhaps it had existed even longer than he could imagine.


    He released his Divine Thought. The place was not large, and as he probed every inch with his Divine Thought, yet he found no anomalies.


    The medium-sized sect that discovered this place must have investigated it too. And it was normal that he too couldn¡¯t find anything unusual.


    But the lack of anomalies was the biggest anomaly. With no carrier for the space, it seemed to exist out of thin air.


    His life-bound treasure, IBMz15, joined in the analysis, first eliminating the possibility of a Formation. If the space were formed by a Formation, with his level of mastery over arrays, how could he fail to find any anomaly?


    IBMz15 constructed a virtual model of the fifty-acre space and then focused on researching the origin of the Spiritual Energy.


    On this point, Li Shiming¡¯s ¡¯Divine Eye Skill¡¯ was able to observe the subtleties, and he indeed found the source of the Spiritual Energy: it was flowing in from one side of the space.


    Based on the instantaneous inflow, flow rate, direction, and other factors of the Spiritual Energy, IBMz15 calculated complicated formulas and eventually pointed out a location on the previous virtual model; that was where the source of the Spiritual Energy resided.


    Curiosity aroused, Li Shiming recalculated several times, and each time IBMz15 arrived at the same conclusion.


    He arrived at the location where the Spiritual Energy was flowing and looked into the void.


    He assessed his body¡¯s strength, and since he possessed the Divine Foot Skill, even if he encountered any dangers, with the support of Great Elder-level Body Refining defensive power, he could use the Divine Foot Skill to extricate himself from danger.


    He drew a deep breath; this was the first time he was using a location in the void as his target for movement, and there were indeed risks involved.


    In the past, when he used ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯, even if he was forcefully passing through a Formation, he only did so because he was extremely confident about the interior of the Formation.


    But today was different, the target location that IBMz15 analysed was imperceptible to his Divine Thought.


    What is unknown is the most terrifying; not knowing what that place is like.


    Li Shiming trusted the calculations of his life-bound treasure IBMz15, his curiosity was piqued, and if he were to stop now, it would affect his state of mind.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t just go there directly, so with a wave of his hand, a Silver Corpse appeared beside him.


    He activated ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯, his mind entered the Silver Corpse, and he took over the control of ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯.


    This operation was extremely cumbersome, and even a slight mistake would prevent the Silver Corpse from taking over the execution of ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯.


    The handover of ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯ was slowly underway; such an action would be useless in actual combat, but at this moment, it was very useful for scouting ahead.


    The figure of the Silver Corpse was enveloped by the Spatial Energy of ¡¯Step by Step Lotus¡¯ and then disappeared from the spot.


    Li Shiming¡¯s physical body suddenly opened his eyes, his consciousness had been forcibly ejected from the Silver Corpse.

 Chapter 757 - 425: Space

    Chapter 757: Chapter 425: Space


    Li Shiming initially thought there was some problem, but soon he felt that the Silver Corpse had not died, the Contract Pattern with him was still intact.


    It was just that the control of consciousness at that location was severed, causing him to detach from within the Silver Corpse¡¯s body.


    As long as there was no danger, he did not dwell on it further.


    ¡¯Inches Apart, Worlds Away¡¯ activated, the power of Vajra flickered on his body, and his ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill¡¯ operated to its utmost limit.


    He entered into the void and soon afterward reappeared in the real world.


    He felt the abundance of Spiritual Energy, which was the same as the space he was in before, here too existed Nascent Soul Level Spiritual Energy.


    The space was extremely narrow, the Silver Corpse had occupied a small half of it, and his re-entry left almost no space.


    And he also discovered the source of the Spiritual Energy, it was emanating from a folding fan.


    "Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure?" Li Shiming murmured to himself with some uncertainty.


    The folding fan he sensed was affected by a surge of Spatial Energy; it seemed to be very close, yet as though it were incredibly distant.


    He tried sending out a strand of Divine Thought, which passed through the Spatial Energy, making contact with the fan itself.


    Indeed, the fan was right before his eyes, close enough to touch with an outstretched hand.


    Upon contact with the fan, his Divine Thought immediately sensed a feeling of joy.


    "Artifact Spirit!" Li Shiming concluded that this will was not a true sentient being, but rather an Artifact Spirit that had developed within the fan.


    The Artifact Spirit of the fan seemed fearful that he would leave. It proactively opened the Ownership Mark, signaling him to establish ownership quickly.


    Although Li Shiming could not be certain of the fan¡¯s grade, he could affirm that its grade was at least fourth-grade.


    It should be known that his own Artifact Refining creation, the ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ sword treasure, had already reached the pinnacle of third-grade treasures; having withstood the Heavenly Tribulation upon its formation, it had achieved the might of the fourth-grade with third-grade quality.


    Yet, even a third-grade treasure like ¡¯Flowing Light Star Meteor¡¯ had not developed an Artifact Spirit.


    Therefore, it was not without reason that Li Shiming judged the fan¡¯s grade to be at least fourth-grade.


    Li Shiming did not suspect the Artifact Spirit of any ill intent, as an Artifact Spirit was a very special life form. It was only mentioned in his inheritance of Artifact Refining, without any method of creating one.


    But one thing was for certain, the Artifact Spirit was born out of the magical treasure, and the owner of the magical treasure was the master of the Artifact Spirit.


    As long as Li Shiming established ownership of the fan, he would naturally become the master of the Artifact Spirit.


    As he was pondering this, his Divine Thought already left a Spirit imprint within the Ownership Mark.


    Though it was just a Spirit imprint that had just established the connection between him and the fan, he immediately received information from the Artifact Spirit.


    The fan was named the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan; the Artifact Spirit did not know how long it had existed, for it had awakened only after the fan had fallen to this place, with its memories completely blank upon awakening.


    The Mountain and River Qiankun Fan was a fourth-grade spatial magical treasure. Because it possessed an Artifact Spirit, even though Li Shiming was only at the Golden Core Stage, he could control the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan with the help of the Artifact Spirit.


    This was a special ability possessed by treasures with an Artifact Spirit. With the cooperation of the Artifact Spirit, cultivators who had not yet reached the strength to control it could still wield its power.


    With a wave of his hand, the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan flew into his grasp.


    Li Shiming tried to communicate with the Artifact Spirit and realized that its level of wisdom was equivalent to that of a five-year-old child.


    However, the Artifact Spirit was very familiar with the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan. Through their communication, he now knew where the space he was in was located, not understanding why the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan had ended up underground. The fan had suffered damage.


    When Li Shiming unfolded the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, he saw a sword mark on the surface of the fan.


    This sword mark, after innumerable years, still retained a whiff of Sword Intent; it was this Sword Intent that had caused an issue with the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan.


    The destruction from the Sword Intent had caused the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan to leak Spatial Power. The resulting Spatial Power enveloped the fan¡¯s body, trapping it in this minuscule space.


    The Artifact Spirit told him that after it had awakened, it had no master and no previous memories. It chose self-rescue, wanting the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan to extricate itself from its current space.


    Having wisdom, it knew loneliness and did not wish to be confined in this tiny space forever.


    Therefore, it had opened up the damaged space to the real world, which was the only way to connect with reality.


    However, over countless years, although some cultivators discovered the space opened by the Artifact Spirit, none had found the true form of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, and due to the influence of the Sword Intent in the sword mark, the Artifact Spirit could not affect that area.


    It was not until Li Shiming found the true form of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan that the Artifact Spirit eagerly wished for him to establish ownership.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mind entered the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan. Each surface of the fan was a separate space, each space contained fifty acres of spirit field, and a square at the heart of the spirit field, spanning one acre, had fourth-grade quality.


    With nine surfaces to the fan, this meant he now owned nine sections of fourth-grade spirit fields.


    However, the space required for planting Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine was somewhat large; one section of fourth-grade spirit field could only plant two stalks of Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine.


    But this was already an incredibly remarkable thing, as Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine was typically impossible to cultivate.


    The inner space of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan had undergone special treatment, with its material incorporating a variety of extremely rare and even extinct spiritual materials, combined with spatial capabilities beyond Li Shiming¡¯s understanding, to create the special capacity of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan for growing Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine.

 Chapter 758 - 425: Space_2

    Chapter 758: Chapter 425: Space_2


    From the Artifact Spirit, he learned that the maturity period for planting Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine with the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan was not as slow as he had imagined.


    It was only the fan face that had been damaged that had lost the ability to accelerate growth; the planting spaces in the other eight fan faces still maintained accelerated growth.


    Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine could mature in just thirty years, and Third-grade Spiritual Medicine even reduced to maturing once a year.


    This was indeed the greatest value of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, obtaining it was almost equivalent to securing an endless supply of cultivation resources.


    The more Li Shiming understood about the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, the luckier he felt about his fortune this time.


    However, he was still facing a problem: the leakage of spatial energy from the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan still needed to be dealt with.


    He asked the Artifact Spirit, and it stated that the Sword Intent needed to be dissolved before the Artifact Spirit could gather the leaking spatial energy of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan and begin repairs.


    Li Shiming did not use Divine Thought, but instead used "Divine Eye Skill" to observe the sword scar on the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan.


    He did not dare use Divine Thought to touch such a sword scar that had existed for many years, as the Sword Intent it contained could likely cause serious harm to his Divine Thought.


    Under the observation of "Divine Eye Skill," there lay a sword blade formed by the condensation of Sword Intent at the location of the sword scar.


    The Sword Cultivator who did this was of unknown strength but had managed to solidify Sword Intent into a sword blade. Naturally, this sword blade was not something ordinary cultivators could observe, only those with "Divine Eye Skill," a Divine Skill that enhanced vision, could observe this special energy formed by Sword Intent.


    This Sword Intent was of unknown age; all Shiming could confirm was that it had been around for more than five thousand years.


    No wonder the Sword Intent had existed for so long; the Sword Cultivator had condensed it to be almost like a real entity.


    Li Shiming looked at the Sword Intent blade, pondering how to deal with it.


    If this Sword Intent blade wasn¡¯t dealt with, the spatial energy near the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan could not be retracted inside. That meant the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan would remain in this space, and he would have to come here each time to control it.


    He tried to activate "Inchcape Elysium," wanting to use Divine Foot Skill first to see if he could move the physical body of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, since its physical body was already in his hands.


    But when he activated "Inchcape Elysium," something shocking happened; he was unable to activate "Inchcape Elysium."


    "Inchcape Elysium" is a space movement Divine Skill, and the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan is a space-related treasure of extremely high grade.


    In Li Shiming¡¯s opinion, it must have been the leaked spatial energy from the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, whose level was higher than the spatial energy he used in his Divine Foot Skill, hence preventing him from executing his Divine Skill within this realm of spatial energy.


    "Artifact Spirit, how do I leave here?" Li Shiming contacted the Artifact Spirit and asked.


    "Master, once the Sword Intent on the sword scar dissipates, you can leave!" the Artifact Spirit¡¯s response made his face twitch slightly.


    From his observation through "Divine Eye Skill," the Sword Intent blade that had solidified into reality was likely to take more than a few thousand years to dissipate.


    The Artifact Spirit luring cultivators inside must not have considered, even the Artifact Spirit didn¡¯t think about, how long normal cultivators could survive in such an environment, and even if they could survive, their lifespan would still come to an end in death.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t suspect that the Artifact Spirit had intentionally lured cultivators like this, as its wisdom did not reach the level of such scheming; the thoughts of the five-year-old wisdom of the Artifact Spirit were still very innocent.


    But the Artifact Spirit did give him a tough problem: unless he resolved the trouble with the Sword Intent blade, he could not leave this place.


    Although he had plenty of resources in his hands, coupled with the presence of Nascent Soul Level Spiritual Energy here, the most he could do was to cultivate up to the Late-Stage Golden Core.


    Of course, if he utilized all the Third-grade Spiritual Fields inside the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, then perhaps he could hope to reach Golden Core Peak before his lifespan ended and try to forcefully break through to Nascent Soul Stage.


    But the success rate of a forced breakthrough was too low, and the risks too high; with little lifespan remaining, it would greatly impact the chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Under these circumstances, his life treasure, the IBMz15, continuously ran various calculations.


    But clearly, the spatial energy was still too complex for the IBMz15, and it offered only one solution.


    Li Shiming looked at the plan, his heart filled with hesitation.


    The IBMz15¡¯s plan was for him to forcibly come into contact with the Sword Intent Blade, risking injury from the Sword Intent Blade, to bring it into the server room space.


    The IBMz15 was unable to determine the extent of damage the Sword Intent Blade would inflict on him, making this plan extremely dangerous.


    Li Shiming shook his head, opportunity always came with risks.


    He had unexpectedly obtained the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, a treasure that likely not even the six major sects of the Beishu Continent possessed, but he had also faced a crisis that nearly trapped him to death.


    A resolute look flashed in his eyes, he did not want to be trapped here.


    He chose to take the risk, to come into contact with the Sword Intent Blade.


    He slowly extended his left hand towards the Sword Intent Blade, the closer he got to it, the more he sensed the danger.


    The moment his left hand¡¯s fingers touched the Sword Intent Blade, a flash of sword light appeared in his brain.


    He could not describe the horror of that sword light, which felt like the apocalyptic breath of destruction, was the horrifying spirit damage contained within the Sword Intent Blade.


    Even though the spirit damage was immediately shared by one hundred ninety-one brains, it still made him feel unbearable to continue.


    Fortunately, once he made contact with the Sword Intent Blade, transferring it was just a matter of an instant.


    The Sword Intent Blade was instantly transferred into the server room space, separating from his fingers.


    Li Shiming gasped for air, the sword light was not terrifying in a physical sense, having gone through countless years, the physical aggressiveness of the Sword Intent had largely dissipated, leaving only the spirit contained within the Sword Intent.


    Yet it was this tiny bit of spirit, even after being shared by one hundred ninety-one brains, that nearly broke him down, almost reducing him to an idiot.


    "Master, you¡¯ve succeeded!" the Artifact Spirit of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan excitedly said.


    The disappearance of the Sword Intent from the sword scars meant that the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan could leave this space.


    The Artifact Spirit could finally see the outside world, its previous memories gone, making it ignorant of but full of longing for the outside world.


    "You can take back the power of space," Li Shiming said weakly, waving his hand.


    He had not yet recovered from the recent scare, but though his spirit was weak, his heart was very excited.


    What excited him was not that he could escape the trap, mainly because the time he was trapped was too short, not long enough to make him realize the torment of being trapped.


    What excited him was that the Sword Intent had given him a direction, or rather, it had given his clone, Li Yuanba, a direction.


    Having experienced that Sword Intent, the sword cultivator Li Yuanba now knew the direction for the growth of Sword Intent.


    Previously, even Elder Sword¡¯s Sword Intent did not make Li Yuanba want to follow Elder Sword¡¯s path of cultivation, because although Elder Sword¡¯s Sword Intent was extremely powerful, it was Elder Sword¡¯s path, and not the same as Li Yuanba¡¯s path of cultivation.


    But having experienced that Sword Intent, which was far higher than Elder Sword¡¯s on a fundamental level, how high exactly it was, Li Shiming could not judge, but it was certain that the Sword Intent Blade far surpassed the Early Stage of Nascent Soul, and perhaps even the Middle Stage of Nascent Soul.


    Because Li Shiming and the clone Li Yuanba had experienced cultivators at the Early and Middle Stages of Nascent Soul, and the level of this Sword Intent was even higher than theirs.


    Although extremely dangerous just now, the Sword Intent Blade in the server room space, like a beacon, had given the clone Li Yuanba a clear goal to advance towards.


    Moreover, Li Yuanba could continuously study the Sword Intent Blade, drawing useful insights from it, thus allowing his own Sword Intent to achieve perfect growth.


    Li Shiming waited for about an hour before he felt the power of space around the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan being absorbed.


    The space he was in began to falter, and soon after, he fell out of this space.

 Chapter 759 - 426 Inventory

    Chapter 759: Chapter 426 Inventory


    Li Shiming shook his somewhat dizzy head; he was now in real space. The sun in the sky, the valley he was in, as well as the images transmitted from the drone satellite system, all confirmed his location.


    He glanced at the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan he was holding in his hand, finally certain that he had truly obtained a Fourth-Grade Magical Treasure he could control.


    Of course, "control" merely meant using the internal space of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan to plant Spiritual Medicines, and not for attacking purposes.


    The consumption of the internal space was provided by a Spiritual Power Pattern sealed within the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan.


    But if he were to use the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan for attacks, he would need to supply Spiritual Power to this high-grade treasure himself. Even if he poured all the Spiritual Power from his five Golden Cores into it, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for even one swing of the fan.


    Li Shiming didn¡¯t feel any pity; on the contrary, he revealed a satisfied smile.


    Merely the fact that it produced sixteen Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines once every thirty years was an immense stroke of luck.


    Not to mention that the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan could also continuously produce Third-Grade Spiritual Medicines every year. Even if he no longer practiced Alchemy, the fan alone could support his cultivation needs.


    Originally trapped in space, lacking Alchemy¡¯s aid from Spiritual Medicines, now outside he could fully utilize the Third-Grade Spiritual Medicines from the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan.


    Li Shiming stored the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan in the secret space of his mobile vehicle. Such a treasure absolutely must not be known to any Cultivator, and even the Third-Grade Spiritual Medicines produced by the fan, he would try to take them out as little as possible.


    He had always been so cautious in this regard, holding on to many Spirit Pills that he would rather let rot in his hands than sell casually.


    The annual output of Third-Grade Spiritual Medicines on the Beishu Continent was limited. If the number of Third-Grade Spiritual Medicines or Spirit Pills significantly exceeded the output, it would inevitably attract the attention of the six major sects and various forces.


    Li Shiming then checked the arrangement within the valley. He dismantled the original setup, leaving no trace, before heading back to the Shushan Sect.


    Upon returning to the sect and entering his Cultivation Room, he took out Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s Mustard Seed Ring.


    With Great Elder Sun Ao dead and no longer bearing a spirit imprint¡¯s seal, his Divine Thought easily entered it.


    The first thing he sought within was the Turtle Shell piece he had learned about from Sun Ao¡¯s inner thoughts.


    His Divine Thought located the Turtle Shell that matched the description in Sun Ao¡¯s thoughts. Had he not known it was extraordinary beforehand, even with his Divine Thought, he wouldn¡¯t have detected anything special about it.


    Divine objects conceal themselves. This Turtle Shell was a small piece from the legendary Taiqing Xuan Turtle, it had fallen off for some reason and was acquired by a powerful being.


    The powerful being used this small piece to pass on the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique". After endless years, this piece eventually fell into the hands of Skywalk Trading Company and was given to Great Elder Sun Ao for his use.


    Had an unaware Cultivator obtained this small piece, they might have only regarded it as a hard fragment, never imagining that it was the legacy item of the top-tier Body Refining Technique, the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique".


    The reason why Great Elder Sun Ao could keep this legacy item, unlike other Grand Elders who no longer had contact with legacy items after learning the Techniques, was due to the specialty of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique". To cultivate it, one needed to constantly feel the aura of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle from this fragment.


    Only when the cultivator could condense the true essence and form, could they separate from the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell.


    Even though Great Elder Sun Ao reached the status of a Body Refining Grand Elder, he was still a distance away from condensing the true essence and form. Coming to the relatively humble Beishu Continent this time, with Nascent Soul Middle Stage Elder Jin Kai leading, there should not have been the slightest problem with safety.


    Li Shiming continuously tried to enter the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell with his Divine Thought. With the help of his "Spirit Eye Vision" and his natal magical treasure IBMz15, it took him roughly four hours to finally allow his Divine Thought to enter the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell.


    There was a layer of prohibition outside the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell. Prohibitions of this kind would usually require at least a Nascent Soul Ancestor to cast and were somewhat advanced for Li Shiming.


    Luckily, since the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell was in his hands, enabling him to study it freely, and his natal magical treasure IBMz15 was adept at a vast amount of analytic computations, he managed to break through the prohibition.


    Once inside the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell, he sensed the entire content of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique".


    The "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" was a Body Refining Technique that reached to the Divinity Transformation Stage, placing it on the same level as the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" and the "Five Rhymes Qi Cultivation Technique".


    What excited Li Shiming more was that inside the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell, there weren¡¯t only the full contents of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique", but also a wealth of cultivation insights and experiences.


    From these insights, he realized the importance of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell.


    Without it, even if one obtained the entire "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique", it would be useless.


    He was inwardly surprised; fortunately, when he took action to slay Great Elder Sun Ao, he hadn¡¯t left the slightest clue. It seemed likely that Skywalk Trading Company did not know that the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell had fallen into his hands.


    Especially since after obtaining the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell, he never took it out in public.


    He had only returned to his own cave dwelling and took it out in the Cultivation Room for inspection.


    Not to be self-aggrandizing, but while his dwelling might not be impenetrable, it was certainly capable of obstructing various types of connections.

 Chapter 760 - 426 Inventory_2

    Chapter 760: Chapter 426 Inventory_2


    For his own safety, he had expended a great deal of effort on the formation of his cave dwelling.


    Most of the materials for the formation that he obtained from refining pills for other cultivators were also used in arranging his cave dwelling.


    He could even guarantee that his cave dwelling surpassed that of a Nascent Soul Ancestor in terms of blocking various types of long-range sensing.


    That was the reason why he only took out the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell after he had returned to his cave dwelling.


    Li Shiming first set the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell aside, then started to examine Great Elder Sun Ao¡¯s Mustard Seed Ring.


    The Spiritual Objects within the Mustard Seed Ring were abundant, but he did not touch those objects. Even if some of them were useful, he wouldn¡¯t take them out at this time.


    Unless it was an especially useful Spiritual Object, he wouldn¡¯t take the risk of being discovered by Elder Jin Kai.


    "Indeed, there is one!" Li Shiming laughed out loud.


    Since Great Elder Sun Ao held a status equal to that of Elder Shi Ming in the Skywalk Trading Company, it was certain that he must also possess Spiritual Objects capable of facilitating a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Such important Spiritual Objects would not possibly be allowed to leave the side of Great Elder Sun Ao, who had already reached the Great Elder level.


    What if the moment to break through came, it¡¯s not like he could cross the sea back to the headquarters of Skywalk Trading Company to fetch the Spiritual Object to make the breakthrough, right?


    If that were the case, he would probably miss the opportunity and it would be too late for regrets.


    What Li Shiming found was a third-grade jade bottle labeled "Supreme Mysterious Turtle Marrow Pill."


    He had not heard of the name "Supreme Mysterious Turtle Marrow Pill" before, but after opening the jade bottle and smelling the scent of the "Supreme Mysterious Turtle Marrow Pill," his life-bound magic treasure, IBMz15, immediately analyzed the "Supreme Mysterious Turtle Marrow Pill."


    The "Supreme Mysterious Turtle Marrow Pill" was a fourth-grade Body Refining Spirit Pill. From the name alone, one could deduce that its main ingredient was the marrow of some fourth-grade Spirit Turtle, and combined with the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique," it could increase a cultivator¡¯s chances of breaking through realms.


    Compared to Elder Shi Ming, the other Spiritual Objects in the Mustard Seed Ring were somewhat poor, as there were no other fourth-grade Spiritual Objects.


    Li Shiming stored this Mustard Seed Ring into the storage space of his mechanical room, and as long as Elder Jin Kai remained on the Beishu Continent, he would not take out this Mustard Seed Ring.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was too cautious, but Elder Jin Kai was the first Nascent Soul Middle Stage ancestor he had encountered.


    Not to mention, he had obtained the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell, effectively severing the inheritance of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" from the Skywalk Trading Company.


    Li Shiming believed that even within the Skywalk Trading Company, there wouldn¡¯t be too many inheritances of top-tier cultivation techniques like the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique."


    He then checked the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan and communicated with its Artifact Spirit.


    The Mountain and River Qiankun Fan was severely damaged at the place of its fall; now that it was no longer influenced by that Sword Intent, the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan was undergoing self-repair under the control of the Artifact Spirit.


    This process would take ten years, and only after ten years could the damaged fan surface recover to its optimal state.


    However, this did not affect the other eight faces of the fan or the internal planting space; in those eight planting spaces, the Artifact Spirit had always been managing.


    Regrettably, all the Spirit Medicine previously obtained had been decomposed by the Artifact Spirit into nutrients to sustain the existence of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan.


    The Artifact Spirit did not know when the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan would be able to escape its predicament, so it instinctively reduced the fan¡¯s consumption. Decomposing Spirit Medicine to provide nutrients for the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan was the best method.


    This left Li Shiming only with a batch of fourth-grade Spirit Grass that was about to ripen, which he could harvest in three years.


    Together with the two Three Elements Illusion Spirit Grass plants in the damaged planting space, he would soon have eighteen fourth-grade Spiritual Medicines.


    It was unclear whether it was a coincidence or if the original owner of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan had some connection to the Beishu Continent, but for all the fourth-grade Spiritual Medicines planted inside the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, Li Shiming had the corresponding Elixir Recipes in his hands.


    Due to Li Shiming¡¯s special alchemy talent, none of the major sects entertained the idea of withholding alchemy-related information from him.


    Instead, they proactively provided him with alchemy knowledge, treating it as part of the compensation for requesting his services.


    In fact, the sects had no choice; while elixir recipes and alchemy knowledge are indeed precious, their ultimate purpose is to refine Spirit Pills.


    It is widely acknowledged on the Beishu Continent that Li Shiming¡¯s alchemy skills are unparalleled.


    Requesting Li Shiming to refine pills could yield a much greater harvest than if done by other Alchemy Masters, especially with high-level Spirit Pills like the Hundred Percent Full Pill, which sets him significantly apart from his peers.


    To have Li Shiming refine pills, one must deliver the elixir recipes to him.


    Although Li Shiming is not yet capable of refining Fourth-grade Spirit Pills, rather than waiting to deliver them to him when he is ready, it is better to provide him with the Four-grade Pill Formulas and related knowledge in advance so that he can become more familiar with them.


    By the time he advances to the Late-stage Golden Core, he will be able to control the pill refining process of the Fourth-grade Spirit Pills even faster.


    Li Shiming let out a long sigh. Every thirty years, he would collect once, and each time, he would obtain eighteen stalks of Fourth-grade Spirit Grass, ensuring a steady supply of Fourth-grade Spirit Pills at least until he reached the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Now he just needed to wait until he could break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. At that thought, he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile; he was still in the Golden Core Middle Stage, with a long way to go before the latter stages, let alone considering the matters of the Nascent Soul Stage.


    At present, there was another important matter he needed to attend to¡ªcultivating the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique."


    Although his "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" had already been cultivated to the Great Elder level, since this cultivation technique had no further paths to progress, he had long considered switching to a different Body Refining Technique.


    With the Great Elder-level "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" as his foundation, it was expected that his cultivation speed for the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" would not be slow.


    He had a long time to practice during the Golden Core Stage, and he had no plans to solely rely on Body Refining Techniques to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, so changing techniques at this time wouldn¡¯t cause any issues.


    He didn¡¯t need to check the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell piece; all its content had already been backed up by his life-bound magical treasure, the IBMz15.


    The IBMz15 was analyzing the contents of the technique based on a vast amount of cultivation experiences to facilitate Li Shiming¡¯s learning and practice.


    The "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" was incredibly profound, but with the cultivation experiences from the legacy for reference, the IBMz15 had already provided an analysis just when he needed it.


    Li Shiming placed the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell piece against his forehead, slowly exhaled and laid prone on the ground.


    Truth be told, the practice movements for the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" were quite unseemly, but one had to imitate the movements of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle to cultivate it.


    As he began to circulate his energy, a stream of cool qi flowed from the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell into his body.


    This was the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi described in the technique. Although it seems gentle, once it entered his body, it forcibly expelled all traces of Vajra power.


    Despite this being the first time the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi had entered his body, and it was only a wisp, even this small amount was enough to dispel his previously cultivated powerful Vajra power.


    There might only be a slight difference in external power between the two forces, but inside the body, they represent a difference in the level of energy, unrelated to their power.


    Li Shiming couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat helpless, knowing that by the time he got the basics of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" down, his "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill" would almost be rendered useless.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that even though the Vajra power was being expelled, his Great Elder-level Body Refining body remained unchanged, only incapable of calling upon the Vajra power, making his strength in Body Refining Technique incredibly weak.


    However, he did not stop cultivating the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique." Rather than a short-term decrease in strength, he preferred the solution of switching to a stronger technique over the "Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill," which had no advancement path and would eventually fail to match his growing strength.


    With the summary of experiences from his predecessors, he successfully drew in the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi and formed a complete cycle within his body on his first attempt at cultivation.


    After several hours, when he finished this session of practice, the dominant aura of his Body Refinement had greatly diminished, but he could sense the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi nourishing his body continuously in place of the Vajra power.

 Chapter 761 - 427: Reinforcements

    Chapter 761: Chapter 427: Reinforcements


    At the heart of Yongle Island, a suffocating atmosphere weighed heavily on every cultivator present.


    Elder Jin Kai¡¯s face was extremely somber. The unexpected killing of Elder Li Yuanba by Elder Shi Ming had already been a surprise, but he had never anticipated that Great Elder Sun Ao, who had been sent on a mission, would also encounter trouble.


    Great Elder Sun Ao carried a communication token commonly used in Beishu Continent, which allowed him to contact Yongle Island as long as he was within Beishu Continent.


    Normally, he would report to Yongle Island at a fixed time every day, but this time, three days had passed without any message from Great Elder Sun Ao.


    Elder Jin Kai didn¡¯t even need to investigate, as his sense of Great Elder Sun Ao led him to conclude that Sun Ao had likely fallen.


    By the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, one¡¯s spirit reaches a certain level, creating a kind of sensing ability toward cultivators they frequently interact with.


    The consecutive killings of two great elders made him realize that Beishu Continent was not as simple as it seemed.


    He realized there might be a discrepancy in his, or even Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s, understanding of Beishu Continent compared to other continents.


    Both Elder Shi Ming and Great Elder Sun Ao were among the top existences in the rank of great elders in the entire Cultivation World.


    Yet, such top-notch great elders were lost in Beishu Continent, a place with inferior resources and cultivation techniques.


    "You Xia, send a message back, and have the headquarters send more cultivators over!" he ordered Elder You Xia, who stood bowing beside him.


    He didn¡¯t mind losing face; it was necessary to request additional reinforcements from Skywalk Trading Company¡¯s headquarters.


    He could confront multiple Nascent Soul Ancestors, but he couldn¡¯t personally explore Beishu Continent. If he did so, it would immediately trigger a major conflict.


    Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn¡¯t do it.


    Because such action would be detrimental to everyone involved.


    Even if he defeated these seven Nascent Soul Ancestors, who knows how many more Nascent Soul cultivators there were in Beishu Continent.


    And after an all-out battle, his life span would likely be affected, and there was even a risk of falling within Beishu Continent.


    The previous visit from Patriarch Weng Zhao, a Nascent Soul cultivator proficient in offensive divine skills, though only at the early Nascent Soul stage, was nearly equal to him in combat strength.


    The fall of Patriarch Weng Zhao was what made Elder Jin Kai cautious about making any rash moves.


    Additionally, what concerned Elder Jin Kai the most was whether the location where spatial fluctuations had been detected was the Grotto Heaven opened by the great power Zhai Ge.


    However, he was certain that even if that place was the location of a Grotto Heaven, it had not been activated.


    The activation of a Grotto Heaven would cause a significant disturbance, and without preemptive measures, the entire Beishu Continent would be alerted.


    With his understanding of Beishu Continent, its six major sects didn¡¯t possess the legacy of dealing with Grotto Heavens, let alone the means to handle their activation.


    "When reinforcements arrive, first find out who killed Sun Ao. We must retrieve the ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique¡¯ legacy!" whispered Elder Jin Kai, massaging his temples.


    This was another troublesome matter, as was leading a team where two top great elders perished, which could also cause complications.


    As the only great elder left on Yongle Island, Elder You Xia dared not venture out anymore. This had altered the situation on the Yongle Battlefield, where Li Yuanba and the other four great elders were continuously slaying cultivators from Yongle Island.


    Li Yuanba had no thoughts of changing his Body Refinement techniques. He possessed the Taiji Dao Body, and the "Fiery Sun Jade Body Technique" suited his human form well, coupled with the "Evil Corpse Spirit Record" in his corpse refining state, his strongest body refinement combat power was in corpse refining state.


    He had also received his reward, a Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine, which was also the main ingredient for the Fourth Grade Spirit Pill that aided advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    The Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine was kept in a jade box, perfectly preserving its spiritual essence, ensuring that its medicinal properties would not deteriorate even over a century.


    Although the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan could cultivate Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines, Li Shiming was unable to choose the Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines currently growing in the fan and had to leave the arrangements to the Artifact Spirit.


    The most crucial aspect was still the spirit seeds of the Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine.


    It was extremely challenging to harvest the spirit seeds of the Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine. The Artifact Spirit would collect the seeds every few years to ensure the cultivation needs within the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan.


    To cultivate other varieties of Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines in the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, one first needed to acquire the spirit seeds of the Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine and teach the Artifact Spirit how to cultivate that variety.


    According to the communication between Li Shiming and the Artifact Spirit, the types of spiritual medicines it controlled within the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan were limited. If he wanted to cultivate other types of spiritual medicines, he would need to choose from the planting types mastered by the Artifact Spirit.


    The cultivation of Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicines was extremely complicated and difficult. To teach the Artifact Spirit to master a new type of Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine, it would take an immensely long time to experiment.


    It takes thirty years for a Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine to mature once in the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan, and the time required to experiment on planting methods for Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine would be several hundred years.


    Li Shiming did not know how the original owner of the Mountain and River Qiankun Fan had acquired so many medicinal planting methods, but he believed it could not have been researched by a single cultivator.


    The Yongle Battlefield had quieted down somewhat, but a large number of local cultivators who had been bribed on Beishu Continent did not cease their activities.

 Chapter 762 - 427: Reinforcements_2

    Chapter 762: Chapter 427: Reinforcements_2


    However, the battle power of the Skywalk Trading Company here had weakened, and the only Great Elder, You Xia, would not leave Yongle Island. This caused Li Shiming not to notice anything abnormal about Yongle Island, and thus he could not confirm whether those local cultivators had made any new discoveries.


    In order to monitor this matter, he deliberately allocated several parts of his brain to keep an eye on it.


    He himself entered into secluded cultivation, mainly practicing the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique".


    In the cultivation room, he maintained an awkward posture, lying on the ground and absorbing the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi transmitted from the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell piece on his forehead, as well as the spiritual energy emanating from a nearby Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein.


    The Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi inside the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell piece seemed infinite. According to the observations and analysis of his life-bound treasure, IBMz15, a conclusion had been reached.


    That was that inside the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell piece, there existed certain special pattern rules, which, after absorbing spiritual energy, could produce Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi.


    As long as the external spiritual energy kept flowing, the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi would not disappear.


    Of course, in an environment rich with spiritual energy, the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi emitted by the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell piece would increase.


    It was unknown whether it was because Li Shiming¡¯s Pure Dao Body naturally had the level of Great Elder-level Body Refining, or because the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" was particularly compatible with him, but the speed at which he practiced the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" was unexpectedly fast.


    Actually, this was not difficult to understand. Although he currently had no Fourth Grade Body Refining Resources to consume, the Fourth Grade Body Refining Resources he had consumed in the past had affected his body.


    Now, revisiting the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique", naturally, he enjoyed the benefits of the Fourth Grade Body Refining Resources.


    And being at the Great Elder-level Body Refining realm was also the most important reason. This was like a mathematician starting to learn physics from scratch¡ªalthough the content was somewhat new, standing at such a high level naturally meant learning at an extremely fast pace.


    Li Shiming¡¯s mastery of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" soon progressed from the beginner level to proficiency, and afterwards, it was necessary to continuously absorb Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi from the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell piece to strengthen himself.


    During this time, his combat power had noticeably decreased, especially in close combat.


    But he had no worries. As an Alchemy Master, as long as he did not leave the sect, he would not encounter any danger.


    Besides, after he forged the "Flowing Light Star Meteor" flying sword treasure, his strongest combat power was his flying sword.


    With the Fourth-grade might of the "Flowing Light Star Meteor", he could easily break the defense of a Great Elder.


    Time flew by, and a year had passed. Li Shiming was not aware of the other sects; he only knew that his master-ancestor from the Shushan Sect, Fan Ancestor, had already awoken.


    After waking up, Fan Ancestor was in a rather bad mood. Those days, the atmospheric pressure within the sect was very low, influenced by the anger emanating from the Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    However, these matters did not affect Li Shiming. Since he had announced his seclusion and had the Silver Corpse replace him in receiving guests, no cultivator had come to disturb him.


    Even Fan Ancestor had not sought him out personally. All cultivators knew that his cultivation was tied to the personal interests of their ancestors.


    A Nascent Soul Ancestor obtaining a Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine was not easy; handing it to another alchemy master versus handing it to an alchemy master of Li Shiming¡¯s caliber, the effect of the Fourth-grade Spirit Pill would vary several times.


    For this reason, every Nascent Soul Ancestor was hoping that his cultivation speed could be even faster.


    If it weren¡¯t for Li Shiming having enough resources himself, perhaps the Nascent Soul Ancestors would have wanted to give him some resources.


    At the coastal outpost of the Yongle Battlefield, seven Nascent Soul Ancestors left their temporary caves at the same time. They looked at each other, eyes filled with worry.


    "Let¡¯s go and see together!" Elder Zuo suggested.


    "That would trouble Venerable Huike!" Ancestor Lu signaled to Venerable Huike.


    "Since we are defending together, there¡¯s no need for such formalities!" Venerable Huike nodded and said.


    This period of unified opposition had caused the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors to put aside their previous displeasures.


    Regardless of the past, now all the Nascent Soul Ancestors here needed to look out for each other to confront a formidable enemy at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.


    Centered around Venerable Huike, the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors merged into one entity, and Venerable Huike activated "Within Inches of the World," heading towards Yongle Island.


    They did not disturb the Yongle Battlefield, but when seven Nascent Soul Ancestors took action simultaneously, it caused all the cultivators within Yongle Battlefield to evacuate.


    They all understood that once Nascent Soul Ancestors started to act, staying nearby would absolutely be a death wish.


    Elder Jin Kai stood above Yongle Island, watching the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors with a smile. The two groups were not far from each other, and no actions from either side could escape the eyes of the Nascent Soul Ancestors opposite them.


    "Fellows, have you come to welcome the Flying Boat of Skywalk Trading Company?" he said, joking.


    "Senior, it seems another fellow from Skywalk Trading Company has arrived. We indeed hope to get acquainted at the earliest opportunity!" Ancestor Lu responded evenly.


    However, his heart was not as calm as his face appeared. He was very aware that the Flying Boat coming from the sea must have Nascent Soul Ancestors on board, otherwise it could not survive at sea.


    What he and the other six Nascent Soul Ancestors were most concerned about was, what was the level of the Nascent Soul Ancestor who had arrived?


    If another Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner had come, then there would be no point in continuing the standoff; they might as well surrender immediately.


    In the Cultivation World, when one side¡¯s power reached a crushing level, admitting defeat was not an unacceptable thing.


    While they were speaking, the enormous Flying Boat had already approached them.


    When Ancestor Lu sensed the Nascent Soul Aura inside the enormous Flying Boat, the anxiety on his face disappeared.


    The one escorting the enormous Flying Boat was a Nascent Soul Early Stage Practitioner, which was not an unacceptable situation.


    Although the addition of a Nascent Soul Early Stage Practitioner from Skywalk Trading Company would cause them quite a bit of trouble, the combined Nascent Soul Ancestor combat power of the six major sects plus Beishu Trading Company was perfectly manageable, so long as no more Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioners arrived.


    Even at all costs, the Beishu Continent could absolutely defeat Skywalk Trading Company.


    "Little Ren, long time no see, I didn¡¯t expect you to lead the team over!" Elder Jin Kai said with a smile, greeting the Nascent Soul Ancestor who descended from the enormous Flying Boat.


    "Ancestor Ren Xun pays his respects to Senior Jin!" Ancestor Ren Xun said, saluting respectfully.


    As he straightened up, his gaze fell on the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors, and a flash of combat intent passed through his eyes.


    The expressions of the seven Nascent Soul Ancestors became somewhat unpleasant because the aura emanating from Ancestor Ren Xun showed that he was very young, probably not exceeding five hundred years.


    Five hundred years might be a lifetime for Golden Core cultivators, but for Nascent Soul Ancestors, it was an extremely young age.


    At this age, Nascent Soul Ancestors had plenty of life span to spare, and during battle, they need not be overly cautious with the consumption of their life span.


    Such Nascent Soul Ancestors were the most formidable, for they were highly warlike.


    But once they reached seven to eight hundred years old, Nascent Soul Ancestors would become exceedingly frugal with their internal energy, trying to reduce their combat consumption as much as possible to avoid affecting their life span.


    "Everyone, this is Ren Xun; please take good care of him in the future!" Elder Jin Kai said with a smile.


    On the surface, his demeanor was not at all like that of someone facing an enemy.


    Actually, he was in very good spirits; he hadn¡¯t expected that within just a year, Skywalk Trading Company could afford to send Ancestor Ren Xun to support them.


    Though Ancestor Ren Xun¡¯s strength among Nascent Soul Early Stage practitioners wasn¡¯t particularly strong, that required a comparison. In Beishu Continent, Ancestor Ren Xun¡¯s prowess would absolutely allow him to defeat most of the Nascent Soul Ancestors in one-on-one combat.


    "Senior Jin, we will definitely get closer to our fellow Ren!" Ancestor Lu said faintly.


    He stressed the word "closer" significantly, the implication unmistakable.


    More cultivators came out from the enormous Flying Boat, all of them Golden Core cultivators. The seven Nascent Soul Ancestors observed these Golden Core cultivators and noted that there were not many at the Great Elder level ¡ª only five.


    However, this group of Golden Core cultivators was at least one hundred and fifty strong, and from the traces evident in their movements, all of these cultivators were skilled in combat. Moreover, they unintentionally positioned themselves in such a way that they could easily form a battle formation.

 Chapter 763 - 428 Arrival

    Chapter 763: Chapter 428 Arrival


    With the arrival of a group of cultivators from Skywalk Trading Company, Li Yuanba¡¯s most significant realization was that the atmosphere of the Yongle Battlefield had changed.


    Previously, the Beishu Continent side had thoroughly dominated the advantage, pressing the opponents to the extent they hardly dared to leave Yongle Island.


    They had also cleared out quite a few cultivators who had taken refuge with Yongle Island, causing a significant blow to the reputation of Skywalk Trading Company, and many cultivators swayed by interests were now reevaluating the situation.


    Li Yuanba hadn¡¯t taken action in the last few days; he was in his temporary yard, comprehending the Sword Intent Blade through the connection with his original body, Li Shiming.


    The Sword Intent Blade in the space inside Li Shiming¡¯s machine room hadn¡¯t changed because it had left the Sword Scars, maintaining the state of a blade.


    Since it was in the machine room space, Li Shiming didn¡¯t need to use his Divine Thought; rather, just by relying on his control over the machine room space, he could fully perceive everything about the Sword Intent Blade.


    The level of the Sword Intent Blade was too high; even with the help of his life-bound magic treasure IBM z15, he couldn¡¯t truly fathom the Sword Intent Blade.


    But with every research effort, both he and his avatar, Li Yuanba, could gain some useful insights, which in turn steadily elevated Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent.


    During this period of rapid strength increase, Li Yuanba had no interest in joining battles; improving his Sword Intent was the most important thing.


    Without Li Yuanba¡¯s participation, the Yongle Battlefield became exceedingly lively over the following period.


    Newly arrived five Great Elders from Yongle Island continuously made their appearances on the battlefield, exchanging blows back and forth with the Great Elders on the side of the Beishu Continent.


    However, the strength of these five Great Elders was far from that of the initial three Great Elders, and there were no reports of any Great Elders from the Beishu Continent falling again.


    Meanwhile, Elder You Xia from Skywalk Trading Company seemed to have set his sights on Li Yuanba as he did not partake in the usual battles.


    Of course, how much of this was deliberately arranged by Skywalk Trading Company, with the intention of making the combat strength of both sides on the Yongle Battlefield comparable, and to entangle more of their energies there, was unknown.


    On the side of the Beishu Continent, no cultivator would compel Li Yuanba to join the fight; after all, Li Yuanba had already done well enough.


    With a Sword Cultivation Great Elder killed by Li Yuanba, that had been the biggest loss for Skywalk Trading Company so far. As for the matter regarding Great Elder Sun Ao, the Beishu Continent just wondered about his disappearance without knowing that Great Elder Sun Ao had fallen.


    Li Yuanba cultivated in his temporary yard for a month, and then he could no longer stay in seclusion.


    Because his mentor Elder Sword was about to arrive at the stronghold, he needed to go out to receive him.


    Exiting the yard, he flew up into the sky. Seven Nascent Soul Ancestors were there, along with some Golden Core cultivators of high status.


    "Nascent Soul, the Sword Intent on you has become even sharper; it seems that your mentor has taught you well!" Ancestor Lu said with a smile, beckoning to Li Yuanba.


    The other Nascent Soul Ancestors also sensed the change in Li Yuanba and couldn¡¯t help but nod in approval.


    Being of very high cultivation stages, they could sense Li Yuanba¡¯s current situation with a slight perception.


    Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent was clearly beyond his Golden Core Middle Stage, resembling the sensation of Elder Sword during his Late-stage Golden Core period.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors looked at Li Yuanba and then at their own disciples, each feeling a sense of disappointment at their own disciples¡¯ complacency.


    Several Great Elders shrank their necks, feeling a chill; it seemed their days ahead would not be easy.


    "Greetings to my mentor and to all fellow cultivators. How can I be deserving of such a reception from everyone!" Elder Sword arrived, first bowing to Ancestor Lu, and then greeting the other Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    Ancestor Lu nodded in response to this greeting, which was his right as the mentor of Elder Sword, while the other Nascent Soul Ancestors could only interact with Elder Sword as equals.


    In the Cultivation World, it is only in the mentor-disciple relationship that the hierarchy can be maintained after reaching the same cultivation stage; all other relationships must appropriately elevate with the level attained.


    "Congratulations to Mr. Jian!" Elder Zuo said with a smile, cupping his fists towards Elder Sword.


    The other Nascent Soul Ancestors did likewise; they were delighted at Elder Sword¡¯s ability to come here.


    Elder Sword¡¯s appearance here, even being able to leave the gates of the Senluo Sect, only indicated one reason: Elder Sword had achieved the combat power of the Nascent Soul Stage.


    "I must also thank everyone for your support!" Elder Sword said, bowing in return.


    It was exactly the abandonment of mutual suppression by the six major sects that allowed the exchange of Fourth Grade Gold Attribute Refining Material for Elder Sword.


    The arrival of Elder Sword also caught the attention of Elder Jin Kai and Ancestor Ren Xun.


    The two Nascent Soul Ancestors flew to the airspace above Yongle Island, looking this way. The distance between them was very close, less than a thousand miles; for Nascent Soul Ancestors, this was extremely near.


    Elder Sword, sensing the presence of both Elder Jin Kai and Ancestor Ren Xun, had his Sword Intent rise. A small flying sword flew out from his body, hovering in the direction of Elder Jin Kai and Ancestor Ren Xun.


    Even though Elder Jin Kai¡¯s strength was at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, Elder Sword¡¯s Fourth-grade Flying Sword was still incredibly sharp.


    Elder Jin Kai¡¯s expression was grave as he exhibited an unexpressed might, standing off against the Sword Intent emanating from the Fourth-grade Flying Sword.


    Ancestor Ren Xun¡¯s face turned, cautiously stepping back half a step, positioning himself beside Elder Jin Kai.


    Thankfully, both parties exercised restraint and did not truly engage in battle at this time; their confrontation was more of an exchange of auras, thus not affecting the Yongle Battlefield.


    Elder Jin Kai nodded slightly towards Elder Sword, taking Ancestor Ren Xun with him back into the grand formation on Yongle Island.


    "Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator!" Elder Jin Kai said in a deep voice.

 Chapter 764 - 428 Arrival_2

    Chapter 764: Chapter 428 Arrival_2


    Although he had previously received intelligence that a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator had emerged from the Senluo Sect, Elder Sword was nothing like the Nascent Soul Sword Cultivators he had imagined.


    By his judgment, in a place like the Beishu Continent, even if a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator appeared, their combat strength would not be very formidable, at most being an expert in the early stages of the Nascent Soul.


    But when he faced Elder Sword, he sensed Elder Sword¡¯s terrifying presence.


    "This should not be a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator that the Beishu Continent could have cultivated!" Ancestor Ren Xun felt this the most deeply, he said, shaking his head.


    He, too, had just recently been promoted to Nascent Soul Ancestor, but when facing Elder Sword, he had a clear feeling that once Elder Sword launched an attack, he would be hard-pressed to withstand it.


    When he faced other Nascent Soul Ancestors from the Beishu Continent, he had the confidence to battle and possibly defeat those Nascent Soul Ancestors, based on the fact that he practiced a more advanced Cultivation Technique than the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Beishu Continent.


    His Nascent Soul and Spiritual Power Pattern still couldn¡¯t compare to those of veteran Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    When he encountered fellow cultivators of the same stage who also practiced top-tier Cultivation Techniques, his advantage disappeared, and since Elder Sword also practiced a Sword Cultivation Technique, he completely suppressed him in terms of offensive power.


    "It¡¯s lucky he has just been promoted recently and lacks a solid foundation; otherwise, he really would be a big problem. Try not to face him alone!" Elder Jin Kai said, waving his hand.


    Ancestor Ren Xun nodded; he also knew his own limitations.


    This was also the reason why Elder Jin Kai was very upset after Elder Shi Ming had perished.


    Once Elder Shi Ming had been promoted to the Nascent Soul Stage, his combat strength would have been among the top in the early stage of the Nascent Soul, and with enough accumulation during the Nascent Soul Stage, he could even threaten those in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul.


    Sword Cultivators were known as the best attackers in the Cultivation World, and it was not just an empty boast; the Nascent Soul Stage was precisely when Sword Cultivators displayed their peak combat strength.


    Meanwhile, Elder Sword put away his Fourth-grade Lifebound Flying Sword, a surprise flashing through his eyes.


    The mid-stage Nascent Soul Elder Jin Kai, through brief contact, he judged that Jin Kai had not just entered the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul, but was a seasoned cultivator who had practiced at that level for many years.


    The reason he had chosen to come to the Yongle Battlefield was that he received news from Skywalk Trading Company about the addition of a new Nascent Soul Ancestor.


    He had just upgraded his Lifebound Magical Tool to the fourth grade; although he had not completely mastered it, he had at least acquired some of the combat strength of a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator, and needed to refine himself faster through battle.


    He did not fear battle; the fastest way to improve the "Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique" was through constant battle.


    The tougher the enemies he fought, the more insights he would gain.


    Of course, there was another reason; he wanted to check on his disciple, Li Yuanba, especially after hearing that Li Yuanba had slain a Sword Cultivation Great Elder, he had come to oversee Li Yuanba.


    Yes, to oversee Li Yuanba; Li Yuanba was his only lineal disciple.


    Elder Sword well knew how formidable a Sword Cultivation Great Elder cultivated by an intercontinental organization like Skywalk Trading Company could be. Even if Li Yuanba was incredibly powerful, defeating a Sword Cultivation Great Elder without a cost was impossible.


    He had come to make sure Li Yuanba did not take any unnecessary risks.


    Given Li Yuanba¡¯s talent and qualifications, as long as he survived, he would inevitably reach the peak of the Golden Core Late Stage, become a Great Elder, and have the opportunity to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    He did not want Li Yuanba to perish on the Yongle Battlefield because of recklessness.


    "Wuwei, you and I will share a mountain peak for now, and I will move another one here for you in a few days!" Ancestor Lu pointed at his own mountain peak and arranged.


    "Yes, Master!" Elder Sword bowed and complied, his gaze settling on Li Yuanba beside him.


    "We won¡¯t disturb your time with your disciple now, fellow cultivators, I have prepared some Spiritual Tea at my place, let us get together!" Ancestor Lu, knowing Elder Sword wanted to discuss something with Li Yuanba, called out to the other Nascent Soul Ancestors.


    "I was just thinking of tasting your tea, so I won¡¯t be shy!" Ancestor Zhan said with a hearty laugh.


    The Nascent Soul Ancestors left together, leaving Li Yuanba and Elder Sword behind.


    "Master!" Li Yuanba stepped forward and bowed respectfully.


    "Not bad, you haven¡¯t been slacking off!" Elder Sword, without any hesitation, scanned Li Yuanba¡¯s body and nodded with a smile as he praised him.


    Only a master and disciple could interact this way, even other Nascent Soul Ancestors could not probe a Golden Core cultivator like this, as Golden Core cultivators have their own secrets.


    "Your Sword Intent has improved rapidly, is it because you killed that Sword Cultivation Great Elder?" he asked further.


    The rate at which Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent had improved in such a short time was abnormally high, not resembling the progression of normal cultivation.


    Elder Sword thought of Elder Shi Ming, who had been slain by Li Yuanba, prompting this question.


    "Exactly, after slaying Elder Shi Ming, I had some insights!" Li Yuanba naturally would not mention the matter of the Sword Intent blade, as it was inexplicable; he could only respond along the lines Elder Sword had spoken.


    "You were still too reckless, it is only because you have cultivated the ¡¯Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique¡¯ and mastered the Divine Foot Skill that you were able to narrow the gap with the cultivators from the outer continents. Otherwise, even if you possessed Great Elder-level Body Refinement, fighting with a Sword Cultivation Great Elder from the outer continents would still not be enough!" Elder Sword said gravely.


    Li Yuanba felt the warmth of Elder Sword¡¯s care in his heart.


    Indeed, as his master had said, if he hadn¡¯t possessed a Corps Refining body, he might have truly fallen at the hands of Elder Shi Ming.


    "Yes, Master, I indeed underestimated Elder Shi Ming. If not for some luck, I would have been the one to die!" Li Yuanba admitted his mistake with his head lowered.


    "A Sword Cultivator should indeed have the courage to admit their mistakes, whether facing enemies or handling affairs. Sword Cultivators need to be simpler and more forthright, which makes the Sword Intent even sharper!" Hearing his admission, Elder Sword couldn¡¯t help but laugh and speak.


    As the master and disciple chatted, they also arrived at Ancestor Lu¡¯s peak. Li Yuanba excused himself first, while Elder Sword attended the Nascent Soul Ancestors¡¯ gathering.


    Since Elder Sword¡¯s arrival, Li Yuanba¡¯s Sword Intent had improved even quicker.


    The insights he gained from the Sword Intent blade, combined with the essence of Elder Sword¡¯s teachings and the daily hour he spent contemplating the Fourth-grade Lifebound Flying Sword, significantly accelerated his Sword Intent improvement.


    Elder Sword was nurturing Li Yuanba with a targeted approach.


    Elder Sword already knew that he didn¡¯t need to worry about cultivation resources for Li Yuanba.


    Whatever relationship Li Yuanba had with Li Shiming, one thing was certain: Li Shiming provided Li Yuanba with a vast amount of cultivation resources.


    Otherwise, Li Yuanba¡¯s Golden Core growth wouldn¡¯t have been so rapid, nearly reaching the theoretical fastest speed in the Cultivation World.


    The so-called theoretical fastest speed means that a cultivator takes Third-grade Spirit Pills at optimal intervals for cultivation, achieving the cultivation speed that comes with a continuous supply of resources.


    Even Elder Sword himself didn¡¯t have such a provision of resources in his time.


    This made Elder Sword feel helpless; since he couldn¡¯t assist Li Yuanba with resources, he decided to provide as much help as possible with Sword Intent, fulfilling his duties as a master.


    This was why he let Li Yuanba contemplate the Fourth-grade Lifebound Flying Sword for an hour each day; otherwise, Elder Sword felt that he wasn¡¯t being as helpful as the outsider Li Shiming was to Li Yuanba.


    The Yongle Battlefield was still in a tense state, with neither side¡¯s Great Elders suffering losses, though some ordinary Golden Core cultivators had been slain.


    The six major sects surmised that the Skywalk Trading Company had other motives and were deliberately cooperating with them.


    The Skywalk Trading Company didn¡¯t care about the suspicions of the six major sects; their goals were bigger than what the sects imagined. They were merely waiting to find their targets, confident that even if the sects had plans, it would be too late to act once they achieved their goal.


    Both sides harbored different objectives, making the Yongle Battlefield seem like a stage, yet the real protagonists hadn¡¯t yet performed.


    Time also continued to pass in this strange atmosphere. Across various places on the Beishu Continent, some local cultivators were still diligently completing tasks for the Skywalk Trading Company using their compasses.


    Both sides on the Beishu Continent and the Skywalk Trading Company were waiting, unaware of when a significant event might explode.

 Chapter 765 - 429: Closed-door Training

    Chapter 765: Chapter 429: Closed-door Training


    Five years, for high-level cultivators, are extremely brief; a Golden Core cultivator has a lifespan of five hundred years, while a Nascent Soul Early Stage Practitioner has a lifespan of a thousand years.


    In these five years, Li Shiming¡¯s daily schedule was packed full, and if not for his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15 with one hundred and ninety-one brains available for use, he, alone, even if he counted all his time, could not have completed all his daily arrangements.


    Li Shiming exuded a faint yet profound aura, a sign that the ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique¡¯ had reached a certain level.


    For top-notch Body Refining Techniques like the ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique,¡¯ a few years are still somewhat short. Had his foundation in Body Refinement not been so solid, he would not have achieved the results he has today.


    However, today, he had an extremely important experiment to conduct. After obtaining the ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique,¡¯ he had been preparing for this experiment.


    Every time he communicated with the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell, he could feel a hint of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi.


    After years of continuous communication, combined with the experiences and insights left by predecessors within the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell, which also included their descriptions of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi,


    all this could help descendants to quickly grasp the true essence and manifest the form of the ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique,¡¯ something Li Shiming was well aware of.


    To cultivate Body Refining Techniques most swiftly, the best option is naturally to master the true essence and manifestation of form as quickly as possible.


    The reason his ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ although not of a particularly high level, showed excellent performance in both cultivation speed and actual combat, was that he had grasped the true essence and manifestation of the ¡¯Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill,¡¯ which allowed the full potential of this Body Refining Technique to be unleashed.


    Over these years, his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15, had been continuously collecting data on the Taiqing Xuan Turtle and the ancient environment. For this purpose, he had included all the sect¡¯s materials regarding the ancient times into his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15.


    It was only because his status was so high that he could freely access these materials. If it were a common sect disciple, just the required contribution points would be an astronomical figure.


    Li Shiming controlled the IBMz15 with his mind. Since becoming his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15¡¯s connection with him had deepened by many times than when it first began.


    "Open the virtual environment!" he commanded the IBMz15.


    Soon, another scene appeared before his eyes, that of the ancient environment recorded in volumes of historical data.


    Gigantic spirit trees, massive creatures with terrifying strength, and Spiritual Energy so abundant it moved cultivators to tears.


    Regrettably, this was only a simulated version of the ancient environment, offering no aid to cultivation.


    The simulation felt so true to life because the IBMz15 had taken full control of Li Shiming¡¯s senses, placing him truly in the midst of it all.


    The IBMz15 was extremely meticulous; before his eyes, there were pollen and various dust particles floating in the breeze, with the scent of flowers mixed with other odors.


    Every plant, every stone, every inch of soil, every mountain, and every river¡ªeven when observed with ¡¯Divine Eye,¡¯ one could not find the slightest flaw.


    In the sky above, a cloud drifted with the wind.


    Suddenly, from within the cloud, a Taiqing Xuan Turtle vast as a mountain flew out.


    The Taiqing Xuan Turtle issued a howl that resonated between heaven and earth, instantly silencing the world as all creatures bowed their heads.


    Li Shiming¡¯s perspective shifted, facing the Taiqing Xuan Turtle directly. This Taiqing Xuan Turtle, reconstructed piece by piece from the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Shell, had been created based on the descriptions of predecessors who had condensed the true essence of the ¡¯Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique,¡¯ ensuring the turtle¡¯s authenticity to the greatest extent possible.


    The IBMz15 even set a standard of strength for the creatures in this virtual world according to the real world, with the Taiqing Xuan Turtle¡¯s strength modeled several times stronger than the most powerful Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioner he had ever encountered.


    Thus, when the Taiqing Xuan Turtle made its appearance, its mountainous presence felt not at all like a virtual construct, giving Li Shiming a powerful sense of oppression.


    Li Shiming¡¯s viewpoint moved all around, above and below, without a single blind spot as he observed the Taiqing Xuan Turtle.


    Though there was simulated data, what direct sensory experience could be more straightforward than data? More importantly, to condense the true essence into form, he needed an even deeper comprehension.


    He had an accurate understanding of the form of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle, but that form was merely external, far from a true realization of the Mysterious Turtle.


    His spirit faintly stirred, and the IBMz15 controlled his spirit to leap into the body of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle.


    The moment he entered the body of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle, his perceptions changed, and he transformed into the Taiqing Xuan Turtle.


    This was also a simulation, yet this type of simulation was based on years of research by the IBMz15, supported by a wealth of data, giving everything Li Shiming felt and experienced the theoretical reality of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle as deducted from extensive knowledge.


    In that instant, Li Shiming became the Taiqing Xuan Turtle; he tumbled in the clouds, and from the sky he descended to the earth.


    The earth cracked under his weight, and as he rampaged, mountains flattened and rivers changed course due to the transformed terrain.


    In this simulated world, the Taiqing Xuan Turtle was the mightiest existence. It could do as it pleased, indulging in everything it desired.


    In tandem with Li Shiming¡¯s movements, every action of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle was accompanied by a mass of data calculations, and the changes within the simulated world were derived from corresponding real data.


    Li Shiming could even feel the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi that filled the entire body of the creature¡ªtangible as reality, it made the Taiqing Xuan Turtle the hardest entity in this simulated world, with the power to move mountains, change seas, and destroy anything in its path.

 Chapter 766 - 429 Retreat_2

    Chapter 766: Chapter 429 Retreat_2


    As he entered the simulation world, he was also circulating the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique."


    Behind him, a faintly visible Taiqing Xuan Turtle virtual shadow appeared. If Great Elder Sun Ao were still alive, it would surely have shocked him to his core.


    Because it took Great Elder Sun Ao over three hundred years to attain the virtual shadow of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle that Li Shiming had just materialized.


    Yet Li Shiming had only cultivated the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" for a few years and had already condensed a virtual shadow of the same level as his.


    Moreover, the Taiqing Xuan Turtle virtual shadow behind Li Shiming was still changing, becoming clearer and clearer from being barely visible, shifting at a visibly rapid pace.


    Without years of preparation, without a mass of data, without an IBM z15 creating a simulated environment that could deceive Li Shiming¡¯s senses with illusion, he would not have been able to manifest the true essence of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" so quickly.


    After an unknown period, the Taiqing Xuan Turtle virtual shadow behind him was no longer just an ordinary phantom, but had acquired a terrifying presence.


    This was the true essence of the form manifesting itself, connecting to the Taiqing Xuan Turtle existing in an unknown space and summoning a wisp of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle¡¯s will.


    With a ¡¯boom,¡¯ the Taiqing Xuan Turtle shell piece on Li Shiming¡¯s forehead began to absorb the Spiritual Energy exhaled by the Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein frantically. At the same time, the shell piece emitted a dazzling light, and the transformed Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi increased by dozens of times, surging into his body.


    Li Shiming¡¯s movements were in sync with the real essence form of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle behind him. Every time he moved his body, he allowed the Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi entering his body to merge swiftly with it.


    The way he lay on the ground no longer seemed unsightly but had an indescribable naturalness to it as if it were in accordance with the rules of Heaven and Earth.


    Within his body, patterns of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle formed by Taiqing Xuan Turtle Qi were emerging, appearing on his skin, muscles, inner organs, and bones¡ªincreasing continuously everywhere in his body.


    "Why has Master Li¡¯s secluded cultivation been so prolonged this time? He¡¯s never let it affect his alchemy duties before!" a Golden Core Elder seeking pills sought out Elder Su.


    Elder Su was unable to provide an explanation; he had tried to contact Li Shiming, but there had been no response from the other side.


    This could only mean that Li Shiming was in an important phase of his secluded cultivation; otherwise, he would not fail to reply to his messages.


    However, Li Shiming¡¯s current period of secluded cultivation was indeed a bit long, which caused him some concern.


    For a full six months, Li Shiming was nowhere to be seen. Not even the Silver Corpse came out to entertain guests, let alone attend to any alchemy matters.


    And those who sought out Li Shiming for alchemy were now Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    Especially since the opening of the Yongle Battlefield, many Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators went there to earn contributions, thereby obtaining Third-grade Spiritual Medicine rewards. Their only option after receiving such awards was to request alchemy from Li Shiming.


    Six months of delay had accumulated a fair amount of alchemy affairs, affecting the cultivation plans of some Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    There was also the Beishu Trading Company, which enquired about the situation every two days from Elder Su. They too had lost orders from Li Shiming, which had a greater impact on them.


    It is worth noting that in the year that Li Shiming went to the Mortal World, Beishu Trading Company did not stop his business for even a moment.


    But despite such significant impact, neither the Shushan Sect nor the Beishu Trading Company, including Elder Su and Elder Ma, Li Shiming¡¯s masters, would ever disturb Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation.


    In the Shushan Sect, the matter of Li Shiming¡¯s cultivation surpassed the importance of concocting pills for Late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.


    "Once Shiming leaves his seclusion, I will inform you immediately!" Elder Su replied somewhat helplessly.


    The Golden Core Elder before him was an elder from their lineage, so he found it difficult to refuse and could only respond in such a manner.


    As Elder Su spoke, his expression suddenly changed. He rose into the air and flew out of Heavenly Eye Peak, arriving outside Sword Holding Peak.


    Just now, he had sensed a faint howl, which had impacted the grand formation of Heavenly Eye Peak, and the source of the howl was from Sword Holding Peak.


    Standing in mid-air, even though Sword Holding Peak was protected by its grand formation, he still felt a sense of oppression emanating from Sword Holding Peak.


    "Could it be that Shiming is cultivating some kind of cultivation technique? Or has he adopted some kind of exotic beast?" Elder Su saw that the grand formation of Sword Holding Peak was intact and thus put his mind at ease, but he still had many questions in his heart.


    The late-stage Golden Core Elder also followed over, unable to sense the situation inside Sword Holding Peak.


    This was not related to cultivation level, but rather because Sword Holding Peak was part of Heavenly Eye Peak, and the outermost formation of Sword Holding Peak was originally one with the formation of Heavenly Eye Peak.


    What Li Shiming fortified was only the formation outside his cave dwelling, causing little change to the grand formation of Sword Holding Peak.


    Li Shiming himself had not expected that this cultivation session would take up a full six months, making it the longest time he ever spent in cultivation.


    He was constantly in a simulated environment where, inexplicably, he entered into a special state that made him completely immersed in the practice of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique."


    Even the brains controlling the twelve silver corpses were retracted, leaving the twelve silver corpses in the underground factory space uncontrolled, and all research and work came to a halt.


    All one hundred and ninety-one of his brains were involved in the practice of the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique."


    He transformed into a Taiqing Xuan Turtle, breathing as the turtle did, absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth like it, and cultivating as the Mysterious Turtle did.


    This was actually the influence of a wisp of Taiqing Xuan Turtle consciousness he had connected with from an unknown space; the wisp of this consciousness descended upon him, experiencing what he felt.


    However, the issue was that what Li Shiming felt was all illusory, simulated with almost real data by the IBMz15.


    Yet that wisp of Taiqing Xuan Turtle consciousness believed it to be real. This consciousness traveled through endless space, retaining little of its wisdom and might, but still carried the most basic abilities of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle.


    Under its influence, Li Shiming felt that he had become a Taiqing Xuan Turtle; his body cultivated the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique," and his self was also like the Mysterious Turtle.


    If before it was the simulated environment affecting his senses, then now it was the Taiqing Xuan Turtle consciousness influencing his mind.


    Of course, conversely, one could also say that the IBMz15 deceived the Taiqing Xuan Turtle consciousness with the simulated environment, making the true manifestation take the simulated environment for the real world. The true manifestation, with the Taiqing Xuan Turtle consciousness, controlled Li Shiming, this false Taiqing Xuan Turtle, cultivating the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" in the illusory ancient environment.


    Given the level of the Taiqing Xuan Turtle, practicing the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" would be counted in centuries; it was only because Li Shiming¡¯s own strength was too weak that he couldn¡¯t maintain it beyond six months.


    Li Shiming slowly came to awareness, and the true manifestation behind him also vanished.


    He felt indescribably powerful, yet from his life-bound magic treasure, the IBMz15, there came a feeling of extreme exhaustion.


    Since refining the IBMz15 into his life-bound magic treasure, it had never shown signs of fatigue; this was his first discovery that even the IBMz15 could become exhausted.


    He soon learned from the IBMz15 what had happened; he had actually practiced the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" for a full six months under the control of that Taiqing Xuan Turtle consciousness.


    This made him feel somewhat apprehensive, for the true manifestation of such top-tier cultivation techniques indeed came with risks.


    But it was only the first time that true manifestation happened like this; as long as he didn¡¯t use the simulation environment in the future, this kind of situation wouldn¡¯t occur again.


    In fact, he planned to wait until an opportunity arose in the future, to prepare everything and then use the simulation environment again to draw in the Taiqing Xuan Turtle consciousness.


    This six-month period of cultivation brought benefits so tremendous that he was willing to take some risks; moreover, true manifestation backfiring on its master was extremely rare, so the actual risk wasn¡¯t considered significant.


    With six months of cultivation, he perfected the "Taiqing Xuan Turtle Technique" to a flawless level, once again elevating his body refining techniques to the level of a Great Elder.